New World, an unknown sea.
“Haha, he is indeed the Soryu (Azure Dragon). I didn’t expect this!” Captain Teach of the Blackbeard Pirates held the information brought back by “Demon Sheriff” Lafitte, laughing. Although he was smiling, the killing intent in his eyes sent shivers down one’s spine.
After leaving the Whitebeard Pirates, Teach unexpectedly didn’t stay in the New World to search for the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Upon obtaining information about the Sacrifice-Sacrifice Fruit from the Black Market, realizing he couldn’t rely solely on the Dark-Dark Fruit, he seized a Marine battleship on a mission and crossed the Calm Belt to West Blue to recruit more manpower.
This was the first thing he did upon returning to the New World.
“Captain, this doesn’t sound like good news, does it?” Lafitte twirled his cane, lifting the brim of his hat. “Those scavengers will probably be taken care of by the Soryu (Azure Dragon) in a few days, but our plan is only one-third complete.”
Lafitte, second only to Teach in terms of fear of the Soryu (Azure Dragon), hailed from West Blue. He was well aware of how the biggest arms dealer in West Blue, Capone Mafia, operated.
So, Lafitte understood that, unlike other conventional and stubborn Marines, the Soryu (Azure Dragon) had no apparent weaknesses. Assuming the role of pirates with the Black Flag was entirely appropriate; he was a true madman.
Additionally, the Soryu (Azure Dragon)’s strategic mind was vast, making him the Resourceful General of the new generation of Marines.
Attempting to cause trouble under his watch was not merely dangerous; it was fatal.
Their plan to delay time had been miraculously thwarted by the Soryu (Azure Dragon) in an unimaginable way, posing a significant threat to them.
“No matter! I wasn’t counting on them this time anyway!” Teach chuckled coldly. “Those Supernovas think too highly of themselves, challenging the Yonko!”
Although the Supernovas were noteworthy in the first half of the Grand Line, in the face of the Yonko in the New World, even the historic Supernovas were just small characters.
“However, I do need their power now…”
Teach pondered for a moment and said, “Time is of the essence! Lafitte, Burgess, represent me in overseeing the league meeting. If you encounter danger, retreat immediately!”
“Hehe, Captain, are we going to face off against the Marines?” Champion Jesus Burgess excitedly raised his fist, eager for action.
“Yes, there will be a confrontation with the Marines. Their spies are definitely on standby aboard [The Drifter], just don’t know if the Soryu (Azure Dragon) will come.”
Lafitte grinned, “Naturally, it would be good if he came.”
…
Several days later, Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
“Rowen actually had this up his sleeve?”
Garp, munching on half a donut, looked astonished, then burst into laughter. “Haha, no wonder he guaranteed it was just a small matter! Sengoku, I must say, binding him to G-10 is a waste of talent!”
Rowen, who developed Supercharged Travel, was originally a sharp tool for the Marines. Becoming a backup Admiral gave sufficient reason to keep him at the headquarters for deployment.
However, because Rowen loved causing trouble too much, Sengoku had lingering fears every time he assigned him a mission, leaving Rowen bound at G-10 until now.
In response to Garp’s teasing, Sengoku rolled his eyes with no hint of goodwill, glancing at him with a wry smile.
Garp: “…”
Hiss…!!
“Do you want to fight, asshole?!”
Rowen, stuck in G-10 because of his penchant for causing trouble, was not only Garp’s reality. Otherwise, with his status as the “Marine Hero,” he wouldn’t need to stay at G-3, let alone for decades.
“Alright, enough, you’re not kids anymore!”
Tsuru impatiently intervened, putting an end to the bickering. “Rowen handled this matter beautifully, and the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) are satisfied. The idea of a large-scale war has diminished.”
“But the problem still exists!”
Silence fell among the group.
The Pirate League!
Due to its awkward geographical location, right on the edge of Yonko territory in the Yonko Sea, if Marines deployed a large force without the legitimacy of the G-5 branch, it would be seen as a signal of aggression against the Yonko. This is why this safe zone was established.
Now, with “Blackbeard” Teach creating the Pirate League and declaring a challenge to the Yonko, this was certainly not what the Marines wanted.
“This matter can only be left to see how Rowen handles it! His main quest on this journey is to ensure the establishment of the new G-5. If time doesn’t allow…”
Sengoku stopped his words here, and everyone understood his meaning.
Compared to the chaos that would arise from the founding of the Pirate League, the establishment of the Marine G-series branches was undoubtedly more crucial.
If time runs out, they can only fix it afterward.
“Do we have information on the whereabouts of the Blackbeard Pirates?”
“Not at the moment… They sent invitations to various pirates and then vanished. But they are definitely still in the New World.”
“I see…”
Not finding the enemy was the most significant issue. Sengoku frowned; after a pause, he said, “Currently, the best approach is to remain flexible and wait for them to reveal their intentions!”
In any case, the New World had already reached this point, and Sengoku knew that maintaining the balance as it had in the past decade was impossible.
He had a vague premonition that the era of the Grand Pirate Age, which had seen numerous rising powers over the past twenty years, was about to change.
…
New World, [The Drifter].
As the day of the League meeting approached, the market-like town was bustling with pirates and hitmen coming and going, giving the impression of a gathering of heroes at the foot of Mount Huashan.
However, beneath this excitement, pedestrians wore anxious expressions, eyeing everyone as if they were prey, creating a tense atmosphere.
There was a reason for this tension.
Blackbeard Captain, taking advantage of the Germa mercenaries, had stirred up a war in the New World, attempting to attract the attention of the Soryu (Azure Dragon), who had arrived in the New World. However, before the war reached its peak, the Soryu (Azure Dragon) miraculously ended it in an unbelievable manner.
Now, with the Soryu (Azure Dragon) freed up, he had plenty of time to deal with them. Most pirates didn’t believe in the Pirate League and chose to ignore the invitation. Those who truly accepted the invitation were less than one-third of what was anticipated.
Even those pirates coming here had to be on constant guard, fearing the Soryu (Azure Dragon) might descend upon [The Drifter] and bathe it in blood.
True, this was a safe zone, and Marines couldn’t act recklessly.
But was the Soryu (Azure Dragon) someone who would hesitate?
Moreover, the closest Big Mom Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates, both of whom had suffered losses at his hands, were still unknown. Even if he came, whether the Yonko would intervene was uncertain.
Despite the anxious state of the people, [The Drifter] became even more lively.
Among the pirates were ambitious individuals who, unable to challenge the Yonko in the New World, had lived in frustration for many years. This League was their only chance. Even with Rowen as a potential threat, they were willing to risk their lives for this opportunity.
“There’s Oliver Richards, the Supernova from 1515! A pirate with a bounty of 170 Million!”
“The Black Shark Pirates are here too, a large fleet with tens of thousands of crew members!”
“Look, there’s [The Destroyer]! Deere Mazass, the ‘Ruiner,’ is here too!”
As one name after another was called out, the pirates on [The Drifter], who came to watch the excitement, struggled to swallow their saliva.
Just in the morning, they had seen more than a dozen pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million! The number of forces under their command must be calculated in tens of thousands! If they could unite, challenging the Yonko might not be impossible!
“Oh? ‘Old Tiger’ Ait isn’t here?!”
A Pirate Captain glanced at the port where dozens of pirate ships were anchored and disdainfully chuckled, “Old Tiger has gotten old, becoming a sick cat?!”
“Haha!”
“Old Tiger is just a big cat, Captain!”
The crew burst into laughter; they had faced off with Ait, nicknamed “Old Tiger,” many times and wouldn’t miss a chance to mock their opponent.
The port was chaotic, with pirates shouting, getting into fights, and creating various disturbances.
These unruly individuals were not genuinely willing to cooperate. If it weren’t for the Marines becoming stronger and their living space in the New World shrinking, Teach wouldn’t have convened this League meeting.
In this chaotic scene, no one noticed that an inconspicuous pirate ship had docked on the edge of the port.
A black pirate flag fluttered high, and a young swordsman sat on the deck, holding a half-empty jug of wine. His eyes were unfocused as he gazed ahead at [The Drifter], where one could easily throw a brick and hit several pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million. His teeth ground together with a faint grinding sound.
“Without entering the tiger’s lair, how can one get its cub?”
“I believed your nonsense!”
(End of this chapter)
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