The New World—
The Grand Line is divided into two halves by the Red Line. Entering the latter half of the Grand Line, known as the New World, requires crossing the Red Line where World Government's Mary Geoise or Fish-Man Island is located.
This is universally recognized as the most dangerous sea in the entire world, bar none.
Unlike the "unknown" of the Devil's Triangle, the dangers of the New World are very real.
The unpredictable seas, along with unheard-of islands and climates, have buried countless bones.
People came to the New World with dreams, only to die in that perilous sea!
Yet, even so, many still flock there incessantly, a trend that has become even more pronounced since the Great Pirate Era began.
The reason lies in people's "desires."
The desire to explore the unknown, the desire to pioneer, the desire for wealth, the desire for freedom, the desire for what the Pirate King calls "One Piece"...
These countless desires turn many into moths, drawn to the blazing flames ahead, even knowing they will be consumed.
This is what "moths to a flame" means.
And the blazing flames blocking these moths are not solely born of nature.
More often, they stem from the group of "people" dwelling in the New World.
...
The Four Emperors—
These are the four colossal powers that inhabit the New World.
They stand firm in this sea with their own beliefs, unshakeable by anyone.
Besides the Four Emperors, many other powerful individuals are active in the New World.
They either serve the Four Emperors, have intricate connections with the World Government, or simply roam freely without ties.
Of course, few actively choose that last option.
But in essence, these individuals share one thing—
They are strong, and capable fighters.
Only such people can possibly survive in the "beyond-common-sense" sea of the New World.
Therefore, compared to the first half of the Grand Line, where "rules" are stable and often called "The Paradise," the atmosphere in the New World is more like "chaotic disorder."
This state is actually quite close to the world's true essence.
As mentioned before.
It's a complex "chaos" based on "military might," interwoven with concepts like beliefs, desires, and thoughts!
And within that mist-like chaos, there are numerous swirling whirlpools, known as Uzumaki.
These are some of the main cores that form this chaos, large or small, creating the dark gray mist that shrouds the world.
Within it, there is an exceptionally distorted and far-reaching "Uzumaki."
Its name is—Wano Country!
...
Even within the New World, Wano Country is an extremely unusual existence.
Due to its privileged geographical location and the nation's fundamental policy, this country has always been in a state of isolation.
Wano Country is not a member of the World Government, nor does it need to be.
The "military might" possessed within the country gives it the complete ability to exist independently on this sea, and there is no need to fear the World Government's threats.
Wano Country has always existed apart from the world.
This situation came to an end a few years ago.
A civil war broke out in Wano Country, and the legendary samurai Kozuki Oden died.
Seizing this opportunity, the Beasts Pirates, based in Wano Country, made their move.
The captain of the Beasts Pirates, Kaido of the Beasts, used Kurozumi Orochi, a resident of Wano Country, as a pawn. Through a series of maneuvers, Kurozumi Orochi became the new Shogun of Wano Country.
And Kaido of the Beasts himself became the de facto ruler of Wano Country.
Wano Country is "special" not only due to its own formidable military power but also because of its mastery of Seastone processing.
This mineral, a natural bane to Devil Fruit users, is extremely difficult to process. Ordinary forging methods cannot refine it, only producing crude, rough items.
On this sea, only Wano Country has the ability to mass-produce refined Seastone!
For this reason, Wano Country has become a crucial point that no power on this sea can ignore.
If "Devil Fruit users" are the piercing lances that run through everything on this sea, then Wano Country, with its mastery of the technique for mass-producing refined Seastone, is the toughest "shield" on this sea!
After all, that mineral, which holds the power of the sea, is the only thing besides the "sea" itself that can completely counter Devil Fruit users!
This is also why, in the not-too-distant future, Kaido of the Beasts will focus his attention on "Artificial Devil Fruits."
After all, if one could control both "Seastone" and "Devil Fruits," these two immense powers, the Beasts Pirates would have no rivals on this sea!
Of course, given the current situation, the Donquixote family, which was responsible for brokering the deal for the Beasts Pirates, has been destroyed. Whether Kaido of the Beasts' plan can succeed has become uncertain.
...
Time returns to the present.
Wano Country has now been under the management of Kaido of the Beasts for several years, becoming a well-known arms dealing location in the underworld.
Every day, billions of Berries flow through Wano Country, transforming into potent "military might" that is shipped to all corners of the world.
Rowan asked Baro to investigate the origins of that pirate group's "special weapons," and Baro proceeded to do so.
Baro is a rather peculiar individual and also an excellent Marine Vice Admiral.
It didn't take long for Baro to pinpoint his target: Wano Country in the New World.
Rowan smiled as he looked at the report Baro submitted, "You found it?"
"I found it."
Baro nodded.
The relationship between Rowan and Baro is not one of superior and subordinate. Rather, they are equal partners.
Neither has the authority to command the other.
Therefore, Rowan curiously inquired, "So, what are you going to do next?"
Baro grinned and stated matter-of-factly, "Alabasta is within my jurisdiction. Anyone who dares to illegally traffic weapons in my territory and allows me to trace the source, I will immediately go to correct their illegal activities!"
A reasonable course of action.
But precisely because it is so reasonable, it feels so "unreasonable" on this sea.
Coincidentally, Rowan is also one of the "unreasonable" elements on this sea.
So, he strongly supports Baro's plan.
G-G Marine Branch, setting sail!
...
An entire Marine Branch embarking on a collective mission is, of course, impossible to go unnoticed by Marine Headquarters.
So, when this report was handed to Sengoku, the Marine strategist sprayed his tea out again.
He grabbed a Den Den Mushi and yelled at Zephyr, whom he had on the other end of the line:
"Zephyr, your dim-witted disciple is leading his Marine Branch to attack Wano Country!"
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