New World, defensive frontline surrounding Whole Cake Island.
Inside the central island base, Sakazuki sat in the main seat with his arms crossed against the chair.
On the table before him rested two heads.
Every officer who arrived was shocked upon seeing them.
They were the heads of Emperor Knox and Red-Haired Shanks?!
The mid-ranking officers were so stunned they could barely speak. They silently took their seats and waited for Sakazuki to begin.
On the large seats below, Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr, Morris, and the others sat on the left side.
On the right sat Bullet, Tsuru, Borsalino, Enel, and...
Whoosh!
Aramaki and Carlo suddenly appeared.
Aramaki clicked his tongue in amazement. "That really is convenient, Carlo."
Carlo gave a tired smile and nodded before stepping aside.
Aramaki then very consciously walked to the last seat on the right side and sat down, his gaze burning with fanatic excitement as he looked at Sakazuki.
After all, blowing up the New World and instantly wiping out hundreds of thousands of people… that kind of thing was simply...
Sakazuki didn't pay attention to Aramaki's feverish gaze and slowly spoke. "The war has already reached its final stage, so I won't waste words on unnecessary talk.
"Big Mom and Kaido will be dealt with by me, Bullet, Garp, and Inspector General Sengoku, along with part of the top combat force. The rest will be left to all of you.
"Afterward, the large-scale suppression operation will be commanded by Vice Admiral Morris, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Chief Instructor Zephyr. Do not let a single pirate escape."
Enel rested his chin on one hand from below. "Then where are the three of us going?"
He was referring to himself along with Borsalino and Aramaki beside him.
The two of them also looked curious. From the way Sakazuki spoke, it sounded like there was something else waiting for them...
Sakazuki swept his gaze across the room before speaking. "According to the latest intelligence, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, has led his fleet across the Calm Belt and is preparing to attack Mariejois..."
The half-asleep Garp abruptly widened his eyes and shot to his feet.
A trace of headache flashed across Sengoku's face as he immediately stood up and pressed down on Garp's shoulder before turning toward Sakazuki.
"Wait, Sakazuki. How did Dragon cross the Calm Belt? Isn't that technology exclusive to the Marine SSG?"
Sakazuki looked at the two indifferently. "How would I know?"
Ignoring the troubled Garp and the headache-stricken Sengoku, he continued, "The Revolutionary Army will most likely arrive at Red Port the day after tomorrow."
He then looked toward Enel and the others. "In a while, Carlo will take the three of you back to headquarters to stand by. After we finish dealing with Big Mom and Kaido, we'll regroup and head to Mariejois."
At this moment, everyone in the hall finally understood why the command of this war had been handed over to Morris, Tsuru, and the old man Zephyr.
No one had expected the Revolutionary Army to be on the verge of attacking Mariejois.
The news had come far too suddenly.
And Sakazuki's attitude right now was also extremely unclear. He never said which side he intended to help. He only mentioned standing by and regrouping...
Was he planning to throw all top-tier combat power into Mariejois? This...
The expressions of the people below varied greatly.
Sengoku looked grave.
Garp's face was conflicted.
Aramaki slightly frowned.
Enel yawned lazily.
As for Borsalino, his eyes shifted slightly as if he was thinking about something.
Most of the Vice Admirals, however, remained expressionless. Shocked or not, this matter did not concern them directly...
Their battlefield was here. And their mission was to wipe out the pirates.
After the high-level Marine meeting, which had gathered nearly all top officers and continued for quite some time while dividing responsibilities, everyone quickly departed for their assigned positions.
Garp rushed out of the meeting room with a conflicted expression. His fists clenched tightly as he turned around, intending to find Sakazuki again, only for Sengoku to stop him.
"It won't make a difference waiting one more day. After Big Mom and Kaido are dealt with tomorrow, there'll still be time. Garp..."
* * *
Inside the meeting room, people gradually left one after another.
Enel stretched lazily as he stood up and loosened his body.
Just then, Carlo walked in.
Borsalino also rose sluggishly. "Oh~ We're leaving already~?"
The exhaustion on Carlo's face eased slightly. "The sooner the better."
Borsalino simply shrugged. He was already familiar with the process.
He, Enel, and Aramaki all placed their hands on Carlo.
Carlo took a deep breath.
Whoosh!!!
The four instantly disappeared.
Sakazuki quietly stared at the spot where they vanished, his gaze deep and unreadable...
* * *
New World, Egghead Island.
At the center of the island, inside an underwater prison connected directly to the sea.
Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash!
Four figures instantly appeared underwater.
The entire place was filled with seawater. Since all four of them were Devil Fruit users, their bodies immediately stiffened as they slowly sank downward...
Borsalino and Aramaki's pupils suddenly shrank as their eyes turned toward Carlo and Enel. Seeing the calm expressions on both of their faces, their hearts instantly sank...
Kuzan's strange death also surfaced in their minds.
Everything had happened too suddenly back then, leaving them no time to think deeply about it. But now…
Damn it.
Neither of them had imagined Sakazuki would set up something like this.
Who would have thought Carlo would teleport together with Enel and them directly into the sea?
There had been absolutely no guard against it...
A complete betrayal built on trust...
Borsalino and Aramaki's faces turned ashen as the four slowly sank into the underwater prison.
The moment they reached the bottom, the prison's alarm was triggered. Soon after, two mechanical arms extended from above and identified Carlo and Enel before lifting them out.
Carlo lay back on the ground outside the prison and let out a long breath. "Haa..."
He closed his eyes for a moment to recover.
Enel, however, had already disappeared without a trace.
No matter what, Borsalino had once saved him before, but this was Sakazuki's order. He had no way to disobey it.
Carlo then slowly stood up and walked over, crouching outside the underwater prison. "Sorry, Admiral Borsalino... and you too, Admiral Aramaki. The new world has no place for you two. So... time to get off."
As his words fell, four mechanical arms extended inside the prison. Two held Devil Fruit extraction devices while the other two carried tubes filled with deadly poisonous fungus capable of killing instantly…
Even powerful Zoan monsters like Jack or Kaido, whose bodies possessed terrifying durability, would be unable to move once trapped in seawater, let alone resist...
Carlo simply watched the two below with an indifferent gaze.
Six eyes met in silence.
Until two Devil Fruits gradually formed inside the extraction devices…
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