One Piece: Nobody knows Devil Fruits better than me.

Chapter 184 A Toast from Afar, to the Sea and the New Era

At first, people thought the twelve constellations were just a ripple.

Like the strong figures that emerge in every era of history—they are part of the times, and may change some things in the places their waves touch, but that's all.

As the reputation of the twelve constellations grew, their actions had an increasingly greater impact on the sea.

People began to believe that the twelve constellations might be a threat to this ocean in the next era.

After the era of the Four Emperors ends, they may become new beings similar to the Four Emperors in the future.

But now, the twelve zodiac signs have demonstrated through their actions that there is no need to wait for the 'future'.

Or
Their future had already arrived silently.

Yes—the news, which has already been dubbed the 'Battle of Totland' by the world, has spread to every corner of the world in a short period of time.

[The Four Emperors have fallen, and a pillar of the New World has broken.]

[Is Big Mom still alive? Rumors suggest the Star Lord has the ability to control souls.]

[The situation spirals out of control? New World pirates launch a surprise attack on Totto Land]

[It is suspected that Wang Zhi, the founder of One Piece, also perished on Whole Cake Island.]

[New Bounty Issued! Sheep and Dog – Two More People Added to the Twelve Zodiac Signs?]

[Chenlong's bounty updated: Shichibukai 'Gecko Moria' was recently killed by him]

[Government experts analyze the aftermath of the Battle of Totland]

Newspapers all over the world, big and small, even those that usually only report gossip, have all started publishing large numbers of supplements.

The most ridiculous thing is that even the focus of each publication is different.

To put it bluntly...

Whether it's the master of Neverland, 'Sheep', the newly appeared 'Dog', or the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the recently discovered Pirate God King Wang Zhi's fall—each piece of news, taken alone, is enough to be the headline of a newspaper.

But now, these news stories that shake the seas are recorded casually in the same issue of the newspaper, as if they were free.

And the people across the entire ocean have an unprecedentedly strong desire to buy these newspapers.

Because this concept is different from the previous ones.

Whether it's seizing the Heavenly Gold, destroying Sabaody Archipelago, or breaching the Red Line—while these are all world-shaking events, they are essentially like a newly emerging and powerful force demonstrating its strength.

But this time the concept is completely different.

As mentioned before, the Four Emperors are the symbols of this era.

They occupied the New World, were the emperors of the sea, and were seen as behemoths that even the World Government and the Navy Headquarters could not handle.

They are one pole of the world, a pillar of the times.

But now, right before everyone's eyes.

The Dream Legion, consisting of six constellations and the mysterious star lord—the 'Twelve Constellations'—used the most direct means of warfare to destroy the rule of one of the Four Emperors.

They are not demonstrating power, but are genuinely and completely overturning the 'old order'.

It's like a special edition published by the World Economic News Agency, the most influential newspaper of all.

A new era has dawned for the sea—is it called 'Stars'?

It can only be said that 'Big News' is indeed very skilled at creating big news.

Unlike almost all other publications, the World Economic News Agency's newspaper does not feature lengthy descriptions and reports of events.

On the contrary, they simply purchased the live broadcast footage of the battle from Totland through certain means—Morgans reportedly paid a high price for it.

Ultimately, the content presented in the newspaper was quite shocking.

In the first frame, the live Den Den Mushi faithfully recorded the entire scene of Totland.

The dream island suspended above Cake Island, and the dreamlike creatures battling it out across the skies and lands of Totto Land.

Each island's Dream Legion has its own photograph.

Every creature was magnified, every part was meticulously labeled, and Morgans even invited scholars of legendary creatures from various countries to analyze what these mythical beasts were and what powers they possessed.

Besides the creatures of the Dream Legion, the second image shows a series of battle scenes on Whole Cake Island.

On Whole Cake Island, the horrific destruction caused by Big Mom's great battle with the Zodiac is breathtaking.

The piercing clouds, the roaring thunder, the shattered earth, the raging fire—every scene was captured and edited perfectly.

Especially at the end, the scene of the old woman who sacrificed almost her entire lifespan fighting against the combined attack of the three Zodiac signs amidst the golden rain falling from the sky made people all over the world wonder: were those creatures in the battle really human?

Of course.

In the end, it was the final, third image that truly silenced the world.

Compared to the first two images, the third image is very simple.

It is not a cut from multiple shots, but only a single scene.

That is—as the sun rises above the sea, surrounded by countless dazzling 'soul stars'.

The Star Lord stood with his hands behind his back amidst the starlight.

Within the scene, the shattered, dark soul of Sister Carmel fell like rain.

The six members of the Twelve Constellations who directly led the Battle of Tottoland and shook the era were all around him, bowing respectfully.

Just as its name suggests.

He is the 'Master of the Stars'.

No one can say for sure how much this scene shocked the world.

However, according to incomplete statistics, the sales of this supplement from the World Economic News Agency have broken historical records and are still growing at an exaggerated rate.

In addition, the sales of cups and bowls have been extremely hot recently, because almost everywhere there are people who have accidentally broken cups and bowls after seeing this newspaper and this picture.

And after the publication of this newspaper, which was destined to be recorded in the annals of the sea.

One can imagine the changes that would occur across the entire ocean.

The most obvious signs were seen among the member states of the World Government—especially those member states that had previously expressed clear hostility towards the Twelve Zodiacs due to concerns about assassination by the Rat.

It is said that many kings of the constituent countries issued clarification decrees on the day the newspapers published the information, stating that their previous statements about the twelve zodiac signs were purely misunderstandings.

Many kings who had previously sent troops to hunt down the Rat or who wanted to seize Dream Island rushed to Mary Geoise overnight.

Non-World Government member states that were originally searching for traces of the twelve constellations, intending to make a fortune from it, immediately ceased their efforts. Many illegal forces or underworld countries became as mild as pacifists.

Because they all know it very well.

If the twelve constellations have the strength to completely defeat Tottoland in a direct war, they can kill 'BIGMOM', one of the Four Emperors, in Tottoland's capital.

So, to deal with them, these high-ranking officials only need to send out one of their officers, plus a portion of the Dream Legion—that would be considered a great honor for them.

The more powerful a person is, the more they fear forces that exceed their understanding.

So they naturally became very honest.

And besides them

Pirates, the Navy, civilians, the Revolutionary Army, the World Government—all the major and minor forces on the vast seas naturally took their own actions.

of course.

Of all the forces, the one that is currently attracting the most attention on the high seas is naturally the one whose identity is similar to that of BIGMOM.

That is, the other four emperors.

New world.

"Gulalalalala gurd gurd ha".

On the Moby Dick, Whitebeard downed the glass of wine in one gulp.

"boom!"

The enormous wine glass was set down, its heavy weight causing the nearby deck to tremble.

"Lingling was killed."

"According to intelligence, he was indeed killed, and it is said that his soul was also taken away."

Meanwhile, Sachi, who was pouring wine for Whitebeard under Marco's "that's enough" gaze, remarked with a sigh.

"The Star Lord's abilities are truly bizarre."

Not only did it previously demonstrate terrifying destructive power capable of shattering the Red Line, but this time it has also shown the ability to manipulate souls—just what exactly is that person's Devil Fruit power? How come it seems even more monstrous than my father's?
Muttering to himself, Sachi's expression turned serious: "And the Twelve Constellations are indeed very powerful."

"These are only six, and each of them is an incredibly powerful ability user."

At this point, the other members of the Whitebeard Pirates also looked very serious.

Yes.

As the Whitebeard Pirates, who had dominated the seas for many years, they were naturally confident in their strength.

They were confident that, under their father's leadership, they were the strongest of the Four Emperors' pirate crews.

Even so, they still acknowledged the strength of the Big Mom Pirates.

Killing Big Mom directly in the enemy's stronghold, Totto Land—this is something that even if the Zodiacs were acting on purpose or not, it would still be something that would be absolutely shocking to them.

Therefore, it is only natural that they would be wary of the twelve zodiac signs.

But at this moment, compared to his own sons...

Whitebeard, however, seemed unconcerned.

"How's Lingling's territory doing now?"

He just asked that casually.

"The situation is relatively stable." Jozu, who was standing next to him, said in a deep voice, "Not long ago, a group of reckless pirates took the opportunity to attack Totto Land, but they were all wiped out by Charlotte Katakuri and his Homie army, which shocked many people."

"Moreover, since the Twelve Constellations only left recently, and it seems they spoke with Katakuri and the others before leaving, those with even a little strength are still observing."

"But according to intelligence, Katakuri has already instructed members of the Charlotte family to organize the evacuation of the civilians of Totto Land to the core islands, and the Homies have also begun constructing fortifications."

"By the way, they seem to be moving a lot of treasure recently, and are even willing to sell the video information from Tottoland to Morgans. So we guess the Zodiac probably made a request to them related to Bailey."

Despite his burly appearance, he was remarkably organized when it came to processing intelligence.

"Lingling's second son?"

Upon hearing this, Whitebeard grinned and said, "That kid is indeed quite good."

Say so.

But he clearly had no interest in getting involved in the matter or attacking Totland.

The members of the Whitebeard Pirates were not surprised to see this.

They knew that their father was just that kind of person.

He would certainly occupy territory and plunder like a pirate, earning him a notorious reputation on the high seas.

But—taking advantage of Big Mom's death to attack his children, killing a man who wanted to protect his people and brothers and sisters, is not something Whitebeard would do.

"Where are Kaido and Shanks?"

Then, Whitebeard continued to ask questions.

"Redhead is as usual, he hasn't made any moves, except that he seems to have left his territory once not long ago."

Speaking of this, Vista the Flower Sword casually replied—as a fellow swordsman, he was the most diligent in gathering information about Shanks.

He also knew that Shanks's ideas about taking over territory were similar to Whitebeard's; neither of them would be interested in Totto Land.

But the only surprise was...
"Kaido hasn't made any moves either."

"Ok?"

So even Whitebeard seemed a little surprised.

Unlike Whitebeard and Shanks, Kaido of the Beasts is a man who almost openly displays his ambitions.

But it's strange that he hasn't made any move against Totto Land, which has now lost one of the Four Emperors.

"Perhaps it's because of his past relationship with Big Mom?"

Bista could only guess at this, then looked at his father.

"friendship?"

Upon hearing this, Whitebeard burst into laughter again: "Gurararararara!"

He raised his glass again and drank it all in one gulp, seemingly reminiscing about the past: "That kid used to be on good terms with Lingling—knowing that Lingling lost, he'll probably burst into tears."

But at this point, Whitebeard's tone turned stern: "However..."

"He's not a pirate who'd hold himself back because of friendship!"

From these words, it is clear that Whitebeard has a very good understanding of Kaido.

The other members of the Whitebeard Pirates were not surprised at all upon hearing this.

They had, of course, fought Kaido of the Beasts more than once, so they knew this.

Kaido the Beasts is indeed a bold and magnanimous man, even the kind of eccentric who would wail and cry loudly for the death of his opponent when drunk.

But only in his ambition.

He is the purest kind of pirate—he is not bound by character or morality.

They admired the rare strength of a person, and then killed them by any means necessary.

That's Kaido's style of doing things.

Therefore, compared to 'red hair' and 'BIGMOM'.

In the eyes of the Whitebeard Pirates, the Beasts were actually the closest opponent they had come to in recent years.

"I heard that he seems to be getting very close to JOKER lately, and they seem to be discussing something important. It's even said that his three calamities will be heading to Dressrosa together in a while."

At this moment, Marco, who had been silent with a dark expression, finally managed to speak.

“I think the reason he didn’t take action against Totland might be related to this—he’s been too busy lately.”

"Ha, Joker, that little devil from the Don Quixote family?"

Whitebeard echoed this sentiment, then looked at the huge, empty wine glass in front of him: "Hey, Marco, aren't you going to pour me some wine? We agreed to have three drinks today, didn't we?"

"You're cheating!"

Upon hearing this, Marco, who had been wearing a gloomy expression, finally couldn't hold back any longer.

He and his father had agreed to only drink three cups of wine today, but who would have thought that the old man would use such a trick.

“I clearly put away all the glasses I bought in Elbaf, who knew you still had one hidden—two glasses of wine were enough, how could I possibly pour you a third one?”

Yes.

He immediately recognized the enormous goblet that Whitebeard was drinking from as a giant goblet produced in Elbaf.

Moreover, judging from the appearance and texture of the cup, it is probably quite old.

So Marco was naturally furious, feeling that his father was cheating.

"Hahahaha!"

"Marco, we've been completely outmaneuvered!"

"Thief, hahaha, as expected of Dad."

"Hey, Teach, your injuries from the last battle haven't healed yet, so stop laughing so loudly!"

At that moment, the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates burst into laughter.

"what?"

But upon hearing this, Whitebeard looked sharply at the 'rebellious son' in front of him: "Hey—Marco, I told you, once a man makes a promise, he has to see it through to the end!"

"You silly son, pour me some wine!"

Upon hearing this, Marco was so angry that he gritted his teeth.

"You stubborn old man!"

He roared angrily, his fists clenched, wishing he could punch his own father.

In the end, however, he had no choice but to pour his father a drink.

"Gurarararar—I'm a white-bearded old man!"

Whitebeard, however, paid no attention to his son's complaints.

He simply raised his glass again after it was filled.

But what Marco and all the members of the Whitebeard Pirates did not expect was...

At this moment, Whitebeard did not drink the wine in his cup in one gulp.

He simply stood up, holding the enormous glass of wine, and walked to the edge of the deck.

"Hey, you guy."

He raised his wine glass high and gazed out at the sea.

Say so.

His gaze, however, seemed to travel through the shimmering sea before him, back to thirty-two years ago.

Beneath that enormous World Tree, he raised a glass with a man who had been resurrected from the dead.

Yes.

Marco's guess is not entirely correct.

At this moment, the wine glass in Whitebeard's hand was not the one he had 'hidden'.

On the contrary, the cup had always been kept in the captain's cabin on the Moby Dick, in his most precious 'treasure chest'.

As Whitebeard just said, for him, promises and loyalty are the most precious things.

And this wine glass carries the 'promise'.

He took it out today, and certainly not just for drinking.

More importantly, he has now made that decision.

"The new era you have chosen has begun!"

"Goo la la la la!"

He laughed loudly and tilted the wine glass in his hand.

The wine, reflecting the sunlight, spills into the sea.

"trickle!"

The sea ripples with waves, let us drink our fill of wine.

Then the white-bearded man turned around.

He looked at the puzzled children behind him, but offered no explanation.

"My lords—let's have a feast today!"

(End of this chapter)