The next morning.
In the Land of Wano, Vice Admirals Momonga and Strawberry led their respective troops in an orderly march along the forest path leading to the Flower Capital.
Behind them, the Queen of Pleasure Stussy, strolled casually with her beloved handbag.
Dressed in a pink dress and white cape, her white hat perched atop her head, she glanced around curiously, clearly fascinated by everything in Wano.
As one of the underworld emperors, she commanded an extensive intelligence network and had frequent dealings with former Emperors Charlotte Linlin and Kaido.
Yet, she had never set foot in Wano before, and her knowledge of the country was limited to gathered intelligence.
Keeping pace beside her was Morgans, maintaining his albatross beast-man form.
Morgans too, was deeply intrigued by his surroundings.
Though this wasn't his first visit to Wano, his curiosity stemmed from the fact that everything seemed different from before.
Especially the lands beyond the forest—during his last visit, much of Wano had been barren and desolate, with scarcely any arable land in sight.
Yet now, most of those wastelands had been reclaimed.
Figures moved among the cultivated fields, their cheerful laughter echoing through the air.
"Morgans, why does Wano feel so unfamiliar to me?"
Just then, a middle-aged man with a large head, flabby cheeks and a long, pointed nose approached Morgans, a bottle of red wine in hand.
His voice was gruff as he spoke, "If I recall correctly, the last time we were here, this place was nothing but ruins. The only people around were scavenging elders, children, or bandits. But now—"
Pausing briefly, the man scanned the surroundings once more, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"How long have the Marines been in Wano? To think they've revitalized this country in such a short time!"
This was Giberson, the Warehouse King and another of the underworld emperors.
He controlled the underworld's logistical hub, his warehouses overflowing with all manner of contraband—from copy of Poneglyphs to partial blueprints of weapons.
More importantly, like Stussy, Giberson held critical intelligence.
Even the Revolutionary Army had to seek him out for certain classified information.
"Truly unbelievable," Morgans nodded repeatedly like a pecking bird. "I thought the Marines were only building a base here, but they've transformed Wano itself. In the past, forget establishing a base—just breaching Wano's defenses would've been nearly impossible for the Marines!"
"All of this is thanks to the Marine Headquarters producing an extraordinary Fleet Admiral!"
No sooner had Morgans spoken than another middle-aged man with a large head and a coat draped over his shoulders approached.
Unlike Giberson, who carried wine, this man held nothing but a cigar between his lips.
After glancing at Morgans and Giberson, he took a deep drag from his cigar and swayed his head.
"Truly remarkable! But compared to the Fleet Admiral, I—"
He preferred to call him—
"The King of the Marine!"
Lu feld, the Loan Shark King, the undisputed financial emperor of the Grand Line, manipulated countless factions through usury.
Even some of the lofty Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land owed him favors, as he played the game of money to its extreme.
Not only that, but Lu feld also infiltrated both the Marines and the Revolutionary Army with his wealth.
In the past, he had fully funded Vegapunk's "SSG" project and maintained close ties with the Vinsmoke family of the North Blue.
Over the years, he had secretly provided financial support to the Germa Kingdom ruled by the Vinsmokes.
It was no exaggeration to say that when he received the invitation from the Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters, he was—aside from Stussy, the Queen of the Pleasure District—the only underworld emperor who didn't feel a shred of panic.
However, after Kaido and his Beasts Pirates were completely annihilated, with Kaido and Charlotte Linlin executed by that iron-fisted Fleet Admiral, even Lu feld began to feel uneasy.
Despite his close personal ties with Vinsmoke Judge, the patriarch of the Vinsmoke family and his years of financial backing, he now had to reassess the situation.
But before he could even catch his breath, he received explosive news from a Celestial Dragon in the Holy Land who owed him a favor—news that nearly made him vomit blood in shock.
Two former Elders had secretly incited Peclo and Umit to support the Beasts Pirates, provoking the wrath of the Fleet Admiral.
Not only were the two former Elders publicly executed by the Fleet Admiral when he stormed the Holy Land, but their Celestial Dragon families were also massacred.
What shocked him most was that, in the face of such an earth-shattering event, the Holy Land's response wasn't to immediately suppress the Fleet Admiral but to seal off all information about the incident!
The implications were clear—he didn't even need to think about it.
From the moment he received this bombshell, the last shred of hope in his heart vanished instantly.
What he had to do now was ride the tide of the times—even if it meant risking his entire fortune, he had to cling tightly to this powerful ally.
Money could always be earned again, but death meant losing everything—after all, Umit and Peclo had already set a grim example.
"Stussy, do you think we'll make it out of Wano alive this time?"
Without waiting for Giberson or Morgans to react, Lu feld immediately turned to Stussy, who stood slightly apart from them.
"Though the fact that he went to the trouble of sending Marine Vice Admirals to bring us to Wano suggests he doesn't plan to kill us… who knows? His reputation for ruthlessness has already spread throughout the underworld. One misstep, and this trip to Wano could be a one-way journey!"
Hearing this, Stussy glanced back at Dufield and smiled faintly.
"Count yourself lucky you're still alive to ask that question, Lord Lu feld!"
Just then, the Marines marching ahead suddenly slowed their pace.
"Hmm?"
Seeing all the soldiers raise their hands in salute, the four underworld emperors' pupils constricted sharply.
As they stood puzzled, a youthful voice suddenly rang out from the roadside ahead.
"Attention, all! Salute to the noble Marines of justice!"
"Loyalty!"
A synchronized, thunderous shout abruptly drew the attention of the four underworld emperors.
Following the sound, they saw several twelve or thirteen-year-old boys standing rigidly at the edge of the forest exit, saluting the Marine soldiers with solemn respect.
Not just these boys—in a nearby newly cultivated field, a little girl carrying firewood also raised her grubby hand, her eyes filled with respect and even more so, longing.
Under the astonished gazes of the four Underworld Emperors, the marine soldiers at the front didn't ignore the children.
Instead, they halted in unison, turned towards them and returned the salute.
Seeing the soldiers respond, the children burst into delighted laughter, jumping for joy as if they had tasted honey before running off.
Witnessing this scene, Morgans, the great journalist, narrowed his eyes and remarked.
"I initially thought it was Wano Country that had changed, but I wasn't entirely correct. What truly changed was the Marines under Fleet Admiral Orion leadership."
"A kingly army indeed—nothing less."
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