At the same time the World Government was preparing to move, Ian had already, as expected, received a call from Stussy.
"Lord Ian, you know very well how close I am with Linlin," The beautiful woman's voice carried a note of complaint right from the start.
"So the higher-ups want me to use that connection to confirm the current state of the Charlotte family, to make things easier for the Navy's upcoming operation."
"So," Ian raised an eyebrow. "The World Government is planning to make a move against the Charlotte family?"
"That should be the case."
Stussy replied, "The government has been restless lately, urging us to search for the Road Poneglyphs."
"Tch. Those stones have been searched for who knows how many years. If there were going to be results, they would've already been found. If not, then nothing will come of it anyway."
"I see."
Ian chuckled softly. "So the World Government intends to seize the Road Poneglyph in Aunt Linlin's possession, huh?"
The fact that Aunt Linlin had a Road Poneglyph was supposed to be a secret.
But some secrets can only stay hidden for so long.
For those in the seas with even a little reliable information, it wasn't exactly common knowledge, but it was at least widely circulated.
Back then, Roger had stolen a Road Poneglyph directly from Charlotte Linlin's hands—quite a few people knew of this.
Ian had fully grasped the World Government's intentions.
They simply feared that, since he had taken Robin with him, he might be able to find the One Piece and become the Pirate King.
So, they wanted to rob Aunt Linlin of her Road Poneglyph to throw obstacles in his way.
Poor Aunt Linlin, caught up in a disaster she never asked for.
As Kaido-sensei's prized disciple, how could he just stand by and watch that woman suffer such persecution without lifting a finger?
No—he needed to send reinforcements quickly.
As for going personally, that would be unwise. If the World Government were truly pushed into a corner, Imu might actually step out in person.
If that happened, the struggle between the two sides would escalate into a clash of rulers.
And Ian could not accept such a turn of events.
North Blue, the Kingdom of Stini.
This nation was originally just another ordinary non-member country in the North Blue.
It was no different from the other non-member states—another land shrouded in poverty and chaos.
The pirates of the North Blue were never as terrifying as those on the Grand Line. Life in this country, at the very least, was far better than that of non–allied nations scattered across the Grand Line.
Though pirates, slavers, and gangs often plagued the land, the people could still manage to get by. The nation was not in danger of collapsing outright.
But all of that changed after the Beasts Pirates came to rule the New World.
At first, their conquest of the New World had little to do with this distant country.
However, Ian had driven countless monsters out of the New World, scattering them across the seas.
Among those exiles, one monster set its sights on this very nation.
The reason was simple. This land, unlike many others, had a pleasant natural environment—lush mountains, clear waters, and rolling green fields. It was a land worth living in.
And so, this country was seized by a monster from the New World.
Her name was Charlotte Linlin.
Once known as one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, she was the matriarch of the Charlotte family.
The BIG MOM Pirates she commanded were far beyond what this small nation could ever hope to resist.
In less than two hours, the country was completely conquered.
From that moment on, the land became the new stronghold of the Charlotte family in the North Blue.
Using it as a foothold, the BIG MOM Pirates began invading nearby islands and nations, quickly establishing a new version of Totto Land.
In truth, this new Totto Land was not so different from the old one.
Although Linlin had abandoned her original empire, she had carried its true essence with her.
The rare races she had painstakingly gathered, the Homies army she had created at the cost of countless souls—these were all brought to the North Blue.
What remained of Totto Land in the New World was little more than an empty shell, inhabited only by ordinary citizens forced to pay with their lifespans.
Even in the New World, few dared provoke the Charlotte family. In the North Blue, they became utterly unstoppable.
No one dared to challenge this newly founded nation. Wherever their forces advanced, they swept aside opposition like leaves in the wind.
Yet the queen who ruled this country was not satisfied with her conquest.
"Just you wait, Ian!"
In her palace, Charlotte Linlin would often roar in fury. "One day, I will return!"
For everyone knew—the One Piece lay hidden in the New World.
Now that they had been driven out of that sea, the throne of the Pirate King felt even further away.
If they couldn't return to the New World, then no matter how much power they gained in these waters, it was meaningless.
The Charlotte Family's officers were long used to this situation.
They knew very well how much their Mama hated Ian.
After all, being forced out of the New World in such a humiliating manner was a massive blow to their prideful Mama.
But they also understood that Mama's fury was mostly just words.
Returning to the New World was absolutely impossible.
Everyone knew that the Beasts Pirates had grown terrifyingly powerful.
Trying to go back now would mean declaring war against them—it would be nothing short of suicide.
So all they could do was wait for an opportunity.
The problem was, no one knew when that opportunity would ever come.
Amidst this tense stalemate, a small ship slowly approached the seas near their country.
"Though it's still called Totto Land, it's no longer the same Totto Land as before."
Inside the modest cabin, Garp stood before a table, a sea chart spread out before him, already marked with notes.
"Sure, it's still made up of many islands, but the distances between them are too wide."
"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"
Breaking his silence, the newly appointed Marine Admiral Ryokugyu (Green Bull), Aramaki, asked in a low voice.
"At least for our operation this time, it's not a good thing."
Garp smacked his lips. "Because the islands are too far apart, all of the Charlotte Family's officers are gathered on the main island."
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