Whole Cake Island, Totto Land Kingdom.
"MaMa~~MaMa... what a shame, Kaido."
Charlotte Linlin lay sideways on her special chair, her figure cloaked in shadows, with only her bloodshot eyes visible and acid-like drool dripping from her mouth. As she read today's newspaper, she let out her signature laugh and mocked, "You really failed my investment. If I had known, I wouldn't have given you that Devil Fruit back then.
"Now, where's the gratitude to me, huh?!"
"MaMa~~MaMa... Cross Kahn, you're truly worthy of my admiration. If you had been born ten or twenty years earlier, you and I would've been a perfect match.
"I really want to have a child with him—it would be the most flawless creation of this era, maybe even in all of history!"
Like many other powerful forces and knowledgeable individuals across the world, Charlotte Linlin wasn't surprised to hear that Kahn had become the new Emperor of the Seas.
Not only that, her acceptance was stronger than most.
While others were stunned by how Kahn took down one of the reigning powers of the seas, Linlin wasn't shocked at all. In fact, she expected it.
After all, Kahn had been the only natural-born destroyer of her kind in decades.
On top of that, this destroyer had eaten one of the most powerful Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits, with potential that surpassed even hers.
As one of the most ambitious pirate kings among the three great monsters, Charlotte Linlin had long set her sights on Kahn and his "Cross Family" empire.
She understood Kahn's strengths and potential well.
A natural-born destroyer + a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user—he was an enhanced version of her.
The fact that Kaido had his "arm" cut off was proof enough.
Now, with Kaido dethroned, it was the ultimate example of failure.
"Gu ra ra ra... well done, I'd love to have a drink with that kid."
Today, the Moby Dick was full of life, like a grand celebration.
Many of the old-timers who had once sailed with Whitebeard to conquer the seas were shedding tears of joy, cheering nonstop.
Among them, Thatch was the loudest.
Meanwhile, Whitebeard himself held a special jug, took a few sips, and smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth.
When it came to Kaido, Whitebeard had mixed feelings.
He felt a sense of pride in his younger brother's rise but also harboured anger and resentment for the murder of his former comrade.
The death of Kozuki Oden weighed heavily on him. If Oden hadn't been part of the Whitebeard Pirates, Whitebeard would have let reason prevail and wouldn't have risked sacrificing so many sons just to avenge a former crewmate, especially one who had also served under their "enemy," Pirate King Roger. If that hadn't been the case, Whitebeard would have stormed Onigashima with his sons to exact revenge.
But now, with Kahn first cutting off one of Kaido's arms and then knocking him off his throne, all of Kaido's hard work had been wiped clean.
There was no doubt Kahn had earned Whitebeard's respect, as well as the admiration of the Whitebeard Pirates' veterans.
This respect was the reason why the Whitebeard Pirates had chosen to stand down in recent years.
If similar situations arise in the future, it's likely that the Whitebeard Pirates will continue to step back as a sign of gratitude toward Kahn.
But despite their concessions, Kahn and the "Cross Family" no longer needed their goodwill.
Kahn's rise to power doesn't have much impact on the current balance of the New World.
Because the pattern of the Four Emperors that Morgans anticipated never materialized, the situation in the New World remains largely the same—dominated by the three monsters ruling different sea territories.
The difference is that these three monsters have changed from the former Rocks Pirates' members and trainees to two of its old cadres and the strongest rising star of the new era. Known by many titles such as "Walking Calamity," "The Richest Man in the World," "Head of the Cross Family," "Master of Amazon Lily," "Overlord of the Underworld," and "The World's Strongest Creature"—Cross Kahn.
Though the New World's balance hasn't shifted much, the World Government finds itself facing serious headaches.
Similar to Kaido, who relied on Doflamingo's connections to sell his high-quality weapons, the only large-scale buyer was the World Government, making Kaido vulnerable to unfavourable prices.
Now that Kahn has taken over and eaten up all of Kaido's business, the World Government and the "Cross Family" are bound to see changes.
Kaido's downfall is partly due to the limited demand for his high-quality cold weapons in the New World. If they were shipped to other seas, unless aided by someone like Doflamingo, the costs in manpower and resources would likely outweigh the profits.
The World Government was Kaido's only major buyer of these weapons.
Kahn, on the other hand, established deep cooperation with the World Government, not because of his weapons—those were either ordinary and cheap or high-quality firearms—but because of the unique medicines his "Cross Family" produces. Firearms are one of the best-selling items in the underworld.
When the "Cross Family" struck deals with the World Government, Kahn held the upper hand, forcing the Government to show favour and issue an order to the Marines not to attack any ships flying the "Cross Family" flag.
The Cross Family's leverage came from their unique products and thermal weapons. Now, with Kahn devouring the remnants of the Beasts Pirates' business, the World Government will be at their mercy for supplies like special medicines and Seastone.
Especially Seastone—thanks to Vegapunk's inventions that utilize Seastone technology, the World Government cannot afford to alienate Kahn. They didn't dare to offend Kaido before, and now they're even more cautious with Kahn.
They need Kahn, at least until Vegapunk can perfect the Seraphim and reduce reliance on these resources.
And this... is part of why Kahn's eyes are set on Wano.
Aside from Pluton, one of the three Ancient Weapons, Wano is, as the world calls it, a true treasure trove. Known as the Land of Gold, it holds immense value.
Having gained control over Dressrosa, Amazon Lily, the Tontatta Kingdom, and now Wano, Kahn has become a king ruling both the underworld and legitimate empires while standing as an Emperor of the Seas.
As the world buzzes about Kahn's rise, he temporarily hands over the task of handling the war's aftermath to Robin and Hancock while he goes to speak with Kaido, who has just woken up from a day-long coma.
"Boy, you're not going to kill me?"
Kaido asked, staring at Kahn as the latter held the key and released him from his shackles.
As they say, the victor claims all.
Kaido, as one of the overlords who wields Conqueror's infusion, is a man who knows how to lose with dignity.
Though Kaido's defeat stemmed from a lack of critical intelligence, he was taken down by Kahn's strongest combination before he could unleash his full strength.
Still, a loss is a loss. Kaido doesn't feel resentment or anger, nor does he crave another fight with Kahn.
He's simply curious—why didn't Kahn kill him?
Kaido is not the invincible force the world government feared in one-on-one battles from the original timeline, nor is he immortal.
In fact, Kaido is fully aware that he can be killed.
And Kahn has the power to do it.
Take, for example, the vampire, another Mythical Zoan user with the ability to steal lifespans. Normally, Kaido wouldn't be concerned with this power while fully conscious.
But after being severely injured and unconscious, he knew he wouldn't be able to resist such an attack.
So, after being freed, Kaido didn't attack Kahn. Instead, he looked at him calmly, waiting to hear what Kahn had to say next.
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