With the tremendous explosion, this war also declared its end. The Revolutionary Army quickly began to move in secret. Simultaneously, at a certain stronghold, a meeting regarding this war commenced.
"According to the investigation, most of everything in the national treasury vanished in the explosion. Only some residue of gold and weapons remains on the battlefield; the rest was likely completely buried." Five people sat in a dimly lit room. Near the doorway stood a Revolutionary Army member, delivering the investigation report.
The five seated around the table said nothing. In reality, they all knew it was impossible to recover the treasures from the national treasury. Whether it truly vanished due to the explosion… or for other reasons, they didn't want to investigate. Right now, the nation itself was the priority.
"Understood," one of them said faintly, waving a hand to dismiss the Revolutionary Army member standing at the door.
"What are your thoughts regarding Morass?" another voice among the five spoke up.
"Very strong. It's also possible he was responsible for the treasury incident."
"We have no proof, and it's only speculation. He can't be treated as a suspect based on that."
"Most importantly, that matter is in the past. What we are discussing now is this person."
"Is he a person? Not necessarily. Morass… I think it's an organization."
"Regardless, everyone saw that fellow's combat display. He himself is very strong, that's one thing. His weapons… I'm a bit concerned about them."
"Hmm?" The other four looked at him in confusion simultaneously.
"What do you mean? A strange weapon is quite normal, isn't it?"
"Let's hope so," that person said faintly. He was only slightly concerned in his heart, not dwelling on it too much.
The room fell into silence, only the occasional sound of rustling papers and documents, interspersed with a few hushed discussions.
Less than half a day after the war ended, Wilder also received notification from the Revolutionary Army: the wars in the other nine nations had also begun at this time. Wilder didn't pause, quickly setting out for the next nation according to the Revolutionary Army's instructions.
In the East Blue, the war across ten nations intensified, drawing countless gazes. Of course, during this turbulent period, even the World Government had no time to deal with these matters. After all, such events weren't only happening in the East Blue but also in other regions. In fact, the nations at war in the East Blue weren't limited to just these ten; it was just that these ten were somewhat more conspicuous.
As the wars grew fiercer, a name also began to circulate throughout the East Blue.
Morass!
The one who rushed between various nations, suppressing wars, became a target of apprehension for all factions. At the same time, that black cloak and white mask became Morass's standard attire. Whenever people saw that outfit, they would naturally think of that figure. The two heavy machine guns in his hands also became a topic of conversation after meals.
On a small island in the East Blue, an old man was boasting to people about what he'd witnessed.
"Everything from that time is still vivid in my memory. That terrifying fellow, Morass, wore a black cloak, and you couldn't see his appearance clearly."
"Why couldn't you see his appearance clearly?" A crowd, listening with great interest, surrounded the old man. A young boy among them couldn't help but interject.
The old man glanced at him, hmphed, and as if Morass were his own relative, said proudly, "Because he wore a mask, a white mask, with a character inscribed on it. I was too far away at the time, so I couldn't see clearly what character it was. Thinking back now, it's quite a regret."
"Why is it a regret?" the boy couldn't help asking again.
The old man shot him a glare, not wanting to bother with him, and turned to the others to continue, "At that time, Morass was carrying those two legendary weapons of his and charged into the battlefield without hesitation! You should have seen the scene…"
"Woosh! A huge crowd fell as Morass passed through! They had no power to resist at all! Those two legendary weapons of his were simply like reaping machines! Any soldier from either side who opposed him couldn't last more than two seconds!"
"Really? Are you exaggerating?" the boy interjected again, his face honest and earnest.
"Scram! Listen if you want, don't if you don't!" The boy was directly shooed away by the enraged old man.
...…
Unknowingly, half a month had passed since that kingdom's war. The ten-nation war involving the transaction between the Revolutionary Army and Wilder had finally all concluded, but the undercurrents at this time grew even more turbulent.
Fish Scale Island, supported by a continuous flow of funds and resources, developed rapidly. Its manpower and strength, accumulated in secret, also reached a peak. The terrifying power, suppressed until now, finally found its moment for release!
The wars in ten nations, plus the previous five, a total of fifteen nations—their impact was enormous. The pot of the East Blue had been thoroughly stirred. Many nations and factions either fell into a state where everyone felt insecure, or were in internal turmoil. Trade between nations is such that a single action affects the whole. The destruction of fifteen nations plunged many other countries into crisis. That storm of chaos began to coalesce and intensify.
The benefit the Revolutionary Army gained from this war was dozens of like-minded national leaders as allies. And the benefits Wilder gained were even greater. Besides the vast transaction funds obtained from the deals and the countless treasures from that national treasury, the most important thing was that the East Blue had finally descended into chaos.
"It's time to act." In this period where everyone felt insecure, Wilder finally welcomed his opportunity. The light of his ambition could no longer be concealed. Go all out, one move to decide victory or defeat. He wanted to occupy the entire East Blue at the fastest possible speed! Under the guise of a group of war fanatics.
In Fish Scale Island's armaments factory, enormous wooden crates, sealed with strips of paper, were neatly arranged and transported out. If outsiders saw what was packed inside, they would surely be astounded! Because those items were identical to the two legendary weapons in the hands of Morass, who had become famous in the East Blue during this period.
Ships docked at the pier continuously sailed away from this sea area. Simultaneously, Wilder's commands were constantly relayed to this island via Den Den Mushi. Large numbers of personnel were secretly transported to various parts of the East Blue. With vast resources and funds, all this became incredibly easy.
The number of members recruited during this period had reached as many as fifty thousand. Apart from twenty thousand assigned to the Black Serpent Merchant Guild, the rest all joined Morass's faction. Among the fifty thousand, there were over one hundred and eighty officers. Basically, an individual's combat strength was already equivalent to a pirate with a bounty of six to over ten million Beli. Though not comparable to those recruited at the very beginning, in the East Blue, this force could already be called terrifying. So much so that, if other factors weren't considered, taking over the East Blue would be more than achievable.
Of course, "taking over" didn't literally mean possessing the East Blue. Rather, it meant becoming a paramount power in the region, like one of the Four Emperors, a force that instilled a sense of invincibility in others—a faction that spread its network of interests and military might throughout the entire East Blue, becoming an alternative kind of king or master.
When recruiting low-level personnel, they also targeted young people who already possessed a certain level of combat ability or were physically strong. Afterward, they were sent to the training island for basic training, and a large batch of members had already entered the elite ranks. All these individuals were selected into Morass's faction, numbering less than five thousand out of the thirty thousand recruited into Morass's direct forces. The remaining twenty-thousand-plus also underwent targeted marksmanship training, which compensated for their deficiencies in joining Morass's faction, greatly enhancing their combat power.
Soon, these people were transported in batches to various locations in the East Blue. The entire process lasted over a month. Actually, it wouldn't have originally taken this long, but for the sake of stealth, there were many things to avoid and pay attention to, hence the extended time. Before commands were issued, these members would also follow instructions to lie dormant in secret, awaiting orders.
After transporting the members and distributing the weapons during this process, the next step was to transport supplies and ammunition. This required a large number of logistics personnel. However, Morass's faction, as defined by Wilder, was a combat organization, so it had no logistics personnel. They could only reassign some from the Black Serpent, with the Transport Unit coordinating the delivery of supplies and logistics staff. The entire process could not allow the connection between the Black Serpent and Morass's faction to be exposed, so it couldn't be rushed.
Nearly another month passed. The situation in the East Blue grew even more chaotic. This was partly due to Wilder's covert manipulation, but the situation was already like that; Wilder merely gave it a push from the shadows, adding fuel to the fire without arousing much suspicion.
At this time, however, Wilder's gaze was no longer excessively focused on the East Blue. For him, all that remained now was to wait for the most opportune moment. Personnel were all in place, supplies were abundant, and the forces he controlled or held in his hand in secret had already become a power that could not be ignored. It just hadn't surfaced yet. Because it hadn't erupted, no one beyond the vicinity of Fish Scale Island had discovered this faction. On the surface, Wilder's power was currently confined to Fish Scale Island. But in reality, while the ten-nation war attracted most of the attention, Fish Scale Island had already launched a covert operation, bringing the factions in the surrounding sea areas into its fold, binding them by interest and absorbing them by force. Adding the previous five nations, the secretly formed power had already reached a stage where it could not be underestimated. Now, they were just waiting for this final operation—the move to take the East Blue in one fell swoop.
Therefore, Wilder's gaze was no longer confined to the East Blue. This was destined from the beginning. The East Blue could only serve as his home base, but it was never the place where he intended to flaunt his power. His heart was set on the Grand Line, on the New World!
And for the crucial step to open up the New World… Wilder already had a target. That faction, a New World power soon to be destroyed, would become Wilder's primary target. Once he absorbed everything from that faction, Wilder could shorten his journey considerably and also use it to ascend to the peak in one leap. Interestingly, Wilder had even had a few encounters with the master of that faction and had even spoken amicably with them.
"Glug, glug!" Wilder lay on the deck, a raised wine bottle pouring red liquid. He downed it in one go, wiped a bit of wine from the corner of his mouth, and temporarily dismissed the thoughts from his mind.
This was a warm sea area. On the surface, the small boat Wilder was on drifted alone with the waves. The boat wasn't large, able to accommodate at most two or three people. It had a small, colorless sail, drifting with the waves while also being pushed by the sea breeze.
Wilder glanced at Aisha, sleeping soundly in the boat's cabin, then his gaze turned to the distance.
Since taking little Aisha with him, he had actually had an idea in mind, one he'd had a long time ago. However, Wilder had suppressed this idea at the time, planning to realize it when he reached the New World. Now, the timing was about right.
The Officer Factory—this idea had emerged at the very beginning of the Black Serpent's establishment: a factory for cultivating officers. Naturally, not the kind of officers the Black Serpent currently recruited, but a group of officers truly belonging to him, with him, Wilder, at their core—the foundation for him to establish himself in the New World. Officers like Vice and the others. Or even… to some extent, Wilder's ideal was for officers emerging from the Officer Factory to be even more single-mindedly loyal. After all, it was cultivation from scratch.
Therefore, candidates like little Aisha were the most suitable. Orphans… this was Wilder's target.
However… this would take too long. So, Wilder could only use a rapid development method: establishing a strong foundation in the early stages, then allowing them to grow stronger with age. This was a good investment from both a short-term and long-term perspective.
So… how to build a strong foundation? Wilder already had an idea in mind. His current journey was precisely for that idea. Little Aisha knew nothing about all this.
In the East Blue, Devil Fruits were not common. It could be said that most Devil Fruits came from the Grand Line. Therefore, even with Wilder's faction developed to its current state, acquiring a Devil Fruit was no simple matter. If it were just a Zoan type, it might be manageable; with huge expenditure on investigation, some could always be found. But the other two types were not so simple.
That's right, the purpose of Wilder's current journey was a Devil Fruit. Only a Devil Fruit could rapidly create a strong fighter or a supporter. Whichever type, Wilder wouldn't refuse. Sometimes, a Devil Fruit user with support-type abilities could often bring a crucial turning point to a faction. Just like the Hobby-Hobby Fruit. Although it possessed no offensive power itself, the threat it posed was greater and more terrifying than most Devil Fruits with strong attack power. If… the user of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit were also a master of physical combat, perhaps… it wouldn't be impossible for another "strongest" titled powerhouse to appear in this world.
"We're here," Wilder said, snapping back to reality, only then realizing they had unknowingly reached their destination.