Chapter 269: Impact and Gains
The Fall of the Heavenly Demon!
Darkness Hidden Beneath the Light!
The Truth of the Toy Kingdom Revealed!
As the old saying goes, good news travels slowly, but scandal spreads like wildfire.
Dressrosa—transformed from a vibrant, beautiful nation into a dark kingdom built on mass deception—created a stark contrast that shocked and horrified people throughout the entire world.
The World Government's power remained undeniable, but the impact of this incident proved simply too catastrophic.
Even with their most aggressive public relations campaigns and attempts to absolve themselves of responsibility, they faced universal condemnation as their reputation sustained severe damage.
This proved extraordinarily rare.
Because with the World Government's overwhelming influence, such scandals were typically buried effortlessly and almost never spread worldwide.
But this time events unfolded too suddenly, providing no opportunity to implement countermeasures.
The atmosphere within the Holy Land of Mary Geoise had grown notably tense these past few days. Officials moved hurriedly through the corridors, nervous as startled birds.
Everyone understood that the Five Elders—the World Government's supreme rulers—remained in exceptionally foul moods recently, and nobody dared provoke them during this volatile period.
Of course, certain beings whose intelligence had degenerated to subhuman levels weren't included in this calculation.
Pangaea Castle, World Government Conference Room
The Five Elders gathered in assembly as Kalos delivered his comprehensive report on the Dressrosa battle's details.
"In barely over an hour, two CP operatives and Doflamingo were eliminated?"
"The Goro Goro no Mi user, Jinbe, and the Ope Ope no Mi wielder Trafalgar Law... It seems that boy's wings have grown formidably strong."
"Not merely that, but Boa Hancock appears to maintain close relations with him as well."
The Five Elders' tones carried substantial weight.
A heavy silence descended over the conference room, the atmosphere thick with barely contained frustration.
The Dressrosa battle hadn't yielded their expected results, and now they bore the consequences.
Another Emperor of the Sea was about to rise.
Perhaps still somewhat inexperienced, but nobody believed that man would remain satisfied with his current position.
"Blackbeard also covets the Yonko title. The two of them will inevitably clash. We'll act decisively when that opportunity presents itself."
Finally, the Five Elders concluded there was no immediate urgency.
Rhodes had survived his initial major battle in the New World. The challenges ahead would only prove greater and more formidable.
The New World's territories remained finite, teeming with powerful figures, countless masters, and numerous great pirates—including three established Yonko.
To become a new Yonko, Rhodes must win every single battle.
One defeat meant death.
The World Government, conversely, operated under different constraints.
They could observe the seas' tumultuous storms with comfortable detachment.
Nobody could overthrow the World Government. They'd endured eight hundred years, and the next eight hundred would prove no exception.
Both the Five Elders and Kalos possessed extraordinary confidence in this certainty.
"Impressive work, Rhodes."
On a remote island, Ace, Marco, and several others gathered around a modest campfire.
After returning to the New World, circumstances had initially seemed manageable. Whitebeard's lingering influence provided protection. But that advantage quickly eroded as challenges emerged and conflicts erupted.
The Whitebeard Pirates—united solely by Whitebeard's overwhelming presence—began fragmenting. Except for a handful of division commanders who maintained strong relationships with Marco and other core leaders, most departed to pursue independent paths.
Ace and the others didn't attempt preventing their departure. Such matters couldn't be forced.
Having lost Whitebeard—the "World's Strongest Man"—alongside numerous irreplaceable comrades, the Whitebeard Pirates surrendered vast territories they'd once controlled.
Even with Ace and his crew fighting desperately across multiple fronts, their efforts proved futile.
Especially after the Blackbeard Pirates aggressively entered territorial disputes, Ace and his crew found themselves forced into continuous retreat.
"For that Yonko title, Rhodes will inevitably face Blackbeard eventually. That will represent our opportunity. We don't seek fame or fortune—we only want to kill Blackbeard and avenge Pops,"
Ace declared, flames flickering within his determined eyes.
It must be acknowledged that the Marineford War and recent harrowing experiences had forged Ace anew, burning away his naiveté and impulsiveness while tempering him into maturity.
"That man..."
Diamond Jozu touched his empty right arm socket, his tone inscrutable, his heart heavy with complicated emotions.
During the Marineford War, he could still engage Rhodes in combat. Now, he'd probably be effortlessly defeated.
"Rhodes' chances of winning a decisive battle against Blackbeard are probably somewhat low,"
Marco observed, poking absently at the campfire.
"Blackbeard's been hunting Devil Fruit users relentlessly these days. All manner of rare abilities will continuously bolster his crew's strength. The longer this drags on, the more powerful the Blackbeard Pirates become."
"Moreover, Blackbeard's actions toward Pops at Marineford... they deeply concern me."
Ace, Jozu, and the others fell into contemplative silence.
Blackbeard's current individual strength wasn't actually that exceptional—at minimum, he didn't yet possess true Yonko-level dominance.
But if those rumors about his strange body were accurate, then the situation became genuinely terrifying.
"It's alright."
"There's always a path forward. Besides, I'm still young—I'll definitely grow stronger."
Ace smiled with genuine confidence, the firelight reflecting in his pupils as a unique aura gradually emanated from his presence.
Marco felt momentarily taken aback, then smiled with profound relief.
Pops, are you watching?
Ace has finally grown up.
The Dressrosa battle solidified Rhodes' reputation throughout the New World. Everyone now recognized that Blackbeard's genuine rival had emerged.
The Yonko position vacated by Whitebeard's death might fall into unexpected hands.
Throughout the New World, countless ambitious hearts stirred with turbulent possibilities.
At this time, Dressrosa lay in ruins, desperately awaiting reconstruction.
But the rebuilding process didn't encounter the anticipated difficulties.
This was because the Donquixote Family's accumulated legacy proved truly immense—immeasurable wealth and mountains of weaponry, including numerous fine-grade swords.
Surprisingly, there wasn't a single Devil Fruit among the inheritance.
This, naturally, wasn't because the Donquixote Family hadn't collected Devil Fruits.
In this world, any major power with legitimate standing instinctively hoarded Devil Fruits.
The absence of any in the inheritance strongly suggested they'd been consumed by subordinates.
"That works out quite well."
Examining the detailed supply inventory, Rhodes smiled with satisfaction.
The Donquixote Family represented the core hub of the underworld's trading network. Their accumulated wealth defied description.
They possessed more than sufficient resources to rebuild Dressrosa completely—let alone two or three additional kingdoms.
"But we can't simply rest on inherited wealth. Is there any feasible method to assume control of the Donquixote Family's trading network?"
"That might prove... somewhat problematic..."
Robin shook her head with evident concern.
Not merely "somewhat problematic," but extraordinarily difficult.
The Donquixote Family's ability to become the underworld trading network's central hub possessed unique characteristics. Even the Four Emperors couldn't replicate it, much less Rhodes at his current standing!
Raw strength wasn't the determining factor.
The crucial element was Doflamingo's former Celestial Dragon status, which provided immense operational advantages, allowing the World Government to deliberately turn a blind eye.
This permitted expansion of their trading network worldwide, with all parties willing to conduct business.
"We'll absorb whatever portions we can manage..."
Rhodes' tone remained casual. Economic development was secondary priority. As long as their strength proved sufficient, such logistical issues would resolve themselves naturally.
Furthermore, while the Donquixote Family's complete trading network might prove unattainable, securing significant portions remained entirely possible.
"The Revolutionary Army..."
Rhodes' eyes flickered thoughtfully. Perhaps he should arrange a visit to Baltigo soon.
At this juncture, Rhodes' operational methodology had become crystal clear—completely opposite to the Revolutionary Army's infiltration strategy. He wondered what Dragon would think about potential collaboration.
"We're experiencing significant personnel shortages, primarily in lower and middle-tier positions,"
Robin continued her systematic report.
The New World's power scaling differed vastly from the Grand Line's first half. Lower and middle-tier combatants here would qualify as upper and middle-tier forces in Paradise!
"Dressrosa still possesses numerous talented individuals. Kyros, Rebecca, and others—while insufficient for conquering the seas—prove adequate for maintaining territorial order..."
Rhodes possessed extensive knowledge regarding Dressrosa's capable residents.
"I'll entrust the remaining administrative matters to you. I'm entering training seclusion for a period."
With the Dressrosa incident's worldwide dissemination, he'd accumulated substantial faith power that continued expanding exponentially. He needed to convert it into tangible strength as rapidly as possible.
Only with sufficient power could he confidently face the escalating challenges ahead.
Rhodes didn't believe that defeating Doflamingo alone would prove adequate for dominating the New World.
"Understood,"
Robin acknowledged, her eyes flickering with unspoken thoughts, though she voiced nothing further.
(End of Chapter)
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