Chapter 80: Front page news!!

World economy newspaper front page is dominated by one name: Marco, the immortal phoenix, and the massive event that has sent shockwaves throughout the seas.

Across the New World, from the Grand Line to its perilous second half, every corner of the seas with access to newspapers has been shaken to the core. Pirates everywhere are in shock.

"The captain of the 1st division of the Whitebeard Pirates, the immortal phoenix Marco, has abandoned his previously low-profile behavior and returned to the New World with incredible force. This has provoked both the Four Emperors' Beast Pirates and Big Mom Pirates, leading to the underworld's issuance of a 'Blood Bounty Order,' sparking a major event!"

"Vice Emperor-level pirates from two of the Four Emperors have entered the fray! First to take the stage was the fearsome 'Drought' Jack, followed by three sweet generals from the Big Mom Pirates!"

"Without exception, they were all killed by Marco! It is believed that Kaido of the Beasts and Big Mom will not let this stand. The New World is on the brink of complete turmoil!"

This brief account of events has left pirates all over the world reeling. Even just these few words have stirred the seas.

Article after article followed, chronicling Marco's actions in this world-shaking event.

"Preliminary reports suggest that over 100 notorious pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million berries were involved in this massive clash! Among them, many boasted bounties surpassing 800 million berries!"

"It has been recorded that pirates with death bounties exceeding 300 million participated in this battle, and the total combined bounties involved are said to have exceeded 10 billion berries!"

The highest bounty heads include Drought Jack, Charlotte Smoothie, Charlotte Cracker, Charlotte Snack, Deep-Sea Crocodile, Lester S. K, Black Snake Poison, and Edward Weevil, self-proclaimed as 'Whitebeard II' and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!

"These statistics only account for pirates with bounties over 100 million or those whose death bounties exceed 300 million! The total number of pirates involved in the battle? Impossible to tally. Total death toll? Uncountable!"

When these numbers were released, the entire world was set ablaze.

From large islands to mighty kingdoms and pirate crews throughout the New World, no one was left untouched by the shock of this monumental event.

On the Sabaody Archipelago, pirates were left in disbelief.

At the New Marineford, headquarters of the Navy, a wave of shock spread across the ranks. Sailors and officers alike were stunned beyond words.

"The Immortal Phoenix, Marco!"

For the foreseeable future, this name will echo across the world, shaking the very foundation of piracy.

Pirates across the globe now quake in fear, while the Navy is left in turmoil.

"Could Marco rise as the Fifth Emperor?"

The question began as a whisper but has now grown louder, drawing more and more attention.

"If the New World is to gain a Fifth Emperor, it would be none other than Marco! And he did it all on his own!" some remark with awe.

But not all are convinced.

"Don't forget, there are still two catastrophes more fearsome than Drought Jack in the Beast Pirates! After this event, they will surely move to action. Can Marco survive the wrath of these two calamities?"

"And what of the Big Mom Pirates' strongest fighter, Charlotte Katakuri? He didn't participate in this battle, but rumor has it he is fiercely protective of his family. After Marco slaughtered several of his siblings, Katakuri will not rest until he finds Marco!" another analyst points out.

Indeed, two more terrifying calamities remain from the Beast Pirates, not to mention the Sweet Commanders, and Katakuri, the strongest among them.

Under the Four Emperors' banners, other fearsome pirates also stand ready. And nearly all of them are now either aligned against Marco or view him as an enemy.

"Furthermore, let's not forget the most dangerous force lurking among the Four Emperors—the Blackbeard Pirates!"

"The New World is about to descend into complete chaos!"

Countless pirates were left trembling at the thought of the havoc that was sure to follow.

Meanwhile, deep within the New World...

At Totto Land, the territory of Big Mom, a massive pirate ship resembling a multi-layered cake glides towards the island.

"Mama, we're here~~!"

The peculiar and lively pirate ship sang joyfully as it approached. This was the flagship of the Big Mom Pirates, Queen Mama Chanter, a Homie created through the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit, wielded by none other than Charlotte Linlin, better known as Big Mom.

Before long, Big Mom stepped onto Whole Cake Island. Her mere presence caused the ministers of the island to break into cold sweats. They trembled at the thought of delivering the news that had left them all in shock.

In the end, it was her most beloved daughter, Charlotte Pudding, who reported the grim event. "Mom, while you were away... a major incident occurred," she began hesitantly.

"Huh? What big event?" Big Mom's voice, deep and menacing, sent chills through the air, like the growl of a monstrous demon from the depths of an abyss.

Pudding struggled internally for a long time before finally whispering, "Oven, Snack, Cracker, Smoothie… and many of our brothers and sisters… they're… all dead!"

"All dead?!" BOOM!

As soon as the words left Big Mom's mouth, the entire island trembled as if the very heavens were shaking. The ground quaked beneath the weight of her fury, and the island's residents dropped to their knees, frozen with terror.

"Who dares?!" she roared, her voice booming like a thunderclap.

"The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates… It was Marco."

Rumble!

On that day, darkness fell over more than thirty islands under Big Mom's dominion. Pirates across her territories were stricken with fear.

"The forces I painstakingly cultivated for so long… destroyed by Marco, that little upstart?! I will kill him~~! Only then will the fire in my heart be quenched~~!" Big Mom's rage echoed across the lands, shaking even the bravest hearts.

Everyone knelt in fear, trembling under the weight of her unprecedented fury. Terrifying thunderclouds rolled across the skies of Totland, and the seas churned in a wild frenzy.

The Four Emperors, Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin… was utterly, wrathfully furious!

Elsewhere, in the New World, on a large island controlled by a militarily dominant kingdom, a catastrophe was about to unfold.

This was because a pirate ship bearing the Big Mom Pirates' flag, with its signature design of a grinning skull with lipstick, had arrived at the port.

Onboard the ship, Charlotte Katakuri, with his signature silk scarf covering his mouth and gripping a massive trident, emerged from his cabin. His crew rushed to him, their faces filled with panic.

"Lord Katakuri… terrible news! Oven, Snack, Cracker, Smoothie… they're all dead!" one of the crew members blurted out in a trembling voice.

"Hmm?! What did you say?" Katakuri's eyes flared with anger. For the first time since they had followed him, his subordinates saw him lose control.

"Who did it?!" he growled, his voice laced with barely-contained fury.

The crew member, shaking with fear, stammered, "It was the Undead Bird Marco…!"

Not long after, reports spread across the New World—Charlotte Katakuri, in a fit of rage, had single-handedly slaughtered an entire kingdom.

Hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers were wiped out, not a single one left alive.

The king of that kingdom, a Devil Fruit user with extraordinary powers, met his end as well. Katakuri, with one swift blow from his trident, had pierced through the king's chest in a single, devastating strike.

At the same time, rage and shock also rippled through another powerful crew, the Beast Pirates.

On this day, one name sent the entire New World into turmoil once again.

The overwhelming fury of two of the Four Emperors' forces left pirates everywhere quaking with dread.

"Immortal phoenix Marco…!"