Chapter 381

They all gazed high up at the situation in the Forbidden City.

They were the seven great Xia Lan.

At this moment, Kid's mouth curled into a wicked smile, his eyes cold and sharp as he gazed at the situation in the Forbidden City.

He had seen the battle just now clearly; it was not at all as Zhan Foguo had described.

Moreover, he had seen with his own eyes that Whitebeard was completely dead.

At this moment, Kid gave a cold laugh.

"Heh, Whitebeard is dead. Now, I imagine his territory must be unprecedentedly lively."

"At a time like this, isn't that our chance to rise?"

On the other side, another Xia Lan also gave a mysterious smile, eyes full of anticipation, staring intently at the battlefield, feeling overjoyed in his heart.

"Good, this is truly great."

"It was hard for us to rise in the era ruled by the Four Absolutes, but now a vacancy has finally appeared; this is my chance."

"Perhaps the entire martial arts world will be stirred up by this battle; there is bound to be a major reshuffling."

Other Xia Lan who heard these words also chuckled, not denying it.

Everyone had their own little schemes in their hearts.

As the Imperial Guard announced the end of the battle, all the common people around the world received newspapers, which prominently recounted this battle.

How the Imperial Guard had forcefully annihilated the entire Whitebeard Gang in a crushing manner.

And even more so, how they had killed Whitebeard, one of the Four Absolutes, right there.

The writing in the report could be described as bold and unrestrained.

It only spoke of the Imperial Guard's heroism and the countless casualties of the Whitebeard Gang members.

Yet, it didn't mention a single word about the Imperial Guard's own casualties.

It was as if the Imperial Guard had achieved victory without a single scratch.

This gave all the common people and the low-ranking Imperial Guard soldiers unprecedented hope and joy.

Throughout the world, some common people who were living in dire straits also wept with joy at this moment.

They clutched the newspaper to their chests, as if what they were holding was not a piece of paper, but a treasure they regarded as a gem.

This was their hope for life.

On a small island, a woman saw the description in the newspaper and burst into tears.

At this time, she was disheveled, her hair a mess, wearing rags, skin and bones, her face haggard.

But now, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared deep within her originally dull and lifeless eyes.

Finally, her long-dried eyes suddenly felt a tear, her eye sockets moistened, and she ended up sobbing and choking.

She pulled her six-year-old daughter, who was equally skin and bones and haggard, into her arms and cried out.

"There is hope, we have hope."

"Child, the Imperial Guard will surely wipe out all the bandits one day, and we will soon be saved by them."

"We definitely won't be ruled by these bandits in the future."

Scenes like this were happening all over the world.

As time passed.

In the minds of people and Imperial Guard soldiers worldwide, the information these newspapers conveyed was no longer the cruelty of war.

Nor was it the desperate battle between the Imperial Guard and the Whitebeard Gang.

What remained in their minds were only the six words: "The Imperial Guard is victorious."

In their impression, the Imperial Guard had become an invincible, undefeated myth.

Wherever the Imperial Guard appeared, bandits would surely flee at the sight, be completely annihilated, leaving none behind.

But for the martial arts experts, this was their opportunity.

Therefore.

The peace this battle brought to the common people was not necessarily what they hoped for.

Instead, it might be even greater chaos.

【Wuwu, I'm moved, truly so moved. I finally understand why Zhan Foguo said that. Many people are living so painfully, they have always been in the darkness; this bit of hope is the last courage they have to keep living.】

【Yeah, although we all know that Zhan Foguo and the others also suffered heavy losses, how would ordinary people care about that much? As long as they know the god in their hearts hasn't fallen, that's enough.】

【Yes, the Imperial Guard winning is the answer they most want to hear; they don't care about the process.】

【I think Zhan Foguo doing this is truly too stupid. He did this merely to save the Imperial Guard's image; in reality, he never cared about the life and death of ordinary people.】

【He seemingly gave the people hope for life, but in reality, he just pulled them from hell to heaven, only to push them back into a deeper hell, making them endure even more painful torture and despair.】

【Exactly, everyone saw the excitement of those bandits just now.】

【Many Xia Lan in the surrounding areas have already seen Whitebeard's death, so naturally, they all guessed that the places under Whitebeard's rule would inevitably become chaotic and lively.】

【By then, those people who had been living in peace and contentment will inevitably be in even more desperate dire straits.】

【Can Zhan Foguo really manage this matter then? I don't think so.】

【The Imperial Guard's top combat power is almost all in the Forbidden City this time, suffering heavy losses and countless casualties; they won't be able to recover their vitality for a while. How could they have the mood to manage such a large area? They can only let those people fend for themselves.】

【So, Zhan Foguo doing this looks interesting, but in fact, he never considered the life and death of the people; he is purely a damn bastard.】

【To the one above, shut up. What, do you want to tell all the people that the Imperial Guard and the Whitebeard Gang both suffered heavy losses and that they failed?】

【Wouldn't that make all the people in hell even more desperate and powerless?】

【Perhaps there would only be more scenes of suicide and self-harm across the world.】

【Exactly, many people have long known they live in a desperate hell; they know the Imperial Guard can't manage them, but it's just hope nonetheless.】

【Could it be that Zhan Foguo won't even give them this bit of hope?】

For a time, the entire comment section was fiercely debating whether this approach was right or wrong.

And many people were focusing on the Xia Lan who flashed by in the scene just now.

【Those Xia Lan just now are all on the same level as Luffy; their strength is not weak.】

【Looking at them, I'm afraid they are going to cause a scene in the territory ruled by Whitebeard.】

【Yeah, when they fight for territory, there will definitely be no shortage of conflict.】

【By then, those people who were originally living in peace and contentment under Whitebeard's protection will likely face slaughter and despair, falling directly into hell. I hope they are safe and sound and never suffer such harm.】

Begging for flowers.

Meanwhile, the video scene shifted to the territory where Whitebeard was located.

At this moment, what came into everyone's view was Whitebeard's unique flag.

Just at this time, some bandits who had been wandering within Whitebeard's territory were seen.

They had always been afraid of Whitebeard's powerful prestige and authority, not daring to act rashly, let alone commit evil deeds here.

They could only be suppressed.

But after they received the news of Whitebeard's death on the battlefield just now, they were all dancing with excitement.

"Hahaha, that fool Whitebeard is finally dead. We can finally run wild here and enjoy freedom and happiness."

"Kill!!!"

"All the money, beauties, and wealth are beckoning to us. Charge, brothers, charge!"

In an instant, countless bandits had their faces twisted with excitement.

They were so excited they didn't look human, riding their horses and shouting.

"Giddyap!"

"Giddyap!"

At the same time, in the towns protected by Whitebeard, all the common people were living in peace and contentment, rejoicing.

They had just received the news of the Imperial Guard's great victory, not knowing whether to be happy or disappointed.

But after thinking about it, most people were happy in the end.

After all, although they were in no danger under Whitebeard's protection, they were still controlled by a bandit.

If possible, they would rather be protected by the righteous Imperial Guard.

Just at this moment, all the people suddenly heard a burst of excited shouting from outside.

And this sound instantly pulled them back into the despair of being ruled by bandits in the past.

All the people instantly showed terror, and through the windows, they saw a group of horse bandits and bandits rushing in quickly.

Among them, one bandit was wielding a sword and slashing rapidly.

"Bang!"