Blackbeard Teach hadn't expected this—aside from the Whitebeard Pirates hunting him down, even several emperors of the dark underworld had their eyes locked firmly on him.
The Golden Emperor Tesoro, Big News Morgans, Queen of the Pleasure District Stussy, and the Shipping King Umit—these four underworld rulers were tracking Blackbeard's every move.
After all, it was Souta Kiryuu himself who had passed down the order, and when it came from him, none of them dared ignore it. If not for Souta's desire to keep matters quiet, refraining from informing Doflamingo or Gibson, the entire underground world might well have united to hunt Blackbeard together.
In the underworld, Souta Kiryuu's name carried more weight than even the Four Emperors.
He was a lunatic who treated the entire world as his back garden, a man ruthless enough to slaughter Celestial Dragons, his achievements shining even brighter than those of the Yonko.
The deterrent power of the Arlong Pirates now far outstripped that of the Whitebeard Pirates or Red-Haired Pirates—crews who valued "brotherhood" and "balance." Souta's crew valued neither.
Blackbeard understood well that countless eyes were watching him. That was why he never stayed on any island for more than half a day, lest the Whitebeard Pirates catch up.
In the New World, the moment a Yonko crew like Whitebeard's declared a manhunt, information brokers would sell every lead they could find. The only way to shake free was to leave the New World entirely—escape into the Grand Line, where Marine authority held sway and the influence of the Four Emperors waned.
···
On a small trading hub island in the New World—
"Boss, that fat black bastard you were looking for boarded one of our passenger fleets today. He's already landed on Floating Light Island and wandered into the Pleasure District to amuse himself."
A sailor from the Deep Current Passenger Fleet rushed to report the latest intel to his leader.
Within Umit's shipping empire, there was already a shadow bounty on Blackbeard Teach. Even scraps of intelligence about him were worth fifty million berries.
"Good! Keep him under watch. Don't let him slip onto another ship," Umit said with satisfaction, twirling his mustache. Souta Kiryuu only wanted the information—he had no intention of dirtying his hands himself.
Easy money. And selling Souta a favor at the same time.
···
Meanwhile, in the red-light quarter of the Pleasure District's Scarlet Lady Town, Blackbeard Teach was sprawled on silk cushions with two young women in his arms, stuffing his mouth with cherry pie and wine hand-fed by his companions.
"Zehahahaha! Now this is how a pirate should live. On the Moby Dick it was nothing but endless banquets with those sissies—never a shred of fun."
He bared his chipped white teeth in a grin of bliss. On Whitebeard's flagship, aside from the nurses and the Ice Witch, Whitey Bay, there had been precious few women aboard.
He still couldn't believe how he'd endured more than twenty years of that.
"Lord Teach, the papers say you killed the Whitebeard Pirates' Fourth Division Captain. You're so fearless!" one of the women purred, her heavy hips and full bosom pressed against his hairy chest, her eyes shining with feigned admiration.
The syrupy tone made Blackbeard shiver with delight. After so long on the Moby Dick, finally he could indulge.
"Zehahaha! That Big News bird sure spreads stories fast."
His eyes gleamed sharply. The fact that word of Thatch's death had spread so quickly was alarming. These women of the Pleasure District were probably informants too. He'd have to quicken his pace—leave the New World before it was too late.
Unbeknownst to him, the madam of Scarlet Lady Town had already passed word of his visit back to Stussy.
At the same time, Morgans' reporters and paparazzi were shadowing his every move, eager to cash in on the scoop.
Perhaps it was instinct—or the stench of danger—but Blackbeard suddenly cut short his indulgence, leaving the island barely a minute later to reboard the passenger fleet that would soon set sail.
"Could it be? Did Pops and those broke bastards really spend a fortune to track me down?"
He could feel the weight of countless eyes on him. By rights, he had no bounty, no value on the market—there was no reason for so much attention.
So it had to be Pops and the division commanders, throwing money at the problem to hunt him down.
"If any of you dare move against me, I won't hesitate to kill you."
His grin twisted cruel, wisps of black darkness seeping from his body, making him look all the more sinister.
Scanning the ship, he felt confident no one aboard could pose a threat to him. If anyone tried anything, he'd slaughter them without hesitation and seize the ship for himself.
After all, he had already betrayed the Whitebeard Pirates. Offending Umit, an emperor of the underworld, meant nothing by comparison.
"The World Government is scrambling to refill the Seven Warlords' seats. Everyone knows I killed Thatch. All I need to do now is capture a pirate with a bounty over a hundred million, and that Shichibukai position will be mine!"
His laughter boomed again. Morgans' wide coverage was a double-edged sword. On one hand, his name was rising fast—making it easier to secure a Warlord title and gather followers. On the other, before he even had a bounty, his danger level had skyrocketed.
What unsettled him most was how quickly Whitebeard's crew had let the scandal spread. He had expected the proud Yonko to cover up internal betrayal, handling him quietly within the crew. Not trumpet it to the world.
That strange move left Blackbeard with a gnawing sense of unease.
···
Far above, a golden flying ship soared through the skies, hurtling toward its target island.
"So this is how vast the world is…"
A girl in Sea-Prism cuffs gazed longingly out at the open ocean. For the first time in her life, she had left Wano and seen the boundless seas and countless island nations.
"My mother once told me—I was born on a ship belonging to the Whitebeard Pirates. Later, Father took me aboard the Roger Pirates for a few months' voyage. But when Mother fell gravely ill, we returned to Wano so she could recover."
Kozuki Hiyori spoke softly. She had been under two years old when she, her brother, and her mother returned to Wano. She had no memory of life at sea.
"What?! You're saying you've got ties to both Whitebeard and the Pirate King Roger?"
Bonney, who had overheard the conversation between Shinobu and Hiyori, nearly dropped her jaw. How could this woman from Wano be connected to two living legends?
"My father, Kozuki Oden, was the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—and also the one who read the Poneglyphs aboard the Roger Pirates!"
Hiyori's voice carried pride. Nearby, Nico Robin's eyes widened at the word Poneglyph. Several blooming ears of her Hana Hana no Mi sprouted close to Hiyori, listening intently.
"You've got to be kidding me. I thought the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates was Fire Fist Ace?" Bonney asked skeptically.
But then she remembered—Ace had only joined Whitebeard's crew a couple years ago.
So could this woman's father truly have been the one before him?