After winning the war between the Four Emperors, the threat level of the Beasts Pirates to the World Government had significantly increased. Not only Gurd, but the bounties of all other officers had risen as well.
"Flame Disaster" King, bounty: 1,690,000,000 Berries !
"Flying Foam" Who's Who, bounty: 646,000,000 Berries .
"Phantom" Speed, bounty: 170,000,000 Berries !
The increase in bounties varied slightly based on the officers' ranks, starting from a minimum of 20,000,000 Berries to a maximum of 300,000,000 Berries .
And there was more!
"Strongest Creature" Kaido, bounty: 5,011,100,000 Berries !
In this era, Kaido's bounty was second only to Whitebeard's 5,046,000,000 Berries , with almost no gap between them.
This meant the World Government's level of concern toward the Beasts Pirates had reached—or even surpassed—that of the Whitebeard Pirates!
Of course, the biggest increase went to Gurd.
Bounty: 3,000,000,000 Berries !
A staggering amount that would shake the world!
Nation of Labor.
Gurd held a Den Den Mushi, grinning brightly.
"The person you're looking for is in the Florian Triangle in the first half of the Grand Line."
"I have no habit of lying!"
"Gahahaha, see you later!"
The call ended.
Having dismissed the troublesome individual, Gurd felt much more at ease. He summoned Speed and asked, "Any movements from the Red Hair Pirates?"
"Red Hair is still staying in Elbaf."
Speed reported with a smile. "According to the latest intel, Red Hair has recalled all the flags he had distributed. Now, the captains under his command are in complete chaos."
"Hmm, no need to bother with them."
Gurd smirked.
Taking advantage of this major victory, he had no intention of letting the Red Hair Pirates off. While annihilating them entirely would be difficult, driving them away was feasible.
He wouldn't allow Red Hair to remain in the New World!
Red Hair was smart enough to comply.
Since he had recalled his flags, the next step would inevitably be leaving the New World, temporarily distancing himself from the war's vortex.
This was better for both sides!
After a moment of contemplation, Gurd ordered, "Dispatch a construction team to Gotel Island immediately. Build a small fortress following Hachinosu Island's standards!"
"Also, raise the Beasts Pirates Flag on the resource-rich islands under Red Hair's former control. Ignore the ones lacking value."
Since Red Hair had no intention of continuing the fight, it was time to quickly carve up his territory. While the Beasts Pirates took the lion's share, they could leave some scraps for other factions to fight over.
Gurd thought for a moment and added, "Contact Stussy. Have her send professionals to assess the resource value of our newly acquired territories and draft a development plan."
"Understood. I'll arrange it right away."
Speed turned and left.
Gurd walked to the window, gazing at the bustling harbor.
Shortly after the New Year, the Beasts Pirates had sent shockwaves through the New World. By now, all factions should understand who the true ruler of these seas was.
From here on out, all they needed to do was extract resources from the other islands and funnel them entirely into the Nation of Labor. Once that was done, the Beasts Pirates' dominance would be solidified.
They still couldn't compare to the World Government, but in the Underworld, they would be the undisputed No. 1—everyone would have to show them respect.
"Chikara, prepare to set sail."
"Yes, Lord Gurd!"
Moments later, Gurd transformed into his massive Groudon Form, stepping into the sea as thick plumes of smoke billowed around him.
The Groudon Ship sailed alongside him.
"Lord Gurd, what are we going to do?"
"Connect the Nation of Labor!"
Gurd's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Since he had nothing better to do, he decided to reclaim land from the sea and build roads!
First, he would connect all the islands of the Nation of Labor into one landmass. This would greatly facilitate the flow of goods between the islands.
"You lead the way!"
"Understood!"
The Groudon Ship took the lead, with Gurd following slowly behind. As magma surged around them, solid land spanning about a hundred meters in width emerged from the sea.
"Is this... a miracle?"
The laborers on the island stared in stunned silence.
A sight akin to divine intervention had shattered their understanding of the world!
Days passed one after another.
Restless Pirates kept a close eye on the Red Hair Pirates. When they realized Red Hair had no intention of seeking revenge against the Beasts, they could no longer hold back and began invading his territories en masse.
On a certain island, Pirates launched a full-scale invasion.
The Pirate guarding the island shouted,
"Stop this at once! This island belongs to the great leader Red Hair!"
"Red Hair?!"
A Pirate leaped up, slicing the Red Hair Pirates Flag hanging at the port in half, laughing mercilessly.
"What does it matter if he's one of the Four Emperors? That guy's just a loser now—a cowardly Pirate who doesn't dare take revenge on the Beasts!"
"Open your eyes and see!"
"From today onward, the ruler of this island will be our captain!"
A towering captain, standing seven to eight meters tall and wielding a massive blade, appeared, instantly intimidating the island's defenders.
"Uohohoho!"
"Listen up, all of you! The new master of this island is none other than me—the great Pirate with a bounty of 80.06 million Berries !"
"The mighty [Tea Beard]!"
Except for islands flying the Beasts Pirates Flag, the rest of Red Hair's territories were engulfed in constant warfare. Yet, despite the Pirates' provocations, the Red Hair Pirates remained eerily silent.
Until news broke—
The Red Hair Pirates had left the New World!
Naval Headquarters, Strategy Room.
Officer Branu held a report in his hands.
"Just moments ago, the Red Hair Pirates arrived at Sabaody Archipelago."
"Leaving the New World means Red Hair's status as one of the Four Emperors is now in name only. However, the core strength of the Red Hair Pirates remains intact—they are still a force to be reckoned with!"
In the battles between Pirates, the loser loses everything—just as it was for renowned Pirates like Crocodile and Moria.
Even the Four Emperors are no exception!
A defeated Emperor loses the right to rule the New World. Moreover, since the Beasts had defeated Red Hair, they would never allow him to stay.
If Red Hair wanted to make a comeback, he would have to defeat the Beasts or at least stand on equal footing with them—only then would he regain the right to stake his claim in the New World.
Branu continued his briefing.
"The real issue now is the Beasts!"
"As expected, the Beasts swiftly seized most of the Red Hair Pirates' territories, vastly expanding their sphere of influence."
"At this point, the threat the Beasts pose to the world has surpassed that of the other Emperors!"
"Our priority now is to curb the Beasts' expansion!"
The officers paled.
The balance of power in the New World had already tipped. The Beasts Pirates would undoubtedly use this opportunity to grow even stronger.
But the New World was the domain of the Four Emperors—no, the Three Emperors now. Even the Navy couldn't afford to wage war against them there.
The losses would be too great for the Navy to bear!
"And there's another troubling matter."
Branu activated the projection Den Den Mushi.
Several images appeared on the screen.
One of them showed the Gotail Sea—the site of the war between the Emperors. After the battle, a stretch of land had been left behind on the ocean's surface.
The other photos were of the Nation of Labor.
Several islands were connected by land, and the number of linked islands was rapidly increasing. There were also images of Groudon creating land.
"Gurd, the Earth Calamity—this man is undoubtedly the most troublesome existence among the Beasts. Now, the Earth Calamity has even demonstrated the ability to reclaim land from the sea!"
Reclaiming land from the sea!
Though the scale appeared small, if the islands under the Beasts' control could be connected, everyone understood what that would mean.
The slow development of nations, and even the irreparable gaps between eras, were primarily due to the separation by the vast oceans.
If connected by land, the Beasts' growth would accelerate dramatically.
Branu slammed his fist against the wall and shouted.
"The most terrifying aspect of the Earth Calamity isn't just his formidable strength, but also his sharp intellect. It's because of his relentless activity that the Beasts Pirates have grown uncontrollably!"
"He is the greatest threat to the Marines!"
"No matter the cost, we must eliminate the Earth Calamity!"