Meanwhile, differing from the World Government's dark indoctrination, a quiet revolution was brewing at a certain Marine base in the East Blue.
Their base was scheduled to be the next target for the purge implementation.
Currently, several enthusiastic, loyal Navy members crowded into a small dorm room, whispering excitedly in the dark.
"Boss, we have finally waited for this era. Raleigh-sama predictions about the Pirate King were godlike," a robust naval soldier spoke, his face brimming with excitement.
The naval officer he addressed as "boss" was even taller and carried an imposing presence.
Suppressing his own exhilaration, the officer said slowly, "Commodore Momonga has approved our plan to proceed. We need to find the right time to implement the assassination as soon as possible."
"Cleansing the Navy of its corrupt elements and elevating those with true, righteous capability is what actually matters."
The soldiers rubbed their hands together in eager anticipation.
They were among the very first graduates from Raleigh's North Blue training camp, their hearts still fiercely untainted by the world's bureaucratic darkness.
After arriving at this corrupt branch base, they could no longer tolerate the crimes committed by their superiors.
Had it not been for Momonga's strict orders to wait, they might have launched the violent mutiny much earlier.
Now, with both Raleigh and Momonga in agreement, all that remained was to wait for the perfect, bloody moment.
Similar deadly developments were gradually unfolding in the South Blue and West Blue as well.
Raleigh's shadow was spreading across the world!
...
In the northernmost snowy nation of the North Blue, a ship flying no flags had just docked at a hidden port.
Revolutionary Army soldiers, who had been waiting in the freezing cold for some time, quickly formed orderly ranks.
"Chief!"
"Chief!"
Monkey D. Dragon descended the gangplank, removing the thick green hood that had concealed his face to reveal resolute, tattooed features.
This covert visit to Loguetown had given him much to reflect upon.
Some truths become distorted if you rely solely on newspaper reports instead of witnessing them firsthand.
For instance, the papers never covered Raleigh's brief clash with Garp on the execution platform, nor did they convey the unwavering stance Raleigh took against the new generation of pirates with his mound of skulls.
Had Dragon not made this trip, he might never have realized the true, chaotic dawn of this new era.
Indeed, while most ordinary people remained oblivious, Dragon had already seen through it all.
He was convinced that this era would forge an entirely new global landscape—some powers would decline, while others would violently rise.
He was confident that the Revolutionary Army, guided by advanced ideology and his personal mentorship, would leave a profound mark on this age.
The only major cause for caution was his enigmatic junior, Christian Raleigh, whom he could never quite decipher.
He couldn't understand why his junior seemed to make no real move to stop the Pirate King Roger from broadcasting his message before death.
If anything, considering Raleigh's speed, it felt like a deliberate fanning of the flames.
Although the mound of corpses built from pirate skulls was terrifying, Dragon found nothing remarkable about it upon seeing it in person.
Its symbolic weight was substantial, but how many ambitious men would it truly deter from setting sail? Dragon held his doubts.
If Raleigh had genuinely wanted to silence Roger, he could have employed countless lethal methods to ensure the pirate died before he could speak. Yet he did not.
Dragon grew increasingly intrigued by this inscrutable, dangerous junior.
"Chief, what insights did you gain from this journey to the East Blue?" a young Revolutionary Army soldier asked, stepping forward to take Dragon's luggage.
Dragon smiled grimly. "Someone once told me that to understand the truth of a matter, you must see it with your own eyes. Only now do I grasp that."
"In Loguetown, I witnessed the so-called Pirate King's death. He used an immense, brilliant lure to achieve his goal, successfully birthing a new era of chaos," Dragon said, his breath pluming in the cold air.
"Though his ultimate aim remains unclear, there is no doubt he was an exceedingly shrewd man."
"In short, this trip made me realize there are far too many clever people playing games with the world right now."
Dragon sighed inwardly.
He originally thought the Revolutionary Army he had been quietly developing was quite powerful, but now it appeared far from sufficient.
Not to mention the formidable Marines, even a pirate crew of the Roger Pirates' scale would be difficult for the Revolutionaries to defeat in an open war.
Currently, aside from himself—who could exchange blows with the top tiers—everyone else in the army would be overwhelmed by a true monster.
Since their ultimate goal was to overthrow the World Government that had ruled for nearly eight hundred years, Dragon had to reassess his original military evaluations.
They needed more strength.
...
Raleigh currently had no mind for Dragon's intricate political schemes.
Since Roger's execution concluded, he had rushed nonstop to the New World because the matter he had agreed upon with Sakazuki had already begun.
...
A deserted, rocky island devoid of civilians in the New World.
The sky was filled with heavy, dark clouds, as if a torrential downpour could descend upon this desolate land at any moment.
At this moment, two massive groups stood in tense confrontation, seemingly on the verge of all-out war at the slightest spark.
"Mamamamama!"
"Sakazuki, you rabid mad dog! Instead of busy capturing rookie pirates in Paradise, why are you extending your greedy reach into our family's territory?" Charlotte Linlin, her massive figure already beginning to lose its youthful shape, gripped her giant sword, Napoleon, and taunted the Marine across from her.
"Could it be the Navy actually wants to wage a full-scale war with us?"
Sakazuki showed no courtesy in return, his right arm already bubbling with intense, glowing magma.
He retorted sharply, "When has the Navy ever needed to explain its righteous actions to pirate scum?"
"Charlotte Linlin, two of your fellow captains from the Rocks Pirates are already dead! Haven't you learned to just turtle up at home in Totto Land and await the Navy's absolute judgment?!"
The young, tall Katakuri stepped forward.
He raised his heavy trident, Mogura, and declared coldly, "Hey, Navy dog. Show some respect to Mama!"
"Hmph!"
Miles, standing loyally behind Sakazuki, snorted coldly.
He drew the Supreme Grade Black Blade, Yoru, which Raleigh had recently gifted him, and pointed it at Katakuri.
"And what are you to speak to Vice-Admiral Sakazuki like that, pirate scum?!"
The killing intent in their eyes clashed violently mid-air.
Suddenly, both sides began drawing their weapons, the air growing thick and heavy.
Charlotte Linlin waved her massive hand with a smile on her face. "Mamammamama! Everyone, give Mama some respect. We are not here to fight a war today."
After hearing Big Mom's words, the children of the Charlotte Family reluctantly sheathed their weapons.
With a sharp wave of Sakazuki's molten hand, the Navy personnel behind him also stood down.
However, the suffocating tension between the two groups only grew thicker.
Neither Sakazuki nor Charlotte Linlin paid much mind to this hostile atmosphere.
If the Navy and an Emperor-tier pirate didn't immediately come to blows, it meant there was room for a dark negotiation.
Charlotte Linlin held up a rolled nautical chart and said, "You Marines have already taken much territory from Shiki and Whitebeard. Now you want to seize our Charlotte Family's islands too? Isn't that being a bit too greedy?"
Sakazuki remained silent, his eyes burning like hot coals.
Charlotte Linlin gritted her teeth and proposed a deal. "There are parts of the Golden Lion Pirates' former territory that your Navy cannot fully digest or defend right now. How about we make an exchange?"
She marked the chart with the tip of her sword and grinned. "Hand these specific islands over to us. The Navy can set any reasonable conditions in return. How about it, magma boy?"