69novels Chapter 106 begins with the selection of a kingdom's location.
Chapter 106 begins with the selection of a kingdom's location.
Chapter 106 begins with the selection of a kingdom's location.
A new world, in some unknown sea.
A massive, whale-shaped pirate ship was sailing on the sea. On the deck, a burly man sat in his reserved seat, holding a newspaper and drinking heavily.
He was extremely large, several times larger than an average person, and had a crescent-shaped white beard.
Whitebeard – Edward Newgate.
"Gulalalala 1"
He suddenly burst into laughter, a deep and loud laugh that startled the surrounding crew members, who all looked up at him.
"Dad, what's wrong?" A blond man with a pineapple-shaped haircut walked over; it was Marco.
Newgate handed him the newspaper.
Marco took it and glanced at it, his brows furrowing slightly.
"One punch shattered the thunderclouds of Thunder God Island... This guy, is this newspaper exaggerating?"
"Gurala—it must be true."
The white-bearded man tilted his head back and took a big gulp of wine. "To be able to shatter the climate of that kind of place with a single punch, his strength is definitely not simple."
"And look at what happened later: he subdued Moria and Crocodile, and then suppressed Jinbe on Fishman Island. This kid is aiming to subdue the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Marco remained silent for a moment.
"Should we keep an eye on this?"
"Keep an eye on him?" Newgate laughed again. "Gurgle—of course we should keep an eye on him. But don't worry too much, let him play by himself."
"This ocean is more lively with a few more interesting people."
Inside a castle made of cream and candy, a huge woman sits at a table, frantically stuffing desserts into her mouth.
She was extremely obese, wearing a pink dress, heavy lipstick, and a pirate hat.
She was surrounded by all sorts of desserts—cakes, cookies, candies, chocolates—piled up like a small mountain.
"Mom, there's news." A man with a long tongue walked over; he was Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte family.
"Mmm—" Lingling mumbled, her mouth full of cake.
Perospero handed her the newspaper and pointed to the photo on the front page.
Lingling glanced at it and paused her chewing for a second.
Ghost Island.
The island is shrouded in thick clouds and mist year-round, and from a distance it looks like a giant skull lying on the sea.
In the very center of the island, a majestic castle rises from the ground, its shape resembling a skull, with flickering flames faintly visible in its two empty eye sockets.
At this moment, on the top floor of the castle, a tall man was lying on the ground, clutching a crumpled newspaper in his hand.
He was extremely burly, several sizes larger than an average person, with a pair of curved horns on his head, a thick black beard, and wearing only a pair of wide trousers that revealed his strong upper body. His skin was covered with blue scale-like tattoos.
Kaido of the Beasts.
A dozen or so huge wine gourds lay scattered around him, some empty, others half-empty. The air was thick with the pungent smell of alcohol.
"Brother Kaido, have you seen that news article?"
The speaker was a tall, thin man in a black suit, standing not far away, speaking cautiously.
Kaido didn't answer, he just stared at the newspaper in his hand.
The front-page photo in the newspaper clearly captured the moment when a silver-haired man punched both fists into the sky.
"This guy..."
'
Kaido suddenly spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a strong smell of alcohol.
"That's interesting."
He pushed himself up from the ground, his massive body swaying slightly as he nearly fell over again.
But he quickly regained his composure, pulled the spiked club to his side, and used it to support himself as he stood up.
"Brother Kaido?"
Kaido crumpled the newspaper into a ball and tossed it aside.
"I'm going to find that guy and fight him."
After saying that, he strode out the door.
Behind him, the cadre stood still, his expression even more complicated.
To be honest, it's been a long time since Kaido has been this excited.
Elbaf.
A pirate ship was quietly moored on the shore.
The sail was painted with a red-haired skull symbol, with three scratch marks on the skull's left eye, which were particularly eye-catching.
.
A red-haired man was sitting on the gunwale, leisurely fishing.
"Did you see that news report?"
The speaker was Ben Beckman, the vice-captain of the Red-Haired Pirates. This composed man was leaning against the ship's railing, a cigarette between his fingers, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
Shanks didn't turn around, but simply gave a soft "hmm".
"His strength is indeed extraordinary, as he shattered the thunderclouds of Thunder God Island with a single punch."
Beckman exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Furthermore, he previously subdued Jinbe on Fishman Island, and with the addition of Moria and Crocodile he recruited—he now has three Shichibukai-level fighters under his command. This force is quite formidable in the New World."
Shanks remained silent, but with a slight flick of his wrist, he cast the fishing line further out.
Beckman glanced at him and continued.
"However, what interests me most is how he handled the Fishman Island incident. I heard that his men were killed in Fishman Town, and he made those thugs publicly apologize in the public square—in front of all the fish and mermaids. This style of doing things is quite different from that of ordinary pirates."
"It's not quite the same," Shanks finally spoke, his voice calm and gentle. "When pirates encounter something like this, they either kill the other party to take revenge or extort compensation. But he did it differently, demanding both compensation and an apology, and even made Jinbe his subordinate."
Beckman remained silent for a moment.
"Should we keep an eye on this?"
"Be careful?" Shanks shook his head. "No need."
He reeled in his fishing rod, rebaited it, and cast it out again.
"Speaking of which, he's not the only one who's been making headlines lately."
Beckman raised an eyebrow.
"You mean... that newcomer named Ace?"
"Yes." Shanks nodded. "Portgas D. Ace has been making quite a stir in the New World lately. I heard he's challenged several well-known pirates and won them all. That guy's strength is extraordinary."
He raised his head and looked at the distant blue sea.
"A guy who dared to shatter the thunderclouds of Raijin Island with a single punch, a newcomer who dared to challenge established pirates everywhere, and those old guys who have long been entrenched in the New World—"
Beckman didn't say anything, he just quietly smoked his cigarette.
"Beckman".
"Um?"
"Don't you feel like this ocean is about to become chaotic?"
Beckman remained silent for a long time, then slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.
"It should have been in chaos long ago."
Shanks smiled and said nothing more.
Meanwhile, in every corner of the new world.
Some people looked at the newspaper and sneered, some frowned, some ignored it, and some looked thoughtful.
But everyone realized one thing—
The man named Norton has officially set foot in this sea area.
Moreover, the way he stepped in was by shattering the thunderclouds that had lingered over an island for millennia with a single punch.
It's as high-profile as it gets.
Some of the veteran pirates who have been entrenched in the New World for many years have already begun to sharpen their knives, ready to teach this arrogant newcomer a lesson.
Some chose to wait and see, wanting to see just how much trouble this kid could cause.
Others are secretly plotting whether this newcomer will become the straw that breaks the existing balance.
In any case, this sea area is indeed starting to get lively.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the massive fortress, a group of high-ranking naval officers sat around a conference table.
"Have you read the newspapers?" Sengoku's voice was deep and authoritative.
No one speaks.
The Warring States period's gaze fell upon the crane.
What do you think?
The crane was silent for a moment, then spoke.
"It's only a matter of time before this kid enters the new world. The question now isn't whether he'll come or not, but what kind of trouble he'll cause once he arrives."
"you mean?"
"That punch on Thor Island was clearly meant to establish his authority; he wanted the whole New World to know he was here. This high-profile approach could have two causes—either arrogance or sufficient confidence."
Which type do you think he is?
"The second type."
"He subdued Jinbe on Fishman Island, and with Moria and Crocodile whom he had previously recruited, he now has three Shichibukai-level fighters under his command. In addition to his own strength—" Tsuru stopped there.
Sengoku chimed in, "If he really establishes himself in the New World, he could very well become the next Rocks."
The meeting room fell silent.
Everyone had this guess, but no one was willing to say it out loud first.
Rocks—that name is a nightmare for the Navy.
"So what do we do now?" someone asked.
Sengoku remained silent for a long time before speaking.
"Let him go."
"Should we send him?"
"Yes." Sengoku's tone was calm. "Those pirates in the New World have always been our biggest problem. Let them fight it out, let the dogs fight each other; it will only benefit us."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the vast blue sea.
"Pass the word down: consolidate your forces for the time being. Don't provoke that silver-haired kid; let him focus on dealing with those veteran pirates."
Life on Thor Island was much more peaceful than I had imagined.
To be honest, this island has been struck by lightning for hundreds of years, and the people on the island have long been accustomed to that kind of life of constant fear and trepidation.
Now that the thunderclouds have suddenly disappeared and the sun is shining all day, they are finding it a little hard to adjust.
The fleet rested in the port for three days.
Fresh water and food supplies were replenished, and the ships of each squadron were repaired, replaced, or tidied up as needed.
Fu Ning and the shipwrights were busy as bees, while Nami spent all her time in the cabin studying the nautical charts and documents sent by Morgans.
On the afternoon of the third day, Norton summoned the officers to the conference room on the White Pearl.
The same people were still there, packed to the brim.
Zoro leaned against the window, eyes closed, resting; Moria sat cross-legged on the floor, giggling; Enel sat in a corner, expressionless; Buggy huddled in a chair, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Nami and Fryn were huddled together, a pile of sea charts and documents spread out in front of them...
Kro stood beside Norton, holding several documents in his hands.
"I've sorted through the things Morgans sent," Kroo said, adjusting his glasses. "The coordinates and permanent pointers for the three islands are all here."
He distributed the materials to those present.
Norton didn't look at the documents; he simply leaned back in his chair and waited for Crow to continue.
"The first one is Wano Country."
Kro opened the notebook in his hand.
"This is a closed country that has not been open to the outside world for hundreds of years and does not accept the jurisdiction of the world government."
"It is said that the country has extremely rich mineral resources and unique smelting technology, and the weapons produced there are famous throughout the New World."
He paused.
"However, this island is currently occupied by one of the Four Emperors, Kaido. The Beasts Pirates' headquarters are located there."
"According to Morgans' intelligence, Kaido has been active in Wano Country for the past few years and seems to have some kind of agreement with the local shogun. Although the island is rich in resources, outsiders can't get in and once they do, they can't get out."
The room was silent for a few seconds.
"Next," Norton said.
"The second one, Saint-Vermeu."
Kro continued reading.
"One of the World Government's member states, located in the southern part of the New World. This island is not large, but it is extremely rich in resources, including a special type of mineral. The World Government has established a permanent fortress there, with Vice Admiral-level combat forces from the Marine Headquarters stationed there year-round, as well as personnel from the CP department."
He looked up at Norton.
"This island is very important to the World Government. If we make a move on it, it would be tantamount to going to war with the World Government."
Norton didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.
"The third one."
Kro turned to the last page.
"An island without a name. To be precise, a newly discovered island that hasn't been named yet."
.
His tone became somewhat subtle.
"This island is not a member state of the World Government, nor is it the territory of any power. It is a non-member state—and it was only recently discovered."
"How did you find out?" Moria suddenly interjected.
"According to Morgans' intelligence, a few months ago a merchant ship was blown off course by a storm and drifted unexpectedly to the vicinity of that island. The ship docked near the island, and the captain took a few men aboard to take a look—"
Klötter paused.
Only two people came back alive.
The room fell silent for a moment.
"What's on the island?" Norton asked.
"Prehistoric behemoths."
Kro's tone was calm, but what he said sent chills down your spine.
"According to those two men, the island was full of creatures they had never seen before—a giant dinosaur, lizards bigger than ships, winged reptiles, and all sorts of monsters they couldn't name."
"Those things were enormous, incredibly strong, and extremely aggressive. Their people were killed by them."
He put down his notebook.
"The island has a typical tropical rainforest climate, hot and rainy, with extremely dense vegetation. Because it has never been developed, the island's resources should be extremely rich—various minerals, medicinal plants, and rare timber are all likely to be present. But the problem is..."
"Nobody dares to go up," Nami chimed in.
Kro nodded.
"Yes. Ever since the news of that merchant ship spread, that island has become a universally recognized forbidden zone. Several pirate crews tried to explore it, but they were all wiped out. Since then, no one has dared to approach it."
He looked at Norton.
"King, this is the situation on the three islands. One is occupied by one of the Four Emperors, one is the territory of the World Government, and the other is a monster's lair. You decide which one to choose."
Norton remained silent.
The room fell silent, and everyone stared at him.