Cutting off Kong's head wasn't just for spectacle—it was a necessary final blow. Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit users often possess unique abilities that allow them to recover from seemingly fatal injuries. The blue flames of the Phoenix can heal wounds, while the Yamata-no-Orochi's multiple heads symbolize multiple lives. Even the Azure Dragon can manipulate the natural elements to great effect. In the battle against Kong, Edie hadn't seen any such abilities on display, leaving him suspicious that Kong's weakened appearance might just be a façade. A precaution was in order.
As Edie pondered, Chenlong stepped forward, his mouth glowing with intense flames as he entered his hybrid form, preparing to incinerate Kong's body entirely.
"Alright, alright, that's a bit too much now," Edie said calmly, waving his hand to halt the imminent cremation. "You stay by the body and wait until tomorrow. Ten Marine warships will appear out of nowhere."
Chenlong stopped, nodding as he listened. "When they arrive, take nine of those warships back to Beehive Island. Leave one behind—with Kong's body on deck. Even though I don't know everything about him, I can't say he was a complete lapdog of the World Government. So we'll show some respect."
Edie's tone remained measured, but his orders were clear. Despite the brutal nature of the battle and Kong's death, Edie decided to honor the Marine Fleet Admiral with a semblance of dignity. Letting him be buried with his warship was the least he could do. The remaining nine warships, however, were a convenient boon, a little gift from the World Government.
"Yes," Chenlong replied, his voice steady.
Edie reached into his coat, retrieving a camera Den Den Mushi. He tossed it to Chenlong, giving his final instructions. "Take a photo of Kong's body and send it to Morgans. He deserves this for relaying my message to the Five Elders. Consider it his reward."
With that, Edie scooped the unconscious Momousagi into his arms and slowly ascended, flying in the direction of Beehive Island. The other three Earthly Branches—Weiyang, Wuma, and Zishu—immediately spread their wings and followed, leaving Chenlong alone with the task at hand.
As Chenlong stood by Kong's lifeless form, the air was filled with a strange sense of finality. Tomorrow, the Marine Warships would reappear, and with them, another chapter would close in this deadly game with the World Government.
After watching his Heavenly Father vanish from sight, Chenlong pulled out the camera phone and began documenting the scene. He took a series of pictures of Kong's body, ensuring every detail was captured. Once done, he dialed a number. As soon as the line connected, he wasted no time with pleasantries.
"I am Chenlong of the Twelve Earthly Branches!" he announced.
At the World Economic News Headquarters, high in the skies of the New World, the head office was bustling with activity. Morgans, the iconic news mogul, picked up the call, his large avian eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Won? You won against the Buster Call?" Morgans asked, his voice brimming with anticipation. He already knew the answer but needed to hear it. "Incredible..." he muttered to himself, marveling at the thought. Despite the destructive reputation of the Buster Call, Edie's forces had prevailed.
Just as Morgans processed the call, the fax machine on his desk began to whirr. The sound grew louder, and the printer spat out a photograph. Morgans snatched it up and nearly dropped it in shock. It was a picture of Kong—dead.
"KONG IS DEAD?!" Morgans gasped, his feathers puffing out in astonishment. Then, as if struck by divine inspiration, a wide grin spread across his face. He threw back his head and let out a triumphant cackle. "Big news! This is big news that will shake the world to its core!"
Without missing a beat, Morgans shouted to his staff, "We need to move quickly! Spread the news worldwide before the World Government even gets wind of this!" His eyes gleamed with anticipation. "And as the victor of this war, Mr. Edie deserves to be renowned..."
But Morgans paused. "Evil scientist? No, no, that won't do. Hive Master? Not nearly enough!" He paced back and forth, lost in thought. "Edie is more than a pirate. He's already the de facto ruler of the New World. He's the fourth Pirate Emperor! A new era has begun—the era of the Four Emperors!"
He quickly sat down at his desk, a quill in hand, scribbling furiously as inspiration flowed through him. His pen moved like magic, crafting a masterpiece of an article. But he stopped again, just before writing the headline.
"Four Emperors, huh?" Morgans frowned, tapping his beak. "Something's not quite right... Edie isn't just another pirate, and lumping him in with the likes of Kaido and Big Mom doesn't feel right either."
Then, the perfect idea struck him. His beady eyes sparkled with excitement as he grinned. "If he's not just an emperor... let's make him THE Emperor. Hive Emperor! He's the one to rule above all!"
Within the hour, Morgans' newsbirds were airborne, soaring across the globe. Their wings carried not just papers but world-changing headlines. The World Government would learn of the Buster Call's failure not from their own reports, but from the morning news.
Newsbirds flitted across every sea—New World, Paradise, East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, South Blue. Every corner of the world was soon buzzing with the news, as newspapers dropped from the sky, no payment needed. The headlines heralded a new era: "The Hive Emperor Rises! The Defeat of the Marines' Buster Call and the Dawn of a New Power in the New World!"
The world was changing.
Fleet Admiral Kong Dies in Battle! The Hive Emperor Claims Victory in the Naval War of the New World!"
The bold headlines screamed across the front page of the news, capturing the attention of hundreds of millions. As newspapers fell from the sky, people snatched them up, reading with wide-eyed disbelief.
"Buster Call? The Marine Fleet Admiral Kong... dead?"
"Who is this Hive Emperor?"
"The World Government launched a Buster Call on Beehive Island, and... they lost?!"
"The Hive Emperor... a great scientist, master of Beehive Island, director of the Hive Research Institute, now one of the Four Rulers of the New World!"
"A new era has begun—one emperor, three emperors rule the New World."
People from all walks of life were astonished. Rumors spread like wildfire. "Kaido, Big mom and Whitebeard... paying money to the Hive Emperor?!" Many couldn't believe their eyes. The audacity of such news felt surreal, almost absurd.
Outrageous as it seemed, the reputation of the news source—Big News Morgans—lent it undeniable credibility. If it had come from any other publication, it might have been dismissed as fanciful fiction. But with this stamp of approval, the world had no choice but to accept the facts. The title of "Hive Emperor" was now echoing across the globe.
The Beasts Pirates were in their base in the Flower Capital, with the towering figure of Kaido sitting on his throne in his Massive and Luxurious Mansion, surrounded by his commanders.
King, the stoic right-hand man of Kaido, quietly read through the newspaper while Kaido drank from a massive sake jug. Queen was off smoking on a Cigar, awaiting his reaction.
King: "It's confirmed, the Marines lost real bad. Kong is dead, and Edie and his group are Stronger than Ever."
Queen: "Edie? That mad scientist? He Probably cooked up some New things during these past 2 years?" He chuckled, though there was a nervous edge to his voice. "I can't believe it. The World Government got stomped, huh?"
Kaido stopped mid-drink, narrowing his eyes at the mention of the Hive Emperor. He was silent for a moment, then let out a booming laugh that echoed across the hall.
Kaido: "BWAHAHAHA! So the Marines are as weak as ever! The Buster Call was supposed to be their greatest weapon, and they failed miserably. That Old bat Kong can rest in Piss Woro~Woro~Woroooooo!!
Aboard the Moby Dick, the crew of the Whitebeard Pirates gathered around their captain as he read the newspaper. The looming figure of Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate towered over the rest, his signature bisento leaning against the ship's railing.
Marco, his first division commander, stood nearby, frowning as he took in the news.
Marco: "The Marines lost… Fleet Admiral Kong is dead, and they're calling Edie the Hive Emperor now."
Whitebeard: "Kong was no pushover. I never thought I'd see the day He would be Killed like this, especially by someone like Edie."
Whitebeard remained silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he absorbed the gravity of the situation. Then, a low chuckle rumbled from his chest.
Whitebeard: "Gurararara… So, the brat managed to pull it off. The World Government has underestimated him. This era… it's shifting faster than I thought."
In the West Blue, aboard the pirate ship Raven, the crew huddled around their captain, Jurgis, who clutched a newspaper in his hand. Silence filled the air as the weight of the news sank in.
"Edie… The Hive Emperor… That name sounds familiar…" one of the crew muttered.
The captain nodded, still digesting the information. "Over two years ago… it was that incident at the Sabaody Archipelago, the one where the Celestial Dragons were killed!"
Another pirate piped up, "Yeah, Captain! You talked to that guy at the Human Auction House!"
Recognition dawned on the captain's face, followed by a look of pure astonishment. "I thought he'd been killed by the World Government for sure. But not only is he alive, he's wiped out the Buster Call and killed the Fleet Admiral of the Marines?!"
Jurgis threw his head back and roared with laughter, his hearty guffaws carrying across the deck. "The age of pirates is truly here, boys! Let's celebrate the Hive Emperor's victory the pirate way—by looting and pillaging a village!"
"Yeah!" The crew erupted into cheers, their excitement palpable as they prepared for the raid.
They didn't care why Edie won, or how it happened. All that mattered was their captain's joy, which meant even more fun and chaos for them. As long as the captain was happy, they'd follow his lead.
"We'll gather enough loot to sail for the New World! That's where the real action is—the grandest stage of them all!" Jurgis declared, riling up his crew into a frenzy. They had their eyes set on the horizon, eager to plunge deeper into the wild new era unfolding before them.
As the Raven Pirates reveled in their celebration, Jurgis suddenly remembered something. His gaze shifted toward another part of the deck, where a young girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, was quietly scrubbing the wooden planks.
"Aylan, you've been working hard. You're a real asset to my crew!" Jurgis grinned, his tone cheerful as he addressed the girl.
"Yes, I'll keep doing my best," she responded softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
She wasn't one for many words. Nodding to the captain, she returned to her work, eyes downcast.
Jurgis, however, wasn't as simple as his exterior suggested. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her. The girl might think she had concealed her true identity well, but Jurgis had long seen through her. This wasn't "Aylan." No, she was none other than Nico Robin, the so-called "Devil's Child" with a bounty of 80 million Berries, wanted by the World Government for her knowledge of forbidden history.
It was an irresistible prize.
"Just turn her over to the Marines, and I'll be swimming in riches," Jurgis thought, his mind racing. "With 80 million, I can buy a bigger ship and take on the Grand Line!" His resolve hardened. He had originally planned to wait, but with news of the Hive Emperor's victory shaking the world, there was no reason to delay.
While his crew dispersed to the nearby village, engaging in their usual violent acts of piracy, Robin continued her quiet task of cleaning the deck. Every motion she made seemed meek, unassuming. But beneath her calm exterior, her thoughts were far from naïve.
She raised her head just slightly, her sharp eyes catching the captain's retreating back. He thought he had hidden his knowledge of her identity well. But Robin had already known.
Since the destruction of Ohara, Robin had been on the run for five long years, evading the relentless pursuit of the World Government. In that time, she'd learned one key lesson—betrayal.
"Don't trust anyone. Betray them before they betray you."
This cruel philosophy was the only thing keeping her alive. At the tender age of thirteen, Nico Robin had already walked through the darkest corners of the world, enduring endless hardship. Deceit, malice, greed, and treachery were her constant companions.
But today, something had changed. Amid the darkness, she had glimpsed a faint light.
The name "Hive Emperor" caught her attention like a beacon in the storm. The bold headlines, the audacious news—it all struck her deeply.
"Repelled... the Buster Call?" she murmured, her heart racing at the thought.
Could this man—this "Hive Emperor"—really have accomplished what no one else could? Could he have turned back the unstoppable force that had annihilated her homeland?
Edie... the great scientist... ruler of the New World... He was unlike anyone she had ever heard of. And yet, something about him called to her.
Her heart, long hardened by despair, felt a flicker of hope. For the first time in five years, Robin saw a path forward. She saw a purpose.
Her eyes steeled with determination. "The New World... the second half of the Grand Line... I have to go there."
Robin's mind was made up. She would head to the Grand Line, and one day, she would find the Hive Emperor. She didn't know what awaited her in the future, but for now, she would walk toward that single ray of light.
For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Nico Robin had a destination. She had seen the sun.