In the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
The effects of the Paramount War had gradually begun to show.
The Great Pirate Era had officially come to an end. No more pirates roamed the seas, and those remaining small fry had long since been scared out of their wits, fleeing in panic in every direction, only to inevitably end up arrested and thrown into prison.
Only a rare few lucky ones managed to successfully hide their identities and settle down somewhere.
And with the sea emperors who had once carved out their own territories gone, the Marines advanced and expanded through the New World without obstruction, bringing this lawless land that had been turbulent for decades back under the World Government's control.
A new order was being established at breakneck speed. Turmoil, chaos... endless wars of conquest—those words seemed to have been swept into history's garbage heap.
However.
Beneath this seemingly bright and beautiful future, many sharp-eyed people could see an undercurrent gradually beginning to surge.
At the beginning of the fourth month after the war.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The atmosphere in the top-level conference room was exceptionally oppressive. Nearly every senior Marine officer, including Akainu and Aokiji, wore a grim expression as they puffed away at their cigars.
Smack!
Sengoku slammed a thick stack of documents onto the table. In a low voice, he said, "This is last month's summary report. Pass it around and take a look."
"What's there to look at?"
Garp picked his nose and snorted. "You could guess it with your toes. It's just the same crap as the last two months."
The senior Marine officers present all understood what he meant, and their expressions darkened further.
Marine Headquarters had always had a tradition of conducting monthly reviews.
Three months ago, there