Throne Of Supreme

Chapter 296: Four Emperors

________

Alice looked curiously at the orb in her hand. "So, there's an even stronger version of the Burning Heaven Suit?"

Aoki nodded. "That's right. But it's the only one."

"Only one set?" Alice tightened her grip on the orb. "What if I break it?"

"Break it? Then you'll have to pay with your life," Aoki replied casually.

"Why?!" Alice exclaimed, her expression turning aggrieved.

At that moment, Robin stepped out of the ship.

Leaving Alice to examine the set on her own, Aoki turned to Robin and handed her a syringe filled with a red liquid.

Robin looked at it curiously. "What is this?"

"Level 3 genetic medicine," Aoki explained.

Robin's brow furrowed. "Genetic medicine?"

She wasn't unfamiliar with many rare items, but this was something entirely new.

Aoki elaborated, "It's a substance designed to enhance physical fitness and strengthen the body. However, it's only effective for people whose attributes are below 30."

Robin tilted her head. "And I'm the only one who qualifies?"

"Exactly."

"Can I inject it directly?" Robin asked, skipping any other questions.

Having seen Aoki produce countless unusual items, she was no longer fazed.

"That's right," Aoki confirmed with a nod.

As the conversation continued, Kurome, Akame, and others emerged from the ship.

Not long after, the massive three-masted sailing ship began to rise into the air, leaving Cake Island completely silent.

Aoki stood on the shore, the sole figure left on the island.

One of the mission objectives for "The End of the BIGMOM Pirates" required the destruction of Cake Island—a task easier said than done.

However, with the Float-Float Fruit's abilities, Aoki was uniquely suited to such a monumental feat.

Walking slowly across the island, Aoki unleashed his power. The earth beneath his feet churned and collapsed, the ground sinking as seawater rushed in, submerging everything in its path.

Gradually, Cake Island's area diminished, shrinking as if it were a real cake being consumed piece by piece.

Aboard the three-masted ship, the members of the Burning Heaven Pirates watched in awe, their eyes wide with reverence.

Boom!

The island collapsed entirely, sinking into the ocean with a thunderous roar. Massive whirlpools formed as seawater rushed to fill the void.

Aoki glanced at the system panel and confirmed the mission objective had been achieved.

In the next moment, his figure blurred, reappearing instantly aboard the ship.

"Let's go," he ordered.

"Yes!" the crew shouted in unison.

The massive ship broke through the air, heading swiftly into the horizon.

---

The news spread like wildfire.

BIGMOM defeated.

The Dragon King reappears.

Captain of the Burning Heaven Pirates.

The fourth Pirate Emperor.

These headlines dominated every newspaper.

When people awoke and opened the day's paper, their jaws dropped in disbelief.

Every page was filled with detailed coverage of the war between the Burning Heaven Pirates and the BIGMOM Pirates. The climactic battle between Aoki and BIGMOM took center stage.

Most were already familiar with the brewing conflict between the two factions.

Previously, reports had covered the destruction of BIGMOM's fleet and the deaths of many of her key commanders. Many had speculated that another clash was inevitable.

But while people had predicted the beginning, neither the process nor the outcome was anything they could have foreseen.

It wasn't the BIGMOM Pirates surrounding the Burning Heaven Pirates. Instead, the Burning Heaven Pirates launched a bold offensive, attacking Totland and Cake Island directly.

And the results were staggering.

It wasn't the Burning Heaven Pirates who were annihilated—it was the BIGMOM Pirates who got destroyed. Nearly all of their core members were eliminated, and even BIGMOM herself barely escaped with her life.

"Hey, who would've thought the Dragon King is the captain of the Burning Heaven Pirates?"

"No news for four years, and then he reappears with such an earth-shattering move. Tsk, tsk… truly worthy of someone whose first bounty was 5 billion."

"There's actually someone who could defeat BIGMOM. He's a real monster."

"Didn't you see? BIGMOM herself admitted it—the Dragon King is a monster among monsters, surpassing both her and Kaido!"

"Do you think the Dragon King's strength has surpassed Whitebeard's?"

"Impossible! Whitebeard is as famous as the Pirate King and is known as the strongest man in the world!"

"From now on, there'll be one more Pirate Emperor. The New World is entering the era of the Four Emperors!"

The news, "The Burning Heaven Pirates defeated the BIGMOM Pirates, and the Dragon King defeated BIGMOM," spread rapidly, sparking heated discussions around the world.

The sun shone brightly, the sky clear and cloudless.

The Moby Dick sailed steadily across the sea.

Marco held a newspaper in his right hand and adjusted his glasses with his left.

"Every time he shows up, he creates big news," he commented.

Jozu spoke in his usual muffled tone. "So, there'll officially be four Pirate Emperors now, right?"

Thatch nodded. "For sure. He defeated BIGMOM head-on. No one can question his qualifications anymore."

The most direct way to become a Pirate Emperor was to defeat one in battle.

This idea, once a joke in the New World, had now become reality.

Vista stroked his beard thoughtfully. "The other members of the Burning Heaven Pirates aren't weak either."

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

Boa Hancock was already a well-known figure on the seas. Her strength was so formidable that, even though she repeatedly stated she wasn't the captain of the Burning Sky Pirates, almost no one believed her.

In the recent battle against the BIGMOM Pirates, three other members of the Burning Heaven Pirates had also performed exceptionally well.

While most of the spotlight was on the Dragon King, those paying attention wouldn't ignore the remarkable abilities of his crew.

Izou spoke up. "I'm more curious about what kind of abilities the Dragon King has that made BIGMOM feel inferior and call him a monster among monsters."

The room grew quiet as everyone shared Izou's curiosity.

Pirate Emperors were prideful beings with unparalleled confidence. For BIGMOM to evaluate the Dragon King in such a manner, there had to be something truly extraordinary about him.

After a moment of silence, Marco broke the quiet. "I wonder if the Burning Heaven Pirates will occupy Totland or head to other territories."

The expressions of the Whitebeard Pirates turned more serious.

They had discussed this possibility four years ago.

Although it came later than expected, the Dragon King had finally risen to become the fourth Pirate Emperor, as they had once predicted.

Each Pirate Emperor ruled over a specific domain.

For example, the BIGMOM Pirates' core territory was Totland, though they also controlled other regions under their influence.

The Whitebeard Pirates, in contrast, didn't have a fixed territory like Totland, but many areas fell under their protection.

The New World, while vast, was also crowded. When a new powerhouse like the Burning Heaven Pirates entered the fold, conflict over territories was inevitable.

The Burning Heaven Pirates had defeated the BIGMOM Pirates, which logically positioned them to inherit BIGMOM's territories.

However, that was only one possibility. The Burning Heaven Pirates might choose a different path entirely.

Moreover, even if they did take over BIGMOM's territories, there was still the lingering presence of the BIGMOM Pirates.

Although their strength was greatly diminished and their reputation severely damaged, the BIGMOM Pirates were not entirely destroyed as long as BIGMOM herself remained alive.

"Whoever it is, I hope they don't take it too seriously and target us," Blamenco said with a smirk.

"Let them come if they want to," another pirate responded. "It just so happens we haven't had a real challenge in a long time."

"To be honest," one said with a grin, "I really want to meet the legendary most beautiful woman in the world."

There was no fear in their voices.

They were the Whitebeard Pirates.

There was no one in this world they feared.

Marshall D. Teach sat quietly on the deck, his clothes tattered and his expression deceptively simple. Yet, in his eyes, a deep darkness stirred.

"Dragon King?" he muttered to himself.

The darkness in his gaze deepened momentarily before vanishing, replaced by his usual, seemingly honest demeanor.

"It's not the right time yet," he thought. "I still haven't gotten the Devil Fruit I need."

Edward Newgate, the man known as Whitebeard, listened silently as his "sons" talked, his imposing figure unmoving, his eyes contemplative.

---

Windmill Town.

The Red Hair Pirates gathered in a bar, but unusually, there was no laughter or banter.

Lucky Roux broke the silence, looking at Ben Beckman. "Your guess was spot on—he really is the captain of the Burning Heaven Pirates."

Hongo shook his head and sighed. "Who could've guessed? The Burning Heaven Pirates actually had such a powerful captain. The BIGMOM Pirates were really unlucky this time."

He leaned back, his tone reflective. "They thought it was a piece of delicious fat. But when they bit into it, they found it was full of thorns, and their mouths bled."

Lucky nodded grimly. "And when they opened their mouths to try again, they realized it wasn't just fat. It was bait—and a monster no less powerful than them was lurking behind it."

"In the end, not only did they lose their teeth, but they almost lost their lives."

"Burning Heaven, Burning Heaven," Ben Beckman muttered, repeating the name of the Burning Heaven Pirates. Then, turning to Shanks, he said, "He's extremely hostile to the Celestial Dragons."

Shanks nodded thoughtfully.

It hadn't been apparent before, but after learning that Aoki was the captain of the Burning Heaven Pirates, and combining it with his previous actions, the significance of the name became clear.

Bang!

The bar door burst open.

A small boy ran in, his eyes lighting up when he saw the group.

"Shanks! Shanks!"

"Luffy!" Shanks' face broke into a wide smile.

The others in the bar laughed heartily, and the somber atmosphere dissipated instantly.

---

Baltigo, the Island of White soil.

Ivankov burst into a room, holding a newspaper in one hand.

"Dragon, you'd better take a look at this."

Monkey D. Dragon looked up, confused. "What's happened?"

"See for yourself!" Ivankov handed him the newspaper, shaking his head as if unsure how to start.

Dragon said nothing more and looked down at the paper.

The bold headline "The Dragon King Reappears" immediately caught his attention, and his gaze sharpened.

"The Dragon King has appeared again?" he muttered.

Four years ago, when the Dragon King first made headlines, the Revolutionary Army had taken notice.

Their goal was to overthrow the Celestial Dragons, and the Dragon King's actions back then had been an inspiration.

By killing Celestial Dragons, he shattered the illusion of their untouchability. He made it clear to the world that they were not gods—they could bleed, and they could die.

Since then, they had been searching for the Dragon King, hoping to meet him.

Unfortunately, the Dragon King had always been hard to track, his movements shrouded in secrecy.

Then, four years ago, he disappeared completely.

Ivankov leaned against the doorway, holding a copy of the latest newspaper. "Not only has he reappeared, but he's made an enormous stir in the process!"

Dragon carefully read through the report, his expression growing increasingly grim with each passing line. By the time he reached the end, he exhaled slowly, setting the paper down.

"The Dragon King is far stronger than we ever imagined."

Ivankov nodded.

In the past, some had dismissed the Dragon King's 5 billion bounty, attributing it to the shocking nature of his actions rather than his strength.

Now, there was no room for such skepticism.

The three Pirate Emperors had dominated the seas for decades, and this was the first time one of them had been defeated head-on.

Dragon's eyes narrowed in thought as he tapped his fingers on the edge of the table.

"The name ' Burning Heaven'—it likely carries a deeper meaning."

Ivankov nodded. "I thought so too."

Dragon looked up, his tone firm. "Ivankov, we need to find a way to contact the Dragon King and the Burning Heaven Pirates."

Ivankov hesitated. "From what we know, the Dragon King's goals might align with ours, but he's undoubtedly a very dangerous man."

Dragon's calm gaze didn't waver. "We chose this path long ago. Are we still afraid of danger?"

Their mission was to overthrow the Celestial Dragons, a regime that had ruled the world from atop the Red Line for over 800 years.

It was a road fraught with peril, one where any potential ally was invaluable.

The Dragon King had twice struck at Mary Geoise, causing chaos and killing dozens of Celestial Dragons. Even if they couldn't forge a formal alliance, he was a natural enemy of the same oppressive regime they sought to dismantle.

---

Mary Geoise, Pangaea Castle, Hall of Power

The Five Elders sat in the grand Hall of Power, their expressions dark.

Saturn sat with his arms crossed, a cold expression on his face. "After four years, he's finally shown himself again."

Mars, who had previously clashed with Aoki, spoke slowly, his voice filled with gravity. "Four years ago, he wouldn't have stood a chance against BIGMOM. It's clear his strength has grown significantly during his absence."

Topman stood with his hands clasped behind his back. "According to the latest intelligence, the Burning Heaven Pirates left Totland by air, their direction unknown. There's strong evidence to suggest that one of their members has eaten the Float-Float Fruit."

Shepard frowned. "Kaido's recent contact with BIGMOM is another serious concern. If those two join forces, it could destabilize the entire balance of power."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

The government and navy were already on the back foot in the New World, their influence limited.

Deploying significant forces there would not only stretch their resources but also provoke the ire of the pirate factions, who were inherently hostile to the government.

The Burning Heaven Pirates, unlike the BIGMOM Pirates or the Beasts Pirates, had no fixed territory, making them even harder to pin down.

If they truly had a member with the Float-Float Fruit, tracking or encircling them would be a logistical nightmare.

Destroying the Burning Heaven Pirates in a single operation seemed increasingly improbable.

After a moment of contemplation, Ethanbaron broke the silence, leaning on his long sword.

"We have no choice but to treat them like any other Pirate Emperor."

"Agreed," the others said in unison.

Saturn added, "CP0 must intensify its efforts to gather intelligence. Every individual has a weakness. Once we find theirs, we may discover a way to neutralize them."

"Agreed!"

Mars continued, "We also need to increase surveillance on Kaido and BIGMOM. If those two truly join forces, the consequences will be catastrophic."

"Agreed!"

The Five Elders spent the next several hours discussing countermeasures.