Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
With the Straw Hats' departure and the defeat of the Red Hair pirates, the situation on Lodestar Island became clearer.
Cross Guild, the Worst Generation, and Totto Land—the remaining three strongest forces—did not show any intention of challenging the Beast Pirates, tacitly acknowledging the Beast Pirates' status.
The Beast Pirates were only one final condition away from the Pirate King's throne.
"The Beast Pirates have gathered all four Road Poneglyphs!"
The news quickly spread throughout the island!
Far from concealing it, the Beast Pirates publicly announced the news and invited all forces on the island to go to Laugh Tale together.
"Such boldness is truly admirable!"
The powerful individuals were filled with emotion.
For pirates, Laugh Tale was undoubtedly a dream destination, and the Beast Pirates generously shared such a precious coordinate with them.
Even Pirate King Roger had never revealed any information about Laugh Tale before his death.
The difference in demeanor was immediately apparent.
They also knew that this must be Daichi-sama's grand gesture.
At this moment, at the Beast Pirates' base in the resort.
Kaido's features were all squeezed together, full of reluctance. "Daichi, is it really necessary to share Laugh Tale with those guys?"
"Kaido, this is the way of a King."
Daichi smiled slightly.
In his hometown, there were already many answers to this, such as 'the highest form of warfare is to attack strategy' and 'to subdue the enemy without fighting'.
A true King cannot be recognized by sneak attacks. Roger became the Pirate King primarily because he possessed immense power that could suppress an era.
One must first have sufficient power to become the Pirate King. Finding the great treasure is merely the final coronation ceremony.
If a mere nobody found the great treasure, it'd be impossible for the world to acknowledge him.
This was the case with the Beast Pirates now. With Daichi's backing, whether it was team strength, financial resources, or material resources, they were already far ahead of other forces.
They were the undisputed No. 1 in the underworld.
Therefore, taking other forces to Laugh Tale not only had no drawbacks but also made them sincerely acknowledge the Beast Pirates' status as the leading big brother.
Follow the big brother, and there'll be food to eat!
"Let's go, Kaido!"
"Wororororo, alright!"
Daichi and Kaido walked out of the door side by side.
At the port shore, hundreds of pirate ships waited quietly, with various flags representing different forces.
The New World Pirate Grand Fleet!
People stirred on the deck.
Almost all the powerhouses of the New World were gathered here, and as Daichi and Kaido appeared, everyone's gaze turned toward them, with reverence in their eyes.
Nearly a hundred thousand pirates, utterly silent.
They were waiting for the command.
In the underworld, such a grand spectacle was the first in hundreds of years!
Daichi stepped aside, letting Kaido walk in front. This feast for pirates should be started by a pirate.
"Kaido, they're waiting for you."
Kaido stepped forward, looking at the Pirate Grand Fleet directly in front of him, his heart surging. He'd only seen this scene in his dreams.
It was finally realized.
"Wororororo!!!"
Kaido laughed up at the sky.
"Set sail, to claim the great treasure!!!"
"Woooooooh—!!!"
The pirates' fervent shouts soared into the sky!
Led by the Beast Pirates, the New World Pirate Grand Fleet set off, sailing majestically into the depths of the New World.
The news quickly spread throughout the world.
No one could stop them. Even if the World Government was frantic, they had no power to prevent the pirates from pursuing their dreams. That was the will accumulated in the pirate world for eight hundred years, and all obstacles would be crushed.
They could only wait in fear.
Three days later.
A certain calm sea area.
At the Beast Pirates' behest, all the pirate ships were coated with a film, and with a single command, the Pirate Grand Fleet submerged into the sea.
10 meters... 50 meters... 100 meters.
As they descended, the seabed grew darker.
Diving close to 200 meters!
The Pirate Grand Fleet stopped. The surroundings were pitch black, with extremely low visibility, and some shadows could be vaguely seen.
"The Land of the End!"
Under the admiring gazes of the pirates, the crimson terrestrial beast appeared, summoning the solar disk to disperse the darkness and illuminate the underwater world!
A colossal ruin appeared in their sight!
"This... is a country?!"
The pirates were aghast.
The ruined city stretched endlessly. Such a vast area must've been an incredibly powerful kingdom before its destruction.
The pirates quickly realized the truth.
"Laugh Tale!"
"This is Laugh Tale!"
"The great treasure is in this ruin!"
The pirates were ecstatic. Even the relatively composed powerhouses could not suppress their intensely turbulent emotions.
Crocodile, Moria, Trafalgar Law, Hawkins—powerhouses born in both the old and new eras—all had bloodshot eyes at this moment.
So close to the great treasure!
The Pirate Grand Fleet advanced through the ruins and soon discovered a massive cylindrical structure standing in the center of the ruins, its material looking like a mechanical construct.
Near the column, there were numerous bubble corals, and the air they exhaled formed a gigantic bubble space.
Below the column, there was also a Poneglyph, with information left by Roger on the stone tablet.
"We brought all truths here—Gol D. Roger!"
The pirates entered the bubble and crowded together beneath the giant column, looking at the stone tablet in front of them with utter confusion.
They only recognized the information left by Roger.
All other information was in ancient script.
"The Void Century..."
Robin came to the base of the stone tablet, caressing it and deciphering the text on it, as well as the Poneglyph information left by Roger.
That is, the Void Century.
Over eight hundred years ago, the world was still under a cruel slave system, and different races like the Minks and Fish-Men were persecuted and enslaved.
At that time, the Great Kingdom was the center of the world. Its ruler, Joy Boy, wanted to change this situation and abolish slavery, but he was met with combined opposition from twenty kingdoms.
The clash of two ideologies led to war, eventually resulting in the downfall of the Great Kingdom, and the twenty kingdoms formed the World Government.
But the fighting didn't end. Under the World Government's pursuit, Joy Boy went to sea and became the first pirate, attempting to unite the oppressed races to resist the World Government's rule.
Ultimately, he failed.
Joy Boy went to Wano Country and entrusted the Kozuki Clan to create the Road Poneglyphs, recording everything. Afterward, with the help of Alabasta Queen Lily, he sent the Road Poneglyphs to various parts of the world.
Joy Boy passed down the will of the Great Kingdom in this way, which is the so-called "D," representing freedom and democracy, or rather, the idea of equality for all.
As long as one possesses this ideology, they can be called "D."
That is, the natural enemy of God!
"Joy D. Boy."
Daichi muttered.
Joy Boy's ideas coincided with his own, but his methods were too poor. He was directly overthrown by the twenty kingdoms.
Not only was there no benefit, but it would also harm their own interests, so who'd be willing to work with him?
In addition to the history of the Void Century, the stone tablet also recorded some other information.
For example, the origin of the three Ancient Weapons, the promise with Fish-Man Island, and how the war caused the continent to sink by 200 meters, etc.
And the giant stone pillar before them was the final technological culmination before the Great Kingdom's demise, capable of lifting the world to compensate for the damage caused by the war.
It was the great treasure!
However, to drive this device, it required the Mother Flame as power, as well as some crucial factors.
The power of Nika!
To draw an analogy, the world is the car, the great treasure is the engine, the Mother Flame is the oil, and Nika is the transmission belt that transfers engine power to the vehicle.
None can be missing.
Simply put, only Nika can save this world.
And the name of the Great Kingdom—Nika.
"Ridiculous."
Daichi chuckled.
If the ideology of D was truly like this, then hope shouldn't be placed on Nika, treating Nika as the savior.
To overthrow oppression, one can only rely on oneself.
Just like, "Are kings, nobles, generals, and prime ministers born with such status?"
As long as the ideological shackles are broken, even ordinary people will aspire to become kings, thus giving rise to many Chen Sheng and Wu Guang.
Nika is the same.
Everyone can become Nika. Only then can the spirit of resistance of the oppressed be awakened, rather than saying Nika must be a white warrior.
Moreover, what can change the world is never just the savior Nika. There are also many other viable paths.
Just like, he has arrived!