IW: Chapter 232 - Wano Country Opens Its Borders, Pluton's Appearance Shocks the World, Bai Ye's Grand Plan!
"Wano Country is opening its borders."
Wano Country.
The Dawn Pirates, who had been heavily entrenched in this isolated land for years, had finally completed their total transformation of the country. Even the ancient weapon Pluton, buried deep beneath the sea, had been uncovered. It lay dormant in the subterranean depths, simply waiting for the literal walls of Wano to shatter so it could resurface and unleash its apocalyptic might upon the seas.
"Our clashes with the World Government have grown much more frequent over the last few years," Kaido rumbled, his massive frame casting a long shadow. "The moment we throw open these borders, those bastards will flood Wano with CP0 spies before the ink even dries on the decree."
Kaido wasn't afraid. In fact, his blood was practically boiling at the prospect of opening the country. The New World was currently locked in a state of absolute, beautiful chaos, and he was dying to plunge headfirst into the fray.
The Emperors of the Sea!
The newspapers had recently coined this legendary new title. Powerhouses like "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate and "Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin were already being hailed across the grand line as literal Emperors.
As a core member of the Dawn Pirates, Kaido had no intention of fighting for that specific crown. Over the years, he had tested himself against Bai Ye time and time again, yet victory had always slipped through his fingers. To top it off, his precious daughter, Yamato, had been completely won over and stolen away by Bai Ye's side. At this point, any lingering ambition Kaido had to usurp the throne had withered away.
Yet, to the everyday citizens of Wano who remained blind to the true hierarchy of the Dawn Pirates, Kaido was still revered as the terrifying, absolute King of Wano. It was a convenient political facade that Bai Ye himself had meticulously arranged years ago.
"Let the World Government send their rats. They aren't the main concern anymore," Bai Ye said calmly, his eyes gazing out toward the horizon. "But we still need to remain vigilant against their ultimate contingency."
The looming threat of the sea levels rising, a cataclysmic event capable of swallowing every piece of land on the globe.
Was that terrifying power the true capability of the ancient weapon Uranus, held tight in the hands of the Gorosei or Imu?
Bai Ye couldn't say for certain. He was entirely committed to overturning the established order and reshaping this world, but a direct, reckless clash with the World Government carried too high a price. If they backed those monsters into a corner while they still held a weapon capable of literally drowning civilization, they might just decide to destroy the world out of spite.
Then what would he be changing?!
So, before acting, he would thoroughly investigate everything, including the truth of Laugh Tale.
Over the years, Bai Ye had roughly investigated Laugh Tale. It was highly likely that Laugh Tale was not an island on the sea surface; perhaps it was in an undersea vortex.
It required calculations using the Road Poneglyphs. The four Road Poneglyphs could determine at what time, at what location, the undersea vortex containing Laugh Tale Island would appear.
And this also required a powerful navigator, so next, he would need to find a formidable navigator.
If his guess was correct, then it could explain why no one had found Laugh Tale for so many years.
After all, the world is only so big. If it was always on the surface, no matter how much it moved, it would still be possible for someone to encounter it, right?
But what if Laugh Tale was underwater?
Just like the island that Imu directly flattened with Uranus's ability, Laugh Tale directly fell into the sea with that shot. All of this could be explained clearly.
And that shot also caused the sea level to rise. Looking at it this way, it seems to indicate that the World Government or Imu possesses that weapon, which is why the Holy Land was built so high up.
Even if the sea level rises, it wouldn't threaten them. Just like the current Wano Country, wasn't it because of the rising sea level that a new Wano Country was established?
World-destroying power...
Bai Ye stroked his chin. It seems he had no choice but to open the borders directly.
Moreover, he had to welcome his new crew members, and after being cooped up here for so many years, he was now eager to leave Wano Country.
"Ultimate weapon? Does the World Government also have an Ancient Weapon?"
Nico Robin asked curiously. After she came of age, she was also recruited by Bai Ye into the pirate crew and trained with Yamato and others.
Bai Ye had also considered that if he went to sea in the future, he would need to bring an archaeologist, but compared to those people, their strength was too weak. Robin was a ready-made potential stock that could be cultivated, capable of fighting and also interpreting historical texts.
In the anime, Robin's early life was spent constantly being chased, wasting many opportunities to cultivate and grow stronger.
Wano Country had top-notch Haki teacher Kaido, and since she didn't have to waste time fleeing, Robin spent these years not only studying knowledge but also training with various teachers here.
After judging that her strength was sufficient to join, Bai Ye also allowed Robin to join the pirate crew.
"According to the history we've studied, the World Government seems to possess an Ancient Weapon and used it in the Great Kingdom War. It's just a bit strange that Ancient Weapons should belong to the Great Kingdom."
Dr. Clover said with a frown, then looked at Bai Ye. He hoped that after opening the borders, Ohara would be allowed to continue exploring at sea.
Compared to before, after experiencing a Buster Call, the people of Ohara also realized that blindly researching history would only bring misfortune to those around them.
So, these years they had been hiding in Wano Country, researching known history, and also dedicating a portion of their people to research energy and technology. Olvia also shifted from historical research to technological research.
"Because someone betrayed the Great Kingdom, Joy Boy lost, so those technologies were either destroyed or seized by the World Government. The hundred years of disappearance were actually a regression."
The Ancient Kingdom had such powerful technology. The current technology, compared to eight hundred years ago, was not just a little bit worse.
Bai Ye had seriously considered this and later realized that perhaps the World Government did not allow such things to exist.
Joy Boy's ideals clashed with the World Government's.
It could be seen from the actions of the Celestial Dragons. The Celestial Dragons wanted to be above everyone else. This corresponded to Imu and the Five Elders; they did not want so-called peace, so they would rather destroy all high technology.
From the technology on Egghead Island, it could be seen that Vegapunk had always been replicating ancient technology.
Since he was a Brain-Brain Devil Fruit user with a powerful brain, there was no reason for him not to exist in the Ancient Kingdom. After all, Devil Fruits might also be their technology.
"So I think..."
"No, you don't!"
Bai Ye shook his head, not wanting the people of Ohara to leave.
"You are too weak."
"But there's nothing left to research now..."
Dr. Clover knew that he and the others were a burden, but there were no other researches now.
Letting them idle was just letting them idle.
"No, you can continue to research technology and energy. If you want the whole world to return to the state of the Great Kingdom, then energy must be resolved. And I will be going out next. I will take Robin out to decipher the Poneglyphs, which is what I promised you.
Compared to you, she is not on the Marine's wanted list, so she naturally won't attract the attention of others. No one will associate Robin with Ohara."
Because she hadn't experienced the Buster Call, no one knew Robin's current identity. Everyone who knew was here.
"Me?!"
A hint of surprise flashed across Robin's face. She hadn't expected Bai Ye to take her with him.
"Then, Lord Bai Ye, can you take me out to sea too?!"
Yamato's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she looked at Bai Ye. She also wanted to go out to sea with Bai Ye.
Kaido, seeing his daughter like this, felt heartbroken. His old father had once offered to take Yamato out to sea to win back her heart, but Yamato directly refused, saying she wanted to go out to sea for the first time with Bai Ye.
At that time, Kaido immediately went to fight Bai Ye, but the result was that he was beaten up by Bai Ye again.
"This trip isn't for tourism. I'm going to bring back the people who belong to our kingdom!"
"Who?"
Golden Lion was a little curious. Were there other crew members outside?
How strong the current kingdom was, he even felt it had surpassed the Rocks Pirates of yesteryear.
Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman, Kaido of the Beasts, Kuma, Ginny who ate the Hurricane Fruit, Old John, Issho, Bullet, and some other pirates like the All-Stars.
It could be said that once the strength of the entire pirate crew was exposed, let alone the Emperors of the New World, even the Roger Pirates of the past or even the current Marineford would not be their opponents.
"Is it the world's most beautiful woman, Boa Hancock?"
Issho slurped a mouthful of soup noodles, then looked up at Bai Ye, though his eyes were full of white.
"Bai Ye, oh Bai Ye, it seems I misjudged you. I thought you liked men back then!"
Old John chuckled lewdly. After settling in Wano Country, Golden Lion had already had his own children. Because he had let go of his ambition and decided to build a world similar to the Great Kingdom with Bai Ye, he was no longer alone; he also had a family.
And he loved treasure; having treasure was enough for him in this life. Mihawk was obsessed with swordsmanship. Kuma and Ginny were already married with everyone as witnesses. Bullet was still obsessed with challenging Bai Ye, so he trained day and night.
Everyone had their own pursuits. As for Bai Ye, he truly didn't know what he was doing. He ate and slept, slept and ate every day, then occasionally trained. He hadn't gone anywhere these past years.
If it weren't for Wano Country constantly changing according to Bai Ye's will, everyone would think Bai Ye had simply given up.
With so many women around him, he truly wasn't tempted at all.
Tengetsu Toki, Yamato, Robin, the mermaid Lilia, and various beauties of Wano Country.
Even going back to the Rocks Pirates, there was Charlotte Linlin, a top-notch beauty who was interested in him, yet he showed no intention of acting.
Now it seems he likes this kind of taste.
He doesn't like it unless it's the world's number one?
"Does Lord Bai Ye have someone he likes?"
Yamato looked at Bai Ye curiously, and a hint of curiosity about Hancock grew in her heart. This made her want to leave Wano Country with Bai Ye even more to see for herself.
"Issho, you explain!"
He didn't even know what he had with Hancock. He was clearly just going to pick Hancock up according to their agreement from back then.
Ever since Hancock became the Empress of Amazon Lily, she had told him more than once to fulfill their promise. If he remembered correctly, Issho knew about it back then, right?
"On our way back to Wano Country, we rescued three little girls who had been kidnapped by human traffickers. One of them was Empress Boa Hancock. That little girl wanted to come with us back then, but Bai Ye said he would only pick her up when she became strong enough to become the ruler of that country."
Issho drained the last of his soup and then explained the whole story on Bai Ye's behalf.
However, this was not the answer they wanted.
"Hey! That's the world's most beautiful woman, don't you have any other thoughts?"
"What thoughts do you think I should have?"
"Come on, we have Pure Gold. You know its effects, don't you?"
"Old Lion, I didn't expect you to become like this after having a wife and kids!"
If Golden Lion had said that back then, he would have thought Golden Lion was a transmigrator.
Over the years, Golden Lion has indeed changed a lot.
"So you're taking our comrades back, and then what?"
Old John asked.
"The Poneglyphs, and also investigating some things about the World Government."
The Five Elders's immortality, telepathy, long-distance teleportation, and Imu's so-called concept erasure?
In short, there are still so many things he needs to explore.
"Alright then, should Wano Country open its borders now, as you wish?"
The others had no objections; it seemed Bai Ye was preparing to act.
Before this, Bai Ye had already set a plan. The Marine might not necessarily be their enemy; many Marines could be won over.
When the World Government's crimes are one day revealed to everyone, a rift will form between the World Government and the Marine. However, Bai Ye didn't have much expectation for this, as in the anime, how could those high-ranking Marines not know what the World Government had done?
"Let's open the country. We're going to bring out Pluton. I'll also find some suitable new recruits to bring back. After that... let's start a war with the Marine!"
Bai Ye stood up and looked into the distance. As supporters of the World Government, to resolve the World Government, they must first deal with the Marine.
At the same time, he also had to bring over the Fishman from Fish-Man Island, which was something he had promised Lilia.
At the time, after Lilia arrived in Wano Country, she accidentally overheard Tengetsu Toki say that Bai Ye was Joy Boy, so she had a glimmer of hope for Bai Ye.
According to the ancient legends, Joy Boy's ultimate dream had been to shatter the deep-seated hatred between Fish-men and humans, guiding the inhabitants of the sea floor to finally live openly beneath the true sun. Yet, for reasons lost to history, his grand promise had ended in tragic failure.
"Wano Country has finally thrown open its gates! I knew it... Bai Ye, you really are Joy Boy!"
Amatsuki Toki's eyes lit up with profound reverence. According to the sacred prophecies passed down through Wano's history, Joy Boy was destined to be the savior who would help her open the borders to the world.
Though she was completely misidentifying him, Bai Ye had absolutely no intention of correcting her mistake. Joy Boy had set out to reshape the world, and so had he. What difference did a title make?
"Kaido, you're still the one in charge of managing the border opening," Bai Ye directed smoothly, turning his attention back to the towering brute. "Once the walls come down, an endless flood of cutthroats and pirates will likely scramble to get inside. So... go out there and claim your title as an Emperor of the Sea!"
The economics of the pirate world were brutal. If a nation chose to bend the knee as a World Government affiliate, it gained international privileges and Marine protection—but the cost was the ruinous, mandatory payment of the Heavenly Tribute.
If a country refused to pay or rejected the World Government entirely, they were stripped of all legal standing. They became a lawless, unprotected wasteland, a playground for the absolute worst dregs of the ocean. This was precisely the outcome the Gorosei preferred; it was an effective way to starve out independent nations.
Wano Country had survived for centuries solely because its treacherous, vertical geography kept invaders at bay. But once those natural barriers were broken, the wolves would be at the door.
"Me?!" Kaido pointed a massive, heavily scarred finger at his own chest.
Hearing Bai Ye casually order him to go win an Emperor title left the legendary beast completely bewildered.
Hold on a damn minute! Are you the Captain here, or am I?! Kaido's mind raced with sheer absurdity. If I have to go out there and act like the big boss, why don't you just hand over the entire Dawn Pirates crew to me?
It felt like not even a single moment would be spent mourning the name of the Dawn Pirates before the world would suddenly see the rise of the "Beasts Pirates" rushing onto the global stage!
"If not you, then who else do you suggest?" Bai Ye asked dryly, gesturing casually toward the rest of the eccentric crew standing in the room.
There were quite a few candidates: Golden Lion could, Mihawk could, Issho could, and Bullet could.
The others weren't qualified, because only they had the strength to contend for an Emperor crew.
"Your strength is enough to become an Emperor, plus your Three Disasters and Tobiroppo are sufficient. We don't even need to make a move."
"What about Yamato?"
Kaido nodded, then pointed to Yamato. He had a feeling that Bai Ye deliberately didn't mention Yamato because he had his own agenda.
"Yamato? She's coming with me!"
What the hell!!!
Kaido knew it!
And looking at Yamato's expectant expression, how could Kaido not know that even if he wanted to stop her, it would be futile?
After all, Yamato seemed to have made up her mind to leave with Bai Ye.
"Bai Ye, tell me the truth, did I offend you back in the Rocks Pirates?"
Kaido looked at Bai Ye with a gloomy expression, while also wondering if he had offended Bai Ye when they were in the Rocks Pirates.
Otherwise, he really couldn't understand Bai Ye's actions at all!
No?!
Why does he keep abducting his daughter?
"No, I just think Yamato is cute, so I like to take her with me. You know, I don't have a daughter."
"..."
Remembering how he had shown off to Bai Ye back then, and then Bai Ye's words, Kaido now seriously suspected that Bai Ye had remembered this matter from that moment on.
"Hmph, Yamato, remember my words!"
"I know, Dad, you're so annoying!"
"..."
His daughter was taken away by a yellow-haired guy, and she even said he was annoying. Kaido was at a loss for words for a moment.
"Robin, then I'll leave the history matters to you!"
Dr. Clover looked seriously at Robin. The history had been mostly researched; now, only some Poneglyph information was missing, so the upcoming journey would depend on Robin.
They indeed needed to delve into some practical research.
If they were to recreate the Great Kingdom, they would need their power.
"Lilia, you come with me too. We can head to Fish-Man Island together."
The reason for taking the three of them was that Lilia's connection to Fish-Man Island would allow him to coordinate better.
Robin was responsible for translating the historical texts and recording them for Wano Country.
Yamato wanted to see Kaido's frustrated expression, and he had promised Yamato that if he went to sea, he would take her with him, so it was impossible to leave Yamato behind now.
At Bai Ye's command, Wano Country began to operate.
However, to open Wano Country, in the anime, the destructive power of Zunesha was actually needed, as everything was underwater.
But now, Bai Ye directly used Susanoo to cut it off underwater.
The barrier blocking Wano Country began to break apart with Susanoo's slashes.
On this day.
Wano Country opened its borders!
Pluton, buried deep within ancient Wano Country, also saw the light of day at this moment. They looked at the legendary ship capable of destroying an island with a single shot, and Bai Ye transferred it to the interior of Wano Country for repairs.
At the same time, the news of Wano Country's opening spread throughout the New World with Morgan's newspaper.
"Gurararararara, Wano Country actually opened its borders, and the leader is that idiot Kaido?"
Whitebeard looked at the newspaper in his hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Wano Country, a country that had been almost completely isolated for so many years, would actually open its borders one day!
And is this something Kaido would do?
"Pops, Wano Country seems to be in the New World. Is he coming out now to contend for that Emperor position?"
The New World was already subtly revolving around the struggle for Emperor titles.
Marco felt that Kaido's appearance at this time seemed to have such an idea.
Contending for an Emperor title?
Whitebeard's thoughts churned. It seemed true, but he was Whitebeard. Since that brat Kaido was willing to come out, it seemed to add a lot of fun.
At the same time, after receiving the news of Kaido's appearance, Charlotte Linlin's mind involuntarily flashed with Bai Ye's figure.
If that bastard Kaido hadn't agreed to her back then and then failed to deliver, she would definitely have had several children with Bai Ye, and then she could even surpass Whitebeard!
It's all that bastard Kaido's fault. Thinking about it this way, Kaido owes her a huge favor!
Although she still had thoughts in her heart now, with her current appearance, whether Bai Ye would have children with her was an issue.
Time... it really is a butcher's knife.
"That guy Kaido has appeared. It seems the New World is indeed as we predicted!"
Holy Land.
The Five Elders, who had orchestrated all of this, were gathered together, discussing.
They were also fueling the struggle for the Emperor titles in the New World.
With the opening of the Great Pirate Era, Roger's influence was too great, so great that they could barely suppress the world's chaos.
The Marine side had fewer and fewer Freshmen, while various geniuses constantly emerged among the pirates.
Under such circumstances, they knew they had to do something.
Otherwise, if the situation continued unchecked, the scenario they least wanted to see might appear, right?
"Just let them fight among themselves. Ultimately, aren't the Emperors of the New World still in the New World? If they're in the New World, then there will be an endless stream of pirates challenging them!"
This was better than the Pirate King; the Emperors of the New World could be won by defeating opponents.
"It's a pity there's no news of that guy."
The Gorosei had been meticulously tracking Bai Ye's movements, yet once again, the man had vanished without a trace, slipping away just as seamlessly as he had years ago.
"The whole point of leaking this news was to force him out into the open!"
Saint Jaygarcia Saturn spoke with a tone of heavy irritation. He had fully expected Bai Ye to eagerly throw his hat into the ring to contest the new titles, but the elusive pirate hadn't even bothered to show his face.
"Let us wait and see," another of the Elders murmured, shifting the discussion. "Now, regarding the Seven Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai) initiative..."
"Sanctioned cooperation with pirates? It is a disgrace! We will completely lose face!"
"But isn't it far more practical to let the wolves tear each other apart? Let the pirates govern the pirates."
"A valid point. Let the Marines handle the logistics and take the public backlash."
Since the choice was made, they were perfectly content to let Navy Headquarters absorb the humiliation. Of course, to qualify as a Warlord, a pirate needed to possess overwhelming, terrifying strength—and under the current global climate, they doubted many heavy-hitters would be willing to openly become government dogs. Yet, given the sheer magnitude of the sovereign immunities and privileges on the table, they were confident someone would eventually take the bait.
"And what of Wano Country? That brute Kaido has officially dismantled their isolationist borders."
"Infiltrate them immediately. Flood the nation with spies."
Wano Country used to be a natural fortress, practically impossible to access. But now that they had actively thrown open their gates, it was an invitation the World Government had no intention of declining.
"Send Stussy. She is perfect for this."
In just a few brief, cold sentences, the absolute rulers of the world finalized the fates of entire nations. With Kaido throwing his weight into the brutal race to become an Emperor of the Sea, a fresh wave of terrifying bloodshed officially erupted across the New World.
Meanwhile, cutting through the choppy waters of the New World, a lone vessel sailed aimlessly.
Aboard the ship stood Momousagi (Gion), the renegade former Marine Vice Admiral and officially the world's strongest female swordswoman. At this moment, she was staring out at the horizon, her brows furrowed with a deep, existential worry about her own future.
Three years... and then another three years...
She had lost count of the days, yet she still hadn't managed to make contact with Bai Ye. At this rate, when on earth was she ever going to be able to complete her assignment and return to the Marines?
Ever since Navy Headquarters handed her this top-secret undercover directive, she had convincingly staged a defection to infiltrate Bai Ye's inner circle. Yet, despite sailing these lawless waters for years—pushing her own swordsmanship to heights she never thought possible—she hadn't even caught a glimpse of her target's shadow! If she didn't find him soon, her "fake" pirate career was going to become permanently official.
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