"..."
Ace and the others were stunned by Whitebeard's words.
"He really doesn't care about the immense power of Fish-Man Island..."
Kuina murmured. With that one statement, Whitebeard had completely severed any implied dependency between himself and Fish-Man Island.
Fish-Man Island, despite being a member nation of the World Government, had sought the protection of Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors. Did they truly believe they could remain neutral between pirates and the Marines?
Did they think they could ignore the Marines? Ignore the World Government?
From now on, such accusations and doubts would crumble on their own—
Because Whitebeard was just that domineering. Protecting his own territory was only natural!
As for where the fish-men and merfolk of Fish-Man Island wanted to go—what did that have to do with him?
But as long as Fish-Man Island remained where it was, it was still his territory. No one was allowed to lay a finger on it!
With just one sentence, Whitebeard shifted the focal point of his protection—from the fish-men and merfolk to "Fish-Man Island" itself!
"Whitebeard... What a powerful presence!"
Ace gazed at the pirate flag of the Whitebeard Pirates hanging in the port outside, lost in thought.
Wherever that flag flew, no one dared to defy Whitebeard's will! After Roger, Whitebeard had become the force that dominated this era!
"I really want to see this living legend with my own eyes!"
"Ace, this isn't something to joke about!"
Tashigi adjusted her glasses and spoke in a low voice:
"Admiral Wright has made it clear—no one is to act recklessly in the New World!"
"Uh..."
Ace scratched his head and chuckled. "Of course, I wouldn't be dumb enough to just go looking for Whitebeard like that!"
"Heh! How about you focus on surviving a fight with Admiral Wright first before even thinking about Whitebeard? The 'Strongest Man in the World' isn't called that for nothing!"
Cavendish stretched lazily and mused, "Speaking of Whitebeard, that First Division Commander of his has such a flashy fighting style..."
"..."
Everyone selectively ignored the narcissist and turned their attention to Jinbe, who remained silent, clearly lost in deep contemplation.
"Jinbe, leave this matter to Wright. He'll handle it properly."
Kuina reassured him. Wright wouldn't have overlooked this detail. Now that Whitebeard had made his stance clear, the Marines likely wouldn't press the issue any further.
"Ha! That's right, Admiral Wright will surely take care of everything."
Jinbe took a deep breath and smiled. "Fish-Man Island is vast, and there are still many places we haven't explored. Consider this a vacation and enjoy the sights!"
At Ryugu Kingdom's palace, Wright had just finished a round of medical treatment and was discussing Jinbe's message with King Neptune and Queen Otohime.
"That old man Whitebeard sure knows how to play with words, but he handled this well."
Wright wasn't surprised by Whitebeard's response—
The world believed that Whitebeard protected Fish-Man Island because he valued its strength. But in reality, it was entirely one-sided—Whitebeard simply chose to protect it.
With his magnanimity, he wouldn't stand in the way of Fish-Man Island's centuries-old dream.
"Then there's nothing more to debate. Once the Reverie concludes, we can proceed with the migration plan."
Neptune sighed. "Even so, Fish-Man Island still owes Newgate a great debt."
"You know this, King Neptune."
Wright spoke solemnly, his gaze steady.
"As a relic of the old era, Whitebeard will eventually have to face the Marines."
"The other 'Four Emperors' will as well... If the world is to have peace, we cannot allow these great pirates to roam freely."
"So... perhaps this is for the best."
Neptune understood all too well. The existence of the Four Emperors—especially the strongest among them, Whitebeard—was a symbol.
Tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people were under Whitebeard's protection. They would fight and die for his banner.
If the world was to be set back on course, it wasn't just the chains above that had to be broken—the banners flying across the seas had to be taken down as well!
"The migration won't happen overnight. It will be a long process. Ensuring the safety of Fish-Man Island, the migration routes, and the personnel on the surface will be just as important."
Wright turned to Queen Otohime, who remained silent.
"Your Highness... Are you certain you want to be part of the first wave to the surface?"
"Of course!"
Otohime looked at Neptune, who gazed back at her with concern.
She gave him a reassuring smile and declared firmly:
"Not only that—Fukaboshi will accompany me. As royalty, this is our duty."
"Landing with the first wave of pioneers is a necessary step."
"We must also keep Shirahoshi's secret, so we'll need your help with the Calm Belt, Admiral Wright."
"With your Lightforged Beacon, Shirahoshi can teleport directly from Fish-Man Island to the destination and command the Sea Kings, minimizing outside interference."
"No problem. Leave it to me—I'll personally escort you."
...
Finally, the day of the Reverie arrived.
As an admiral, Wright would not be escorting delegations this time.
Instead, Smoker was assigned to Alabasta, while Rosinante remained stationed at G-5—an essential move given G-5's recent string of impressive victories in the New World.
The base needed a vice admiral in command, even during the Reverie.
"Ace, you've been promoted to major. Though your rank still doesn't fully reflect your strength, you've been rising faster than even Kuina did."
Rosinante observed Ace, inevitably reminded of Law back in the North Blue.
This new generation was truly remarkable.
"Yes, Vice Admiral Rosinante. My rank doesn't matter, as long as I can assist Admiral Wright."
Ace grinned. He knew that Rosinante and Smoker were Wright's most steadfast allies—his right and left hands.
With Rosinante's peculiar abilities, he could be even trickier to deal with than Smoker, who preferred direct confrontations.
Kuina had already awakened her Armament Haki and been promoted to commander. Ace himself had awakened Armament Haki around the same time as Cavendish and Tashigi.
Although Cavendish and Tashigi lacked Devil Fruit abilities, they had received direct training from Wright, making their swordsmanship far superior to what their lieutenant ranks suggested.
Another bit of good news—T. Bone, who had long been stationed in the first half of the Grand Line, had finally awakened Armament Haki.
With both Observation and Armament Haki, as well as significantly improved swordsmanship under Wright's guidance, Captain Bone had earned his promotion to commodore and was transferred to G-5.
"Since you've been promoted to major, you can now command your own warship."
Rosinante handed Ace an assignment order.
"Go pick your crew and choose a ship from the port. Once you're set, report back and head out on patrol."
"During the Reverie, major pirate activities might be rare, but minor ones won't stop."
"Understood, Vice Admiral! I'll make sure those pirates remember my name!"
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