Charlotte Linlin and Kaido had both agreed. The three pirate crews were now allied.
Kaido's subordinates would undergo modifications, transforming into true Devil Fruit users.
Once that happened, the strength of the Beasts Pirates would skyrocket, fulfilling Kaido's dream of a true "Hundred Beasts" crew.
"He's changed quite a bit from before," Charlotte Linlin remarked, narrowing one eye.
"It's an unsettling feeling," Kaido added.
Whitebeard stayed silent. He had already sensed something strange about Roy. Compared to before, his aura now carried a touch of evil.
Roy didn't go straight to Momonosuke, instead, he went to see Whitey Bay and his daughter.
"Go away! Go away!"
His daughter, Rein, waved a feather duster at him, showing clear dislike.
She no longer wanted his hugs or kisses and outright rejected being near him.
"What's wrong with you? Why does our daughter suddenly hate you?" Whitey Bay asked while holding the angry little girl, whose fierce gaze at Roy was filled with dislike.
"How should I know?" Roy shrugged.
"Your aura has definitely changed. What happened? Why did you come back like this after leaving?" Whitey Bay asked worriedly.
"It might be because of that fruit I ate," Roy said.
"You ate that fruit?" Whitey Bay exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah, otherwise, how could I have killed two of the Five Elders?" Roy said.
The news of Roy killing two Elders at Egghead had not been reported. Instead, the story that spread worldwide was that Luffy's group killed Vegapunk.
As for Roy, the newspapers painted him as a great villain. He was reported to have led the Whitebeard Pirates in an attack on the Marines, destroyed Egghead, and captured all the Marines there, including Admiral Kizaru.
Every so often, the world was rocked by some huge news, and people were already becoming numb to it.
What enraged the world most was that the World Government had begun conscription again, drafting soldiers from the armies of member nations to replenish the Navy.
By the time Roy returned to Wano, the nations of the world were already in turmoil, unrest brewing beneath the surface.
"Your Majesty, we can't let them conscript anymore. If this continues, our national defense will collapse," Dagama warned King Elizabello II.
"I know, but this is an order from the Celestial Dragons. If we refuse, we face their wrath. You know what happened to the Lulusia Kingdom, the entire nation was wiped off the map. Could we protect ourselves against that kind of power? What are you suggesting, that we become like pirates and try to build a country on the sea?" Elizabello II replied in agrieved.
"But if we lose our military, we lose our ability to defend ourselves. Revolutionary Army activity has been detected in our country. Without enough soldiers, our nation will be overthrown just like those eight other countries," Dagama argued.
"I understand, I know. But what can we do? I need to contact my allies," Elizabello II said.
Not far away, Dressrosa faced the same issue. In fact, all World Government affiliate nations were grappling with this problem.
The sudden conscription order, coming so soon after the last one, had already stripped them of much of their self-defense capabilities.
Now, the new draft was on an even larger scale. According to the World Government's orders, every nation had to hand over at least half of its military to the Navy.
This left the member nations dangerously exposed.
If pirates attacked, they'd have no way to resist. Internally, years of Revolutionary Army infiltration had taken root. If foreign and domestic crises erupted at once, could these nations even survive?
Dressrosa was relatively stable. Under Doflamingo's previous iron control, there had been no room for Revolutionaries. And now, under King Riku, who was deeply loved by his people like Cobra of Alabasta, there was little chance of rebellion.
Cobra's turmoil, after all, had only been caused by Crocodile. Without that, the Nefertari family's thousands year rule of Alabasta would likely never have been shaken.
"Conscription… How many soldiers do we have left?" King Riku asked.
During Doflamingo's rule, Dressrosa had been shielded from the first draft. But now, the World Government had directly ordered them to send half their army to the Navy.
For King Riku, it was a huge challenge. Losing so many soldiers would make defending against future pirate threats nearly impossible.
"Your Majesty, the King of Prodence is calling," a soldier reported.
"Bring it here quickly."
This was happening all across the world. The member nations were furious but, remembering Lulusia's fate, couldn't simply refuse. Otherwise, they might be the next to be erased.
Countries were contacting each other, unwilling to hand over so much military strength. The impact on their national security was too great, it could even spell the end of their nations.
This was especially true for smaller countries, where tyrannical rulers already faced mass resentment. If they lost their armies, and the people picked up weapons, the rulers would be toppled instantly.
The nations of the world were in anguish, but in Mary Geiose, the Celestial Dragons didn't care at all. Their only concern was whether they had enough to eat.
"Damn it! Why hasn't the food arrived yet? What are the Marines even doing? Kill those trash! Kill them! I'm starving to death!"
The Celestial Dragons roared in anger.
Shipments of food from across the world had been attacked on the seas, making it harder than ever to supply Mary Geiose.
The Celestial Dragons ordered the Navy to secure food deliveries.
But food shortages plagued the entire world. With global unrest, grain had become the most valuable commodity.
Because of the Celestial Dragons' massive demand, prices for grain soared, currency devalued, and beli became increasingly worthless.
Gold prices rose sharply alongside it. If the World Government's credibility collapsed, beli would lose its status as currency entirely, leaving only gold as a replacement.
Thus, gold prices skyrocketed, becoming the only thing tied to beli's value.
"My lord, the food is on its way. Please remain calm," a Marine officer reassured a Celestial Dragon.
But in his fury, the Celestial Dragon didn't listen, he shot the officer dead.
Meanwhile, hunger was driving ordinary people to take up weapons, marching on the nobles who hoarded food.
This time, it seemed the Celestial Dragons might not get away unscathed.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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