Superpower

Kingdoms with a similarly unique standing were few and far between in the New World.

Elbaf, the land of giants, lay in dangerous waters that ordinary ships could scarcely enter or leave. It was also home to Treasure Tree Adam.

The giants possessed terrifying strength, and even the fallen branches of Treasure Tree Adam sold each year brought in staggering wealth.

More than fifty years had passed since the Giant Warrior Pirates swept across the world, yet nightmarish tales of them still endured. And they had represented only a fraction of Elbaf's strength.

The Eternal Kingdom was surrounded by the Eternal Storm, which, true to its name, had raged since time immemorial.

Virtually no ship could pass through the Eternal Storm except those of the Eternal Kingdom itself.

The Eternal Kingdom possessed a unique metal, Eternal Metal. It was extraordinarily hard and stable, and could even absorb impacts.

Weapons forged from it were formidable.

The Eternal Warship could sail through the storm without capsizing, and the kingdom possessed terrifying military might.

Like the Kronos Kingdom, it was a superpower with a history stretching back more than a thousand years.

There was also the Holy Light Empire in the South Blue, a theocratic state built around the Church of the God of Light. Its influence was immense, and its members could be found throughout the South Blue.

The ancient Great Xia Kingdom in the East Blue lay near the Calm Belt. Rumor had it that the kingdom had close ties to the Dragon People, a race of unusual beings so rare at sea that little more than rumors of them remained.

The Landis Kingdom of the West Blue stood on Saint Valendo Island and occupied more than eighty percent of its land.

The rest had been divided among dozens of kingdoms, most of which were vassals of the Landis Kingdom.

Two hundred years ago, Saint Valendo Island had held only one kingdom: the Landis Kingdom.

The Landis Kingdom had been the World Government's previous victim. Its struggle against the World Government had drawn widespread attention and lasted nearly a century.

In the end, the World Government had seemingly succeeded in dividing the Landis Kingdom. But most of the kingdoms created by that division remained loyal to Landis, or were indirectly ruled by it.

The Landis Kingdom had made a deft tactical retreat. It still ruled Saint Valendo Island, just in a different way.

The Hilton Kingdom of the North Blue was known as the "Golden Kingdom." True to its name, it produced vast quantities of gold and possessed frightening economic power.

With its enormous wealth, the Hilton Kingdom had grown strong in every respect. Its standing army numbered two million.

It also had ties to the World Government and was one of its Member States.

No one could ignore the power of that much gold, not even the World Government.

Its share of the Heavenly Tribute was nothing to the Hilton Kingdom. In return, it received many privileges that allowed it to develop in secret.

But like the Kronos Kingdom, these kingdoms kept a low profile. People who had not reached a certain level might never have heard their names, while those who had knew better than to provoke them.

Under the World Government's pressure, they kept their heads down and watched events at sea unfold.

As for the first half of the Grand Line, the Alabasta Kingdom had once been a superpower, covering more than a million square kilometers.

But it had gradually declined over the past eight hundred years. Its strength no longer matched that status, and it had fallen out of the ranks of superpowers.

Yet it was widely recognized as a superpower today. That was rather laughable.

The World Government's moves against the Kronos Kingdom

might have seemed insignificant on the surface, but the Member States had noticed them.

The Landis Kingdom's experience was still fresh in their minds.

These Member States could not be underestimated. They provided the foundation on which the World Government depended: the Heavenly Tribute.

Without the Heavenly Tribute, the World Government would struggle to sustain itself.

Once, the World Government's actions had angered the Member States so much that they joined forces to resist it, voluntarily cutting their Heavenly Tribute payments by seventy percent.

The impact on the World Government had been immense. It had never expected such a response and had no way to counter it.

If it took harsh measures, large numbers of kingdoms would leave the ranks of the World Government Member States. The consequences were obvious.

The World Government had nearly fallen apart. It was forced to cut staff, while the Navy made unprecedented reductions to its ranks

because there was not enough funding to support them.

Only after paying a heavy price had the World Government stabilized the situation. The episode also taught it a profound lesson.

Beyond these superpowers, plenty of powerful nations had deep foundations, such as the Flower Country in the West Blue.

Some moves, therefore, could only be made in secret. No evidence could be allowed to surface.

With Hades now in the picture,

the World Government stepped up efforts to send agents into the Kronos Kingdom, hoping to learn his whereabouts.

It also searched the seas for information on the "Night Lady."

Those at the very top paid little attention. Hades was only a child in his teens, after all.

Rather than focus on a child who had yet to come into his power, they preferred to target the far greater threat posed by the Rocks Pirates.

One was a threat for the future; the other was a threat right now.

Rocks D. Zebek was plainly the more important concern.

The Rocks Pirates had been developing quietly for several years. From what they knew of that man, he would not remain quiet much longer.

This lull was only the calm before a far greater eruption.

He would make his move soon. When that happened, the Navy would have to mobilize as well.

Over the past few years, the World Government had deliberately increased the Navy's funding, pouring in vast sums.

The current clashes in the New World were nothing more than minor skirmishes.