As Kahn thought.
He had left Wano for almost a year, and in that time, no one had dared to challenge the Cross Guild.
Not only that, aside from a few forces and individuals keeping a close eye on the Cross Guild, many in the New World didn't even realize Kahn had been gone for nearly a year.
There were two main reasons for this.
First, Wano's natural isolation gave the Cross Guild an advantage.
Those who couldn't navigate the treacherous waters around Wano had no idea what was happening inside.
Especially after the Cross Guild had defeated the Beasts Pirates, Wano's territory had expanded. What was once just Wano and Onigashima had now grown to include five islands.
As long as Kahn didn't venture toward Dressrosa and the Donquixote Pirates' stronghold, no one would know whether or not the "world's strongest creature" was in Wano.
The second reason was that the major powers of the New World had been distracted by two key figures over the past year.
One of them was "Red-Haired" Shanks, who had lost an arm in East Blue.
No one expected that after mysteriously losing his dominant arm in the weakest sea, Shanks' strength would grow rather than weaken—except for his diminished swordsmanship.
His Haki, especially his Conqueror's Haki, had only become stronger.
Even seasoned warriors could find themselves overwhelmed by a single glare from Shanks.
Combined with his formidable crew, the Red Hair Pirates were few in number but as sturdy as an iron fortress.
Many crews, though larger in size, couldn't match their overall strength. Only a few could rival them in both numbers and power across the entire New World.
As more pirate crews fell to the Red Hair Pirates, others began flying their flag, becoming allied forces under Shanks' protection.
Before anyone knew it, the Red Hair Pirates, much like the Cross Guild before them, were rising to dominance among the great pirate crews.
It had taken the Cross Guild three years to become a dominant force, solidifying their power after taking control of Amazon Lily.
Now, the Red Hair Pirates were on the same path, rising to prominence in nearly the same amount of time.
At this moment, everyone could see a new superstar in the pirate world.
But someone was standing up to challenge that rise.
The second major player in the New World this year was Kaido, the "Beast," who had been defeated by Kahn and driven out of Wano, forced to start over.
Unlike Shiki, who had been handicapped by a steering wheel lodged in his head, lost his Conqueror's Haki, cut off his own legs, and retired temporarily, Kaido's strength remained at its peak—and he was only growing stronger.
Though Kahn had defeated him, Kaido accepted the loss, but that didn't mean he intended to step down from the New World's stage.
On the contrary, he viewed temporary defeat as just that—temporary.
In Kaido's eyes, it didn't matter how many times he failed. All that mattered was winning eventually, and once he did, he'd take back everything he had lost.
After being kicked out of Wano, Kaido remained quiet for only half a year before beginning his comeback.
Kaido's method of starting over was the same as Shanks' approach—defeating both large and small pirate crews in the New World and forcing them to become subordinate forces of the Beasts Pirates.
However, unlike Shanks, who either overpowered or persuaded these groups based on their character, whether through sheer dominance or a loyal offer, Kaido had a more brutal approach. He would only show some respect if he saw a promising, strong recruit. Otherwise, he forced everyone else to submit.
Once these groups surrendered, Kaido didn't abandon them. Instead, he led them to attack a key island.
The island in question was one even a pirate emperor would rally forces to conquer—the former base of the Blackbeard Pirates and the birthplace of the notorious pirate game Hive Island, also known as Pirate Paradise.
No one knew Hive Island better than Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and Whitebeard.
The previous ruler of this island and their former captain was none other than Rocks D. Xebec, the only pirate king of his era.
Out of respect for their former captain, none of the new emperors—Whitebeard, Big Mom, or Kaido—had ever claimed Hive Island as part of their territory after gaining power.
But now, Kaido saw Hive Island as the perfect place for his resurgence. By capturing it, he could quickly gather a large force, and within a few years, he could reclaim his position as one of the top pirate overlords.
And so, Kaido successfully took Hive Island.
The once lowly cabin boy had now risen to become one of the strongest in the world.
Though he had been knocked down, he was still a Pirate Emperor.
Meanwhile, with Kahn away in the East Blue for nearly a year, Kaido and Shanks had dominated the spotlight, setting the stage for a potential five-way battle in the New World.
This shift was making both the Marines and the World Government uneasy.
For the Marines, the idea of five pirate emperors holding power in the New World was a nightmare. Their influence and control would shrink drastically.
Even with three Admirals and legendary figures like Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp, they could only truly rely on the three active Admirals and the Marine heroes.
Fleet Admirals like Sengoku couldn't leave Marineford without dire necessity, and the Admirals had to divide their time between protecting New World, Marine Headquarters, and the Holy Land, Mariejois.
If the five pirate emperors ever decided to join forces, they could pose a threat as great as the Rocks Pirates had in their prime.
Thankfully, the chance of such an alliance was nearly zero.
However, what truly worried the World Government wasn't just the possibility of a five-emperor future but the discovery made by Cipher Pol.
While everyone, including the Marines, believed the New World would be ruled by five pirate overlords, the World Government knew there was actually a sixth player.
Amidst the chaos of Shanks' and Kaido's rising influence, another force had been quietly growing: the Revolutionary Army, led by Monkey D. Dragon, son of the Marine hero Garp.
The destruction of Ohara had been the catalyst that drove Dragon to form the Revolutionary Army. Over the past decade, it had quietly grown into a powerful force capable of challenging even Kahn and the pirate emperors.
Though the Revolutionary Army's soldiers were largely made up of common people and the weak, its sheer numbers were impressive, though not yet a match for the top-tier powers like Kaido or Shanks.
Dragon was well aware of this. So when he saw the technological advancements of the Cross Guild, the man whose goal was to overthrow the World Government started thinking about the potential power of science.
If the Revolutionary Army could harness technology, its strength would skyrocket.
At this thought, Dragon couldn't help but remember Vegapunk, the brilliant scientist he had once met in Ohara, who had turned down his offer to join the revolution.
And thus, a new plan began to unfold quietly in Dragon's mind.
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