The campaign to clear the Sageros Sea had begun.
Although the operation covered nearly half the sea, there were still many islands that had yet to be occupied, in addition to those that had already fallen under control.
Some people paid attention to the conflict, but not many.
Across the vast New World, it was little more than a minor skirmish.
The reason was simple. There were very few major clashes between true powerhouses.
For the people of the seas, what truly captured attention were massive battles between legendary figures or enormous wars between great pirate fleets.
At present, the spotlight was focused on the large-scale wars erupting in other regions of the New World. Territorial struggles between powerful pirate crews were breaking out everywhere.
Reporters from the World Economic News Agency, along with many other journalists, had already rushed to those battlefields.
War and chaos were the defining themes of this sea.
Small pirate crews simply could not resist the overwhelming force of the Nightfall Pirates. They collapsed like dry leaves in a storm.
The stronger pirate groups were personally handled by the Nightfall Pirates' officers, and some crews even surrendered without putting up any resistance at all.
The conquest of the Sageros Sea progressed smoothly.
According to current estimates, the entire sea would be brought under control in less than a month.
Meanwhile, the Christi Kingdom had also begun making preparations, readying itself for the upcoming changes.
For Marshall D. Teach, however, this period was a rare moment of leisure.
Back in the New World, aside from his territory and his crew, there were still a few people he wanted to meet.
Fruit Island was an uninhabited island covered in countless fruit trees.
There were very few ferocious beasts there. The dominant species was a large colony of monkeys.
On this particular day, a massive golden-furred monkey lazily lay on a large rock, basking in the warm sunlight.
He was the Monkey King.
Also known as Kakarot, a name given to him by a certain human several years earlier.
His body was far larger than that of ordinary monkeys, covered in thick reddish-gold fur.
Seven or eight young female monkeys sat around him, carefully massaging his body and feeding him fruit.
Under the envious gazes of the other monkeys, they catered to their king.
They were members of the Monkey King's harem.
Compared to the group from several years ago, this batch was larger, younger, and far more beautiful.
This was partly thanks to the wine brewed by the Monkey King, which seemed to possess mild beauty-enhancing and anti-aging effects.
As for the previous group?
They had grown old and lost their charm, no longer receiving the Monkey King's favor.
The Monkey King's life was peaceful.
But also repetitive.
And somewhat boring.
Compared to before, however, he now had something to do.
Brewing wine.
He spent his days experimenting with different fruits and techniques, producing all kinds of fine wines and developing new varieties through his abilities.
It had become both his hobby and his habit.
Even the most beautiful scenery eventually became dull if seen every day.
At some point, the Monkey King had begun to enjoy reminiscing.
Reminiscing about a particular human he had not seen for a long time.
That human had once brought him countless bottles of fine wine.
He had taught him brewing techniques.
He had even delivered tools and books related to winemaking.
He had opened an entirely new world for him.
The Monkey King narrowed his eyes slightly, enjoying the comfortable breeze.
Suddenly, he froze.
As if sensing something, his eyes shot open.
A look of pleasant surprise flashed across his face.
"Ooh! Ooh!"
The lazy body that had been sprawled across the rock instantly sprang to life.
He leapt to his feet.
The monkeys sitting on him were startled and quickly scattered.
It was instinct.
The Monkey King could already feel it.
The person he had been waiting for had arrived.
After all, that human had once promised him that although he would leave for a long time, he would eventually return.
The Monkey King raised his head and looked toward the sky.
Though he could not yet see anyone, he sensed a familiar aura rapidly approaching.
It felt slightly different than before.
But it was still unmistakably the same person.
As a beast, the Monkey King was extremely sensitive to auras. As his strength grew, he had unknowingly awakened certain instincts.
At the same time, an unusual scent slowly began to spread across the island.
A faint fragrance of wine.
The surrounding monkey colony had also been startled by the Monkey King's sudden movements.
At first they thought their king was angry.
But after observing his expression carefully, they realized he was not.
They remained still, afraid to move, silently watching him.
High above the island, Teach had been flying for quite some time.
Before leaving Parage Island, he had informed his crew of his destination.
But this trip, he had taken alone.
During the journey, he had taken time to enjoy the scenery of the New World.
The sea truly lived up to its reputation.
Along the way, he had encountered thunderstorms, hailstorms, hurricanes, and torrential rain.
One moment the sky would be clear.
The next moment dark clouds would swallow the sun.
And just as suddenly, the storm would vanish.
Now, at last, he had reached his destination.
Fruit Island.
And an old friend who lived there.
A smile spread across Teach's face as he sensed Kakarot's aura.
He sped up.
Soon, the Monkey King spotted Teach approaching from the sky.
Excitement flashed across his face.
But there was also a hint of surprise.
Teach… could fly?
When Teach had last visited, he certainly did not possess such an ability.
However, during the past two years, the Monkey King had learned something important.
The strange fruit he had eaten that granted him his powers was called a Devil Fruit.
The Monkey King was very intelligent.
He quickly guessed that Teach must have eaten a Devil Fruit as well.
But such thoughts did not matter much to him.
He was simply happy to see Teach again.
The surrounding monkeys noticed the flying figure as well and immediately panicked, screeching loudly.
The noise made the Monkey King frown.
"ROAR!"
A powerful aura burst from his body.
Instantly, the monkeys fell silent.
His authority as king was absolute.
For many years, not a single monkey had dared to challenge him.
"It seems your strength has grown quite a bit, Kakarot."
Teach's voice sounded from above.
He descended slowly over the central peak of Fruit Island.
The mountain was called Flower Fruit Mountain.
Using gravity to control his descent, Teach gently landed in front of the Monkey King.
Compared to their last meeting over three years ago, Kakarot had grown much stronger.
His physical power had increased significantly, and his Devil Fruit abilities had clearly developed further.
Although his appearance had not changed much, his overall presence had grown far more imposing.
When Teach first met him, Kakarot had stood roughly five meters tall.
Now he had reached eight meters.
When Teach left three years earlier, he had already been close to seven meters.
For beasts, greater strength usually meant greater size.
Powerful life force required a larger body to contain it.
That was why the strongest creatures in the world were so enormous.
The most obvious example was the Sea Kings.
Despite standing only eight meters tall, the life force within Kakarot surpassed even some twenty-meter beasts.
After all, he was also a Devil Fruit user.
Devil Fruits were truly miraculous things.
They could alter genes, bloodlines, and unlock tremendous potential.
In Teach's estimation, Kakarot's current strength was already comparable to a Marine Rear Admiral or Commodore.
If he learned Armament Haki and gained proper combat experience, he could easily reach the level of a Vice Admiral.
Ironically, a Marine Vice Admiral was already considered a powerhouse in the world.
Many Marines spent their entire lives chasing that rank.
Countless talented officers fought through brutal battles just to reach that level.
Meanwhile, Kakarot barely trained.
His strength simply increased naturally.
Instead of exhausting workouts, he grew stronger by drinking wine.
His Devil Fruit ability was perfectly compatible with him.
Its development progressed alongside his brewing experiments.
Teach stepped forward and smiled.
"I told you I'd come back."
Kakarot looked at him with surprise.
Teach's aura was even more terrifying than before.
But after staring for a moment, Kakarot began looking around behind him.
Searching for something.
Teach had flown here empty-handed.
In the past, he always brought gifts. Local specialties. New kinds of wine.
But today… nothing.
Kakarot looked slightly disappointed.
Seeing this, Teach burst into laughter.
"ZeHaha! Did you really think I'd forget your gift?"
Teach raised his hand.
A thick black mist poured out from his palm.
Darkness spiraled around his arm as a swirling black vortex appeared in his hand.
The vortex expanded.
Objects began emerging from the darkness, falling onto the ground.
Teach had naturally prepared gifts.
And most of them were exactly what Kakarot loved the most.
Fine wine.
Wines from all over the world.
With Teach's current status, there was almost no wine he could not obtain.
Hundreds of bottles quickly piled up.
The moment they appeared, Kakarot's eyes lit up.
Though the bottles were sealed, a faint aroma of wine escaped.
Ordinary people could not detect it.
But Kakarot could.
He extended one finger and gently hooked it through the air.
A mysterious liquid suddenly emerged from his body, swirling around him like a flowing ribbon.
The liquid surged outward, surrounding every bottle of wine.
Kakarot trembled with excitement.
It was a magical sight.
Without breaking the bottles, the caps popped open.
Different colored wines flowed out and merged with the mysterious liquid produced by Kakarot's ability.
The liquid split into countless streams.
Each stream absorbed a different wine.
Gradually, every stream changed color, becoming identical to the wine it had absorbed.
It was assimilation.
Each stream represented Kakarot's understanding of that particular wine.
As long as he possessed the ingredients, he could reproduce it perfectly.
The ability was almost omniscient.
But only within the domain of wine.
Kakarot closed his eyes in bliss.
The endless aroma of wine surrounded him.
At that moment, he looked almost sacred.
The nearby monkeys stared wide-eyed.
One by one, they bowed toward their king.
Fortunately, Kakarot's ability contained the wine's scent within a small area.
Otherwise, the monkeys would have gone mad trying to steal the wine.
Among the bottles Teach had brought were famous wines from across the seas.
Some were rare treasures.
Some were tribute wines.
Others were ancient vintages with only a few bottles left in the world.
Even Kakarot, a master of wine, was amazed by several of them.
Teach quietly watched the process.
He could faintly sense Kakarot's strength increasing.
Not his physical strength.
But the depth of his Devil Fruit ability.
After a long time, the wine flowed back into the bottles.
Kakarot carefully sealed them again using his mysterious liquid.
Although he could reproduce these wines with his ability, Fruit Island lacked many necessary ingredients.
Most of his brewing relied on fruits alone.
These bottles would allow him to truly savor their flavors.
Kakarot finally opened his eyes.
Joy radiated from his face.
"Ooh! Ooh!"
He waved excitedly at Teach and turned toward his cave.
Over the past few years, as his body grew larger and his wine production increased, the cave had been expanded significantly.
The moment Teach stepped inside, a powerful aroma of wine filled the air.
Inside the cave were countless jars and bottles.
All were wines brewed by Kakarot over the years.
Most were fruit wines.
But each had a unique flavor.
At the highest shelves were the most precious jars.
The legendary Monkey King Wine.
Kakarot pointed proudly at the collection and gestured to Teach.
Teach understood immediately.
Kakarot wanted him to take them all.
"In that case, I won't be polite," Teach said with a grin.
"But today we're drinking together. It's been a long time."
Dark mist spread from beneath his feet.
One by one, the wine jars disappeared into his dimensional storage.
He left a few behind for their drinking session.
Kakarot proudly puffed out his chest.
He loved the gifts Teach had brought.
Soon, the two of them began drinking heavily.
While raising bottle after bottle, Teach began telling stories.
Stories about his journeys across the seas.
Stories about battles, islands, pirates, and the chaotic world beyond Fruit Island.
And the Monkey King listened happily.
Just like old times.