Chapter 462: Chaotic Dreams and a Declaration to the World

"Imu, stay behind me!" 

Tch, isn't this even crazier than the Great Pirate Era? 

Pages fluttered through the air as Neo let out an annoyed grunt. Now, he finally understood what Joy Boy meant when he talked about a world consumed by war. Basically, every time they arrived at a new island, the same thing happened: 

Enemies? Damn! 

Enemies? Fight! 

Unless the three of them wanted to be tied up and hung from the docks like decorations, they had no choice but to fight. 

"Neo, go easy on them..." 

"Relax." 

After a battle that ended with a very *convincing* victory, Neo rubbed his temples as he looked at the defeated enemies glaring at them with pure hatred. 

"So tell me—what the hell did you guys do to make *everyone* want to kill you?" 

Faced with this blunt question from the island boy who had grown familiar with them, even Joy Boy—who was always cheerful—couldn't help but darken his expression. 

"If I told you it was because of gold, would that sound too shallow?" 

? 

As Joy Boy explained, Neo finally understood just how chaotic the world was at this point in time. 

The world's calendar started from the arrival of the Moon People, marking *Year 0 of the Sea Circle Calendar.* Before that, the seas were already home to many kingdoms, but because of the vast ocean separating them, each nation had its own messy calendar system. Communication between races was also extremely limited. 

But everything changed when the Moon People arrived. 

They established three major settlements: Birka (later destroyed by Enel), Skypiea, and Jaya. These represented the three factions of the Moon Civilization's *Three-Feather Council*: engineers, cybernetic minds, and modified humans. 

Despite their advanced civilization, they weren't exactly a warrior race—just look at the lazy attitude of Skypiea's people. 

Still, with technology a thousand years ahead of the rest of the world, they quickly built a thriving *Great Kingdom* across the seas. By trading technology for gold from other nations, they constructed the legendary "City of Gold"—Shandora. It was a golden age of prosperity. 

And that's when the seeds of disaster were sown. 

"...So you're royalty from the Great Kingdom?" 

Joy Boy nodded, and Neo clapped his hands. 

"Then why the hell are you wandering around the ocean? Go home, inherit your fortune, and live a boring, dull, and obscenely rich life!" 

??? 

"Ahem, that was just me messing around. But seriously... you want to put an end to this world war?" 

In simple terms, the kingdoms of the world had grown jealous of the Great Kingdom's technology, gold, and wealth. Once they realized that the people of the Great Kingdom weren't all-powerful gods but mortal humans who could grow old and die—well, their greed was unleashed. 

If this were Neo's past life, an advanced civilization with automated robots would have completely crushed a bunch of primitive sailors in wooden rafts. There wouldn't even be a war—just pure domination. 

But in this world? 

"Devil Fruits and Haki, huh?" 

It was the classic battle of science versus raw power. 

With Armament Haki, warriors could shatter machines with their bare hands or punch away missiles like they were nothing. Observation Haki let them compete with high-tech surveillance systems. And Conqueror's Haki? That was just straight-up cheating—one look, and your enemies would collapse. 

And then there were Devil Fruits. Some had abilities that completely ignored the rules of reality. Logia users in particular drove the tech-focused Moon People insane trying to figure out how to counter them. 

So in the end: 

One side had endless waves of robotic soldiers. 

The other had warriors who could destroy armies single-handedly. 

And somehow... they were evenly matched! 

"This war has been going on for decades. Both sides have learned a lot... especially when it comes to killing." 

Gunpowder and navigation techniques spread to the other kingdoms. 

The fearless warriors who didn't care about death started installing crude mechanical limbs and modifying their bodies. 

Meanwhile, the Moon People began researching the nature of Devil Fruits, which led to the study of Lineage Factors—the foundation of genetic engineering. 

One side was fighting to drive out the "invaders." 

The other was fighting to defend their home. 

Neither believed they were wrong, and the war engulfed the entire world. 

Neo could only shake his head at the absurdity of it all. 

As for Joy Boy— 

"So, I want to travel across the seas. I want to see the world with my own eyes." 

One side called them "arrogant monkeys who didn't know their place." 

The other screamed, "Get off our planet!" 

"But I believe... war only happens because people don't understand each other. If we're willing to talk, we can become friends!" 

Sunlight poured down on the young man making his vow, wrapping him in a golden glow. 

And in that moment, even a so-called "lazy traveler" like Neo couldn't help but feel inspired.

"We are all human. Just like you, we were once creatures that evolved from this world. The only difference is that we left for the moon over 3,000 years ago. Now that we have returned home, we have no intention of colonizing or enslaving anyone. Instead, we wish to work together to build a world where all races can live in peace and grow together..." 

Isn't this the "Golden Dream" that doctor once spoke of? 

I didn't expect you, Joy Boy, to not only have the looks but also the heart of a true hero, playing straight into the role of a savior. 

Fine. Let me give you a hand. 

"Come here, Joy Boy. I've got a phrase that fits your dream perfectly. You can use it as your slogan~~" 

"Let's call it— 'I Have a Dream'!" 

"...This is..." 

Shaking his head as he woke up, Roman let out a sigh. 

"Another dream... Tsk, what a pain." 

Roman had zero interest in Neo's past. 

After all, he was about to be forced into marriage. Who had the time to care about some old story? 

Speaking of which... I wonder what Nami and Luffy are up to right now? 

"Lord Neo," 

As he pushed open the door, a group of men in black suits bowed their heads respectfully before him. 

Roman couldn't even be bothered to argue about the way they addressed him. Instead, he simply stretched out his hand. 

"Where's my newspaper?" 

"Right here, sir." 

A black-suited attendant on the other side carefully presented a freshly pressed newspaper on a jade tray. 

Roman took it and casually asked— 

"This isn't some 'special version' just for me, is it?" 

"...Sir, you must be joking." 

Yeah, right. 

From ancient times to now, "information bubbles" had always existed. 

"Why don't they eat meat porridge?" 

"Why not just have cake?" 

"A single egg costs ten taels of silver!" 

Famous quotes from clueless rulers had never come out of nowhere. 

It was the same reason why Yuan Shikai had his own personal newspaper. 

Given Roman's current status—or rather, his predicament—it wouldn't be surprising if these guys set up an entire news agency just to print a custom newspaper for him. 

But— 

"Looks like this one's real." 

Roman had specifically asked for The World Economy News, which was run by Morgans—aka the king of clickbait headlines. 

And sure enough, the front page screamed— 

"The Birth of the Pirate King—A Furious Uproar?!" 

Let's take a look~~ 

"Time flies. In the blink of an eye, 25 years have passed since the last Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was executed by the Marines..." 

The article started off by reminiscing about Roger's great achievements before diving straight into the main event— 

Luffy's grand entrance! 

"Who is Monkey D. Luffy? The grandson of Marine hero Garp. The son of Revolutionary Army leader Dragon. A man who carries the bloodline of some of the world's strongest warriors! And now, he has outshone them all—claiming the Pirate King's title at the young age of 20! Truly, a legendary figure unlike any before..." 

Only Morgans—who once single-handedly knocked out a CP0 assassin and ran his newspaper from a moving hot air balloon—would dare to write something like this. 

"But when we interviewed the newly crowned Pirate King in Whole Cake Island, he didn't seem happy at all! Could it be that a certain wedding stole his spotlight? Or was there another reason? In any case, he only left us with one statement—" 

"The banquet is canceled!!!" 

…? 

"Luffy, that idiot. He's still the same." 

Roman rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. 

But this was something he couldn't ignore. 

Damn you, Im! You called it a 'flawless memory rewrite'—but what did you even rewrite?! Nothing! 

Wano Country. 

"The banquet is canceled?" 

Ace set down the newspaper, shaking his head fondly. 

"My little brother, huh... Marco, gather everyone. That includes Yamato and the samurai of Wano. I have something to tell them."

Whole Cake Island, 

"The banquet is canceled?" 

"Did we not treat them well enough? If we're missing ingredients, we can just go steal— *cough*, I mean, buy them." 

As the younger Charlotte siblings sat around, looking disappointed, their older brothers and sisters gathered in a circle with serious expressions. 

"In that case, I'll—" 

"Wait, Katakuri." 

Smoothie, now the second-in-command of the Charlotte family, interrupted him. 

"This is a debt that our whole family owes. You can't be the only one to repay it. And besides—" 

"You don't really think that if we fail, the Charlotte family will still have a place in this world, do you?" 

Zou, 

"The banquet is canceled?" 

"Meow-ho-ho-ho! That's exactly what I'd expect from the man who inherited Captain Roger's will~~ Of course, we'll do everything we can to help!" 

While Nekomamushi rolled on the floor, laughing, Duke Inuarashi stared at the newspaper in his hands, deep in thought. 

"If *that* is the target, then—" 

"What? Are you scared, old dog?" 

As Nekomamushi's expression suddenly turned serious, Duke Inuarashi simply shook his head calmly. 

"No, this time, I agree with you." 

Dressrosa, 

"Huh? The banquet is canceled? That's…" 

Rebecca frowned as she looked at the news. Kyros, now dressed in his gladiator armor, patted his daughter's head. 

"Think about it, Rebecca. In what situation would Captain Luffy ever *not* have a banquet?" 

Fish-Man Island, 

"Father, look at this." 

Fukaboshi handed over the newspaper. After staring at the headline in silence for a while, King Neptune finally spoke. 

"Prepare the army. Whether it's the wedding of the Celestial Dragons' 'god' and a Marine Admiral, or our debt to the Straw Hat Crew…" 

We will face it all. 

Water 7, 

"The banquet… is canceled?" 

Dressed in a suit, Iceburg thought for a moment before turning to his company's 'vice president' and apprentice, Paulie. 

"Bring our newest warships. With so many nations gathering, this is also a great chance for some free publicity." 

And if… something really happens, we'll be ready to fight. 

Alabasta, 

"Princess Vivi." 

The voice from above made the cloaked rider on the desert duck stop in her tracks. 

"Pell…" 

"Acting cute won't work this time, Princess." 

The massive white falcon landed and transformed into a desert warrior in a white robe—Pell of the Alabasta Royal Guard. 

"The moment the king saw the newspaper, he knew you'd try to sneak off, so—" 

"This time, allow us to go with you!" 

As a dust storm swirled, another figure approached, kneeling on one knee in his jackal form—Chaka. 

"The banquet is canceled?" 

Across Bartolomeo's Club, the Beautiful Pirates, the Happo Navy, the XXX Gym Martial Arts Alliance, the Tontatta Corps, the Giant Warrior Pirates, and the Yonta Maria Fleet, their captains all asked the same question. 

Then— 

"Alright, boys! Change course!"

"It's time for our 'Pirate King' to summon his crew!" 

(End of Chapter)