Chapter 1293: Luffy's Appearance
Chapter 1293: Luffy's Appearance
Rebellion affirmation requires weapons—you can't keep fighting barehanded forever, right?
Back when Beti first sparked the revolution, the people he inspired wielded sticks, bricks, and even rolled-up newspapers. That kind of inspiration ignited the strength and courage in people's hearts, making even newspapers deadly.
Because of Haki. Everyone in the Grand Line possesses Haki—it's the strength of idealism. The difference lies in whether one can release it and how much power they can unleash.
Devil Fruit can inspire courage, but having weapons is always better than having none.
Because they changed their methods, many civilians in the East Division voluntarily joined the Revolutionary Army. They had no choice—their actions were too extreme.
They hanged King on the gallows, nobles on streetlights, seized properties, redistributed land, and led the people in listing the nobility's crimes. The entire region erupted in chaos.
The people aren't fools. You can't expect them to be blank slates, oblivious to the Grand Line's political climate or the World Government's power.
If that were the case, the Revolutionary Army wouldn't have martial valor at all.
Precisely because they know, they understand the World Government's terror. The Revolutionary Army's actions brought them tangible benefits—benefits they're unwilling to lose because their lives truly improved. But if the World Government retaliates, if the Revolutionary Army falls, they'll lose everything again.
Unwilling to abandon their newfound freedom to pursue their own paths without the oppression of mere survival, they had no choice but to join the Revolutionary Army.
This created a vicious cycle.
In the past, when the Revolutionary Army overthrew nations, they relied solely on their own strength, attracting only a few who'd been saved or inspired by them. But this time was different.
Beti discovered that their increasingly violent methods actually drew more recruits. Unlike before, when they'd ask individuals if they had the courage to join the Revolutionary Army to topple injustice—seeming noble but ending up with fewer than ten new members after a nation's fall—this time, people joined voluntarily, overwhelming the Revolutionary Army's capacity to absorb them.
With more members came weapons, and with proper training, they became a formidable force.
The Navy was born this way, and pirates too. Most organizations rise because of sheer numbers.
Once you have enough people, you naturally have skilled fighters.
The Grand Line is full of strong individuals. It's not that the common people lack power—in fact, they hold the most strength. The Navy and pirates are both drawn from the people. Many former experts joined the Navy or pirates, growing stronger through training or slaughter. These strong individuals already existed among the masses.
Their joining sparked a wildfire, spreading the same pattern across every island and nation.
This made the World Government's control over their headquarters increasingly tenuous. Previously, the CP (Cipher Pol) and Revolutionary Army were evenly matched, locked in a game of cat-and-mouse. But now, the balance had shifted.
The Revolutionary Army no longer feared being discovered. If the World Government came after them, they'd fight back—and in large numbers, with skilled fighters among them. CP0 found themselves constantly on the defensive. Though they had intelligence networks and the Kingdom Army's combat power, the Revolutionary Army's growing strength became terrifyingly apparent. They now matched member states' forces, even gaining the upper hand. News of another nation's fall reached the World Government with alarming frequency.
Whether in the New World, the Grand Line's first half, or the Four Seas' territories, war engulfed them all.
Pirates rose in power, clashing fiercely with local Navies, winning or losing, but earning fame anew in those waters.
Some stationed Navies lost their way in the chaos, dragging entire bases into piracy, joining the wild revelry.
Revolutionary Army uprisings led defeated soldiers to sea, becoming pirates and spreading further chaos.
Others, unable to resist temptation, betrayed the Revolutionary Army to become World Government lapdogs, selling out local revolutionaries and enabling nobles to purge the people, sowing deeper hatred.
Since Sakazuki's "No Retreat" era, the situation had long since slipped control.
Masses of chaos pirates from the Four Seas surged toward the New World, whether seeking fame, territory, or the ultimate Treasure. The New World became the main battlefield.
This created a bottleneck—the only entrance was so narrow.
Fishman Island, located beneath the Red Line, was the pirates' sole gateway.
But with the situation as it was, the Navy wouldn't let pirates pass. Combat erupted near the Red Line.
Even the Seven Warlords of the Sea guarding the seven Navigation Routes struggled against the growing chaos. Some pirates even escaped after dueling Warlords, though most were eventually killed. These gaps allowed more pirates to slip past the Navigation Routes and proceed beyond the Red Line.
Fishman Island now belonged to Luffy's territory. Their great hero, "Sea Hero" Jinbei, served as the Straw Hat Pirates' helmsman. Some pirates, fearing Luffy's reputation, hesitated to act. Others, however, had no such reservations.
Ryugu Palace Island held vast wealth, including the mermaid princess who rivaled Boa Hancock—this became their goal!
Slavers, underground syndicates, and fortune-hungry pirates—all fueled the chaos, which once ignited, became impossible to quell.
Especially after the last World Summit, where Princess Shirahoshi had appeared publicly, Grand Line denizens now knew her name. No longer hidden in obscurity, the island's secrecy faded.
Now, Fishman Island's Ryugu Palace City became a battlefield.
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
On Fishman Island, a fierce battle erupted around Shirahoshi. But at that moment, the towering Princess Shirahoshi appeared, witnessing the bloodshed and her collapsing kin, crying out in grief.
...
"Boroboroboro."
In Wano Country's Castle Tower, Kuro, wearing a casual traditional Wano Country outfit, lazily picked up the receiver. "Hello, this is Kuro."
His fingers loosened slightly, his mouth instinctively opening as his cigar nearly dropped.
"What? The King of the Sea Poseidon has been discovered?! Luffy has appeared?!"
The call came from Headquarters. The message was clear: one of the three ancient weapons, the "King of the Sea", had awakened in the World of the Living. The World Government reacted with shock, immediately setting their goal on the mermaid island and ordering the Navy to capture Princess Shirahoshi.
These were ironclad orders—no room for refusal!
At the same time, Headquarters received news: the Straw Hat Pirates had learned of this as well, seemingly appearing on the New World's frontlines.
By now, nearly a year had passed.
Two years after the old Four Emperors Era ended, this group finally emerged!
And this time, the World Summit approached once more.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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