People are sailing and synthesize the devil fruit of phantom beast sp

"That's right... I never expected Fire Fist Ace to be the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. That news is absolutely shocking."

The surrounding reporters and staff burst into frenzied discussion.

Everyone had a strong premonition—this piece of news was going to trigger a global storm.

Morgans, satisfied with the reaction, knew this was no time to savor their astonishment. Time was critical.

"Get to work!" he ordered firmly. "Compile all the clues I've provided into one cohesive article. This needs to go out immediately. The whole world has to know."

A month from now, a catastrophic storm would erupt.

The Next Morning

Morgans' army of newspaper delivery gulls soared swiftly from island to island, delivering breaking news to every corner of the world.

Meanwhile, in the domain of the Ten Thousand Nations, Charlotte Linlin and Kaido were devouring desserts with a frenzy.

Due to his recent injury, Kaido had lost an arm. Now, he urgently needed a prosthetic limb—one that matched his monstrous physique.

But finding a replacement limb that met his standards was proving nearly impossible.

"Kaido, what kind of prosthetic are you even looking for?" Charlotte Linlin asked mockingly, glancing at his mangled arm.

Jack had arrived at Ten Thousand Nations just a few days earlier, during a severe drought. When he saw Kaido in such a state, he was utterly shaken. Since then, he'd been seeking someone capable of building Kaido a new arm.

But Kaido's expectations were absurdly high: the arm had to be loaded with destructive power, perfectly balanced, seamlessly fused with his body—no awkwardness, no compromise.

Jack was pulling his hair out trying to find a solution. Linlin's sarcasm only made it more obvious how unrealistic Kaido's demands were.

Kaido, grumbling with frustration, stuffed an avocado into his mouth. The bitterness in his eyes matched the taste.

But suddenly, a shadow moved outside the window.

Someone was walking—no, gliding—across the air using Geppo, moonwalk technique. A masked figure had appeared.

"Who the hell are you?" Kaido growled, eyes narrowing.

Both Kaido and Charlotte Linlin turned their heads sharply.

The figure wore a dark, twisted mask—its expression a frozen, sorrowful sneer like a crying sinner. It was eerie.

The stranger calmly raised a finger and tapped the glass.

Crack—! The window exploded, shards hovering mid-air before slowly falling.

"Damn you!"

Charlotte Linlin exploded in fury. Who dared break into her territory?

With a roar, she clenched her fists, Prometheus swirling into a blazing inferno on her knuckles. She slammed her fiery fist forward, sending out a massive shockwave of searing heat. The walls began to melt, furniture dripping like candle wax.

But the masked man didn't flinch.

Calmly, he raised one hand, coated it in a pitch-black Armament Haki, and met her strike with his palm.

BOOM—!

The collision of powers sent crackling lightning bolts through the air as the ground shook.

Kaido frowned. This stranger had blocked Linlin's punch. He was struggling, yes—but he held.

Then the masked man finally spoke.

"Charlotte Linlin, Kaido… I come with no hostility. I am the Director of the CP Division of the World Government. I bring you a gift."

The room fell silent.

Charlotte Linlin and Kaido stared in disbelief. A World Government agent?

No wonder the man had dared to trespass like that.

Linlin retracted her fist and let him land.

Just now, she'd hit him with nearly eighty percent of her strength—but couldn't shake him. That alone spoke volumes.

The man was clearly no ordinary agent.

"The World Government is prepared to provide you with a state-of-the-art prosthetic limb, Kaido," he said. "Built with our most advanced technology. It will exceed your expectations."

It was a tempting offer.

Only the World Government, with its 800-year legacy, had the power and resources to make such a promise.

Even Kaido had to admit—he was impressed.

He'd ruled the seas as one of the Four Emperors for years, and though feared, even he knew better than to underestimate the World Government.

Unlike reckless newcomers like Kairos Flint, Kaido had lived long enough to see the horrors they could unleash.

Admirals were considered gods on the battlefield, feared throughout the New World. But to the World Government? They were just tools—difficult ones, but tools nonetheless.

The scope of their power was unimaginable. Even Kaido didn't know its full extent.

But he knew one thing: if he ever went to war with them, he'd die. No doubt about it.

"My demands are high," Kaido said gruffly. "You better understand that."

The CP Director smiled faintly. "No matter how high, the World Government can meet them. But we need you to accompany us to the Holy Land of Mariejois."

Mariejois.

Kaido's face darkened immediately.

Everyone knew Mariejois was the playground of the Celestial Dragons.

Step foot there, and your life was no longer your own. There was no escape. No protection. No rules.

"You think the World Government would just offer to help me out of kindness?" Kaido snorted. "Spare me. What's your real agenda?"

He wasn't stupid.

The fact that they knew about his injury—and had come prepared—meant they'd been watching Ten Thousand Nations for some time.

This was no goodwill mission.