The Marines and the World Government had the largest number of Zoan-type ability users. If they obtained the method for seven-stage transformations and the Rumble Ball, then the World Government's strength would instantly surge, and its rule would become even more solid.
Especially Sengoku.
He was a Mythical Zoan user of the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Daibutsu.
Just the shockwaves from his Daibutsu form alone were enough to make him sweep through all opposition.
If he could reach rampage form, then perhaps the power of a single raised palm would be enough to destroy heaven and earth.
That was Chopper's strategic significance.
And the reason Roy had waited until so late to prepare for war also had something to do with waiting for Chopper to invent the Rumble Ball.
After all, among the Raijin Pirates, there were also quite a few Zoan-type ability users.
There was no need to even mention the former Beasts Pirates' Three Calamities, or the ability users under them.
Chalcis, Gin, Pekoms, Drake, and the others were all Zoan-type ability users, and most of them were even Ancient Zoans.
Once they used the Rumble Ball to reach their final forms, King, Queen, and Jack would even reach admiral-level strength, while Gin and the others would become proper emperor-commander-level combatants.
A Raijin Pirates like that could only be called terrifying!
And for this year's final decisive battle, Roy had handed out all the Zoan-type Devil Fruits in his possession like they cost him nothing, rewarding crewmates who were incomparably loyal to the pirate crew, had made contributions, and were worth nurturing.
When war truly broke out, kings would face kings, generals would face generals, and the top combatants would naturally be handled by Roy himself.
And when those Marines faced an entire crowd of Zoan-type ability users in rampage form, who knew what kind of expressions they would make?
After Gin and Daz handed the Millennium Dragon's bones over to Chopper, Tamago called them away to arrange preparations for battle.
While the Raijin Pirates secretly began preparing for war, the World Government also faintly noticed some abnormalities within the Raijin Pirates. However, they soon had no time to pay attention to them.
Because in Alabasta, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Sand Crocodile, Crocodile, had actually carried out a country-stealing operation that shocked the world!
And he had been defeated!
The one who defeated him was even a rookie who had emerged from the weakest sea, East Blue.
The Straw Hat Pirates' Monkey D. Luffy.
This news made the Five Elders extremely furious.
After all, Alabasta could be considered one of the few superpowers in this pirate world that could be counted on one's fingers.
Moreover, the royal family of Alabasta should originally have been Celestial Dragons. As one of the twenty royal families that created the World Government eight hundred years ago, the noble Nefertari Family had refused the qualification to move into the Holy Land Mary Geoise and live there. Instead, they occupied this land and established a kingdom.
For such a country to be targeted by a country-stealing plan carried out by a Warlord they themselves had recognized was simply a slap to their own faces.
Thus, the World Government was busy cleaning up Crocodile's mess, while also preparing to decide on a new Warlord candidate and formulate a policy for dealing with the Straw Hat Pirates. They had no attention left to spare for the Raijin Pirates' small movements.
And it was at this time that Blackbeard, who had not appeared for a long while, finally surfaced.
He began conveying his intention to become a new Warlord to the World Government.
After considering it briefly, the World Government accepted the proposal.
After all, while Blackbeard Teach had been with the Raijin Pirates, he had already displayed his strength. He was absolutely qualified for the position of Warlord.
On top of that, his reputation as a former division commander of the Raijin Pirates was enough to intimidate the first half of the Grand Line.
The World Government also pinned the credit for suppressing the rebellion in Alabasta onto White Hunter Smoker.
In the eyes of the masses, Smoker became the hero of this incident.
As for those who were well-informed, they naturally knew exactly what the truth was.
"So this is the so-called Seven Warlords of the Sea! These are the Warlords who can suppress pirates and help maintain stability on the seas?!"
Zephyr, who had already held prejudice against the Warlords, now felt an even deeper estrangement from the World Government.
As for Crocodile, Zephyr, who had been active in the first half of the Grand Line, had an exceptionally deep impression of him.
It happened when he passed through Alabasta and stopped there to resupply. Zephyr still remembered it even now.
On the high platform, Crocodile, revered by all the citizens as a "hero," stood there in high spirits. Beside him was the tall, secretary-like woman wearing a top hat and exuding an intellectual air—the only survivor of Ohara, the "Devil Child," Nico Robin!
At that time, Crocodile was clearly the one who had caused the drought, yet all the citizens placed the blame on the king. They had no idea that the person they honored as a hero was the true culprit behind everything.
Why would the World Government cooperate with someone so vicious and evil?
A person like that was called a Warlord and enjoyed privileges and honor.
Meanwhile, those national leaders who truly thought for the sake of the people and exhausted themselves with careful governance were instead spat on and hated by those very citizens!
What kind of logic was that?
Back when he was still in the Marines, although Zephyr did not approve of some of the World Government's methods, they had still been within a range he could accept.
But ever since he established the Neo Marines, he had witnessed far too many tragedies.
The oppression and harsh rule of those so-called nobles wantonly enslaved the residents they had been trying to protect from pirates' blades.
Especially after Zephyr saw some of the Marines he had personally taught colluding with those nobles, and even some who directly cooperated with pirates to amass wealth on a massive scale—
Zephyr had completely lost hope in this gravely ill world.
And the two disciples who had always followed behind him, Ain and Binz, had likewise witnessed these dark things hidden beneath the light with their own eyes. They, too, completely abandoned the so-called justice of the World Government.
"Crocodile's vacancy has been filled by that Blackbeard? It seems that as long as the Warlord system exists, there will be an endless stream of pirates pretending to behave themselves and defecting to the World Government to obtain privileges, all so they can achieve their unspeakable goals."
Zephyr spoke in a deep voice. "So to prevent people like Crocodile from appearing, the Warlord system itself should simply be abolished!"
"Your Excellency's thoughts happen to align with mine. I also believe that the Warlords themselves should not exist."
(End of Chapter)
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