While Rimuru was purifying his powers, the world of One Piece was undergoing a cataclysmic upheaval.
"What the hell are the Marines doing?! Why haven't they sent reinforcements yet?! The rebels are practically at the gates of the royal capital!" a furious king roared at a CP9 operative.
"The Marines can't spare any support. They've been completely tied down by the pirate coalition," the CP9 agent replied, unperturbed by the king's outburst. In recent days, they'd been getting calls for reinforcements every few hours—but where was any help supposed to come from now? Dozens of countries across the world were being attacked simultaneously, and the Marines were struggling just to hold the line against the pirate alliance led by none other than Pirate King Roger and Whitebeard. They had no bandwidth left for anything else.
"You damn World Government people, what the hell are you—" The king's tirade was abruptly cut off as the CP9 agent hung up without a second thought. They were already struggling to stay afloat themselves—entertaining this king's whining was a courtesy in itself.
"Bastard! How dare he hang up on me! I swear I'll make him pay! Damn the World Government!" the king spat venomously, teeth clenched. "Those filthy peasants have the audacity to revolt?! I'll have them all executed, every last one of them!"
"I don't think you'll be getting that chance," a calm voice echoed from across the vast palace halls.
"Who's there?!" The king jumped up in alarm, but before he could even steady himself, a gleaming blade flew in from the shadows, piercing straight through his chest and pinning him to the wall.
He collapsed, lifeless. And with that, another kingdom had officially fallen.
Benimaru stepped through the palace halls, eyes cold as he surveyed the king's corpse. With a scoff, he yanked the sword from the wall, wiped the blood from the blade, and turned to leave without another glance.
Across the world outside the New World, Rimuru's top commanders—Veldora, Milim, Shion, Hakurou, Geld, Souei, and many others—were leading sweeping campaigns to overthrow tyrannical regimes. Already, more than thirty kingdoms had fallen into their hands, and twelve monarchs had pledged allegiance to their cause. Their forces were growing stronger by the day, carving through the old world order with unstoppable momentum.
Meanwhile, in the New World, the situation was even more one-sided. With virtually every major pirate now a member of the coalition, over 90% of the New World's kingdoms had already joined the alliance.
Deep beneath the sea, in the Fish-Man Kingdom...
"King Neptune, have you reached a decision?" Diablo stood politely before the massive figure of Neptune, his gaze calm and respectful.
Neptune, still young and inexperienced, looked uncertainly toward his queen, Otohime.
She gave him a small, reassuring nod.
"Can you truly promise equality for fish-men?" Neptune asked cautiously.
"Of course," Diablo replied without hesitation. "Every life deserves to be treated equally. I can personally guarantee that when the new world dawns, fish-men will live as equals alongside all other races."
"If you truly mean that," Queen Otohime said, stepping forward, "then Fish-Man Island is willing to join your cause. But please tell me—do you truly believe you can make that happen?"
"We will make it happen. No matter what, we will," Diablo answered with unwavering conviction.
Queen Otohime looked deep into his eyes and remained silent for a moment. "We'll need some time to discuss it. Could you give us a moment alone?"
"Of course." With a courteous bow, Diablo stepped aside, waiting patiently a short distance away.
"What do you think?" Neptune asked quietly. "Was he being sincere?"
"Yes," Queen Otohime replied, nodding gently. "He wasn't lying."
Neptune hesitated for a long moment. "But if we join them and they fail… the consequences will be dire."
"Yet if they succeed, we'll finally be able to live under the sun, treated as equals to humans. Isn't that the future we've both longed for?" Otohime said with a calm but firm voice. "The World Nobles will never grant us that dream. We have no choice but to put our trust in them."
Her words finally pushed Neptune to a decision. "You're right. For all these years, they've oppressed us—hunting us down, selling our people like cattle, ignoring our pleas no matter how many times we begged. Hundreds of fish-men are captured and trafficked every single year, and we're still forced to pay those sky-high Heavenly Tribute taxes. We can't even gain the basic right to be treated as equals. What's the point of a World Government like that?"
"Sir Diablo," Neptune declared as he and Queen Otohime walked over, "we will join your alliance and commit our forces to your cause. All we ask is that you honor our agreement."
"You have my word," Diablo said with a smile. "I promise—this world will become a better place."
With every new ally, the tide turned further in their favor. The final battle was drawing near.
Far away, in the Holy Land of the Celestial Dragons, inside an enormous palace...
The Five Elders of the World Government were kneeling, reporting the current crisis to the figure above them.
"Lord Imu, the situation is critical. The damned rebels are challenging your supreme authority..."
"Rebellions have broken out across the globe. We're stretched thin—our forces can't cover it all. Even commoners in some countries are rising up and starting riots on their own!"
The Five Elders spoke one after another, anxiously listing off report after report. But the figure on the throne said nothing, standing in silence atop the dais as if none of it mattered.
"Prepare yourselves," a voice finally rang out.
The Elders instantly fell silent, awaiting the next order.
"Muster all our forces. The final battle is about to begin."
"Yes, my lord!"