Sabaody Archipelago.
When the Supernovas read the new newspapers, they were completely stunned. Even the famously arrogant Eustass Kid was shocked by the Marines' bravery.
To openly challenge a monster like Whitebeard was insane. Kid thought it would be a miracle if Marine Headquarters was still standing after the dust settled.
"Kid, shouldn't we head to Fish-Man Island now?" Killer, his masked crewmate, asked. "This place is too close to Marine Headquarters. It won't be safe once a war breaks out."
Kid scoffed at the idea. "Hahahaha, what's there to be afraid of? Didn't the papers say the execution will be live-streamed all over Sabaody? I wanna see how powerful a Four Emperors crew and a Marine Admiral really are!"
Unlike the original timeline, Luffy hadn't caused trouble on Sabaody Archipelago or punched a Celestial Dragon yet. The Supernovas hadn't been put in their place by a Marine Admiral, so their arrogance was still intact. If they had, they would have already fled to Fish-Man Island with their tails between their legs.
Not just the Kid Pirates, but the other Supernova crews like the On Air Pirates, Hawkins Pirates, Bonney Pirates, Monk Pirates, Fire Tank Pirates, and Drake Pirates, all decided to stay put. The captains of these crews were all bold and fearless. They wouldn't even hesitate to jump into the war directly if they wanted to.
However, none of them were foolish enough to actually join the fray. The war between the Marines and Whitebeard had nothing to do with them. They figured they could use the opportunity to seize Whitebeard's territory and become the next Four Emperors—or maybe even the next "Five Emperors" now.
In fact, all the Supernovas were annoyed by the sudden appearance of the Straw Hat Pirates as a new Emperor crew. They all started out in the same generation, so why were the Straw Hats so much stronger? But the Straw Hats' accomplishments forced them to swallow their pride.
No other Supernova had the power to defeat Big Mom, no matter how confident they were. Even someone as arrogant as Kid had to admit that the Straw Hats were a different beast entirely. Next to them, the other Supernovas felt like they were just playing at being pirates.
At that moment, the Straw Hats also got a hold of the new newspapers. After confirming the time and place of Ace's public execution, they began preparing the ship to set sail.
"Huh? The news about the battle at Water 7 is also out, but it's not even a headline. Also, Doflamingo has announced he's leaving the Warlords. That guy is ridiculous. He's still trying to fool Law?" Ikki said with a laugh, dismissing the news.
Because of the massive news about Ace's execution, many other important headlines were overshadowed. The fact that Straw Hat Luffy had defeated Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, barely created a stir. Perhaps it wasn't surprising, given that rumors of Luffy's promotion to Emperor had already been circulating. The news of Doflamingo leaving the Warlords was completely buried.
Law picked up a newspaper and glanced at it, a sarcastic smile spreading across his face.
"Law, did you really let those executives go?" Ikki asked. "Wouldn't that be a gift to Doflamingo?"
"I let the people go, but their hearts are with me," Law said with a disdainful smirk.
Ikki said nothing else. He knew Doflamingo's announcement was probably a lie, but the Warlord probably had no idea about Law's true plan.
When Doflamingo showed up at the Summit War, Law would crush the hearts of those executives right in front of him. Doflamingo would probably vomit blood.
"Everyone! Get ready to sail!" Luffy shouted, standing at the head of the Merry.
Everyone immediately returned to their posts, readying the anchor, manning the helm, and hoisting the sails. Law, Bepo, and the rest of his crew went back to their submarine. Without even realizing it, Law's crew had fully integrated with the Straw Hats and were actively joining the mission to rescue Ace.
Just then, Tashigi walked to the center of the deck.
"Luffy, everyone, I have something I need to say."
Tashigi's expression was serious, and everyone instantly became quiet and solemn. It seemed that she had finally made her decision and wanted to announce it before they set sail. Everyone waited, wondering if she would be an ally, an enemy, or a stranger from now on.
"Captain Luffy, please allow me to inform the Marines that the Straw Hats are participating in the war!"
"Huh? What are you talking about, Tashigi?" Luffy was confused, and so was everyone else.
Tashigi explained, "I'm a Marine undercover agent working with the Straw Hat Pirates. You've already acknowledged that, Captain Luffy. So I must do my duty and inform the Marines that the Straw Hats are joining the battle.
However, I don't know the specific details of your plan. In addition, I'll be coming with you, of course. It's normal for an undercover agent to be with the crew. I'll take responsibility for guarding the ship when the time comes."
As soon as she finished speaking, most of the crew understood what she was doing. She was using her status as an "undercover agent" to justify her actions. By reporting the news to the Marines, she wasn't betraying them, but by not providing the details of the Straw Hats' plan, she wasn't betraying the crew, either.
The little girl was playing a word game. She hadn't even realized that by concealing the details of the plan, her heart had already sided with the Straw Hats. As for the news that the Straw Hats were joining the war, Ikki figured Sengoku had already guessed it, so Tashigi's report wouldn't make a huge difference anyway.
Ikki glanced at Zoro and saw that his expression was a little unnatural. It was clear that what Tashigi had said wasn't something she came up with on her own. Ikki could guess her thought process. She truly liked being with the Straw Hats and wanted to stay on the ship, so she kept her "undercover" identity as an excuse.
Her heart was leaning toward the Straw Hats because their actions aligned with her own sense of justice. Meanwhile, the corruption of the Marines and the World Government was constantly being exposed right in front of her.
After so much exposure, her heart had naturally shifted. Tashigi was forging her own path of justice, and the Straw Hats were having a huge influence on her. The justice she had learned from the Marines was gradually being forgotten. Perhaps one day, Tashigi would become a "pirate" that the World Government truly feared.
Luffy didn't seem to understand the deeper meaning of her words, but he simply smiled. "You want to tell the Marines that we're joining the war? That's fine. Since you want to guard the ship, then you can guard the Merry with us!"
Hearing Luffy's agreement, Tashigi finally breathed a sigh of relief, releasing the anxiety that had been weighing on her for days. She looked at Zoro and, for the first time, gave him a genuine smile. Zoro was frozen in place, a memory of Kuina's smile overlapping with Tashigi's.
"Damn it," he thought. "They're getting more and more alike."
The narrative highlights the different reactions to the impending war and Tashigi's struggle with her sense of justice. What do you think the future holds for Tashigi? Will she fully abandon the Marines, or will she try to bridge the gap between pirates and the Marines?
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