New Era

Yota’s demands were ultimately accepted by the Marines.

Vegapunk might have been important, but with the Marines unable to even pay their military expenses, what could they expect him to invent? Research burned through money, after all!

Once both sides reached a consensus, the entire Marine force quickly withdrew.

What followed was a new Reverie. Although the World Government had already collapsed, and many well-informed nations knew it, the Marines’ grassroots strength had not been damaged. Combined with their complete alliance with the New World and the Revolutionary Army, even those World Government member states harboring ulterior motives did not dare make a move.

Of course, idiots existed everywhere. There were still Kings who thought this was the perfect opportunity to unite the world under their rule. Soon afterward, the still-powerful Marines gave them a warm welcome and made them obediently attend the Reverie.

There was no need to elaborate on what happened afterward. Just as Yota had thought, in a world with supernatural power, ruling and governing a country well was actually very simple. There was no need to study any strategies of statecraft.

After all the Kings had gathered, Yota entered the venue with Charlotte Pudding, Sengoku, Dragon, and the others. Then Charlotte Pudding went through the Kings’ memories one by one.

Everyone in the Pirate World saw things in black and white. These Kings were either as kind as saints or utterly wicked, which made Charlotte Pudding’s work much easier.

For any who failed to qualify, Yota simply used Kotoamatsukami on them, then had the Revolutionary Army send a few officers to accompany the King in launching a rebellion. It was easy enough to bring the entire country under control.

As a result, in less than a year, the atmosphere throughout the Pirate World had changed completely. Especially after the Celestial Dragons were gone, taxes dropped by at least ninety percent. The whole world seemed vibrant and flourishing. There were barely even any people left choosing to go to sea as pirates.

After all, now that everyone could survive, far fewer people had nothing better to do than sail out and risk their lives.

Even the Revolutionary Army stopped making trouble and became members of the New World Government instead.

"Still… isn’t this a little too underhanded?"

On a glittering golden island, Ace frowned as he spoke to Yota.

"Yeah, yeah. Faking things isn’t a virtue a samurai should have."

Yamato nodded repeatedly at the side, looking at Yota.

"Stop whining so much." Yota rolled his eyes. "The tide washes away the sand. True adventure crews who genuinely love adventure won’t be affected by our little trick. And isn’t it a good thing for the world if there are fewer pirate crews who like to pillage?"

"Even if you put it that way…" Ace scratched his head slightly, but before he could finish, someone interrupted him.

"They’re here, they’re here! Time for pictures!" A completely naked humanoid albatross ran over, smiling broadly.

"Hey! Morgans, don’t you treat news like your life? You’re even reporting fake news like this?" Ace could not help asking.

"Uh… I do treat big news like my life. But whether the news is real or fake, as long as it’s big enough, I’m perfectly satisfied!"

"Besides, if the One Piece is really found someday and your lie gets exposed, you can make the papers again. That’s two big stories! That’s a huge profit!" Morgans said smugly.

"Forget it, do whatever you want!" Ace covered his head helplessly.

"You should look at it this way, Ace." Yota slung an arm around his shoulders and said with a grin. "Your Pops started the Great Pirate Era, and it kept you from holding your head up when you were little."

"Haven’t you always scorned his title of Pirate King and the Great Pirate Era? Then you can be the one to end the Great Pirate Era!"

"Yota, you…" Ace sighed. "I think if this lie is exposed someday…"

"If it gets exposed, it gets exposed." Yota rolled his eyes. "We’ll just say we found the wrong place. Nobody’s been there anyway!"

"If all else fails, dump the blame on me. My skin’s thick. I don’t care about that sort of thing."

"Alright, enough of that. Pictures, pictures. Put a smile on your faces. This is big news!"

With a click, Yota’s dazzling smile, Yamato’s slightly awkward expression beside him, and Ace’s somewhat forced look were all captured in the photograph.

"Extra! Extra! The Final Island, Laugh Tale, has been discovered!"

"Twenty years later, the Pirate King’s son has once again ascended to the throne of Pirate King."

The towering Whitebeard held the seemingly tiny newspaper. Printed on it was a group photograph of Yota, Yamato, and Ace. Behind them stood an island piled high with gold, silver, and treasure, gleaming brightly and rising several hundred meters into the air, like an enormous mountain of riches.

Whitebeard tugged slightly at the corner of his mouth, his expression exceedingly strange. "Those brats really know how to make trouble… They even made a fake Laugh Tale!"

"Pops, didn’t Yota invite you to visit that ‘Final Island’ with him back then? Too bad you refused. Otherwise, you’d be the Pirate King now." Marco said with a smile.

Whitebeard rolled his eyes, his mustache bristling high. "What kind of damn joke is that? You want me to fake something there? I don’t want people laughing at me as a fool for the rest of my life!"

"That’s not necessarily true." Marco said, "It’s like the World Government making a hundred years disappear. If we in the New World Government keep declaring that this is the Final Island, then even if it isn’t the Final Island, it becomes the Final Island."

"Gurararara! You can fool others, but not my old friends. If I really did that, how could I ever face them again?"

"Besides, after I’m gone and meet Roger, what would I say to that guy? Roger wanted to tell me the secret of the Final Island back then, and I couldn’t even be bothered to hear it."

"Would I have to tell him that I made a fake Laugh Tale and played a fake Pirate King game? That bastard would laugh himself to death."

After news that Laugh Tale had been found spread across the world, the already sluggish pirate craze was dealt another crushing blow. Compared to the Great Pirate Era, the number of pirates heading out to sea now was less than a fraction of what it had been.

Ordinary, ignorant pirates were not powerful figures on the level of the Four Emperors. When they saw such a massive treasure, they naturally believed it was Laugh Tale. Without the lure of the Pirate King’s treasure, how many people would still be willing to sail out to sea?