Sphinx.
This was Whitebeard's home country.
A country once under Whitebeard's protection that chose to betray the Whitebeard Pirates for a new life, actively embracing the Calamity Corporation.
On this day, a war broke out in this country.
"Hahahaha! Charge! My boys!"
A man of extraordinary height, estimated to be over six meters tall, with a body covered in thick hair like a monstrous bear, laughed loudly. "This country is a bit poor, but we can still make a good haul!"
"Charge with the Captain!"
Behind him, a rowdy band of pirates laughed and followed.
Blocking their path were the country's soldiers.
However, as they faced the pirates invading their homeland, the soldiers' expressions were strange.
There was no anger, no excitement, not even much fear—only numbness.
They raised their guns and unleashed a barrage of shots at the pirates.
It was an almost instinctive action, requiring no thought.
The quality of the weapons purchased from the Calamity Corporation was undoubtedly top-notch. Both their range and power were among the best.
But.
"Hahahaha! Watch this!"
The bear-like man instantly transformed into a giant brown bear!
Zoan-Type, Bear-Bear Fruit, Brown Bear Form!
The giant brown bear turned pitch-black the next moment. A powerful Armament Haki made every single hair on its body incredibly hard.
Then, the black bear became an unstoppable bulldozer.
Just by running forward, he made the ground tremble slightly.
And when he finally charged into the soldiers' ranks, a brutal massacre began.
Even the excellent weapons from the Calamity Corporation couldn't penetrate the defense of Armament Haki.
While unable to cause any damage to the bear, every swing of his paws sent soldiers flying, their screams echoing in the air.
The pirates then followed in their captain's footsteps and charged, instantly breaking the soldiers' formation.
At that moment, the soldiers, finding themselves at a disadvantage, scattered and fled without any intention of continuing the fight. They didn't even hesitate.
In just a few seconds, aside from those who were too severely injured or already dead, all the other soldiers had fled.
"Hahahaha! Just like the rumors say!"
The black color on the giant brown bear faded, and the pirate captain laughed loudly. "Anyone with a bit of strength can make a small fortune in this country!"
"Let's go, my boys! It's time to get paid!"
"Ohh!!"
With cheers and laughter, the pirate crew successfully invaded the royal capital.
They didn't encounter any more obstacles, even when they broke into the palace.
Inside the palace, there was only a man with a desolate and pale face sitting on the throne.
Facing the fierce pirates, he only lifted his head to give them a numb look, then pointed to the side. "Take what you want and leave. Don't cause trouble for this country."
Next to him was an open treasure chest filled with gold and silver.
"Is that all?"
The pirate captain pouted. "That's way too little! Are you trying to pay a beggar?"
"Take it or leave it," the man said indifferently, seemingly unconcerned about his own life or death.
"Hahahaha! Fine, we're here, so we can't go back empty-handed!"
The pirate captain didn't intend to make things difficult for the man. He suddenly laughed and nodded. "I know the procedure. Don't worry, we'll leave once we get the money."
Then, he added, "But you better make more money from now on. After all, tax time is coming soon! After you pay your taxes, try to have some money left over so the next pirate crew doesn't leave empty-handed."
"..."
A flicker of life finally appeared in the man's lifeless eyes. An intense, almost unspeakable hatred flowed from them, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.
"You scum, why don't you all just die!"
"Die? Hahahaha! What are you talking about, idiot!"
The bear-like pirate captain laughed loudly. "I've finally found true freedom on this great sea. Why would I die so easily?"
"I still want to join Lord Roa's crew!"
At the mention of Roa's name, the man on the throne instantly stood up as if he had been electrocuted. He gesticulated wildly and shrieked, "Liar! He's a liar!!"
"He said it! He said it! He would make this country prosperous and strong! He clearly said it!"
He actually hadn't.
"Why, why did this country become like this! It's all his fault, all Roa's fault—"
Bang!
The cowardly man, who had been bad-mouthing him, was kicked away by the righteous pirate.
"Shut up! You scumbag!"
The pirate captain roared furiously. "How dare you insult my idol, Lord Roa! That man is the greatest pirate in the world! Without him, where would this free sea be?"
"Free?"
The man, who had been kicked so hard he almost stuck to the wall before sliding to the ground, ignored the blood he was spitting out. He suddenly burst into a crazed laughter as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke.
"You call this… freedom?"
"If you're useless, don't blame the environment," the great pirate, Ursa the Brown Bear, with a bounty of 130 million berries, scoffed. "How come some countries have flourished in this wave of freedom? Go and reflect on whether you've worked hard enough."
"Hard work? You say hard work? Hahahahaha!"
The man became even more frantic, his words slurred. He just laughed—a wild, manic laugh that made him double over and spit out more blood.
"Just another fool abandoned by the times," the pirate captain said with a cold laugh, shaking his head. "Let's go, my boys! We're still looking for the Calamity Corporation! Damn it, how can I join Lord Roa's crew?!"
The pirates picked up the treasures piled up nearby and strode away. They were not met with any resistance. The palace guards just watched silently, as if they had long been used to it.
Only the man laughing crazily watched their backs.
"Hehe, idiot! Another idiot deceived by that monster! Just wait, you won't have a good end! That monster will chew up every single one of your bones, just like… this country—"
As if another switch had been flipped, the man suddenly started wailing loudly.
"It's all my fault! It's all my fault for this country! If it weren't for me, how would this country have fallen into hell!!"
Recalling what had happened in the past year, the man, once the leader of the Sphinx rebels, still felt as if he were in a nightmare.
In the beginning, he had been ecstatic, ready to welcome the new era.
Roa had spoken so well. He said there would be true freedom on this sea, a place where everyone could do whatever they wanted.
But when he, as the new King of Sphinx, eagerly sought cooperation from other countries, he found that refusing them was also a form of freedom.
Poor, underdeveloped, with no resources and a small population, Sphinx had no value for cooperation. No one cared about them at all.
So, he could only return in a daze.
In that case, wasn't everything the same as before?
Just as he thought this, change arrived.
At that time, the great expansion in the New World had ended. The monarchs who ruled this sea were eager to show their authority.
They wouldn't allow rebels to exist within their empires.
Therefore, pirates roaming their territories became primary targets.
These pirates had two choices: surrender or die.
Many pirates surrendered, and many died, but even more chose to flee.
Where did they flee?
Of course, they fled to the only sea in the entire New World that didn't target pirates—the sea ruled by the Calamity, Roa.
Initially, the pirates were still cautious, afraid of offending the monster. They walked on eggshells in this sea.
But soon, the pirates discovered that Roa practiced a true form of anarchism. As long as they didn't interfere with his tax collection, they could do whatever they wanted.
And so, the disaster began.
The pirates wantonly attacked the countries in this sea, using violence and bloodshed without any restraint to make every country feel the calamity—oh, except Elbaf.
Except for one pirate crew that went too far and caused a country to collapse, which affected the Calamity Corporation's tax collection and was crushed by a giant army sent by Roa, all the other pirates went unpunished.
The pirates understood that as long as they didn't affect the Calamity Corporation's tax collection, there was absolute freedom on this sea!
More pirates were drawn to it.
If Hachinosu was the island of pirates, then this sea was the sea of pirates. All the pirates in the New World who didn't want to be bound gathered here.
Not just pirates, but a bunch of various underworld organizations also tacitly moved here.
Even some of the stronger nations began to wage war on others.
The Calamity Corporation's taxes were the same for all countries.
"Same" here meant that the tax was equally burdensome for all countries. It was less for poor countries and more for rich countries, but it was always enough to cripple that country.
Coupled with the mandatory purchase of weapons, every country was under immense pressure.
So, some countries thought, since the Calamity Corporation wouldn't interfere, if pirates could do it, why couldn't they?
War broke out again.
For plunder and survival, fleets of warships rampaged across this sea.
The strong ran rampant, and the weak were left to be ravaged.
And Sphinx happened to be one of the weakest countries.
In just one year, their country was attacked by pirates over a dozen times and was also hit twice by a formidable neighboring country.
Although they didn't go too far because they were afraid of affecting the Calamity Corporation's tax collection and only stole some treasures, the disaster inflicted on this country was very real.
Not just this country, but many others in this sea were in the same situation, struggling in the hell of calamity.
"Roa! Roa!!"
In the dilapidated palace of Sphinx, the man who had once been full of vigor and wanted to save his country cursed repeatedly. "You bastard! You lied to me! You destroyed this country!"
"We were wrong! Whitebeard! Please come back and save this country!"
"No, he won't come back! How could he possibly return after his homeland betrayed him! It's all my fault!! Ahhhh!"
He screamed like a lunatic.
The others in the palace paid him no mind.
And where was the cursed Roa now?
Somewhere in the sky above this sea.
A city quietly floated there.
It wasn't a very big city, about five kilometers in diameter, and a large part of the outskirts was just clouds.
If you looked closely, you would realize that the city itself was actually a very large ship, with a city built on top of it.
The ship was surrounded by solidified clouds, which allowed it to float in the sky. These solid cloud islands were also equipped with many propellers for movement.
At the center of this sky city was a tall tower, the residence of the executives.
The top of the tower was where the ruler of the Calamity Corporation resided. From there, he could easily overlook the entire island.
"This is amazing, Boss!"
Morgans stood on a terrace at the very top of the tower, gesticulating excitedly.
"A Sky City! Just like Golden Lion, you've moved away from the sea. Even if the World Government comes after us, we won't be afraid!"
Behind him, on the terrace, Roa lay leisurely on a lounge chair, while Toki Amatsuki sat beside him, gently massaging his legs on her lap.
At nearly seventeen years old, Roa had completely shed his boyishness, transforming from a handsome youth into a handsome man.
"Pretty good, isn't it? Judge and the others spent half a year on it. With this Calamity City, the snails are no longer needed."
The great snail fleet that had carried Roa and the Calamity Corporation for over three years was left on the sea.
Their weapon factories were also left on the sea.
This Sky City also had factories, or rather, most of the city was a factory district.
But the factories here produced cloned soldiers, artificial humans with lineage factors, and some special weapons.
"This is absolutely amazing!"
Morgans didn't hold back his praise. "I even want to move my company headquarters here!"
"It doesn't matter. Everyone here is trustworthy."
Roa said casually. The guys who might leak information were all left on the sea.
"Hehe, Boss! Let's not do that for now! Times are changing fast! By staying on the sea, I can better monitor the world for you!"
Morgans chuckled. "The number of pirates sailing with the goal of becoming the Pirate King or one of the Seven Monarchs is increasing every day all over the world!"
"It's not an exaggeration to say that the world is gradually entering a pirate-dominated era!"
"It's just a shame that the Navy has regained a lot of strength through the conscription. The world still believes in the Navy's justice, and outside the New World, the pirates can't stir up trouble for now."
"However, Boss, I hear that within the World Government, they are discussing a special policy. It's said to be related to pirates..."
Legalized pirates, huh?
Stussy was more informed. The changes in the world situation made the World Government feel a sense of urgency. They were already secretly contacting powerful pirates.
The Warlords of the Sea would probably be born early.
According to Stussy, the government even tried to contact Wang Zhi and the others, which was quite an idea.
"By the way, Boss, one more thing," Morgans suddenly said. "Charlotte Linlin secretly went to the South Blue. I wonder what for."
"Oh?"
Roa raised an eyebrow. "The South Blue? It seems she's finally taking action."
"Boss, do you know what Charlotte Linlin is going to do?" Morgans asked in surprise.
Many times, he felt that his boss was even more well-informed than he was, the information specialist.
"Don't worry about it," Roa said casually. "She's just going to pick up a groom."
"Pick up a groom?!"
After being delayed for so long by territory matters, Auntie Linlin was finally going to find her long-desired Buccaneers tribe?
Sigh, as for the NTR part, he hoped the Bartholomew Kuma was okay.
"Alright, let's get down to business," Roa said, his expression turning serious. "What have you found out about the Roger Pirates?"
"We've tracked down the whereabouts of the executives who got off in the New World, thanks to the drop-off locations you gave me. But we haven't been able to find the members who got off outside the New World yet."
Morgans's expression also became serious. "However, we've found the whereabouts of the two most important executives. 'King of the Mountain' Jabba went to Fish-Man Island, and 'Dark King' Rayleigh is at Sabaody Archipelago."
"Fish-Man Island?"
Roa raised an eyebrow.
Didn't Jabba get off in the New World? Tiger was guiding them the whole way.
And he ended up on Fish-Man Island?
Was he going to Fish-Man Island to find love?
Or was he being wary of something?
As for Rayleigh, that was no surprise, since Shakky's bar was at the Sabaody Archipelago.
"What about Roger?" Roa asked.
"Well..."
Morgans gave an awkward smile and stammered, "We don't have any results yet."
"I see," Roa said with a slight nod.
In that case, where would Robin find him later?
How annoying, Roger. You're always causing trouble.
Couldn't you have just entrusted your wife and daughter to me?
Don't you trust me, your honest and reliable young man?
But it doesn't matter. Roger will be here soon, right?
Roa picked up his beloved sword and slowly drew it from its sheath.
The once-scarlet sword was now covered in black, flame-like patterns, making it look even more sinister.
You've been looking forward to this, haven't you, Hupò?
A dark red aura silently spread from the sword.
"Ah!!"
Morgans was so frightened he immediately stepped back.
Just being close to the aura made his heart tremble. It felt as if he would be completely devoured if he came into contact with it.
Roa's lips curled into a smile.
Come, Roger.
I am ready.
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New novel dropping tomorrow, stay tuned!
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The Only Player in the Marvel World
For a prize of ten million dollars, Du Mu is trying to clear a large-scale virtual game called "The Marvel World".
Unbeknownst to him, when the game started, he had already transmigrated into the real Marvel Universe, becoming the only player in this world.
Nick Fury: Du Mu is an excellent agent, he just doesn't like to follow orders. Every time I give a mission, he skips it.
Tony Stark: I don't know what happened, that day I teamed up with Du Mu, and when I came back, I was left with only one pair of underwear.
Banner: My situation is exactly the opposite of yours, only my underwear was stolen. I got so angry I transformed into the Hulk, and I was on the front page of every major news outlet that very night.
Thor: Du Mu said he had already maxed out his Justice Value to 1000, then he picked up my Mjölnir and ran off.
...
Facing the complaints of a group of superheroes, Du Mu calmly states: "These are all operations allowed by the game. If you have a problem, go talk to the game planner."