PinkSnake - True Flame Emperor - Vol. 2 - 441/442

Chapter 441: A Preview of the Alliance Summit

North Blue, Jinwu Island.

This island had been created twenty years ago by the Flame Dragon Yemu with the power of his Devil Fruit, and it had borne witness to the war between the Rainbow Kingdom and the World Government. After two decades of development, it had become the wealthiest and most prosperous island in the North Blue. No, perhaps even in the entire sea.

The island was twice the size of Wenmigudan Island, and it had become the economic center of the Rainbow Kingdom, as well as the whole of the North Blue.

Unlike Wenmigudan Island, where the presence of the Rainbow Tree meant the island’s buildings were generally low and modest, towering, magnificent structures rose everywhere here. From a distance, it looked like a modern metropolis.

On its bustling streets, one could buy goods from every sea and every corner of the world.

In other words, if you could think of it, you could buy it here.

Rare races such as Fish-Men, angels, Giant Race, Dwarves, furfolk, Longarm Tribe, Snakeneck Tribe, and many others could be seen everywhere along the streets and alleys.

People moved through the crowded streets shoulder to shoulder, and most of them showed no surprise at all. Only those who had just arrived would find the sight astonishing.

Racial discrimination and the slave trade were strictly forbidden.

That was the very first warning every outsider received upon arriving on this island.

No one wanted to be arrested by the police department for racial discrimination and publicly flogged in the middle of the street.

As for the slave trade, the Rainbow Kingdom gave only one outcome: death.

Because of these harsh laws, Jinwu Island had become a place where all races could live together in harmony. As a result, people of every race, humans included, came to this island in search of a living.

The most direct result of that was a population boom.

When it was first founded twenty years ago, the island had a population of fewer than one hundred thousand. Now, it had already surpassed Wenmigudan Island and reached three million.

And that did not include the populations of the thirteen other nations surrounding the waters of Jinwu Island.

Those thirteen nations had once been non-World Government Member Nations because they could not afford the Heavenly Tribute. Pirates and slave traders had devastated them so badly that they had nearly reached the point of national collapse and extinction.

It was the appearance of the Rainbow Kingdom that saved them.

Because of that, they had not hesitated to request annexation into the Rainbow Kingdom.

At the time, however, the Rainbow Kingdom did not want to provoke the World Government too much, so it refused their request.

As a compromise, President Yemu used the power of his Devil Fruit to move all thirteen nations, along with the islands they were on, into the waters around Jinwu Island.

These thirteen nations were also the first to build Sea Trains and cloud bridges.

The completion of the Sea Trains and Cloud Bridges meant they had become connected to Jinwu Island.

And what connected them was not just geography, but wealth and the economy as well.

As a result, those thirteen nations developed rapidly, becoming the Rainbow Kingdom’s showcase to the non-World Government Member Nations across the sea.

That was why, even now, Yemu was so confident that if he raised the call, countless non-World Government Member Nations would join him.

The conditions hardly even mattered.

After all, look at those thirteen nations. Twenty years ago, even if they had poured all their national strength into it, they still could not pay the Heavenly Tribute, and they had nearly been wiped out. Twenty years later, riding the wave of the Rainbow Kingdom’s rise, they had leapt into becoming major powers of the North Blue, with even the smallest among them approaching a population of one million.

That meant Jinwu Island and those thirteen nations alone could bring together a population of nearly twenty million.

The most immediate benefits were the explosive growth of their economy and military strength.

The Rainbow Kingdom of today was no longer the same country it had been twenty years ago, one that might never stand again if the World Government struck it down, and could only rely on schemes and clever tricks to seize victory. It now had the foundation to fight the World Government head-on.

However, that was still not enough.

The upcoming Rainbow Alliance was the true main event.

Only with the establishment of the Rainbow Alliance could the Rainbow Kingdom truly become a nation that was in no way inferior to the World Government in every respect.

“Woo...”

At the bustling harbor, cargo ships of every kind entered port, Sea Trains pulled into the station, and the roar of steam whistles had become one of Jinwu Island’s defining features.

Whenever the merchants in the city heard that sound, they knew another batch of countless cheap, high-quality goods had arrived.

As long as they acquired those goods and sold them elsewhere, they could make several times the profit.

That was the advantage of a monopoly.

Sea Trains, the Rainbow Bridge, and super-large cargo ships.

These three modes of transportation allowed the Rainbow Kingdom to connect the entire sea, ignoring the geographical barriers of the Red Line and the Calm Belt.

Throughout every transaction, they only took the roles of transporter, intermediary, and tax collector, leaving the actual trading to the merchants.

The merchants understood this perfectly well.

After all, to the Rainbow Kingdom, their businesses were simply too small.

Just the Sea Trains running through the Calm Belt alone could bring the Rainbow Kingdom hundreds of millions of Belly in profit every day, each and every train.

They could acquire goods from the place of origin at extremely low prices, then sell them to other merchants as intermediaries.

With the Sea Trains across the Four Seas and the North Blue, the Rainbow Kingdom earned tens of billions in profit every day.

As for the ticket revenue from the Rainbow Bridge, that was money earned simply by sitting back, with profits no lower than those from the Sea Trains.

Then there were the super-large cargo ships of the North Blue, which were even more terrifying.

Although they were slower than Sea Trains, their freight capacity was simply too enormous. Even with low costs, the sheer volume of cargo was enough to make the profits staggering.

The merchants of the North Blue loved this method of shipping, and merchants from the other three major seas had long since grown envious of it.

Aside from these three sources of easy profit, the Rainbow Kingdom’s advanced technology had also created a highly developed shipbuilding industry, bringing in immense wealth.

It was no exaggeration to say that most of the ships used by transportation companies, powers, organizations, and even pirates across the sea now came from the Rainbow Kingdom.

There was no way around it. The simple fact that their ships could sail without relying on the wind already put the Rainbow Kingdom ahead of ninety-nine percent of the world’s shipyards. Their speed, fast enough that even Marine warships and pirate ships could not catch up, made merchants flock to them in droves.

And that was to say nothing of the development of other light industries brought about by the prosperity of shipbuilding.

For example, TV Dials, which could not be sold in the other three major seas because of the World Government’s strict ban, had become essential household appliances in every home in the North Blue.

That, in turn, had led to a flourishing news and entertainment industry.

Over the past twenty years, the North Blue had produced countless entertainment superstars.

The most famous among them were the stage superstar Victoria Sindori, the soul diva Ann, the rap king Skullachman App, and the Fish-Man designer Papagu.

Beyond them, there were countless young men and women with dreams of becoming stars.

That was why the North Blue was known as the Sea of Gold and as a Paradise.

A rapidly developing society had created countless jobs.

Anyone who came here could always find work that suited them.

And today, the Alliance Summit, held once every four years, officially began, making it a celebration for the entire North Blue...

...

Chapter 442: A Movie?

The Rainbow Alliance Summit, held once every four years, was unquestionably a grand celebration for the people of Jinwu Island and the thirteen surrounding nations.

In the past, aside from the powers, companies, and nations invited to attend the Alliance Summit, countless tourists, reporters, and merchants would also come.

This time, however, the martial arts craze stirred up by the World Martial Arts Tournament had multiplied that number by who knew how many times.

This month-long celebration brought money-making opportunities to every industry in the Rainbow Kingdom.

Hotels, transportation, food, cultural tourism, and similar industries benefited the most.

Seven days ago, every hotel on Jinwu Island and in the surrounding thirteen nations had already been fully booked.

The wealthy naturally chose the most convenient hotels on Jinwu Island, while those with less money chose hotels and inns in the surrounding thirteen nations to save on costs. In any case, with the Sea Trains and Cloud Bridges there, they did not have to worry about getting back.

Restaurants of every kind, snack streets, and shopping districts were just as lively, bustling from morning to night.

The owners and vendors were busy every day without pause.

Just from the smiles on their faces, it was clear they had made a fortune.

“If only it could be this lively every day!”

That was what many people thought, though clearly, it was impossible. ... Before dawn had even broken, the entire sea area was already bustling.

One Sea Train after another could be seen racing out from the islands of the thirteen nations, packed with passengers and heading toward Jinwu Island at the center.

The Cloud Bridges built from special island clouds were also packed with dense crowds.

Everyone was incredibly excited. A scene this grand might not be seen even once in a lifetime.

The noise of the crowd and the roar of the Sea Trains completely shattered the peace of the early morning.

To maintain order, the Cloud Bridges were guarded so heavily that there was practically a post every five steps and a sentry every ten.

As Minister of Police, Aming had strengthened security by borrowing Reiju’s three younger brothers, Vinsmoke Iji, Vinsmoke Niji, and Vinsmoke Yuji. Together with her most valued subordinate, Basil Hawkins, they were enough to handle most trouble.

The reason they were treating this so cautiously was that this Alliance Summit was different from those before it. The appearance of the World Martial Arts Tournament had drawn many troublesome figures here.

For example, at this very moment, among the packed crowd on one of the Cloud Bridges, there was a man with a red nose dressed like a clown.

Several of his subordinates followed behind him.

They were Alvida, who had eaten the Slippery-Slippery Fruit; MR3, formerly of Baroque Works; Mohji, the animal tamer and former First Mate of the Buggy Pirates; and Staff Officer Cabaji.

They had all gathered here for the same reason, revenge against the Straw Hat Pirates.

However...

“Aren’t you already a Devil Fruit user? Why are you here too?”

After eating the Slippery-Slippery Fruit and turning from a fat woman into a beauty through exercise, Alvida looked at Buggy in confusion.

Although this was the North Blue, judging by their auras alone, the people appearing here were monsters one after another.

Buggy, however, looked greedy as he said, “Of course I have my reasons!”

Naturally, Buggy would not tell his crew that the real reason was that the Marines and the World Government had already put up a bounty of five billion Belly for that Devil Fruit.

On another Cloud Bridge, Crocodile and MR1, their figures hidden beneath long robes, had also received the news.

Originally, he had not been interested in this Alliance Summit either.

His failed plot to seize Alabasta and his defeat at the hands of Straw Hat Luffy had dealt Crocodile a heavy blow. Everything he had built over more than ten years had gone up in smoke, and no one could accept that all at once.

But then news came that Fire Dragon Yemu would be holding the World Martial Arts Tournament.

At first, Crocodile had no interest and even mocked Fire Dragon Yemu for doing something so meaningless.

But right then, he learned from Doflamingo that the World Government’s Five Elders had offered five billion Belly for that Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, and Crocodile instantly realized something was not right.

That Devil Fruit was not ordinary.

So, after finding MR1, the only subordinate he truly valued, he brought him here, intending to seize that Devil Fruit.

If he could obtain it, then in the negotiations to come, perhaps he would have more leverage and be able to take back everything he had lost.

Someone else with the same idea as Crocodile was Moonlight Moria, who had also been defeated by Straw Hat Luffy.

“I must get that Devil Fruit. With it, I can create the strongest subordinate and take revenge on Kaidou...”

Following behind him was Dr. Hogback, who had suggested creating a Devil Fruit user zombie. In truth, his real motive was simply to see Victoria Cindry, whom he had never been able to forget, and to get revenge on Fire Dragon Yemu for taking Cindry away from him.

Ten years ago, during a theater performance, Cindry had suffered an accident and fallen from a great height. Fire Dragon Yemu then appeared like a hero rescuing a beauty and saved her.

Even now, more than ten years later, Hogback still could not forget the tender, affectionate look Cindry had given Fire Dragon Yemu at that moment.

He knew he had completely lost his chance.

From that day on, Cindry followed Fire Dragon Yemu to the North Blue and became a famous singer renowned throughout the entire North Blue.

Aside from these pirates of the previous era, some new-generation Supernovas had also entered this place.

Among them were Bonney, who had just escaped from the Blackbeard Pirates and the Marines; the Kid Pirates from South Blue, one of this year’s Supernovas; the Fire Tank Pirates from West Blue; and the Drake Pirates, founded by a fallen Marine Captain.

Besides them, there was also a group dressed in a very peculiar style.

At their head was a child wearing a pink kimono, with a topknot tied at the back of his head. Behind him were four samurai clearly dressed in the style of Wano Country.

They were Momonosuke, Kin'emon, Raizo, Kanjuro, and Kikunojo, the five people who had recently been sent to this era by Kozuki Toki.

Seeing so many fierce-looking people from all kinds of races, Momonosuke was clearly afraid. His body trembled, and he sniffled.

Behind him, Kin'emon encouraged Momonosuke and said, “Momonosuke-sama, please rest assured. Even if it costs me my life, I will meet Fire Dragon Yemu and make him return Wano Country to the Kozuki clan!”

It turned out that after the five of them crossed twenty years into this era and tried to restore their country, they discovered that the people of Wano Country in this age treated them like madmen.

The story of Lord Oden was still passed down in that country, but all that remained was the title of the Foolish Lord.

The glory of the Kozuki clan had vanished completely because of Lord Oden’s departure and Momonosuke-sama’s disappearance over the past twenty years.

In their place, the person regarded by everyone as a hero, the one who fought against Kurozumi Orochi and protected the people of Wano Country, was a woman named Shimotsuki Kuina...