Ryan's movements naturally reached the World Government as well. In recent years, the Marines had expanded rapidly, and their military budget was now more than ten times what it had been five years ago. It was not just the Marines; the other armed forces were the same.
This left the World Government's finances under extreme strain. If not for the foundation it had built over eight hundred years of ruling the world, it might have fallen apart without Ryan even needing to start a war.
Of course, militaristic expansion had its benefits as well: combat power rose dramatically. As long as one had money, there were still very few things in this world that could not be done.
The Five Elders convened an emergency meeting, and Kong, the current Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armed Forces, made defensive arrangements. Both sides had prepared for this battle for a long time, so neither appeared rushed in dealing with it now.
The first fighting broke out at the junction between the Grand Line and the New World, where the World Government's forces had already engaged Utopia's royal army.
A Marine vice admiral looked at the battle ahead with a worried expression. He knew that the war truly deciding the world's future was not here. This was merely a small skirmish; the real battlefield lay elsewhere.
Marine Headquarters—Marineford.
All the Marine higher-ups stared gravely at the pirate ship that had appeared overhead. Every Marine who had fought the Blood Sword Pirates before could not help feeling a familiar sensation rise within them.
Because that was the Blood Sword Pirates' former ship—the Soaring Dragon.
Ryan stood alone at the bow, looking down upon all of Marine Headquarters.
Garp said, "He's here!"
"Yes. Five years have passed, and he is still the same as before. The