Just as Takuro had "simplified" world management through his own brutal logic, a new wave of upheaval was triggered across the globe by his standing orders. The first to run directly into the muzzle of this new regime was a notorious pirate crew in the New World—the fleet under "Bone Breaker" Basil.+2
Taking advantage of the power vacuum following the fall of Mary Geoise, Basil and his men had attacked several former World Government member nations. They plundered vast amounts of treasure and acted with reckless aggression, even publicly mocking the new leadership as nothing more than a disorganized rabble. They believed that with the Marines in disarray, the sea belonged to the lawless once more.
They were dead wrong. Their coordinates and a detailed list of their wicked deeds were quickly compiled and presented before Takuro. Half an hour later, the flagship of "Bone Breaker" Basil and three other large pirate ships, along with the port area of the small island where they were docked for supplies, were completely wiped off the map. A dark red Qi Blast, measuring over a hundred meters in diameter, descended from the sky like the wrath of a god. There was no warning and no negotiation—only absolute destruction.+3
The news spread rapidly via Morgans' News Birds. The world was greeted with a shocking photograph of a scorched, glass-like bay and a missing corner of the island where the pirate fleet had once stood. The headline was even more terrifying: "New Rule Established! Takuro Annihilates 'Bone Breaker' Fleet in One Strike, Declaring Maritime Order Intolerant of Provocation!"
The world was stunned. Those Great Pirates who were originally restless and watching from the sidelines felt as if they had been doused with a bucket of ice water. They realized that the man who had overthrown the World Government was not inactive; he simply managed things in a more direct and terrifying way. Under his rule, those who followed might not necessarily prosper, but those who defied him would certainly perish.
Almost instantly, pirate activity in the Four Seas and the Grand Line plummeted. Many arrogant gangs ceased their activities immediately, and some even disbanded directly, with their leaders vanishing into the shadows to avoid Takuro's notice. Using the bloodiest possible method, Takuro had forcibly placed a crude yet effective "bridle" upon the chaotic ocean.
Meanwhile, another force was quietly mobilizing in the darkness of the North Blue. Inside a Donquixote Family stronghold, Donquixote Doflamingo stared at the newspaper reporting the "Bone Breaker" incident. His fingers trembled slightly, but his face twisted into an excited, manic smile.
"Fuffuffuffu... Did you see that? This is absolute power! It is completely unreasonable, yet incredibly effective!" Doflamingo laughed, turning to his subordinates. "The new rules of the game have been set! Military deterrence is the baseline, and above that line... is our stage!"
He walked up to a massive map of the North Blue and pointed to the territories formerly under the World Government's wing. "Those member nations are panicked. They are desperate for new backing and someone to provide order. The Marines? They can't even take care of themselves right now. The Revolutionary Army? Their ideology moves too slowly for a world in flames. This is the best opportunity for our Donquixote Family to expand our Underground Kingdom and push our business into the open world!"
Doflamingo began issuing orders with the precision of an ambitious schemer. "Vergo, continue your infiltration. If necessary, you can 'defect' to the Marines to gain their trust. Trebol, accelerate the establishment of our arms business channels; we need more 'partners.' Diamante, contact those wavering kingdom nobles and tell them we can offer 'protection.' Pica, reorganize our military force. We must have 'hard power' that we can display to the world."
He knew that under Takuro's "hands-off" style of rule, whoever could establish a network of interests fastest would gain the upper hand in the new era. "Fuffuffu... Takuro, you shattered the old world, but you gave me an even better stage! I'll remember this 'favor'!"
The Red Hair Pirates had a much calmer reaction to the news. "As expected of his style," Shanks said with a laugh, tipping back a bottle of sake. "Simple, direct, and effective. Now, those restless fellows should finally quiet down for a while."
Benn Beckman wiped down his gun barrel, his expression flat. "Order maintained by fear won't last forever, but in the short term, it prevents the worst-case scenarios. Now it's up to Dragon and the others to build a framework that can actually last."
"Hmm, no matter what they do, the sea ultimately belongs to the Free Adventurers!" Shanks raised his glass, his eyes bright. "Brothers, prepare yourselves! The adventure of the new era has just begun! Our destination is the final clue to Laugh Tale. We can't fall behind!"
"Oh!!!" the crew roared in unison.
At the same time, inside a secret research institute set up by the Revolutionary Army, Nico Robin handed Dragon a preliminary report. It concerned the "observer," the "Ritual," and a possible link between Devil Fruits and the Dragon Balls. Dragon looked at the speculations within the report, his expression turning grave.+1
"If these things are true... then the world we live in might have been, from the very beginning..." Dragon took a deep breath, unable to finish the thought. "This must be reported to Mr. Takuro immediately. This is already beyond the scope of what we can handle."
He looked at Robin. "You must go to Ambury Island yourself and report to him in person. Only he might be able to deal with threats of this magnitude."
Robin nodded solemnly. "I understand." As she looked out at the gloomy sky, a sense of unease rose in her heart. Imu's defeat may not have been the end, but merely the beginning of a grander, more dangerous story.
The gears of the world, pushed by Takuro's immense strength, continued to rotate toward an unknown direction. The old enemies had fallen, but a shadow from the depths of the starry sky seemed to be approaching.
On the top floor of the Golden Tower on Ambury Island, Takuro was performing his "daily activity" against a specially made Alloy Pile. The metal was designed to withstand his normal punches, but every strike caused the entire tower to tremble. For him, stretching his muscles was far more satisfying than government affairs.
The communicator in the room lit up with Tesoro's voice. "Lord Takuro, Nico Robin has returned from Mary Geoise. She has urgent intelligence she needs to report to you in person."
"Robin?" Takuro withdrew his fist from the Alloy Pile, which was now covered in deep indentations. He wiped away a bit of dust with a towel. "Let her come up."
A moment later, Robin entered. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were sharp with urgency. In her hands, she held a thick stack of documents and photographs of Ancient Stone Tablets.
"Mr. Takuro," Robin bowed slightly.
"Hm, what's so urgent?" Takuro sat down on a sofa and crossed his legs. "Did you find a clue for a new Dragon Ball? Or is there news about that Purple Fruit?"
Robin did not sit. She presented the documents, her tone more serious than he had ever heard it. "It concerns the latest results from the ruins of Mary Geoise, and... some very unsettling speculations."
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