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Stopping and starting, waiting for Sanjuan Wolf along the way, the [Thor] finally crossed the Calm Belt after several days and officially arrived in the East Blue.
"The weakest sea... Roger's hometown. So we're finally here?" Arthur stood against the wind, his new purple greatcoat fluttering wildly.
World, Naguri, Pizarro, and the others all stood behind him, strange smiles on their faces as they looked down at the ships passing below.
Recently, the boat traffic in the East Blue had increased more than tenfold. Almost everyone who could make it in time had arrived, all to witness the execution of the first and only Pirate King, Roger.
In the sea behind the [Thor], dozens of miles away, Wolf's massive body parted the waves, continuously chasing after the flying ship—
"Squawk~ Squawk~"
Seagulls flew back and forth, their crisp calls echoing loudly. A News Coo spotted the mark of the Thunder God Pirates from a great distance. After quickly confirming the face of Arthur, who was surrounded by his crew on the ship, it immediately flapped its wings and flew over.
"Hm? Isn't that a News Coo trained by the World Economy News Paper?" Byrnndi World asked, somewhat surprised.
As a Great pirate who had once roamed the New World, he had naturally had dealings with the WE News Paper. He recognized the mark on the News Coo's bag at a glance.
"Just delivering the paper..." Arthur chuckled lightly. He was very satisfied with "Big News" Morgans' attitude. The man was a true operator who knew how to play all sides.
"Flap, flap!"
A newspaper fell from the sky and landed in Arthur's hand. He waved the News Coo away and immediately began to read.
In bold, black font, in the most prominent position, was a headline that would excite every civilian on the seas.
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SHOCKING: THE DAWN OF A MARINE AGE? LEGENDARY GREAT PIRATES CAPTURED ONE AFTER ANOTHER!
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"WHAT?!"
"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!"
World and Naguri, standing beside Arthur, could hardly believe their eyes. They were seeing news that was utterly earth-shattering for any pirate.
The newspaper boldly stated:
"The legendary great pirate, 'Pirate Admiral' Golden Lion Shiki, foolishly overestimated his own strength and attacked Marine Headquarters—challenging the authority of the Marines. He was battled for five days and five nights by the Marine Hero who captured Roger, Garp, and the Admiral 'Buddha' Sengoku, before finally being apprehended."
Below the text was a picture of a battered and defeated Golden Lion, lying in a cage on a prisoner transport ship, his feet tightly bound in Seastone shackles.
With both text and pictures, the news was impossible to deny.
This news indicated that of the four legends of the sea—Roger, the Golden Lion, Whitebeard, and the Red Count—two had been arrested by the Marines in a very short period.
The pirates' power in the New World had shrunk dramatically. During the time of Roger's capture, there wasn't even a trace of pirates in the first half of the Grand Line; they had been completely suppressed, unable to even raise their heads.
Many who dreamed of setting sail began to wonder: was an age of the Marines truly coming?
They watched the legends of piracy fade away, while the ranks of the Marines continued to expand. Powerhouses emerged one after another.
In contrast, among the new generation of pirates in the New World, were there only a mere three who could carry the banner? The "Thunder Emperor" Arthur, "Hundred Beasts" Kaido, and "Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin?
"Red the Aloof" Redfield was a loner, and "Whitebeard" Newgate spent his days partying with his sons.
And the Marines? They were constantly promoting monster-like Vice Admirals. The three Admiral candidates—Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Kizaru—were only a few military achievements away from becoming true Admirals.
The worldwide Marine conscription was nearing its end, and it was said that several terrifying young monsters had also appeared.
And then there was the former Admiral and current General Instructor, Zephyr—the Marine Hero, Garp—the "Buddha" Sengoku; and Fleet Admiral Kong, all standing guard over the seas, with the full backing of the World Government.
What did the pirates have to fight the Marines with?
For those whose dream of being a pirate was not firm, seeing this news instantly threw them into confusion. They didn't know if they should still become pirates.
"A laughable 'Age of the Marines'..." Arthur sneered, casually tossing the newspaper from the sky. Seeing this news, he almost laughed himself sick.
If the Marines hadn't welcomed Roger, who turned himself in, or if they had accepted his surrender but chose not to broadcast it to the world, an age of the Marines might have actually been possible—
"What a shame. They dug their own grave," Arthur said with contempt.
To increase their own influence, the Marines had practically taken the initiative to help Roger complete his plan! And Roger knew the Marines very well. He knew that if he, the Pirate King, was captured, the Marines would inevitably announce it to the world—
—Thus, a ridiculous and dramatic scene unfolded, with both sides playing their parts.
One had to admit, the Marines had played their hand well, but Roger was still one step ahead.
"To have calculated this step several years in advance... truly amazing." Arthur was genuinely impressed by Roger's move.
A man who was so much like Luffy when he first set sail... what kind of experiences did he go through to completely transform? Perhaps... it's the responsibility of the D. clan?
Arthur thought, narrowing his eyes.
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"Hmph... those incompetent Marines, shamelessly ganging up to capture the Golden Lion. That idiot Shiki, was his Float-Float Fruit just for show??" World's face was extremely grim.
Even if they were once enemies, he didn't want to see his rival fall in such a way. It was an insult. He would rather have heard that the Golden Lion had died in battle.
"Wait a minute... it doesn't say anything about the casualties at Marine Headquarters, or how badly Marineford was destroyed," Shot said, taking a drink of the wine Arthur had given him, a bit fuzzy.
He hadn't been on the seas for long before being thrown into Impel Down, so he wasn't too clear on the inner workings of these things.
"You're still too young, Shot," Naguri sighed. "If they listed their losses, it would completely destroy the Marines' prestige! Are they supposed to say how many Marines the Golden Lion killed before they finally captured him?"
"Isn't it better that he was captured?" Arthur glanced at them. "This means that right now in the New World, not only is Roger's territory up for grabs, but the Golden Lion's territory can also be taken by us. One less person means a bigger piece of the cake. What's the problem?"
Whitebeard would hold his own territory.
Kaido and Big Mom would inevitably fight over the empty territories. No matter how much they took, they couldn't possibly snatch up almost half of the New World.
"Murufufufu, hearing the Captain say that, I can't wait to get to the New World," Catarina Devon laughed, her hands on her hips.
"That's right, meow! Only when the old emperors fall or are defeated can the new ones rise at the fastest speed, meow!" Pizarro said, crossing his arms.
"Let's go. Roger's execution is in three days. After we see him off, we head for the New World!"
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