East Blue, Shimotsuki Village.
Inside Isshin Dojo.
"Hey!"
"Ha!"
"Hey!"
"Ha!"
Under the pale moonlight, a group of children continuously swung their bamboo swords in perfect rhythm.
The crisp sounds echoed throughout the dojo courtyard.
Their synchronized movements looked especially sharp beneath the silver glow of the night sky.
Nearby, beneath the wooden eaves, Koushirou sat quietly on a cushion while holding several newspapers in his hands.
Dressed in a gray robe, he slowly lowered the paper and let out a long sigh.
"What kind of world will this become?"
"Being born in an era like this, is it fortunate... or unfortunate?"
His gaze landed on the children training in the courtyard.
After a moment of silence, he spoke softly.
"Zoro, you're already standing at the center of this storm."
"I only hope fortune continues to favor you."
As the master of Isshin Dojo, Koushirou understood far more than ordinary people.
This public execution was obviously a trap prepared by the World Government.
Its target was not simply Sabo.
It was Earth itself.
Or more specifically, Rolan.
Throughout history, whenever a force rose high enough to threaten the World Government's authority, it would eventually be destroyed.
The Government would never allow another ruler to stand beside it.
And now, Earth had already surpassed every organization that once challenged the throne of the world.
Rolan's actions during the Paramount War alone were enough to guarantee that the World Government would never let him go.
He had invaded Marineford.
Saved the Pirate King's son.
Humiliated the Marines in front of the entire world.
Then publicly declared war against the World Government itself.
No ruler would tolerate that kind of insult.
The frightening part was that Rolan had hidden his true strength for years.
By the time the world realized what kind of monster he was, it was already too late.
Koushirou honestly believed the World Government had never expected someone like Rolan to appear.
Someone who stood at the top of the world the moment he entered the stage.
Ever since Zoro joined the Ion Pirates, he had been dragged into this massive current as well.
Thinking about that, Koushirou could not help but admire Rolan a little.
Then he turned toward the room behind him.
"So, Zoro is about to fight the World Government."
"You still don't plan to see him?"
A clear female voice sounded from inside the room.
"I'll appear when necessary."
"The current Zoro is already the world's greatest swordsman."
There was a faint trace of happiness hidden in her tone.
Koushirou smiled slightly.
"If you appeared before him now, he'd probably be very happy."
His eyes drifted back toward the courtyard.
For a brief moment, memories from years ago resurfaced in his mind.
Two children training endlessly beneath the moonlight.
One stubborn.
One reckless.
After a while, Koushirou returned to reality and spoke again.
"You carefully arranged everything to become his motivation."
"You pushed him forward step by step until he reached the summit."
"Now that he achieved his dream, don't you want him to know the truth?"
Silence followed.
A long silence.
Then the woman inside finally replied:
"I already said it."
"If I'm needed, I'll appear."
Koushirou chuckled helplessly.
"You really are exactly like your mother."
"Once you make up your mind, nobody can change it."
Not even Sea Kings.
The woman inside answered quietly:
"That's unfortunate."
"I never got the chance to meet my mother myself."
Koushirou froze slightly.
Then he sighed.
"Sorry."
"It's fine."
"I'm going to rest now."
The room became silent again.
Koushirou smiled faintly afterward.
There was something he still hadn't said aloud.
Both the woman and her mother looked cold and stubborn on the outside.
But in reality, both of them cared deeply about the people important to them.
Earlier during the day, he had already noticed her secretly packing her belongings.
Clearly, she planned to leave soon.
She simply refused to admit it.
...
West Blue, Ikun Island.
The streets were packed with people discussing the latest newspaper headlines.
"What the hell?! Is another massive war about to happen?!"
A red-haired old man stared upward anxiously.
"Are people even supposed to survive in times like this anymore?"
"Things have become way too chaotic lately."
A plump old woman waved her hand dismissively.
"Relax. It's probably just another situation like Marineford."
"We'll survive as long as we stay careful."
A fair-skinned young man immediately shook his head.
"This time is completely different."
"This isn't just the Marines against pirates."
"This is the World Government against Earth."
"One side rules the world."
"The other side possesses the strongest military power on the seas."
A burly man with braided pigtails snorted.
"So what?"
"The World Government personally stepped in this time."
"No pirate crew can possibly survive that."
At that moment, an old man with a Whitebeard sighed heavily.
"I don't care who wins."
"I just hope there'll be fewer pirates afterward."
The crowd fell silent.
Everyone knew his story.
Just a month ago, pirates attacked the island and kidnapped his granddaughter.
His wife, son, and daughter-in-law were all murdered while trying to resist.
Only he survived because he had been out fishing.
A middle aged man muttered quietly:
"I wonder what kind of world this will become."
Another person laughed bitterly.
"I already prepared my will."
"What's the point of a will?" someone else replied. "I already built my coffin."
The atmosphere gradually became heavier.
Ordinary civilians did not care about justice.
Nor did they care about who ruled the world.
All they wanted was food, safety, and stable lives.
Whether the ruler was a king, pirate, or devil meant nothing to them.
As long as they could survive peacefully.
At this moment, countless ordinary people across the Four Blues were watching this upcoming war closely.
Waiting to see who would become the final victor.
...
New World, Earth.
Port Island.
"Hahaha! Once Earth conquers the world, we'll become the rulers of everything!"
A bald man carrying a long saber laughed excitedly.
Beside him, an extremely handsome young man spoke while touching his face dramatically.
"The Celestial Dragons call themselves descendants of the creators."
"When we rule the world, our descendants should also receive incredible titles."
"Oh please," a burly man nearby interrupted. "You can't even have children."
The handsome young man instantly became furious.
"Hmph! Lord Ivankov already promised to help me with gender reassignment surgery!"
The burly man's face twitched awkwardly.
"Ah... right. Forget I said anything."
What outsiders didn't know was that the atmosphere throughout Earth was incredibly positive.
Nobody here feared war with the World Government.
Because everyone living in Earth firmly believed they would win.
Within Earth, every citizen trained in combat, survival, and Haki from childhood.
It was practically a nation where everyone was a soldier.
More than ninety percent of the population possessed Haki.
When news of the upcoming war spread, countless citizens volunteered to join the battlefield.
Yet almost all of them were rejected.
That alone made the citizens even more confident.
To them, it looked as if Earth didn't even need its full strength to crush the World Government.
...
Deep beneath the seas of the New World.
"Yehahahahaha!"
Enel burst into laughter while looking at the scene before him.
"Rolan... don't tell me this thing is supposed to be the Great Treasure?"
===
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