Not just the Goa Kingdom, but the entire East Blue—and indeed the whole world—was being integrated into the fold of joint governance.
Today's New World Government was a unified force forged from the merger of the Revolutionary Army and the former Marines.
Their operatives were practically everywhere; their footsteps reached every corner of the world, and their figures could be seen in every nation.
One after another, kingdoms gradually transformed into second, third, and fourth iterations of the Goa Kingdom...
Before long, the world began to undergo a monumental shift. Wherever trouble flared up, high-ranking masters dispatched by Dragon and Weitian moved in to suppress it.
Every operative they sent was a renowned figure of the high seas.
Quelling a national insurrection was child's play for them. If a situation proved especially stubborn, an Admiral-level powerhouse would intervene in person.
In short, the New World Government moved with thunderous force, ruthlessly shattering every obstacle standing in its path!
It was as if they were making good on the decree Dragon had proclaimed upon the sacred soil of Mary Geoise: they would forge an unprecedented future of peace and prosperity.
Naturally, not everything proceeded without friction. The might of certain nations could by no means be taken lightly.
Consequently, their opening gambit was confined to the four blues.
Even so, they still ran headlong into unprecedented resistance.
The Vinsmoke Family of the North Blue.
Germa 66!
Commanding a formidable scientific combat force, they had become the greatest obstacle encountered by the New World Government since launching the decree to abolish nobility.
The Admiral stationed to pacify the north was none other than Kizaru!
Upon receiving the dispatch calling for backup, Kizaru immediately set sail, steering his warship at maximum speed toward Germa's location.
The New World.
Across an uncharted sector of the ocean, the Demon Warder, its hull shimmering with a distinct metallic luster, cut through the waves at blistering velocity.
Inside the captain's quarters, though Drake did his best to appear composed, the slight tremor in his hand betrayed the tempest raging in his heart.
Just moments ago, the sliver of Im's soul he had sealed away had been thoroughly burned to ash by the flames.
That cluster of Divine Flame still blazed with unyielding intensity within Drake's custom-crafted spatial cage, refusing to extinguish.
At that exact moment, the System's notifications chimed in his ears.
[Completed! It's actually completed!]
Within Drake's mindscape, for reasons unknown, tears were streaming down the System's face as it trembled with uncontrollable excitement.
It sprinted frantically in circles, screaming at the top of its lungs, radiating the sheer euphoria of an entity finally venting years of pent-up grievances.
Watching this display made Drake's lips twitch violently. This System was truly shameless!
Was completing the final storyline quest really worth carrying on like this?
Why was it acting happier than a groom on his wedding night?
Weren't systems in other stories supposedly pinnacle artifacts among high-tier constructs? How did he end up with one that not only had a physical form, but acted like an absolute country bumpkin who had never seen the world?
Complaints aside, Drake harbored genuine gratitude toward the System. Without it, he would have perished in the depths of the ocean the very day he crossed over into this world.
For an ordinary, defenseless mortal, merely surviving in this brutal world would have been an insurmountable ordeal.
Wait a second...
Drake suddenly paused.
A physical form!
The System has a physical form?
Did other people's systems have physical forms?
Watching the System alternate wildly between sobbing and laughing, Drake felt that something was fundamentally off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"System! Hey, System!" Remembering that his quest rewards hadn't arrived yet, Drake pressed urgently, "Where are the rewards for this quest? Now that it's marked as complete, they should have been issued by now. Why haven't I seen them?"
The System suddenly burst into uproarious laughter, sending a cold shiver down Drake's spine.
That laughter carried a distinct, sinister edge even more theatrical than Crocodile's—the unmistakable cackle of a reckless, bloodthirsty villain who viewed human lives as mere grass!
No... way...
A terrible premonition took root in Drake's chest!
Could it be... this System gained self-awareness and became an eldritch spirit?!
Is it going to devour its host?!
In that split second, countless apocalyptic scenarios flashed through Drake's mind, cold sweat beading densely across his forehead.
Right then, the System snapped its head around.
Every hair on Drake's body stood on end. Space energy gathered instinctively across his palms, only for him to realize how foolish that was.
The System resided within his own consciousness. How could he possibly harm it? He wouldn't even be able to mount a defense.
Their gazes locked in the mindscape. Just as Drake opened his mouth to say something, the System's face fell, covered in black lines as it stared at him in utter disbelief.
[Did you read too many web novels in your past life? Devour the host?!]
Drake flinched, inwardly cursing his own stupidity. Whatever he was thinking, this creature could read like an open book.
[If I wanted to kill you, wouldn't doing so back when you were weak and pathetic have been as easy as turning over my paw?]
[Why would I keep you alive until now?]
Realization dawned upon Drake, though his eyes remained narrowed in suspicion. "Speak. Why did you keep me alive until now? What's your real angle?"
System: [...]
[Alright, knock it off with the nonsense!]
[The rewards for this quest will have to be postponed slightly.]
The System explained, [This was the final quest of the primary storyline, but you still have one unfulfilled objective from earlier. Once that mission is completed, the rewards will be merged and distributed all at once.]
Only then did Drake understand. He naturally knew which unfinished quest the System was referring to: the objective to establish a sovereign faction.
Yet another layer of apprehension lingered in his heart: the New World Government!
Would the New World Government ever tolerate the rise of such a colossal, domineering faction?
Would the existence of the Dark Clan prove to be a blessing or a curse for the wider world?
None of this had a clear answer...
[There is another matter you need not worry about. Though Im is dead, that power has not been extinguished—it has simply returned to the world!] the System added.
[This is the fundamental principle of Yin-Yang balance. The Nika Fruit represents the light of the sun.]
[The two forces generate and restrain one another in equal measure. Unless both are obliterated simultaneously, whichever polarity is destroyed will inevitably be reborn.]
[That is the sole reason this world did not collapse into ruin.]
Drake's eyes snapped wide. "What did you say?!"
"Where did that power go?! If it still exists, won't it unleash another cataclysm upon the world if someone else gets their hands on it?"
Drake was at a total loss. Why couldn't it have mentioned this critical detail sooner? Hadn't the situation just grown dire all over again?
[I already told you there is no need to worry. Truth and falsehood, right and wrong—who among mortals can ever see through them completely?]
[Between the judge and the accused, who acted from what perspective, and to what end? Very few people truly care about such philosophical nuances.]
[People instinctively evaluate things based on whether they bring benefit or harm to themselves first and foremost.]
With that, the System flashed a mysterious, knowing smirk. [Perhaps when the appointed hour arrives, that power will play a profoundly vital role.]
The System's cryptic words left Drake thoroughly bewildered, failing to grasp its deeper meaning.
Yet seeing the System back in its usual cheeky state, Drake smiled faintly. It seemed he had simply overthought things.
There wasn't anything wrong with the System after all.
Sorting through his thoughts, Drake stepped out of his quarters. Out in the common hall, Kenshin and the others turned their gazes toward him in unison.
Among their ranks stood an additional figure: Aya. Drake had originally planned to let her settle down in the East Blue, but due to various circumstances, she had ultimately stayed aboard.
As for Kaya, Fujitora had already escorted her safely back to Syrup Village.
"Starting today, brothers, our true adventure begins!" Drake flashed a wide grin, pumping a fist high into the air.
The crew broke into broad, synchronized smiles.
From this moment on, the Dragon Flag Pirates set forth on an adventure that truly belonged to them.