Hachinosu.
Only a month had passed since the major incident ended.
The New World had descended into unprecedented panic.
Linlin's Big Mom Pirates expanded their influence day and night.
Whether the great pirates wanted it or not, whether the claims were true or false, vast numbers of pirates joined their ranks every day.
For example, apart from the Pirate Alliance and the Grand Fleet's own fleets, the Dragon Emperor Grand Fleet actually consisted only of its flagship, the Seagull Laboratory, and the News Agency.
Yet in the New World, more than a dozen pirate crews already claimed to have joined the Dragon Emperor Grand Fleet.
Although none of them were on the roster, they still tried to use its name to commit crimes.
Shane, meanwhile, had things considerably easier. His crew went out every day to quell rebellions and deal with pirates impersonating them.
Occasionally, they even found a few genuinely powerful pirates worth recruiting.
Skull Mountain.
Shane sat in a towering chair, taking great gulps of wine.
He looked out into the distance.
The laboratory outside the window had long since been completed.
It stood on the western side of Hachinosu. The eastern side housed the News Agency's permanent base, the north handled Tyrant Express Delivery's business, and Rocky Port lay to the south.
"Captain! Our laboratory needs the new tyrant alloy to build new weapons and warships!"
Queen was reporting the latest developments over the Den Den Mushi.
"I'll spit some out for you right away."
Shane immediately synthesized a roomful of tyrant alloy. This new material had originally still been at the experimental concept stage.
But with the awakened Munch-Munch Fruit, he could manufacture it effortlessly.
It could be used in the future to manufacture warships, Pacifistas, High-Tech Weapons, defensive bases, and technological products.
For now, however,