One Piece: Deriving All Things

The news of the renewed battle between Sanders and Kaido did not cause much of a stir across the seas.

Firstly, the island where they fought was quite remote, not far from the Beasts Pirates' Onigashima, with few travelers passing through the area. Secondly, this was thanks to the special efforts of the Beasts Pirates. With explicit instructions from one of the Four Emperors, few newspapers dared to go against their wishes.

As a result, the papers only briefly reported the battle between Sanders and Kaido, stating that the fight sank an island, and the two parted after a stalemate. Beyond those particularly invested in either of them, many people remained unaware of the clash altogether.

On Sky Island

In the meantime, the Thunder God Pirates were closely monitoring Sanders' situation. On Sky Island, Viola brought back newspapers she had purchased from Dressrosa.

After joining the Thunder God Pirates and becoming a member of their intelligence team, Viola often traveled back and forth between Dressrosa and Sky Island. Sanders had built several small flying ships, which she used for these trips.

However, recently, her visits had become less frequent because Nami and Sanders were away. Without them to recharge the ships' energy, she had to ration the remaining fuel.

This time, though, the news was important.

"Viola, did something happen?" Robin asked calmly, putting down the book she was reading when she noticed Viola's arrival.

"I found news about the captain," Viola said, raising the newspaper in her hand and handing one copy to Robin.

"Is the captain alright?" Robin inquired while taking the newspaper.

Sanders was the soul of the Thunder God Pirates. Most of its members had joined the crew because of him, and they all saw him as their guiding force.

His decision to head to such a dangerous place had left many of them worried.

"He seems fine," Viola replied. "But the report is oddly brief—very superficial. The coverage is minimal, and I had to look closely to even find it."

Robin unfolded the newspaper and spotted the article buried in a corner, mentioning the battle between Sanders and Kaido.

"As long as he's okay," Robin said softly. "Given the captain's and Kaido's standings in the New World, any real defeat on either side would cause major waves."

She added, "The lack of noise suggests the captain is fine."

Sanders and Kaido—one a Four Emperor, the other hailed as a Fifth Emperor—were prominent figures in the world.

If either of them had suffered a clear defeat or serious injury, the newspapers would undoubtedly sensationalize it. But with such minimal reporting, Robin surmised it must have ended as a stalemate, much like Sanders' previous clash with Kaido in Dressrosa.

However, Robin found something unusual: the article was far too brief, as if someone had deliberately suppressed information about the fight.

Only major players, like the World Government, Marines, or another Four Emperor, could achieve that.

While she couldn't guess why the Beasts Pirates would suppress such news, it seemed to have no adverse effects on either the Thunder God Pirates or Sanders. Robin decided not to overthink it.

"How's Dressrosa doing lately?" Robin shifted the conversation.

A smile spread across Viola's face. "Things are going well. Everyone is hopeful about the future. The damaged buildings have been rebuilt, and everything is returning to normal."

"This is all thanks to you for defeating Doflamingo," she added sincerely.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Robin replied with a light laugh.

"But..." Viola hesitated. "There are more and more pirates coming to Dressrosa. My father is a bit worried that it might cause trouble."

Since Sanders had declared Dressrosa as the territory of the Thunder God Pirates, it had become a magnet for pirates—those wanting to join the crew and those looking to challenge Sanders to make a name for themselves.

The growing number of pirates in Dressrosa was concerning, and while no major incidents had occurred yet, King Riku remained uneasy.

"If you need help, remember to contact Uncle Issho," Robin said after some thought.

Besides Viola, Issho often traveled between Sky Island and Dressrosa. This was primarily due to Dressrosa's casinos. Whenever his gambling itch struck, Issho would head there.

Thankfully, his Gravity-Gravity Fruit allowed him to fly; otherwise, the energy from Sanders' flying ships wouldn't be enough to sustain his trips.

"I will," Viola nodded.

"Actually, having more pirates come to Dressrosa does have its advantages," she added. "More visitors mean more spending, and Dressrosa is becoming wealthier. It's a mixed blessing, I suppose."

"Where are Law and the others?" Viola scanned the area but didn't see Law or his group, so she asked.

"They've gone to the Beast Forest for training," Robin replied.

The Beast Forest was home to the ferocious animals that had eaten the SIQ plant. After the Golden Lion was defeated, these beasts were rounded up and confined to a massive forest.

Whenever Issho left for Dressrosa to gamble, Law and the others would head to the forest for combat training.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back now," Viola said.

"Alright, if anything comes up, contact us with the Den Den Mushi," Robin replied, nodding before returning to her book.

After hearing that Sanders was safe, the Thunder God Pirates on Sky Island resumed their regular training. Nami, who was on a small Sky Island, did the same. She got along well with the scholars there and continued her studies.

Meanwhile, after leaving Onigashima, Sanders began tracking the massive oarfish.

Lying on a deck chair on his ship, Sanders started taking stock of his gains from this journey.

From his battle with Kaido, Sanders had acquired Kaido's unique physique and his Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon form. Additionally, he had developed the Azure Dragon form significantly during the fight.

Although awakening the ability would take more time, the successful integration of these two powers had greatly enhanced his defensive capabilities and regenerative prowess.

Previously, the injuries he sustained in the battle would have taken him about 20 days to heal. Now, with Kaido's unique physique and the Azure Dragon powers, his recovery time had shortened to just a week.

Perhaps due to his increased strength, his aura and willpower had also grown. His Conqueror's Haki had reached a top-tier level, making him a rare match in the seas.

When it came to overall strength, Sanders felt that he now had no equal. Whether it was the Four Emperors or the Admirals, he believed none could defeat him.

After drifting at sea for more than half a month, Sanders finally arrived at the location of the massive oarfish he had been tracking.

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T/N:

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