Chapter 431: World in Shock – The Era of Ultimate Evil
"Has the newspaper arrived?"
As the news bird flapped its wings and landed on the Sunny, Roman glanced at the bag hanging from its chest and then—
*Rustle—*
A stack of fresh newspapers appeared in his palm as he casually flipped through them, leaving the news bird staring in confusion.
Copying a newspaper right in front of it—was that even allowed?
"Here, consider this as us buying a paper."
After handing the eager news bird 1,000 beli, Roman watched as it flew off, satisfied. Meanwhile, Nami sighed as she looked at the group surrounding Roman like a circus act—especially Luffy, who was squatting on Roman's shoulder. Even the eyes on Luffy's hat seemed focused on the newspaper.
"Is it really that exciting? Bounties going up and all that..."
Nami had never cared much about her bounty increase, as it only made her more of a target. Her two years with the Marines had only made her see the bigger picture—
Even though the Straw Hat Crew always did what was "right," to other pirate crews, all they saw was the Straw Hats taking down one country after another, causing their bounties to soar. Instead of admiration, it served as a challenge, pushing others to try and surpass them.
"Hehehe, what kind of pirate doesn't care about their bounty?"
Luffy hadn't changed at all. To him, a bounty was just a fun way to measure his fame—what hot-blooded adventurer wouldn't want to make a name for themselves?
"Let me see… Yep, this dramatic headline has Morgans' style all over it."
**"Shocking! Two Emperors Fall! The Beginning of a World Overturned?"**
The press had been going crazy lately! One big event after another had sent the news world into overdrive.
First, the World Government crushed the already weakened Warlords of the Sea in one decisive strike! Buggy the Clown and his crew were sent back to Impel Down, Whitebeard Jr. was captured personally by former Admiral Zephyr, and Mihawk had a brief exchange with former Fleet Admiral Sengoku before calling it even.
Then, the Revolutionary Army launched an attack on the World Summit! Although none of the world leaders were harmed, the incident left the World Government humiliated—especially since every high-ranking revolutionary managed to escape.
And then—
**"The Straw Hat Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates joined forces to wipe out the Beasts Pirates in Wano! The world's strongest creature, Kaido, fell at the hands of the two brothers of the Era of Ultimate Evil..."**
**"Breaking news! The Whitebeard Pirates' acting captain, 'Aisa,' is actually Ace, revived through a Devil Fruit power...!"**
The accompanying photo captured a moment from the Wano general's coronation ceremony. Yamato and Hiyori had just stepped aside, leaving only Luffy and Ace standing atop the castle. One had a hand on his hip, the other crossed his arms, both smiling as they looked down at the people of Wano—as if the entire country was already in their hands.
In reality, one was grinning like an idiot while the other was smiling warmly. But to outsiders, their expressions looked like the smug grins of conquerors.
As Roman flipped through the paper, he could already imagine jaws dropping all over the world.
Kaido, the monster who had ruled the seas for decades, had been taken down just like that?! The world was changing way too—?!
"Wait, this..."
As he turned the page, a certain image instantly caught everyone's attention!
Roman had expected something like this, but seeing it in front of him was still shocking.
"Is that… Blackbeard and Big Mom?"
This picture was even more intense. Blackbeard, now even taller, was roaring toward the sky. A black and white glow swirled around him, forming the silhouettes of two ghostly girls—as if he had suddenly awakened twin "Stands."
And beneath his feet—
Was Big Mom, lying in a pool of blood.
**"The most terrifying three-fruit user in history—Dark-Dark Fruit, Quake-Quake Fruit, and Soul-Soul Fruit… Could he surpass Whitebeard, Kaido, and even Roger?"**
Roman read the words softly, unable to deny that Blackbeard really did seem like someone destined for greatness.
After over twenty years of patience, he had managed to stay hidden on Whitebeard's crew with a bounty of zero. That kind of self-control alone was beyond most people.
Despite his rough and foolish appearance, Teach was one of the rare intellectuals in this world—a historian like Robin.
It was through his research that he discovered the truth of the world, leading him to suppress his ambitions, vowing to remain a "son" under Whitebeard until he got his hands on the Dark-Dark Fruit. The moment it appeared, he struck without hesitation, even killing a longtime friend!
He was ruthless. Cold. Calculated. Ambitious. Greedy. Powerful.
Blackbeard Teach had every trait a pirate should have. And on top of that, he had incredible luck.
If Ace hadn't stubbornly tried to stop him, he would've been caught by Garp in Water 7.
If Luffy hadn't caused chaos in Impel Down, his crew would've been wiped out by Magellan's poison.
If he hadn't stolen Roman's trans-oceanic shipping network, he wouldn't have become an Emperor.
And now, he had taken advantage of the chaos to bring down Big Mom…
"Hurry, flip to the bounties!"
With Luffy practically bouncing on his shoulder in excitement, Roman shook out a stack of wanted posters from the newspaper.
After all, that was what most of the crew cared about. World politics, information on other pirate crews—
"Isn't that your job, Roman?"
"Yeah, yeah. I never expected you to 'think' anyway, Captain."
Shoving the stack of bounties into Luffy's hands, Roman waved him off like a buzzing fly before turning back to the paper.
**"With the fall of the Beasts Pirates and the collapse of Big Mom's crew, the Whitebeard Pirates have risen once more, while the Straw Hat Pirates have reached new heights. Led by two young captains, these up-and-coming pirate crews now each boast bounties exceeding three billion beli. The title of 'Four Emperors' belongs to none other than these two brothers..."**
"Hahaha! 3.1 billion!!"
Ignoring Luffy's signature laugh beside him, Roman calmly continued reading the newspaper.
"There's no doubt about it—this is a new era! After Marshall D. Teach took over the *Big Mom Pirates*, his bounty has skyrocketed to a terrifying 4.988 billion! He's now the strongest force on the seas, just one step away from claiming the title of the most powerful man…"
"Damn it, still a little lower than that moss-head…"
Sanji's new wanted poster had arrived too. He was pictured wearing the black *Germa* battle suit, a look that made him seem like a ruthless villain boss. His bounty had soared to 940 million!
But it was still below Zoro's 1.1 billion, which made the blond chef glare at the three-sword fighter in frustration.
"Why did yours go up so much too?!"
"Hmph, maybe the goofy dinosaur I took down was worth more than the mammoth you fought."
Zoro raised an eyebrow, lazily explaining.
Although Queen had a comical side, he was undeniably strong. His high-tech weapons were endless, and his formidable Armament Haki, combined with the *Ancient Zoan Dragon-Dragon Fruit: Brachiosaurus Model*, made up for the usual weakness of scientists having frail bodies. As the third highest-ranking member of the *Beasts Pirates*, he was definitely worthy of the position—at least, when he wasn't fooling around in battle.
Jack wasn't weak either. His incredible strength and near-unmatched endurance let him keep fighting even while injured. If Sanji hadn't awakened his Germa bloodline after repeatedly using the battle suit—gaining an exoskeleton tough enough to withstand Haki-infused blades and a body that could heal fractures in seconds—he might not have been able to take Jack down.
Overall, after the battle with Kaido, the *Straw Hat Crew* had all grown significantly stronger. And their bounties had increased by several hundred million each—
"Wooooaaahhh!!!"
Chopper's excited scream sounded completely different than usual as he clutched his wanted poster, tears streaming down his face.
"800 berries! 800 berries!! It doubled! I finally surpassed Bepo! I declare that I'm no longer the pirate with the lowest bounty in the world!!"
…Poor Chopper. Had the bounty situation driven him into madness?
"So fast…"
Nami walked over, holding a navigation chart in her hands, sighing.
"We have one from *Zou*, one from *Big Mom*, and now one from Kaido. That means we have three-fourths of the map to *Laugh Tale*. So… does that mean we're almost there?"
For a moment, it was like someone had hit the pause button on the *Thousand Sunny*!
Sanji and Zoro, who were always arguing, Chopper, who had been crying with joy, Usopp, who had been gloating—all of them froze.
They had always talked about making Luffy the *Pirate King*, but now that the moment was almost within reach… Didn't that mean the *Straw Hat Crew's* journey was coming to an end?
"…It's not that easy."
Roman, still reading the paper, casually answered.
"The last *Road Poneglyph* is probably in Teach's hands. And right now, with his personal strength and crew's power reaching absurd levels, even for us, it won't be an easy fight."
Well, Roman already had a plan.
Because after waking up, he had received a call from the *Five Elders*. It was clear they also saw Blackbeard Teach as a threat.
So—would history repeat itself? Would the *Marines* and pirates join forces again, like in the battle of *God Valley*?
As both a *Celestial Dragon* and the *Straw Hat Crew's strategist*, Roman had no reason to oppose the idea. Anyone with sharp eyes could see it: with two of the old *Four Emperors* defeated, the balance of the sea had shifted. The new *Four Emperors* were all from a younger generation.
And youth meant—
Passion. Ambition. Recklessness. A willingness to charge forward without hesitation!
Soon, the battle for the title of *Pirate King* would reach its climax.
Excluding *Shanks*, who didn't care for power, and *Ace*, who wanted to protect the *Whitebeard Pirates*, that left only two contenders—
Luffy and Teach!
Two men whose dreams burned just as fiercely, yet whose paths were completely opposite. Their final battle was inevitable. The victor would claim the throne of the *Pirate King* without a doubt…
"Everyone, don't let your guard down. Blackbeard Teach is not an opponent to take lightly."
Hearing Roman's usual cautious warning, Luffy simply adjusted his straw hat and grinned.
"Of course not! We're the strongest crew!"
(End of Chapter)
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