Raleigh lay comfortably on a sunbed, a sleeping mask covering his eyes.
He was enjoying a rare moment of peace.
"Major news! Raleigh-sama!"
The silence was broken by the sound of heavy boots running across the deck. Bessermer Reginald, holding a stack of newspapers, rushed over.
"Let me see," Raleigh groaned.
He struggled to sit up, his muscles stiff from his nap.
He pulled off his sleeping mask, blinking against the bright sunlight. He took the newspaper from Reginald and scanned the headlines.
[VICE ADMIRAL GARP CLASHES WITH ROGER PIRATES! MARINE SHIPS SEVERELY DAMAGED!]
[GOL D. ROGER'S WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN!]
Raleigh rubbed his chin. "So, Garp finally caught up to them, but Roger slipped away again. As expected."
He flipped the page. The next headline was even more alarming.
[THE 'GOLDEN LION' SHIKI RECRUITS ANOTHER PIRATE FLEET!]
[FLYING PIRATES ALLIANCE NOW NEARS 100,000 STRONG!]
"One hundred thousand..." Raleigh muttered. "Shiki is building an army, not a crew."
He looked at the bottom corner of the page. There was a blurry picture of a massive, muscular man with horns.
[NEW GENERATION ROOKIE: 'BLUE DRAGON' KAIDO APPEARS! DEFEATS PIRATE WITH 500 MILLION BERRY BOUNTY!]
Raleigh sighed, tossing the newspaper onto the small table.
"The trendsetters of the era are making their moves."
Reginald looked at Raleigh with curiosity. "Is the New World really that scary, Raleigh-sama?"
"It is," Raleigh replied, looking at the horizon.
Since the fall of the legendary Rocks Pirates years ago, the sea had been in chaos.
But now, a few years after Rocks' death, the power structure was stabilizing. The strong captains were carving up the New World like a cake.
"Currently," Raleigh explained to Reginald, "The strongest forces are the Golden Lion Shiki and Whitebeard Edward Newgate. Following them is Charlotte Linlin of Totto Land."
Raleigh tapped his finger on the picture of Kaido. "And now, monsters like Kaido and Gecko Moria are rising up. They are young, hungry, and dangerous."
"And Roger?" Reginald asked.
"The Roger Pirates are different," Raleigh said. "They don't care about territory or power. They just want to sail. But because they are so strong, every other faction treats them with fear and respect."
To the ordinary people of the world, it seemed like the chaos of the New World was settling down.
Peace seemed to be returning.
But Raleigh knew the truth.
"This is merely the calm before the storm," Raleigh thought.
He knew the history. The next two years would be critical. Events were brewing that would reshape the world for the next twenty years.
The Edd War. The execution of the Pirate King. The beginning of the Great Pirate Era.
"I wonder how Sakazuki is doing at the G-5 branch," Raleigh wondered aloud.
Sakazuki (Akainu) was a man of absolute justice.
Now that the New World was stabilizing, a man with his personality would definitely try to establish a Marine stronghold there.
"We need to get stronger, Reginald," Raleigh said, standing up. "The storm is coming."
....
Half a month passed.
Raleigh and his crew traveled slowly, cleaning up pirates and rebellious Mafia groups along the way.
Finally, their ship docked at the port of the Kingdom of Eryoku.
The transformation was shocking.
Months ago, this kingdom was known as the "City of Black Fog." The sky was always covered in thick smog from the factories. The people were sick, coughing up black dust.
But today?
Long-lost sunlight poured down on the city. Fresh, salty air from the sea swept unobstructed through the streets.
The workers at the port were no longer hunched over and miserable. They were moving with energy. Their faces were clean, and their eyes were bright.
"The new King is benevolent," a worker whispered to another as they unloaded crates. "The wages are high, and the air is clean. I will follow him forever."
At the dock, a grand welcome awaited them.
Two rows of Marine soldiers stood in perfect formation, their white uniforms spotless.
On the rooftops and corners of the harbor, snipers and riflemen stood guard, their eyes scanning for threats.
A young man with a determined face stood at the front of the formation.
It was Miles.
"That kid has grown up fast," Raleigh whispered to Gion, smiling.
After his last conversation with Miles, Raleigh had left him here with a mission: help Belo Betty, solidify her control over the kingdom, and learn how to lead.
"Reporting!" Miles shouted, saluting sharply. "Raleigh-sama! All soldiers of the Marine Special Branch stationed in the Kingdom of Eryoku have assembled! Awaiting your inspection, sir!"
Miles looked valiant. He stood tall, radiating the aura of a true leader.
Raleigh walked down the gangplank, nodding in satisfaction. He patted Miles heavily on the shoulder.
"No need for a formal inspection," Raleigh said warmly. "Judging by the discipline here, you've already done an excellent job."
Raleigh looked around. "Where is Cleveland?"
"Captain Cleveland will arrive shortly," Miles replied. "He is handling a patrol. He should be here in about half a day."
Raleigh waved to the soldiers, dismissing them to their duties. He began walking toward the city center, with Miles and Reginald following close behind.
"How are things progressing within the kingdom?" Raleigh asked casually.
Hearing the question, Miles stiffened.
He straightened his back, preparing to give a formal report.
Raleigh lightly kicked Miles in the shin.
"Ouch!" Miles jumped.
"Brat," Raleigh laughed. "No need to act so formal around me. Relax."
Raleigh hadn't kicked hard. Miles brushed the dust off his pants and broke into a cheeky, boyish grin.
"Master," Miles said, his voice relaxing. "Betty and I have managed the kingdom well. But honestly, it's all thanks to your plan."
Miles gestured to the clean streets. "The kingdom's transformation... you are the architect. We are just the builders."
"Internally, the kingdom has been cleansed," Miles reported, his voice dropping lower. "Those greedy traditional nobles and the old corrupt factions have been dealt with. Betty's fruit ability rallied the people. The bad ones were arrested or... removed."
Raleigh observed the streets. Last time, there was garbage and filth everywhere. Now, the streets were paved and spotless.
"Good," Raleigh said. "Politics is messy. Sometimes you have to cut out the rot to save the tree."
He looked toward the mountains. "Have you completed construction on the projects I asked for?"
"Only one school has been finished so far," Miles admitted. "The other buildings are still under construction."
Miles pointed toward a distant, rugged mountain range. "That's the site we designated. It spans half the mountain."
Raleigh nodded. He knew the location well. He, along with Momonga and Cleveland, had surveyed the island carefully before choosing it.
"Let's go take a look," Raleigh decided.
...
The group left the city and began to hike up the mountain.
The Kingdom of Eryoku was remote. It held a high status with the World Government for one reason only: Coal.
It was rich in resources.
However, Raleigh knew the tragedy of resource-rich nations. The World Government would exploit them, take the coal, and leave them with nothing but polluted air and poverty. Once the coal ran out, the country would die.
Raleigh was building something different here. He saw potential beyond the coal.
The mountain path was treacherous. It wasn't a paved road; it was a rugged trail filled with sharp rocks and thick, thorny bushes.
"What kind of place is this?" Bessermer Reginald complained, panting heavily.
He wiped a bucket of sweat from his forehead. "This is brutal! It's harder than fighting pirates! Why would you build anything up here, Raleigh-sama?"
Reginald swatted at a bug.
He had never encountered such a challenging path before.
Raleigh walked ahead effortlessly. "Security, Reginald. If it's hard for you to walk, it's hard for enemies to invade."
Reginald grumbled and lifted his foot to take another step.
Snap.
He felt something thin, like a thread, brush against his ankle.
Click.
A mechanical sound echoed from the bushes.
"Oh no," Reginald froze.
Whoosh!
An arrow flew from the dense foliage. It wasn't a normal arrow. The tip was glowing with an ominous blue liquid.
It shot straight toward Reginald's chest.
"Watch out!"
Raleigh didn't even turn his body. He simply extended his right hand to the side.
Snatch.
Raleigh caught the arrow between two fingers, stopping it inches from Reginald's heart.
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