When news of the Summit War spread across the New World, the already chaotic sea was thrown into even greater turmoil.
In particular, the territories once ruled by the Whitebeard Pirates became the most unstable.
The Whitebeard Pirates held the largest expanse of territory among all great pirates and major forces in the New World. It wasn't that Whitebeard's crew went around forcibly occupying land, but rather, in this world, not every country could afford the heavenly tribute required to become a World Government affiliate. Many simply couldn't pay such astronomical sums, especially since the fee wasn't just a one-time payment—it was due every year.
As a result, much of the New World fell under the protection of powerful pirate crews instead. Under their banners, islands didn't have to pay the heavenly tribute but could still enjoy peace and security.
But now that Whitebeard was dead, those territories had lost their protector. The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates remained, but without Whitebeard, few still feared them. What terrified pirates before was not the crew, but the man himself—the one whose mere presence could crush a man's will to live. Now that he was gone, the sea turned restless.
Scenes of plunder, slaughter, and conquest erupted across the former Whitebeard territories as countless pirate factions scrambled to seize power.
Many were still celebrating Whitebeard's death when the sound of gunfire echoed—those once seemingly friendly pirates on their islands revealed their true ferocity. Without Whitebeard's shadow, they no longer felt restrained and began ravaging and conquering as they pleased.
But such chaos wouldn't last long — because Elior was coming to claim everything Whitebeard had left behind.
After all, no Yonko could stand tall without territory. Even the Red-Haired Pirates had numerous islands flying their flag.
Three days after leaving the Sabaody Archipelago, Elior and his crew returned to Paradise Island in the New World. Upon landing, the crew naturally dispersed to their own pursuits, only coming together when summoned. Unlike the Whitebeard Pirates, who operated closely as a family, Elior's crew was less bound by such formalities.
Elior, of course, enjoyed his personal space.
He had already made up his mind — after a three-day rest, they would set out to claim Whitebeard's territories. The most critical target was Fish-Man Island. For Elior, that island meant the ancient weapon Poseidon — Shirahoshi. He was determined to obtain it.
"Has Judge arrived yet?"
When Elior saw the large fleet docked in Paradise Island's harbor, including ships styled like castles — the emblem of the Germa 66 — he knew Judge had brought his entire kingdom. After all, Germa 66 was a mobile kingdom with no fixed land; its ships were its nation.
"Looks like Judge did a decent job" Elior remarked.
To conquer Whitebeard's territories, Elior planned to utilize Judge's clone army created from Lineage Factor technology. Rather than recruiting unpredictable pirates, Elior preferred these cold, emotionless war machines. They were obedient, efficient, and unafraid — perfect soldiers for expansion, provided their enemies weren't too overwhelmingly powerful. If soldiers on Reiju's level could be mass-produced, Judge would have already swept the world.
The World Government had long coveted Judge's Lineage Factor technology. Much like Iceburg in Water 7 safeguarded the Pluton blueprints from the Government by joining them, Judge joined the Government to protect his technology — making it difficult for the Government to take it by force.
Soon, Elior met Judge in person, alongside his three gaudy sons. Reiju was absent, of course —Judge had already "gifted" her to Elior.
Elior couldn't help but admire Judge's ruthlessness — the man was willing to use his own daughter as a bargaining chip for his kingdom's future. Truly a man who saw his children as mere tools.
That said, Reiju wasn't just a pretty face; she had genuine strength. A woman with beauty and power — that was the kind of person Elior valued. If she were merely ornamental, Elior wouldn't have bothered with her.
When Elior entered the reception hall, Judge and his three sons immediately stood up to greet him, their demeanor respectful.
The world already knew that the man standing before them was the one who had swept through Marineford, shaking the entire world with his feats.
"He looks even stronger than last time…"
"He seems harmless, but he's terrifyingly powerful!"
"He doesn't even look physically imposing, yet his body holds monstrous strength…"
"Absolutely terrifying…"
"Reiju following him isn't a bad outcome. For our family and kingdom's sake, she's fulfilling her duty as a Vinsmoke."
While Elior and Judge conversed privately, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji waited outside, still awed by Elior's rise. In just a few days, he had done what the world thought impossible.
Judge was the first to break the silence.
"Are you planning to seize Whitebeard's territories, my lord?"
This time, Judge had brought his entire force — around fifty thousand soldiers. Numbers that rivaled the Whitebeard Pirates or the Beasts Pirates. But numbers weren't everything; strength and power defined an emperor's reach.
Judge knew that Elior was now one of the Yonko, having taken Whitebeard's place. So his respect was genuine, though not to the point of servility — he still carried the pride of a king.
Whitebeard's lands were now up for grabs, and many had already begun their moves the day after the war ended. The New World was in turmoil, everyone eager for a slice of the cake Whitebeard left behind.
"That's right. Three days from now, we begin taking Whitebeard's territory."
Just as Judge expected.
"But my lord, Whitebeard's territory is vast. Do you even know where it all is?"
"Whitebeard's territories? Aside from Fish-Man Island, I honestly don't know" Elior admitted.
Judge's question made Elior realize his ignorance. Besides Fish-Man Island, he had no clue where Whitebeard's other holdings were, or even how many existed. His experience in the New World was still limited, having mostly stayed around Paradise Island and the route from the entrance of the New World.
After all, he had only been in this world for less than twenty days.
"Heh, in that case, you should find Doflamingo. His intelligence network is said to be the third best in the world."
"Doflamingo? Third best?"
"Yes. First is Big Mom's crew, second is the World Government — although the Government was once the unrivaled number one."
"I see" Elior nodded.
It seemed Doflamingo's usefulness had just increased. Elior suspected he'd be making use of Doflamingo more and more in the future.
Judge chuckled.
"If you're setting out in three days, then my forces are at your disposal."
"Judge, once this is all over, I might just help restore the Vinsmoke Family to its former glory in the North Blue."
Hearing this, Judge's excitement was palpable. Elior knew how to dangle the right promises.
"Haha! I'll hold you to that! We'll have more chances to work together, won't we?"
Judge was determined to cling tightly to Elior's rising star. With Elior's power and fame, Judge hoped to return the Germa Kingdom to its peak in the North Blue — though he knew Elior's ambitions didn't lie in some distant sea. The New World was the true stage for monsters like him.
Before the conversation ended, Judge asked tentatively, "By the way, my lord… how is Reiju?"
"Reiju? She's been obedient."
Elior's tone was flat, though inwardly he mused that he hadn't yet "plucked that flower."
Their talk lasted over an hour. Judge even offered Elior a grand banquet, but Elior declined.
That night, Elior returned to his quarters, where he was finally reunited with Gion and Reiju.
Reiju wore a simple white blouse, while Gion donned a white, patterned cheongsam.
Elior's eyes lit up at the sight of Gion — she clearly understood his tastes best.
By then, Gion had already prepared dinner for Elior, and in his opinion, her cooking wasn't bad at all.
During dinner, Elior remained composed while Gion kept stealing glances at him, occasionally picking food from the table to place on his plate with a familiar and natural touch. Reiju, meanwhile, sat across from Elior with a calm expression, but deep down, she was anxious.
After all, sitting before her was Elior — one of the current Yonko. Just three days ago, he had massacred nearly everyone at Marineford. Two admirals barely escaped with their lives, a CP0 agent rumored to rival the admirals was slain, and the world's strongest man — Whitebeard — was killed by Elior himself.
Facing someone like Elior, Reiju felt like a sheltered girl completely unprepared for the weight of his presence. She couldn't relax in front of him; the unease in her heart was overwhelming.
What made it worse was that the Yonko sitting before her was even younger than she was—just a boy—while she was already in her twenties.
And yet, her father had simply handed her over to him. From that moment on, despite still bearing the Vinsmoke name, she was effectively no longer part of the family.
After the meal, Elior led both of them to the private hot spring inside the residence.
When Reiju saw the blush on Gion's face, she understood — there was no escaping this devil's grasp.
After all, even a powerful Marine Vice Admiral like Gion had already been conquered by him.
As for herself? She stood no chance.
Still, Reiju found a bit of comfort in one thing—at least she was better off than the poor woman who'd been taken to the dungeon beneath the house earlier today.