Monsters Hidden in the Shadows of the World!

In the New World, on an unknown island.

This island was densely vegetated, with lush greenery covering most of its area. On the eastern beach of the island, a group of people was gathered around a large bonfire, roasting several huge wild oxen. The flames caused the fat to drip and sizzle in the fire.

"Marco, calm down. You absolutely can't go."

"Yeah, Marco, Jozu just lost a sparring match. If you go, he definitely won't forgive you when he wakes up."

"But that guy was too ruthless!" Marco, sitting on a log, couldn't help but speak.

"Marco, don't say that. Warriors always duel with the resolve to face death," said Curiel, the 10th division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, stopping midway as he wiped his eyes with his rough hand. The burly man was actually crying.

"Gu ra ra ra, I was just getting an IV on the ship, and in a short time, you fools ended up like this?" With a laugh, the tall figure of Whitebeard slowly walked down from the ship.

"Father."

"Father."

Marco stood up and greeted Whitebeard.

"Marco, that was Jozu's choice. Besides, he's only badly injured, not dead, right? If you want revenge, wait until Jozu wakes up and let him decide. After all, the honor of a warrior's duel shouldn't be ruined by others," Whitebeard said seriously. He knew his commanders had a close relationship, but he also understood that if they sought revenge now, Jozu's warrior spirit would be compromised even if he didn't say anything when he woke up.

After hearing Whitebeard's words, Marco and the others dropped the subject and began discussing recent intelligence they had gathered.

"Recently, that Red-Haired guy has been very active. Since becoming an Emperor four years ago, his actions have been increasingly hard to understand. According to our information, he seems to have connections with the World Government."

"Could the information be wrong? That Red-Haired guy was part of Roger's crew; how could he have ties with the World Government?"

"Who knows. There's another piece of information," Marco said, looking seriously at Whitebeard. "According to news from Sabaody, Vista of the Nicholas Pirates appeared on the Sabaody Archipelago and annihilated three CP squads from the World Government in Water 7, taking away the fishman shipwright Tom, who was supposed to face trial."

"Vista, huh? Are they getting restless?" Thach couldn't help but speak. They had complex feelings about the Nicholas Pirates. If it weren't for Nicholas, they might still be under Whitebeard's protection. But the events in Wano and Izo's death left some resentment.

"Additionally, Germa suddenly entered the New World, and based on their course, their ultimate target seems to be Wano!"

At the mention of Wano, many in the Whitebeard Pirates showed a change in expression.

"So, Marco, you suspect?"

Teach smiled at Marco.

"That's right, I suspect Nicholas has big plans. No one knows what really happened when he disappeared years ago. Some say he met with misfortune, but it's just speculation without concrete evidence," Marco said seriously.

"Marco! If that's the decision, then go. But be careful."

Whitebeard, sitting nearby, spoke, knowing well that his own health was deteriorating. It was time for Marco to take over.

"Don't worry, Father. If I want to leave, no one in this world can stop me." With that, blue flames flickered around Marco as he took off, flying into the distance.

Meanwhile, in the New World, at Punk Hazard.

Several large ships were anchored around the island, with people constantly moving goods from the ships to the shore.

"Bang!"

A loud crash echoed from the ship, followed by a drunken roar.

"Woo woo woo, when Nicholas was around, I was bullied. Now that Nicholas is gone, I'm still being bullied. What's the point of Nicholas being gone?"

"Master Kaido, please calm down. The Red-Haired Pirates destroying that shipment was just an accident. Very soon..."

"Bang!"

Another crash, as if something heavy had hit the ground.

"Calm down my foot, woo woo woo."

There were sobs from the cabin, but no further replies.

Soon, King, clad in black leather and wearing a mask, walked into the cabin. At this point, he was probably the only one in the Beasts Pirates who dared to face Kaido in this state.

Inside the cabin, there was a large bed where Kaido was lying. All around the floor were numerous broken sake gourds, and beneath one shattered gourd, a vaguely human-shaped figure lay in a pool of blood.

"Is that you, King? What do you want?"

Kaido, lying sideways on the bed, took a heavy swig of sake and drunkenly looked at King.

Since the battle in the North Sea, the Beasts Pirates had been severely weakened. It was only recently, after recruiting several promising newcomers, that they began to recover.

"Big Brother Kaido, there's new information. Vista was seen on the Sabaody Archipelago, and he seems to have someone with him who looks like Master Yamato."

King spoke slowly.

Upon hearing this, Kaido stopped drinking, his breathing grew heavier, and dragon-like features began to appear on his body.

Yamato's disappearance had been a huge blow to Kaido. He had placed great expectations on Yamato, who had awakened Conqueror's Haki at a young age and inherited his terrifying physical strength and Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami.

If Yamato had grown up properly, he would have been a force as strong as Kaido himself. But then one day, he just vanished.

Now, hearing that Yamato had been taken by his rival, Kaido's blood pressure soared.

"In addition, the Germa 66 fleet has also entered the New World."

King's next words somewhat calmed Kaido down. Kaido had always coveted Germa's genetic modification technology. With Germa's technology, he could have a continuous supply of soldiers, making his dream of world domination achievable.

...

In the New World, on the deck of a sailing ship, a party was in full swing.

"Say, Shanks, is it really tough wielding a sword with one hand?"

Mihawk looked at Shanks' empty left sleeve and asked. He couldn't understand how Shanks had lost his arm in the East Blue. As a swordsman, Mihawk knew how important an arm was.

"Yeah, it's tough. Without my left arm, a lot of techniques are unusable. But Mihawk, with me losing an arm, there's no one left to challenge your title as the world's greatest swordsman, right?"

Shanks grinned.

"The world's greatest swordsman? Maybe. Who knows if there are any hidden monsters out there. After all, Nicholas, who was so powerful, vanished almost like he was never there."

Mihawk's fingers gently traced the scar on his chest, hinting at something deeper.

Hearing Mihawk's words, Shanks' smile faded.