A piece of breaking news swept across the seas, sending shockwaves throughout the world.
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gecko Moria, formerly worth 320 million Berries, was challenged by the rising powerhouse known as Golden Ring Aeridar, a rookie with a bounty of 300 million and the title of "Strongest Newcomer." The fierce battle took place on Jaya Island. In the end, Moria was defeated, stripped of his Warlord title, and replaced by none other than Golden Ring Aeridar.
Grand Line, Paradise — Rainbase, Kingdom of Alabasta.
In the opulent underground chambers of the Rain Dinners casino...
"Tch... That guy moves fast. Looks like the alliance... is already sealed."
Slouched on a wide leather couch, a man with a golden hook for a left hand and a scarred face read the newspaper, his expression curling into a knowing smirk.
He was Crocodile, former bounty 81 million Berries, also known as the Desert King, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
New World — Dressrosa, Royal Palace.
In the royal palace atop the King's Plateau, a tall, blond man lounged by the open-air swimming pool. Clad in a black suit with cropped pants and a flamboyant pink feather coat, sunglasses glinting in the sun, he sipped fruit juice in one hand and held the newspaper in the other.
"Fufufufufufu... That man doesn't waste time. Just after taking out that old coot Syrons, now he's crushed Moria too. Fufufufufu~ I'm actually looking forward to him showing up in my country... Might gain myself another monster of an ally. Eeehhh~"
"And that idiot Iman, making deals with the Navy only to get himself killed... What a waste of my EDU5."
Suddenly, a brilliant flash cut through the space ahead of him. The ornate pavilion in front of the pool split cleanly in two, the cut so smooth it shone like a mirror.
He was Donquixote Doflamingo, Heavenly Yaksha, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, bounty 340 million Berries.
East Blue — Loguetown.
On a newly restored street, a middle-aged man wearing a two-toned navy shirt and a brown coat cradled a bottle of liquor in one hand as he bought a newspaper from a nearby stand. The headline plastered across the front page announced Aeridar's rise to Warlord status, with a third of the page dominated by his photo.
"Hahahahaha! That brat Aeridar's making waves again! But of course, a man like him was born to be famous. Looks like Dimitri's doing pretty well too... Maybe I can convince the guild to throw in with him."
The man pulled a wanted poster from inside his coat and smiled.
He was Gurley Jaron, Captain of the Gigiriel, mentor to Dimitri, and a high-ranking member of the Red Clover Merchant Guild.
Marineford — Naval Headquarters, Fortress Infirmary.
In Special Ward #3, a single large bed stood in the room. A man lay atop it, his entire body wrapped in bandages like a mummy, with only his eyes and mouth visible. Despite this, he clutched a newspaper, clearly reading it.
Clack clack clack... squeeeak—
Footsteps echoed, and the door creaked open. In walked a man with a braided beard, wearing a Marine cap and a "Justice" coat, carrying a bag of fruit. Three little sheep followed him in.
"Ah—Sengoku, you're here." The bandaged man looked up, recognizing his visitor: Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the "Buddha."
Sengoku placed the fruit beside the bed and sighed, his expression tinged with guilt.
"So you've heard... I'm sorry, Syrons."
The mummy-like man in the bed was Vice Admiral Syrons, the one who had fought Aeridar to a brutal standstill. But Syrons had taken the heavier toll, his hidden injuries now laid bare.
"Fuhahaha~ Sengoku, no need for that. This wasn't your call to make. Honestly, having that kid become a Warlord is for the best. Fewer Marines will have to die chasing him down. To tell you the truth, if the Warlord slots hadn't been full when I met him, I would've recruited him myself."
His voice was light, but it carried the weight of experience and clarity.
"Syrons..." Sengoku's hands clenched into fists, his guilt only deepening as he looked at his comrade's broken body.
"I see it clearly, Sengoku. Every one of those so-called 'Warlords', Aeridar included, has killed Marines. Every one. And yet they still became Warlords. So what's my suffering compared to that? Honestly, it's better this way."
Sengoku fell silent, a swirl of complex thoughts passing through his eyes.
A massive wolf-headed ship, clearly customized, sailed through a sea of white clouds.
"We're... on top of the clouds?!"
"They're solid?! We're not falling!"
"So much cloud! What even is this?!"
"Is this... the White Sea? Cloud Ocean? Sky Ocean?!"
The Chris Pirates, now aboard the modified Chris ship, had successfully ridden the perilous Knock Up Stream, a current infamous as the "passage of life and death," and reached the White Sea, floating 7,000 meters above sea level.
Even Aeridar, who had knowledge of the original story, was stunned by the majestic beauty of the White Sea. It was a moment that no description or photo could ever capture.
"This is... incredible."
"Why... does my chest feel tight?"
"Yeah... I feel kind of dizzy."
"It's probably the thin air. We're not used to the high altitude yet."
Everyone felt it, the difficulty of breathing in this unfamiliar sky. Even Aeridar and Arlan showed signs of mild discomfort.
Dimitri furrowed his brows, glancing at the log pose on his wrist.
"Captain, the pointer's still pointing up. There's more above us."
"Then let's find a way up," Aeridar said, leaning against the ship's railing.
Pere... pere... pere... pere...
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi inside Aeridar's coat began ringing.
It was the one he had seized from Moria, the direct line to the Marines or the World Government. A faint smirk crossed Aeridar's lips as he picked it up.
"Moshi moshi. This is the Warlord Affairs Division of the Marines. Is this Aeridar-dono speaking?"
The voice on the other end was familiar, someone from the Warlord office.
"This is Aeridar," he replied firmly.
"Excellent. I'm calling to inform you that the World Government has officially recognized you as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. The papers have already gone out. Please report to Marineford in ten days to attend the Warlord Summit and sign the necessary agreements."
Aeridar grinned. This was the confirmation he'd been waiting for.
"I understand. I'll be there in ten days,"
Phase Two of his plan—complete.
Chris T. Aeridar, captain of the Chris Pirates, bounty: 300 million Berries.
Now officially recognized as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Golden Ring, Chris T. Aeridar.
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