The Prelude to a New Era

The great war between the New World and the Whitebeard Pirates has ended, and most of the Navy's high-ranking officers have returned to Marineford Marine Headquarters.

Inside the naval conference room, the faces of the naval high-ranking officers all revealed joy.

This war was undoubtedly a great success for the Navy, and even with some losses, the Whitebeard Pirates suffered significant losses as well.

It also demonstrated the navy's formidable power, giving the people confidence in the navy and curbing the arrogance of the New World pirates.

After all, the Navy had only been gone from the New World for two years, and its influence New World had completely dissipated. The New World had become a world of pirates, and gradually, some pirates began to completely disregard the Navy.

In most people's eyes, this battle was a victory for the navy, and that is indeed the case. The navy is very powerful and had the upper hand in terms of high-end combat capabilities during the war.

The Whitebeard Pirates suffered significant losses, and to prevent further casualties, they voluntarily withdrew. Whitebeard Pirates was a clear stance.

This battle also marked a very important step for the Navy to return to the New World; the previously empty G1 Branch was no longer a significant threat.

Although the G1 Branch was largely destroyed by the Whitebeard Pirates, it is now being rapidly rebuilt. Meanwhile, as the Whitebeard Pirates withdrew, the Navy's fleet advanced further, recapturing the four islands in the front part of the New World that were previously lost, namely the G2 to G5 Branch.

The World Government also approved a significant amount of military funding to help the Marine Headquarters rebuild these important Marine Branch.

It wasn't just the victory in the war that brought immense prestige to the Navy and the World Government; the Sea Emperor of New World, one Great Pirate, and the emergence of powerful pirates who carved out their own territories and declared themselves kings during the division of the New World, caused the World Government to completely lose control over it. This posed a huge threat to the World Government.

The rise of pirates in the New World, especially the Sea Emperor, must be curbed. Otherwise, as time goes by, their influence and power will only grow.

This momentum is clearly visible, which is why they support the development of the navy.

The Navy should shift its focus back to the New World and put pressure on the pirates New World; otherwise, the pirates' power will only continue to grow.

After all, the rate at which pirates weaken each other is much slower than the rate at which they go to sea and grow stronger.

The victory in the war, and the discussions at the conference, have already settled many matters.

The naval promotions will take place in a month, and the ceremony will be open to the world, showcasing the navy's newest image.

Similarly, the Navy is constantly sending troops to the New World to rebuild its Marine Branch. In order to prevent pirates from launching sneak attacks, it also needs to send strongmen to guard the New World.

After all, the Navy had only been away from the New World for two years, and now that they've returned, they're bound to cause a lot of trouble for the pirates in the New World. Nobody wants a Navy fleet to suddenly appear during a battle between two pirate crews.

No one would watch the Navy gain a foothold in the New World so easily.

There's bound to be trouble, but they're not going to give up now that they've finally gotten this far.

After a month's wait, the navy's warships can resume sailing in the New World, even if they face immense pressure from pirates.

But that's just a hypothetical scenario, impossible to achieve in a short time. Building Marine Branch is not something that can be done overnight. Each Marine Branch in the New World is like a high-speed rail fortress, requiring a huge amount of resources.

Moreover, the great war resulted in the deaths of many elite marines, leading to a severe shortage of manpower. Furthermore, a large number of elite naval personnel were transferred to the New World. Despite this, the number of Marine Branch in the New World is still insufficient, and the elite forces of the Marine Headquarters are also lacking.

They need to recruit and train the navy again, and that alone will take several years.

The mission to suppress pirates across the four seas is not yet complete. The increase in the number of pirates has been curbed, but there is no sign of a decrease. However, the Navy has now demonstrated its formidable power, so there should be fewer pirates across the four seas who want to set sail.

In the short term, it is completely impossible for the Navy to wreak havoc in the New World as it did before. Compared to the chaotic situation in the New World in the past, the New World now has an added layer of order.

Pirate groups are dividing up the New World and possess vast territories. If the Navy intrudes into their territory, they will be met with brutal attacks.

Their activity area is limited to the area in the front part of the New World, near the Red Line.

The Sagh Ross Sea.

"Lord Mostima, the number of foreign pirates has been increasing recently. Half of the remaining two-thirds of the sea area that has not yet been occupied has already been taken over by other pirates. What should we do next?" Below, a member looked at Mostima, who was in charge, with concern.

Mostima, with a silver longsword hanging at his waist, showed no change in expression upon hearing the information; he already knew it.

He also learned of Teach's plan: to use these pirates, who were meant to hinder them and cause trouble, as a whetstone to hone his subordinates.

The Night Pirates' target is Saint Louis Island. Given the current situation in the New World, it's completely unrealistic for them to launch a war against other countries in the short term, especially considering their current situation on Saint Louis Island.

Moreover, compared to the subordinates of other Great Pirate, these newly joined pirates are completely inferior in quality. If a war were to break out, they would only be sending themselves to their deaths, and Teach did not want to bear the resulting losses.

"Don't worry too much about them. Keeping them around is still useful. We can leave the more obedient ones alone, but if they go too far, then we'll eliminate them." Mostima shook his head slightly.

His current task is to expand his power and develop the islands he currently controls.

Once Teach arrives in the Saghros Sea, everything will be rendered meaningless by the overwhelming power.

Thanks to the name of Teach and the Night Pirates, they developed rapidly in the Saguros Sea in a short period of time, but now they have reached a bottleneck.

Because they lack a leader, namely Teach, their current level of development is already the limit.

"Teach, come quickly! Let's start our era!" Standing inside the high palace, looking at the distant sea, Mostima murmured to himself, his heart filled with excitement and anticipation.

Their current level of development is largely due to the pressure on Mostima alone. He has a lot to do, but he can't afford to slack off.

He needs to create the best to welcome Teach's return.

Meanwhile, on the Night Pirates, Teach was talking to Stephanie on the phone, saying, "Is that so? They've already got their eyes on us."

"Yes, your Night Pirates are now a key target of CP0, on the same level as the other Sea Emperor. Be careful, someone might have already infiltrated your crew." Stephanie smiled on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

"Hehe, you don't need to worry about that." Teach narrowed his eyes, not expecting that the Night Pirates had become a major focus of CP0's attention.

The two agents earlier were merely testing him.

Next, the World Government will truly take action against the Night Pirates, planting spies to steal their Night Pirates. Just thinking about it makes me feel troubled.

However, this is normal. Given the current status and strength of the Night Pirates, they have repeatedly humiliated the Navy and the World Government, so the World Government naturally cannot remain indifferent.

Given the immense threat posed by the Night Pirates, it's perfectly normal to plan ahead even if one lacks the power to eliminate them.

But none of this was of any use to the Night Pirates.

"I've arrived in the New World!" Stephanie chuckled, seemingly showing off; she was no longer in the West Blue, but had arrived in the New World.

With access to the World Government, Stephanie arrived in the New World much faster than the Night Pirates.

"Really? Where?" Teach's eyes lit up slightly. Once they arrived in the New World, Stephanie's importance within CP0 would increase, and she would be able to obtain more information from CP0, as well as provide him with more intelligence.

In the past few days, Stephanie has gradually begun to provide Teach with information that she couldn't get before.

Teach knew more about CP0, the secret intelligence organization and the Celestial Dragons' trump card, and had a clearer understanding of it.

In addition, there is intelligence on CP1 through CP8, which belong to the World Government.

As for CP9, Stephanie didn't know; it was a secret organization, just like CP0, unknown to most.

Although Stephanie knew of its existence, she didn't have much information about it.

"I won't say where it is, but now I've replaced a casino owner in the New World Underworld and own thirteen large casinos and over fifty medium-sized casinos. I also have many capable thugs under my command, enough for me to establish myself in the New World, though only in one area."

"This casino owner is also from an organization established by CP0 in the New World. Apart from the different official duties, they are the same in secret—they both gather intelligence and also have assassination services, though on a smaller scale." Stephanie's voice betrayed her excitement; this was much more interesting than what she had done before.

However, in terms of status now, it is far inferior to when it was in the West Blue.

Currently, Stephanie is not well-known in the underground forces of the New World, and her power is only considered average in the chaotic New World.

"However, to help me develop, some agents have been transferred from CP0, including some CP0 reserve agents, so we can develop quickly."

Casinos can be incredibly profitable, but the sheer volume of money they generate can also attract a lot of trouble. Without sufficient power, even the most daring pirates cannot maintain their power base or expand their operations.

With the support of the World Government, Stephanie's development and expansion will naturally proceed much faster.

It won't be long before Stephanie's name resounds New World, and Stussy, now the "Queen of the Pleasure District" and the dark king of the Underworld, can rightfully support Stephanie's development.

"Doflamingo, what's up?" Teach looked at the Den Den Mushi that belonged to Doflamingo in front of him.

Even through the Den Den Mushi, one can sense Doflamingo's eerie smile.

"Baboon! Baboon! You feel it, don't you? The new era has arrived." Doflamingo's maniacal laughter came through the Den Den Mushi.

"Oh, it seems you've already taken action. Are you confident?" Teach asked with a smile. This period coincided with the time World Government Member States were to hand over the Heavenly Gold.

Teach had already guessed what Doflamingo was going to do.

Teach could sense Doflamingo's madness—a rational madness—through his recklessness. Ever since learning that his younger brother had joined the Navy, Doflamingo had been changing, growing stronger, and becoming even more insane.

Now, Teach could sense Doflamingo's even more powerful aura.

"Just wait and see tomorrow's news, it'll be great news, baboon." Doflamingo stood on a luxury ship, holding a Den Den Den Mushi, surrounded by corpses.

It is now night, and the sea breeze blows, causing the large pink feather coat to flutter in the wind.

On the other side, a strong, four-meter-tall Marine looked at Doflamingo with trembling hands, glancing at the corpses around Doflamingo, his eyes filled with fear.

But soon, his expression hardened and filled with anger. Doflamingo had his back to him and was still on the phone.

"Damn you, Heavenly Yaksha, die!" He charged at Doflamingo, wielding his greatsword.

However, it seemed as if Doflamingo had eyes in the back of his head. He leaped into the air and stood there. Under the moonlight, one could see that the dense threads all around him formed a Heavenly Net from heaven to earth.

"Baboon, don't bother me!" Doflamingo said, waving his hand. A thread descended from the sky, flashing across the marine's body like a knife. The next moment, the marine's right arm, which was holding the knife, was completely severed.

The next morning, as the News Bird delivered newspapers, a news story quickly caused a huge sensation around the world.

Because a pirate did something that no one had ever dared to do before.

"The... first Shichibukai!"

"That Heavenly Yaksha? No, no way..."

"He robbed the Heavenly Gold that was supposed to be supplied to the Celestial Dragons, and used it to blackmail the government, thus becoming a new Shichibukai!"

"This guy, isn't he a bit too bold?"

"Haha, it seems the government isn't so scary after all!"

"There's more news: the entire navy responsible for escorting this batch of Heavenly Gold was wiped out, except for the Marine Vice Admiral also lost an arm!"

"Haha, what a disgrace, Navy!"

The world was in an uproar!

The plan to establish the Shichibukai has been in effect for quite some time now, and there have been many candidates, but so far no pirate has expressed a desire to become Shichibukai.

Doflamingo was the first!

More importantly, the method he used to gain power was to rob the Heavenly Gold!

This was unprecedented, demonstrating his audacity.

You have to understand, even if a pirate had the guts to do this, even if there was a chance of success...

They would also be hunted down by the navy and the government afterward.

Moreover, the war in the New World ended only a few days ago, and the Navy is at the height of its power. Doflamingo can be said to be acting against the tide.

However, instead of being besieged by the government and the Navy, Doflamingo became Shichibukai, and he was not on the Navy's list of candidates for the Shichibukai.

"What are they doing? They released this news without even informing us!" Sakazuki slammed his hand on the table in anger.

"Sigh! Let's not worry about it for now. His identity is special." Sengoku sighed. This was an order from above. Even though he didn't want such a person to become Shichibukai, it was already a done deal, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"The higher-ups have already promised that they will not interfere with the selection of the Shichibukai; it will all be left to the Navy." The World Government also knew that it had made a mistake and was trying to appease the Navy, so Sengoku comforted them in this way.

The Four Emperors have been born, the Night Pirates have arrived in the New World, the Marine Headquarters is about to be promoted, and the first Shichibukai) has been born.

All signs indicate that a new era is about to begin; this is merely the prelude.