A month passed in the blink of an eye.
The turmoil in the New World intensified. With continuous coverage in the newspapers, Red Hair was officially removed from the ranks of the Four Emperors.
Only one person could claim the vacant throne, but becoming one of the Four Emperors required not only defeating competitors but also possessing a sufficiently powerful military force.
Just like Red Hair back in the day, who achieved his position with the support of the Giants. Thus, it would be difficult for a new Emperor to emerge in a short time.
This battle for supremacy had only just begun!
Meanwhile, in the Nation of Labor.
"Whew, finally done!"
Gurd wiped the sweat from his brow, gazing proudly at the endless Sea Passage stretching before him.
An entire month of relentless work.
Addicted to land reclamation, unable to stop!
At last, the entire Nation of Labor had been connected. All that remained was paving roads and constructing bridges before it could be officially put to use.
"Wooooahhh!!!"
Onboard the Godora, the crew crowded the deck. After following their captain for a month and witnessing the completion of the Sea Passage, they were moved to tears!
"Captain, you're incredible!"
"To create such a miracle!"
"Captain Gurd, you must be this world's savior!"
"No, the captain is a god!"
The pirates could find no other words to describe the monumental project before them—and they were its witnesses!
Mortal flesh, rivaling the divine!
"Gyahahahaha!"
Gurd planted his hands on his hips, laughing maniacally.
Look!
This magnificent achievement!
Could anyone else have done it?
Who else could accomplish such a feat?
That's right—only he could!
"Gyahahaha~ Gyahahaha~~"
Gurd clutched his face, laughing wildly, his eyes gleaming with madness.
Over the course of this month-long journey, he had conceived a new path of expansion—one that would shock even the World Government!
"Return to Wano Country!"
"Aye!"
Half a day later, Oni Island.
Small banquet hall.
Kaido and his three All-Stars were present.
A world map hung on the wall. Standing beside it, Gurd explained his next development plan to the four of them.
"Understood?"
"..."
Including Kaido, all four shook their heads in unison, looking at Gurd as if he were a monster—utterly horrified.
They sort of understood, but not really.
Could something like this actually be done?
Gurd's brow furrowed.
If they couldn't grasp such a straightforward development plan, they truly were nothing but deadweight.
"Sit tight, I'll explain it again!"
Gurd barked, pointing at the Calm Belt near Wano Country, where two red lines had been drawn like bridges.
"I will create two landmasses connecting the North Blue and the New World within the Calm Belt, leaving a waterway in between for ships to pass through!"
"This way, we won't have to worry about Sea Kings. Even ordinary vessels will be able to traverse the Calm Belt."
"Not only that—once this grand project is complete, we can bypass the Red Line and the Marines' interference, gaining direct access to the North Blue!"
The New World was too small, its resources limited. For the Beasts to continue expanding, they needed to find a way to target other seas.
His solution was to use his abilities to cross the Calm Belt—and the other side of the Calm Belt near Wano Country was the North Blue!
Currently, the Marines' warships were mostly equipped with special Sea Stone Technology, allowing them to evade Sea Kings and traverse the Calm Belt.
But there are also risks.
The Navy's technology only blocks perception. If the Sea Kings spot them with their eyes, it depends on whether the Sea Kings are hungry or not.
If even warships face such dangers, what about other vessels?
However, once his Continental Bridge is completed, even small sailboats can easily traverse between the New World and the North Sea.
Safe, with zero risk!
No need for wind-powered sailing—just rely on the tugging of external paddle wheels.
This will become a Silk Road between the New World and the North Sea. The toll fees alone will make the Beasts filthy rich.
The already saturated Pirate forces in the New World will inevitably crave raiding other seas or fleeing the New World altogether.
Resources from the North Sea will also flow continuously into the New World!
And this will also be a strategic corridor!
The Beasts can easily penetrate deep into the World Government's heartland, especially once another passage is built in the other Calm Belt.
Half the world in their grasp!
"You've all heard about the current state of the Nation of Labor. Just know that I can make this happen—no need to question my capabilities."
Gurd cleared his throat.
"Do you understand now?"
"Yes! Yes!"
The four nodded like chickens pecking at rice.
Hiss—!
Even just imagining it, they knew how terrifying the scenario would be!
Queen gulped hard.
"The World Government will go insane!"
"Of course!"
Gurd smirked coldly. "That's why we'll build Large Fortresses at both ends of the passage to prevent enemy occupation!"
Digging up the World Government's ancestral grave would drive them mad. So merely constructing the passage isn't enough—it must be fortified with impregnable firepower!
Build the damn fortresses!
They must be impregnable, easy to defend and hard to attack!
The Beasts will stake everything on this!
King hesitated.
"Gurd, do we even have that much money?"
"Hmm? Are you doubting my financial strength?Gurd raised an eyebrow and coldly slammed Groudon Company and the Nation of Labor's annual financial reports onto the table.
Even Kaido was no exception—all four of them craned their necks to pore over the reports. When they saw the profit figures at the bottom, their eyes nearly popped out.
Groudon Company's profits: 120 billion Berries !
The Nation of Labor, being unique, had stockpiled massive amounts of weapons and industrial goods—so much that they couldn't even sell them all.
Estimated value: 200 billion Berries !
"Hiss—!"
The four gasped in disbelief.
Wano Country's annual output was barely a fraction of that. Even with Gurd's rental income, it barely reached around 10 billion—yet even that had left them stunned.
Turns out, it was just pocket change!
"You probably don't realize."
Gurd crossed his legs and waved at Jack.
"Bring me tea!"
"Yes, Big Brother Gurd!"
"Muhahaha, let me light your cigar, Brother Gurd."
Jack hurried over, carefully pouring tea for Gurd, while Queen scrambled to the other side, obsequiously lighting Gurd's cigar.
Like two lackeys.
Gurd puffed on his cigar, pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his coat, and put them on—full mafia boss vibes, the theatrics dialed up to the max.
"After the war with Red Hair, our properties have been selling like crazy. Even units scheduled for three years later are already booked!"
Victory in the apex war isn't just about defeating the enemy—it's about the aftermath.
War is fought for profit!
Now, the underground forces and the upper-class elites across the islands in the New World are all brimming with confidence in the Beasts, driving real estate sales to the point of selling out completely.
Currently, in Fengyuan Community on Hachinosu Island, the price of an ordinary Residential House has skyrocketed to 30 million Berries —three times its initial listing price!
Properties on other islands have also surged in value, with demand far outstripping supply!
In business terms—
The Beasts' stock is soaring!
Red-hot, blazing red!
If not for the continuous capital investments, the funds in the company's accounts would already rival the output of the Nation of Labor.
Real estate is truly a goldmine!
As night fell, in a small banquet hall—
Kaido and King drank together, their faces filled with melancholy.
"King, I finally know who Joy Boy is!"
"Big Brother Kaido, do you mean Gurd?"
"Exactly, it's Gurd!"
Kaido downed a large gulp of liquor.
Today, for the first time, he deeply felt that compared to Gurd, he was practically useless in every aspect except for his brute strength.
The future Gurd had painted was so vivid that even a rough man like him could clearly envision it—a grand path that would change the world.
Far more reliable than his own half-baked plans!
"Wororororo, tonight we drink till we drop!"
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/GoddessTL
Thanks!