In the Sabaody Archipego, inside Shakky's Rip-off Bar, Silvers Rayleigh rawled zily on a sofa, looking every bit like a retired old pirate. He held a half-empty jug of liquor in one hand and a neer iher.

  "Oh? Now this is iing," Rayleigh mused, his eyes sing the headlines. "Seven Warlords of the Sea, Georia has been stripped of his title and is now a former Warlord?"

  Behind the bar, Shakky olishing a gss. She chuckled softly and remarked, "If I remember correctly, this is the first time a Warlord has ever been officially removed, isn't it?"

  "The Wover cims that he went missing in the Florian's Triangle… but something about this feels off," Rayleigh muttered, taking a sip from his jug.

  Ihe Wover had not released aails regarding Moria's actual fate. The official statement was vague, simply stating that Georia had been lost at sea within the Florian's Triangle for over three years. With no way to tact him, they had decred him missing and revoked his status.

  This story, naturally, pyed on the fears of the on folk. After all, if even a powerful pirate like Georia, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, had been swallowed by the Florian's Triangle, what ce did ordinary adventurers have? Many reckless explorers were now thinking twice before setting sail for that infamion.

  "The Gover still he Warlords to maintain order on the seas," Shakky mused. "They'll be filling that vacy soon enough. Who do you think they'll pick?"

  Hearing this, a knowing smile crept onto Rayleigh's face. His gaze drifted to a bounty poster hanging on the nearby wall.

  It dispyed a 150-million-berry bounty not the highest out there, but still impressive sidering the person had only retly set out to sea.

  A erm had been making waves tely in the pirate world—Supernova.

  Among the rookies of the Grand Lihose with bounties exceeding 100 million berries had begun to be called Supernovas. If this young man made it to Sabaody Archipego, he would fully earn that title.

  Rayleigh had one reason for keeping that bounty poster dispyed, it beloo the son of his former captain, Gol D. Roger.

  Of course, that fact remained a secret only Rayleigh himself khe truth.

  "Fire Fist—Pas D. Ace… a Logia user with the Fme-Fme Fruit," Rayleigh mused aloud. "Could it be him?"

  Shakky tapped her thoughtfully. "Ace, huh? Well, sideriied to CP-X and Cudius is his godfather, I wouldn't be surprised if he was given a seat among the Warlords."

  her Rayleigh nor Shakky khe full extent of what was happening behind the ses. But if there was some sort of spiracy at py, they suspected Cudius was involved perhaps iating for Ace's be.

  After all, Cudius seemed to treat Ace like his own son. He had even gifted him one of the most powerful Logia fruits, the Fme-Fme Fruit. If Ace truly wished to bee a pirate, Cudius might be paving the way for him… supp his rise to power as a Warlord.

  ---

  Meanwhile, on Kuraigana Isnd, Dracule Mihawk sat alone ihe castle, a neer in his hand. His sharp eyes sed the headlines about Moria's removal from the Warlords.

  His brow furrowed slightly.

  "Under normal circumstances… even if someone disappeared for three years, they wouldn't lose their title over it," Mihawk muttered.

  After all, the Wover only cared about the power of the Warlords. As long as they served their purpose, it didn't really matter if they actively participated in Gover affairs.

  So why now?

  For the Govero suddenly strip a Warlord of their status like this… somethi off.

  "Perhaps they're making preparations for something big…" Mihawk murmured.

  And for some reason, even though Cudius was not mentioned anywhere in the neer, Mihawk's thoughts instinctively drifted to him.

  The Wover removing a Warlord meant they were pnning to repce them. From that perspective, it looked like they were adjusting their strategic forces.

  And if they were restructuring their forces, that meant something major was on the horizon.

  It reminded Mihawk of the times when the Gover orchestrated operations against Big Mom and Kaido each time, the Warlords had been mobilized as a key part of the pn.

  "Maybe I'm just imagining things," Mihawk mused, shaking his head.

  After all, he had no crete evidenly vague suspis. Perhaps the Wover really did believe that Moria had disappeared and was simply repg him with someone more useful.

  Regardless, Mihawk didn't particurly care. As the World's Stro Swordsman, he was fident in his own strength. Whatever was ing, he weled the opportunity to test his bde against the stro warriors the sea had to offer.

  ---

  Uhe lone wolf Mihawk, another Warlord was receiving diretelligence from Cudius himself.

  In Abasta, ihe Rain Dinners o, Crocodile sat at his usual seat, cigar in mouth. His Den Den Mushi was ected to Cudius.

  "How's the situation in Abasta?" Cudius asked casually.

  Crocodile exhaled a plume of smoke. "Everything is proceeding smoothly. The rebels are locked in a stalemate with the Royal Army. This war is draining Abasta's coffers by the day… or, more specifically, the ari family's wealth."

  He smirked. "Wheime is right, I'll intervene, wipe out both sides in one fell swoop."

  "Good. Do as you see fit," Cudius replied. Then, with a chuckle, he asked, "By the way, Crocodile, did you read today's news?"

  Crocodile g the neer on his desk. Moria's face stared back at him.

  A wicked grin spread across his face. "Of course. There's some deeper scheme behind this, isn't there?"

  "Ahahahaha, sharp as ever," Cudius ughed. "You'd better be ready. We might o mobilize the Warlords soon."

  Crocodile's eyes gleamed. "So the Warlords are being fully assembled? You're pnning something big, aren't you?"

  "The pn is tet the Whitebeard Pirates," Cudius admitted. "The timing is still being decided, and Marine Headquarters ime to prepare. But I need all of you ready at a moment's notice."

  Crocodile took a sl of his cigar. "You're moving against the stro man in the world already? Will the Mariake point?"

  In past operations against Big Mom and Kaido, the Marines had always led the charge after all, dealing with pirates was their job.

  But this time, Cudius smirked and said, "No. This operation will be led by CP-X."

  Crocodile raised an eyebrow. Then, after a moment, he let out a quiet chuckle. "I see… so you've finally set the stage."

  He exhaled another cloud of smoke and muttered, "The times are ging."

  Cudius's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, carrying an amused tone.

  "The times are always ging, Crocodile. They op."