I, The Celestial Dragon, Rule The Heavens Through The Double Gate

In fact, he wanted to capture the Fish Men alive.

He had a plan for the Fish-Men Island in his heart.

Jinbe was another matter.

But for other Fish Men, as long as CP0 brainwashed them to the point of mental collapse, they could turn the Fish Men into devoted followers.

And once they became his believers, these Fish Men could be returned to The Fish-Man Island, where they could amass more followers for Kaos.

The Fish Men who were caught should not be underestimated.

These few Fish Men alone were enough to win over Otohime, who was eager to improve the status of The Fish-Man Island.

And if Otohime developed a positive impression of him, the peaceful faction of Fish Men aligned with Otohime would likely follow suit.

In this way, when the time was right, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Kaos could effortlessly reap the benefits of controlling The Fish-Man Island.

No extra effort would be needed.

With the groundwork also being laid by Doflamingo, perhaps everything would come together soon.

Thinking of this, Kaos couldn't help but smile.

At the same time...

Sabaody Archipelago.

In a tavern.

Shakky stared at Rayleigh's life card burning at a terrifying speed in her hand, and the cigarette at the corner of her mouth fell to the ground involuntarily.

Standing there in a daze, a look of disbelief suddenly appeared in her eyes.

The Next Day

Needless to say.

The whole sea shook.

As seagulls flew across the world with newspapers.

Whether it was ordinary people, pirates, pirate hunters, businessmen, nobles, or marines, when they bought a newspaper and saw the headlines, they all showed shocked expressions.

North Blue.

On an island.

A young man had just finished buying a newspaper. When he saw the headlines, he couldn't help exclaiming:

"Silvers Rayleigh, the former vice-captain of the Pirate King Roger... has... died?"

As soon as these words came out, countless people were shocked, and the whole street became lively in an instant.

"What?"

"Real or fake?"

"Is today's news so important? Quick, show me!"

A group of people surrounded the young man, wanting to read the contents of the newspaper.

At this time, there were still more than ten years before the plot of the original story begins.

People still had an impression of the existence of Roger, the Pirate King.

It was also for this reason that Silvers Rayleigh was still famous.

For many, he represented the pinnacle of the sea.

Now dead.

How important was this?

Everyone wanted the full details.

Not far away, in a corner.

A figure stood upright, holding a bottle of rum in his hand. The moment he heard the young man's words, there was a sharp crack as the rum bottle shattered in his grip.

He stepped out of the shadows, exuding a domineering aura like a lion.

"Move aside!"

The overwhelming momentum exploded.

The crowd blocking his path scattered instantly.

Long golden hair.

An air of domineering confidence.

A head resembling a cockscomb.

Golden Lion!

Perhaps some people didn't recognize him by name.

But feeling the oppressive aura emanating from him, no one dared to stand in his way. They all swallowed their fear and stepped aside.

The Golden Lion strode to the young man, grabbed the newspaper, and read it carefully. His pupils constricted, and his expression grew increasingly shocked.

At this time, the Golden Lion had already gone through his prison break from Impel Down, losing his legs and replacing them with two swords.

Today, he had come here to purchase supplies but didn't expect to hear news of Rayleigh's death.

It must be noted that while he and Roger were rivals, he held a certain respect for Rayleigh.

Even he acknowledged Rayleigh's strength.

Unexpectedly, Rayleigh was now dead.

After reading the newspaper, the Golden Lion just chuckled.

"Rayleigh, you were as reckless as ever."

He had been wondering how Rayleigh had died.

But after reading the contents of the newspaper, it became clear.

He had gone to Mariejois.

Even the Golden Lion was taken aback.

Even he wasn't so bold.

If you were going to Mariejois, wouldn't you at least bring reinforcements? That way, if you couldn't win, you could at least escape.

But you went in alone.

Did you think that was Marine Headquarters?

At least at Marine Headquarters, you might have ended up in Impel Down.

But going to Mariejois? There's no chance to even reach Impel Down alive.

The newspaper included many photos.

There was a shot of Rayleigh fighting against three high-ranking opponents.

To this, the Golden Lion sneered.

"That old guy Kong is still alive, huh? But facing three opponents of such caliber, I'd say the World Government didn't hold back."

Rayleigh had died, no doubt.

From the Golden Lion's perspective, at least he didn't die in obscurity.

Although he felt a pang of sadness in his heart, he shook his head, dropped the newspaper, and walked away.

For the Golden Lion, the Rayleigh incident was both tragic and revealing.

Because of Rayleigh's actions, he now had a glimpse of the immense strength hidden within the World Government.

This battle alone revealed three powerhouses of equal caliber.

Was that all the World Government had to offer?

No.

It was undoubtedly just the tip of the iceberg.

Golden Lion murmured to himself.

He would continue to bide his time.

But one day, he, Golden Lion Shiki, would rise again, and the world would tremble before him!

East Blue.

West Blue!

Grand Line.

Even the New World.

Countless people were shocked by the news today.

Especially in the New World.

Red-Hair Pirates.

"What? Vice Captain Rayleigh is dead?!"

Seeing the news in the newspaper, the red-haired man's face was filled with disbelief.

But as he read further, his expression turned solemn, and he fell silent.

Mariejois.

To die in that place.

It wasn't surprising.

"The Captain is gone. And now, the Vice Captain has followed."

Shanks murmured, feeling a deep sadness in his heart.

But then, his eyes sharpened, and an intense aura surged from him.

Much like the Golden Lion, he too saw this as an opportunity to glimpse the terrifying strength of the World Government.

From this, he understood their overwhelming power.

The most critical detail was a photograph in the newspaper.

This photo was clearly not taken by the World Government.

It came from the president of News of the World, Morgans—one of the kings of the underground world.

Among the photos was one showing the battle between Zero and Rayleigh.

Another image depicted Stussy and Kong standing alongside Kaos.

At first glance, this particular image didn't seem significant.

But Shanks noticed it.

In the photo, Kong was bowing his head to Kaos.

And Stussy's face showed deference.

It was evident that all of this was because of the young man standing in the center.

"The vice-captain's death might be connected to him!"

Shanks murmured, his intuition telling him that the identity of this boy was anything but ordinary.

Whether it was Kong, Stussy, or Zero—each was a powerhouse of Admiral-level strength.

And yet, these powerhouses had bowed their heads before Kaos.

That alone proved many things.

Inexplicably, Shanks couldn't help but recall some of the World Government's recent large-scale actions. Perhaps they were tied to this young man?

Elsewhere, it wasn't just Shanks who was affected.

Whitebeard.

Kaido.

Charlotte Linlin.

And other prominent figures of the sea were among the first to learn the news.

Hearing that Rayleigh had died at Mariejois, they all paused to reflect.

Whitebeard looked at the newspaper, remained silent for a long moment, then shook his head and sighed.

"In this world, the World Government is a colossus—unshakable!"

"Father, why do you think Mr. Rayleigh went to Mariejois? Anyone with common sense knows that place is incredibly dangerous, right?" Marco asked, puzzled.

Whitebeard shook his head.

"Who knows? No matter the reason, the fact remains: he went there and died."

"In this world, results are what matter most. The result now is that Rayleigh is dead—at Mariejois."

"That's why the World Government made it public, using it as an opportunity to crush the pride of many and instill fear of their power once again."

"However," Whitebeard continued, his tone unwavering, "this has nothing to do with us."

Setting the newspaper aside, he turned toward the direction of the Red Line and sneered.

"The Red Line? We can't go there. But the New World—now that's a different story."

"If the World Government rules the world, there is still one place where their authority doesn't reach!"

"It's the New World!"

"This is the territory of pirates!"

The weak may fear.

But the strong—

They do not care!

...

...

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[Guys give me your power stones and thank you.]