To the Big Mom Pirates, the footage itself was not particularly important. It only showed the Nightfall Pirates returning from Sky Island.
At most, it confirmed that the Nightfall Pirates had survived their trip and returned safely.
While the Nightfall Pirates could be considered rivals, this was nothing more than the natural rivalry between major pirate crews. Conflict among pirates was the norm, not the exception.
Moreover, the Nightfall Pirates' core territory had already been confirmed as the Sargasso Sea. This was common knowledge across the New World.
In a short span of time, the forces of the White Bird Pirates, had rapidly expanded and swallowed nearly a quarter of the Sargasso Sea.
In this era, just over three years since the start of the Great Pirate Era, no true Emperor-level force had yet extended its reach into that region.
Without an Emperor present, the Sargasso Sea had effectively become the Nightfall Pirates' backyard. When the White Bird Pirates moved in, there was no one capable of stopping them.
No one wanted to provoke the Nightfall Pirates.
The strength they were currently displaying was enough to make most forces think twice.
At present, the Beast Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates were both standing at a critical threshold, preparing to step into the position of Emperor. Other overlord-level pirate crews were still slightly behind, largely due to the terrifying and mysterious power of Marshall D. Teach's Dark-Dark Fruit.
Those forces understood their own limits. Provoking an enemy like the Nightfall Pirates brought no benefit.
As a result, overlord-level pirate crews tacitly avoided the Sargasso Sea. As for the weaker pirate groups, they stood no chance against the White Bird Pirates. With Ares, a top-tier combatant, among their ranks, the White Bird Pirates were already indistinguishable from an overlord-level crew.
Additionally, the Big Mom Pirates' territory did not border the Sargasso Sea. There was no direct conflict of interests, at least not for now.
The New World, at this stage, was focused primarily on territorial adjustments rather than all-out Emperor wars. Most people already had a rough idea of who was most likely to claim those seats.
The strongest candidates were Big Mom and Kaido.
The others knew very well that their strength was not yet enough.
Recent battle footage circulating across the sea made those differences even clearer. Power was no longer something that could be exaggerated with words alone. Video exposed everything.
An Emperor was an Emperor.
If one's strength had not reached that level, then no amount of ambition could make up for it.
The title of Emperor of the Sea was just that, a title. But once it appeared, it represented a level clearly above other overlords. The number of seats was limited, and only those with true power could sit on them.
That said, even among overlords, the gap in strength was not so vast that fear alone would prevent conflict. None of them wanted to become a stepping stone for another.
As for Golden Lion Shiki and Edward Newgate, there was no need to mention them. They were legends of the sea, and the gap between them and others was obvious. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit and the Float-Float Fruit were both terrifying abilities that defined entire eras.
The atmosphere in the New World was tense, filled with observation and waiting.
Everyone was watching, waiting to see which veteran overlord the Big Mom Pirates and the Beast Pirates would challenge.
They had prepared for it.
What they did not expect was that both crews would target two already defeated, aging overlords.
"Since that's the case, watching is enough," Big Mom said lazily, losing interest after hearing Morgans's explanation.
Then her eyes sparkled.
Her plump body shifted slightly as she smiled.
"But I am still very interested in the Golden City. As punishment for interrupting my tea party, send someone to interview Teach. I want to know what he gained from Sky Island."
Her gaze locked onto Morgans.
"Can you do that?"
The pressure made Morgans's body stiffen. Being stared at by Big Mom felt like standing in front of a natural disaster.
It was not just him. Many people present felt it. Some did not even dare to breathe too loudly.
This was the oppressive presence of a true overlord.
"Hehe, of course," Morgans replied immediately, smiling. "No problem at all."
Big Mom's suggestion excited him.
An exclusive interview with the Nightfall Pirates was priceless news. But it had to be done properly. A written interview would never be enough.
It had to be video. Ideally, a live broadcast.
Only then could it create the maximum impact.
And honestly, Morgans himself was curious.
What exactly had the Nightfall Pirates done on Sky Island?
Sky Island was not some unknown place to New World veterans. It was strange, but not especially valuable. With Teach's experience, he would not go there without a reason.
Unless there was something truly worth taking.
If the Golden City was real, then what the Nightfall Pirates had obtained would be something everyone wanted to know.
This was only a brief interlude.
The tea party soon returned to its orderly rhythm. At a gathering of this level, watching footage of another pirate crew was not particularly entertaining.
Especially when it was just their return from Sky Island.
Sky Island was no longer mysterious in the New World, unlike in the Four Seas or the first half of the Grand Line.
In the era of video, secrets were far harder to keep. Unlike the past, when newspapers controlled information, videos showed the world as it truly was.
Soon, the footage of the Nightfall Pirates returning from Sky Island spread across the world.
As a superstar pirate crew, every movement of the Nightfall Pirates drew attention.
Before and after entering the New World, coupled with the long-standing rumors of the Golden City, countless eyes were fixed on them. People were desperate to know the truth about Sky Island.
Was the Golden City real?
Gold had been continuously salvaged from the waters around Jaya Island in recent days. That alone made belief grow stronger by the hour.
The gold had been buried deep in the seabed mud. Experts confirmed that it was hundreds of years old.
In just half a month, pirates and various forces had recovered several tons of gold from scattered locations across the entire Jaya sea area.
That alone was enough to confirm the truth.
Such an amount could not be faked.
Now, everyone was waiting for the Nightfall Pirates to provide the final confirmation.
Because authority still mattered.
And the Nightfall Pirates held it.
The gold rush had already begun.
More and more people flooded toward Jaya Island, turning it into a crowded and chaotic pirate haven. Some forces hesitated. Others moved immediately, racing to establish a foothold.
The West Blue Dark Council was one of them.
The moment news of the Golden City spread, the Dark Council contacted the Nightfall Pirates through Den Den Mushi. From Teach and his crew, they confirmed the existence of the Golden City and learned the approximate scale of the gold scattered across the sea.
The number was staggering.
A super-sized gold mine worth untold trillions of Berries.
Even taking a fraction would mean unimaginable profit.
Jaya Island had originally been ownerless. Upon receiving confirmation, the Dark Council moved fast, establishing a presence and seizing the initiative.
They purchased large amounts of land on Jaya Island at extremely low prices.
Anyone with foresight could see it. Jaya Island would eventually grow into a major city. When that happened, land prices would skyrocket.
The Dark Council would reap enormous returns.
Gold was the real prize.
As more people arrived, conflict was inevitable. Pirates recognized money, not law. Without sufficient strength, no one could keep what they found.
Some had already foreseen the future.
This place would become both a paradise of wealth and a sea soaked in blood.
Finding gold was easy.
Keeping it was not.
The Dark Council's research department began developing more efficient salvage ships, capable of detecting and retrieving gold faster. Weapons, cannons, and defensive forces were also dispatched.
A place like Jaya Island needed power to guard it.
Internally, the Dark Council concluded that Jaya Island had the potential to rival Water 7, or even surpass it.
Water 7 was already showing signs of decline under the impact of the Great Pirate Era. Its shipbuilding industry suffered from lack of timber and pirate instability.
Jaya Island, in contrast, had treasure.
The Dark Council's expansion beyond the West Blue was accelerating. This was not just business. It was strategy.
Whoever entered first would take the greatest share of the gold rush.
Even if Teach had already claimed most of the Golden City's wealth, gold was never too much.
Berries inflated. Gold did not.
Bounties alone were proof. A hundred years ago, one billion Berries was a ceiling. Now, that number was shattered regularly.
Meanwhile, the World Government and the Marines remained quiet.
For now.
Whether due to arrogance or calculation, they had not yet acted. After all, in their eyes, the world's greatest treasures were already gathered in Mary Geoise.
Why care about rumored gold?
Unless overwhelming wealth was placed directly before them, the Five Elders would not move.
But many understood the truth.
If the World Government did act, monopolizing Jaya Island would be impossible. Resistance would come from every direction.
The strong were watching.
And they could move at any time.
The future of Jaya Island was clear.
The strong would eat the meat.
The weak would drink the soup.
During the spread of the footage, technical specialists began analyzing individual frames, magnifying details.
They searched the Nightfall Pirates' ships.
And they found it.
Gold.
Clear, undeniable gold artifacts. Piled on one side of the deck, set aside because of their weight.
Compared to other treasures, gold was abundant.
Once the footage aired, the sea grew restless.
No one expected that proof would be found so quickly.
The winds had begun to move.