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"What did you just say?"
Arthur's face turned instantly cold. A tyrannical, frost-like aura flooded the Thunder God Temple, so heavy and oppressive that the young secretary, Kalifa, fainted on the spot.
Don Chinjao had been one of the first major pirates to actively follow Arthur. Their bond was forged over a decade ago in the West Blue, born from Chinjao's gratitude after Arthur restored his legendary drill-shaped head. He wasn't just a subordinate; he was a foundational piece of the fleet.
"Chinjao has been killed... his grandson, Sai, has taken over the position of Division Captain," Stussy reported, gritting her teeth against the pressure. She felt like a small boat in the middle of a hurricane, swaying precariously, liable to be swallowed by the waves at any moment.
"Someone actually has the nerve to provoke me?" Arthur let out a cruel smile, but his eyes remained frozen like ice that hadn't melted for ten thousand years.
"The Glint-Glint Fruit reappeared. Chinjao received word and went to claim it, but the Marines caught wind of it too... Former Admiral Zephyr led his recruits to intercept it," Stussy explained.
"However, a monster intervened halfway through. He calls himself 'Whitebeard Jr.'—Edward Weevil. His strength is terrifying. Chinjao couldn't stop him and was killed almost instantly. Sai managed to fight his way out with the Happo Navy, but Zephyr... by the time he arrived, his students were already being slaughtered. Right now, even Zephyr's life is in grave danger."
"Edward Weevil?" Arthur mused.
He knew of this man. Weevil was rumored to possess the raw, overwhelming power of a young Whitebeard, yet his mind was as simple as a child's—or a fool's. He lacked any autonomy, following every whim of his "mother," Miss Bakkin. His IQ was so low he couldn't even distinguish a photo of Whitebeard from a mirror.
"Where is he now?" Arthur asked, stowing the Glint-Glint Fruit into his Inner World.
"Near Marine G-5 Branch. He's still locked in a fierce battle with Zephyr."
"I'll handle this personally."
As the words left his lips, Arthur tore open a spatial gate and stepped into the void.
..............
New World, Marine G-5 Branch.
A violent shockwave rippled across the ocean, kicking up gargantuan waves that seemed to touch the sky.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A world-shaking explosion followed, revealing a scene of absolute horror. The entire Marine Branch—a fortress capable of housing 100,000 soldiers—had been physically uprooted and sent flying by a force of sheer, unadulterated power.
Edward Weevil stood amidst the wreckage, holding a naginata identical to Whitebeard's Murakumogiri. Each swing sent out shockwaves that left cracks in the very ocean as if the water itself could not bear his weight. Broken hulls, bloodied water, and severed limbs littered the area—a testament to a ruthless, cold-blooded slaughter.
"AAAAHHH!"
Zephyr's eyes were blood-red. Ignoring his own grievous wounds, he lunged forward in a suicidal frenzy. Two clear tracks of tears ran down his face; he had been driven to the brink of madness.
The death of his students had shattered him. Years ago, the murder of his wife and son by a pirate had broken his spirit. He had eventually funneled all his remaining passion into training the next generation—almost every high-ranking Marine today was a student of his. But now... a pirate had appeared out of nowhere to slaughter them all over again.
Tragedy was repeating itself, and there was no comedy to be found in the encore. Zephyr watched helplessly as Weevil cut down one student after another. He let out a roar of pure agony, blood-tinged tears falling as he fought like a man possessed.
"Weevil, be careful!" Miss Bakkin shouted arrogantly. She was tiny, barely reaching Weevil's thigh, hunched over a cane with a face full of wrinkles and garish red lipstick. "Killing a Division Captain of the Thunder God Pirates and defeating a former Marine Admiral... these achievements will make your name as Whitebeard Jr. shine! Then, as Whitebeard's one true love, I can take you to meet your 'World's Strongest' Daddy and inherit his fleet!"
"Eh? Mama!" Weevil replied vacantly. Even while facing a maddened Zephyr, he had the leisure to carry on a conversation.
Weevil sported a crescent-shaped white mustache like Whitebeard's, though his was thinner and longer. He was massive and obese, wearing a simple pair of overalls. His upper body was a mountain of muscle and fat, with unnervingly thick arms and spindly legs. His golden hair reached his knees, and most strikingly, he bore terrifying stitched scars around his neck and left arm, as if he had been decapitated and reassembled.
He was a genuine monster. The claim that he possessed the power of a young Whitebeard was no boast—it was a terrifying reality.
"Isn't the World's Strongest Man the Thunder Emperor now?" Weevil asked, sniffing back snot. "My Daddy was beaten..."
"Idiot!!" Miss Bakkin shrieked, stomping her feet. "That's only because the Thunder Emperor used cowardly tricks to steal the throne! You'll take it back personally! I hear the Thunder God Pirates have more gold than any other fleet in the world!!"
Among the five Emperors, Whitebeard sought family, Big Mom sought sweets, Kaido sought war, and Shanks sought freedom. Only the Thunder Emperor obsessed over collecting gold-rich islands. The wealth amassed in the Thunder God Sea was ten times that of the newly opened Gran Tesoro. If not for Arthur's terrifying reputation, every pirate in the world would have converged on his territory like starving wolves.
"Oh!" Weevil nodded blankly. He swung his naginata with a grunt of effort, the blade descending with such force it instantly severed Zephyr's arm.
The legend of "Black Arm" Zephyr, the Admiral who never killed, began its tragic final descent in this blood-soaked sea.
..............
RUMBLE—!
The oppressive, leaden sky finally let out an angry roar. Following a flash of lightning, a torrential downpour began to lash the ocean.
"Ice Age!!"
Aokiji Kuzan, who had been traveling the seas on leave, arrived just in time to see the catastrophe. Zephyr was on his knees, surrounded by the corpses of his students. Only the two most promising recruits, Ain and Binz, remained, weeping bitterly at their teacher's side.
The ocean froze solid in an instant. Aokiji stepped forward, his hands in his pockets, followed by a large, stoic penguin.
"A Marine Admiral?" Miss Bakkin blinked, then shrieked. "Stupid son, let's go!!"
"You aren't going anywhere," Aokiji said flatly, walking between Weevil and Bakkin.
He paused, looking up at the sky. "There was no warning for that lightning... but the scent of the air is far too familiar. I suspect the Thunder Emperor has arrived."
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