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This war’s biggest impact was the significant boost to the pirates’ morale!

It must be said, this is quite an ironic situation. According to the original story, if the Whitebeard Pirates had been defeated and Edward Newgate, also known as Whitebeard, had died, his final words declaring “The One Piece is real” would have likewise spurred pirates to become even more active and rampant. The fall of one of the Four Emperors would have led to many places protected by Whitebeard being ravaged by pirates. Numerous ambitious pirates would have sought to take Whitebeard’s place, plunging the seas into chaos and war.

Now, with the Whitebeard Pirates victorious and the Navy’s morale crushed, the pirates’ activities have become even more rampant.

From this perspective, the Navy’s campaign against the Whitebeard Pirates was entirely counterproductive.

Their aim was to suppress and strike a blow against the pirates, but in the end, they achieved the opposite.

For Sengoku, the position of Fleet Admiral is indeed challenging. Suppressing pirates is the Navy’s duty, yet he cannot eliminate the root cause of piracy. Whether they win or lose, he ultimately does not achieve his desired outcome.

On the return journey, the entire Navy fleet was conspicuously silent. Even the lower-ranked soldiers were contemplating why things had turned out this way.

The reasons were varied, and many people couldn’t quite understand it. However, one undeniable truth was that an undercurrent of thought—that the Navy needed reform—was quietly spreading…

As the news birds delivered reports worldwide, the public’s criticism of the Navy’s incompetence surged. For ordinary people, the Navy had always been their protector. However, the Navy’s defeat against the Whitebeard Pirates left people feeling insecure and fearful. Consequently, they frantically blamed the Navy’s incompetence, questioning where the vast military expenditures paid to the World Government by so many member countries each year had gone.

In reality, in this world teeming with pirate activity, only a few countries enjoyed peace and prosperity. Besides those nations rich in resources and with advantageous geographical locations, most other countries were quite poor. Their citizens had to pay not only their national taxes but also the World Government’s taxes and the “Heavenly Tribute” to the Celestial Dragons. The burden of excessive taxes was already overwhelming. For those already struggling to make ends meet, encountering a foolish king or oppressive tax officers made their lives even more miserable.

Previously, people might have tolerated these taxes, as the Navy did protect them from pirate threats. However, after the news of this defeat, they could no longer bear it.

“Where has all the money we pay each year gone!?”

Accusations and doubts were rampant. The agitated masses not only directed their anger at the Navy but also at the World Government.

Particularly, the Heavenly Tribute paid to the Celestial Dragons had always been extremely unreasonable. Now, the World Government was in deep trouble as more and more countries began opposing this tribute. The Navy’s defeat provided them with a strong excuse.

In the original story, the Navy won the war at Marineford, temporarily covering up these conflicts. However, due to Ian’s intervention, the situation had flipped, and these conflicts erupted immediately.

On a white island in the New World, a place unreachable by Log Poses and only accessible through Vivre Cards…

This was Baltigo, the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army!

At this moment, the base of the Revolutionary Army was in a state of chaos. Their operatives were summarizing news from around the world via Transponder Snails.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, held a newspaper in his hand, carefully reading the news.

After a long silence, Dragon finally put down the newspaper and asked Sabo, “What do you think about this?”

“This is a good thing for the Revolutionary Army!” Sabo smiled slightly and shared his view. “Ian did an excellent job. The Whitebeard Pirates’ victory has placed the World Government and the Navy in an extremely awkward position. The Navy was originally the World Government’s strongest card, but now, with the intensified conflicts, it will be difficult for the countries to maintain their previous harmonious relationships with the World Government. The massive military expenditures have long caused dissatisfaction among the nations. I believe there will be quite a spectacle at the next Reverie!”

“Yes,” Dragon nodded. “Once the glamorous facade is torn away, people can see the fractured reality beneath. The foundation of the World Government’s rule will be shaken again by this event.”

With a sigh, Dragon leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. “If I’m not mistaken, Sengoku is likely to step down from his position as Fleet Admiral after this war and retire. The World Government won’t blame him too harshly, considering they urgently recalled the Navy after Blackbeard’s attack on Mariejois. They won’t make Sengoku bear the full responsibility for the defeat. But to mitigate the negative impact of this war, they have only one choice: appoint someone even stronger to lead the Navy…”

“That could only be Akainu!” Sabo said. “The World Government has always favored Akainu to succeed Sengoku as Fleet Admiral.”

“It’s hard to say!” Dragon shook his head. “Don’t forget, Akainu lost both of his arms in this war. Whether he still has enough strength to maintain his dominant position is uncertain!”

“Could it be Aokiji or Kizaru who takes over?” Sabo asked.

“Kizaru is an enigma to me. No one knows what changes he would bring to the Navy if he became the Fleet Admiral,” Dragon replied. “However, if Aokiji takes over Sengoku’s position, the Revolutionary Army could find itself in a difficult situation…”

“Why?” Sabo asked, puzzled.

“Because if it’s Aokiji, he would lead the Navy to become a true navy…” Dragon rubbed his forehead. “This would be very unfavorable for our Revolutionary Army’s activities…”

Sabo nodded thoughtfully, beginning to understand.

The Revolutionary Army had grown and thrived largely due to various forms of oppression. Wherever there was oppression, there was resistance, and in this process, the Navy had always played a crucial role. As the Navy served as the World Government’s tool of control, many unsavory incidents inevitably occurred.

The Revolutionary Army had a good understanding of the personalities of the Navy’s three Admirals and had analyzed them thoroughly. Dragon believed that if Aokiji succeeded as Fleet Admiral, his personality might lead to significant conflicts with the World Government on certain issues, potentially even distancing the Navy from the World Government.

If the World Government lost the Navy, their primary force for maintaining control, many things would become unpredictable. However, it was certain that the Revolutionary Army would be affected.

“But maybe we’re overthinking it…” Dragon smiled wryly. “Perhaps Aokiji will never sit in the Fleet Admiral’s position. The World Government will surely want to keep the Navy firmly in their grasp…”

Standing up, Dragon began walking towards the door.

Sabo followed him, curiously asking, “Uncle Dragon, where are you going?”

“I… want to see Ian!” Dragon looked up at the sky, the sea breeze lifting his hair. He said, “When Ian joined the Revolutionary Army, I knew he would bring surprises. And now it has proven true. His presence has accelerated our progress. Perhaps our time of hiding is over…”

“In that case…” Sabo smiled, adjusting his hat. “Shall I accompany you?”

“No need, the Revolutionary Army headquarters needs you here!” Dragon turned back with a smile. “You stay here. I’ll go see our third-in-command myself…”

…

Time moves on regardless of human will, and events unfolded as expected. In the following days, one major piece of news after another kept emerging.

First, the news of the Blackbeard Pirates attacking Mariejois broke out!

Although the World Government tried to keep it under wraps, they couldn’t completely conceal it. After all, Sabaody Archipelago is very close to the Red Line. When the Blackbeard Pirates attacked Mariejois, they also set fire to many buildings. The thick smoke was seen by some people in the vicinity.

Moreover, since Mariejois is a major route for many to cross the Red Line and enter the New World, the World Government quickly closed this passage and blocked the entrance after the attack. However, as time passed, people who couldn’t enter the New World started to wonder what had happened.

Eventually, when the truth was uncovered, it caused a worldwide uproar.

“This incident proves that pirates are difficult to trust!”

In the Fleet Admiral’s office at Marineford, Kuzan sat opposite Sengoku, articulating his ideas.

Sengoku, disheartened by the recent war, was already planning his retirement. However, he had always favored Kuzan as his successor, so he was now listening to Kuzan’s governance concepts.

“Fleet Admiral Sengoku, if I were to succeed you, the first thing I would do is abolish the Shichibukai system!” Kuzan placed his hands on his knees, speaking with a serious expression. “I’ve always believed that the decision to use pirates to check other pirates is untenable. Whether it’s the Alabasta incident or the Dressrosa incident, they both prove this point. These powerful and vicious pirates, once sheltered by the World Government and the Navy, might cause even greater disasters. Moreover, at critical moments, their allegiance remains with the pirates. They will never genuinely align with the Navy. In this war, whether it was Jinbe, Dracule Mihawk, Boa Hancock who has returned to Amazon Lily, or the now missing Gecko Moria, none of them played their expected roles. Our Navy… can no longer rely on them…”

If Ian were here, he would be surprised to find that Kuzan’s ideas were actually similar to those of Fujitora in the original timeline; both intended to abolish the Shichibukai system…

But, can things really unfold as Kuzan imagines?