As the Moby Dick sailed further away, all the Marines breathed a sigh of relief.
Facing Kong Tai had been too much pressure for them.
Even though they knew Kong Tai and his crew were completely different from true pirates, and seemed approachable, even drunk.
Yet, the invisible pressure emanating from them made them too intimidated to overstep, both mentally and physically.
Hadn't they seen their superior, Colonel Smoker, dare not remove Kong Tai's hand from his shoulder?
Smoker sat on a piece of rubble, gazing at the Moby Dick in the distance, lost in thought.
Daz Bonez, meanwhile, held "Little Night Rain" and stood quietly to the side.
She looked out at the distant sea, her eyes filled with bewilderment, determination, and hope.
She hadn't expected Kuina to actually win against Colonel Smoker, who had always seemed invincible in her heart.
This made her truly see that women were indeed capable of surpassing men.
She tightened her grip on her sword, and the bewilderment in her eyes vanished instantly.
If Kuina could do it, she believed she could too.
Just then, a shout suddenly echoed from the distant streets.
"Smoker, Smoker, Colonel Smoker!"
"Marine Headquarters, urgent, urgent fax."
Following the voice was a Marine, panting heavily, drenched in sweat.
He ran up to Smoker, gasping for breath, and then with trembling hands, handed him the fax.
He had received this fax just a few minutes ago.
Upon seeing its contents, he had been terrified.
Then, remembering that Smoker was still leading the Marines in battle with Kong Tai's crew at the dock, he had immediately grabbed the fax and rushed towards the pier.
Seeing the unharmed Marines around him, he finally relaxed.
He had genuinely feared that he might have been too late and witnessed a scene of carnage on the docks!
After all, he had never seen a pirate with a bounty of 500 million Berries in his life!
Smoker took the fax, took a drag from his cigarette, and looked down.
As he read, his hand trembled, and he almost dropped the fax.
"Colonel Smoker, what's wrong?"
Daz Bonez noticed Smoker's state and quickly asked.
"See for yourself!"
Smoker said, handing the fax to Daz Bonez.
His face was filled with anger.
"Headquarters is really incompetent, sending such important intelligence this late."
He lowered his head and touched the sword wound on his chest. Though scarred, blood still seeped out intermittently.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Bang!
He punched the ground in front of him with force.
"What a joke!"
"Turning a blind eye? Is that still the justice of the Marines? Could it be that Kong Tai's crew isn't backed by rogue Marines, but by the true Navy?"
"Otherwise, how can they explain their use of such advanced techniques like Soru, and their behavior? They don't look like pirates at all!"
He stroked his chin in thought, then his eyes lit up, and the anger on his face instantly disappeared.
"Could Kong Tai's crew be Navy undercover agents?"
He smoked, nodding continuously.
This finally explained their bizarre actions, and why Kong Tai and Kuina hadn't harmed them.
From their fighting and words, it seemed Kuina and Kong Tai had been encouraging him and Daz Bonez all along.
From Kong Tai's last words, it was clear that this guy was indeed encouraging them.
Thinking this, his mood suddenly brightened.
As long as they weren't defeated by pirates, Navy undercover agents were still part of the Navy!
Fighting your own comrades, was that even called fighting?
At most, it was sparring.
And sparring had winners and losers, didn't it?
"Haha!!"
...
Shortly after Kong Tai and his crew left Loguetown.
The New World.
The sea beyond the Grand Line.
The Red Line divides the Grand Line into two halves. Crossing the Red Line, where Mary Geoise and Fish-Man Island are located, leads to the second half of the Grand Line, known as the New World. In the New World, the Four Emperors reign supreme, and it is the most challenging and dangerous sea.
It is also the hiding place of the Great Treasure, "One Piece," known as Laugh Tale.
Now, all Four Emperors had received the expedited news and bounties from today.
In a stretch of sea not far from the entrance to the New World.
A colossal three-masted sailing ship was currently navigating.
Its bow was round and painted silver-white, resembling a giant white whale from afar, immense and spectacular.
Even in the tempestuous seas of the New World, this ship sailed as if on calm waters.
With an imposing presence, it cut through the waves, dominating the sea as it rapidly headed towards uncharted territories.
On either side of it followed two outer ships each, making a total of four.
These four ships were smaller versions of the main vessel, differing only in color.
From a distance, it looked like a giant whale accompanied by four smaller whales, swimming across the sea.
This fleet was the main fleet of the "Whitebeard Pirates," one of the Four Emperors.
The largest ship in the center was the exclusive vessel of the man now recognized as the strongest in the world, "Whitebeard - Edward Newgate," the "Moby Dick."
On the Moby Dick, Whitebeard, shirtless, sat casually on the deck, leaning against the front cabin.
Beside him, several young nurses in sexy pink uniforms were busy changing his IV drip.
He himself was looking at Marco, the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' first division, known by his epithet "Phoenix," who had a golden punk hairstyle.
"Marco, what's so important that you're in such a hurry?"
"Here, take a look! It's news about your old friend, the Golden Lion."
"Oh! The Golden Lion?"
"I remember this guy disappeared for almost twenty years, didn't he?"
"Could it be that he's making world-shaking news right after reappearing?"
"Gurararara!"
Laughing, he took the newspaper handed to him by Marco and began to read.
As he read, his laughter stopped. When he saw Kong Tai's bounty poster enclosed in the newspaper, he burst into laughter.
"The old guy finally lost to the youngsters!"
"Gurararara!"
Then, he threw away the newspaper, grabbed a sake bottle beside him, and drank from it.
He wasn't particularly concerned about the sudden appearance of Kong Tai, but inwardly lamented that another oldtimer had fallen to a young person, becoming a stepping stone for their rise.
"Old man, stop drinking."
Marco said loudly to Whitebeard, "You're still on an IV drip!"
"Well! Isn't the old Golden Lion gone?"
"I have to send him off!"
"Gurararara!"
Clearly, he had found a good excuse to drink.
Marco looked at Kong Tai's bounty poster on the ground, stunned for a moment.
"So young."
...
Wano Country, Onigashima, Emperor Kaido's stronghold.
Whole Cake Island, Emperor Charlotte Linlin's stronghold.
Emperor Shanks.
The Seven Warlords...
Any pirate, Marine, or individual power paying attention to the world's situation and news received simultaneous reports today about the death of the Golden Lion and Kong Tai's unprecedented 500 million Berry bounty.
Their reactions varied.
Shock, excitement, curiosity, indifference, killing intent, apathy...
Regardless of their emotions, they all remembered. They remembered a pirate crew from the East Blue that had just set sail.
A person named Silver Hair.
An impossibly young man.
A person who, on their second voyage, received a sky-high bounty of 500 million Berries.
A person who, upon setting sail, defeated an old legend, aiming to forge their own legend.
...