New World.
Kaido had waited for several days, yet no trouble had come.
This made Kaido a little perplexed.
He had cooperated with Whitebeard.
Though this incident had led to the destruction of the Navy's surveillance fleet at the time, Kaido believed that the intelligence capabilities of both the Navy and the Celestial Dragons were still formidable.
They must have known about it.
Just as in the world of One Piece, where there is a Photography King—this king can obtain photos for almost everyone's wanted posters, even close-up shots of the Four Emperors.
The intelligence abilities of the Navy and the Celestial Dragons were beyond question.
Kaido was certain of it.
The news of his cooperation with Whitebeard must have already spread.
So, what next?
There should be trouble, right?
At the very least, CP0 should have come to investigate him, right?
And Kaido was ready—either to kill whoever came to make trouble, or to speak with them first.
But.
Nothing.
No one came to investigate Kaido.
No one came to challenge him.
"It seems the Navy's attention is fixed on Whitebeard," Kaido mused. "Or perhaps... they don't dare to investigate me? Either way, it's quite strange."
Of course they didn't dare.
After all, to the Navy and the Celestial Dragons, Kaido had become something else entirely.
The old intelligence was no longer valid.
The current Kaido was a complete enigma to them.
His temperament had grown unpredictable.
Who would dare to investigate him?
Moreover, with the Whitebeard situation making them uneasy, they naturally postponed gathering intel on Kaido.
Apart from that, the recent system rewards had captured Kaido's attention.
In the past few days, Kaido had received two more rewards.
That's right—two.
Whitebeard had survived for one hour and received the third-stage reward.
Whitebeard had survived for one day and received the fourth-stage reward.
Now, a few days had passed, but the fifth-stage reward had yet to arrive.
"Rewards are getting harder and harder to get," Kaido grumbled.
The rewards for these stages, once Kaido used them, granted him three King-level strength upgrade cards and four top-level strength upgrade cards.
The fourth-stage rewards: one King-level strength upgrade card and four top-level strength upgrade cards.
The fifth-stage rewards: two King-level strength upgrade cards.
Upon using them, Kaido's improvements were as follows:
Defense: King-level x2.Observation Haki: King-level.Attack: King-level x2.Conqueror's Haki: Top x3.Movement Speed: Top x2.Armament Haki: Top x2.
The enhancements were substantial.
Kaido's attack power now exceeded King-level.
Without taking into account the boost from Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, Kaido's raw attack power alone was practically invincible.
But if someone had the attack power of King-level Haki, well, that could be a different matter.
His defense, too, had reached King-level x2.
Kaido could now stand still and be struck, but ordinary kings wouldn't even be able to scratch him.
At most, they'd damage his hair.
It was an overwhelming defense.
"I wonder when the next round of rewards will arrive," Kaido thought with anticipation.
At the same time, Kaido was also eagerly awaiting the start of the War of the Best.
The system rewards didn't only come from Whitebeard's survival time.
There were also rewards for completing side quests—killing the Seven Warlords of the Sea, killing Admirals, killing legends… all of these would bring abundant rewards.
It was another path to growing stronger.
And where could he find the opportunity to kill such powerful figures?
The War of the Best was undoubtedly the perfect occasion.
As Kaido waited patiently, the war was drawing near.
The Navy Headquarters had announced that they were going to publicly execute the infamous pirate Portgas D. Ace!
As soon as this news broke, it became headline news across the globe.
"Ace?"
"The captain of Whitebeard's second division, the wielder of the Flame-Flame Fruit, a terrifying force who can incinerate an entire pirate fleet with a single punch! He possesses power so terrifying it drives people to despair! A pirate with a bounty of 550 million berries!"
"What?! They actually caught such a powerful pirate?!"
"A leader of Whitebeard's crew?!"
"Whitebeard, will he stand by and do nothing?"
"Publicly executing such a great pirate at the Navy Headquarters is an outright provocation to Whitebeard. The man who could destroy the world won't just sit back and let this happen…"
"Yes, you're right. The Navy is taking a massive risk by doing this. Are they planning to go to war with Whitebeard?"
"No way!"
"If they go to war with Whitebeard and provoke the man who can create earthquakes, the entire world could be destroyed!"
"I hope Whitebeard stays calm and composed, and doesn't act impulsively."
At that moment, in countless locations around the world, people received the latest headlines.
The news of Ace's public execution became a global sensation.
And nearly everyone, after reading the news, had the same question:
Would Whitebeard stand by and do nothing?
The captain of his second division was going to be publicly executed by the Navy. Could this open provocation to the world's strongest man possibly end peacefully?
In everyone's mind, there was only one answer.
No.
Whitebeard would never sit back and do nothing.
Who was Whitebeard?
One of the Four Emperors.
The world's strongest man!
An existence that has plunged the world into deep fear for decades—a thousand times more terrifying than the devil himself. Even children know it's better to encounter evil spirits than to face Whitebeard.
Merely mentioning Whitebeard can stop a child from crying. His portrait wards off evil spirits, and legends say it can even cure malaria.
And Whitebeard's terrifying reputation was not unearned—it was built upon countless battles, each more devastating than the last.
Such a man.
Could he truly sit idly by while the Navy Headquarters provoked him?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible!
The headlines in newspapers sent across the world quickly shifted, confirming what people feared most about Whitebeard.
The news shifted from the Navy's decision to publicly execute Portgas D. Ace to the Whitebeard Pirates suddenly disappearing—suspected to be on their way to Navy Headquarters to rescue the infamous pirate Ace.
Whitebeard was going to declare war on the Navy.
"Whitebeard is really going to start a war!"
"Oh my God…"
"As expected! Whitebeard will not sit by and watch. This man is a devil in human form!"
"Can the Navy withstand Whitebeard's assault?"
"It's hard to say!"
"Whitebeard… this man has slaughtered countless people and destroyed entire kingdoms throughout his life. The number of people he's killed could fill a hell of its own!"
"Hiss! That demon… now he wants to crush the Navy, too! Damn it!"
The Four Seas trembled.
The entire world was instantly engulfed in a shadow of despair. Across the various seas and many islands, shops began closing their doors.
After all, if the world was about to be destroyed, why keep a shop open?
Who could even be sure the world would still exist tomorrow?
Maybe when they opened their doors the next day, they would see a sky filled with stars... because Whitebeard had blown up the world, and everyone was floating through space.
What business could there be?
Shops were closed as families huddled together.
This might be their final day alive. Spending these last moments with loved ones felt like the greatest happiness they could hope for.
"I've seen Whitebeard before... We surrendered ourselves to death the moment we laid eyes on him... That guy isn't human. He's a demon who crawled out of hell…"
One old man, his hair gone white, shared his experience from long ago.
Although decades had passed, the memory of his first sight of Whitebeard was still an indelible mark, bringing waves of fear even now.
Churches filled with people praying.
But crime, too, was on the rise.
For many, tomorrow might be the end of the world, and some had gone mad, deciding to do whatever they wanted during their last moments on Earth.
The entire world.
Just from the rumor that Whitebeard was about to take action.
The world had plunged into chaos and despair.