Year 1519 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
At the entrance of the New World—
Splash!
The calm sea suddenly rippled as a massive ship burst up from beneath the waves.
The enormous air bubble that had encased its hull shattered the instant it touched open air.
Droplets scattered everywhere as the grand vessel settled firmly atop the ocean's surface.
On the ship's tall mast, a pirate flag fluttered proudly in the wind.
This was a pirate ship.
"Hahahaha!"
Standing at the bow, a burly man with a rough face and a thick beard roared with laughter. "We've finally made it to the New World! Damn, that wasn't easy!"
Behind him stood a much thinner man, a long rifle slung diagonally across his back, still shaken from the journey. "We were almost caught by the Fishman Island patrols."
"If it weren't for our quick thinking, we'd be feeding the sea kings by now."
"Hmph!"
The bearded man snorted coldly. "It's all because of that damned Beasts Pirates!"
"They were pirates once too, yet now they've completely sealed off the New World, not letting any pirates enter!"
"And that mad dog under their command—Deep Sea Hunter Jinbe! That bastard deserves to be hacked into pieces! How many once-famed pirates from Paradise has he sunk into the icy depths?"
The man grew angrier the more he spoke, finally shouting at the top of his lungs, "Emperor? Emperor, my ass! I'll never acknowledge him!"
It had been six years since the Beasts Pirates took full control of the New World, with Ian the Skyfire being hailed as one of the only Pirate Emperor.
Over those long six years, the world had gradually grown used to this new order.
Before that, the New World had still been a domain ruled by countless powerful pirate crews—a paradise for the Pirates.
Even so, everyone knew that the true ruler of the seas was still the World Government, and the Marine Headquarters, the embodiment of "justice," remained the dominant power upon the oceans.
But in these past six years, that belief had been completely overturned.
The Beasts Pirates had seized total control over the New World. They now stood on equal footing with the World Government—an unstoppable force the Marines could do nothing about.
Beyond them, in the North Blue, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Charlotte Family had also risen to prominence, each ruling over vast territories.
Meanwhile, in the West Blue, NEO Marines and the Cross Guild had become forces that could not be ignored—giants standing shoulder to shoulder with the World Government.
In these seas, monsters and the Government now stood in a tense and delicate balance.
The New World had completely spiraled out of control. While the North and West Blues had fallen into chaos, the two sides of the Red Line now displayed entirely different faces.
But for ordinary pirates, none of that really mattered. Whatever the monsters of this era were doing had nothing to do with them.
What truly brought despair to the pirates was the Beast Pirates' total blockade of the New World.
Though Ian himself was a pirate, the Emperor despised others trespassing into his domain.
Over the past six years, the Beast Pirates had launched an enormous recruitment campaign, swelling their ranks until their military might became unmatched.
Then, they began constructing bases all across the New World.
Within two years, they had achieved complete domination over the seas.
And with that came the pirates' worst nightmare.
The Beast Pirates began a brutal purge of every crew that dared to exist within their territory.
Those with enough strength and the sense to surrender were absorbed into Ian's forces.
But the rest—the weak, the stubborn, the defiant—were mercilessly wiped out.
The New World was no longer what it used to be.
Near almost every major island now stood a Beast Pirates base. Their flying units patrolled the skies daily, watching for any sign of intruders.
Any pirate ship foolish enough to sail these waters risked immediate exposure—and total annihilation soon after.
And it wasn't just the pirates of the New World who suffered. The Beast Pirates also worked to cut off the very routes pirates used to enter the New World in the first place.
Fish-Man Island.
That island had long since become part of the Beast Pirates' territory. The Sun Pirates—now under their banner—were stationed there.
Their captain, once known as the Sea Knight Jinbe, had organized a massive patrol force made up entirely of fish-men and merfolk warriors.
Backed by countless tamed sea beasts, they formed an unstoppable power in the depths of the ocean.
Since then, the number of pirates able to pass from the first half of the Grand Line into the New World had dwindled to almost none.
Even Jinbe himself had become the target of hatred among the pirates of the first half. They cursed his name, calling him "The Emperor's Mad Dog," "The Man-Eating Fish of the Deep Sea," and "The Deep Sea Hunter."
Now, four years after the Beast Pirates' great purge began, pirates—once a common sight in these seas—had become a rare species.
Those few who remained dared not show their faces, and many no longer even had the courage to fly their pirate flags.
Although it sounded unbelievable, the truth was that the New World—once known as the most chaotic sea in the world—had now become the most peaceful region on the entire planet.
Even those nations that had long been plagued by turmoil were forcibly pacified after the intervention of the Emperor of the Sea himself.
In the New World, everyone knew one thing clearly—never interfere with His Majesty's efforts to develop production. Those who did would find only one fate: death.
If not for the Calm Belt separating the New World from the North and West Blue, and the Red Line cutting it off from the other three oceans, countless civilians would have already packed their families and migrated here in search of peace.
People all over the world looked upon the residents of the New World with envy.
However, for the pirates roaming the seas, this peace was nothing short of infuriating.
The legendary One Piece—the Great Treasure—was said to be buried somewhere in the New World.
Now that the Beasts Pirates had sealed off the entire region, most pirates saw this as nothing less than their attempt to monopolize the treasure for themselves!
Arrogant fools who didn't know their place existed in every corner of the world.
Even with the Beasts Pirates guarding every route, countless pirates still risked everything each year, setting sail from the Sabaody Archipelago in hopes of reaching the New World.
But the vast majority of them perished in the cold depths near Fish-Man Island.
Some pirates, desperate to overcome this natural barrier, even set their sights on the Red Line itself.
The news of Mariejois' relocation was no longer a secret. So, they thought—if Mariejois had moved, why couldn't they simply cross the Red Line?
Unfortunately, even though the Celestial Dragons had abandoned the Holy Land, they still forbade ordinary humans from setting foot upon their sacred heights.
The abandoned Mariejois had since been transformed into a special Marine base—now serving as the true front line of the World Government.
And those pirates who dared to approach it never returned alive.
For a crew to break through all these defenses and enter the New World by force meant only one thing—they were both powerful and incredibly lucky.
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