East Blue.
In the entire world of pirates, this place is truly unique.
Some say it's the weakest of the four seas.
Others say that while East Blue rarely produces powerful individuals, when it does—they are among the strongest in the world.
Both views are true.
But East Blue's importance goes far beyond just that.
---
Inside a strategy room.
Standing in front of a 3D map of the pirate world, Luo Lan pointed at East Blue while explaining in detail:
"Like the South Blue, East Blue is a sea that pirates from the New World can't reach directly. Compared to the North and West Blues, the pirate forces here are much weaker."
"Thanks to our previous purges, the pirates in East Blue now number less than one-tenth of what they once were."
"That's the first reason—stability!"
"Now for the second reason..."
"The geography of East Blue!"
With a tap of a button, the map zoomed in on East Blue.
"As you all know, the Red Line intersects with the Grand Line, dividing the world into four parts."
"The Grand Line itself is split by the Red Line into two segments: Paradise and the New World."
"Because of this, East and South Blue are not directly connected to the New World, making them the furthest from pirate activity. So why choose East Blue over South Blue?"
"The answer is simple: the geography."
"Roughly 99% of the islands in East Blue are concentrated around the Zhumeda Archipelago, also known as the Flourishing Region of East Blue. The other side, closer to the Calm Belt, makes up about 57% of East Blue's sea area, yet it holds only 1% of the islands—and those are all small, uninhabitable isles. This region is called the Wasteland Sea."
"Do you understand what that means?"
Luo Lan glanced at everyone in the room.
No one answered immediately—they were all deep in thought.
This wasn't a tactical question—it was strategic.
He was testing to see how many among his subordinates had the vision of a commander, not just a warrior.
The two most promising candidates, in Luo Lan's view, had always been Momousagi and another—but right now, Momousagi was frowning deeply.
That was disappointing. She was strong tactically, but in terms of strategy… quite ordinary.
But just as Luo Lan felt let down, another stood up and surprised him.
Hina.
She said clearly:
"Once we take control of East Blue, neither the Navy nor the World Government can easily reclaim it. Their only option would be to approach through the Calm Belt—and after crossing it, they'd be forced to traverse a wasteland sea that stretches over a thousand nautical miles."
"In that vast expanse, there are no resupply points or places to take hold—only naval warfare is possible. And when it comes to naval warfare..."
"We hold a decisive advantage over both the Navy and the World Government!"
"And more importantly—no matter how intense the fighting gets, it won't affect the Flourishing Region. In other words..."
"As long as we prevent them from crossing that thousand-mile stretch, the heartland of East Blue will remain safe and untouched!"
Clap clap clap...
Luo Lan applauded, visibly pleased with Hina's analysis.
Exactly. That thousand-mile Wasteland Sea was a natural, impassable buffer zone.
And as Hina had said, in terms of naval combat, the Navy and World Government were no match for Jun Lin's forces.
But Luo Lan had two more reasons.
First—Jun Lin didn't just have the edge in sea combat. In the future, they'd have total air superiority as well.
Even if the World Government developed new ship technology, it would take them at least ten days to cross the Wasteland Sea.
During that time, they would be constantly harassed by Jun Lin's fleet and air squadrons. Reaching the flourishing zone under those conditions?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
They wouldn't stand a chance.
Second—Jun Lin's radar technology.
Whether it was the second-generation Observation Haki Radar or the conventional radar systems currently under reverse-engineering, these tools would magnify Jun Lin's dominance in the Wasteland Sea.
Once the conventional radar was fully developed, Luo Lan could deploy a comprehensive surveillance network across the entire Wasteland region.
Any ship entering that zone would be instantly detected and tracked.
The Wasteland Sea—once ignored by everyone—would become East Blue's strongest natural fortress under Jun Lin's control.
That was why Luo Lan chose East Blue.
If it were any of the other seas, even Luo Lan wouldn't be confident about holding off the combined forces of the World Government and the Navy.
After Hina's explanation, many in the room had a sudden realization. They nodded, mentally placing themselves in the Navy's shoes, wondering if it was possible to breach the thousand-mile stretch of ocean.
And came to the same conclusion...
It wasn't.
Given the massive disparity in naval combat power, there was no solution.
The only faint possibility would be deploying a few powerful individuals with flight abilities to break through from the sky.
But that had problems too.
First, not everyone with flying powers could sustain flight over a thousand nautical miles.
Second, what if they were intercepted mid-air by Jun Lin's fleet?
Unlike the Navy's old ships, Jun Lin's new generation warships—now under construction—had formidable anti-air capabilities.
And out on the open sea, there was nowhere to hide.
Once shot down, they'd fall into the ocean.
And for Devil Fruit users, falling into the sea... well, everyone knew the outcome.
Only someone like Kizaru (Borsalino) might stand a real chance of breaking through and reaching the Flourishing Zone.
But Jun Lin now had an admiral-level powerhouse too—Issho (Fujitora).
And with Jun Lin's advanced facilities, would Fujitora still be only admiral-level in a few months?
What about Momousagi? Would she still be at her current level?
Not to mention Luo Lan, Hina, Ace, Zoro, Ian, and the others—how much stronger would they be in a few months?
So even if Kizaru got in—
What then?
---
"Of course, before we launch our campaign in East Blue, we have a lot of preparation to do."
"First—how do we handle the kingdoms and nobles in East Blue?"
"Second—how do we establish a new order there?"
"Third—how do we deal with the Revolutionary Army's presence?"
"Fourth—how do we dismantle the Navy's numerous branches in the region?"
"Fifth—how do we..."
Luo Lan listed dozens of problems in one breath.
Each one had to be addressed or resolved before any actual operation began.
Otherwise, even if they captured East Blue, it would be a mess.
Just then—
A hand went up.
It was Issho, recently promoted to admiral and given the codename Fujitora.
"Marshall," he said, "about the issue you mentioned earlier—finding candidates to fill the remaining two admiral slots..."
"I might have a lead."
"Aramaki..."
"I know him."
"And I know where he is."
---
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