C263

The Summit War at Marineford is over.

The defeat of the Whitebeard Pirates has been finalized: Fire Fist Ace was executed, Whitebeard fell, and even Kaido of the Beasts is now missing—alive or dead, no one knows.

It can be said that the Marines achieved a major victory. Although a few questionable actions were exposed along the way, a win is still a win.

The strength of the pirate forces has been drastically suppressed, far beyond what anyone could have imagined. And before his death, Whitebeard failed to clearly reveal whether the great secret treasure truly existed. Even if he had, there were no video den den mushi to spread his words widely.

Everyone's last memory of the war was Mage, one of the Shichibukai, who used a Tailed Beast Bomb to unleash an apocalyptic blast of destruction.

Even people as far away as the Sabaody Archipelago could feel the earthquake shaking the seas.

With one blow, Mage sent Kaido of the Beasts—the feared Four Emperor—flying, and a second devastating attack left him teetering between life and death.

This Summit War was not so much a battle against Whitebeard as it was a showcase of Mage Kain's overwhelming fame.

Back in the rainy city of Alabasta, Kain tied Kaido up in the basement as soon as he returned, and at the same time, instructed the Red Queen to design a special prison tailored just for him.

The blood-draining nutrient system was created to monitor Kaido's condition; once his blood levels reached a certain threshold, the excess would be extracted immediately, giving him no chance to heal.

Across from Kaido's cell sat Jack the Drought, the ship king, locked up as his companion. Jack was still allowed to speak, so neither would grow too lonely—after all, Kain wasn't a devil.

He also had other uses planned for their blood, whether in the ninja world or the Marvel world.

Meanwhile, the extraction of Whitebeard's Devil Fruit ability serum was completed. Kain handed it over to a shadow clone, who then delivered it to the Chamber of Commerce headquarters.

Nico Robin and the others had returned, and Kain had a lot to announce.

Many people who had followed Nico Robin to the Sabaody Archipelago came to watch, including Baby-5, Vivi, the Sandia Warrior, and the four priests.

When Baby-5 saw Kain, she immediately leapt up and hugged his arm, though her emotions were a bit low.

Probably because of Doflamingo's tragic fate—on one side, the man who had raised her since childhood; on the other, the man she couldn't bear to part with. Caught between the two, she was surely the saddest of all.

Kain leaned down and whispered to her that Doflamingo wasn't dead, which eased her heart a little.

He comforted her that night, and soon enough, Baby-5's carefree nature let her forget her worries.

Nico Robin and Vivi, meanwhile, waved their hands awkwardly, uncomfortable seeing Kain being so affectionate with Baby-5 in front of everyone.

Kain then spoke up:

"Robin, you must have seen the events at Marineford through the video den den mushi. Big changes are coming to the New World. Whether it's the Whitebeard Pirates or the Beasts Pirates, their territories will soon become battlegrounds for others."

"That's true," Robin answered thoughtfully. "Without their leaders, the territories of two of the Four Emperors are a huge temptation. But right now, the Chamber of Commerce is understaffed. It would be difficult to occupy everything quickly."

Robin had already been thinking about this before returning. Even with Kain's power, it might take five or six years to fully take over all the territories.

"There are plenty of fools among the pirates," Robin continued. "Even if they know how strong you are, Boss, many will still try to challenge you.

From what I can see, for now, we can realistically occupy about ten island territories belonging to the two Four Emperors."

This was already assuming the use of biomechanical warriors. The New World was simply too vast; spreading too thin would leave their holdings vulnerable to reckless attacks.

Each island needed to have enough manpower to defend itself.

Kain rubbed his chin and said,

"I agree. Fish-Man Island, Wano Country, and a few others must belong to the Kain Chamber of Commerce. I'll stay around for a while.

During that time, I'll handle the tougher enemies personally and leave the rest to you guys."

Wappa's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he immediately shouted,

"Leave it to us!"

"Idiot, call him Mr. Kain!" Laki scolded Wappa quickly, then bowed and apologized on his behalf.

"Sorry, Mr. Kain, he's still a bit rough around the edges."

Kain waved his hand and said with a smile,

"No need for that, Laki. You've been a great help to me — just relax. But remember, the enemies in the New World are different now. You'll need to act together with the ability-user team."

Seeing Wappa about to say something, Laki immediately stepped in front of him and answered,

"Yes, Mr. Kain, we understand."

Before they had left, the chief had instructed Laki to keep a close eye on Wappa. His impulsiveness and hot temper were always a concern.

The Sandia Warriors and the original Baroque Works ability-user team — a total of fifteen members — were all extremely strong, with Wappa's growth being particularly remarkable.

With them forming a patrol and retaliation unit, Kain could feel at ease.

Aside from the Four Emperors and their top lieutenants, there shouldn't be any pirate groups that could pose a threat to Wappa's fifteen-man team.

Suddenly, Kain asked,

"Robin, have you chosen a location for the new Chamber of Commerce headquarters?"

"There are several options," Robin replied. "But the most suitable is an island in the New World called Sinan Island. The location is excellent. Right now, it's controlled by a group of pirates, with the captain having a bounty of 350 million Berries. They dominate the surrounding seas."

As she spoke, Nico Robin pulled out the island's details and handed them to Kain.

When the World Government had sent CP9 to infiltrate the Kain Chamber of Commerce, Robin had already guessed that plans for relocation were underway.

The islands initially chosen as branch offices could now easily be repurposed into the main headquarters.

"Move? Mr. Kain, you're leaving Alabasta?"

Vivi's pretty face showed a flash of shock.

To Alabasta, Kain was like a patron saint. If he left, the people would surely mourn his absence for half a year.

"There's no helping it," Kain sighed. "If we don't grow stronger, Alabasta itself could be in danger, Vivi."

He continued,

"Do you know who the three corpses hanging at Rainbase's gate belonged to?"

Vivi shook her head, curious.

"Who were they?"

When the Kain Chamber of Commerce had publicly displayed the corpses, many had been shocked.

Even when dealing with the worst of pirates, the Chamber had rarely shown such... anger.

Nico Robin explained,

"They were CP9 agents from the World Government. They tried to investigate the Chamber's secrets and crossed the line. It was a warning to the World Government."

Upon hearing this, Vivi clenched her fists tightly and exclaimed,

"Those damn World Government dogs—they deserved it!"

But after venting her anger, she said a little reluctantly,

"But still... Alabasta doesn't want to lose Mr. Kain. If the people find out you're leaving, they'll be heartbroken. Can I go to the new headquarters with you?"

Kain couldn't help but laugh.

So that's what you were thinking!

He replied warmly,

"Of course, as long as His Majesty Cobra agrees. We'll need to discuss it with him first."

Relocating the headquarters didn't mean abandoning Alabasta.

In the future, Alabasta would become the first branch of the Kain Chamber of Commerce and oversee trade routes across East Blue and South Blue.

Still, the move was no small matter.

There were many things to settle beforehand — like withdrawing from the Shichibukai system and ending arms deals with the Marines.

The Kain Chamber of Commerce no longer needed to rely on arms sales for income.

Last year alone, even excluding arms profits, the Chamber had earned a net profit of over 200 billion Berries across East Blue, South Blue, and the first half of the Grand Line.

Most of this came from specialties imported from Sky Island and Fish-Man Island, pirate bounties collected, and commercial revenues through Alabasta.

Of course, expenses were still high — especially since Kain had recently purchased a Devil Fruit.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be a Zoan-type Bird-Bird Fruit.

The exact species wasn't clear yet, but Kain thought he could return to the Marvel world and find someone suitable to try it out.

The Kain Chamber of Commerce had now moved beyond simply making money.

With the upcoming relocation to the New World, even more business opportunities would open up to earn Berries.

After the discussion, Nico Robin left to make the necessary arrangements.

Wappa and the others packed up and set off on a floating ship designed for long voyages. They carried plenty of supplies and medicines, planning to head to the New World in advance to announce the official entry of the Kain Chamber of Commerce.

Meanwhile, after the end of the Summit War, the Red-Haired Pirates covered the retreat of the Whitebeard Pirates, while the Marines, under the orders of Sengoku and the Vice Admirals, began the massive cleanup operation at Marineford.

The main priority was tending to the wounded.

Marineford itself was so heavily damaged that Sengoku was already considering relocating Marine Headquarters to the New World.

"Marshal Sengoku, there's news from Impel Down!"

A Marine officer rushed over, saluting hastily before reporting:

"Warden Shiryu has betrayed us! He joined forces with Blackbeard and seriously wounded Warden Magellan! Magellan is currently undergoing emergency treatment.

Impel Down has suffered heavy losses, and at least several prisoners from Eternal Hell have escaped!"

Hearing this, Sengoku's face turned grim.

He had already noticed the presence of many escaped Impel Down prisoners during the Summit War, but he hadn't expected things to be this serious.

"So many have escaped from Eternal Hell...?" he muttered grimly.

"Every one of those prisoners is incredibly dangerous. Confirm their numbers and identities immediately, then issue arrest warrants across all seas!"

Sengoku barked the orders with a furious glare.

But before he could even finish giving instructions, another Marine colonel came sprinting toward him, his face pale with panic.

"Marshal Sengoku! Bad news!" the colonel shouted, breathless.

"The Holy Land, Mary Geoise, has been attacked by an explosion! The World Government has lost contact!

Commander-in-Chief Kong has requested that Naval Headquarters immediately dispatch an Admiral to support the Holy Land and prevent further attacks!"

Sengoku's eyes widened in shock and anger.

"When did this happen?!" he roared.

"What exactly happened?! How could the Holy Land be attacked?! Was it the Revolutionary Army?!"

The Marine colonel stammered,

"I...I don't know the details, sir. The explosion occurred not long ago. Communications were cut off almost immediately, and Commander Kong has already headed there personally!"

Without hesitation, Sengoku barked,

"Immediately send Kuzan and Borsalino to the Holy Land! If they encounter whoever was behind this, they must stop them at all costs!"

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