Whitebeard was defeated!
The man hailed as the world's strongest had stood against the King of Qin, Ying Zheng, and lost.
The moment the news hit, the world went silent. It was a crushing, unimaginable shock, yet one that, in hindsight, felt horribly inevitable. The entire globe seemed to hold its breath.
The sudden, monstrous rise of the Nation of Qin had already scythed through this world like a hurricane. First, they crippled the Marines. Then, they subdued Kaido. Now, they had vanquished the legend, Whitebeard.
In this sea, was there truly anyone left who could stand against the momentum of this terrifying young King?
In the New World, at the provisional Marine Headquarters, Sengoku and Garp sat with faces carved from stone. Deep in their weary eyes, only helplessness remained.
They knew the sheer power Whitebeard commanded. His defeat, therefore, was less a shock and more a grim confirmation. They had foreseen this outcome even before the fighting began.
Anyone who had witnessed the King of Qin's battle knew the caliber of power he wielded, it was a godlike, unstoppable force, terrifying beyond measure.
"King of Qin, Ying Zheng..."
Sengoku whispered the name, his voice trailing off into silence.
He was the "Wise General," a man whose strategic mind was legendary, but now, faced with a power so utterly overwhelming, even wisdom was moot.
"What's the word from the World Government?"
After a long moment, he shook his head to clear the fog of dread and addressed a nearby Marine officer.
"There's been no official statement, sir, but..." The officer hesitated, the words catching in his throat.
"Spit it out." Sengoku sighed, already sensing the bad news coming.
"It appears... the internal conflicts among the hundreds of nations that make up the World Government have already started flaring up." The soldier's voice was low and tight.
"I knew it!" Sengoku slammed a hand against his forehead, the headache spiking to a brutal peak.
Forget uniting to face a common enemy, right now, if the World Government could even keep itself from tearing apart, it would be a miracle.
"What a disaster of a man..."
Sengoku sighed again. In his entire life, he had never encountered anyone like Qin Yi. Not only was the King's own might unparalleled, but he had terrifying reinforcements at his back, and his subordinates were equally formidable.
"What in the world do we do now...?"
He muttered to himself, his mind a chaos of frayed thoughts, utterly lost for a path forward.
…
Meanwhile, in the Land of Wano, Qin Yi sat at the head of a massive hall, considering his next move.
"With Whitebeard out of the picture, the situation in this world is essentially resolved," he mused.
"Once he comes to me, we can begin the King's Way, fusing the civilizations and raising the King's World's overall level."
"After that, it's time to march into the Legend of Sword and Fairy 1 world."
That was his rough plan, though the execution would depend entirely on the circumstances.
At this point, whether it was the armies strengthened by the King's World or the forces he had accumulated in this universe, both were more than sufficient to unify everything. He no longer needed to devote his full attention here.
"King Yuanli."
His sharp gaze fixed upon Li Yuanli, who had been idly swirling a cup of Wano's specialty sake.
"Your Majesty!"
Li Yuanli instantly stood up, snapping to attention the moment he heard his name.
"How are the three worlds under your command progressing?" Qin Yi asked, his tone measured and calm.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, all three worlds are mortal realms. They have fully submitted, the Fire of Civilization is flowing freely through them, and their overall strength is increasing rapidly," Li Yuanli smiled confidently. "They've begun to develop both Ninjutsu and technological civilizations. I believe it won't be long before they can field proper armies and become genuinely useful."
Serving under Qin Yi came with immense benefits. The most significant advantage of being a King under the King was the ability to draw upon the supreme King's civilization, to absorb its power, nurture one's own kingdom, and grow stronger.
Of course, the degree of this support was entirely controlled by the Overking himself, Qin Yi.
"Good. That means your own power has increased as well?"
Qin Yi's eyes narrowed slightly, watching Li Yuanli.
"Yes, Your Majesty. My current strength should be roughly comparable to the three Marine Admirals," Li Yuanli stated, a hint of pride in his voice.
"Barely acceptable."
Qin Yi's eyes flickered, and his response was indifferent.
Li Yuanli felt a knot of awkwardness. Compared to Qin Yi, his own talent, especially for cultivation, did seem to fall short, though it was still leaps and bounds above most people.
"I have placed no restrictions on the Qin Nation's civilization I've granted you. My intent is for you to grow stronger, don't get complacent." Qin Yi's voice was calm, yet carried the weight of a decree.
"Understood!" Li Yuanli responded loudly.
But then, a flicker of confusion crossed his face. "Forgive my bluntness, Your Majesty, but I must ask, what is the level of the next world we'll be entering? To be frank, the level of support you are granting me right now is terrifyingly high!"
Qin Yi had completely opened his King's World to him, allowing him to absorb civilization energy freely and rapidly strengthen himself. Such boldness and generosity from the Overking left Li Yuanli trembling in awe.
Yet, at the same time, he understood the implication, the next world they were marching into must be at an impossibly high level, carrying enormous risks. Only a situation that dire would require Qin Yi to empower another King like this to accompany and assist him.
"Starlight Level Five."
The four words that left Qin Yi's mouth made Li Yuanli instantly freeze.
"At minimum."
The next two words hit him like a thunderclap, sending a bolt of pure dread down his spine as a cold sweat broke out.
"You... you have to be joking, right?" His expression stiffened completely, and beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
"I never joke. Do you have an objection?" Qin Yi's gaze bore down on him, sharp as a blade falling from the heavens.
"Your Majesty, that's Starlight Level Five! That is three full levels above our current civilization! Do you understand what that means?!" Li Yuanli's voice trembled as he spoke, panic clouding his tone.
"It's like the gap between a mortal realm and a Starlight realm, no, it's even worse! The difference in power is at least five or six times over! A world like that... its civilization would absolutely crush ours!"
"The risk is too great, far too great! Please, Your Majesty, reconsider!"
He was visibly shaking as he pleaded.
If it were a world of the same level, the danger would be manageable. Even if they failed, the losses would be acceptable. But entering a world three levels higher than their own? That was nothing less than suicide. It meant total annihilation, the fall of their armies, the complete collapse of their kingdoms!
It was reckless, utterly insane! It went completely against the survival laws for Kings in the Myriad Realms, caution and patience were the only paths to solid growth!
"You're afraid, Yuanli?" Qin Yi looked down on him, his eyes sharp and chilling.
"Your Majesty, it's not fear, it's just too bold! Too utterly mad!" Li Yuanli argued back, his voice thick with terror.
"Do you know what level the first world I ever entered was?" Qin Yi suddenly asked.
Li Yuanli froze, unable to answer.
"Starlight Level One. No... to be more precise, Starlight Level Two."
Qin Yi gave a faint, almost casual smile.
Li Yuanli was utterly thunderstruck. He looked at Qin Yi with wide eyes full of disbelief and horror.
The very first world... was Starlight Level Two?!
That wasn't just hellish difficulty, that was beyond hell! That was the realm of an Asura!
This King... this man sitting before him... was a complete, terrifying madman!
"There's still some time before we depart for the target world. Be prepared, Yuanli. I'd hate to see you die the moment you step through."
Qin Yi said with a faint smile, then stood and walked away, leaving Li Yuanli in his wake, trembling and drenched in a cold, existential sweat.
(End of Chapter)
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