A week had passed since the Battle of Elbaf, but its echoes still shattered the silence of the world.
The image of Red Hair Shanks, slain, impaled on a blade darker than the abyss—had burned itself into the eyes of the world. Though no news outlet had dared publish it, the rumors spread faster than light. It wasn't just that an Emperor had died.
It was who had killed him.
Figarland Shamrock.
A Celestial Dragon.
A God's Knight.
A monster cloaked in law.
And now, indisputably, one of the strongest men in the world.
Holy Land Mary Geoise
The Five Elders sat in silence, faces grave, the air thick with tension. Not even Im had spoken in days.
"Shanks is dead," murmured Saturn, fingers clenched around his cane.
"And Shamrock did it without our order," said Ju Peter, glaring into the black scrying orb on the table. "Without warning. Without restraint."
"No," said Mars softly. "He made a statement. He wanted the world to know."
The orb displayed images recorded by hidden transponders scattered across Elbaf. They watched, again and again, the final blow—Cerberus descending like the hand of a god, severing an era.
"Should we restrain him?" Warcury asked.
No one answered.
Then, a shadow flickered across the room.
Im had arrived.
"Let him be," she said, her voice calm. "For now, he serves his purpose. The world needs fear. Let them remember what happens when they resist the Divine Order."
The Five Elders bowed their heads.
The Revolutionary Army - Baltigo
Dragon stared at the map table, lines drawn across the Red Line and the Grand Line.
"He killed Red hair Shanks," Koala whispered, disbelief in her voice.
"He did more than that," said Sabo, fists clenched. "He broke the balance."
Dragon nodded. "And now the people are afraid. Not of pirates. Not of the World Government. But of one man."
He turned to his generals.
"That makes him more dangerous than either."
Pirate Island Hachinosu - Blackbeard's Stronghold
"Zehahaha! He did it! The madman did it!"
Blackbeard roared with laughter, slamming his drink down, foam spilling across the table.
"I had heard rumors about this secret group of celestial dragons who have the authority to judge other celestial dragons. I didn't expect the rumors to be true. I thought I'd be the one to take the red bastard's head, but damn if Shamrock didn't upstage me."
His lieutenants looked uneasy.
"Are we... going to challenge him?" Lafitte asked carefully.
Blackbeard's laughter died instantly.
"No. Not now. Let the demon eat his fill. We'll wait for the cracks. They always show."
He turned to the sea, expression grim.
"Even gods bleed. Eventually."
Wano Country
Momonosuke stood atop the rebuilt palace, jaw tight.
"This isn't the age of freedom anymore," he said.
Beside him, Yamato clenched her teeth.
"Luffy... will want to fight him."
"He won't be ready. Not yet."
East Blue - Foosha Village
Makino dropped her glass. The tavern was silent. Villagers stared at the Den Den Mushi in horror.
"Shanks is... gone?"
Outside, the wind blew through the trees, eerily still.
News Coo Headquarters
Morgans paced furiously.
"I can't publish this! Not yet... it'll cause global panic!"
He stared at the photo locked in a steel safe—the moment Cerberus tore through Shanks' chest, eyes wide in disbelief.
His hands trembled.
"But... I also can't keep it hidden."
He turned to his assistant.
"Prepare a special edition. Headline: 'The Red Emperor Falls—A New Tyrant Rises.'"
Grandline New World Shamrock's Flagship
Amid the wreckage of Elbaf and the floating remains of warships, Shamrock stood alone on the deck of his ship.
[System Alert: Cerberus Evolution - Stage II Complete.] [New Skill Unlocked: World Devourer Slash] [Current Blood Saturation: 81%]
Cerberus gleamed under the moonlight, blade now pulsating with a crimson glow that mimicked a heartbeat.
Shamrock raised it to the heavens.
"Let them tremble. Let them plot. I welcome it."
He turned to the remaining God's Knights gathered on deck.
"Spread the word. The Divine Crusade has begun."