Lucky Roux grinned, “Haha, as expected of the Captain, his composure is unshakable!”
Shanks picked up his sake flask, took a swig, and then burst into laughter.
“Come on, let’s feast! No matter how chaotic the world gets, we can’t miss a single drop of our drink!”
… …
New World, Moby Dick.
Marco leaned lazily against the mast, a freshly delivered World Economic Journal in his hand.
His pupils contracted slightly as his gaze swept over the front-page headline.
“Hey, Pops…” He looked up, a hint of strangeness in his tone.
“There’s an interesting fellow in the East Blue.”
“Gurararara!”
Whitebeard sat on his exclusive giant chair, sake flask in hand, and took a hearty swig.
“East Blue? What kind of ‘interesting’ person could be in a place like that?”
Marco shook the newspaper, a playful smile on his lips.
“This guy calls himself ‘Invincible’ and says that even the Four Emperors and Admirals are inferior to him.”
As soon as he spoke, the clamor on the deck ceased abruptly.
“Huh?!” Diamond Jozu’s eyes widened, a look of disbelief on his face.
“A brat from the East Blue dares to be so arrogant?”
Whitebeard narrowed his eyes slightly and reached for the newspaper.
His gaze fell on the front-page photo.
A black-haired young man stood with his arms crossed, his eyes revealing undisguised confidence and arrogance.
The headline boldly read:
“Invincible Strongman Appears in East Blue, Declares Himself Above the Four Emperors!”
After a brief silence, Whitebeard suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahahahaha! Interesting!”
His laughter made the deck tremble slightly, and the crew members exchanged glances, wondering why Pops was reacting this way.
“Pops, aren’t you angry?”
“This guy is provoking you!”
Whitebeard stopped laughing, his gaze deep as he looked into the distance.
“Brat, true strongmen are never angered by mere boasts.”
He paused, his finger gently tapping the sake flask.
“However… to openly declare oneself ‘Invincible’ in the newspaper, either he’s an ignorant fool, or…”
“Or he truly possesses the strength to back up that arrogance.”
Marco finished his sentence, his expression becoming serious.
“You think he might be the latter?” Marco was somewhat surprised.
“Gurararara!” Whitebeard laughed again.
“Who knows? But if it’s true, this sea is about to get lively!”
He tilted his head back and took a gulp of sake, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
“In the tide of the New Era, there will always be a few individuals who stir up trouble…”
“This brat might become one of them.”
… …
Inside a dark cave on a deserted island.
The flickering firelight illuminated Blackbeard Teach’s scarred face as he sat cross-legged on the ground.
In his hand was a crumpled World Economic Journal.
On the front page of the newspaper, Ethan’s photo flickered in and out of view with the firelight, and the headline blazed:
“Invincible Strongman Appears in East Blue, Declares Himself Above the Four Emperors!”
“Hahaha…”
Blackbeard’s laughter echoed through the cave, low and hoarse, sending shivers down one’s spine like a venomous snake hissing.
His eyes were fixed on Ethan in the photo.
A glint of greed and calculation flickered in his eyes.
“Interesting… too interesting!”
Blackbeard grinned, revealing his missing teeth.
“Anyone who dares to openly challenge the Four Emperors in the newspaper is either a fool, or…”
His fingers suddenly tightened, crushing the newspaper into a ball in his palm.
“Or he truly has the capital to be ‘Invincible’!”
“Doc Q” coughed twice, leaning weakly against the wall.
“Cough cough… Captain Teach, are you thinking of… recruiting him?”
“Zehahahahaha! Recruit?” Blackbeard stood up.
“No, what I want is his ‘power’!”
A hint of madness flashed in his eyes, as if he had spotted his prey.
“If this guy is really as strong as the newspaper says…”
“Supersonic” Van Auger adjusted his scope, saying indifferently.
“But the problem is, we can’t even confirm if he’s truly ‘Invincible’.”
“Then go confirm it!” Blackbeard suddenly turned, his cloak flapping.
“Laffitte, take some men to the East Blue and find this Ethan.”
“If he’s just bluffing…” Laffitte’s lips curled into a cruel smile.
“Then cut off his head.”
“What if he really has strength?” Doc Q asked sinisterly.
Blackbeard’s smile gradually became ferocious, and a dark aura emanated from his body.
“Then that’s even better…”
“On this sea, no one can be truly ‘Invincible’.”
… …
Marineford, Marineford.
Inside the Fleet Admiral’s office.
Sengoku’s gaze swept over the front-page headline, his pupils suddenly contracting.
The newspaper prominently featured a photo of an unfamiliar young man.
The headline boldly read:
“Invincible Strongman Appears in East Blue, Declares Himself Above the Four Emperors!”
In the photo, Ethan had his arms crossed, a slight smile on his lips, and his eyes revealed undisguised confidence and arrogance.
Sengoku’s fingers tightened slightly, creasing the edge of the newspaper.
“East Blue? ‘Invincible’?” Sengoku’s voice was low and cold.
“They dare to publish such absurd claims?”
Brannew’s forehead was covered in cold sweat.
“The World Economic Journal has already spread this news across the entire world!”
“It’s said that Morgans personally ordered extra prints, and now even the Four Emperors of the New World have seen it!”
Sengoku was silent for a moment, then slowly took off his glasses and rubbed his temples.
Countless possibilities flashed through his mind.
“Is this a conspiracy by some faction? Or simply a publicity stunt?”
“Or… does this guy named Ethan really have strength?”
“Find out his background.”
Sengoku put his glasses back on, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
“Are there any records of him in the Marine branches in the East Blue?”
Brannew quickly flipped open the folder in his hand.
“We’ve checked! Ethan, 22 years old, originally a solitary pirate hunter.”
“Until today, he suddenly appeared at the World Economic Journal branch, forcibly demanding that this news be published.”
“Pirate hunter?”
Sengoku snorted coldly.
“A guy whose name no one has even heard of suddenly claims to be ‘Invincible’? Absurd!”
Brannew hesitated, then said in a low voice.
“But… according to eyewitnesses, he paralyzed everyone in the entire news agency with just one look.”
“Even the walls and ground cracked due to his aura.”
Sengoku’s movements paused. He looked at the photo in the newspaper again.
Years of experience told him that such an gaze could never belong to someone who was merely bluffing.
Images of Roger, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and others, names that had once stirred the world, appeared in Sengoku’s mind.
Now, a new variable had emerged.
“Invincible?” Sengoku murmured to himself, a sharp glint in his eyes.
“On this sea, no one can be truly ‘Invincible’.”
… …
Aokiji Kuzan leaned lazily on the office sofa, a freshly delivered World Economic Journal in his hand.