The wind was calm.
This was an exceptionally rare weather on the Grand Line.
The entire ocean experienced a daytime shrouded in darkness, and all the Log Poses pointed in one direction. Many had a thrilling day, setting sail in the direction indicated by the Log Poses.
Some ships from the first half of the Grand Line thought they were on their way to the New World until their journey was halted by the Red Earth Continent. What they witnessed left them trembling.
The Red Earth Continent...
A massive fissure appeared!
The Red Earth Continent, which had stood tall above the ocean, now had a gaping hole!
Many passing pirate ships and naval warships saw the fractured area littered with scattered buildings and corpses of the Heavenly Celestial Dragons...
The once noble Heavenly Celestial Dragons hung precariously like tattered rags on the cliffs, or their bodies soaked in the water, beyond recognition...
"This place is..."
"Holy Land Mary Geoise..."
"Mary Geoise indeed has been destroyed as the newspapers said..."
Every ship passing by this scene, witnessing the remains of the Heavenly Celestial Dragons, felt an involuntary panic. Mary Geoise, the Holy Land of the World Government, had become a canyon with no trace of its ruins in just one day!
The most powerful organization on this sea was destroyed, and the rulers of this sea turned into bloated, floating corpses on the ocean surface!
And them?
What would their fate be?
Compared to those rushing from the first half of the Grand Line, people from the New World had a much smoother journey. Guided by the Log Poses, everyone arrived at the area pointed to by the Log Poses, and they all saw a pitch-black island.
Black Island.
A completely pitch-black island.
That island had no plants, only a pure blackness, impossible to discern its composition.
On the sea, the pirates and the navy tacitly split into two areas, each occupying two sea regions near Black Island, waiting for the gathering of forces.
Whitebeard Pirates.
Three massive Moby Dick ships docked upfront.
Over forty other enormous pirate ships of various sizes docked behind the Moby Dick. All these ships belonged to the subordinate pirate crews under Whitebeard.
Due to the guidance of the Log Poses, these pirates could only arrive here. Fortunately, when they reached here, they saw the Whitebeard Pirates' vessel, the Moby Dick, which gave them a backbone.
Although these subsidiary pirate crews were renowned in the New World, here, they were simply small figures, fully aware that waiting for orders from their "Old Man," Whitebeard, was enough.
On the Moby Dick.
Edward Newgate, Whitebeard, wasn't sitting on his chair.
This old man with a massive crescent-shaped mustache stood at the ship's bow on the deck, holding the long Supreme Great Blade, gazing at the distant Black Island.
Fire Fist Ace and Yamato stood behind Whitebeard, their expressions tense and serious as they looked towards the distant Black Island. They had just met the Konoha Pirates in Wano Country.
The pressure from them... was immense!
A sudden gust of wind blew!
A figure surrounded by blue flames descended abruptly from the sky; it was Marco, the first division commander of Whitebeard Pirates, his expression also grave.
"Pops!"
Marco walked to Whitebeard's side, speaking in a deep voice, "Just as you guessed, our forces have followed the guidance of the Log Pose and arrived here. Many pirate crews from the New World have also come. That Konoha bunch is forcing everyone on the sea to congregate here!"
This was confirmed by Marco's reconnaissance.
Whitebeard didn't reply to Marco, only quietly nodding, still focusing intently on the pitch-black island, gripping his great blade tighter.
"Mama! Mama!"
"Mama, I saw another me!"
A thick, clumsy voice suddenly emanated from the pirate-occupied sea area.
Everyone present couldn't help but turn toward the voice, curious about which female pirate brought her child along due to the sound resembling a mentally incompetent child's.
However...
When their eyes fell upon the sight, they saw a towering, sturdy pirate with blond hair and a massive crescent-shaped mustache on his face, wielding a giant guandao.
A short, elderly woman was riding on this pirate's shoulder like she's on a mount, her face full of aged wrinkles.
No... that important aspect is the pirate with the crescent-shaped mustache!
Everyone glanced between that pirate and Whitebeard's direction...
Why did it seem like there was a resemblance between Whitebeard and that pirate? Both were over six meters tall, had crescent-shaped mustaches, and wielded large guandaos...
Okay...
More than just a slight resemblance...
The resemblance was so strong it looked like that pirate could be Whitebeard's illegitimate child!
"I am Edward Weevil!"
The towering pirate raised his massive guandao towards Whitebeard's direction, shouting loudly, "How can I be over there!"
"..."