Chapter 245

By early morning the next day, even before the official news reports were out, the entire Grand Line was already ablaze with rumors.

The news that the Warlord, The Thunder Calamity Zyhark, had caused chaos in Totto Land spread like wildfire. Although there had been recent upheavals, like Shanks toppling another Yonko, the impact of Zyhark's actions was far greater.

This event threatened to destabilize the delicate balance that the World Government had painstakingly maintained for years.

The fragile equilibrium between the Navy, the Warlords, and the Four Emperors was the bedrock that kept the chaos of the Pirate King era in check.

But now, the direct confrontation between a Warlord and a Yonko would irreversibly upset this balance, pushing the world toward a future that the World Government might no longer be able to control.

Meanwhile, in the New World, within the territories of Red-Haired Shanks...

Shanks and his crew sat around, casually drinking and chatting.

"Haha, he's got guts, that Zyhark. He really went straight into Big Mom's territory and tore it apart."

Shanks chuckled, feeling both admiration and disbelief as he listened to his crew's report.

Back in Windmill Village, he had already sensed that Zyhark, a seemingly ordinary restaurant owner, would one day become a powerful figure at the top of the world.

At the time, he had even considered recruiting Zyhark into his own pirate crew.

However, he never could've imagined that the man, who once didn't even possess Armament or Observation Haki, would, in just half a year, be able to topple the empire of a Yonko like Big Mom!

His growth was simply too fast.

"The rumor that he belongs to some kind of special race seems to be true after all," Benn Beckman mused, puffing on his cigar and downing a glass of wine.

"It won't be long before we meet him again, I suppose," said Lucky Roo, the ship's rotund chef, as he twirled a half-eaten drumstick in his hand. "To be honest, I kinda miss that fried rice he used to make."

"If we meet again, it'll be as enemies," Yasopp added, polishing his sniper rifle.

Despite saying that, Yasopp didn't seem concerned. Like Lucky Roo, he was actually looking forward to their reunion.

"I've heard that every member of Zyhark's crew is as monstrous as he is. I wonder if any of them are expert snipers?"

"Their next target is likely to be Kaido," Lucky Roo remarked, chewing on a mouthful of roasted meat. "There were reports of Kaido showing up in Totto Land as well."

"Perhaps they've come to some kind of agreement," Benn Beckman speculated.

Otherwise, given the complicated relationship between Kaido and Big Mom, it's unlikely Kaido would have allowed Zyhark to leave Totto Land so easily.

"We'll meet him soon enough," Shanks said, standing up and gazing out over the vast sea. "After all, we've decided to join the race for the One Piece as well."

Shanks's normally carefree expression turned grave.

"The next thing we need to confirm is whether the information we've received is accurate."

"If even we've heard it, you can bet Whitebeard, Kaido, and others already know too."

The mention of this information made the atmosphere among Shanks's crew grow tense.

The fact that the Celestial Dragons were planning another "purge" wasn't exactly a secret to powerful figures like them.

However, this time, the exact timing, location, and even the rewards for this "game" had been leaked.

Every pirate who valued treasure and power would be out in force, and this event had the potential to become a disaster even greater than the God Valley incident.

"Word is that the location they've chosen for this purge is deeply connected to Zyhark and his crew," Beckman added, picking up on the scent of conspiracy in the air.

"Before then, we'd better be prepared for the worst," Shanks sighed heavily.

The recent cascade of events—the capture of the Golden Lion, infighting among the Warlords, and the defeat of the Big Mom Pirates—all pointed to one thing.

The gears of the new era were turning, and the world was on the brink of irreversible change.

Meanwhile, aboard Whitebeard's flagship...

"Gurararara! That brat Zyhark, stirring up trouble in the seas when it's already chaotic enough!"

Whitebeard laughed heartily as he guzzled down yet another jug of sake.

The Whitebeard Pirates' core members were gathered around, with Marco, the pineapple-headed first division commander, attempting to get his father to drink less.

"With the information they got from Buggy's crew, Zyhark's crew now holds at least two of the red Poneglyphs, right?" asked Jozu, the third division commander.

Compared to Shanks's crew, the Whitebeard Pirates were much calmer in their reaction to the news of Zyhark defeating Big Mom.

After all, they had recently clashed with Zyhark's crew themselves and had seen firsthand how formidable Zyhark and his companions were.

The group sat around the deck, talking and laughing as if they were just one big family—except for one man sitting in the corner.

Blackbeard, Teach, was unusually quiet, his eyes distant.

After hearing about the upcoming purge in the East Blue, his mind had been preoccupied with one thing: the rewards the Celestial Dragons were offering.

Among them was the thing Teach had been coveting for years—the most powerful Logia-type Devil Fruit: the Yami Yami no Mi, the Dark-Dark Fruit!

Unfortunately, when Teach had tried to subtly gauge Whitebeard's interest in the event, Whitebeard had dismissed the idea, saying it wasn't worth getting involved.

Whitebeard, now an old man with a large "family" of sons, had already found his own "One Piece." He had no interest in igniting a new "God Valley War" and making an enemy of the World Government.

For Whitebeard, participating in such a battle once had been more than enough.

That had been his answer.

Teach, of course, couldn't accept that, but with Whitebeard's overwhelming power, he didn't dare press the issue further. Instead, he bided his time, waiting for the right moment.

"Oi, Teach, still thinking about that stuff?"

Whitebeard's sharp senses quickly picked up on the shadow over Teach's face.

"Huh? Oh, no, no, Pops! I was just thinking out loud, that's all," Teach quickly forced a dumb grin and scratched his head.

"As a man, if there's something you want, you should go after it with everything you've got," Whitebeard said casually, before turning to the rest of his crew.

"I know some of you are just as interested in the Celestial Dragons' purge as Teach is."

"Here's the deal: if you want to go, go. But there's one condition."

Whitebeard paused, adjusting his posture into a more relaxed position. Then his expression turned serious.

"You all have to come back alive!"

Hearing this, Teach was so overcome with emotion that he almost shouted, "Pops!"

The other commanders who had been harboring similar thoughts also shouted Whitebeard's name in gratitude.

"Pops, isn't this too dangerous?" Marco asked with concern.

Even if Whitebeard didn't go himself, the fact that his commanders were present at such an event would undoubtedly bring trouble to the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Marco, you should give it a try yourself," Whitebeard suggested.

Marco looked like he wanted to say something more, but Whitebeard waved him off with a sigh.

"No matter how strong a father is, there comes a day when he grows old and weak. It's time for you all to grow strong enough to stand on your own…"

No one understood Whitebeard's deteriorating condition better than he did. While he was still fine now, there would come a day in the not-too-distant future when his health would fail him.

With new powers like Zyhark and Shanks rising up, Whitebeard could feel the tides of the era shifting.

He knew that he alone couldn't stand against or stop the coming storm.

"Pops, stop talking like that!"

Marco and the others were alarmed by Whitebeard's somber words.

Teach, meanwhile, put on his usual act, stumbling dramatically over to Whitebeard and declaring his loyalty.

Deep down, though, the scheming Blackbeard was already plotting how to use his fellow commanders to claim the Dark-Dark Fruit for himself.

In the Navy Headquarters…

Smack!

Fleet Admiral Kong slammed a folder onto his desk, fuming.

"What in the world is Zyhark thinking?! A Warlord attacking Big Mom—at a time like this?!"

Kong had only met Zyhark once, but just hearing the man's name now made his head hurt.

If Zyhark were just another pirate from the New World, like Shanks, that would be one thing. But no—Zyhark was one of the World Government's Warlords!

This wasn't just about a single battle between pirates. Zyhark's actions were a direct challenge to the delicate balance the Government had worked so hard to maintain.

At least Gecko Moria, despite his grudge against Kaido, had the sense to bide his time and build up his forces.

But Zyhark? He didn't seem to care at all!

It was as if he thought he could go around stirring up trouble and become a fifth Emperor of the Sea!

Kong could already imagine the chaos that the news of Zyhark defeating Big Mom would cause once it hit the headlines.

Across the room, Sengoku and Garp exchanged looks, silently grateful that they weren't the ones dealing with this mess.

At least I'm not the Fleet Admiral right now, thought Sengoku.

Good thing I never took that promotion to Admiral, Garp thought with a smirk.

They both knew that Zyhark was troublesome, but they weren't too worried about him. After all, the real headache would fall on the World Government, not them.

"Sengoku, what do you think?" Kong suddenly asked.

Clearing his throat, Sengoku replied cautiously, "Perhaps we could spin this event to strengthen the Navy's reputation?"

There was some merit to the idea. After all, Zyhark was a Warlord, and the Warlords were technically under the World Government's jurisdiction.

However, the downside was that this could also raise the prestige of all the Warlords, making it harder for the Government to control them.

"Managing this will be delicate work," Kong sighed.

They couldn't deny Zyhark's victory, but they also couldn't let the Warlords' influence grow too much, or they'd risk creating what amounted to "Eleven Emperors."

As Kong's expression grew more thoughtful, Sengoku had a sinking feeling.

Sure enough, the next words out of Kong's mouth were: "Sengoku, I'll need you to handle this situation."

Damn it! He set me up! Sengoku thought, his face twitching in frustration.

Meanwhile, Garp, munching on his doughnuts, couldn't help but laugh at his old friend's predicament.

In the Revolutionary Army's headquarters at Kamabakka Kingdom...

Dragon, Ivankov, Kuma, and other top leaders gathered for an emergency meeting about the Celestial Dragons' planned purge of the "Land of Gods."

It had been over twenty years since they'd gotten such a clear picture of the World Government's movements, and if they could take advantage of the chaos, they could potentially secure some powerful "rewards" for the Revolutionary Army.

Still, Dragon was cautious. The Revolutionary Army couldn't act as recklessly as pirates. Every move they made carried enormous risks.

Compared to that, the news of Zyhark defeating the Big Mom Pirates seemed less significant.

However, one young revolutionary was seething.

"Damn that Zyhark! That liar! How didn't he get his ass kicked?!"

Sabo clenched his fists, his young face filled with frustration.

In his mind, Zyhark was still that tough but simple restaurant owner from Windmill Village.

Sabo was confident that, after his training with the Revolutionary Army, he could probably beat Zyhark himself!

Looking down at his scarred hands, Sabo smiled proudly.

"I wonder how Ace and Luffy are doing? I can't wait to show them how strong I've become…"

As he reminisced about his brothers, Sabo's tone softened, filled with nostalgia and hope.

Meanwhile, Warlords like Hancock, Moria, Mihawk, and many other powers throughout the Grand Line had also received news of Big Mom's defeat.

Some were astonished, others envious, and still more eager to meet Zyhark in person.

Yet despite the flurry of reactions, the seas remained eerily calm, with no major movements.

Everyone knew that this was merely the calm before the storm.

For the World Government's target was none other than the "Land of Gods," the nation that worshipped Aqua, the Water Goddess of the Baratie!

On the other hand, Zyhark and his crew, oblivious to the brewing storm, had sailed through half a day at full speed.

They finally arrived at the ruins of the Island of Music—Elegia.

There were now just two days left before the Celestial Dragons' purge began.

(End of Chapter)

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