William's victory over "Golden Lion" Shiki was largely due to their fleet of airships capable of carrying people into the skies. The production of these airships had been made possible by the collective effort of the textile factories in Kalmar City's industrial district, where workers toiled tirelessly, working overtime to meet the demanding production schedules.
Although these workers never set foot on the battlefield and their individual strength was far inferior to even the most ordinary soldier, their contribution to defending the East Blue and defeating a notorious pirate like Shiki was monumental.
Like many other factory workers, when Felisk heard that the Marines were sending representatives from Headquarters after William had defeated Shiki, he assumed they were coming to reward William and the people of the East Blue for their heroic efforts. Even though William had already distributed bonuses to the workers and frequently published articles in newspapers praising their contributions—offering both material and moral recognition—the World Government and Marine Headquarters carried a different weight altogether.
After all, when the Celestial Dragons had once visited the East Blue, countless locals had cheered in reverence, seeing it as an honor to even catch a glimpse of them. This demonstrated the stark difference in perception between kingdoms and the World Government for the people of this world. A kingdom represented a mere corner of the world, while the World Government symbolized the entire world itself.
However, what awaited Felisk and his fellow workers was not commendation, honor, or rewards, but unemployment, arrests, and hardship.
With Morgan William convicted and imprisoned by the Marines, the former nobles and king returned to power. For the impoverished residents, this was nothing short of catastrophic. Anyone with a shred of foresight knew that the nobles and the king harbored deep resentment toward William. After all, it was William's policies that had allowed the slum dwellers to gradually lead prosperous and dignified lives. In Kalmar City, William's supporters were numerous, and the factory managers were all individuals he had elevated to their positions. It was unthinkable that the nobles and the king, upon regaining power, would allow these people to continue prospering.
When factory managers were arrested one after another, factories shut down, and protestors were ruthlessly suppressed by Marines from Headquarters, the people of the slums finally realized that the industrial district of Kalmar City was on the verge of extinction.
Those who had been content working in factories were reluctant to return to their former lives, but after waiting in vain for a turnaround, the unemployed workers had no choice but to seek other means of survival. Brothels and small taverns sprang up like mushrooms after rain, proliferating with alarming speed. Petty thefts and robberies began to occur sporadically.
If not for the factory buildings constructed over the past two years and the worker uniforms still worn by many pedestrians, Felisk might have thought he had traveled back in time to his days in the slums.
Before becoming a factory worker, Felisk had been a pickpocket—albeit an unsuccessful one. Unwilling to return to his old trade, he chose to work at a tavern instead.
Felisk wasn't particularly clever or capable, but during the time when he worked overtime producing airships, he had collapsed from exhaustion after working two consecutive days and nights without rest. This incident had landed him in the newspapers as a model worker, earning him recognition throughout the industrial district. Many people knew of his struggles and family circumstances and often showed him kindness. While he cleaned tables, those who recognized him would occasionally leave small tips under their plates.
Basco's group quickly noticed this pattern. After some patrons left, they would call Felisk over and discreetly leave money on their plates, which he would collect while cleaning. None of the other servers received such treatment.
Most of Basco's group were visiting for the first time and didn't understand why this was happening. Only the soldier who had brought them here knew the story and explained it to the others, leaving them all sighing in sympathy.
Silently, Basco reached into his pocket, pulled out two Berries, and placed them under his own plate.
As the group drank and laughed, the tavern quickly became lively. The slums had always been rife with women forced into prostitution, and many women who grew up there couldn't escape this fate. The establishment of factories had significantly improved this situation, but with the factories now closed, the many unemployed female workers had no choice but to return to their old ways. As a result, the tavern was filled with women wearing cheap perfume. Before long, nearly every man in Basco's group had a woman in his arms, laughing and feeding each other drinks.
Basco, however, had never been fond of such environments. After hearing about Felisk's plight, he felt even less inclined to join in and sat alone in a corner, drinking silently. It wasn't long before he noticed a change in the atmosphere. The once lively chatter from the women had died down, their smiles fading from their faces.
Straightening up, Basco scanned the room and quickly identified the cause of the tension.
A group of Marine soldiers in white uniforms had entered the tavern.
Basco's brow furrowed deeply.
Regardless of how the four Vice Admirals at the temporary command center in Kalmar City viewed the situation, the people of the city—and indeed, the entire East Blue—placed the blame for the current state of affairs squarely on the Marines from Headquarters.
The news of the Faraise Kingdom's capital being sacked and its royal palace burned had not been confined to official Marine channels. Many citizens in Kalmar City were aware of it as well.
To them, the imprisonment of the hero who had saved the East Blue, Morgan William, was the direct cause of the chaos. It was because of the Marines' actions that the remnants of the Arlong Pirates and the Buggy Pirates, once crushed under William's rule, had been able to escape and commit such heinous acts.
What's more, during their time in the city, the Marines had worked to help the nobles and the king regain control, ruthlessly suppressing dissent, believing the nobles' accusations, and arresting residents under the pretext of being William's accomplices.
For the people of Kalmar City, especially those from the slums, their initial anticipation of the Marines' arrival had turned into bitter hatred.
"They dare come to a tavern in the slums? Aren't they afraid someone will get them drunk and drown them in a puddle?" one of Basco's comrades muttered under his breath.
"What's there to be afraid of? Anyone who tries that will be labeled as William's accomplice and thrown into prison, only to be executed alongside him," another soldier replied sarcastically.
A third soldier coldly observed the Marines and remarked, "Those b***ards from Headquarters must be thrilled. They've successfully turned the East Blue into the same chaotic mess as the Grand Line."
"Maybe they did it on purpose," someone else added. "Now it looks like the East Blue can't survive without them."
Basco let out a heavy sigh. "If Lord William were still here, this city and the East Blue wouldn't have fallen into such a state."
His words hung in the air, and his comrades exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to respond.
Meanwhile, the Marines had nonchalantly made their way to a table near the stage. These soldiers, simply following orders, were largely unaware of the depth of animosity they faced from the locals or the broader changes in the East Blue's environment. The propaganda within the Marine ranks naturally vilified William, painting him as a criminal. They still believed themselves to be on the side of justice, despite reports from their peers about the hostility they encountered in the East Blue.
They had yet to realize that the resentment they faced came not from a "minority" of William's alleged accomplices, but from the majority of the local population.
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