"It's that guy again...!"
New World, a certain sea.
Kaido stared at the newspaper in his hand, veins popping on his wrist. He violently threw the paper aside and stood up in a rage.
Another Azure Dragon!
Kaido absolutely loathed Beltz by now. Beltz had snatched the Azure Dragon Fruit and the Tuntun Fruit, and now he'd sparked such a massive incident, becoming a hot topic across the seas. Meanwhile, Kaido himself hadn't seen much growth since the Rocks Pirates disbanded.
Kaido had already left Linlin's side. The two split because their ideologies were fundamentally incompatible. Kaido wanted to build a nation ruled by violence—the law of the jungle, where the strong thrive and the weak perish. Linlin, however, wanted to create a "Utopian Motherland" where all races coexisted in peace. Their visions were polar opposites.
"Shiki..."
Kaido muttered the name of his former comrade from the Rocks era, feeling a sense of confusion. How did Shiki end up with that guy? It was strange... Shiki was arrogant, but there was no need to provoke both Roger and the Navy at once. Now the Navy would despise him.
But thinking of Shiki's ability, Kaido felt that if he were Shiki, he wouldn't be afraid either. The Fuwa Fuwa no Mi provided too much authority over mobility and air superiority! Because of that... he also desperately wanted a powerful Devil Fruit!
"Kuma, it's news about Big Brother...!"
South Blue, Sorbet Kingdom.
Ginny found Kuma, who was chopping wood, and showed him the news about Beltz. Kuma was stunned to hear that Beltz had killed the Fleet Admiral.
"Why would Lord Beltz attack the Navy?" He was puzzled. To the general public, the Navy was a relatively positive organization. Even though he had seen how cruel and dark the Navy could be at God Valley—behaving no better than, and perhaps even worse than, pirates—Kuma was naturally kind and easily deceived by appearances. However, out of trust, he believed Beltz must have a reason.
Ginny was even more certain. Hearing Kuma's doubt, she snapped: "Why else? Because they're the bad guys." Having been a slave since childhood, Ginny had zero goodwill toward the World Government or their lackey, the Navy. She hated them, so she thought Beltz had done a magnificent job.
"But now, the World Government will never let Big Brother Beltz go," Kuma said worriedly. To most, the Government was an insurmountable authority. But Ginny was confident: "Just watch, Big Brother is the strongest!"
"We have to work hard too," Kuma said solemnly. "We must be able to help Big Brother Beltz in the future!"
"Yeah," Ginny nodded. "Shanks and Shamrock went with him to train on the sea. They might be stronger than us when we see them again! We can't lose to those two brats!"
They never intended to be simple farmers in the Sorbet Kingdom forever. One day, they would go to sea, just like Ivankov and Beltz.
"That's right. When the time comes..." Kuma looked at his palms, which had changed due to the Paw Paw Fruit. He whispered, "I must be of use."
On an island in the Grand Line, Dragon also saw the news. He didn't know what to say. Although he had left the Navy, his feelings toward it were complex. People often claimed the Navy had no justice, yet subconsciously separated the Navy from the World Government.
He recalled his conversation with Beltz in the New World months ago. To Beltz, the Navy was the most evil organization on earth, far worse than any pirate. Dragon had been shocked by that theory then, but now, Beltz was practicing it.
"I need to hurry up and act..." Dragon gripped the newspaper until it wrinkled. He had to find his own justice and change the world!
New World, a certain sea.
"What is Shiki up to?" Whitebeard wondered. He wasn't surprised Shiki targeted Roger, but sending a Vice-Captain to attack the Navy was odd. He knew Shiki well from their time on Rocks' ship; Shiki looked down on the Navy as "trash." Why draw fire to himself just so a subordinate could kill Kong?
"Because of him, we're the ones who will suffer," someone on Whitebeard's ship complained. "The Navy will definitely retaliate against all pirates now!"
New World, aboard the Oro Jackson.
"That guy Shiki dared to trick me!" Roger tore the newspaper in a huff. "Damn it, I'm going to kill him!"
He was angry because he thought Shiki came for a fair duel, but it turned out Shiki just used him as a distraction so Beltz could raid Headquarters and steal the spotlight. He expected the headline to be "Roger Defeats Shiki"!
"Give it a rest," Gaban teased. "You were so excited after beating Shiki you were bubbling at the nose. Now you're just looking for an excuse for a rematch."
"I don't recommend looking for trouble," Rayleigh said gravely. "That Beltz guy is very strong. When he fought us, he had already killed the Fleet Admiral and traveled hundreds of miles. He wasn't at his best. If we fought again, Gaban and I might not be able to stop him."
Roger grinned. "If there's a chance, I'd like to meet him." Hearing Rayleigh and Gaban's high praise, he became interested in the man who killed Kong. "Alright, let's set sail! Garp won't be bothering us for a while, so let's enjoy the adventure!"
Back in Wano, Shiki was in a coma for a week. He woke up just as Vegapunk successfully mastered the Lineage Factor of the Lunarians.
"The World Government's reporting is as distorted as ever," Shiki remarked, tossing the paper. He accepted his loss to Roger, but didn't feel the Flying Pirate Fleet had lost. Because Beltz was still there!
"Never mind the Government," Beltz said. "I've brought you five promising young talents. Like Enel, they will become greats. For now, it's time to lay low."
"Once I've recovered, I'll have my revenge on Roger," Shiki said flatly. Beltz understood. In this world, a defeat often broke a person's spirit and Haki, like Moria, Crocodile, or Chinjao. But those who regained their will could return to power.
"Forget Roger for a moment. I have another favor to ask," Beltz sighed. He didn't want Shiki to stay obsessed with Roger, who would be dead from illness in a decade anyway.
"What is it?" Shiki asked. He took Beltz's suggestions seriously; they always led to benefits like Pluton, Wano, and powerful subordinates.
"You know Harald, right?"
"Of course," Shiki remembered the giant from the Rocks era. "Why? You targeting the Kingdom of Giants now?"
"It's not me targeting Harald, it's the World Government," Beltz explained. "I told you about the 'Ultimate Being' of this world. They plan to use Harald to control all of Elbaf. Elbaf is the strongest country in the world; if the Government takes it, our future is bleak. Especially since Elbaf holds an incredibly powerful Devil Fruit. If Harald eats it, he could possess the power to destroy the world!"
Shiki's expression darkened. "Destroy the world?"
"I'm not exaggerating," Beltz nodded. "Think about it. Someone reinforced with Rocks' foundation, an immortal body, and a legendary Devil Fruit passed down in Elbaf... how terrifying would that person be?"