Chapter 38 – Storms Gathering
Lightning cracked across the sky as Shakuyaku arrived at Amazon Lily. Using her Observation Haki combined with the power of the Goro Goro no Mi, she sensed the exact location of the island's ruler.
In the next instant, her body dissolved into lightning and reformed directly in front of Tritoma.
"Hey Tritoma," Shakky said casually with a playful grin. "How are you doing as Empress?"
Tritoma nearly jumped out of her skin in shock.
She stared at the woman standing before her, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing.
"Shakky…?"
Her voice trembled.
Then suddenly tears burst from her eyes as she rushed forward and threw herself into Shakky's arms.
"Shakky! Waaaa! I thought you died on that island!" she cried loudly.
Shakky blinked in surprise before letting out a quiet sigh.
She gently stroked Tritoma's hair and back in comfort.
"There, there," she murmured softly. "Sorry for not coming back sooner to tell you I was alive."
Tritoma eventually wiped her tears, though her eyes were still red.
"Well… at least I got to see you one last time," she said with a small smile.
"Now I won't have to worry about leaving Amazon Lily without an Empress."
Shakky frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean by that?"
Tritoma's smile faded slightly.
"Well… I'm going to die soon."
She spoke the words calmly, though sadness lingered in her eyes.
"The one girl I hoped would become the next Empress was captured by slave traders during our last expedition."
Her voice grew heavy.
"I thought I would leave Amazon Lily without a successor."
Shakky's expression instantly turned serious.
"What do you mean you're dying?" she asked urgently.
"Did you get Love Sickness?"
Tritoma laughed weakly.
"No," she said. "This is a genuine illness."
"I'll be dying soon."
Shakky exhaled in relief.
"Well… at least it's not love sickness," she muttered.
"Even if it was, that could have been cured in a night or two."
Tritoma froze when she heard that.
Her lips trembled slightly.
She had already accepted her death, but hearing those words stirred a fragile hope she had tried to bury.
"C-can I… still live?" she asked quietly.
Shakky immediately hugged her again.
"Of course you can," she said gently.
"How could I let my cute Tritoma die?"
Inside her mind, however, Shakky was laughing.
Well Ren… looks like you're getting another beauty in your bed.
What a wonderful first wife I am.
After all, it had been Shakky who convinced Kozuki Toki to accept Ren.
She had also brought Gloriosa to him.
Even if Gloriosa hadn't fully joined Ren yet, Shakky knew it was only a matter of time.
Now Tritoma had been secured as well.
And she was still waiting on Boa Hancock.
At this point, Shakky realized something amusing.
She was practically building a harem for Ren.
And there's also Yamato… and Ulti, she thought.
Her mouth twitched slightly.
Am I naturally talented at building harems or what?
---
Meanwhile near the borders of Wano Country, a Marine battleship approached cautiously.
Standing at the bow was Monkey D. Garp, wearing his usual dog-headed cap.
"Hm… strange," he muttered while observing the coastline.
"I expected Edward Newgate to still be fighting."
He frowned slightly.
"Even dealing with Kaido should take time."
Beside him, Borsalino stared toward the island.
"Vice Admiral," he said lazily, "something feels wrong."
"There are no signs of battle."
Before Garp could respond, a massive shadow suddenly appeared overhead.
"Worororororo!"
Kaido's enormous Azure Dragon form loomed in the sky above the Marine ship.
"Garp! You bastard!"
"How dare you come to Wano!"
In the air nearby, King and Marco hovered with their wings spread wide.
Both men had their eyes locked directly on Borsalino.
For once, the usually relaxed Marine actually broke into a cold sweat.
"Haaah… I'm just a Vice Admiral," Borsalino muttered nervously.
"No need to stare at me like that."
Neither King nor Marco looked away.
Garp's expression slowly darkened.
"Why is Marco flying beside King?" he muttered.
He already had a guess.
But he didn't want to believe it.
Because the implication was terrifying.
At that moment, Whitebeard's massive ship appeared from Wano's waters.
"Gurarararara!"
Whitebeard laughed loudly from the deck of the Moby Dick.
"What are you thinking about, Garp?"
The Marines' faces instantly turned pale.
"No way!" one of them shouted.
"Newgate! What are you doing here?"
"Aren't you here for revenge?"
Whitebeard laughed even harder.
"Gurarararara! Who told you that?"
"I came to meet Ren."
He continued calmly.
"I promised to protect Fish-Man Island for ten years so he wouldn't touch Wano."
"Now those ten years are over."
"So I came to meet my friend."
Garp's face grew extremely grim.
The information Whitebeard casually revealed was enormous.
The Emperor of Wano was someone named Ren.
And ten years ago he had been strong enough to force Whitebeard into a deal.
That meant this man was at least equal to Whitebeard.
Possibly stronger.
"This just became a whole lot more troublesome," Garp muttered.
It was like another Whitebeard had appeared on the sea.
---
Inside Marineford, tension filled the Fleet Admiral's office.
Sengoku, Tsuru, Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Zephyr listened to the report from Garp's ship.
A Marine soldier had relayed everything through a Den Den Mushi.
Sengoku's back was covered in cold sweat.
"A man strong enough to make Whitebeard accept a ten-year deal for Wano…" he muttered.
"A monster we know nothing about."
His fists clenched tightly.
"And he already has Kaido, the Beast Pirates, Wano… and now Whitebeard standing beside him."
Kuzan scratched his head slowly.
"Arara… shouldn't we call Vice Admiral Garp and Borsalino back?"
"You can't expect Garp-san to fight Whitebeard and Kaido alone."
Tsuru sighed quietly.
"Too late."
Just then a massive explosion roared through the Den Den Mushi speaker.
The connection immediately cut off.
"They've already started fighting," Tsuru said calmly.
Sengoku's eyes turned bloodshot.
"FUUUUCK!"
He slammed his fist down, shattering the desk and the Den Den Mushi in a single blow.
"Why now?!"
"First Roger started the Great Pirate Era… and now another monster appears!"
He leaned back heavily in his chair.
"Is this how Kong felt dealing with Rocks D. Xebec?"
The room fell silent.
Finally Tsuru spoke.
"We should inform the Five Elders."
She looked directly at Sengoku.
"Classify Ren as a Rocks-level threat."
Sengoku slowly calmed himself before picking up another Den Den Mushi.
Then he called the Holy Land.