Two weeks later, Clifford Kingdom, the Royal Capital of Nakor.
"Honestly, the 16 Bell Salute, 16 tolls of the bell, announcing the end of the Old Era and the start of the New Era, huh? That Straw Hat brat sure knows how to cause trouble," Aeridar said with a light chuckle, looking at the newspaper in his hand. "And for Rayleigh to join his antics, appearing so openly... the Marines and the World Government will surely have a headache from overthinking things for a while."
"It just so happens that the combat forces of the Marines at every level have been dispersed, and even Fleet Admiral Sengoku has gone to the Holy Land of Mariejois to report. Marineford is empty. Otherwise, how would that old man Rayleigh and Jinbe dare to escort the Straw Hat brat there?" Mina said dismissively.
Aeridar smiled and asked, "What is the current situation?"
"The situation is very bad. With the deterrent of Whitebeard gone, the guys in the New World have begun a frantic scramble for the Whitebeard Pirates' territories!"
Mina's pretty face turned serious. She continued with a look of alarm: "Moreover, because of Whitebeard's 'last words' before his death, the number of pirates worldwide has surged continuously. It's almost like the crazy period when the Great Pirate Era first began is happening all over again."
Hearing this, Aeridar clicked his tongue. Although he hadn't personally witnessed that era, he knew a little about it.
Every day, countless people set sail to become pirates. Even entire villages of young men went out to sea for the Pirate King's treasure.
The entire ocean was engulfed in carnage. The Marines were running themselves ragged. Almost every Marine Branch and Sub-Branch had been attacked. It was not uncommon for nations to be overthrown and for royal families and nobles to be slaughtered by pirates. The sea was truly being stained red with blood.
In short: the world is bleeding!
And now, a single sentence from Whitebeard had reignited the passion of everyone in the world who still had a dream.
Aeridar mused for a moment, then chuckled dismissively: "Well, that's fine too. The more chaotic things get, the better our weapons will sell."
"That is true." Mina nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "In the past few days, we've sold thirty percent more weapons than usual. SS Agents are in short supply. If the production of XT Agents wasn't so low and we didn't need to stockpile a batch to strengthen our subordinates, I'd want to sell those too. Also, our mercenary force, jointly operated with Germa 66, has been enthusiastically sought after by various countries plunged into war."
"No rush for that. Our Elite Strike Team of nearly three hundred 'Supermen' with combat power exceeding 500 consumed most of the XT Agents we produced. We have less than a hundred tubes stockpiled in the warehouse. Even if we sold them, we wouldn't have much inventory. We'll wait a bit longer." Aeridar shook his index finger and laughed lightly. "Hehe~ The world will definitely need 'it'. We won't have trouble selling it."
"That's true. The New Era has just begun; the intensity hasn't reached its peak yet." Mina looked at Aeridar with a captivated gaze, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents.
"The strength and notoriety I demonstrated at the Paramount War are enough to establish the 'Neutral Zone' in an unshakable position. What if they are Yonko? What if they are the World Government? If they're not afraid of me dropping a few islands on their main bases, then let's just ruin each other!" Aeridar watched the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, his voice deep.
"Gather everyone. The arrival of the New Era calls for a banquet to celebrate!"
…
Red Line, Holy Land - Mariejois.
Inside a magnificent palace, the Gorosei, representing the highest authority in the world, were all gathered in the hall.
"He truly is a man who never stops being the topic of conversation, Straw Hat Luffy. It makes perfect sense that he is Garp's grandson!"
"What is his relationship with Rayleigh? It's unimaginable that Rayleigh would re-emerge at this time!"
"Jinbe has finally turned against us. Allowing him to join the Warlords of the Sea was meant to symbolize a racial reconciliation. It's truly a pity."
"It's a shame that man didn't kill Jinbe. What a waste!"
"The balance of the Three Great Powers is truly in a dreadful state now! How should we fill the three vacancies among the Warlords of the Sea?"
"We should observe the movements of the New Era. The balance of power among the pirates is bound to change. We must select individuals with greater influence."
"Blackbeard has already begun acting in the New World. One of the rookies with a bounty over 100 million has already become his victim."
"After all, he knows Whitebeard's territory inside and out!"
"Among the pirates eyeing the position of Yonko, he has certainly taken the lead!"
"It is strange that the man, Golden Ring Aeridar, has yet to make a major move. As the strongest man beneath the Yonko, his power was confirmed at the Paramount War. Is he not interested in the Yonko position?"
"A person who has eaten two Devil Fruits is truly unprecedented, and now two have appeared at once!"
"If anyone can impede Blackbeard's progress, it is the Yonko and Golden Ring Aeridar, or perhaps Marco the Phoenix and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"The ones that are difficult to deal with are always those with the initial D. Portgas was the same. At this point, that name seems to attract too much attention."
"To compete for the vacant Yonko position in the current New World, the most qualified contenders are Golden Ring Aeridar and the rapidly emerging Blackbeard."
"Indeed, Blackbeard has already begun recruiting in the New World, but the man Golden Ring Aeridar has made no move. Is he secretly plotting some scheme? Or is he truly uninterested in the Yonko position?"
"..."
Just as the Gorosei were deliberating, the door suddenly burst open.
Bang!
"Gorosei!"
A Marine flag officer in a 'Justice' coat rushed in hastily, his face anxious.
"What is the urgency! Has the sky fallen?" the blond Gorosei snapped.
"My apologies, Gorosei, but this is an extremely urgent matter!" The young flag officer knelt on one knee, slightly steadying his breath.
"Oh? What is it?" the curly-haired Gorosei asked.
"Recently, all external officers of the Chris Pirates, along with the pirate crews under their command, have been gathering in the Clifford Kingdom, and even Empress Boa Hancock, one of the Warlords of the Sea, has arrived in the Royal Capital, Nakor City!"
"Furthermore, according to intelligence reports, the major figures of the Underworld are also stirring, for unknown reasons!" The young flag officer swallowed, his voice slightly trembling.
"What is that man planning to do?!"
The Gorosei were shocked and furious.
Though they had anticipated that the opposing side might make a move and potentially challenge for the Yonko position, since he hadn't explicitly declared his intentions, the Gorosei still retained a sense of rationality despite their shock and anger.
"Monitor them closely. Even if that man truly intends to challenge for the Yonko position, Blackbeard and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates will be an obstacle," the curly-bearded Gorosei said seriously.
"Exactly. The Marines suffered considerable losses in this war. If that man wants to become a Yonko, there will inevitably be a period of major conflict. When the Marines recover and intervene, we might even be able to annihilate all of these pirates in one fell swoop," the scimitar-bearded Gorosei nodded in agreement.
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
"..."