The New World's Dawn Begins at the Tavern

"East Blue Tavern?"

Luo looked up at the arrest warrant.

The coordinates marked by the system are neither on the White Swallow nor in the sea area pointed to by the Button.

That's where Lin Qi opened his shop.

"Why there?" Lami asked.

Vegapunk accesses the flow of authority over the Throne.

"After the black stone fragment left Dragon's body, the core did not transfer to Luo's body; instead, it returned to the Initial Terminal along the earliest livestream route."

"Lin Qi," Luo said.

"Right."

As soon as Dragon's heartbeat returned, his hand reached for the Den Den Mushi by the bedside.

"Contact the East Blue Revolutionary Army Branch."

Xiong replied, "I've already contacted them, but no one answered."

Where are the people near the Tavern?

"Rush."

The Five Elders' arrest warrant is still being updated.

Anyone who has conducted business with the East Blue Tavern must undergo investigation within 24 hours.

[Those who earn rewards by answering questions at the Tavern will be designated as assistants.]

[Tavern owner Lin Qi is suspected of manipulating the Throne and God Valley routes]

Lami asked, "Does he know?"

Luo opened a private line.

There was no response.

I dialed again, but the Den Den Mushi remained with its eyes closed.

"The signal has been cut," Vegapunk said.

Who can see the Tavern?

"The global live stream hasn't restored the footage from there yet."

"Use the Throne."

"You do not have permission."

"Where are the stone flakes?"

"There's only half a nautical chart; the control unit isn't on board."

Doflamingo's communications reappeared.

"What a pity, after chasing for so long, it turns out the new Throne belongs to someone else."

Luo asked, "Did you arrange for someone to be in the East Blue?"

Why should I tell you?

"You just saw the Tavern's coordinates, no surprise."

There are too many places in this world called Taverns.

"Lin Qi's name has never been made public."

Doflamingo did not respond immediately.

Luo continued, "You know him."

I've met him once.

"When?"

A long time ago.

Where?

"You should worry about yourself first. The Five Elders have attributed all the respondents to the Tavern. As soon as Lin Qi leaves, the tracking marker will switch to you."

Lami looked at the system notification.

There is indeed an extra line of rules at the bottom of the page.

[After the Initial Terminal leaves the bound area, all beneficiaries will inherit the Accomplice Mark.]

"That's why they released the coordinates," Vegapunk said. "Lin Qi runs away, everyone will be hunted down; if he doesn't, the World Government only needs to surround the Tavern."

Luo asked, "Can it be unblocked?"

"Start from the Initial Terminal."

"Then let Lin Qi do it."

"Get in touch with him first."

Inside the East Blue Tavern, the Den Den Mushi had already been stuffed into the sake barrel.

Lin Qi squatted behind the counter, pressing a damp cloth against the wound on the helper's forehead.

"Don't move."

"Boss, they vandalized your shop, what are you going to do with the money?"

"Your head is bleeding, the liquor cabinet won't."

"The wine cabinet burned."

"I saw it."

"That's the wine you've been storing for three years."

"Say it again, and I'll take the cloth away."

The helper shut up.

Footsteps came from outside the door and stopped next to the overturned signboard.

A member of the CP, dressed in black, walked in, his shoes stepping over broken glass.

Lin Qi.

No one answered from behind the counter.

We know you're still here.

Lin Qi looked down at the distance to the back door.

The helper grabbed the hem of his clothes.

"You can leave now."

"I can only leave if you let go."

"They arrested me to force you to come out."

"I know."

"Then why are you still squatting?"

There are people outside.

What about the back door?

"There are also people."

"Cellar."

"The lock is broken."

The CP member walked to the counter and kicked a chair away.

"The World Government only wants the Throne Control Terminal. Hand it over, and you and everyone in the shop will live."

Lin Qi peeked half his head out from behind the counter.

What control terminal?

Don't play dumb.

"I really don't know."

"The global live stream begins at this Tavern; every question is answered via your Den Den Mushi."

"That was left by a guest."

"Who?"

"Forgot."

"Name."

"Does opening Tavern require registering customers' names?"

The CP members drew their pistols and pointed them at the helper's legs sticking out from behind the counter.

Lin Qi pulled him a little further in.

"Let's talk this out."

"Come out."

"Put the gun away."

You have no right to negotiate.

"Then I won't go out."

Gunshots rang out.

The bullet hit the edge of the counter, and sawdust fell into Lin Qi's hair.

The helper opened his mouth to curse, but Lin Qi covered it.

"Don't speak."

Hmm.

"They'll be shot a second time."

The person outside stepped on the counter.

"One last time, come out."

Lin Qi looked at the Den Den Mushi in the barrel.

The Den Den Mushi had opened its eyes, and familiar names kept flashing across the screen.

Luffy, Whitebeard, the Revolutionary Army, the Marines, and many others he had only seen on the answer list.

The system is asking if you want to leave the bound area.

[Upon leaving the Tavern, the beneficiary will automatically inherit the pursuit marker.]

[Confirm departure?]

Lin Qi had already selected "confirm".

My finger hovered over the page, then moved away.

"Boss?" the helper asked.

"Um."

Are you scared?

"Nonsense."

I thought you weren't afraid.

How did you figure that out?

"Back when pirates smashed up the shop, you even made them pay for the cups."

"Garp was outside that time."

Not today?

"Today, there are people outside the door trying to arrest me."

CP members bypassed the counter.

Lin Qi picked up the half-empty bottle of wine next to him and smashed it on the ground.

The liquor flowed over the burning wooden planks, and the fire climbed along the edge of the counter.

The other party took a step back.

"You want to burn out the control unit?"

"I'll burn the ledger first."

"Grab him!"

The back door was pushed open at the same time, two CP members blocked the exit, and another person came down the stairs, dragging the Tavern chef with him.

"Boss, don't worry about me!" the chef shouted.

"Put the knife down first."

"They forced me to take it."

"Then let go."

The chef then realized he was still holding the cleaver and quickly threw it to the ground.

CP members kicked the person against the wall.

"Relinquish the Throne."

"You keep talking about the Throne, but what does it actually look like?"

"Live Streaming Control Core."

"No."

"The system has confirmed that it is in the Tavern."

"The system also says Garp is dead, do you believe it?"

The leader raised his gun and pointed it at the chef.

Lin Qi stepped out from behind the counter.

Don't scare me with them.

"Finally willing to come out?"

"They didn't know about the live stream."

Whether someone is an accomplice is for us to determine.

"Even if I hand over the goods, you still won't release them."

You can give it a try.

"I don't like trying these kinds of things."

Lin Qi walked to the barrel and fished out the Den Den Mushi.

All the CP members looked at the page in his hand.

The system is still asking for confirmation of departure.

The leader said, "Press it down."

Which one to press?

"Unbind."

What happens after you press it?

The Tavern has returned to normal.

Those who answer the questions will be flagged.

"It's none of your business."

They came to my shop.

"So what?"

Lin Qi wiped the alcohol off the Den Den Mushi casing.

"Once the guest leaves, it's really none of my business."

The helper sat up, supported by the counter.

"Boss."

"Shut up."

"Are you really going to press it?"

"Why don't you do it?"

"I dare not."

"I wouldn't dare."

Lin Qi put the Den Den Mushi back on the counter.

"So I won't press it."

The leader raised his gun.

Do you know the consequences of refusing?

The Tavern was already burned down.

"There are still people alive."

I saw it.

"Then why are you refusing?"

Lin Qi looked down and scrolled through the system pages.

"I was just thinking, since all the world's problems are sent out from here, what happens here should also be sent out."

CP members rushed towards the counter.

Lin Qi pressed the question-setting permission.

[Should I set the current screen as a public topic?]

"Yes."

[Please enter your question]

Before the gun butt smashed into the Den Den Mushi, screens around the world lit up simultaneously.

The burned-out liquor cabinet, the injured helper, the chef pinned against the wall, and the CP members pointing guns all appear in the scene.

Lin Qi looked up at the team leader.

"The first question."

"Turn it off!"

Why would the World Government attack a Tavern where no one knows what Throne is before issuing a warrant for its arrest?

The system automatically generates four options.

[Destroy evidence]

[Arrest of Lin Qi]

[Seize the Throne]

[Kill all witnesses]

A CP member pulls the trigger.

Lin Qi raised his hand to block, but the bullet did not fire.

The ammunition in the gun barrel was snatched away from the other end of the screen by an outstretched hand.

Luffy's face appeared on screens worldwide.

"Whoever touches the Tavern, I'll beat them up."

The Thousand Sunny on the sea has changed course.

Nami grabbed his collar from behind.

Do you know how far the East Blue is from us?

"Have no idea."

"Then what are you shouting for!"

"Shout it out first, then we'll talk."

The Whitebeard Pirates' communications were then connected.

Marco checked the Tavern coordinates and pushed the sea chart onto the table.

"Pops, the nearest ship will take two days."

Whitebeard picked up the Den Den Mushi.

"Two days it is."

"The World Government will arrive first."

"Then let the ships flying the Whitebeard flag nearby go."

What reasons should I write?

"You need a reason?"

Marco turned to give the orders.

The Revolutionary Army's public statement then appeared on the screen.

Trafalgar Law is a doctor under the protection of the Revolutionary Army.

[The East Blue Tavern is the location where evidence of God Valley is preserved.]

[Any execution of Tavern staff shall be considered a destruction of witness testimony.]

As the CP team leader watched the constantly arriving ship coordinates, his hand holding the gun drooped slightly.

Lin Qi did not try to take his weapon.

"Shall we continue?"

They won't make it in time.

"But the whole world has seen you."

"The members of CP have not revealed their identities."

"Then why did you take off your mask?"

The team leader raised his hand to touch his face, only to remember that he had removed his face covering before entering the Tavern.

The others began to back away.

"Withdraw."

"Sir, the Throne is still inside."

"Get outside first."

Where are they?

The team leader looked at Lin Qi.

The live stream was not turned off.

Luffy was still shouting at them from the other end not to run away, and Whitebeard's fleet began to respond.

"You can't take it with you."

CP members left the Tavern.

Lin Qi waited until the footsteps outside the door dispersed before sitting down on the charred chair.

The helper climbed out from behind the counter.

"They really left?"

"Temporary."

"Weren't you afraid just now?"

My legs are numb.

I told you you'd been squatting for too long.

"Put out the fire first."

Just as the group picked up the bucket, the system popped up another notification.

[The attacker did not leave the designated area]

[The Throne Entrance is Opening]

Lin Qi looked down at the ground.

The center of the Tavern remained unchanged.

The chef pointed behind the bar.

"Boss, was the Cellar lock broken just now?"

"Broken."

But the door is open.

The old wooden planks that had been laid at the entrance to the Cellar were being pulled back to the sides.

There were no wine barrels or stored grain below.

A black wall, identical to the stone slab of God Valley, rose from the ground, its surface bearing seventeen handprints.

The one at the very top is glowing.

The system has provided a new prompt.

New World Dawn Plan

[The first witness has arrived]

Footsteps echoed from deep within the Cellar.

Lin Qi picked up the bucket and stood by the entrance.

Who's down there?

Someone answered from the darkness.

"The First Patient."