The Seven Warlords of the Sea had once again reached full strength, and for a time, the world's attention shifted entirely to the chaos unfolding in the New World.
After another month of uneasy calm, the date marked the 15th of September, year 1517 by the Sea Calendar.
It had been three months since the Dawn entered the North Blue.
By now, the Dawn had swept through every corner of the Four Blues. Pirate crews capable of crossing Reverse Mountain into the Grand Line were becoming increasingly rare.
Crocodile, the Sand-Crocodile who once eagerly searched for new talent in Paradise, was now too preoccupied fleeing Admiral Aokiji to concern himself with expanding Baroque Works.
However, another Warlord could no longer remain idle. Donquixote Doflamingo, known as the Heavenly Yaksha, had been steadily expanding his underworld empire in the New World.
The reason for his sudden restlessness was simple.
Profit.
Although Sali and his forces had effectively blockaded Reverse Mountain, the Donquixote Family, whose influence extended across all four Blues, possessed alternative routes. Their smuggling and slave ships were capable of crossing the Calm Belt directly into the New World.
The journey through the Calm Belt was dangerous, but it created a near straight path between the North Blue, their home territory, and Dressrosa.
Dressrosa stood at the gateway to the New World, separated from the Sabaody Archipelago only by the Red Line.
Compared to the traditional route of sailing through Reverse Mountain, starting at Twin Capes, and crossing the entirety of Paradise to reach Sabaody, the difficulty between the two paths was debatable.
Two years ago, Doflamingo might have hesitated.
But once Ash and White Lion Sali began blockading Twin Capes, the decision became inevitable.
The minor losses suffered while crossing the Calm Belt were insignificant compared to the enormous profits of the underworld trade.
Yet now, an unexpected complication had emerged.
The Dawn had remained in the North Blue for three full months, systematically eliminating pirates and destroying several of the Donquixote Family's slave markets and black market bases.
On top of that, numerous smuggling and slave ships had been lost.
Losses in the other Blues were tolerable, but the North Blue was the core of the Donquixote Family's operations.
Ships could evade pursuit.
Fixed locations could not.
The Dawn's campaign in the North Blue had inflicted staggering financial damage.
Pragmatic as ever, Doflamingo assessed the strength of his forces against the Dawn Hunter Pirates and concluded that victory was unlikely. Instead, he shifted his strategy and attempted to recruit the new Warlord, White Lion Sali.
If Sali allowed their ships to pass through Twin Capes, they could bypass the Dawn's relentless sweep.
As long as operations resumed, the losses could be recovered, even if it meant sharing profits.
But as expected, the plan failed.
After spending two years alongside Ash, Sali understood his approach completely. Without hesitation, he rejected Doflamingo's proposal.
The negotiations collapsed.
When Ash heard about it, he simply laughed and said, "Well done," before returning to a casual discussion with Bonney about what not to eat next.
Aboard the Dawn, life continued.
In the courtyard, Ash reclined lazily on his personal deckchair.
Beside him sat a neatly stacked pile of the North Blue's most popular comic, Ocean Warrior Sora.
Tsuki stretched comfortably, clearly satisfied.
Kirk approached carrying a tray of colorful pastries. Seeing Tsuki sprawled across the chair, he chuckled.
"Finished the comics already?"
Realizing it was teatime, Tsuki quickly sat up and cleared space.
"All caught up. It ended right when Sora fought Electric Blue. The tankōban finally overtook the World Economic Journal's serialization, so there are no new chapters this week."
Youki dropped down from the crow's nest, landing beside Kirk.
"Peach Wine, my favorite. Thanks."
He grabbed the bottle Kirk had just set down, then glanced at Tsuki.
"All you do is read comics. How's your Haki and Devil Fruit training going?"
Tsuki leaned back again and pointed toward a corner of the garden.
"Reading doesn't stop me from training."
Youki followed his gaze and paused.
That small corner was filled with a chaotic blend of colors.
Fresh green shoots stood beside withered branches. Blooming flowers contrasted with patches of blackened decay. Golden streaks mixed with orange autumn leaves. Red, green, yellow, gray, black, and purple all coexisted in a single space.
Within less than ten square meters, Tsuki had recreated the cycle of seasons, life, and decay.
A sharp smack broke the moment.
Pini appeared out of nowhere, patting Tsuki on the shoulder.
"Not bad."
Without hesitation, he snatched the Peach Wine from Youki.
"You like strong liquor. Peach Wine is mine."
Youki shrugged, grabbed a different bottle, and took a long drink.
Their constant bickering had become routine. A day without it would feel strange.
Tsuki grinned.
"We've been in the North Blue for three months and still haven't seen Germa 66. I really want to check out their battle suits and those giant snails."
Youki laughed.
"We've already looped through three Blues. Anyone tracking our route can guess where we're headed. A floating kingdom like Germa 66 can easily avoid us."
Pini nodded.
"Ash said Judge is smart. After seeing how we operate, there's no way he'd come near us."
Before Tsuki could respond, a pair of long legs dropped from above.
He instinctively looked up, only to be flicked on the forehead by a coin. His eyes shut reflexively.
Nami opened her palm, and the coin returned to her hand.
"Time to work. A slave ship six nautical miles away spotted us and is trying to escape."
The three men disappeared instantly, abandoning their tea.
Kirk calmly poured a glass of orange juice. Nami accepted it with a smile.
After taking a sip, she asked, "Where are Nojiko and Saff?"
Kirk shrugged.
"Probably in the orchard, trying to figure out how to grow their fruit trees."
The two continued their quiet conversation.
Moments later, the trio returned.
"Another Donquixote slave ship. Those bastards," Youki muttered, his expression dark.
Nami and Kirk frowned as well.
In just over three months, the Dawn had captured four smuggling ships and six slave vessels, while also destroying multiple slave depots and black market bases.
And that was with the traffickers actively avoiding them.
It spoke volumes about how widespread the trade had become in the North Blue.
"I've already marked their base. It's right along our previous route," Tsuki said, his tone turning cold.
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