Magnus' rise changed the balance of the seas.

A pirate who could stand against the Navy head-on, reigning as the Sea's Overlord, King among pirates, and strongest of this era—

One after another, titles were piled on his shoulders, even though Magnus himself knew he wasn't truly worthy of being called the strongest.

But who cared?

The world had been suppressed for far too long, and Magnus' presence was like the first light before dawn—breaking the darkness and illuminating everything.

After a full century—

At last, someone strong enough to challenge the Navy and the World Government had appeared.

Of course, to many others—

The name Magnus was infamous, a name used to scare crying children silent.

Especially among the Navy's new generation.

"Haha! White Wolf Magnus, the most notorious criminal in the world? Then he'll be my target! Someday, I'll capture him myself!"

"Because…"

"I'm going to be the strongest Marine!"

At the Marine training grounds, a black-haired youth shouted loudly, prompting most around him to edge away awkwardly.

Only two others didn't.

"Hmph. Hot blood alone won't catch White Wolf Magnus. He's the kind of monster even admirals fail to take down. I heard he's already in his seventies—by the time we're strong enough, he'll probably be a withered old man."

A wild-haired youth sneered, though he too showed no fear of Magnus.

"Evil must be punished. A villain like Magnus dying of old age would be too easy for him!"

"The only Marines strong enough to chase Magnus are Admiral Rona and Admiral Kong. If you want to join the hunt, you'd better aim to become one of their subordinates first."

This last line came from a girl with a single ponytail and a cool, calm face.

"With your current strength, you're far from ready to be in their divisions."

"I don't care about being someone's subordinate!"

The black-haired youth yelled back. "I'll catch Magnus myself!"

"I'm the one who'll catch him!"

The two locked eyes, sparks flying.

"Then duel!"

"Whoever wins has the right to go after White Wolf Magnus!"

Watching them bicker, the ponytailed girl sighed.

"Idiots."

If Magnus were so easily caught, he wouldn't still be the Navy's nightmare. Two years ago he was a headache—now, he was a true nemesis.

Besides, as she knew—

Magnus was already training a new generation of crew, all around their age, but already enough to draw the Navy's watchful eye.

They should worry about beating them first before even thinking about Magnus.

Suddenly, a commotion rippled through the grounds.

"Hey, who's that?"

"A Marine cloak… red hair… don't tell me I'm dreaming?"

"That's Admiral Rona!"

"The admiral herself came to watch our training!"

The recruits seemed to double their effort instantly, even the usually stoic girl feeling a surge of excitement.

She had joined the Marines because she admired Rona.

In the entire history of the Navy, you could count female admirals on one hand—and none more beautiful than Rona.

Even her cold demeanor cracked seeing her idol.

But Rona herself didn't think much of it.

She'd simply been passing through and remembered it was the season for new recruits, and it reminded her of her own start in the Marines.

Seeing their eager faces, her feelings were complicated.

After all—

Though still an admiral in title, she'd spent the past year lounging at headquarters, not even pretending to take missions anymore.

Her indifference had forced the Navy to hastily promote Kong to admiral to keep up appearances. Normally, someone who'd failed twice in major operations would never have been promoted.

But with Kong out taking charge, Rona happily stayed behind, seemingly having lost all ambition.

Most senior officers understood.

She'd chased Magnus for so long, only to fail even with three-on-one odds.

Anyone would lose heart.

In that fight against Magnus, she'd done everything right—so much so even CP0's agents couldn't find fault.

Everyone only hoped she would recover soon.

She was still young, after all—her prime would last at least twenty more years, plenty of time to train a new generation.

"I suppose Kong will pick a lot of recruits from this batch for his team. Not me though. I have no interest in being Fleet Admiral."

Being Fleet Admiral wasn't just about strength—it also took popularity and a loyal following.

Before long—

The loud trio were all chosen to join Kong's newly-formed fleet.

Their names?

Garp. Sengoku. Tsuru.

Meanwhile, in the East Blue—

Loguetown was still just a quiet island near the Grand Line.

But even here, word of the White Wolf Crew spread, and no name was more infamous than Magnus'.

White King Magnus, bounty: 600 million beli!

Compared to when he was at Sphinx, his bounty had climbed even higher.

But at this point, it hardly mattered—

No bounty hunter in their right mind would dare try for Magnus.

The bounty was more a symbol now than anything else.

"What a ruckus."

A boy in a straw hat glanced up at the wanted posters, grinning at Magnus' defiant face.

"The sea's so big. I can't let you hog all the attention. I'll set sail too… and turn the world upside down just like you!"

If anyone had heard him, they'd have laughed.

Who was he to compare himself to White King Magnus?

But what if his name was Gol D. Roger?

"Someday, I'll take your place… and surpass you!"

In his eyes, a fire called ambition blazed bright.

(End of Chapter)

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