New World, Navy G-5 Base!
At this moment, the latest big news reports were spreading like wildfire.
Both Smoker and Tashigi were shocked!
Earlier, after being gravely injured, Smoker had been forced to leave the Island of World Military Draft early. As a result, Tashigi once again missed the chance to officially meet Shiro. But in a way, there was a silver lining.
After all, many sailors had sunk to the bottom of the sea along with the Island of World Military Draft, as they hadn't fled in time! Upon returning to the G-5 base, Smoker and Tashigi watched the entire live broadcast of the Battle via the Den Den Mushi.
When Smoker discovered that the young man who had gravely injured him was actually Shiro, he almost ground his teeth to dust.
Twice now, he had been bested by that kid Shiro!
Were they destined to keep running into each other like this? Did Shiro really need to be so ruthless?
But as Smoker saw even Fleet Admiral Akainu being pressed hard in the fight by Shiro, his frustration quickly gave way to relief.
It wasn't that he was weak.
It was that Shiro was simply too strong, too terrifying!
When the Fleet Admiral himself was being overwhelmed, what hope did a mere Vice Admiral have in standing against him? Smoker was just lucky to have survived.
On the other hand, Tashigi was wracked with regret. She had once looked up to Shiro, admiring him as a hero of justice after she joined the Navy. But despite meeting twice, Shiro had never revealed his true identity to her.
Did he not trust her?
Since the Summit War, all she wanted was to ask him why he had done what he did. As one of the brightest young stars in the Navy, why had he turned his blade against the institution he once stood for?
But after hearing the declarations made by Instructor Zephyr and Shiro this time, she began to understand. For the Navy, the concepts of justice, face-saving, and serving the Celestial Dragons had never sat well with her.
And now, these same truths were laid bare by her former idol.
These were small matters, though. The shock that truly rattled Tashigi and Smoker was the news of Shiro's new bounty:
5.36 billion Belly!
What a terrifying number!
Not since the days of legends like Gol D. Roger had such a bounty been placed on anyone's head!
The strongest Rear Admiral ever… had now become one of the most dangerous powers in the world.
"Vice Admiral Smoker, I think… Shiro might be right," Tashigi finally admitted, her voice filled with determination.
"Huh? What are you saying, Tashigi?"
"Vice Admiral… forgive me, but I believe we should consider joining the Central Authority. We should follow in the footsteps of Shiro!"
After much deliberation, Tashigi had made her decision. In the future, she would become the first female Admiral under the Central Authority, rising to heights once thought impossible.
Somewhere in the New World!
The Whitebeard Pirates were stationed on a secluded island.
"Gurararara! That kid Shiro… I didn't misjudge him. 5.36 billion Belly! That's already more than mine… closing in on Roger's bounty!"
At this moment, the legendary Emperor Whitebeard chuckled as he raised his wine to the sky, looking at the latest bounty poster in his hand.
This wasn't a sigh of defeat but one of admiration. Even after the War at Marineford, Whitebeard's respect for Shiro only grew with time.
After leaving Marineford, Whitebeard had often reflected on the events that had unfolded. As one of the mightiest pirates in the world, Whitebeard knew better than anyone else what it took to stand at the pinnacle.
In his mind, it was almost certain:
If Shiro hadn't intervened during the war, the odds of Whitebeard's defeat would have been 80%, and the chance of his death, 100%.
After all, Whitebeard had already prepared to sacrifice himself to save Ace and start a new era.
But no one could have predicted that Shiro's actions would completely change the course of the war. Not only did he rescue Ace, but he also spared Whitebeard's crew from significant casualties and extended the legendary pirate's life.
For that, Whitebeard would forever be grateful. Whether or not Shiro had ulterior motives for helping him didn't matter anymore.
"Father, Shiro's strength has indeed reached an unfathomable level," said Marco the Phoenix, the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, with a serious expression.
Though they saw themselves as the mightiest pirate crew, Marco had to admit that Shiro had become a force rivaling even the Four Emperors.
But more than just Shiro himself, Marco was worried about the growing power of the Central Authority.
"Aokiji, Zephyr, Fujitora... all of them are former Admiral-level figures. And let's not forget Enel, with a bounty of 1.5 billion. They're all terrifyingly strong."
Marco couldn't help but feel uneasy. The Whitebeard Pirates owed half of the New World to Shiro in name. But if the Central Authority's power grew too much, it could threaten the delicate balance of power they had worked so hard to maintain.
In the aftermath of the War at Marineford, the strength of the Central Authority now surpassed that of Whitebeard's fleet.
This was a simple fact. No matter how one looked at it, Shiro's Central Authority was now the most powerful faction in the New World. With Whitebeard's health deteriorating, Marco couldn't see anyone who could stand against them.
"Gurarara! Marco, don't worry too much. Shiro and I will never be true enemies. But if the time comes when we meet on the battlefield… I'll show him what it means to face the strongest man in the world!" Whitebeard laughed heartily, though his words carried a mix of pride and affection for the young warrior.
Whitebeard had already made up his mind. If certain events unfolded as he predicted, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Central Authority would never find themselves on opposing sides.
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The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg