Two months passed.
Red Line – now known as the Kingdom of Joy.
With time, the people had gradually accepted this new nation as their reality.
Now, the Kingdom of Joy was preparing to host its first alliance summit.
In attendance were powerful underworld kings known across the four seas, leaders of mighty nations, and infamous pirates whose names shook the world.
Among them was Morgans, the man who walked the cutting edge of the world.
The moment he received the invitation, he dropped everything and rushed to attend.
Because he understood:
This meeting would mark a historical precedent not seen since the founding of the World Government.
As more and more legendary figures arrived, Morgans' initial shock gave way to numbness.
To him, everything Ghidorah had accomplished now seemed like nothing short of a miracle.
And as the summit drew near, even more major players began to emerge...
---
"W-What?!"
"W-Whitebeard?!"
Morgans was dumbfounded as Whitebeard, surrounded by his commanders, stepped onto the scene. His jaw nearly hit the floor.
In his mind, an Emperor of the Sea like Whitebeard had absolutely no reason to involve himself in politics.
"Fufufufu…"
A distinct, mocking laugh echoed through the air. Doflamingo, accompanied by members of the Donquixote Family, appeared near Whitebeard's group.
"Old man."
Whitebeard gave Doflamingo a sideways glance but didn't stop walking toward Pangaea Castle.
"Tch. Just a dying relic of the past."
Doflamingo sneered dismissively.
But in the next instant, his expression shifted—and he hurriedly leapt backward.
BOOM!
A blast of fire exploded where he'd just been standing. The flames twisted into the shape of a man—Ace—who narrowed his eyes and stared coldly at Doflamingo.
"You looking to die?"
Ace's arm ignited with roaring flames as he roared:
"Fire Fist!!"
"Dark Tide!"
Just as the fiery punch launched forward, a shadow streaked in—and a black, ink-like vortex devoured the flames in an instant.
A moment later, a small, palm-sized crimson crystal formed in the figure's hand.
"Hey, hey. No fighting inside the Kingdom of Joy, alright?"
"Even you, Ace, don't get a free pass."
Sabo casually tossed the fiery crystal in his hand. A thought crossed his mind—
Maybe I should recruit Ace into the logistics division.
Ever since combining the Dark-Dark and Munch-Munch Fruits, Sabo had grown obsessed with crafting strange items. He was even starting to set his sights on his own brothers…
"Fufufufu…"
Doflamingo's eyes gleamed with interest as he looked at Sabo.
"Logistics Chief Sabo, about that material I mentioned last time… any idea when it'll be ready?"
"That thing of yours is dangerous. I'm still working on it," Sabo replied thoughtfully.
"But if you can get me the blueprints, that would help a lot."
"Unfortunately, I don't think those blueprints exist anymore."
Doflamingo sighed, then suddenly added:
"Though… I hear one of your little brother's crewmates knows how to make it."
"You might want to ask them…"
"I'll rip your head off."
Sabo shot him a death glare, then turned toward Whitebeard's group and said:
"Ace, take your crew into Pangaea Castle."
" Whitebeard, come with me. My teacher wants to meet you."
With that, he turned and walked off.
Whitebeard's crew exchanged uneasy glances. Why was Ghidorah meeting Whitebeard alone?
"Gurararara…"
"What's with those looks? You think that monster can kill me or something?"
Whitebeard chuckled and followed after Sabo without hesitation.
Doflamingo furrowed his brows, clearly unsettled. He couldn't figure out why Ghidorah wanted a private audience with Whitebeard.
Ace, meanwhile, had no choice but to lead the remaining commanders into the castle as instructed.
To the North of Pangaea Castle—a barren, desolate wasteland.
The earth was scorched red, cracked under some unknown, searing heat.
Each step on the ground reduced it to fine ash.
Whitebeard frowned slightly but said nothing as he followed Sabo deeper into the wasteland.
The farther they went, the hotter it became.
Sabo casually activated the Dark-Dark Fruit, absorbing the ambient heat around them.
Whitebeard widened his eyes in surprise.
So Devil Fruits can be used like that too?
Still, his Tremor-Tremor Fruit couldn't be used so freely—but this level of heat was still tolerable for him.
Eventually, they arrived at a deep canyon.
"What the…?!"
Even the Emperor of the Sea, Whitebeard, couldn't hide his shock at the sight before him.
Inside the canyon—dozens of meters deep—lay a massive black-and-red beast, coiled on the cracked earth.
The land beneath it was completely fractured. Molten lava occasionally shot out from the wide fissures, hissing as it released clouds of black smoke before falling back into the crevices.
"You've arrived."
A cold, thunderous voice echoed as a golden beast soared from the canyon and landed before them with a gust of wind.
"Sensei, Whitebeard is here."
Sabo bowed, tipping his hat.
"Go inform Dragon to begin the summit. Let him lead it—I won't be attending."
Ghidorah turned to Whitebeard and added:
"For someone in your condition, it's a miracle you're even alive."
"Oh?"
"So you noticed?"
Whitebeard raised a brow.
"If I couldn't tell that much, I might as well quit."
Ghidorah rolled his eyes internally, but truth be told—he had great respect for the man before him.
Not just for his strength, but for the depth of his character.
"So then… what is it you wanted from this old man?"
"With this broken-down body, I doubt I can offer much in the events to come."
Facing the monstrous creature, Whitebeard showed no fear, only calm determination.
"A broken body?"
"What I value isn't your strength—it's your will."
"So… what do you say?"
"Will you join the Clan of D?"
Ghidorah asked solemnly.
"Clan of D?"
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed, surprised.
"So the rumors… are true?"
"Looks like you've heard about it already."
"Just as you may know—there's no bloodline behind the Clan of D."
"Humans, giants… even fish-men once bore the name."
"The Clan of D is nothing more than a brotherhood of shared ideals."
Ghidorah gave a brief overview of the clan's founding principles:
"We built the Clan of D on a shared dream."
"This summit is being held to revive that dream—revive the clan."
"Bloodlines don't matter. So long as the will endures, the Clan of D will never perish."
After explaining, Ghidorah threw out one final offer—one he knew Whitebeard couldn't easily refuse:
"And as a welcome gift for joining us…"
"I can restore your body to its prime."
Whitebeard's body trembled slightly.
In his twilight years, he had long given up dreams and ambition.
His only wish was to spend his final days surrounded by his family.
But now—an offer he couldn't possibly ignore had been laid before him.
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