In the period that followed, the New World also fell into considerable turmoil. First, the remaining territories of Shiki were completely carved up and claimed by others. Only the towering, cloud-piercing secret realm of Merveille—Shiki's former stronghold—seemed untouched. That place was too bizarre; taking it served little purpose.
Judging by current holdings in the New World, the Whitebeard Pirates command the largest domain. Next comes Charlotte Linlin's Totto Land, the Kingdom of the Thousand Nations. Surprisingly, the power that follows isn't Kaidou, but Ochoku—who has allied with Silver Axe—entrenched on Hachinosu and taking the chance to expand his influence. Kaidou himself ranks last among them, apparently holed up in Wano Country without making any major moves.
Meanwhile, the arms trade in the underworld has surged. With pirate numbers exploding, demand for weapons and ammunition has skyrocketed. According to investigations by the Marines' Criminal Investigation Division, most of the arms flowing through the black market currently originate from the Beast Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates.
Upon hearing this, Ortoren was genuinely surprised. It seemed things had indeed changed. In the original story, the only pirate faction with a flourishing arms trade was Kaidou's crew, while the Big Mom Pirates mainly dealt in intelligence. Now, with Caesar falling directly into Charlotte Linlin's hands, the Big Mom Pirates had also begun throwing their weight into the arms business.
…
East Blue, Loguetown.
Inside an ordinary restaurant, Buggy was arguing with Shanks.
"I'm rebuilding my crew and setting sail! Buggy, you're coming with me, right?" Shanks extended the invitation.
Buggy hesitated, then shook his head. "No. I've had enough of you, Shanks..."
"Huh!?" Shanks looked utterly shocked. "Aren't we best friends? That really hurts."
Buggy flared up at this, cursing under his breath. "Anyway, I'm not sailing with you again. I'll be my own Pirate Captain and hunt for this world's treasures. Besides, let's face it—our pirate philosophies have never matched! Forcing us together will only make things worse!!!"
Though Buggy and Shanks constantly bickered, as fellow apprentices aboard Roger's ship they were actually very close—comrades who could entrust each other with their backs and their lives. But their philosophies clashed for real. Shanks had essentially inherited Roger's spirit, believing adventure and freedom trumped everything. Buggy, however, felt pirates should be ruthless and underhanded—their purpose was to hunt treasure and plunder riches. On this point, they simply couldn't see eye to eye.
Seeing Buggy's resolute stance, Shanks reflected that despite their strong bond, Buggy spoke the truth. He didn't press the matter, instead saying with a touch of regret and emotion, "So we part ways here?"
Buggy paused, a tinge of sadness washing over him. Deep down, he was truly grateful to Shanks. Back when they were about to reach Laugh Tale, Buggy had suddenly fallen ill. Shanks had sacrificed the chance to reach Laugh Tale with the rest of the crew, choosing instead to stay behind and care for him. Buggy had never forgotten that. After the Roger Pirates disbanded, the two had stuck together without ever parting. Hearing they had to separate now truly pained him.
Still, Buggy nodded. "Let's part ways here..."
Shanks, ever the optimist, quickly shook off his gloom. "Fine then! Let's each form our own pirate crews. We'll meet again someday and see who's the stronger!"
Buggy didn't respond to this remark. He knew Shanks' temperament meant he'd return to the New World sooner or later. As for himself... well, Buggy felt he probably wouldn't set foot in that place again. That damn place was far too dangerous. Perhaps they wouldn't meet again either?
After finishing their farewell meal, Buggy and Shanks shared a brief embrace before Buggy turned and walked out of the restaurant first. Watching Buggy's receding figure, Shanks felt the urge to call him back several times. In the end, he simply pressed down on his straw hat and held back his emotions.
…
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Loguetown's Marines base, a long line had already formed for the recruitment drive. Indeed, Marine Headquarters had moved with speed. The mass recruitment notice had already been distributed to naval bases across all seas, aiming to replenish their ranks before more people joined the pirate trade.
Smoker, with his prematurely white hair, was now in this queue. As time passed, by noon, he finally reached the registration desk.
"Name." A Marine soldier sat at the desk and asked casually.
"Smoker."
"Gender..." Even as he asked, the soldier had already written down "Male."
Before Smoker could answer, he pressed on. "Age?"
Smoker hesitated, but forced himself to reply. "Eighteen."
"Ten..." The soldier began to write, but then stopped, frowning as he scrutinized Smoker. "Kid, you're not eighteen. You look fifteen, maybe sixteen. Don't mess around—you're not ready for the battlefield yet!"
Indeed, Smoker was lying. He hadn't reached eighteen.
Flustered, Smoker quickly blurted out, "I just have a baby face! I turned eighteen two days ago! I really want to join the Marines!"
"Stop wasting my time. I'm busy. Don't you see the line behind you? Go home!" The soldier waved him off impatiently.
Smoker grew desperate. After holding back for a moment, he suddenly shouted, "Wait! I'm a Devil Fruit user! A Logia-type user!!!"
At once, the Marine soldier shot to his feet, staring at him with shock and suspicion. "If you're lying, kid, I'll beat you senseless!"
"It's true! Look!" Smoker said as his body turned into white smoke. Gasps spread through the crowd; most had never seen anything like it.
And no wonder. On the Grand Line, Devil Fruit users were nothing unusual, especially in the New World where they were everywhere.
But in the Four Seas—especially the East Blue, called the Sea of Peace—users were rare.
Most people had never seen one at all.
Seeing that Smoker was indeed a Logia user, the Marine soldier's face lit up with excitement. He turned to a colleague. "Cover for me here. I'm taking him to the base to see the Commander!"
As said before, a kind of Logia worship had developed within the Marines.
Among the new generation, the most famous were the Four Great Logia Monsters. In particular, over the past two years, Ortoren, the Goro Goro no Mi user, had stolen the spotlight.
So for Smoker to suddenly appear, volunteering to join—and being a Logia user—of course the soldier treated it with utmost importance.
If he secured this, it would be a major accomplishment.
As for Smoker not meeting the enlistment age? Please. Didn't he say he was eighteen? That's good enough. He just looked young, with a baby face!
As Marines upholding justice, they had to place trust in others. If Smoker said he was eighteen, then they would believe him!
...
Recruitment was in full swing in the East Blue, and the same was true in the other seas—like the North Blue at this very moment.
Inside the Donquixote Family's stronghold, Doflamingo was meeting with a Marine Captain from the North Blue branch. They were discussing business.
"The matter of Vergo... I'll leave it to you." Doflamingo pushed a chest overflowing with gold toward the Captain as he spoke.
Before long, the Captain departed the Donquixote Family's base, carrying the gold.
From the castle tower above, Doflamingo watched the man's retreating figure, a wicked grin curling his lips. "Once he recommends Vergo to Marine Headquarters, make sure to silence him."
Behind him, Diamante sneered. "Understood, Doffy~"
After a pause, Diamante asked, "So next... are we really stepping into the world of pirates?"
"Fufufufufu..." Doflamingo laughed darkly, gazing out at the vast sea. "The era ahead is one of chaos. Those who can't keep pace will be left behind. For us, piracy is the best choice, Diamante..."