The sky suddenly fell into a solemn silence.
Just as Koza was about to say something more…
The world before his eyes abruptly changed.
Only a moment ago, it had been blue skies and drifting white clouds, a boundless clear heaven.
The very next second, the entire world began to blur.
Why… is this happening?
No one could answer him.…
…
BOOM!!!
Even though the ground beneath their feet was soft sand, when six hundred thousand people collapsed simultaneously, it still unleashed a deafening, earth-shaking roar!
"Hoo—"
Luffy let out a rare, quiet breath.
Six hundred thousand soldiers—just standing shoulder to shoulder, foot to foot—already formed a sight vast enough to make one truly understand what it meant by mountains and seas made of men.
Of course!
What really troubled Luffy wasn't the sheer scale formed by those numbers.
It was the terrifying area they covered across the desert, combined with the fact that he couldn't unleash his Conqueror's Haki at full power to control them!¹
After all, everyone here—including this so-called leader, Koza—possessed bodies that were, to Luffy, as fragile as ants.
Imagine trying to pour a huge basin of water over six hundred thousand ants all at once—yet being unable to kill even a single one. Only then could you understand why Luffy found this so difficult.
"Bwoooo—!"
Behind Luffy, Laboon suddenly poked his head out, sending up massive splashes of water.
Seeing the rebel army sprawled across the ground like corpses, he let out a questioning cry, as if asking Luffy whether he should help.
"Hahahaha…
Thanks, Laboon~
These people will still be very useful in the future…"
Luffy laughed as he replied, then continued:
"Go check on Sasuke and the others—see if they're ready.
If they are, let them out now."
"Oh!"
Laboon immediately responded with a sharp cry.
Then his enormous body began moving closer toward the shore where Luffy stood.
His gigantic mouth slowly opened, revealing an interior as magnificent as an aircraft carrier's deck.
One figure after another suddenly appeared atop Laboon's thick tongue.
They were neatly equipped, standing with perfect posture.
More than any army of any nation in the pirate world, they truly looked like soldiers!
At the command of the leader at the front, synchronized footsteps instantly echoed from within Laboon's mouth.
Row after row of soldiers marched out from his enormous jaws.
Tens of thousands of them rapidly lined up along the riverbank, completely surrounding the six hundred thousand fallen rebels.
If you asked Luffy whether just a few short months could truly change an entire country,
Luffy would definitely tell you:
"Time can't—but ideas can!"
You simply cannot imagine how terrifying the power becomes when an entire nation unifies its thinking, when everyone pulls in the same direction and shares the same will!
The most perfect form of rule has never been rule by class, economy, or military force.
It is rule over ideology!
…
…
"Reporting to Captain Luffy!
The army of the Goa Kingdom—total strength fifty-six thousand seven hundred eighty-nine!
All fifty-six thousand seven hundred eighty-nine present and accounted for! Awaiting orders!"
Naruto, the user of the Gorilla-Gorilla Fruit, stood ramrod straight as he strode up to Luffy, snapped a crisp military salute, and roared his report in a thunderous voice.
More than fifty thousand soldiers—this was the entirety of the Goa Kingdom's military strength at present.
Among them were large numbers of logistics personnel, research staff, and other non-combatants.
From this, one could easily imagine just how vast the territory of the Arabasta Kingdom must be, to still muster over a million soldiers even in times of chaos.
Facing Naruto's earnest report, Luffy shed his usual casualness, his expression turning serious as he shouted back:
"Proceed according to the original plan!"
"Yes, sir!!!"
Naruto roared in response, then immediately jogged back to the front of the formation.
Orders were issued one after another in rapid succession.
The soldiers of the Goa Kingdom moved swiftly.
They bound the six hundred thousand unconscious rebels together and tossed them into Laboon's gigantic mouth, storing them within the Small World.
After that, Luffy took out a Poké Ball and recalled Laboon for the time being.
Most of the basic troops were left behind to begin simple base construction.
Using the lake Laboon had created as their foundation, they began laying the groundwork for a new city.
Another group of researchers mounted the Research Institute's latest product—the Amphibious Hovercraft—and followed Luffy toward Alubarna.
They planned to recruit more technical specialists and accelerate construction progress.
…
Ten days later, the largest non-government newspaper in the pirate world—the World Economy News—released an issue that shook the entire seas.
Are you still secretly shedding tears after being abused by villains?
Have you lost everything in despair because you lack the strength to fight back?
Led by Warlord of the Sea Monkey D. Luffy, and jointly organized with fellow Warlord Crocodile and Princess Nefertari Vivi of the World Government–affiliated to the Arabasta Kingdom, the "Starry Sky Hero Academy" is now officially open for enrollment!
No requirements whatsoever!!!
As long as you possess a heart that longs for peace, you may apply.
Even if you are just an ordinary person, you will still have the chance to experience the "Hero Curriculum," personally designed by the Warlords of the Sea—Starry Sky Edition!
All those who yearn for peace are welcome to enroll in the Arabasta Kingdom.
Those unable to travel to Arabasta for other reasons may contact their local newspaper office, fill in their personal information, and submit it for review.
Once approved, Starry Sky representatives will personally escort you to the academy.
The Starry Sky Hero Academy is also recruiting instructors.
Requirements: exceptional strength or other special abilities; a strong sense of responsibility, patience, and justice.
Choosing Starry Sky means choosing yourself!
Don't let today's hesitation become tomorrow's tears!
Starry Sky Hero Academy—we are waiting for you!
—Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the Starry Sky Pirates
BOOM!!!
At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku's office door was violently shoved open!
Garp, who was secretly fishing out senbei from under the desk, was so startled that his massive hand jerked.
The bag of senbei flew from his grasp, and several unlucky crackers spilled out, smashing into pieces on the floor.
"GARP!!! COME LOOK AT WHAT YOUR GRANDSON HAS DONE THIS TIME!!!"
A furious Sengoku slammed the newspaper onto the desk and shouted at Garp:
"What is he trying to do!? Steal the Marines' livelihood!?"
Garp puffed out his cheeks, pretending to read the newspaper on the desk with great seriousness.
Meanwhile, his feet quietly nudged the incriminating evidence, little by little, into a hidden corner beneath the desk.
…
At the marine base harbor.
Smoker and his group, delayed by capturing several batches of pirates along the way, had just returned.
Standing at the dock where the warship was moored, Smoker held a newspaper and remained frozen for a long time.
"Commodore Smoker…"
Tashigi wore a confused expression as she glanced at the newspaper, then at Smoker's face.
A cloud of smoke poured from Smoker's mouth, shrouding his eyes.
"We're leaving…"
"But, Commodore Smoker—"
"Report everything exactly as it is!"
…
The New World.
Aboard the Moby Dick of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Captain Ace! Pops is looking for you!"
A pirate sprinted across the massive ship, shouting toward a man standing at the railing, just one step away from falling into the sea.
Bare-chested, with the Whitebeard emblem tattooed on his back, Ace slowly turned around. A faint, inexplicable smile appeared on his face as he asked:
"What is it, Sarachi…?"
"Captain Ace, Pops is gathering all the division commanders—he says there's something to discuss…"
"Ah, I got it."
The smile vanished from Ace's face, replaced by a trace of irritation as he headed toward the ship's interior.
Sarachi, having completed his task, stood there watching Ace's serious expression and couldn't help but shake his head.
After all, something that big had happened.
But…
It felt like Captain Ace had smiled just now.
It had been a long time since anyone had seen Ace smile like that.
Probably just my imagination…
A sea breeze blew past, rustling a newspaper by the railing.…
The New World, on an island controlled by one of Kaido's subordinates.
ROAR!!!
A terrifying canine howl echoed out.
A pirate whose throat had been pierced by savage fangs clutched his neck weakly and collapsed backward.
A burly young man wielding an ornate greatsword planted its tip into the ground and said to the youth slowly reverting to human form:
"Boss, this means we've officially declared war on the Beast Pirates!"
"Are you afraid?"
The young man didn't turn around, only asking calmly with a faint smile.
"Hahahahaha! Of course not!"
The burly man hoisted his blade onto his shoulder.
"My sword has been starving for a long time!"
"Boss, boss!!! Come look at this!"
Another man, just as imposing, ran over while shouting, holding a bloodstained newspaper he had just pulled from a corpse.
…
The palace of Dressrosa.
Before a dimly lit low table, Doflamingo gazed out the window, occasionally glancing at the crisscrossed ring-like markings around his wrist, deep in thought.
Beside a wineglass whose red liquid still trembled sat a newspaper that had just been read.
…
Some island in the New World.
The Red-Haired Pirates had just finished a banquet, held to welcome…
…the arrival of the world's greatest swordsman.
Mihawk—his chest bearing a terrifying X-shaped scar—noticed that Shanks had been lost in thought ever since reading the paper, and asked curiously:
"Do you know them too?"
Shanks looked at the straw hat in his hand, and at the crisscrossed markings on those straw-hatted wrists, and replied:
"Yeah… that was a very long time ago."
…
The Calm Belt, on Amazon Lily.
Elder Nyon muttered to herself while holding a newspaper:
"How strange… A News Coo actually flew into the Calm Belt. Did it get lost?"
…
…
On an unremarkable little island, outside a gambling hall.
Two passersby were chatting.
"Hey, did you see today's paper?"
"Of course. Something this big—how could I not?"
"Two Warlords building some kind of Hero Academy… that's unbelievable."
"Exactly—and they're even waving the banner of justice!
Do those big shots really think there are people with a sense of justice willing to join an organization founded by two great pirates!?"
"Gentlemen, please wait a moment."
Just as the two were about to pass the gambling hall, a mature voice suddenly stopped them.
They turned around at once.
An elderly blind man, leaning on a cane, slowly walked toward them and said:
"Gentlemen, this old man is inconvenienced.
Might I trouble you to explain in detail what you were just discussing…?"
…
On this day, every News Coo in the pirate world began working overtime.
All to deliver this single newspaper to every corner of the world.
At the headquarters of the World Economy News.
President Morgans wore the unmistakable expression of an exploitative boss as he pointed at employees operating the printing presses and shouted:
"Faster! Faster!"
"I want everyone on this sea to see this paper!"
A glint of madness shone in Morgans' eyes as he suddenly spread his feathered wings, gazing at the sunlight streaming through the grated window and screeching:
"What an interesting piece of news!!! Keh-heh-heh-heh!!!"
…
The holy land of the Celestial Dragons—Mary Geoise.
The supreme headquarters of the World Government.
Five old men sat around an empty tea table, as if at a casual gathering.
On the table lay five freshly printed newspapers.
"Another D."
One bald elder holding a sword spoke suddenly.
Another tall, thin elder immediately asked:
"Roger's straw hat—is it still with Shanks?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then there's no need to pay it too much attention.
It seems… it's not him."
=============
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
150+ Advance Chapters on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria