The Joker on the Sabaody Archipelago still had no idea that he had caught Imu's attention and become a thorn in the World Government's side.
Of course, with his brains, he would surely realize that the World Government's attention on him would increase substantially.
Of course, given the Joker's personality, he definitely would not be afraid of something like this. The World Government would not find it so easy to capture him.
Doflamingo began stockpiling artificial Devil Fruits. While quietly building up his own strength, he also conducted certain trades with allies such as the Revolutionary Army.
For instance, he handed some artificial Devil Fruits over to the Revolutionary Army, though they were all based on other animals, avoiding overly repetitive animal forms that might draw suspicion.
He gave another portion to the Joker, who then sent them on to Wano Country. Wano Country was closed off from the outside world, making it the perfect place to train troops.
He had also begun paying attention to the situation at sea. After all, the current state of the seas differed far too greatly from the original story.
In the New World, Red Hair and Wano Country had become quite close. Shanks had originally been friends with Kozuki Oden, and he also knew Kozuki Toki and several of Kozuki Oden's retainers. On top of that, his personality was far better than that of the other Great Pirates.
The Red Hair Pirates had only just arrived in the New World and did not yet have a fixed territory. Wano Country was vast and rich in resources, yet it happened to be somewhat lacking in military strength. Since the two sides already had a good relationship, they quickly hit it off.
Red Hair Shanks now held banquets in Wano Country every day, enjoying himself