Chapter 222: The Four Emperors of the Sea

With Blackbeard's protection, Arlong successfully left Fish-Man Island aboard Blackbeard's pirate ship and rose to the first half of the Grand Line.

"Hey, how should I address you?"

Arlong despised humans, but he dared not show any contempt toward humans stronger than himself.

Especially after being beaten by the Celestial Dragons, he had gained a clear understanding of his position in the food chain.

The Grand Line was too dangerous; it was best to head to the weakest sea, the East Blue, seize a territory, enslave humans, and live in luxury.

Blackbeard smiled while steering the ship.

"Arlong brother, my name is Te... Blackbeard, captain of the Blackbeard Pirates!"

From today on, there was no longer Whitebeard's intern Teach on the seas; there was only Blackbeard, captain of the Blackbeard Pirates: Marshall D. Teach.

Arlong put his hands in his pockets, feigning aloofness.

"What is your relationship with Whitebeard?"

Blackbeard grinned: "I was once a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, but now I'm out on my own."

Having successfully recruited the Black Crew's first official crew member, Blackbeard was overjoyed, wishing he could become a big brother confidant to solve Arlong brother's problems.

"Captain, where are we going?"

Hearing a crew member call him captain for the first time, Blackbeard felt the path ahead was bright.

One day, he would lead the Blackbeard Pirates to conquer a huge island and establish a pirate kingdom.

"We'll go to Reverse Mountain first, recruit some crew along the way, then head to the West Blue to seize a territory."

Hearing this, Arlong breathed a sigh of relief: as long as they didn't stay in the Grand Line, the West Blue was fine.

"Why not go to the weakest sea, the East Blue, first?"

Blackbeard paused, then said gloomily, "I heard the Marine hero Garp is currently inspecting recruitment efforts at various Marine branches in the East Blue."

After speaking, both fell silent.

Previously, Arlong hadn't believed Saint Saint Saiwen had shattered Marineford because Saint Saint Saiwen's rise was too fast, almost like fake news.

But the fame of the Marine hero Garp had shaken the seas for decades; Arlong had heard of him since childhood.

Even the Pirate King Roger was arrested by Garp.

"The West Blue is good; we must go to the West Blue."

Arlong's words made Blackbeard feel that heroes often think alike.

Arlong brother wanted to kill all the Celestial Dragons; his spirit was powerful enough, he disdained bullying people in the water, and his views aligned with his own.

Wasn't this his "Mihawk"?

Blackbeard smiled until his eyes narrowed: indeed, leaving the Whitebeard Crew to set sail was his most correct choice.

Moreover, Whitebeard the old man was about to have a biological son; staying in the Whitebeard Crew would only mean playing house, nothing as free as now.

Now that the first step was successfully taken, was the final dream still far away?

Arlong brother was the Black Crew's first crew member, but absolutely not the last.

As long as he, Blackbeard, was willing to fight hard and work hard, one day he would be like Little Bai Mao, becoming an Donghai Donghai Dihuang of the Seas reigning over the ocean.

Blackbeard, charge forward!!!

Due to excessive excitement, Blackbeard didn't even notice the news bird that had specially landed on the deck; he was too busy cheering himself on.

The news bird waited a while, saw no one pay to buy a newspaper, spat, and flew away...

Reverse Mountain, Lei De Hair Pirates.

Although rejected by the target Lafitte's invitation to board, after several twists and turns, he successfully invited two half-crew members aboard; Shanks' heart was filled with towering ambition.

"Saint Saint Saiwen, one day I will catch up to you!"

The two semi-official crew members were—

Navigator: Benedict Snake.

Musician duo: Benke Binzhi and Monkey Warrior Da.

Thus, the Lei De Hair Crew already had five crew members; counting Yasopp, who was in the East Blue at Syrup Village waiting for his wife to give birth, there were a full six official crew members.

At Yasopp's strong request, after his son was born in a few months, Shanks would go to pick him up.

Shanks secretly made a determination: he must build a ship as big as the East Blue Donghai Dihuang as soon as possible, to be named: Lei De Force.

The East Blue Donghai Dihuang had a black dragon head.

The Lei De Force would have a red dragon head.

He absolutely could not be much worse than his good brother, otherwise he would be relentlessly mocked by Buggy the next time they met.

"Hey, news bird, one newspaper."

Beckman's call brought Shanks back from his grand ambitions; he walked over to Beckman's side.

"Has anything big happened on the seas... it won't be related to Saint Saint Saiwen again, will it?"

In recent years, every major event on the seas had been related to the Morning Star Crew.

They could be called the top celebrities of the pirate world.

"It has nothing to do with Saint Saint Saint Saiwen." Beckman glanced at it briefly and handed the newspaper to Shanks: "It has to do with our future."

"The Four Emperors of the Sea have been established."

"Nani?" Shanks hurriedly took the newspaper.

【The Four Emperors of the Sea reigning over the seas】

【Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates: Edward Newgate, Bounty: 5 billion 46 million Berries...】

【Captain of the Flying Pirates: Golden Lion Shi Ji, Bounty: 5 billion Berries...】

【Captain of the BIG MOM Pirates: Charlotte Lingling, Bounty: 3 billion 388 million Berries...】

【Provincial Military Commander of the Beasts Pirates: Kaido of the Beasts, Bounty: 3 billion 111 million Berries...】

Moments later, Shanks handed the newspaper to Monkey D. Luffy, his face clouded with deep confusion.

"Is Kaido and Saint Saint Saiwen a partnership?"

Benn Beckman lit a cigarette.

"That is what the newspaper says; only Saint Saint Saint Saiwen knows the specifics."

Inazuma has become a member of the World Government, and the islands near Hive Island are now occupied by the Golden Lion.

"Except for Inazuma, almost the entire New World seas are divided among these four Emperors of the Sea."

"The situation in the New World has changed."

Just then, Benn Beckman snatched the paper from Monkey D. Luffy's hands and handed it back to Shanks.

"Captain, there is major news on the back of the paper too."

Shanks looked closely and saw in an inconspicuous corner on the back of the paper—

【According to rumors: The World Government is about to announce the Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords of the Sea, specially inviting aspiring pirates to join the Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords and jointly maintain order on the seas.】

"Four Emperors? Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords of the Sea?"

Shanks realized that not just the New World, but the entire sea's situation was about to undergo a massive upheaval.

"It feels like they planned it together."

Benn Beckman took the paper and read for a moment: "Indeed, it looks prearranged; the World Government hopes the Marines and the Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords will jointly deal with the Four Emperors."

"However, the news about the Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords of the Sea being placed in such an inconspicuous spot gives an extremely coincidental feeling."

"Perhaps the World Government leaked the information."

"Storms are coming to the seas."

……

Holy Land Mary Geoise, Pangaea Castle.

Inside the spacious and bright palace, Saint Saturn slammed the latest New Issue of the newspaper heavily onto the table.

Thud~

"Damn it! How did the news about the Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords of the Sea leak early? Is there a traitor in the Marines?"

As the initiator of the Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords of the Sea system, Saint Saturn regarded it as the second greatest maneuver since becoming one of the Five Elders.

Yet he never expected the news to be leaked in advance.

Saint Vought spoke up: "I actually think it is not necessarily the Marines who leaked the news."

"Do not forget, Kaido first refused the invitation to the Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords, and now has become one of the Four Emperors."

Saint Saturn instantly became even angrier.

"Damn Kaido."