Roy stormed off angrily with his daughter in his arms, while laughter echoed behind him.

"When Rein gets married in the future, I wonder how big bro will react."

"I bet any man who even looks at her will get vaporized."

"Wouldn't be surprising, big bro spoils her way too much."

"Poor Loxus."

...

Meanwhile, outside their hidden sanctuary, News Coos spread the latest headlines across the world.

The front page screamed: {"Straw Hat Pirates and Heart Pirates Take Down Doflamingo! The Secrets of Dressrosa Exposed!"}

The world was shaken.

The truth about Dressrosa's tragedy a decade ago had finally come to light: how a Warlord had usurped a kingdom, turning its people into puppets.

Many were stunned. It sounded unbelievable.

But those who truly understood the underworld scoffed. This was nothing.

Doflamingo's real crimes lay in his black-market empire: inciting war between nations, profiting from weapons sales, and causing global chaos.

He acted as a broker for the World Government, selling weapons from the Beasts Pirates directly to them.

If this were made public, the World Government would suffer immense humiliation.

Who would have thought the mighty World Government actually bought weapons from pirates, via a Warlord, no less?

Those who knew the truth could not speak of it. The reason the World Government protected Doflamingo wasn't just because of his Celestial Dragon blood; it was also because they needed him to maintain their ties with the Beasts Pirates.

Another headline followed: {"Kid-Hawkins-Apoo Alliance Crushed by Kaido!"}

Because of Apoo's betrayal, Kaido had already targeted them and quickly crushed their alliance.

The kid was captured. Hawkins chose to surrender.

Their "alliance" was destroyed within days of forming by the Emperor Kaido.

But amid all this chaos, another piece of news sent even deeper shockwaves across the globe.

Forget the Straw Hats. Forget Doflamingo. Forget Kaido.

The Whitebeard Pirates had returned.

Once forced into hiding by the World Government and the Marines, the Whitebeard Pirates had reappeared after a year in the shadows.

Within a matter of days, the ten division commanders had launched coordinated attacks and reclaimed all of the territories once held by the Whitebeard Pirates.

Overnight, the Whitebeard flag flew once more throughout the New World.

"The Whitebeard Pirates are back."

"They've returned after a year of disappearance, and now possess a fully developed devil fruit replication technology. Their forces must be immense."

"In one night, they retook control of over twenty islands, wiping out more than ten pirate crews. That's the power of the Whitebeard Pirates."

"The world is heading for chaos again…"

Roy returned home, and the very next day, the Whitebeard Pirates departed the unnamed island and returned to their old territories.

Although those lands hadn't suffered much in their absence, a whole year had passed, and countless new pirates had sprung up. Naturally, some had ventured into those territories.

The Whitebeard Pirates didn't care who you were. Submit or be destroyed.

Most pirates, after getting a taste of their power, quickly chose submission. The former subordinate pirate crews returned to the fold.

In a single night, the power structure of the New World returned to how it had been over a year ago. The Whitebeard Pirates were back in full force.

.....

Mary Geoise – Room of Authority.

The Five Elders were in a meeting.

"The Whitebeard Pirates have resurfaced," Mars said calmly.

"Roy's goal must be to extract something from us, to clone our abilities," Warcury added.

"I've noticed it. His attacks always seem like tests, trying to probe our secrets," Saturn agreed.

"No wonder he deliberately waited for us over there," Nusjuro snarled.

"With their reappearance, and the upcoming Reverie, we must remain vigilant," Ju Peter warned.

"Akainu has barred Fujitora from all Marine bases," Saturn noted.

"Is he protecting that blind fool?!" Warcury spat.

"Marine politics are irrelevant," Peter shook his head.

"Ignore that matter for now. Focus all military resources on ensuring the World Summit proceeds without issue," Nusjuro said.

"What about Dressrosa? With Doflamingo gone, our weapons pipeline with Kaido is severed," Saturn pointed out.

"Just negotiate with them directly," Mars suggested.

"Negotiate… with pirates?" Ju Peter asked in disbelief.

"What choice do we have? The weapons aren't even for us. The World Government has profited immensely from the black market all these years," Nusjuro replied.

"Who do we send?" Warcury Saint asked.

"Send CP0."

With the World Summit approaching, held every four years, gathering the kings of fifty allied nations, the World Government and Marines prioritized stability.

Even if the summit had no real power, it still had to be held.

.....

Back in the New World, a grand banquet was underway.

"Haha! We're finally all together again!"

After a year apart, the Whitebeard Pirates and their allied crews were reunited.

Some of the allied groups weren't in great shape, wounded and bandaged, and many shed tears in front of Whitebeard.

"What happened to you all?" Whitebeard asked, his joy fading as he saw his sons beaten and broken.

Even though he was old, that didn't mean he couldn't still wield a blade.

"Waaaah! Pops…" some cried, bandaged from head to toe like children returning to their protector.

"Tell me! Who did this to you?!" Whitebeard roared in fury.

"It was the Warlords," Palms said through gritted teeth.

"Which one? Hawkeye?" Whitebeard asked darkly.

He had assumed it was another Emperor, but no, it was a Warlord.

"No, Pops, it was…" Bizarre hesitated.

"Speak up! Which WARLORD? I'll go crush them right now!" Jozu urged.

"It… it was…"

As the captains fumbled for an answer, Roy sat nearby, cradling his daughter, shaking her bottle.

"It was Weevil, wasn't it?" he said casually.

The little girl snatched the bottle from him and chugged it down.

"Slow down, it's still a bit hot," Roy warned.

But in the blink of an eye, she finished the bottle and let out a burp before happily playing with it again.

...

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

[email protected]/DaoistJinzu