[TIOP] Chapter : 123

Jack nodded. “Exactly. Blackbeard is close to becoming the next emperor, but he’s not nearly as entrenched as the old guard was. He’s the weakest of the Four. That’s why he’s the best place to start.”

“But we’ve already provoked both Big Mom and Kaido in the past,” Gion said with concern. “Now you want to stir up trouble with Blackbeard too? Won’t that unite them against us?”

“Not likely,” Jack replied, still smiling. “Our past encounters with Big Mom and Kaido were nothing more than probing skirmishes. As long as we don’t touch their core interests, they won’t escalate. And when we move on Blackbeard, they won’t intervene—they’ll be too busy watching the chaos.”

“Even so, Blackbeard won’t back down easily. He’ll want to make an example of us to establish his dominance,” Jack continued. “That’s why I hadn’t planned to make a move just yet. But now that Aokiji has sent you three, I’m feeling a lot more confident.”

“So our mission,” Tokikake clarified, pointing to their assigned route on the map, “is to secure this region as quickly as possible and then rendezvous with you?”

“Exactly,” Jack affirmed. “If any government-affiliated islands welcome our presence, we’ll station troops. If not, we’ll skip them. But to ensure regional stability, we need to blockade these surrounding waters. It won’t disrupt them—in fact, it might help—but we’ll still give them prior notice. Transparency is key.”

“If they reject us, are we really just going to walk away?” Momonga asked, clearly reluctant.

To him, it felt like giving up a feast that was already on the table—deeply frustrating and hard to swallow.

“Of course,” Jack replied with a calm smile, his eyes narrowing slightly. “But before we leave, we’ll make it clear—if they don’t want the navy stationed there now, that’s their choice. But in the future, if they come begging for protection, there’ll be a price. At the very least, they’ll have to cover the annual cost of maintaining our garrison in their territory.”

Watching Jack’s expression, Tokikake couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something deviously strategic behind that smile.

In truth, Jack’s plan was surprisingly straightforward: the navy would begin implementing new administrative policies on the smaller islands under their control. Naturally, citizens of nearby member states—who'd benefit from increased safety and stability—would have no reason to complain. After all, who wouldn’t want peace of mind under the navy’s protection?

But Jack had more than just policy in his arsenal. He had a trump card—the Sea Train from Water 7.

This was the result of a conversation he'd had with Iceburg. Their vision was to build a vast network of sea trains linking the smaller islands. The benefits were overwhelming. Coming from Earth, Jack understood a simple truth: if you want prosperity, build infrastructure.

But unlike Earth, the world of One Piece is a scattered archipelago of islands surrounded by unpredictable seas and warped magnetic fields. Travel is dangerous, unreliable, and costly—not to mention the constant threat of pirates and sea beasts.

The Sea Train changed everything.

With tracks connecting the islands, movement became seamless and safe. However, laying those tracks came at an astronomical cost—one far beyond what even the navy or the World Government could bear alone. So what was the solution?

Jack’s answer: Let the people want it.

By demonstrating the Sea Train’s advantages, he aimed to stir up such overwhelming demand that local governments would willingly pool their resources to fund the construction themselves.

And Iceburg had offered generous terms. He would charge only for materials and technician wages—Water 7 would make no profit. This dramatically reduced costs and gave Jack room to maneuver.

His true targets were the hesitant government member states—the so-called “fat sheep” who declined a naval presence. Imagine this: the islands under navy control are all connected by sea train. Trade flourishes. Populations migrate easily. Economies boom. How long could the surrounding kings resist watching their neighbors thrive?

Jack knew they’d eventually come knocking.

And when they did, the price would not be what it once was. He had no intention of offering the Sea Train at cost. If they wanted in, they’d have to pay—and pay dearly. Whether they could afford it didn’t concern him.

Should any kingdom resort to taxing or even harming their own civilians to raise the money, Jack would respond immediately—relocating those people to more stable islands. And without their citizens, what is a kingdom but an empty title?

Backed by the G1 Division, Jack was ready to fully launch his plan. Initially, he had hoped to begin in the first half of the Grand Line, using Alabasta as his starting point. King Cobra was a wise and open-minded ruler, and after speaking with Jack, he had readily agreed to make Alabasta the hub of the Sea Train network. This would simultaneously boost the kingdom’s economy and serve as the launchpad for expansion.

But fate had other plans.

Following his promotion to Admiral, Jack was stationed at the G1 branch. With a favorable environment and the right momentum, he decided to begin the initiative there instead. In fact, he wanted the member states to reject the navy—it meant he could offload defense costs onto them and chip away at the World Government’s control over naval operations.

Of course, whether they accepted or declined ultimately didn’t affect his broader strategy. It was a win-win either way.

Meanwhile, construction had already started in Alabasta. The first route connected it with Sakura Kingdom—Chopper’s snowy homeland known for producing exceptional doctors. The cost of the tracks was fully covered by Alabasta, but in return, it would also collect all profits from the Sea Train fares.

If this pilot connection proved profitable, Jack believed it would revolutionize travel across the first half of the Grand Line. Recording pointers might become obsolete entirely, replaced by reliable sea train travel.

The navy still held strong influence in the first half of the Grand Line. While the New World remained the domain of the true monsters, the threats here were limited to Supernovas and mid-tier pirates. Given enough time, the navy could easily eliminate any pirates with bounties under 100 million berries, leaving no safe haven for them except open waters.

With the advent of the Sea Train, even the sea itself would cease to be a sanctuary.

And at the heart of this transformation stood Water 7.

To ensure its security, Jack had already assigned two reliable officers to protect the shipbuilding city: the White Hunter, Smoker, and his fiery companion, Black Cage Hina. With their combined strength, the region would be in safe hands.

Smoker, recently promoted to Rear Admiral, was the perfect candidate to establish and command a new branch in Water 7. Hina, in turn, would rise alongside him—one rank, one mission, one future.