THE STRONGEST CREATURE OF THE BEAST PIRATES

"The Navy can no longer ignore her presence!"

Sengoku replied in a low, condensed voice, "Understood."

Although he planned to resign as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku intended to remain in the Navy in an advisory role, much like Vice Admiral Tsuru, as Chief Staff Officer.

"The Blackbeard Pirates are becoming an increasingly severe threat," one of the Five Elders continued. "They've attacked the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates and are now heading to Hive Island. Should they succeed, the World Government will have no choice but to recognize Blackbeard's status as one of the Four Emperors!"

The mention of Hive Island caused Sengoku's expression to darken.

Hive Island, or Beehive Island, was notorious as the base of Rocks D. Xebec, the fearsome pirate captain who had once united legends like Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido under his banner. The very name conjured memories of the Valley of the Gods Incident, a battle so destructive that even Sengoku felt its scars decades later.

"That vile Blackbeard—does he aim to become the next Rocks?!" Sengoku clenched his fists, his voice trembling with restrained fury.

Blackbeard's crimes only deepened Sengoku's hatred. The pirate had freed the worst criminals from Level 6 of Impel Down, leaving Magellan near death in the process. Now, Blackbeard was leveraging chaos to carve out his empire.

In the original account of events, the Navy intervened in Blackbeard's battle against Pizarro (a former Rocks Pirate). Blackbeard had reportedly relied on Koby's assistance to defeat Pizarro, leading to Koby being hailed as a hero.

But in this timeline, Koby had fallen to Alastor, erasing his chance to achieve such fame.

After discussing these urgent matters, Sengoku left. Until a new Fleet Admiral was elected, he would continue to serve as a temporary overseer.

Returning to the G-1 Branch—now the new Marineford—he reflected on the dangerous times ahead. The original Marineford had been rendered unusable after the Summit War, its foundations irreparably damaged. G-1, positioned at the entrance to the New World, would be the Navy's new front line—a precarious location given the volatile state of the seas.

News of Sengoku's resignation and the impending selection of a new Fleet Admiral spread quickly.

Upon hearing that Sengoku had recommended Aokiji as his successor, Akainu's temper flared. He crushed the newspaper he was holding, magma searing the edges of the page.

"Sakazuki, you're angry. Do you want to become Fleet Admiral that badly?" Kizaru teased, lounging on a bench while casually trimming his nails.

Akainu shot him a cold glare. "Only as Fleet Admiral can I bring absolute justice to this world and eliminate more pirates!"

With that, he stormed out, heading straight for Aokiji.

Aokiji was napping on the roof of the base but stirred at the sound of Akainu's approaching footsteps.

"Kuzan, step aside. Your personality makes you unfit to lead the Navy," Akainu said bluntly.

Stretching lazily, Aokiji stood and dusted off his coat. "You're right, Sakazuki, I hate responsibility. But there's no way I'm letting someone like you lead the Navy."

"What did you say?!" Akainu's magma-fueled fury ignited.

The two admirals locked eyes, their opposing ideals clashing visibly in the air as heat waves met icy winds.

"In that case, we'll let our strength decide!"

"Fine by me," Aokiji replied coolly. "But not here. Let's go to Punk Hazard. The island's already a wasteland, and we can destroy it as much as we like."

The two set off for Punk Hazard, where their titanic battle would last ten days and nights, leaving the island permanently scarred—half frozen, half scorched.

---

Viola, Rebecca, and Trafalgar Law had left Caesar's lab on Punk Hazard just in time to avoid the admirals' clash. Viola and Rebecca headed to Green Bit, a neighboring island near Dressrosa inhabited by the Tontatta Tribe. Their goal was to gain the tribe's trust and form an alliance.

Meanwhile, Law made his way to Zou, the homeland of the Mink Tribe situated on the back of the giant elephant, Zunesha.

In one of the territories formerly ruled by the Whitebeard Pirates, Jack the Drought sat drinking heavily as he spoke with Alastor.

"You know Master Yamato's temperament. If we push too hard to build weapon factories in every nation, she might truly lose it. Do you think you could stop her if that happens, Jack?" Alastor asked pointedly.

Jack remained silent, drinking deeply instead of answering. His reaction spoke volumes.

Yamato, Kaido's headstrong daughter, was known for her immense strength and fiery personality. She was widely regarded as the second-strongest member of the Beasts Pirates, surpassing even King and Queen, Jack's older comrades. Her reputation was undeniable.

Jack frowned, his massive frame tense. "How could I stop her?" he muttered under his breath, referring to Yamato's strong opposition to Kaido's plan of constructing weapons factories.

Yet, Jack knew there was no escaping this task. It was a direct order from Kaido, the King of Beasts. Refusing or failing to carry it out was unthinkable.

Caught in a dilemma, Jack was visibly troubled.

Alastor, observing the situation, decided to mediate. He understood that pushing things too far could provoke Kaido himself into intervening. Despite Yamato's strength and his own, there would be no winning against Kaido in a direct confrontation.

After careful consideration, Alastor proposed a compromise. "The weapons factory must be built. But instead of affecting every island, let's designate specific territories for these factories, similar to what was done in Wano."

Jack's furrowed brow eased. He exhaled deeply, relief washing over him. "That makes sense. Boss Kaido never specified that every island needed a factory. This way, we fulfill his orders without stirring too much unrest."

The rapid growth of the Beasts Pirates provided further support for the plan. Since annexing Whitebeard's former territories, Kaido's crew had swelled by tens of thousands. Pirates across the New World, some from renowned crews, were now flocking to join the Beasts Pirates. With this influx of manpower, there was no need to enslave civilians for labor.

Jack raised his cup. "Thanks to you, Alastor." He downed his drink with a grin, visibly more at ease.

Alastor smiled, raising his own cup. The two drank late into the night, laughter and camaraderie filling the air.

Once Jack succumbed to drunkenness, Alastor quietly slipped away. His seemingly intoxicated state evaporated in an instant, the electrical currents coursing through his body breaking down the alcohol effortlessly.

He made his way to Yamato's quarters.

Yamato was fast asleep, sprawled carelessly on her bed. Her sleeping posture was less than dignified, and the thin blanket had slipped, revealing her toned, snow-white shoulders.

"Yamato," Alastor said, shaking her awake.

She groaned, half-awake. "What now, Alastor? Didn't we already—"

Alastor cut her off. "Your strength is lacking, Yamato. If you truly want to defeat Kaido, you need more discipline."

"What? Discipline doesn't mean—"

The room grew lively once more, Yamato protesting but ultimately relenting. The "training session" lasted until dawn.

The next morning, Alastor looked refreshed while Yamato grumbled and went straight to the general's mansion in Wano to deal with accumulated paperwork.

While heading to visit Tama, Alastor encountered Page One. The young warrior had grown noticeably stronger, his muscles more defined.

"Looks like training is paying off, Pay Pay," Alastor remarked, patting Page One's shoulder.

Page One grinned, flexing his arm. "Brother Alastor, my muscles are like steel now!"

"Steel is the foundation. Keep training, and you'll surpass that."

Page One nodded eagerly, full of determination. "I'll work harder! Next time, I'll defeat Gab from the Red-Hair Pirates!"

Alastor raised an eyebrow. "You faced a core member of the Red-Hair Pirates?"

Page One recounted his clash with Gab, a powerful warrior capable of releasing devastating shockwaves with his roars. Although Page One had managed to hold his ground briefly using the defensive strength of his Spinosaurus form, Gab's overwhelming power had left him beaten.

Undeterred, Page One had thrown himself into relentless training upon his return to Wano, refusing to sleep for days. Alastor couldn't help but be impressed. Page One's progress was evident—he had gone from a subordinate to someone capable of matching disaster-level opponents for short bursts.

"Not bad," Alastor acknowledged. "But don't push too hard. Progress takes time."

Page One's expression turned serious. "Brother Alastor, I came here for another reason." He hesitated, glancing around before continuing.

"You didn't respond to Boss Kaido's summons during the battle at Marineford. Instead, you went to fight at the Summit War. Boss Kaido already knows... and he's angry."

Alastor's face remained calm. He had anticipated this.

As Alastor's influence grew—his bounty now publicly at 1.5 billion berries, with rumors of a hidden bounty reaching 2 billion—his every move sent ripples across the New World. However, these actions often blindsided Kaido, leading to misunderstandings.

No matter how strong Kaido was, maintaining control over his crew required authority. Even trusted subordinates like King and Queen wouldn't act independently without reporting to him first. For Alastor to make such a bold move without consultation was bound to irritate Kaido.

Page One glanced nervously at Alastor. "Brother, you should head to Onigashima and explain yourself."

Alastor smirked slightly, unshaken. "Don't worry, Pay Pay. I'll handle it."

Alastor knew it was time to confront Kaido and solidify his position within the Beasts Pirates once and for all.

Visit patreon.com/shirokendama to read this book to the end