The newspaper from the World Economy News Paper exploded like a bomb, rocking the entire world.
Who could have imagined that the pirates led by Roa would dare to do such a thing!
People had thought that retaking the New World and then marching into the West Blue and North Blue was already shocking, but they never expected that was just the beginning.
Roa actually led his pirates to attack Mariejois!
Mariejois, that was the nerve center of the World Government, the Holy Land where the Celestial Dragons resided!
For eight hundred years, this white city had stood high above the clouds, sacred and inviolable.
In the eyes of the world, it was the dwelling of gods, and ordinary mortals couldn't even touch it, let alone destroy it.
But now, that Holy Land had been reduced to ruins. Judging by the photos, raging flames had engulfed the entirety of Mariejois!
Not only was Mariejois destroyed, but the residents of the city, the Celestial Dragons suffered an unprecedented massacre.
Those were the Celestial Dragons!
If just one Celestial Dragon was attacked, a Navy Admiral had to immediately take action!
And now, tens of thousands of Celestial Dragons perished in the sea of fire?
How could such a madman exist in the world!
And not only was he mad, but Roa genuinely accomplished it.
Ordinary citizens were scared out of their wits just by seeing this news.
"A lunatic! Such a lunatic actually existed in the world back then!"
"The most evil man in history! Is this his frenzy?"
"The Warlords of the Sea? The Pirate Emperors? Everyone pales in comparison to him! This guy is the most dangerous monster in the world—no, in the last eight hundred years!"
Of course, some people were trembling with excitement after seeing the news today.
"Hahahaha! To be able to go this mad! Truly worthy of the pirate with the highest bounty in history!"
"The world is about to become unprecedentedly chaotic! We must seize this opportunity!"
"Is the Great Pirate Era coming to an end? Will the confrontation between Roa and the World Government become the main theme of the world from now on?"
"I want to join his ranks! To participate in this feast!"
Finally, there was another type of person. They were equally excited, but for completely different reasons.
"Celestial Dragons! Has your doomsday finally arrived?"
"This is great! This is great! My poor daughter, someone has finally avenged you! You can rest in peace in heaven now!"
"Heaven has finally opened its eyes! My child was shot dead just for not kneeling in time when seeing a Celestial Dragon! Now, it's finally their turn to suffer misfortune!"
"Lord Roa, we adore you!!"
Although the Celestial Dragons' scope of activity was limited, the number of people directly harmed by them in this world was not small.
These people were now practically worshipping Roa as a deity.
The whole world was going mad because of this single newspaper from the World Economy News Paper.
At the same moment, at the summit of the Red Line.
Not far from Mariejois, which had been reduced to a white wasteland, a gigantic tree that covered the sky grew silently.
The sheer size of this great tree was in no way inferior to Elbaf's Treasure Tree Adam. Because it grew at the summit of the Red Line, it reached an even more astonishing height, with its branches soaring far above the clouds.
The tree's name was the Sunlight Tree Eve.
Every leaf of the tree shone brightly under the sun. The light caught by these leaves traveled all the way down the tree's branches and roots, eventually reaching Fish-Man Island, bringing light and warmth to that country in the deep sea.
Interestingly, if one stood beneath the Sunlight Tree Eve and looked up, they could vaguely make out the outline of a colossal structure within the dense foliage of the great tree—disorganized and rough, like a bird's nest.
An oversized bird's nest.
And now, beneath this great tree, a bizarre, city-sized warship lay silently.
On the top deck of the massive ship, soldiers who looked like startled birds and craftsmen carrying various tools hurried back and forth.
Inside this ship, in a vast room.
Imu sat on a tall throne, their right hand, also shrouded in a black cloak, gently caressing the armrest of the throne, a hint of nostalgia in the movement.
"Lord Imu!"
Four people knelt on the floor below: Wild Boar V. Nusjuro, Sandworm Saint Topman Warcury, and Horse Bone Ethanbaron V. Nasujuro—the only three remaining members of the former Five Elders.
The remaining person had a noticeably distinctive moon-shaped haircut: the former Commander of the Holy Knights, Figarland Garling. Of course, his current title was no longer the Commander of the Holy Knights.
"The refitting of this ship is proceeding methodically,"
Warcury bowed deeply. "The weather technology used by Roa's ships is not particularly remarkable. With Vegapunk, who has been summoned back, they will be able to take to the skies soon."
"In that case, Roa and his people won't be the only ones capable of hiding in the shadows."
"Just taking to the skies?"
Imu's indistinct voice echoed in the spacious room. "What I need is for this ship to unleash the power it was originally meant to have."
"Yes, Lord Imu!"
Garling, the newly appointed Scientific Defense God-of-War, nodded heavily. "I will wholeheartedly urge the scientists to complete the energy production in the shortest possible time!"
"The losses from this incident are severe,"
Nasujuro spoke with a heavy expression. "Even with the desperate efforts of the guards, over eighty percent of the Celestial Dragons were killed in the direct attack. Many of the remaining have died in agony due to overly severe injuries."
At this point, all the Five Elders—no, the Four Elders—had poor complexions.
After all, many of the deceased were from their own families, and quite a few were their direct blood relatives.
"But thankfully, the survivors are the most elite of the Celestial Dragons."
Nasujuro continued. "They are ready to become a force to fight for you at any time."
Imu slowly nodded. "What about Roa's whereabouts?"
"Apologies, Lord Imu,"
The four old men lowered their heads deeply again. "We have no information yet."
"But one thing is certain: that man Morgans is Roa's man! No wonder that great criminal's information was so well-informed, even knowing the exact routes of the Navy fleets!"
"Search, find them!"
Imu crushed the armrest of the throne directly in their hand, their voice cold as ice. "Roa must die!"
"Yes!"
The Four Elders nodded heavily.
Then, Saint Topman Warcury cautiously suggested, "Lord Imu, should the Government also issue a response to this reporting?"
Almost at the same moment, on the other side of the Red Line, at Navy Headquarters.
Massive warships were docked in the port bay.
Marines formed a long line, carrying various supplies onto the ships.
By the shore.
"Uncle Zephyr,"
A boy wearing a Navy cap looked at the hurried Marines and turned to ask in confusion, "Are we just abandoning the New Marineford like this?"
"The situation leaves us no choice, Luffy,"
Beside the boy, the Navy Admiral Aokiji, a man in a blue suit with fluffy black curly hair, sighed. "Though we hate to admit it, it seems impossible to deal with Roa and his crew in the short term."
"With the Red Line as the boundary, and the West Blue and North Blue as the battlegrounds, a long-term confrontation between the World Government and the pirates has become an undeniable reality."
"Under these circumstances, New Marineford, located in the New World, is simply too dangerous."
"Eh!!"
The boy, Luffy, shouted in surprise. "So we were scared off by those pirates? That's too shameful, Uncles!"
"Everyone here is more reluctant than you, brat!"
Akainu, in an dark red suit, glared fiercely at the boy. "But this is an act of desperation!"
"This will be a protracted war of attrition,"
Zephyr took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "The person who can endure the solitude will be closer to the final victory!"
If they remained at this Navy Headquarters, one surprise attack from the pirates would mean the total annihilation of the forces of justice!
"Is that so?"
Luffy scratched his head in confusion.
But whether it was Zephyr, Akainu, or Aokiji, the highest echelons of Navy Headquarters all had a hint of confusion in their eyes.
In the current situation, what should they do?
The battle that took place in Mariejois had been exposed by the World Economy News Paper.
The World Government's prestige was undoubtedly greatly diminished. Even the affiliated nations were probably already worried about the World Government.
This was certainly a good thing for those who wanted to overthrow the World Government.
However, without that person named Imu, how were they supposed to stand against Roa?
At the same moment.
Sabaody Archipelago.
Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.
"To actually go this far, Roa,"
Silvers Rayleigh, the Right Hand of the Pirate King, flipped through the newspaper, sighing with a hint of helplessness. "How much power did you accumulate in twenty-five years?"
This was a genuine, direct attack on Mariejois, reducing the city to ruins, and then managing to retreat unscathed from Imu.
For the world, this was already terrifying enough.
But in the eyes of Rayleigh, who knew what Mariejois truly hid, calling Roa's action extraordinary was far from sufficient!
"The Great Pirate Era started by Roger seems to be coming to an end here."
Shakky, who had a cigarette dangling from her mouth and was quietly wiping glasses behind the bar, said with a smile, "The era that follows belongs to Roa, doesn't it?"
"Indeed."
Rayleigh lamented. "The main theme of the world from now on will be the confrontation between those two sides."
"I wonder if Shanks and Robin can seize this opportunity."
Deep within the Calm Belt, some distance from the Sabaody Archipelago.
A pirate ship, held aloft by two giant sea serpents, was slowly advancing.
This was the Kuja Pirates.
"Eh!! He was crazy enough to do that! And he actually managed to get away unscathed!!"
On the deck, Boa Marigold, a tall, muscular woman with orange hair and a Kuja Pirates executive, looked at the newspaper with a look of terror.
"How terrifying has that man become!"
"Robin!"
By the ship's rail, Boa Hancock, the second-in-command of the Kuja Pirates, sitting beneath a sunshade and quietly enjoying afternoon tea, put down her teacup. "The real war seems to be approaching! But are you sure you want to take that man as your hypothetical enemy?"
"Roa is a lunatic."
Robin, the Captain of the Kuja Pirates and Empress of Amazon Lily, spoke slowly. "If he takes over this world, then everything will be over."
"What my father couldn't do, I must inherit!"
"In that case,"
Hancock said with interest, "Are you still not going to eat that Devil Fruit?"
"Rayleigh said it, didn't he? That Devil Fruit is the key!"
"..."
Robin fell silent.
After a long while, she slowly spoke, "I'm just worried, Hancock. Is that person really me?"
In the West Blue.
The Red Force lay anchored quietly on a secluded island.
"Wow! That guy really dared to do it!"
The ship's sniper, Yasopp, shouted as he held the newspaper. "He actually attacked Mariejois, and he really pulled it off!"
Shanks, who was grilling meat, shook his head helplessly. "It seems Roa has become strong to an unimaginable degree."
With Mariejois destroyed to that extent, it was impossible for Imu not to intervene.
For Roa to be able to retreat calmly under those circumstances, his strength must have surpassed all imagination!
"It looks like the West Blue is no longer safe either,"
Shanks sighed. "Let's head to the first half of the Grand Line. This sea area is likely to become a complete battlefield next."
And while we're at it, let's go see Mr. Rayleigh and Robin!
The era is changing!
North Blue.
A large fleet of pirate ships, led by the Moby Dick, sailed through the waves in this sea area.
Whitebeard looked at the newspaper and fell silent.
Then he sighed, "Leave the North Blue."
Anyone with a modicum of insight knew that the main theme of the era had changed the instant this news arrived.
The confrontation between the pirate alliance led by Roa and the World Government would be the central theme of the coming age!
No one else could intervene in their war!
In the North Blue, some people were especially aware of this.
"Mr. Dragon! What should we do now?"
The faces of the two young men were filled with inexpressible urgency. "The North Blue is about to turn into a complete battlefield! Neither the pirates nor the World Government will care about the lives of the people in this area!"
"What should we do now!!"
Yes, what should we do now?
How could they stop the World Government and the pirate alliance from fighting in this sea area?
"..."
Dragon was speechless.
There was no way.
Even the combined strength of the entire North Blue was too insignificant in the face of those two powers.
The strength of the people was simply too weak against the surging tides of the era.
The next day.
Another round of newspapers flew everywhere.
But this time, it was the newspapers under the World Government.
The newspaper sternly criticized the pirates led by Roa, claiming they had basely attacked Mariejois and massacred the World Nobles while the World Government's main forces were deployed to the West Blue and North Blue to fight the pirates.
In addition to proclaiming the pirates' depravity, the Government also used the article to appease the people around the world, assuring them that the reason Mariejois was destroyed to such an extent was solely due to an internal vacuum.
Once the Government concentrated all its forces, the pirates would be nothing to fear.
That was what they said.
And then came the real main event.
The latest bounty posters for the monsters were flying everywhere.
The bounties of all the monsters who participated in that battle soared.
Golden Lion Shiki and Kaido had surpassed six billion Berries, exceeding Roa's former number.
The figures for Douglas Bullet, King, Katakuri, Charlotte Linlin, and Laughing Red were all over five billion, and Teach and Loki were also approaching this number.
Especially Bullet and King, whose original bounties were only a few hundred million; their bounties had increased by over five billion!
Yamato, Bonney, Enel, and Doflamingo's figures were also starting to become outrageous, all in the two to three billion range.
However, even with everyone's bounties skyrocketing, there was only one person whose figure was the most unprecedented and shocking.
The moment people received Roa's wanted poster, almost everyone thought they had misread it.
"Are, are these zeroes for real?!"
"Did I miscount? It's ten billion, right!!"
"Ten billion? Idiot! Count again! There are eleven zeroes in total!"
"It's... One Hundred Billion!!!"
Yes.
On this latest wanted poster, the number written in black and white beneath the photo of the young man with a gentle smile was a one followed by eleven zeroes.
One Hundred Billion Berries, beyond a shadow of a doubt!
Keep in mind that before this, the highest bounty in history was Roa's six billion!
"Has the World Government gone crazy? One hundred billion Berries! Are they seriously still offering a bounty for a pirate!"
"At this point, who would be foolish enough to treat Roa as an ordinary pirate? This monster is now fighting the World Government for this world!!"
"Exactly! He is no longer just a pirate, but a true king! The King of Calamity who is about to sweep half the world!"
The entire world was scared stiff by this unprecedented number.
Somewhere in the first half of the Grand Line, Paradise.
"The King of Calamity Roa! It really is one hundred billion!"
On a certain pirate ship, a pirate held Roa's wanted poster, trembling with excitement. He quickly turned back. "Captain! Captain! If we can take this guy's head, we'll be set for life!"
"Hahahaha! That's true!"
The youth, with noticeable Fish-Man characteristics and exceptionally sharp teeth, looked up with a grin. "But Dad said this guy is super scary. Plus, Golden Lion Shiki and Kaido are following him. We shouldn't go looking for trouble."
"Aww—"
The pirates sighed regretfully.
"Hahahaha! Don't be so gloomy!"
The half-Fish-Man youth laughed heartily. "How about this, when we get to Fish-Man Island, I'll take you out for some fun! There are countless beautiful girls there!"
"Long live Captain Colon!"
Meanwhile, on Fish-Man Island.
A certain Luo, who was living a life of debauchery and decadence, also received his latest wanted poster.
"What caliber is this that dares to place a bounty on me?"
He said, sounding somewhat displeased. "Courtesy demands reciprocity! King, inform Morgans, we're placing a counter-bounty!"
"The offense-defense dynamic has long since shifted! If the bandit can come, so can I!"
"Yes, Boss!"
Shyarly, the beautiful Mermaid who was being used as a sofa by Roa due to her large size, thought silently to herself:
Who is the bandit?
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi