Chapter 124: The World’s Shift

—Two weeks have passed since the Summit War.

“Gya-ha-ha-ha!! Starting today, this island belongs to us!!”

“Hand over every last crate you’ve got!! I don’t give a damn if you're a member nation or not!!”

The collapse of the World Government sent massive ripples across the globe, and pirate attacks were surging in every sea.

But pirates weren't the only ones bringing harm to innocent people.

“It’s the Navy!! We’re saved!!”

“They drove the pirates away!!”

While the Navy Headquarters had fallen—along with its renowned officers and countless elite soldiers—the regional bases in the Four Blues had remained unscathed.

As a result, many branches continued to protect their assigned towns, upholding order in the name of justice—

“Thank you so much, Colonel!!”

“Ah… it’s nothing. I only did what was right—hey.”

“Yes, sir!”

“!? W-Wait, what are you—! Ugh!!”

—Or so it should have been.

The people, yearning for peace and the return of everyday life, had their hopes cruelly shattered by the tides of change.

“With HQ gone and the Government fallen… we’ve run into some real problems, you see.”

“W-Why are you pointing that gun at us…?”

“N-No way…!!?”

Unlike HQ, few at the branch level had the conviction to uphold peace and justice at all costs.

“Without food, without backing… we had to come up with a solution.”

And worse still—compared to the threat-filled Grand Line, the Four Blues had vast stretches of relative peace, making them a fertile ground for corrupt Marines looking to line their own pockets.

“So we figured—why not use our strength and rule the island ourselves!!”

“No…!!”

“From this day forward, we—no, I—am the ruler of this island…!!!”

“U-Uwaaaaaahhh!!!”

Those driven by ambition, by greed, or simply too weak to resist, were swept away by the chaos.

Carried by the madness of the age—an age where violence reigned supreme—they rose up to seize power for themselves.

“I’m sorry… I have to feed my family…!!”

“Damn it…!! We’re no different…!! If you’re going to try and take it, then I’ll fight back!!”

Stripped of their safety nets, some soiled their hands just to protect those dear to them.

And this spiral would soon engulf even greater forces.

“Pirate attacks have grown unbearable…!!”

“The nearby Navy branch has been absorbed by a neighboring nation…! And now they're attaching strings to every request to deal with pirates…!!”

“What should we do, Your Majesty…!!?”

“A decision must be made…!!”

“…!! So be it!! Increase the troops! Strengthen the army!!!”

“Yes, sir!!”

“We won’t sit by and be robbed in silence…!! If we’re to be robbed, then we’ll do the robbing!! This is for the good of our nation!!!”

Under the banner of the World Government, nations had clung to a fragile peace and shallow cooperation—but now, in the face of pirates and lawlessness, they turned to war and conquest as their solution.

“Your Majesty!! The port has been ambushed!!”

“Is it pirates!? Or perhaps—”

“—A world of violence born from the pirates… crude and savage, yes… but this chaos works quite well in our favor…!!”

“…!!? Who the hell are you people…!?”

“We are… Germa 66!!! To fulfill our ancestors’ ambition, we have come to conquer this country…!!!”

Many nations, spurred by the upheaval, began their own marches toward greater power.

The chain of conflict spiraled without end—swelling, growing, until it began to swallow the entire world.

“Impossible!! There’s no way we can pay this outrageous sum…!! Triple the amount of the ‘Heavenly Tribute’!? Ridiculous…!!”

“Ha ha ha… If you can’t pay, you’re welcome to leave. This isn’t compulsory.”

There were even those who sought to exploit and expand the chaos for their own gain.

“Now that the World Government and Whitebeard Pirates no longer protect you, the best way to safeguard your wealth in this raging ‘New World’ is to ally with an Emperor. I’m simply offering to mediate… for a modest fee.”

“Ugh… but this amount… it’s just too much…!!”

“We also offer financing options. Feel free to inquire ♪ Or perhaps you’d prefer a round of gambling?”

“Ssssssrrr…!! Several pirate crews are already on the move, so I suggest you decide quickly.”

“Mmmmh…!! Extorting the weak… is soooooo satisfying!!!”

“My subordinates are right. If you don’t have enough, just take more—from the weak. The poor have no value anyway…!!”

“…!!”

Those who gained power used it to gather even more.

And thus began the true pirate era—where the weak lost everything, and only the strong survived.

—Yet even in such a world…

“We’ve managed to repel the attack. We’re tightening security across the nation, but…”

“We can handle it for now, but at this rate…”

“Indeed. Even in the Grand Line, war between nations could erupt… The fall of the World Government has shaken everything. We must remain vigilant.”

“—Pardon the interruption!! Lord Cobra!!”

“! Igaram… Calm yourself. What’s the matter? You’re terribly flustered.”

“Huff… Huff… My apologies. But there’s someone I must connect you with immediately…”

“…A Den-Den Mushi?”

“Who is it contacting us?”

There are still those who resist.

No matter how hard the path ahead may be—if it’s a world where the weak must suffer just for being weak—

“…The leader of the Revolutionary Army… Monkey D. Dragon, you say…!!”

“!!!? What did you say…!!?”

“! Luffy’s… father…!?”

—They will never… surrender their freedom of will.

---

—The Grand Line. The white-soiled island of Baltigo.

The entire island was covered in white earth, with a vast sky and constant winds blowing across its surface. Among the many peculiar islands of the Grand Line, this one was unique—but more importantly, it served as the secret headquarters of the Revolutionary Army, which united revolutionaries from across the world.

Despite the World Government's years-long efforts, they had never been able to locate it. Hidden in secrecy, this island was now receiving the returning Revolutionary Army and their surviving guests from the recent war.

"—What's the damage report?"

"Yes, sir. …Roughly 7,000 dead or critically wounded. Including the lightly injured, over 20,000 personnel were affected."

"That's massive... What's the situation across the regions?"

"Reports are coming in from all branches as well… To put it simply, it's nothing short of a disaster."

In a large room within the tall building that served as the Revolutionary Army’s headquarters, a man known as the world’s most dangerous criminal—his face marked with tattoos—listened grimly to his subordinate’s report.

The medical ward inside the building couldn’t contain all the wounded. Many lay on makeshift beds spread out in large halls, and those who still couldn’t be accommodated had tents set up outside for treatment.

Even within the command room, most present bore injuries and wore bandages. It was clear from sight alone that the Revolutionary Army had suffered significant losses. But more troubling was the condition of the world at large.

"The collapse of the World Government and Navy has already spread worldwide, and pirate activity is surging everywhere. Even the naval branches meant to keep them in check are now enforcing authoritarian rule or conscripting citizens in towns and islands under the pretense of justice... Tensions between nations are rising too. At this rate, we’ll see full-scale wars between neighboring countries and rogue forces taking over islands one after another..."

"Already in the North Blue, Germa has declared war on several nations!! And reports indicate that in the New World, Guild Tesoro is also making suspicious moves...!!"

"…!! As expected, it’s not stopping…!!"

Dragon’s expression twisted as he listened. Though he was the leader of the revolutionaries waging war against the oppressive World Government nations, he couldn’t condone a world where innocent civilians were suffering.

Without hesitation, Dragon began an emergency meeting with the other commanders present.

‘This is serious…’

"The Celestial Dragons may be gone, but... the world’s gotten worse than before!!"

"We want to help, but what can we do!?"

"First, we need to decide on our direction moving forward."

"Yeah… Sabo. Any word from the Red-Haired Pirates or the Whitebeard Pirates?"

"Yes, Dragon-san. We received word earlier. The main Whitebeard forces managed to escape somehow..."

Commanders seated around the room nodded, their expressions heavy with concern for the people, yet calmly assessing their next steps.

Dragon turned to Sabo, the Revolutionary Army’s Chief of Staff and No.2, to organize their next move. Sabo’s report brought a momentary sense of relief.

"I see... Sorry, Sabo. I wish we had the chance for a proper reunion..."

"…Thank you for your concern, Dragon-san. But I’m fine."

Sabo dipped his head slightly, hiding his eyes beneath the brim of his hat in response to Dragon’s kind words. As he did, memories surfaced—both from the recent broadcast of the war and from the long-lost fragments of his past.

‘Horrible…!!’

‘Whitebeard… Will the Navy be alright?’

‘At this rate, the war will be over before we even get there!!’

‘Dragon-san’s son and Ivankov are in danger too…’

Before the war at Marineford began, the Revolutionary Army had received intelligence about the unsettling moves by the Beasts Pirates and other factions, prompting them to head toward Navy HQ.

On the ship en route, Sabo and the others intercepted live footage from the war via den den mushi transmissions sent to nearby islands.

Watching that footage… triggered something long forgotten within Sabo.

‘…Those two, they’re…’

‘? What’s wrong, Sabo-kun?’

‘Haa… haa…’

He had lived his life in the Revolutionary Army, having lost his memories. Until now, nothing had ever resurfaced.

But on that battlefield, seeing his two sworn brothers at the center of it all—Sabo remembered everything.

‘Ace…!! Luffy…!!’

‘Eh, are you okay!? Sabo-kun!!’

It wasn’t the worst outcome.

Luffy and Ace were alive. Just seeing them helped Sabo recover his memories—and instantly grasp the severity of the situation.

—Luffy and Ace were in danger.

And Sabo, fortunate to be headed to the war, had to act.

He narrowly missed Luffy, and exchanged only a few words with Ace. But even with unease and things left unsaid—Sabo believed in them.

"…Luffy and Ace… they’re not the kind to die so easily."

"!"

The belief that one day… they’d reunite.

"Let’s continue the meeting, Dragon-san. If they’re alive… we’ll see them again. Right now, we need to focus on fixing this broken world, even just a little."

"Sabo… yeah, you’re right."

"Of course!! I don’t believe that Straw Hat boy would die that easily!! Sure, he pushed himself hard… but he’s got unbelievable vitality, truly in-cabable!!"

"Yeah!! He’s amazing!! He came back from hell just to save his big brother!!"

"And that big brother escaped with the main Whitebeard fleet, right!? Then he should be safe!!"

Those who had seen Luffy’s insane endurance and strength nodded in agreement with Sabo—Ivankov and his comrades among them.

"—Luffy won’t die."

"Hey! You need to stay in bed…!!"

An elderly man boldly entered the command room, brushing off the nurse trying to stop him. He, too, voiced his belief.

He was once a Navy hero who bore the symbol of “Justice,” Dragon’s father, and Luffy’s grandfather.

"…Old man… You should be resting. You’ll die."

"Shut it…!! Like hell I could sleep…!!"

Even at his son’s words, the wounded man—Monkey D. Garp—refused to listen. Wrapped in bandages, breathing heavily, he slumped into a corner of the room. Facing the Revolutionaries and his son, he spoke with a heavy sense of responsibility.

"Sengoku is unconscious… Kuzan still needs time to recover… Then as the Navy’s surviving representative, it’s my duty to be here!!"

"Vice Admiral Garp…!! Let me—"

Vice Admiral Momonga, seated among the Revolutionary leaders, stood up worried for Garp, who looked like he could collapse any second. He’d fought with everything he had to help as many Marines escape as possible.

Pushing him beyond his limit now could be fatal. Momonga tried to return Garp to the medical wing with help from the nurse, but—

"Just shut up…!! Listening doesn’t take that much effort…!!"

"…Still…"

"…You haven’t changed, old man."

"Hmph… Neither have you…"

Dragon let out a quiet sigh at his father’s stubbornness. Garp, glaring back at his equally stern-faced son, snorted.

Ivankov and the others, familiar with Luffy, couldn’t help but think this family was completely abnormal—but that made them all the more reliable.

Even now, neither father nor son had dead eyes.

"What do you plan to do now?"

"…With the World Government fallen and the Whitebeard Pirates gone, the Pirate Alliance is on the rise. The world will soon be engulfed in the violence they bring… It’s only a matter of time."

"The Navy’s branches… won’t hold. Most of their elite were already pulled for the war. The remaining troops can’t handle the surge in pirate activity. Either they fall, or they give in… it’s only a matter of time."

"Yeah. The longer we wait, the worse things get. We’re not fully ready yet… but we have to act."

As Dragon and Garp discussed the current world situation, they reached the same conclusion. So did the Revolutionary Army leaders.

There was no time to sit idle. If they didn’t act now, the world would become a lawless wasteland—the trigger had already been pulled.

So Dragon reaffirmed his resolve.

"If we move now, we can at least delay the full collapse…!! I don’t know how many nations will agree, but… we must seek their cooperation."

It wasn’t Dragon’s original vision—but necessary.

To unite the fractured nations and resist the lawless pirates, a new organization had to be built to restore order.

"We’ll need to hold talks and negotiations… but we don’t have the luxury of time. We’ll meet with willing nations and form a structure."

Recreating order across such a vast world was too much for the Revolutionary Army alone.

"We’ll also restructure our forces. …That means negotiating with the remaining countries, and the Navy as well…"

"…The Navy’s next leader should be Kuzan. I’ll talk to him later."

"Yeah, thanks."

Power was essential to defend against violent outlaws.

They’d seek cooperation from the Navy and restructure. Even if the new force was smaller than before, having it would save countless lives.

"Dragon-san. What about Cipher Pol?"

"—We ignore them. With the World Government gone, I doubt they’ll keep pretending to be the ‘system.’ And considering how government intel has leaked to the Pirate Alliance… they’ve likely already defected."

“If the location of our headquarters is discovered, it’s all over, isn’t it…”

“That’s exactly right. For the sake of secrecy, do not disclose Baltigo’s location to any of the allied nations. Arrange all meetings to be conducted via secure communication.”

“Understood.”

To avoid being crushed by the Pirate Alliance, the absolute secrecy of the headquarters had to be maintained.

At present, their power was no match for that of the enemy. After annihilating Whitebeard, the Navy, and the World Government, the Pirate Alliance had become, in both name and reality, the strongest force in the world.

If their location were discovered, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t be attacked. For that reason, information management had to be even more stringent than before.

“…Even so, what we can protect is only a fraction of what’s left. We won’t be able to truly restore the world.”

But even if all precautions were taken, the world had already collapsed, and the cycle of conflict would not stop.

The era of violence had begun. What they were about to do was no more than laying the groundwork—a step to minimize casualties and begin mounting resistance.

“But even so… it must be done.”

Even if it ultimately led to their destruction.

Until the day people could live in true freedom, they would hold fast to their convictions—and continue fighting.

“We will stand together—with all nations, organizations, comrades, and races who choose to join us—”

To grant a sliver of life to a world on the verge of collapse.

The man once labeled the world’s most dangerous criminal—though such a label hardly applied anymore—raised the flag of a new revolution as the leader of the Revolutionaries, and made his declaration.

—And from this would later be born a new order. A coalition formed around several nations and islands who joined together to resist the Pirate Alliance—a federation, so to speak.

And just moments later, the man who would serve as its "representative" stepped forward before the leaders of many countries, and delivered the words that would go down in history.

“To protect the people’s freedom from the raging storm—to stand against oppression—I hereby proclaim the founding of the New Government…!!!”

“!!!”

That declaration, and the birth of a new force, would soon echo across the seas—and eventually, the world.

Even if this new order lacked the might of the former World Government or the Four Emperors’ alliance—even if it was far too weak to maintain global stability—it was, at the very least, a force that carried the will to defend freedom and protect the powerless.

To them, it was unmistakably… resistance.

---

In the ruins of the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, brought down along with the defeat of the World Government, a man dropped to his knees, his furious gaze locked on the monsters before him as he shouted.

“You bastards… you set me up…!!!”

“Set you up? No no no, we didn’t do anything like that. We just asked you to join us. And since you refused, we’re going to kill you, that’s all♡”

Bleeding and battered, the man looked utterly spent. He was supposed to be one of the victors in this war—one of the three representatives of the pirate alliance, “Golden Lion” Shiki.

And the ones who had completely crushed him from the front were two of the Four Emperors—and a girl who possessed power equal to theirs.

“Ma~mamama-hahaha!! That’s right!! Shiki, this only happened because you refused. We didn’t betray you or trick you!!”

“To be fair, Linlin and I planned to kill you after the war from the start. Nue just insisted on giving you a chance, and we humored her… but you wasted it!!”

“...!! Damn you all…!!”

Big Mom and Kaido looked down on Shiki. Big Mom spoke with laughter, Kaido with a straight face, stating plainly that this outcome had always been the plan.

Shiki cursed them, but there was nothing more he could do. They’d asked him to become their subordinate, and the moment he coldly refused, Nue had beaten him to a pulp. Now he was in this state.

On top of that, the area was surrounded by the elite forces of the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates, and right before him stood three monsters who used to be his allies. There was no escaping. No chance of victory.

“Hey, hey. I’ll still forgive you, y’know? How about it? Wanna be one of our subordinates? With your strength, we’ll give you a decent position. Not above us, of course, but as one of the major executives in the Pirate Alliance, I think you could have a pretty comfortable twilight of your life.”

“...! Don’t screw with me…!! Hah… who the hell would ever…!”

Being downgraded to a subordinate was something Shiki’s pride simply couldn’t allow.

He saw himself as a great pirate—different from the trendy treasure-hunting types of today. A real pirate, with strength, planning, and ambition to match.

But what he failed to calculate… was just how far he had declined.

And Nue, Kaido, and Linlin had all seen through it long ago. Nue, with either kindness or mockery, shrugged her shoulders and told Shiki plainly:

“Hahh… Just accept it already. Sure, Shiki, you used to be strong… but now you’re just an old man. Your Float-Float powers are still top-notch, but when it comes to raw power, Haki, or physical strength? You’re below even our Lead Performers. So why would you ever think you’re on the same level as us or Linlin?”

“Don’t underestimate me…!! I’m still…!!”

“I’m not underestimating you. I’m just stating facts. Deep down, you’ve realized it too, haven’t you? You know it. This war made it clear, didn’t it?”

“...!”

Shiki couldn’t refute Nue’s words.

During this war, he had realized he wasn’t as sharp as he once was.

He thought it was just overconfidence or complacency. That was the excuse he gave himself.

But in the end, he had let Roger’s son escape, failed to get the results he wanted, and couldn’t even defeat his opponent in battle. He had grown increasingly frustrated.

He had sealed those feelings away, unconsciously refusing to acknowledge them.

“Ma~mamama… give it up, Nue!! This guy’s never gonna become one of our subordinates!!”

“He’s still got his pride. End it for him!! Nue!!”

“…Can’t be helped, huh… In that case, don’t hold it against me, okay?”

“Ugh…!!”

Nue pressed her foot down on Shiki’s head from above. It was to ensure he couldn’t escape—that he would be executed without fail.

Shiki tried to use his Float-Float powers to fly away, but couldn’t. Nue’s monstrous strength pinned him completely.

And even if he managed something… it was already checkmate.

The Golden Lion Pirates’ subordinates were—

“Shiki…sama…”

“Ugh…”

“Nue-sama～～～♡ Mission complete-de gozansu♡”

“Oi, what’s with that way of talking!! Another dumb trend!? Cut it out, sis!!”

“Sto~op iiiit!!?”

“When I heard it was the Golden Lion Pirates, I thought they’d be tougher… but they went down easy.”

“Such a boring job.”

“Decline sure is a cruel thing.”

“...Twenty. Years. Of. Work… and this is all?”

“Great job everyone~! Golden Lion Pirates, fully suppressed!”

They had already been wiped out by the Beasts Pirates’ Flying Six and their unit.

Dr. Indigo, Captain Scarlet, and others met the same fate. Their research had already fallen into the hands of the Beasts and Big Mom Pirates.

“Hahahamamamamama!! Don’t worry, Shiki!! All those rare animals you spent twenty years raising? To me, they’re a treasure trove♡ I’ll make sure they get added to my collection♡”

“Worororo…!! And this ‘S.I.Q.’ stuff might actually work for powering up our Gifters. If that works out, your twenty years won’t have been in vain. We’ll even praise your efforts—as stepping stones to us ruling the world!!!”

“The world’s already in motion… Everyone is preparing to survive in this age of violence. We can’t afford to fall behind either. We’ll kill you, take everything you had—and with that, we’ll take one more step toward becoming Pirate King!!!”

It had all been decided from the start.

Brought about by Shiki’s decline and carelessness.

“…Any last words?”

He couldn’t resist.

This, Shiki now realized, was what it meant to grow old.

Now he understood why Whitebeard and Roger accepted death so easily.

His role ended here… and he came to terms with that.

Rage, despair, humiliation, regret, emptiness—all swirled inside him.

He accepted all of them. And with that, Shiki steeled himself, letting the faintest trace of admiration cross his face.

—That those brats had come this far.

And then, acknowledging the former comrades who had surpassed him, Shiki spat his final words.

“—Jihahaha… you bastards… go to hell.”

“—But of course♡ Heaven? We’re not interested. Give our regards to everyone up there♡”

As Nue beamed with a full smile—Shiki’s head was severed and sent flying.

On that day, the final casualty of the war, who died in the Holy Land Mariejois, was the Golden Lion Pirates’ boss, “Golden Lion” Shiki.

Once a legendary pirate who stood alongside “Pirate King” Gol D. Roger and “Whitebeard” Edward Newgate on the seas… With the end of an era, he too brought his story to a close.

---

—Two weeks after the war, on an island in the New World.

“…Looks like the Revolutionary Army and the surviving Marines are teaming up to form a new organization.”

“Yeah. And on top of that, that Pirate Alliance… ‘Golden Lion’ is dead, and the subordinate crews have been absorbed into the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates. Even with Shiki gone, their forces have only grown stronger.”

“…Guess it’s about time we started moving too…”

The red-haired man, known to all in the pirate world, nodded along with his crewmates and officers.

With the conclusion of the war at Marineford, they—the Red-Hair Pirates—had managed to survive while keeping their power intact, and finally returned to the New World.

They had just wrapped up a small mission and were now gathered away from the crowd for a private discussion.

And not just the Red-Hair Pirates—Shanks had also called someone he shared a deep bond with.

“It’s about time we started moving—my ass!!! Hey, Shanks!! Do you even get how serious the situation is right now!?”

“Hmm? …Yeah, I guess it is.”

“Are you even listening, you bastard!? I only came along ‘cause you insisted on having a talk! Don’t you forget that!!”

“Haha… I hear you. No need to get all worked up. Here, have a drink. I’ll pour.”

“! Oh… Thanks. Yeah, yeah, let’s toast to our reunion and have a nice—wait a damn second!!! THIS IS NO TIME FOR A PARTY, YOU IDIOT!!!”

That outsider—the man with the red nose—was none other than Shanks’ old friend, “Buggy the Clown.”

The one who had rallied escaped prisoners from Impel Down, joined forces with the Red-Hair Pirates and the Revolutionary Army on a whim, and now, belatedly, was worrying about the consequences of fighting the Pirate Alliance.

Currently, Buggy had been invited by Shanks to this so-called banquet—just a discussion, really—in a quiet grove along with the prisoners who revered him.

But as Shanks gave half-hearted replies or ignored Buggy entirely to talk seriously with his officers, Buggy grabbed Shanks by the collar and started yelling in frustration.

Shanks didn’t seem fazed by it, and Buggy, likewise, didn’t appear truly angry… but behind Buggy, the prisoners watching swelled once more with loyalty.

“H-Hey… he really is incredible…!!”

“Yeah. In the whole world, the only ones who can act like that in front of an Emperor are another Emperor or Captain Buggy…!!”

“...I heard they were old pals, but still… I can’t believe he talks to him like that, ganee…”

As the prisoners excitedly watched like children, Mr. 3—Galdino—stood nearby, looking somewhat exasperated.

But Buggy didn’t care about the rabble behind him. Right now, nothing mattered more than what came next.

And so, whispering so only Shanks could hear, he voiced his desperate concern.

“What the hell are we supposed to do now, huh…!? If this keeps up, I’m gonna be hunted down by those damn monsters…!!! And now the Revolutionary Army and Marines are forming some ‘new government’ or whatever…!?”

“…Yeah, that’s true. Kaido and Big Mom’s rise is definitely a threat… but even the Revolutionary Army, while we were able to work with them this time, will have to crack down on pirates eventually. Once that happens, we can’t be allies anymore…”

“Thaaaat’s what I’m saying!! I want no part of any war with those freaks!! You take some damn responsibility!!”

Face pale with fear, Buggy shouted at Shanks, demanding he fix things.

And truthfully, for both the Red-Hair Pirates… and Buggy, who had stood against the Pirate Alliance, what came next was a matter of life and death.

From here on out, those aiming to rule the world—to claim the One Piece—would begin making their moves.

In that process, the Red-Hair Pirates, the Revolutionary Army… and Buggy would be targets to be crushed.

And if that happened, Buggy wouldn’t stand a chance. No matter how strong or numerous his prisoner followers were, he couldn’t win a war against an Emperor.

Teaming up with the Revolutionary Army again wasn’t out of the question, but it wasn’t simple either.

The Revolutionary Army had begun working with the Marines and several countries to establish a new order to oppose the reign of pirates.

In that movement, pirates ravaging the seas across the world would naturally become targets of suppression. Which meant that, even if they had previously cooperated, the Red-Hair Pirates and Buggy wouldn’t receive special treatment.

Of course, they might still forge a secret alliance… but the new government, built on democratic ideals and opposition to pirate rule and violence, couldn’t easily afford to align with pirates.

If they did, and the public found out… the people who had yearned for a world not ruled by pirates would lose faith, and the fragile order of the new government would collapse.

They couldn’t act carelessly. And they couldn’t be relied upon.

That’s why the Revolutionary Army was forming a new force by allying with the Marines and several nations. It wouldn’t be the same as the old World Government—but at the very least, it would rival a single Yonko crew in strength. All of it to resist the Pirate Alliance and the violent world it represented.

Amid this shifting global landscape, the Red-Hair Pirates also needed to take action—to avoid annihilation, and to fight back.

“Damn it…!! If it comes to this, maybe I should go beg the Pirate Alliance—”

“—Buggy.”

“What, Shanks? Shut up a sec. I’m trying to figure out how to get them to forgive—”

That’s precisely why Red-Haired Shanks had brought this sworn brother of his to the table.

In the last war, the prisoners under Buggy had shown decent combat ability… and more importantly, Buggy’s name had spread like wildfire.

Across the seas, a surprising number of pirates were now looking to align themselves with Buggy.

Shanks had no intention of wasting that fame, that influence—

“—Why don’t we… team up?”

“……HUH!?”

—The age of violence had begun, and the balance of power across the world was beginning to shift in unpredictable ways.

“I… It’s all my fault…!!! Pops… everyone…!!!”

“…Ace…”

Those wounded in the war, left unable to move forward—were left behind, without mercy.