Prodence, Ryugu Palace, Alabasta. Three lands once cursed by desert, seawater, and barrenness now flourished beneath the sunshine of the Grand Line.
The Land Creation list that fifty Affiliated Nations had repeatedly debated and haggled over at the Reverie three years ago, finally passing it by a slim majority, had now been fulfilled in its entirety.
And the man who had delivered them was now standing in the sunshine of Mary Geoise.
Mary Geoise was especially lively today. The Celestial Dragons had generously provided the funding-the Five Elders had given the signal, Saint Garling had taken the lead, and Saint Nusjuro had personally approved the budget.
Twenty Celestial Dragon families had each been assigned specific tasks: the Charlos Family handled venue construction, the Donquixote Family handled overseas broadcasting rights, and the remaining families shared publicity, security, and logistics. No one dared shirk their duties.
Not because the Celestial Dragons had suddenly become industrious, but because everyone knew-this was Aaron Ball's demand.
CID agents had been recalled from around the world. For the first time, people accustomed to operating in the shadows had been sent into the open-organizing concerts was not their specialty, but they were more efficient than any professional team.
World Government officials set aside all their administrative duties. The Foreign Ministry's writers were temporarily requisitioned to write promotional copy, while the Finance Ministry's abacuses were used to calculate the concert budget.
The navy dispatched a transport fleet to carry sound equipment, Camera Den Den Mushi, and broadcast tower components from the Sabaody Archipelago up onto the Red Line.
At the Den Den Mushi breeding facility, dozens of giant Visual Den Den Mushi intended for the global live broadcast were undergoing their final signal checks,
their eyes wide and round, the spirals on their shells gleaming in the sunlight.