On the other side, following Li Yuan's instructions, Atter forcefully took control of the island of Viluette in the first half of the Grand Line. He recruited the original pirates of the island as his subordinates, quickly rebuilding his crew to over a thousand members.
After receiving intelligence from the Spider Network, Atter quickly located the whereabouts of the Warehouse King, Kiberson.
He then led his crew to intercept and capture Kiberson and his subordinates. Eventually, Shakky made her appearance and used the power of the Spiritual Mirror to extract all of Kiberson's secrets.
Atter, in turn, took full control of Kiberson's empire and became the new generation of the Warehouse King in the dark world.
In just a few months, the dark world had seen two consecutive rulers fall, which made the other dark kings aware of the growing threat. As a result, they began to keep a low profile.
"What's going on? Is the World Government moving in to dominate the dark world for profit, or are other forces rising up as the World Government weakens?"
The King of Loan Sharks, Du Feld, was deeply puzzled. He had close ties with the World Government and had lent them a significant amount of money in this crisis.
The King of Assassins, Wei Zhuang, didn't seem like someone aligned with the World Government. On the other hand, Atter, the new Warehouse King, appeared to be a figure supported by the World Government, especially with his position as a Shichibukai.
"I don't care for now, the situation's too unclear. Better to lay low for a while."
Du Feld shook his head, deciding to retire to his long-prepared hideout for some time.
While many were unfamiliar with the workings of the dark world, to those entrenched in it, recent changes were as disruptive as a magnitude twelve earthquake.
"Fufufufufu, the power shift in the dark world is the perfect opportunity for me to step in."
"Now that there is no longer a title for the Intermediary King in the dark world, I, Donquixote Doflamingo, will become the first-generation Intermediary King!"
Doflamingo immediately received the news and, in his view, the other dark kings required massive investments to maintain their rule. However, for him, acting as an intermediary didn't require significant capital.
As long as there were enough suppliers and consumers, he could facilitate transactions and earn a substantial profit from the price difference. There was little risk, and with the right connections, losing money would be nearly impossible.
On the island of Cecil in the North Blue, the remnants of the Germa Kingdom lived here. Despite Germa's fall, it still retained some of its former glory, and the area was well-protected by many.
"Germa, I'm back!!"
Gaji returned to the island with two hundred fully equipped clones under his command. His heart was full of ambition. He was determined to lead Germa back to its peak!
"Stop! This is Germa's headquarters, no outsiders allowed!"
A small squad of six guards saw Gaji and immediately stopped him with suspicion.
"I am Vinsmoke Gaji. Tell Judge that I'm back!"
Gaji immediately announced his name.
"Vinsmoke? Wait here, I'll report it right away."
Upon hearing the name "Vinsmoke," the squad immediately became serious. The Vinsmoke family was the royal family of the Germa Kingdom, so they couldn't afford to be careless.
"Gaji, is it really you, you've returned!"
Soon, Vinsmoke Judge came out, looking astonished when he saw Gaji.
He had thought for so long that Gaji was dead since there had been no contact, but now he was alive. Moreover, Gaji seemed to be doing quite well, considering the two hundred fully armed men following him.
"Of course, Judge. I told you before that I would find the strength to bring Germa back to its former glory. Now that I have that strength, I'm back!"
Gaji spoke earnestly.
Judge, Gaji's older brother and the current leader of Germa, was essential for Gaji to take control of Germa. He needed to earn Judge's position to lead the kingdom.
"Gaji, come inside, and we'll discuss the details."
Judge nodded and motioned for Gaji to enter.
Once inside, Gaji and Judge spent the entire day in a meeting room. No one knew what they discussed in private.
After a full day, Judge summoned all the remaining members of Germa and handed his position as the ruler of the kingdom to Gaji.
Though many of them were dissatisfied, with Gaji and Judge's combined authority, no one dared to oppose, and Germa swiftly rose again under Gaji's leadership.
With the support of the Infinite Pirate Crew, Germa expanded rapidly.
Li Yuan had gradually transferred the first batch of clones to Gaji. The first batch was the weakest, and each successive batch improved. Li Yuan didn't mind this arrangement, as he saw it as an investment in Gaji's future power.
With his newly acquired army of powerful clones, Gaji led Germa to expand rapidly, seizing territory from the non-allied nations surrounding them with brutal force.
As Germa's power grew, the World Government and the Navy took notice, but they had no resources to suppress them.
The Navy struggled to contain pirate uprisings, and the World Government had barely enough manpower to protect its member kingdoms, let alone stop Germa's rise.
Moreover, Germa's conquests were mainly directed at non-allied nations, and the world was full of ambitious kingdoms vying for expansion. Countries like the Alex Kingdom in the West Blue and other territories controlled by the Infinite Pirate Crew were also seizing the opportunity to expand.
For ambitious leaders, this was the best of times. For the common people without strong protection, it was the worst of times.
At the largest forge in Wano Country:
The forge had been expanded several times and was now one of the most advanced weapon crafting facilities in the world. The forging processes here had grown more complex and refined than even the peak period of Wano's original forge.
Niu Lishan, the head forger, was pouring all his energy into creating his first-ever Supreme Great Blade!
Inside the forging core, molten lava surged below, with various large machines made of special alloys above.
Niu Lishan was using these machines to constantly temper the purple longsword that glowed with lightning, while Faraday stood nearby, closely monitoring the blade.
"Faraday, what brings you here?"
At that moment, Wei Zhuang approached and asked in surprise.
"I found a special ore on Thunder Island before. I'm having it made into a Supreme Great Blade just for me. Niu Lishan is helping me forge it, and he says it will be done today, so I came to check."
Faraday explained.
It was on Thunder Island, during his training trip, that Faraday discovered the rare electric ore. After bringing it back, Niu Lishan confirmed it was perfect for forging a Supreme Great Blade. With the help of Caesar, he had gathered the necessary special metals and finally assembled everything to craft the legendary sword.
Seeing his four older siblings already wielding their Supreme Great Blades, Faraday, being the fifth child in his family, naturally wanted one of his own.
But since the four blades had already been claimed by his siblings, Faraday had to forge his own.
"A new Supreme Great Blade, huh? I'm curious to see what kind of weapon it turns out to be!"
Wei Zhuang had initially planned to ask Niu Lishan to fuse two swords for Lafayette, but since Niu Lishan was busy, he was interested in seeing his younger brother's Supreme Great Blade instead.
"Hey, it's rare to see both of you brothers here!"
Just then, Li Yuan entered and was surprised to see Wei Zhuang.
He remembered how Wei Zhuang had chosen to leave the Infinite Pirate Crew and the position Shakky had arranged for him, opting instead to become a small-time King of Assassins in the dark world. When Shakky returned, she had given him an earful.
Now, Shakky was likely trying to convince Akame to take over the Sand Pirates' Guild. Li Yuan wondered if she had succeeded in doing so.
"Dad, what are you doing here?"
Wei Zhuang felt a little uneasy when he saw Li Yuan.
"I heard Niu Lishan is forging a Supreme Great Blade, so I thought I'd come and take a look. What's the matter, Xiao Zhuang? Can't I come?"
Li Yuan smiled and looked at Wei Zhuang.
"No, no, it's fine, Dad, of course, you can be here. This is your domain."
Wei Zhuang nervously responded, avoiding eye contact.
"Faraday, it's time for the final blood tempering!"
Niu Lishan called out loudly.
"I'm coming!"
Faraday quickly rushed over and slit his wrist, allowing his blood to drip onto the newly formed Supreme Great Blade.
This blade had been tempered with Faraday's blood eight times already, and this would be the ninth.
The process of blood tempering during forging helped bind the weapon to its owner, ensuring a closer bond—a unique technique from Wano.
"Clang!!!"
Once the blood tempering was complete, the purple Supreme Great Blade finally awakened the unique Thunderstrike sword intent within it!
"Good sword, truly a good sword. What's the name of this one?"
Just as Faraday was about to touch his newly forged Supreme Great Blade, it was snatched by Li Yuan.
He carefully felt the Thunderstrike sword intent emanating from the blade. With his current understanding, this new sword would help him advance his own sword intent after further meditation.
"General, this Supreme Great Blade is called the First Generation Thunderstrike. It has the power to absorb the user's stamina and convert it into powerful lightning energy. It also boasts incredible conductivity, making it perfectly suited for Prince Faraday."
Niu Lishan excitedly introduced the new blade's strength.