The pinnacle of pirates begins with deceiving fate!

Hearing the cries and pleas behind him, John's heart skipped a beat. He sighed silently, quickened his pace, and disappeared into the courtyard.

He had only met Adela the day before, and after a pleasant conversation, he was invited to her residence.

Raising a cup together under the moon, when emotions run high... everything happens naturally.

The joy of first sight is the most unforgettable.

"But I am a ship that braves the wind and waves. Although I may occasionally dock, drifting in the wind and rain is the main theme of my life."

I'm sorry.

John shook his head, left the upper town, and headed south toward the mountains and forests.

forest edge

John placed the black iron box a kilometer away from Morgans, opened it to reveal a masked doll.

The doll is dressed in a black suit and trousers, wearing a faceless mask, a turtleneck sweater underneath, and gloves on its hands, with no skin exposed.

It's impossible to tell that it's a doll.

However, her gender can be identified as female by her strong pectoral muscles and her thick, smooth, long black hair.

As John flicked his fingertip, causing an arc of electricity to flash, the steel doll suddenly stood up and dashed off in the direction of Morgans.

This was a gender-neutral doll he made specifically because he anticipated that people might associate it with faking his death.

Furthermore, by relying on "mind network" and electromagnetic fields for remote monitoring and control, the possibility of identity exposure can be fundamentally eliminated.

In the clearings of the mountains and forests

Morgans, still in the form of an albatross with the Bird-Bird Fruit, crossed his arms and leaned against the huge airship behind him, anxiously shaking his leg from time to time.

"Could they be playing a trick on me? It's been so long and they still haven't come."

Morgans glanced back at the massive airship behind him, and his unease quickly subsided.

In case the other party was a robber, he brought many people with him, all of whom were hidden in the airship.

Just then, the sound of a branch breaking came from the right. Morgans quickly looked over and saw a woman fully armed and whose identity was impossible to discern walking gracefully towards him.

The reason he described it as "light" is that he felt the other person wasn't walking, but rather floating on the muddy ground.

"An ability user, huh?"

Morgans squinted and raised its wings in a warm greeting.

Hey! I thought you weren't coming.

"Where's the money?"

The woman stopped three meters in front of Morgans and asked in a shrill voice like a malfunctioning radio.

Morgans snapped his fingers, and five burly men in black suits stepped out of the airship, each carrying a black leather suitcase in each hand.

"The money's here, but where are the things?"

The woman didn't say anything more, but reached into her trouser pocket, pulled out something, and threw it at Morgans.

Morgans caught the wings and held them up to his eyes to examine them closely.

The contents consisted of eight small, transparent plastic bags containing fingernails, each labeled with a name; a photograph of "Captain John" being stabbed in the back; and a roll of film.

Chapter 26 Situation of All Parties

"You don't mind if I play the film rolls to check the quality, do you?"

While asking the question aloud, Morgans had already handed the film to the employee.

The woman remained silent, simply stepping forward and opening and inspecting each of the black leather suitcases one by one.

One suitcase contains 100 million Berries, and ten suitcases contain exactly one billion.

The woman had just finished her examination when the projector started firing a barrage of gunshots.

Seeing that Morgans was staring in a daze, he did not disturb him, but instead threaded a wire through the handles of the ten suitcases and dragged it on the ground as he quietly left.

"Captain John is really dead!"

The video was less than a minute long, but it had an unparalleled impact on Morgans.

The mountain of treasure dazzled him, and he regretted that the infamous pirate hero had died so easily.

Then, Morgans burst into wild, excited laughter.

"I've gotten firsthand information on a major event that the whole world is watching. 'World Economic News Agency' is about to make a name for itself on the high seas!"

"Who will ultimately claim Captain John's treasure? It's something to look forward to!"

Morgans tossed the bag containing the fingernails to the black-suited overseer sent by the billion-dollar investor behind the scenes, then hurriedly ran into the airship to begin editing the content for the next front-page headline.

He preferred the shocked expressions on people's faces when they saw his newspapers to the treasures he possessed.

He wants to make the whole world go crazy for him!

That afternoon, the World Economic News Agency printed out the newspaper, which was then distributed to the entire ocean by the seagulls.

The End of an Era for the Legendary Pirate Captain John!

The New World (Second Half of the Grand Line)

In a shipyard

With sweat pouring down their backs, the craftsmen wielded their hammers with serious and focused expressions, building the giant ship that had already been named "Queen Mother's Hymn".

"John!"

Suddenly, a powerful roar rang out from a room deep within the shipyard, carrying with it a Conqueror's Haki that caused the craftsmen to faint one by one, their eyes rolling back in their heads.

"You're such a disappointing man!"

Inside the room, Charlotte Lingling sat in a straight-backed leather chair, holding a newspaper, surrounded by various pastry towers such as mousse and cream puffs.

Her pleasant mood while enjoying dessert was completely ruined by the photograph that took up an entire page of the newspaper.

In the photo, the purple-haired man is almost riddled with bullet holes!

Across from him, a long bread roll sat cross-legged on the ground, picked up a piece of roasted meat, put it in his mouth, and mumbled something:

"Lingling, what should we do?"

"How to do it?"

Lingling raised an eyebrow, a cold glint flashing in her beautiful eyes.

"Of course, we must find these traitors and retrieve John's treasure!"

Unlike when she was a child, she no longer expresses her concern openly; instead, she expresses it through sarcasm.

When she helped Rocks out in God Valley, that's how she practiced "benevolence" in her own way.

She now treats John the same way, repaying his "kindness" in sharing his treasure.

There might be a hint of arrogance in this, but it's mostly about protecting herself and those she cares about.

As a pirate, you can't have any weaknesses!

Meanwhile, on the vast ocean...

The "Polo Pirates" have undergone a major change today. They have merged with several other pirate crews and changed their name to the "Whitebeard Pirates".

The captain of the Whitebeard Pirates is Edward Newgate!

On the deck of the "Polo", Porogram cheered and joked with a group of Newgate fans, waiting for the chef to bring out the food for the banquet.

Near the bow, in the main seat, Newgate, holding a newspaper, seemed out of place in the lively atmosphere, a hint of sadness in his beige eyes.

"Since we don't know what to do, let's just take it one step at a time. Things will work themselves out."

John's words echoed in Newgate's mind; he still remembered the guy's carefree demeanor at the time.

"Friend, are you leaving too?"

Newgate looked up and gazed at the group of pirates who were playing around.

He was determined to avenge John, but now that he had "family," his actions had far-reaching consequences, and he had to be responsible for their safety.

We can't do anything reckless!

"Captain, what are you daydreaming about? Come on, let's start the banquet!"

Gram, holding the wine the chef brought, waved excitedly at Newgate.

He was Newgate's number one fan and wanted to invite Newgate to join him as his subordinate after the God Valley incident.

But somehow, after a bout of heavy drinking, he ended up working for Newgate.

It doesn't matter, as long as I can be with Newgate, I'm happy no matter what!

Newgate folded the newspaper and put it in his coat pocket, then stood up from his chair, raising his right fist high.

"My men, let's start the feast! Let's get thoroughly drunk!"

Unable to avenge John, Newgate could only numb himself in this way.

Little did they know that in the future, Gram would also be cruelly taken away from them by fate.

Only a boy named Marco was left to carry on his father Gram's legacy and stay by his side.

hive island

The Flying Lion led its fleet out of port, gradually leaving behind the islands that had been reduced to ruins.

Three days ago, Shiki returned to Beehive Island with treasure, intending to recruit soldiers and expand his power.

Naturally, this created a conflict of interest with Wang Zhi, who believed that "when the cat's away, the mice will play," and the two engaged in a major battle.

Shiki won the battle without any doubt, and spared Wang Zhi's life out of consideration for their past as comrades.

He also left Beehive Island to Wang Zhi.

It wasn't that Shiki was being generous; rather, Beehive Island was so barren that it was considered the "Imperial City" of the new world.

In the past, the World Government exiled pirates and slaves captured in the New World to Beehive Island, intending for them to fend for themselves.

It wasn't until Rocks emerged and took over Hive that the island gained fame and became a headache for the World Government.