"So full~~" x2
"Tuck in your stomachs!"
Roman, who was cleaning the deck, almost threw these two "big pieces of trash" into the sea. Anyone who knew them would recognize them as the captain and doctor of the Straw Hat Crew, but to outsiders, they'd just look like—
"Are you guys pigs?"
Getting so stuffed that you turn into a ball...
"It was just too delicious~~"
Grinning x2
"Don't try to play cute and get away with it. Even if you don't need to train right now, you still need to keep up a certain amount of daily exercise. Get up! Head to the training room and work off that weight. Remember: If you don't practice for three days, your hands get rusty. If you don't recite for three days, your mouth forgets…"
"Sanji, what's with Roman?"
"Just ignore them," Sanji said calmly, glancing at the scene before continuing to clean up after the feast. One good thing about the Straw Hat Crew was that they practically had no food waste—because everything went straight into Luffy's stomach.
"Roman, lend me a hand."
Even if there weren't food scraps, there was still plenty of trash piled up. Especially with the ongoing "refit" of the Sunny Merry—Usopp and Franky were working enthusiastically with Merry and Sunny to strengthen the ship. With the two ship spirits assisting, progress was moving at lightning speed! After all, as the Straw Hat Crew's enemies kept getting stronger, even Treasure Tree Adam wouldn't hold up against the power of an Admiral or an Emperor. They urgently needed another round of upgrades, and Wapometal was the perfect material.
"Oh right, I'll be 'heading back' for a bit."
Looking at the pile of gathered trash, Roman stretched out his fingers and then clenched his fist.
"Cube Compression!"
*Snap!* Several large bags of trash were instantly compressed into a cube the size of a thumb, dropping onto the deck with a dull *thud*! Side note—most of the Straw Hat Crew's gym equipment had also been "compressed" into reinforced versions using Roman's ability.
"Do you guys have any messages for Vivi, Shirahoshi, or Rebecca?"
Clapping his hands, Roman looked around at the others. Luffy, who was rapidly slimming down using *Seimei Kikan*, was the first to raise his hand.
"Tell them to have fun~~"
?! "This is the World Government's four-year summit, not some vacation… Never mind, forget I asked."
"Just send them our regards," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette.
Vivi, huh… It feels like so long since Alabasta. But as former comrades who fought together, the Straw Hat Crew naturally wished for Vivi's safety and happiness.
"Go on, go on."
Nami, who was analyzing two Poneglyph coordinates with Robin to ensure accuracy, waved a hand.
"With you there, do we even need to worry about them being bullied?"
"Alright then."
Roman's eyes suddenly turned blank, his entire body appearing as if his soul had been sucked out.
Pudding, Carrot, and Pedro watched in amazement.
This ability to just "zone out" while standing there…
In reality, Roman's focus had already shifted far away—to Marine Headquarters.
Two years ago, during the *Summit War*, the Marines didn't suffer many casualties, but Marineford's buildings were completely destroyed by Whitebeard's quake powers. Even after rebuilding, the structures weren't as strong as before. On top of that, Roman's *United Transport Fleet* had taken control of cross-sea trade.
So, with a wave of Akainu's hand—
They moved!
The Marine Headquarters was relocated to the *G1* branch in the *New World*, where they built a new headquarters on top of it—bigger, stronger, and more imposing! The walls were several meters thick, with traces of Seastone mixed in to counter Devil Fruit users. Rows of cannons pointed toward the sky, all modern breech-loading heavy artillery—far beyond the outdated muzzle-loading guns used by pirates.
Unless Whitebeard came back to life, any pirate who dared to attack would be walking into a death trap. Even the *Four Emperors* wouldn't dare to charge headfirst into this fortress, built with the Marines' latest technology. With this stronghold securing their position, the Marines' influence was now spreading deeper into the Grand Line.
This was also why Kaido, Big Mom, and Blackbeard were all expanding their forces at the same time. To the world's strongest figures, a global war wasn't far off. Strengthening their power was the top priority!
Meanwhile—
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki told me to kick you out as soon as I found you."
"After all, he just ordered that you're not allowed to set foot in any Marine base until *Straw Hat Luffy* and *Law* are captured."
At *Mary Geoise*, not all of the land belonged to the Celestial Dragons. In fact, their residential area was far beyond three heavily guarded checkpoints, past the *Gate of the Gods*, and several hundred meters behind the *Hall of Authority*.
The buildings in the front belonged to the *World Government* and the *Marines*.
"But this place under my feet isn't a Marine base."
Fujitora, casually eating his noodles, smiled as he spoke. It was hard to tell whether he was mocking someone or just making fun of himself.
"You're not the type to play word games," the tall man across from him chuckled, shaking his head. He didn't press the matter further. After all, ignoring the Fleet Admiral's orders was practically a *Marine Admiral* tradition.
"By the way, you went to see Vegapunk this time. How is he?"
"He's doing well. And… he's finished something incredible."
Fujitora set down his chopsticks—he was done eating.
"The *Seven Warlords* are no longer needed."
"At the upcoming *World Conference*, I'm going to propose abolishing the *Seven Warlords* system. As long as more than half of the allied nations vote in favor—"
With a flick of his chopsticks, they shot across several hundred meters and embedded into a distant wall. Beneath them was a crushed fly, now nothing more than dust.
"Let me be the one to sound the horn that ends the age of pirates."
---
Behind the *New Marine Headquarters*, a towering red landmass stretched into the clouds. At its base was a city dedicated to receiving visitors, where people and supplies were transported up to *Mary Geoise* via *Bubble Lifts*.
Today, the dock was packed with reporters from all over, including *Big News Morgans* himself, who had come in person.
"They're here! They're here!"
"Oh, that's King Bill VI of *Erolush Kingdom*."
A towering man in a leather hat and a long coat walked forward with his arms crossed. Beside him, four princesses marched in unison, all dressed identically—dungarees, red children's hats tied under their chins with butterfly knots, and tiny crowns perched on top of their heads.
"The *Matryoshka Princesses*—so cute~~"
Yes, the four princesses didn't just look alike—they were completely identical! The only difference was that each one was slightly bigger than the last.
"That's the 'Han Fortress King' from the Bollywood Kingdom!"
A thin man in a suit and a star-patterned top hat slowly made his way forward, surrounded by his guards.
"But why is he walking so slowly...?"
As if he heard the murmurs of the crowd, the thin man lifted his head with unwavering determination.
"I may walk slowly... but I never take a step backward!!!"
"Heh, no need to get so worked up..."
Trailing behind him was a man in a wide robe, his hands tucked inside his sleeves. A pair of black sunglasses covered his eyes, leaving only a friendly, business-like smile. If it weren't for the five-clawed dragon tattoo stretching from one side of his face to his head, he would have looked more like a merchant... or perhaps a craftsman, rather than a king.
"It's the young king of the Flower Kingdom, Zhu Youxiao!!"
"I heard their country just won a huge battle because the enemy ran out of weapons..."
"Haha, just rumors, all rumors!"
The man with dragon patterns on his robe waved his hand in a friendly manner, as if to say: *We are peace-loving people focused on development. How could we possibly be fighting wars?*
"Hmph, such an act."
A man dressed as an old-fashioned gentleman, yet with windblown messy hair, walked over. His country had once thrived during the Age of Exploration, but now? He could only watch as his former subordinates competed with others while he lounged in a rocking chair, reminiscing about past glories.
"That's the king of England..."
"Oh, it's just the 'Boring King.'"
The Zhu-named carpenter—*cough*, king—of the Flower Kingdom turned to look at the gentleman behind him and greeted him without a hint of offense.
"Heard your ministers are giving you trouble again? Don't tell me you're still using military funds to buy furniture for your wife?"
"You... How could you just assume—"
"Alright, you two."
A beautiful lady stepped forward, the steel crown on her head signifying that she, too, was a 'king.'
"Whatever you want to say, save it for the meeting. Bickering here will only make a joke of us in front of the world."
She swirled the wine in her glass and elegantly raised it.
"A toast—to the eyes of the world!"
"Ohh, how classy—"
"As expected of the first empress in the history of the Gaul Kingdom, Her Majesty Clesson~~"
As the great nations of the pirate world took center stage, the true rulers at the top of power gathered for a seven-day conference to determine the course of the world for the next four years. They might not be the strongest fighters, but a single command from them could turn the fate of millions upside down!
But there were also newcomers to the conference.
For example, a towering mermaid with shell-shaped earrings, dazzling blue eyes, and delicate features. She wore a light blue cloak over her ample figure, while her lower half—a pink-striped tail—swayed slightly. Princess Shirahoshi nervously looked at the dense crowd before her, placing a hand over her chest.
"So... this is the surface world..."
"Oh my god, it's the Mermaid Princess!!"
"She's absolutely stunning!"
"Step on me, goddess—"
"Boss, should we reserve a front-page slot for this...?"
"Morgans! Even you are getting distracted?!"
Although Fish-Man Island had joined the World Government 200 years ago, they had only attended the *first* World Conference after that. No one knew what had happened back then, but considering they never set foot in Mary Geoise again for two centuries, it was unlikely to have been a pleasant experience.
"Yes, this is the world where humans live."
As a Marine officer, clad in a grand admiral's coat, led the Fish-Man royal family onto the port, a deafening cheer erupted.
"Roman—!!"
"It's 'White Dove' Roman, the candidate for Admiral!!"
"So cool~ and so young~~ If only I could—"
"Don't even think about it! Lord Roman belongs to everyone!"
"Someone help! A girl just fainted—"
"...Looks like you're quite popular, Lord Roman,"
Prince Fukaboshi commented.
Roman simply smiled and shook his head.
"I'm just doing what any decent person should do."
*If you're poor, take care of yourself. If you're rich, help the world.*
Nothing more, nothing less.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry!!"
As Roman made his entrance, white doves were released from both sides of the crowd—not as part of his abilities, but as a spontaneous show of admiration from the people. He was stealing the spotlight, even overshadowing most kings!
"Is that the youngest candidate for Admiral in Marine history?"
The kings of the five great nations turned to look at the young man receiving a hero's welcome. He was truly a pillar of Marine strength, a force capable of rivaling an entire nation.
"A future Admiral, maybe even the Fleet Admiral position is within his grasp."
"Smart, strong, and has a great temper. What a shame—"
"What a promising young man. If only..."
"Let's go, he's already taken."
(End of Chapter)
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