Chapter 49: The World Accelerates
Two days earlier — New World, Hachinosu Island.
Countless pirates partied wildly across the island, a never-ending celebration.
This was the island of pirates, a place that never slept.
Inside the skull-shaped fortress, at the highest room…
Glug glug! Rocks sat on a couch, bottle in hand, drinking heavily.
"Well? The news has already been sent worldwide, right?" he asked.
"Hehehe~ Yes, Lord Rocks! The newspapers reached the world this morning," a shrill voice replied through the Den Den Mushi on the table.
"Then the World Government should know by now… I wonder what they'll do. Can't wait to see it! Ahahaha!"
Rocks stood and walked to the window, overlooking the partying pirates below, his face contemplative.
"Your plan is solid, Lord Rocks. No matter how the World Government reacts, as long as you hold Hachinosu, they can't do much! Hehehe~"
Hearing the voice again behind him, Rocks turned back to his seat.
"Now it's a matter of time. Be careful on your end—don't let CP0 catch you."
"I'll be careful, Lord Rocks!"
"Then that's all."
"Until next time, Lord Rocks!"
This time, the voice was less shrill.
Click. The Den Den Mushi cut off. Silence filled the room.
Rocks leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes.
He thought back over the last four years, smirking coldly.
To take advantage of the situation, the World Government had been ruthless.
His declaration of conquering the New World four years ago hadn't been a whim.
It had been carefully planned—Rocks had approached a news agency boss who craved attention, then shared his grand plan of taking over the New World.
The newsman saw it as a golden opportunity to grow his influence, and they hit it off immediately.
Thus began the New World Declaration.
Surprisingly, the World Government hadn't responded harshly.
As the Rocks Pirates grew in power, they merely sent Garp and the new generation Marines to "train" in the New World.
It felt like they were waiting for something…
Meanwhile, at the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, in the office of the Five Elders—
The elder with the curved beard frowned at the newspaper in his hands.
"Did he sense something? Or is he just speeding up his takeover of the New World, Rocks D. Xebec…"
He put the paper down and walked to the side.
"No matter what the reason is—let's watch for now. Keep close surveillance on the Rocks Pirates. Report immediately if anything changes," said the blond elder to a kneeling intelligence agent.
"Yes, Lord Elder!" the agent answered.
"Dismissed."
The agent departed.
The blond elder looked back at the newspaper. The headline: "Rocks Pirates Divide Forces to Conquer New World."
"We still haven't found that rat in the news agency, have we?" asked the elder leaning on a cane, his tone dark.
"Not yet," the blond elder replied.
"Useless. Send CP0. We can't let these newspapers keep misleading the world's population," growled the elder with the long sword.
No one objected. Orders were passed on to the guards to mobilize CP0.
…
Bang bang bang! Gunfire rang out in a small town above the West Blue.
On this isolated island, the town's people were being slaughtered by pirates.
"Captain! Did you see this morning's paper?!"
"The Rocks Pirates have split up—the king of the New World is on the move!"
"Captain! When are we heading to the New World?"
"I heard it's a pirate's paradise over there!"
The pirates, their blades and guns soaked in blood, stood around casually chatting about the news from the Grand Line.
Zzzt! The captain, standing in the middle, drew his bloody sword and laughed.
"Hahaha! Once we loot this town, we'll have the supplies we need—next stop, the Grand Line!"
"Really?! That's great, Captain!"
"The New World awaits us!"
That day, pirates all over the Four Seas grew more frenzied.
In a flash, pirate numbers in the Grand Line exploded again.
At Marineford, the headquarters of the Navy—
Smash! The current Fleet Admiral slammed down the latest report: another Marine colonel stationed in Loguetown had been killed.
Ever since Rocks ignited what he dubbed the New World Pirate Era, Loguetown—gateway to the Grand Line—had been under constant assault.
This was the latest in a string of colonels lost to pirate attacks.
"Damn it! What are the Five Elders thinking?! They won't let us deploy anyone above Rear Admiral to guard Loguetown?! What kind of crap order is that?!" the Fleet Admiral roared.
He picked up that morning's paper again. Splitting forces? That's not like Rocks…
Could there be an unknown reason?
On this day, the world seemed to shift into overdrive—all because of one newspaper.
...
Back to the present—
On White Island, Luo Han and the others had finally received the very newspaper that had sent the world into chaos.
They were sitting around, eating.
Luo Han held meat in one hand, a newspaper in the other, seated at the long table, looking puzzled.
So Rocks personally leaked the news about the troop division to the media…
What kind of play is that? Isn't he afraid of the Marines or World Government ambushing him with their full forces?
Whatever. I'll just stay alert. Worst case, I run.
When it came to escape, Luo Han considered himself unmatched. He could fly or dive underwater.
Right now, food came first.
"Newgate-nii-san, how exactly are we 'chasing' the Roger Pirates?" Luo Han asked, confused.
The past few days didn't feel like a pursuit—they felt like a cruise. They'd even gone out of their way to dock at populated islands.
"Hahaha! Luo Han, how do you expect us to find Roger's crew if we don't know their exact location?" Whitebeard laughed.
"But if we keep visiting islands with people, we're bound to cross paths eventually."
Still, Luo Han was skeptical. Isn't this way too random?
"And Rocks doesn't need a status report?" he asked.
"You still don't get it, do you, Luo Han?" said Golden Lion, walking over with a bottle in hand.
"Rocks didn't order us to catch Roger. He told us to pursue Roger."
"And knowing Roger's nature, he won't hide on some deserted island forever.
In fact, after seeing that paper from three days ago, he's probably heading our way right now."
Luo Han considered it—and it made sense.
He remembered from his previous life's anime that Roger was the kind of man who did everything big and bold.
Without Rocks around to endanger his crew, Roger wouldn't keep running.
Haha! That means it won't be long before I meet the most charismatic man in the One Piece world…
Luo Han thought, excitement surging in his chest.
(END CHAPTER)
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