Even though Rocks was dead and the Rocks Pirates had been destroyed.
They had left the World Government and the Navy a monumental mess across the Four Seas, the first half of the Grand Line, and the entire world.
And the Navy had to clean it up.
The Affiliated Nations would not simply trust the World Government and the Navy, then abandon the navies they had worked so hard to build.
Some kingdoms had poured untold sums into establishing their navies.
They had bought warships and equipment, then trained their forces.
After all these years, many kingdom navies had taken shape and already become a considerable deterrent.
Many of their officers had been recruited from the Four Seas Navy, allowing them to take shape quickly.
They also had the Navy itself as a model to follow.
But no matter how much they developed, they lacked the strength to compare with the Navy. The difference was night and day.
A shortage of talent and funds limited their size.
Compared with an army, a navy cost far more.
Even so, they now had the strength to protect their kingdoms.
Having a navy also meant they could deter pirates at sea. Ordinary pirates would not dare attack lightly.
That eased the Navy's burden, but it was no good for the World Government or the Navy.
As the Affiliated Nations grew more independent, they broke free of their dependence on the World Government.
And the World Government had spent a long time fastening those shackles around them.
Of course, few Affiliated Nations could build a navy, much less a powerful one.
Many relied on outside suppliers for warships and arms.
The expense was more than some kingdoms could bear.
Since the rise of the Rocks Pirates, the economies of most kingdoms had declined, yet