The Holy Land of Mary Geoise, built atop the towering Red Line that pierced the clouds.
Inside a spacious conference hall, curved long tables were arranged in a circle. Seated behind them were kings adorned in gold and silver, their magnificent attire displaying their immense wealth.
Among them, Nefertari Cobra and King Riku stood at opposite corners. They were presenting their joint proposal to abolish the Warlord of the Sea system, detailing how the Warlords had previously ravaged and manipulated their respective nations.
Neptune sat below, listening to their speeches while observing the expressions of the surrounding attendees from the corner of his eye.
Even though Jinbe was also a Warlord of the Sea, he had never done anything to wrong Fish-Man Island. In fact, he had always personally contributed to its peace.
Therefore, Neptune couldn't entirely relate to the feelings of Cobra and King Riku.
However, now that Fish-Man Island flew the flag of the Demon Lion Pirates, Jinbe finally no longer had to constantly worry about the island's safety.
To Jinbe, the title of Warlord was merely a shackle, and Neptune was more than happy to see him freed from it.
After a while.
Cobra and King Riku concluded their speeches. Under the moderation of the Five Elders, the kings began to vote.
Neptune silently raised his hand, casting a vote in favor.
Amidst low murmurs, the other kings also raised their hands one after another. Soon, the votes in favor of abolishing the Warlord of the Sea system surpassed the halfway mark.
At the seats of the Five Elders, Saint Saturn maintained a calm expression. Without any superfluous words, he struck his gavel and announced the bill's passage on the spot.
*Bang!!*
"I now officially declare that, as of today, the Seven Warlords of the Sea system is abolished!"
*Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!*
As his words fell, a round of applause echoed through the conference room.
Hearing this, the tensely standing Cobra and King Riku finally breathed a sigh of relief. They exchanged a knowing glance, the corners of their mouths lifting in joyful smiles.
A moment later, the two took their seats, and the conference hall returned to silence.
At that moment, from the seats of the Five Elders.
The bald man in a suit, sporting a thick, upward-curving white mustache and a scar on his forehead, suddenly spoke up.
"Regarding the New World Alliance, I presume all the kings seated here have heard of it. I know that some of your nations are even members of this alliance..."
Saint Warcury's voice was deep, his expression utterly cold. He paused before suddenly barking out a reprimand,
"It is absolutely absurd!"
"An organization founded by pirates has somehow caused a multitude of World Government affiliated nations to scramble to join! This is nothing less than a direct challenge to the authority of the World Government!"
Seeing this, the expressions of the kings in the hall turned solemn. A few suddenly grew tense, unconsciously clenching their fists.
The kings present had long anticipated that this matter might be brought up at the Levely.
After all, over the past year, the momentum of the New World Alliance had been far too overwhelming. Even the various nations in the first half of the Grand Line and the Four Blues had heard of it to some extent.
By now, the New World Alliance had become a hot topic of discussion. From nobles and royalty down to merchants and commoners, everyone had heard at least a little about it.
Although they knew the World Government would be somewhat displeased, they hadn't expected such an explosive outburst right from the start.
"Cooperating with pirates is absolutely forbidden by the World Government! Those of you who have joined the New World Alliance must withdraw immediately!"
Saint Warcury shouted, his tone uncompromising.
Hearing this, an uproar swept through the hall.
The World Government clearly had extensive covert dealings with pirates themselves, yet now they were forcibly prohibiting affiliated nations from contacting them. This blatant hypocrisy naturally bred resentment among the nations that had joined the New World Alliance.
Neptune furrowed his brows, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Fish-Man Island was currently thriving, reaching new heights of prosperity that they wouldn't have even dared to dream of in the past.
And this development was entirely inseparable from pirates.
As the transit hub between the first and second halves of the Grand Line, it was a mandatory stop for pirates entering and leaving the New World. The endless stream of transient pirates provided immense spending power.
Furthermore, they had the protection of the Demon Lion Pirates' name, along with trade support from the crew's various territories directed toward Fish-Man Island.
This exponential explosion in prosperity had caused Fish-Man Island's real estate value to nearly catch up with the Sabaody Archipelago.
It was no exaggeration to say that the money Fish-Man Island made just from selling and leasing land could easily buy a country with a population of a hundred thousand!
If they were to sever their cooperation with pirates, Fish-Man Island's prosperity would instantly burst like a bubble.
How could he possibly accept that?
Neptune would rather withdraw from the World Government affiliated nations than obediently cut ties with Allen.
However, it wasn't appropriate to say such things here.
After a moment of hesitation, he stood up anyway. Under the surprised gazes of the crowd, he said,
"Saint Warcury, please allow me to offer a small opinion on this matter. Regarding the New World Alliance, I believe it is a purely commercial alliance."
"Although the shadow of the Four Emperors' Demon Lion is involved behind the scenes, they merely use the authority of their name to protect maritime transport. The entity actually participating in cooperation with our various nations is, in fact, the Galley-La Company."
"Formally, it is more akin to Galley-La hiring an armed group to provide protection for the Sea Train. Many commoners don't even know there are pirates behind it, so it can hardly be said to have a malicious influence."
"And politically, it is even more impossible for the New World Alliance to interfere with us in any way."
"Of course, I am not denying that this is essentially cooperating with pirates. But in this Great Pirate Era, no nation can completely avoid dealing with pirates..."
Neptune spoke calmly and steadily, and the kings present listened earnestly.
None of them were fools. They knew the World Government wasn't acting out of some foolish principle like 'we cannot cooperate with pirates.'
After all, the World Government itself had to buy Seastone from Kaido. All this talk about losing face was utter bullshit.
Moreover, the New World Alliance not only brought immense convenience in transportation but also provided a massive number of related jobs.
At the same time, the Demon Lion Pirates ruled over more than half the nations in the New World. Joining the alliance meant gaining more business partners and trade tax exemptions. Any New World nation that could join had already done so.
This was something the World Government should have done long ago, considering Galley-La was originally under their control.
But what was the result? They did nothing useful, only knowing how to collect massive amounts of Heavenly Tribute every year. Now, even the Galley-La Company had become the exclusive shipyard of the Demon Lion Pirates.
"Although it might sound a bit dishonorable, the conveniences and rights gained from joining the alliance tangibly contribute to national development and the lives of our citizens. I believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks."
Neptune continued to boldly present his views, concluding,
"We understand the concerns of the Five Elders, but we still hope you won't completely reject the New World Alliance. Perhaps we could establish some regulations to constrain..."
"Enough, Neptune!"
Saint Warcury suddenly shouted, cutting him off.
"I'm tired of listening to your foolish remarks! If we're talking about close cooperation with pirates, Fish-Man Island is the worst offender! Don't forget how recently you lot crawled out of the sea to stand on land!"
"...!"
Hearing this, Neptune froze, his expression instantly turning ugly.
The kings present had varying reactions. Some secretly rejoiced, their faces showing mockery and ridicule.
Others looked grave, feeling uncomfortable with Saint Warcury's remarks. The non-pure-blooded human kings, in particular, wore dark, gloomy expressions.
The Fish-Man Tribe had once been classified as "fish" and suffered severe discrimination from humans. It wasn't until 200 years ago that Fish-Man Island joined the World Government affiliated nations, gaining the legal right to step onto land.
Although some archaic prejudices still prevailed, no one would openly display them in a setting like the Levely.
For the highest authority of the World Government to say this to Neptune in front of all the kings—this was more than just an insult. It was akin to throwing his dignity on the ground and viciously stomping on it.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the conference hall suddenly became incredibly awkward.
After all, Neptune wasn't the only non-pure-blooded human king present.
Perhaps realizing his words had been a bit impulsive, Saint Warcury tactfully remained silent and instead glanced at Saint Ju Peter.
Saint Ju Peter, understanding the cue, spoke up,
"Let us not be hasty. As one of the allied nations of the World Government, it is only right for Fish-Man Island to express its differing views at this meeting. Please sit down, Neptune."
"Furthermore, we are well aware of your urgent desires to develop your respective nations."
"Although the Galley-La Company has defected to the pirate faction, the World Government's chief scientist, Vegapunk, has already completed the reverse-engineering of the Sea Train technology. Therefore..."
Next, the Five Elders introduced Vegapunk's new model of the Sea Train, along with plans to replace the stations and tracks already built by the New World Alliance in the affiliated nations.
At the same time, they proposed various trade policies—copied directly from the New World Alliance—that would likewise be provided to all World Government affiliated nations.
This series of maneuvers immediately pacified the minds of many kings.
As for whether the subsequent practical operations could be successfully implemented, the Five Elders easily earned the kings' trust by invoking the name of the world's greatest scientist, Vegapunk.
The proposal to force the affiliated nations to withdraw from the New World Alliance was debated for a long time. Ultimately, the motion passed just as the Five Elders desired, and it was decided that the decree would be immediately published via the World Economy News Paper for the whole world to see.
"Finally, there is one more important matter to inform you all about. Early this morning, we received an intelligence report."
As the meeting neared its end, Saint Saturn brought up another piece of news that deeply shocked everyone present. He said in a grave voice,
"It concerns the Four Emperors of the New World deciding to form an alliance and launch a war to conquer the world..."
The moment these words were spoken, everyone present instantly widened their eyes in sheer shock!
Two days later.
The World Economy News Paper published the massive news of the three Emperors' alliance, delivering it to every corner of the globe.
The contents heavily emphasized the Three Emperor Alliance's ambition to overturn the seas and conquer the world, plunging citizens everywhere into a state of panic.
East Blue — Sea Restaurant Baratie.
"Hey, is this Three Emperor Alliance thing real?"
"Hah! What the hell is this? There's no way Sanji is that kind of person!"
"This trash news! I'm never reading their papers again!"
"But the Four Emperors are already the overlords of the sea. Why would they suddenly form an alliance if they weren't planning something massive?"
The kitchen was bustling with heat as a group of chefs in tall white hats crowded together, animatedly discussing the newspaper in their hands.
Zeff sat on a stool nearby, holding another copy of the newspaper and reading it with a solemn expression.
First half of the Grand Line.
City of the Spring Queen — St. Poplar.
News Coos flew over the town, scattering newspapers that fluttered down onto the streets like snow.
"After the great war in Wano Country, three Emperors have formed an alliance..."
"Hey, does the paper say who won?"
"Idiot! Does that even matter right now? They're preparing to conquer the world!"
"What does this mean? Are the pirates going to war with the World Government?!"
On the bustling streets, pedestrians were utterly shocked as they read the papers, their eyes filled with worry.
"The Summit War only ended two years ago, and now another war is about to break out."
"And this time it's three Emperors. Can the Marines even win...?"
"Look at the end of the report. It seems the major affiliated nations are uniting to provide military forces for the World Government to counter the Emperors."
"My god, this is practically a world war!"
New World, the azure waters of the Egghead sea area. The sun shone brightly as the *Freewill* sailed slowly across the calm surface.
"Huh?!!"
On the aft deck, Nami sprang up from her lounge chair the moment she saw the information in the newspaper. Gritting her teeth in anger, she cursed,
"What is with this report?! They make it sound like we're trying to destroy the world! That bastard newspaper agency!"
Hearing this, Robin, who was nearby, couldn't help but lean over to take a look. Her brows gradually furrowed.
"I expected the World Government to counterattack, but I didn't think their first shot would be manipulating public opinion."
"Are they planning to firmly establish their image of justice first, and then launch a justified war against us...?"
Robin instantly saw through the World Government's motives.
Hearing their conversation, Allen walked over and said,
"Don't worry too much about this stuff. The right to speak ultimately rests in the hands of the victors. Besides, we don't currently have the ability to fight the World Government in the court of public opinion anyway."
"But the news also mentioned that we're secretly controlling the New World Alliance..."
Nami still seemed to have some reservations, worrying,
"With a report like this being seen by the whole world, I'm afraid many nations will withdraw from the alliance. Also, the World Government has released their own Sea Train plan. This is definitely aimed at the New World Alliance."
"As time goes on, the things you're worried about will indeed happen. That's why we need to pick up the pace. The World Government probably also intends to force us into panicking and messing up our own plans."
Allen agreed, then chuckled,
"If Vegapunk joins us, with just a few tricks, we can expose the World Government's true colors to the world at any time. When that happens, we'll naturally be able to control public opinion."
"Captain! Miss Nami!"
Just as they were talking, Gin's voice suddenly rang out from the direction of the ship's superstructure.
The three of them looked over and saw Gin standing on the third floor, waving his hand as he shouted,
"There's a blizzard appearing on the sea ahead! Stussy says Egghead is right inside it. We've arrived!"