"Three days ago, the Sun and Moon Pirates invaded Mary Geoise?"
"That can't be true. Three days ago, I rember the Sun and Moon Pirates were seen at Lodestar Island!"
"Which of these reports is fake?"
"The Lodestar Island incident was in the papers, complete with pictures. Not to ntion, plenty of people saw the World Governnt and Navy ships heading there—it has to be true!"
"But the invasion of Mary Geoise was announced by the World Governnt itself. Plus, the waterways around the Holy Land have been completely sealed off, with no ships allowed entry."
Both reports were true.
"How many Kuke's are there in this world? How many Sun and Moon Pirates? How could they be at Lodestar Island one mont and then attacking the Holy Land the next?"
Readers of the news were left questioning their reality.
It didn't seem logical.
"I don't care how they managed it. I just want to know the outco of the Mary Geoise invasion!"
"The result? The World Governnt would never reveal the truth if it was a humiliating defeat. They'll definitely cover it up."
Many had grown accustod to the World Governnt's tactics.
They read on, not expecting much—until their eyes widened in shock.
At that mont, hearts raced, and breaths quickened.
"Mary Geoise is almost entirely destroyed. Countless casualties. Two of the Five Elders are dead."
The truth was there, in black and white.
Even Imu, fearing Kuke might break their agreent, had approved this disclosure. Humiliating as it was, the truth was not hidden.
For many, their hearts seed to stop at this revelation.
"They... they destroyed Mary Geoise and killed two of the Five Elders?"
The sea fell into a stunned silence.
Whitebeard, holding the paper in trembling hands, was overwheld.
The man who could withstand the weight of a mountain now found himself shaking before sothing as light as a newspaper.
"I see now. It all makes sense..."
All his questions were answered.
No wonder, three days ago, when they crossed paths, the Navy forces ignored them and sped away.
It was because of the disaster unfolding at Mary Geoise.
"Master Kuke truly lives up to his na. In this era, only he has the courage—and the capability—to pull off sothing like this."
"I even thought the Sun and Moon Pirates were retreating. Turns out they had a far greater purpose," Marco and the other commanders said, their voices trembling with newfound respect.
"Yes. Who would've imagined a pirate could destroy Mary Geoise and kill the Five Elders?" Whitebeard marveled.
His past bitterness over his defeat by Kuke lted away.
Being defeated by soone of Kuke's caliber no longer felt like a blemish on his pride.
With reverence, Whitebeard carefully set the newspaper down.
He resolved to fra it and hang it in his room, a symbol of the highest honor for any pirate.
"Who is the true king of the seas? It can only be Kuke."
Whitebeard's declaration echoed the sentints of many pirates in the New World.
anwhile, at the Beasts Pirates
Kaido stared at the paper with envy.
"Invading Mary Geoise and killing the Five Elders?"
Every word on the page made his blood boil with excitent.
"I wish I'd been a part of this," Kaido lanted, slapping his thigh in frustration.
"I even told Kuke after my defeat that I owed him a favor. I said I'd follow him anywhere—even to invade the Navy headquarters or the Holy Land. Why didn't he bring along?"
His frustration ran deep.
The more Kaido thought about it, the angrier he beca—mostly at himself.
He realized Kuke hadn't needed him, hadn't even considered him.
This stung.
"Damn that old hag. She's so lucky," he muttered bitterly.
At Totto Land
"Our mother and Smoothie were part of this?"
The nas of Charlotte Linlin and Smoothie were listed among the Sun and Moon Pirates who had participated in the invasion.
Cheers erupted throughout Totto Land.
Pride swelled as they realized their family mbers had been part of this unprecedented achievent in pirate history.
"To think that joining the Sun and Moon Pirates would lead to such an unparalleled accomplishnt," Katakuri sighed, a trace of envy in his voice.
For a pirate, such a feat was worth dying for.
"Too bad the Sun and Moon Pirates wouldn't accept us, not even as an allied crew," another mber said regretfully.
Now, there was no resistance to the idea of aligning with the Sun and Moon Pirates—only a deep sense of loss for the missed opportunity.
"Still, with Mother and Smoothie as mbers, we're sowhat connected. If we imply that we're an allied crew of the Sun and Moon Pirates, it wouldn't be entirely false, would it?"
"No, it wouldn't be false at all," others agreed, their eyes gleaming with newfound ambition.
On the Red-Haired Pirates' Ship
"Alright, I admit it—I was too naïve," Shanks muttered, reluctantly acknowledging his misjudgnt.
He cursed under his breath.
"I can't believe I worried that Kuke might be ambushed by the World Governnt. I even warned him. I must've looked like an idiot. He was probably laughing at my ignorance."
The more Shanks thought about it, the more embarrassed he felt.
He had been like an ant trying to understand the mind of an eagle.
"It's not that bad," Benn Beckman said, patting Shanks on the shoulder.
For a mont, Shanks felt a glimr of comfort—until Benn added, "Kuke probably didn't even care enough to laugh at you."
Shanks' montary relief vanished.
"Benn, could you maybe say less?" Shanks grumbled, his voice tinged with resentnt.
Benn Beckman ignored him, staring at the paper with a heavy expression.
"This era has truly gone wild. The World Governnt has suffered an unprecedented loss. They won't let this slide easily," he said gravely.
Shanks nodded, his thoughts aligning with Benn's.
"Without a doubt. By publicly admitting their defeat, the World Governnt is essentially declaring war. They'll stop at nothing to wage battle against the Sun and Moon Pirates."
The entire sea was shaken.
But amidst the shock ca a growing fear for what lay ahead.
Everyone could sense it: a full-scale war between the World Governnt and the Sun and Moon Pirates was inevitable.
The battles to co would engulf the Grand Line, spreading chaos far and wide.
At Mary Geoise
The three returning Five Elders stood before the ruins of the Holy Land, their faces dark with despair.
"This ti, the World Governnt was truly trampled underfoot by Kuke. Even Lord Imu was forced to concede, making temporary peace with him."
"For the next ten years, at least, we won't have to worry about the Sun and Moon Pirates. Let's focus on damage control for now."
"Let's hope so," one elder muttered, his tone heavy with doubt.
Ignoring Akainu's fury, they ordered the Navy's top brass to cease all operations against the Sun and Moon Pirates.
Instead, they mobilized their vast network to minimize the fallout.
The seas cald.
Contrary to popular expectation, no imdiate war erupted between the World Governnt and the Sun and Moon Pirates.
Both sides fell eerily silent.
It was as if the Sun and Moon Pirates had vanished, while the World Governnt acted as if they had forgotten their greatest enemy.
Ti marched on, and the years slipped by...
Seven years later.
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DONT FORGET POWER STONE
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up 50 chapters at patreon/Emik01.
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