As if they had arranged it beforehand, the Tyrant Pirates, the Swift Pirates, and the Deva Pirates—the three strongest crews to emerge from the breakup of the Flying Pirates—arrived at Paros Island together.
The return of "Godspeed" Xiaer and "Deva Path" Pain was also met with cheers.
For Gurado, returning to Paros Island was like coming home as well.
Under the rule of its many monsters, the New World had maintained a stable Order, one that was actually better than that of the Four Seas.
Merchant ships could travel freely through the territories of the top powers as long as they paid a toll.
Even when some factions clashed, most merchants were not greatly affected. They could simply take a detour.
Of course, those without enough strength could still find themselves targeted by pirates.
After all, plunder would always be the best way to acquire wealth.
The top powers of the day generally had reputations to uphold.
One thing had to be acknowledged: across most of the New World, the territorial boundaries between the various powers had largely become fixed.
Unless a faction was destroyed, as the Flying Pirates had been, major changes were unlikely.
Contests over an island or two were nothing more than minor squabbles.
The Great Pirates at the top no longer paid them any mind.
Compared with war, Order and strength mattered more.
The Great Pirates at the summit had all broadened their horizons.
Precisely because of this, the overall strength of the New World's pirates had grown, yet the threat and destruction they brought had declined considerably.
Especially after the destruction of the Flying Pirates.
Pirates who rose in this era were fortunate to have a better environment in which to grow, but they were also unfortunate.
The age of savage expansion had long since