"I won't kill you, but from now on, you'll spend the rest of your lives in Impel Down. As former colleagues, I'll have newspapers delivered to you."
Mio said calmly. With a wave of his hand, both Red Hair and Charlotte were imprisoned.
Without the World Government and the D-Clan, honestly, there was no force on the ocean that could rival the Black Crows—let alone the fact that the Black Crows now controlled the World Government's military.
"Newspapers? Thank you very much," Shanks chuckled. Even at the prospect of being imprisoned in Impel Down, he didn't despair. The outcome was already decided.
There was no turning back.
The Black Crows, even the Emperors, would be crushed.
Given that, he wanted to see what changes would unfold on the ocean because of the Black Crows.
Unfortunately, he would never see Luffy again.
…
As Shanks and the others were taken away,
Mio looked at Asuka and asked, "Have you got the stuff?"
"Yes, we have. Including the one in the World Government headquarters, we have all four red historical texts," Asuka nodded.
There were approximately thirty pieces of historical text, four of which were red, marking the route to Raftel.
Mio naturally had no interest in ordinary historical texts at the moment. Rather than wasting time collecting them, it was better to find the four red historical text signposts and then head to Raftel to uncover the secrets hidden within them.
Of the four red historical texts—
one was with Charlotte,
one was on Zou,
one was on Fish-Man Island,
and the last was in the World Government.
The contents of all four signposts had been copied.
"Very good. Then, take all the contents of the four historical texts to Robin, and then prepare to head directly to Raftel," Mio instructed without hesitation.
"Yes," Asuka nodded, turning and leaving.
Mio then looked at Sengoku again and asked with a smile, "How is it?"
"Okay," Sengoku nodded, standing up and speaking calmly. "I hope you can do better than the World Government. The ocean couldn't be more chaotic than it is right now."
"Haha, if you're willing, that's great." Mio's lips curled up. At least the three agreed, which meant he could save a lot of trouble dealing with the Navy.
Then,
everything went according to plan.
Sengoku and the other two were imprisoned by the World Government.
It wasn't really imprisonment; on the Red Earth Continent, they could still operate and train new forces for the Navy and the World Government.
But they couldn't leave the Red Earth Continent.
The next day,
a newspaper spread around the world.
First, it was about a fierce battle on Cake Island, the headquarters of the Big Mom Pirates in the New World. All the core members of the Big Mom Pirates were arrested. Except for some pirates not on Cake Island, the rest were killed.
The same happened to the Red Hair Pirates.
The perpetrators of these actions were originally Kaido and the Black Crows' men.
But in the newspapers, it became the World Government.
And no one doubted this.
During the war, no one else was watching. The only ones watching were the seagulls from the World Economic Newspaper, now controlled by Mio.
With this news, the entire world was in uproar.
"Has this massive organization, the World Government, finally taken action?"
"Damn, how is this possible? Two Emperors were arrested by the World Government at once!!"
"Sure enough, I knew it. The World Government has developed over eight hundred years, and its power is truly formidable."
"So, is the World Government going to attack the New World next?"
"Impossible! They'll probably suffer heavy losses, just like Marine Headquarters and the Whitebeard Pirates did before."
"Hahahahaha, no matter what, I'm going to fight for the throne. Now, with Whitebeard's seat, there are three vacancies."
"That's right, one of the three thrones must be mine, hahaha."
Among the pirates, some were shocked, some were excited, and some had a bad feeling.
Sabaody Archipelago.
Inside the tavern,
Rayleigh looked at the newspaper in his hand, his brow furrowed, and he remained silent for a long time.
After a while, Xia Qi finally spoke, taking a puff of her cigarette and blowing out the smoke ring. "What do you think?"
"It's hard to say," Rayleigh said, shaking his head. "If it was the World Government that took action, then it means the World Government will continue to intervene."
"Although it seems that it was the World Government that took action, I still have a bad feeling. The Black Crows are… too calm."
"Not calm," Xia Qi shook her head, her expression serious. "They've completely disappeared."
"Disappeared?!" Rayleigh's eyes widened as he looked at Xia Qi.
"The intelligence we just received says that there's no one left on Crow Island. The entire Black Crow Pirates seem to have vanished into the sea. What do you think they've done?!" Xia Qi's eyes gleamed. She knew all too well the Black Crows' ambitions. With their disappearance, something was bound to happen.
But the calmness of the sea made it hard for her to predict.
Rayleigh fell silent again.
He glanced towards the World Government, a strong suspicion brewing in his mind.
But he couldn't confirm it.
Then, he glanced back at the newspaper and spoke in a deep voice. "No matter what, the World Government and the Navy are about to make a big move."
The shocking news in the newspapers wasn't just about the arrest of the two Emperors.
More importantly, the World Government announced that it would begin investing heavily in Marine Headquarters and conducting a worldwide conscription, in preparation for eliminating pirates and ensuring world peace.
It also announced Sengoku's resignation due to his crimes, and the imminent appointment of a new Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters.
These pieces of news undoubtedly captured the attention of many—
and shocked countless hearts.
Everyone knew the oceans wouldn't be peaceful from now on.
Perhaps, there would be immense turmoil.
"Great! The Navy can become stronger again."
"Yes, the World Government has finally done something good."
"Hahaha, well done! Kill all those damn pirates!"
The pirates were stunned, while the civilians were delighted.
Whether it was the Navy's worldwide conscription or the World Government's arrest of the Emperors, both relieved the civilians' anxiety and fear about what lay ahead.
At the very least, the World Government and the Navy had given them renewed trust and a sense of security.
If they could even arrest the Emperors, then surely ordinary pirates could be dealt with quickly, right?
That was the civilians' thinking.
Meanwhile,
on the ocean, a ship departed from the World Government, bound for the New World, its destination the final island, Raftel.
Aboard were few.
Only Mio, Asuka, Shirokaze, Robin, and Xiaoqi and Xiaoliu.
Everyone else was at World Government headquarters, guarding the area to prevent any accidents.
One night was enough time for Robin to determine Raftel's location.
On deck, Robin, holding a compass, surveyed the contents of her notebook and the nautical chart she had drawn overnight, and said, "If nothing goes wrong, Raftel's location is somewhere in the deepest part of the New World, near the edge of the Grand Line."
The Grand Line's final destination, just one step beyond, lay near the Four Seas.
Mio nodded, looking at the intersection on the chart Robin had drawn in her notebook, anticipation filling his eyes.
Raftel, at last, would reveal its hidden secrets.
Mio was eagerly anticipating this.
However, as he journeyed to Raftel, he hadn't forgotten his next plan.
Once they found Raftel and understood the details, they could choose to publicize some of the information, disillusioning the pirates.
Meanwhile, the Black Crows could use their arrival at Raftel as an excuse to disband, disappearing into the sea and retreating into the background.
At the same time, the crackdown on pirates would begin in two areas:
The New World.
The North Sea.
In the New World, the World Government and the Navy would jointly intervene.
In the North Sea, Germa, the Donquixote Family, and some of the Navy would be involved.
The New World would be the starting point for the crackdown on pirates throughout the seas.
Meanwhile, the North Sea would be the starting point for the crackdown on pirates in the East, West, and South Seas. The first half of the Grand Line would be the final stage.
During this time, the Black Crows would also intervene.
However, by then, whether it was the Black Crow Pirates, Judge, or the Donquixote Family, they would all remain hidden.
Even if the news broke, it wouldn't be them who destroyed the pirates, but the Navy and the World Government.
As Mio continued to plan his next move, the ship advanced rapidly, at full speed, following a route reserved for the Navy and the World Government.
This meant they wouldn't be discovered.
Because it was a special voyage, the distance wasn't too far, so after three days, the ship reached the deepest part of the New World.
At a glance, the ocean was far from calm; the waves were surging. The sky was covered in dark clouds, and thunder roared. It looked as if the heavens and the earth had raged, carrying the might of nature, awe-inspiring.
Meanwhile, a thick fog gradually spread.
"This should be it," Robin, drenched by the rain, shouted to Mio on the deck. "Captain, if nothing goes wrong, Raftel should be nearby, but the exact location should be a little further."
"Yes," Mio nodded, then gave Baifeng an order, who immediately took action.
Immediately, Mio's mind moved, and with a wave of his right hand,
the Influence Fruit activated. Under the influence of his observation Haki, the influence field erupted, covering an area of hundreds of miles in radius. His physical strength was rapidly draining away.
Mio unleashed the power of his fruit.
Suddenly—
the dark clouds in the sky dissipated.
The thick fog lifted.
Sunlight reappeared.
Simultaneously, the sea calmed.
This was the power of the Influence Fruit.
Then, Robin's eyes widened, a look of delight etched in her gaze as she looked ahead, excitedly exclaiming, "Captain, could that be Raftel?!"
"Hmm?" Mio followed Robin's gaze, a look of surprise in his eyes.
A gigantic turtle, carrying an island, had just emerged from the seabed and rested on the surface, motionless.
He sensed the turtle's presence; this enormous island turtle was not dead.
It was clearly alive.
Yet, it showed no intention of moving.
"This island turtle might be Raftel. It usually dives into the deep sea, but occasionally it surfaces, appearing above the surface, awaiting others," Mio whispered, anticipation flickering in his eyes, prompting Shirokaze to approach immediately.
The ship also sped away.
In a matter of moments, they were nearing the island.
The island turtle still showed no significant reaction.
Mio didn't hesitate, taking a single step forward and appearing on the island.
His observation Haki erupted, enveloping the entire island.
Immediately, Mio's eyes lit up, as if he had discovered something, and he urged, "Come down, I've found something!"
Robin and the others eagerly disembarked, and with Mio leading the way, they headed toward a point on the island.
Using his observation Haki, Mio could clearly sense a considerable treasure somewhere, and… a massive stone tablet.
Speeding forward, Mio and the others soon reached their destination.
It was quite deserted, surrounded by what appeared to be ancient ruins, as if they belonged to a former great kingdom.
Deep within the ruins lay a massive stone tablet, seemingly a historical text, its inscription identical to any inscription in the original text.
A considerable amount of treasure was also piled around the tablet.
"Is this the treasure Roger left behind?" Robin exclaimed in surprise. While the treasure wasn't as abundant as Skypiea's Golden Land, it was still quite a bit. Several Devil Fruits were even placed around the mountain of gold.
"The treasure isn't important. I think the important thing is the contents here. Go translate it," Mio said, pointing to the stone tablet.
"Yes," Robin nodded, and immediately approached the tablet. She pulled out her notebook and began to carefully translate the contents.
Mio didn't rush, but sat quietly by the side, waiting.
Time passed.
Mio drank his wine as he waited.
As the sky gradually darkened, Robin exhaled deeply, a look of shock in her eyes, then turned to Mio and said, "Captain, I've… finished translating."
"Tell me the contents," Mio said softly.
"Yes," Robin nodded, speaking immediately.
The contents of the stone tablet were simple.
They were divided into two parts.
One part covered the origins of Devil Fruits.
The origins of Devil Fruits were not complicated.
Rumor has it that Devil Fruits are the embodiment of the devil. This is a metaphor, and the Devil Fruits themselves are not the embodiment of the devil, but the embodiment of the sea.
Perhaps this is the nature of the world. Devil Fruits are the embodiment of the blood and souls of those who died in the sea. They were absorbed by the sea, then expelled, and then formed into new beings in the form of Devil Fruits, growing on islands around the world.
Perhaps this is the origin of Devil Fruits.
Yes, just perhaps.
Because the origin of Devil Fruits was also the conclusion reached after the Great Kingdom's exploration and research.
As for the second part, it was related to the Great Kingdom.
The Great Kingdom was once immensely powerful, and its king was incredibly powerful. As the user of the Faith Fruit, he mastered it to its full potential, possessing over ten powerful abilities.
He was beloved by his people.
However, due to his constant reliance on supreme power and his relentless conquests, the King of the Great Kingdom began to resemble a Celestial Dragon, becoming arrogant and conceited. His love for the people turned to hatred, but even so, no one could resist him, and the people of the Great Kingdom began to suffer.
It was at this moment that—
Joyboy, the daughter of the king of a nation once destroyed by the Great Kingdom, orchestrated its downfall.
Joyboy was a formidable figure.
Once an adventurer, she struck a pact with the Sea King, allowing the Sea King of Fish-Man Island, once a vassal of the Great Kingdom, to avoid participating in a war. Thanks to the Ship of the Oath, the Sea King remained aloof.
Joyboy also traveled to the Moon and informed the people there of the rich resources of the Blue Sea.
Joyboy orchestrated all of this.
Her actions were solely to overthrow the Great Kingdom's tyranny.
And in the end, she succeeded.
By joining forces with the Moon People and preventing Poseidon from joining the war to aid the Great Kingdom, she and Im defeated the Great Kingdom's king.
Joyboy, however, died in the war.
That straw hat was Joyboy's legacy.
It represented hope.
The contents of the stone tablet were simple, not as complex as one might imagine.
Joyboy was the key figure.
A woman, at that time, single-handedly overthrew the rule of the Great Kingdom.
It's no wonder Roger left such words.
The straw hat was originally worn by Joyboy the explorer. The giant straw hat within the World Government was also Joyboy's legacy, representing hope and inheritance.
The stone tablet also contained a message from Joyboy, a fruit user:
"When the ruler is tyrannical, there will be people like me wearing straw hats to overthrow the rule!"
Therefore—
There would always be a straw hat in the World Government.
"Joyboy…"
Mio murmured, touched his head, and said softly, "Sorry, I don't have the habit of wearing a straw hat."
This time, the person who overthrew the World Government was not a straw hat, but him.
From now on, there would be no people wearing straw hats in this world to overthrow his rule.
It was over.
It was finished.
It may seem like a bad ending… but it wasn't too bad.
And so, this story ends here.
There is no point in writing further, nor do I have any desire to change the world. I will simply end this tale in the world of One Piece.
I will consider starting a new book next, but what to write and when to start it are unknown. For now, I need to take a break.
In short, thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. Thank you very much—I am deeply grateful!!