Chapter 304: Changes in the New World
West Blue—
"Captain! We've successfully entered the West Blue!"
Barrett reported as their ship smoothly landed on the sea's surface.
Charlotte nodded.
"Good. Then let our journey through the West Blue begin!"
He clapped the armrest of his chair with anticipation.
There were many things Charlotte found intriguing about the West Blue.
For instance, the soon-to-be-destroyed Ohara, or the Hundred Treasure Navy with centuries of accumulated wealth—both of which Charlotte intended to claim for himself.
All of it was waiting for him in this new sea.
As the Rockefeller Pirates entered the West Blue, news of their arrival quickly spread to all major forces.
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Marine Headquarters—
BANG!
Fleet Admiral Kong slammed his hand onto the meeting table.
"This Rockefeller Pirates crew is truly restless! They loitered in the North Blue for two years, and now they've entered the West Blue! What's next—touring all four seas?!"
His fury was palpable; every officer in the room could feel it.
Ever since their failed operation two years ago, Marine HQ had been turning a blind eye to the Rockefeller Pirates, so long as they didn't do anything drastic—like publicly assassinating a king.
Currently, all of HQ's power was focused on suppressing chaos in the New World.
Other than Zephyr, most of the Marine's high-end combat power had been stationed there.
Admiral Sengoku was commanding from the New World base, keeping a close watch on the Golden Lion Pirates.
Vice Admiral Garp was relentlessly pursuing the Roger Pirates throughout the New World. No one knew what the Roger Pirates had done, but it was enough for the World Government to order their capture at any cost.
Even though Rockefeller Charlotte was causing ripples across the Four Seas, they were still prioritizing Roger.
After hearing Kong's outburst, Zephyr, who sat nearby, spoke up between coughs.
"Should I go deal with Charlotte? Or at least give him a little… deterrence."
Ever since losing to Charlotte two years ago, Zephyr had developed a strange respiratory issue—occasional wheezing and coughing fits. The sting of that defeat lingered heavily in his heart. He had spent the last two years thinking about revenge.
But… his body wasn't what it used to be. He could already feel himself growing weaker.
Kong looked at him and shook his head.
"Your current task is to train the next generation. With the New World pirates growing more powerful by the day, the Navy's strength is becoming too thin to hold the seas. We need a new wave of elite fighters if we want to maintain order."
Zephyr sighed, but didn't object.
Seeing his expression, Kong couldn't help but soften his tone.
"The New World is more volatile than ever. With the Rockefeller Pirates' core forces gone, no one is keeping the center of the New World in check. Battles have broken out everywhere. Nearly every pirate crew is vying for control of the region."
"One crew in particular stands out—Big Mom Pirates. After nearly eight years of relative quiet, Charlotte Linlin has begun unleashing her power, ruthlessly seizing nearby islands."
"Her subordinates? All her children. Each one is terrifyingly gifted and powerful. They've captured several islands and formed a growing territory centered around Whole Cake Island, now known as Totto Land."
Kong held up Linlin's updated bounty:
3.14 billion Berries—only 420 million less than Rockefeller Charlotte. It was clear how seriously the Navy viewed her.
He then laid out the bounty posters for her top commanders.
Not a single one was below 100 million Berries.
These documents and intelligence reports were shared with all Marine top brass. As they reviewed the files, everyone frowned.
The strength of the Big Mom Pirates exceeded expectations.
"At this rate, Charlotte Linlin is poised to become the next Rockefeller Charlotte—entrenching herself in the heart of the New World," Kong warned.
Strategist Tsuru examined the reports.
"Does the Rockefeller Pirates know about this?"
Kong frowned but answered honestly.
"They should. Even though their main force left, they still left behind a powerful faction stationed around Carmel Island. I expect they've relayed the information to Charlotte."
"Then why hasn't the Rockefeller Pirates responded? Are they really going to let Big Mom consume their territory?" Tsuru pressed, visibly confused.
Their lack of action puzzled even a seasoned strategist like her.
Could they really have entered the Four Seas just to… sightsee?
That seemed far too childish—especially for someone like Charlotte.
Tsuru's question threw the entire room into silence. No one could guess the Rockefeller Pirates' true intent.
"Our best bet to stop Charlotte Linlin is to force the Rockefeller Pirates back into the New World. Let the two of them fight and tear each other apart."
"But as things stand, we know nothing of Charlotte's goal. Forcing him back is… unlikely," Tsuru concluded with a sigh.
The Rockefeller Pirates had disrupted peace over and over, yet they were impossible to control.
Kong sighed too.
"That's not even the worst of it. The second half of the New World is also falling apart. Do you remember Wang Zhi, Silver Axe, and Captain John? The three of them had formed a pirate alliance to fight back against Whitebeard."
"Well, that alliance collapsed. Wang Zhi and Silver Axe got into a violent dispute. In the end, both of them died, and all their forces were taken over by Captain John."
"But then Captain John's crew fought over loot, and his own subordinates killed him. The whole crew fell apart."
"The second half of the New World is now practically Whitebeard's domain."
"Our plan to balance power by letting the pirates fight each other… has completely failed."
Kong rubbed his temples, weariness clear in his voice.
Silence fell once again in the conference room.
"There's also Red Count Patrick Redfield. He's been causing waves these past few years, challenging top pirates across the New World—Roger, Shiki, Whitebeard… He's turning the seas upside down."
"He's earned a reputation equal to the other Four Great Pirates, despite not having any subordinates."
"Because of this, other pirates have begun calling him 'Lonely Red'—a lone wolf who doesn't accept followers. But that makes him even more dangerous…"
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