"What a huge loss! We should’ve wiped out those pirate crews when we first landed on this island!"
"Exactly! Even the smallest crews we let go were carrying hundreds of millions of Berries !"
"It hurts just thinking about it!"
"Do you think they’ve gotten far? Maybe we can still chase them down!"
"Forget those small fry. We should target the other Emperors instead. That’s where the real money is!"
Marco immediately shook his head.
"Not yet."
"Now isn’t the time to provoke the other Four Emperors."
The gathered commanders looked toward him.
Marco calmly explained.
"First, although Pops has fully recovered from his illnesses and old injuries, he’s still adjusting to his restored body."
"Second, information about Ron and the Enchanted Devil Fruits absolutely cannot spread."
"If those secrets become public knowledge, we’ll face problems from every direction."
"The Marines will become interested immediately."
"And countless other forces will start targeting us as well."
His expression became serious.
"So until we’re strong enough, keeping a low profile and steadily increasing our strength is the best option."
The commanders quickly understood his reasoning.
Although reluctant, they abandoned the idea of challenging the other Emperors for now.
Still...
They Felt regret.
The more they thought about it, the more painful it became.
Those pirate crews they had casually allowed to leave before...
They weren’t pirate crews anymore.
They were mountains of Berries walking away on their own.
They were future Enchanted Devil Fruits escaping into the horizon.
Especially now that Whitebeard intended to share his own power.
That realization hurt even more.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
The legendary Gura Gura no Mi.
The Devil Fruit acknowledged as possessing the greatest destructive power.
Stories claimed that during his younger days, Whitebeard had possessed enough strength to shatter the seas themselves.
That was why the fruit inspired such fear.
And now...
They had an opportunity to inherit that power.
How could they possibly remain calm?
"Money!"
"We need more money!"
"Let’s get moving!"
Thus began an unprecedented fundraising campaign across the Whitebeard Pirates.
Every single member was highly motivated.
The entire crew shared one objective.
Earn more Berries .
Five days later.
Both the Grand Line and the New World descended into chaos.
Over the course of several days, the Whitebeard Pirates launched operations throughout multiple regions.
Several notorious pirate crews were swiftly crushed.
At the same time, enormous amounts of wealth flowed into Whitebeard’s coffers.
Tens of billions of Berries were accumulated in an astonishingly short period.
Whitebeard.
The World’s Strongest Man.
Every move made by a figure of his stature affected the entire pirate world.
Now that he had suddenly begun acting so aggressively, the news spread across the seas like a detonated bomb.
Countless people were shocked.
Countless rumors emerged.
Yet nobody could determine Whitebeard’s true objective.
Was this the final struggle of an aging pirate approaching death?
Was he attempting to intimidate surrounding forces before his final days?
Or was there a deeper purpose hidden behind all these actions?
Speculation spread everywhere.
Some believed the Whitebeard Pirates were searching for a legendary treasure.
Others claimed they were preparing for a direct confrontation with Marine Headquarters.
There were even those who thought Whitebeard was desperately strengthening his territory to protect his family before his death.
No matter which theory people believed, one fact remained unchanged.
The entire world was paying attention.
Everyone watched closely, hoping to uncover the truth.
Yet just when the world’s focus settled on the Whitebeard Pirates—
They vanished.
Almost overnight.
Like ghosts disappearing into the sea.
The mystery only became more profound.
Wano Country — Onigashima
Kaido sat upon his enormous throne.
His massive figure resembled an immovable mountain.
A huge sake gourd rested in his hand.
He drank continuously as though alcohol were plain water.
Every gulp seemed to intensify the wild ambition burning within his eyes.
Nearby, one of his subordinates respectfully delivered the latest intelligence.
"What the hell is Whitebeard doing?"
Kaido snorted.
"That old bastard already has one foot in the grave."
"Why’s he suddenly causing such a commotion?"
Disdain filled his voice.
"What?"
"Trying to drag others down with him before he dies?"
"Hmph."
He sneered.
His confidence in his own strength was absolute.
"Forget him."
"Bring me more alcohol."
Whole Cake Island — Totto Land
Big Mom sat at the head of an enormous banquet table.
Her eyes remained locked onto a gigantic cake in front of her.
Desserts were more than a hobby for her.
They were an obsession.
An obsession bordering on insanity.
"Momma."
"The Whitebeard Pirates have been very active lately."
The one speaking was Perospero.
As Big Mom’s eldest son, his words carried considerable influence.
"Hm?"
"Whitebeard?"
Big Mom tore off a massive piece of cake and stuffed it directly into her mouth.
Her jaws opened like a bottomless abyss.
The enormous chunk disappeared instantly.
Only after swallowing did she seem satisfied.
"Tell me."
Her tone carried unquestionable authority.
The sharpness in her eyes seemed capable of piercing through any lie.
Her fingers tapped lightly against the table.
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Everyone present lowered their heads.
No one dared look directly at her.
Perospero carefully organized his words.
Even his speaking speed slowed noticeably.
One wrong sentence could have disastrous consequences.
"The Whitebeard Pirates have started reclaiming territories they previously lost."
"Every pirate crew occupying those islands has been robbed."
"All their wealth was taken."
He paused before continuing.
"Based on current intelligence..."
"They appear to be desperately searching for money."
"Whether in the New World or the Grand Line, any pirate crew that previously invaded Whitebeard territory has been targeted."
"Every last Berries was confiscated."
Perospero’s expression became strange.
"They didn’t even leave clothes behind."
"The Whitebeard Pirates practically dug through everything."
"If it had value, they took it."
Even he found the situation difficult to believe.
Since when had Whitebeard’s crew become so obsessed with money?
"Mamamama!"
Big Mom suddenly burst into loud laughter.
The entire hall trembled from the force of it.
"Interesting."
"That old fool is amusing."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"Ignore him."
"Just keep monitoring Fish-Man Island."
The smile on her face widened slightly.
"The moment Whitebeard dies..."
"We’ll take the island."
"Understood, Momma."
Perospero immediately nodded.
Fish-Man Island was one of the most important targets under Big Mom’s consideration.
Losing track of it was unacceptable.
No one truly understood why the Whitebeard Pirates had suddenly become obsessed with gathering wealth.
But one thing was certain.
If they ever dared interfere with the Big Mom Pirates—
They would quickly learn just how terrifying an Emperor’s crew could be.