Almost everyone was stunned when they heard Rolan's words.
They clearly understood what the Great War he mentioned referred to.
"What? That Great War has continued until now?"
"What are we supposed to do?"
"Is the world going to be destroyed?"
Panic spread quickly among the crowd.
Some civilians, however, remained skeptical after hearing Rolan's speech. To them, there was still no proof. Everything they heard came only from Rolan himself.
"This Rolan is just trying to scare people. Where is this war he talks about?"
"Hmph, he is just looking for a grand excuse so he can crown himself the king of the world."
"Exactly. I think Rolan has wolfish ambitions."
"If anyone wants to destroy the pirate world, it might actually be him."
"He is already the strongest person in the world. Destroying it would not even be difficult for him."
Others spoke in hushed tones.
"So the World Government is really like this? My uncle once studied in Ohara, but he was burned to death when the island was destroyed."
"Hey, lower your voice. Government officials are still in this village."
The crowd quickly became divided, some frightened, some doubtful, and others quietly angry.
---
South Rucia Island
An old man with white hair was crying silently.
His entire body trembled as tears streamed down his face.
"I knew it. I always knew the World Government was unjust."
His daughter, Posirucia, had once been the pride of their village. She was beautiful and kind, widely recognized as the most beautiful woman on the island.
The old man used to boast about her everywhere.
"My daughter is obedient and sensible," he would often say proudly.
That pride shattered one day.
A group of Celestial Dragons arrived on the island, wearing their glass helmets like always. With just a single glance, one of them chose his daughter.
The old man tried desperately to stop them.
He begged.
He cried.
He even tried to fight.
But nothing mattered.
The Celestial Dragons still took her away.
Such tragedies had happened before on this island. Everyone understood what it meant when someone was taken to Mary Geoise.
Most victims never returned.
Even if they survived, they would rather die.
The old man believed his daughter was probably already dead.
Yet the world still believed the World Government represented justice.
The Celestial Dragons were still treated as the nobles of the world, the so called descendants of the creators.
The royal family of the island obeyed them.
The Marines stationed there obeyed them.
Everyone treated those grotesque Celestial Dragons as their masters.
The old man had nowhere to seek justice. All he could do was bury the pain deep in his heart.
Late at night, when no one could see him, he would quietly wipe away his tears.
But today was different.
For the first time, someone had publicly exposed the crimes of the World Government.
At this moment, the old man felt as if the injustice he carried for so many years had finally been acknowledged.
---
Song Island
Inside a luxurious room, a Celestial Dragon wearing a glass helmet indulged himself with the maidens offered by the kingdom's ruler.
Outside the room, several government agents dressed in black stood guard.
From inside the room came screams mixed with seductive sounds.
Some of the agents could barely contain their reactions.
One of them smirked.
"Hey Suzaku, do you think Saint Uemura Matsuda will pass those offerings to us after he finishes playing with them?"
Suzaku shrugged.
"Hard to say. Last time Saint Charloss gave his leftovers to his guards."
Another agent chuckled.
"The sounds inside are getting intense. I'm barely holding myself together."
Someone else added with a laugh, "Saint Uemura Matsuda actually lasted a whole minute this time. Incredible. I remember it usually ended in ten seconds."
"Good for us then. That means our turn is coming soon."
"Tsk. Did you see those girls? That body, that face, it's impossible to resist."
Inside the royal hall of the kingdom, a large screen displayed Rolan's broadcast.
Ten guards stood around the hall, all focused on the image.
On the throne sat the ruler of the country.
He was extremely fat, covered from head to toe in gold and jewelry. Rings, necklaces, and bracelets glittered everywhere on his body.
On his head rested a crown decorated with sparkling gemstones.
His name was Sanren.
In his arms lay a blonde beauty whose cheeks were flushed red as she breathed unevenly.
The king's hand wandered freely beneath her clothes.
Sanren had reshaped his entire country to please the Celestial Dragons.
Ignoring the suffering of the common people, he forced the kingdom to become a luxurious tourist paradise for the nobles of the world.
He even gathered young girls from his own nation and nearby islands.
From childhood, they were trained to serve powerful men.
Whenever Celestial Dragons visited the kingdom, these girls were offered to them.
Because of this devotion, the World Government favored his country.
They received protection and special treatment.
Even the heavenly tribute they paid to the World Government was lower than that of most other nations.
Now, hearing Rolan's speech, Sanren sneered.
"What nonsense."
"Rolan is just a brat, spouting nonsense."
He laughed dismissively.
"How could someone like him understand the greatness of the World Government? How could he comprehend the nobility of the Celestial Dragons?"
In his mind, Rolan was simply jealous.
Jealous of the Celestial Dragons.
Jealous of the World Government.
He believed Rolan secretly wanted to become a world noble himself.
Overthrow the World Government?
Ridiculous.
As long as Sanren continued serving the Celestial Dragons faithfully, his life would remain comfortable and prosperous.
With that thought, he waved at a nearby guard.
"Bring five more offerings."
---
Posinias Island
This island was famous for one thing.
Its unwavering dedication to history.
The kingdom on Posinias Island possessed rare records from the Void Century.
Although incomplete, those records had been carefully preserved through generations.
The people of this island valued education and knowledge above everything.
Every child grew up learning the history of their homeland.
Because of this, the citizens believed Rolan's words almost immediately.
Among all nearby countries, they were the only nation that openly distrusted the World Government.
However, due to the overwhelming power of the Marines and government agents, they had always resisted secretly.
Now things were different.
A group of citizens gathered together, holding knives, rifles, and wooden clubs.
Their expressions were filled with anger.
"I knew the World Government was corrupt."
"That government ship should not be far away yet."
"To hell with them."
"We have endured for generations. Now we finally have a chance to fight back."
Their long suppressed hatred was finally boiling over.
---
Marineford
Rolan's voice continued to echo across the world.
"The king of the ancient Great Kingdom, Joy Boy, knew that his country was about to fall."
"So before the final battle, he prepared many contingency plans."
"He scattered the poneglyphs across the world."
"These stones recorded the truth of the Void Century."
"They also contain detailed information about the three Ancient Weapons that once protected the Great Kingdom."
"There are also special road poneglyphs."
"When all the road poneglyphs are gathered, they reveal a set of coordinates."
"That location leads to the final island."
"Laugh Tale."
"And on that island lies the ultimate treasure that pirates across the seas seek."
"The legendary treasure known as the One Piece."