"Extra! Extra! Breaking news!"
News Coos flapped their wings frantically, scattering newspapers that would be etched into history across every corner of the world like a sudden snowfall.
The front page of the paper bore a striking headline that seemed to scream at the reader:
"The pirate Gol D. Roger has successfully circumnavigated the globe and reached the legendary final island, Laugh Tale!"
"The World Government officially confirms that Roger has learned the hidden truth of the Void Century!"
"A new title for the era has been born—the Pirate King!"
In an instant, the entire world was thrown into a wild uproar.
On the sea, countless pirates cheered with a fanatical energy. They raised their glasses high in grimy bars and on rolling decks, their eyes shining with a desperate longing for freedom.
It was as if by Roger reaching that shore, they themselves had somehow become the Pirate King.
At the quiet docks of small towns in the East Blue, young children pointed at the grainy portrait of Roger, shouting their dreams of going out to sea to find their own adventure.
Deep in the treacherous waters of the New World, the powerhouses who dominated their respective territories felt the heavy pressure of a King for the very first time.
Some were indignant, gnashing their teeth at the news, while others were full of silent admiration for the feat.
The kings and nobles of the affiliated nations trembled with a primal fear.
They spent long, sleepless nights staring at the ceiling, knowing full well that the birth of a Pirate King meant a violent upheaval of the established world order.
The absolute power they held in their hands would now face an unprecedented challenge from the rising tide of the Great Pirate Era.
Marineford, Marine Headquarters.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, the air was so heavy it seemed to have frozen solid.
Kong slammed his massive fist onto the desk, and the sturdy wood instantly shattered into splinters and flying debris.
"Damn it! He actually managed to do it!" Fleet Admiral Kong was fuming with a visible rage. Thick veins popped on his forehead, showing the sheer fury vibrating in his heart.
Beside him, Sengoku's face was grim and set like stone, his brows deeply furrowed: "The emergence of a Pirate King is a devastating blow to the World Government's prestige and authority."
"Next, the sea will spiral completely out of control, triggering an unprecedented level of chaos that we might not be able to contain!"
"Roger must be arrested at all costs! No matter the price!" Kong's voice was like a crack of thunder in the small room.
He issued the highest command possible to the entire organization: "Mobilize all Admirals immediately! Do not hesitate to launch a Buster Call if you find them! We must not let this era be shaken by the whims of a single pirate!"
The entire Marine Headquarters was instantly wound up like a tight spring, vibrating with tension.
All Marines, regardless of their rank or station, had their leaves canceled and entered the highest state of combat readiness.
The atmosphere on the sea suddenly grew so tense it felt like it might snap.
However, amidst this suffocating atmosphere of war, one place seemed completely out of place with the rest of the world.
Punk Hazard.
On the open-air balcony of the Governor's Mansion, the sun was bright.
Kane was leisurely sipping black tea, his posture relaxed and entirely unbothered.
Warm sunshine bathed the deck, accompanied by a gentle sea breeze. It was so pleasant here that it didn't seem like the dangerous New World at all, but more like a high-end vacation resort for the elite.
"Brother Kane, Headquarters has just sent out an emergency combat readiness notice!" Gion, dressed in her crisp Marine uniform, hurried over to the balcony. Her face was full of visible anxiety.
"Shouldn't we also take immediate action and head out to support the main fleet?" Gion looked at Kane, her gaze carrying a mix of concern for her comrades' safety and a rigid sense of duty as a Marine officer.
"Do what exactly?" Kane took a slow sip of his tea without even raising his eyelids to look at her.
"When the sky falls, the tall ones are the ones who have to hold it up. Our G-5's specific task is to guard the gates of the New World, not to go running off to wipe the Headquarters' backside every time they panic."
"But... that's the Pirate King we are talking about!" Gion's tone was still filled with a mix of shock and professional hostility.
"Pirate King?" Kane smiled thinly.
It was the calm, knowing smile of someone who saw through the illusions of the world.
He slowly stood up, the tea cup clicking against the saucer, and walked to the edge of the balcony.
His gaze was deep and calculating, looking down at the steel city below that was rapidly beginning to take shape under his direction.
Punk Hazard, this once uninhabited and desolate island, was now his independent kingdom.
It stood defiantly at the entrance of the New World, exuding a cold, industrial aura of reinforced steel and hidden weaponry.
"Gion, you must remember one thing," Kane's voice was low and carried a powerful weight, "what decides the final outcome of a war is never a person's fancy title, but the strength to truly control the situation from the shadows."
"The current Roger is indeed very strong, I won't deny that. He may have the title of Pirate King, but he is still just one man with one pirate crew."
He paused, letting the wind whistle between them.
His tone carried an indescribable confidence: "And we, G-5, possess an unsinkable steel fortress that grows stronger every day."
"We have three young men who are about to become the Marines' highest combat power under my guidance."
"We have a legendary powerhouse who has been thoroughly subdued by my methods."
"And... we have wealth enough to buy several countries outright if we felt like it."
Kane turned around, his sharp, predatory gaze sweeping over Gion. Her eyes still held a lingering hint of confusion and traditional Marine indoctrination.
Not far away, Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino were also standing by, waiting for their orders.
The three of them appeared calm on the surface, but deep in their eyes flickered a spark of indignation and a raw fighting spirit toward the man who claimed the title of Pirate King.
"Roger's era will soon pass into history," the corner of Kane's mouth curled into a playful, mocking arc, "and our era is only just beginning."
The three—Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino—looked thoughtful as they processed his words.
Although they were unwilling and angry about the birth of the Pirate King, after two years of hellish training and Kane's day-after-day earnest guidance, they were no longer impulsive hotheads who rushed into every fight.
They had learned to think before they acted.
They had learned to trust Kane's cold judgment and his extraordinary strategic vision over the frantic orders of the elderly Admirals.
"Then for now... we just wait like this while the world burns?" Sakazuki still asked, his voice low with a touch of reluctance.
"Of course not." A mysterious, calculating smile appeared on Kane's lips.
"Tell Redfield to come back to base; our fundraising activities are temporarily over for the season."
"Have Stussy's intelligence network operate at full capacity starting now. I want to know every single move of the Roger Pirates, down to exactly how many meals they eat a day."
"And as for the three of you..." Kane's gaze swept over the future Three Admirals, "Don't you dare slack off. Your strength is still far from enough to face what's coming."
"Go now, the real storm is coming. Roger's curtain call is only the beginning of the show."
"Before the storm truly arrives, what we need to do is brew a good pot of tea and stay comfortable."
"Prepare the best seats in the house to enjoy this grand performance." Kane's voice carried an unquestionable authority that settled over the group.
That voice was also full of a dark anticipation for the chaos that was to come in the near future.
Although Gion and the three future Admirals did not fully understand the deep meaning behind Kane's words, they all bowed respectfully.
They chose to execute the orders without further question.
They had grown accustomed to the fact that Kane could always see a future they could not even imagine.
Every one of his orders, no matter how strange they seemed at the time, would ultimately bring unexpectedly rich rewards to G-5.
The entire world was going crazy over the birth of the Pirate King.
Only Kane was waiting quietly in the eye of the storm.
He was waiting for the perfect moment to step out and harvest the results.
He knew that Roger wouldn't be the Pirate King for very long.
A king suffering from an incurable disease—his final curtain call was the real key to opening the Great Pirate Era.
And what he, Kane, had to do was to reap the greatest benefits from this massive torrent of the era.
He intended to become the true mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes of history.
Another year passed by in a flash.
The appearance of the Pirate King Roger did not immediately trigger a global riot as the World Government had originally feared.
On the contrary, after experiencing the initial madness of the news, the sea instead fell into an eerie, heavy calm.
After the Roger Pirates reached Laugh Tale, they mysteriously disbanded, leaving the world wondering. All crew members vanished without a single trace.
Roger himself never appeared in the public eye again after that final voyage.
The title of Pirate King seemed like a burst of extremely brilliant fireworks in the night sky. After blooming, it completely disappeared, leaving only cold embers behind.
The Marine's global manhunt lasted for over a year, but they couldn't even find a footprint of Roger.
The wanted posters on the sea walls gradually gathered dust and faded in the sun.
People also began to forget the name as the months dragged on.
New great pirates emerged one after another to fill the void, and the slaughter in the New World grew more intense every day.
Everything seemed to have returned to its original, violent track.
But Kane knew that this was just the deceptive calm before the absolute storm hit.
The real flashpoint for the new age had not yet appeared.
Punk Hazard, Governor's Mansion, Intelligence Center.
Stussy was dressed in a crisp, professional OL uniform that made her look like a high-level executive. Her voluptuous figure was perfectly outlined by the fabric.
She placed a thick document marked as top secret on Kane's mahogany desk.
Her gaze was filled with respect and a professional sharpness.
"Master, the latest intelligence has been confirmed by our sources."
Kane picked up the document and flipped it open casually, his eyes scanning the pages.
There was only one short line of words on the final page, but it was enough to set the whole world on fire if it got out.
"Target Roger is suspected of suffering from an incurable disease with very little time left to live. He is currently hiding in the South Blue."
[Ding! Host has successfully predicted the movements of the Pirate King. Strategic Infamy +500!]
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