Soon enough, Weevil returned carrying the severed head of Decken, presenting it directly to Elior. Naturally, Elior did this to remind Neptune and the others of his overwhelming strength.

Still, Elior couldn't understand how Fish-Man Island had allowed such a pathetic weakling to run rampant for so many years. Someone like Decken should've been crushed easily, yet no one here could deal with him. Sometimes, Elior felt that if Neptune and his people had shown even a shred of backbone, things would never have come to this point.

No wonder Fish-Man Island was so easily oppressed — they were partly to blame themselves.

In the New World, for instance, the Happo Navy from Kano Country held considerable power. Elior believed that Fish-Man Island couldn't be smaller than Wano, yet here they were — too weak to handle even a clown like Decken. No surprise they couldn't fend off pirates, no surprise they needed protection.

In the end, Neptune was just a weak king.

Of course, that was just Elior's view. The fate and development of Fish-Man Island had nothing to do with him. His only concerns were the Poneglyphs and Shirahoshi, the living incarnation of the ancient weapon Poseidon. Everything else was irrelevant.

Staring at the severed head, Neptune and his ministers were all dumbfounded. The villain who had haunted them for years, the very reason they couldn't sleep well at night, was now dead — just like that. Looking at Decken's face frozen in terror, eyes wide open in death — it was hard to believe he'd been slain so easily.

The ruling elites of Fish-Man Island stood in shock, their faces filled with disbelief. As for Elior, their fear and reverence for him only deepened.

"To think you'd let trash like this run wild on your island... Pitiful. How pathetic, Neptune. You couldn't even handle someone of his level" Elior said, shaking his head in contempt.

"This..."

Neptune had nothing to say. It was humiliating but true.

Elior had half a mind to call them all worthless, but he didn't bother. It wasn't worth his breath.

Later that afternoon, to show gratitude for ridding them of Decken , Neptune hosted a feast for Elior and his crew, despite his personal dislike for Elior — after all, Elior was the man who killed Whitebeard, a pirate Neptune deeply admired. Under Whitebeard's protection, Fish-Man Island had enjoyed an era of peace, and Whitebeard had never once demanded anything in return.

But who knew what Elior might demand? His reign had barely begun, and he'd already taken a Poneglyph from the island.

The future was unpredictable — and frightening. But Fish-Man Island had no other options.

Meanwhile, Shirahoshi was finally free to leave her shell tower. For eight long years, she'd been trapped, terrorized by Decken's endless threats. Now, she could finally step outside and see the world again.

She'd heard a hero had arrived — someone who defeated the demon that haunted her. The innocent fourteen-year-old Shirahoshi believed that Elior was that hero. Of course, Decken was indeed a demon, but compared to Elior, he was nothing more than a low-level monster.

Elsewhere, as Shirahoshi emerged from her confinement, Elior, still at Neptune's banquet, suddenly felt it — several terrifying gazes descending upon Fish-Man Island from the deep sea.

"What incredible creatures..." Elior murmured, sipping his drink.

"What's wrong, my lord?" Reiju asked, curious — she was always watching Elior closely.

"There are some unimaginable beings outside, watching us."

"Unimaginable beings?"

"Sea Kings — the apex beasts of the sea — and these can even speak the human tongue."

Reiju was stunned.

Indeed, outside Fish-Man Island, three colossal Sea Kings had surfaced. Compared to them, the entire island looked like a speck.

Sensing Shirahoshi's presence, they stirred from the dark abyss.

"I can sense the presence of the King again."

"But she has yet to awaken fully."

"We served the last Poseidon. And just like that, eight hundred years have passed."

"There's a powerful human in there — one who stands at the very pinnacle of mankind."

"Does he bear malice?"

"Hard to tell... Let's observe for now."

Back at the banquet, Elior finally saw Shirahoshi. His expression remained calm, but Reiju was visibly stunned by the mermaid princess's beauty. As always, Weevil stood dumbly by.

Shirahoshi, too, saw her supposed hero — Elior.

Neptune had introduced Elior as a hero to preserve Shirahoshi's innocence, and while technically true — since he had slain Decken — Elior was anything but a hero in the broader sense.

Still, Elior approached and struck up a conversation with the girl who carried the might of an ancient weapon. Shirahoshi, lonely and isolated for years, quickly warmed to Elior, seeing him as the first human she'd ever truly met. Naturally, her fondness wasn't romantic but that of a budding friendship.

But it was a good start — and from here, their bond would only grow.

News soon spread: Fish-Man Island had been taken under the protection of one of the Yonko — Elior.

The various evil factions that had coveted the island quickly retreated in fear. At first, few believed the rumors, but once they saw the flag of the Elior Pirates flying over the island's entrance, the reality was undeniable: Fish-Man Island was Elior's domain now.

The world trembled.

Meanwhile, another shock shook the seas — the former territories of Whitebeard had fallen.

Under Elior's orders, his pirate crews, along with the mighty Germa mercenaries, launched a sweeping conquest that lasted nearly a month — not because the territories were difficult to capture, but because the seas were vast and travel took time.

In that month, the New World shivered. Anyone trespassing on Whitebeard's former lands was mercilessly slaughtered. Especially on the islands where Shiryu led the assault — no pirates survived. Shiryu, ever the bloodthirsty butcher, spared only civilians; pirates, however, were slaughtered without mercy.

In no time, Elior's flags replaced Whitebeard's throughout the territories. And with that, his position as Yonko became undeniable — his name now shook the entire world.

At the same time, several major events unfolded.

The Red-Haired Pirates held a funeral for Whitebeard in his homeland, joined by the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates. Two graves stood: one for Whitebeard, adorned with his cloak fluttering atop his naginata Murakumogiri, and another for Ace, with his hat resting on the tombstone.

"Whitebeard... this drink is for you."

Shanks poured half a cup of sake, his heart heavy, as Marco and the others mourned in silence.

After the funeral, the Whitebeard Pirates disappeared from the world stage. Shanks had advised Marco and the others against seeking revenge — their enemy was simply too powerful. But Shanks knew that one day, some of them would try, regardless of the odds.

Meanwhile, as in the original story, Luffy, having recovered from his grief, traveled with Rayleigh to the rebuilt Marineford. There, he rang the great bell twice — a signal to his scattered crew: regroup in two years, then conquer the New World together.

Luffy threw himself into Rayleigh's brutal training, fueled by the deaths of Ace and Sabo. He knew that without strength, he couldn't protect anyone.

Yet, even as Luffy vowed to one day confront Elior, he didn't realize that no matter how hard he trained, he'd never bridge the gap between them. The distance between them was like the chasm between worlds — impossible to cross.

Another global development stirred the seas: after the Marine's funeral, the World Government launched a worldwide conscription.

This time, the government offered unprecedented incentives, eager to bolster the Marines' ranks, especially with the strongest fighters. Those with overwhelming power could even be fast-tracked — if someone had the strength of an Admiral, they could be appointed directly.

Though this sounded ambitious, surely no one of that caliber would just show up... right?

Still, the promise of fast-track promotion and generous benefits ignited the world. Many flocked to enlist — not just for perks, but out of genuine desire for justice.

Among them were powerful warriors driven by a desire to change the world — to cleanse it of its filth, corruption, and chaos.

This was just the beginning of a new era.

Among those who answered the call was a legendary wanderer — a blind swordsman named Issho, known as a folk monster. Driven by a deep sense of benevolence and justice, Issho's strength and conviction would soon see him promoted to the rank of Marine Admiral.

Alongside the world conscription, another significant event shook Marine Headquarters: Sengoku officially stepped down as Fleet Admiral, with Admiral Akainu succeeding him as the new head of the Marines.

Akainu's first major decision as Fleet Admiral was bold and uncompromising — he ordered the relocation of Marine Headquarters to the New World itself, placing the Marine in direct confrontation with the rampant chaos and evil that plagued those seas.