The calm among the three major powers didn't bring a sense of world peace or tranquility.
Instead, it felt like the calm before the storm. This peace was merely the quiet before a tempest, and once shattered, it was destined to be a world-altering war.
Everyone was waiting, anticipating the final outcome of this conflict and the direction the world would take.
After this great war, who would rule the world:
the World Nobles, the Sage Shinobi Nation, or the Revolutionary Army? No one knew, but everyone anticipated the answer.
Amidst this quiet, the World Nobles made the first move.
More accurately, it was the Marines. It was a massive recruitment drive, aimed at the entire world, calling for people to join the Marines and uphold justice.
A few years ago, the Marines were a formidable and highly respected organization, one that many aspired to join.
However, with the emergence of Hui, the Marines' reputation had steadily declined. The Sabaody Archipelago incident of auctioning off a World Noble, the robbery of Marine Headquarters, and the Fallen Angel Konan incident – these three events had sent the Marines' prestige plummeting.
Coupled with Garp's rebellion during the Post island incident, the Marines were a shadow of their former glory. In the eyes of countless people, the Marines no longer held the same dominance.
But as the saying goes, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. Even in decline, the Marines' influence among ordinary people remained substantial.
Therefore, the response to this recruitment drive was significant, even impressive. The Marines, once depleted in numbers, began to slowly replenish their ranks.
It was believed that it wouldn't be long before the Marines returned to their previous size. While there would certainly be a gap in high-end combat power, this disparity wasn't insurmountable.
After all, there were still many powerful individuals in the world who hadn't appeared in the original story, having either died or vanished before the original plot began.
Now, a large number of these individuals joined the Marines.
In just one month, the Marines regained their strength, and there was a faint sense that they were even stronger than before.
The World Nobles weren't truly idle either; they were also making preparations. The entire world knew that a great war was brewing between the three factions.
The World Nobles wouldn't be so arrogant as to assume that the Sage Shinobi Nation and the Revolutionary Army would be easily crushed like previous opposing forces.
Therefore, the powerful Devil Fruits that the World Nobles had collected were now bestowed upon chosen users.
These individuals would fight for the World Nobles, either to pacify the world or die in battle.
Beneath the seemingly calm surface of the sea, undercurrents were surging.
In the Sage Shinobi Nation, Ranzuki and others were also preparing.
Since they had the Sage's instruction, they would give their all to carry out his will. The people of the Sage Shinobi Nation were confident about this war.
They had just won a historic war, unifying the latter half of the Grand Line, the Calm Belt, and the North Blue. Successive victories, the expansion of their territory, and the backing of a god-like figure had instilled in them the belief that the Sage Shinobi Nation could change everything, could create a new era.
The world would be transformed by the Sage Shinobi Nation, with freedom, equality, and peace becoming its guiding principles.
This was their faith and the source of their confidence in this impending war.
As for the Revolutionary Army, they were even more confident about the outcome of this war than the Sage Shinobi Nation.
All of this stemmed from their ideology and their leader. They firmly believed that the World Nobles were destined for destruction, and that only the Revolutionary Army could replace them.
This confidence was seemingly irrational, yet remarkably effective.
The three major powers continued their preparations, waiting for the final decisive battle. The sea itself seemed to have fallen silent.
In this extraordinary time, pirates lost their desire to sail. They moored their ships at islands, seeking quiet places to wait, obsessively following the news every day, anticipating the final war.
"This war is destined to decide the future of the world. The victor will become the world's ruler."
"The World Nobles have oppressed the world for 800 years, weathering countless storms. For eight centuries, they have never been overthrown. Now, 800 years later, they remain steadfast. Perhaps this is just a cycle. Rebellion, suppression, continued rebellion... An endless cycle." Someone lamented, well-versed in world history and aware of how many times this pattern had repeated.
Without exception, the World Nobles always ended up on top.
"This time is different. This time, we have the god!" Naturally, with those who believed in the World Nobles' victory, there were also those who believed the Sage Shinobi Nation would ultimately prevail.
The single word "god" gave countless people immense confidence. Countless people firmly believed that with the Sage, the Sage Shinobi Nation would inevitably unify the world.
The world buzzed with discussions and anticipation of the impending war. After all, this was a war that concerned the fate of the entire world.
Amidst this fervor, time flew by, and three months passed in a blink of an eye.
Three months was enough time to prepare many things. It was also enough time for a war destined to reshape the world order to emerge.
"The time is ripe. Next, let's rule this world. Let's complete our training and live up to the Sage's trust in us." In the grand hall of the Sage Shinobi Nation, Konan spoke, ready for the final war.
"Victory for the Sage Shinobi Nation!"
At the Revolutionary Army's grand plaza, 100,000 people had gathered.
This wasn't the entirety of the Revolutionary Army; this was just the personnel at the headquarters. The entire Revolutionary Army boasted nearly a million members!
"800 years ago, the World Nobles arrived in this world, defeated our ancestors, occupied our planet, and falsely claimed to be creator gods, demanding our worship and enslaving us." Minato's voice resonated throughout the plaza.
"800 years have passed, and the World Nobles continue to act tyrannically, ruling over the original inhabitants of this world, and not treating our lives as human lives.
"Countless oppressed people, rise up! We will launch the most passionate war, using our will and our bodies to change this world!
"The world should not be the way it is now; it should be what we envision. For our ideals, for the world in our hearts, for the future of our children.
"Rise up! Let us use our flesh and blood to change the world!" Minato's voice was firm and confident, igniting the fervor in everyone present.
"The World Nobles are nothing but invaders! Let's reclaim our land! Long live the Revolutionary Army!
"Let's change the world!"
Voices rose in unison, and war was on the verge of erupting.
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