"You know, Shanks, he's not wrong. 'Demon Dragon' really has governed his territory well," Lucky Roux said. "Looking across the whole New World, which other pirate crew has a mutually beneficial policy like his?"
"Not all pirates in the New World are like Bege. The Whitebeard Pirates are decent enough, but the Beasts Pirates? The Big Mom Pirates? What kind of people do they have under them? If the New World really becomes a world ruled by pirates, by the 'Five Emperors'... I can't even imagine the outcome," Shanks said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"I don't think Bege's proposal is a bad one," Benn Beckman said. "In this Great Pirate Era, no pirate can just stay out of it. If you want to protect the innocent, you have to provide them with protection. With our current strength, we can't shelter everyone. It would be better to expand our territory, like Bege, and let the people under our rule live and work in peace. Besides, only with enough authority and power will we have the standing and ability to intervene in the affairs of the sea."
The thought of expanding their territory, of being tied down and unable to sail freely, gave Shanks a headache.
"Shanks, we have to decide our future path. This decision must be made," Benn Beckman said seriously. "You are our captain. Whatever you decide, we will follow you."
Shanks looked at the others. Lucky Roux and the rest of the crew nodded in agreement.
Shanks raked his hands through his hair again, finally making up his mind. "Then let's expand our territory. It's always a good thing to be able to protect some people."
"Good. Now that you've decided, let's aim for the position of one of the Five Emperors," Benn Beckman said, clapping his hands together, his eyes suddenly sharp.
"There are going to be a lot of tough battles ahead. Don't you dare die on me," Shanks said, looking at all his officers.
"Hahahaha, as if!" Lucky Roux and the others all broke into confident smiles.
Meanwhile, at the center of the world's attention, in the waters of the First Round Archipelago, the grand army of the pirate alliance had already crossed the Second Round Archipelago and was rapidly closing in.
The small island chain of the First Round Archipelago was now visible on the horizon. As the pirate alliance drew nearer, the atmosphere over the sea grew heavy and oppressive.
This was especially true for the Marines. From Kong down to the lowest-ranking sailor, every single person was stone-faced, not a hint of a smile on their lips. The Marines who had never experienced a great war were especially unsettled by the tense atmosphere. If not for Kong and the others standing in the most prominent positions, providing a powerful source of psychological reassurance, a large portion of them might have already broken down.
Bege stood at the prow of the Sky God, looking at the First Round Archipelago through a pair of binoculars. He could see dozens of warships densely packed in the waters before the islands, each one filled with Marines. At the bow of every warship stood an officer of at least Commodore rank. He could also see that the shores of the archipelago were heavily fortified with troops and massive cannons.
But his gaze was primarily focused on the large warship at the very center of the formation. On its deck stood seven imposing figures.
The man in the lead was "Steel Bone" Kong. Three men stood to his right: Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr. To his left were Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru. These seven men represented the past and present supreme commanders and Admirals of the Marines, the forces that kept the seas in check.
"'Steel Bone' Kong... that old geezer actually came too. Looks like the World Government is planning to go all out in this war," Bege said in a low voice.
"In terms of scale, this battle has already far surpassed the Summit War from the original story," Bege mused, his eyes narrowing in anticipation. The Summit War was the most spectacular and intense arc in the original work, but compared to this decisive battle between the Marines and the pirates, it paled in comparison, both in scale and in the level of power involved.
"If they're really driven out of the New World, the prestige of both the World Government and the Marines will be dragged through the mud. They're definitely going to give this fight their all," Modi said, holding his sword. His brow was furrowed as he added, "The hidden power of the World Government cannot be underestimated. It seems this is going to be a brutal battle."
"The more brutal, the better," Bege said with a smile, turning to the officers behind him. "I'm counting on this war to wipe out a good number of pirates and Marines. It'll make it easier for us to win the struggle for the Five Emperors' thrones later. So, don't go trying too hard. Just put on a show and tie up a few of the Marines' top fighters."
"Godfather, you've said that so many times my ears are starting to grow calluses," Enel said impatiently.
Bege shot Enel an annoyed glare. With his personality, he would definitely fight to his heart's content. However, Bege wasn't worried about Enel getting killed, so he decided to let him do as he pleased.
Enel grinned and looked down, not daring to meet Bege's eyes.
On the central warship of the Marine fleet, Kong stared at the approaching pirate alliance. He looked at Aokiji, his face impassive, and said in a deep voice, "Aokiji, they've arrived. Prepare to make your move."
Aokiji nodded. He leaped from the warship. The moment he landed on the sea, the surface instantly froze, forming a path of ice. He began to run across the ocean.
The pirates, of course, spotted him immediately.
"Aokiji? The Marines want to trap our ships on the sea. They want to create a battlefield on the ocean," Bege instantly understood their plan.
The captains of the other pirate crews naturally realized the Marines' intentions as well. Many crews began to open fire with long-range rocket artillery, but Aokiji was well outside their range. The shells fell harmlessly into the sea and exploded.
On the Whitebeard Pirates' ship, Marco shot into the sky, flying directly toward Aokiji.
"This distance should be about right," Aokiji stopped. He glanced at Marco speeding toward him from the sky but made no move to engage. An icy chill began to emanate from his body, and the sea around him started to freeze rapidly.
As Marco closed in, a flash of golden light suddenly leaped from behind Aokiji, blocking his path. The light resolved into the form of Kizaru. He threw a kick at Marco. Marco met the attack with one of his talons, but he was still sent flying back. Kizaru landed on the ice, looking gravely at Marco, the golden light around him intensifying.
Marco's expression turned grim. He turned and flew away; he knew he couldn't get past Kizaru to stop Aokiji on his own.
Aokiji plunged both his hands into the sea, and the chilling energy within him erupted in an instant.
"Ice Age!"
In a moment, hundreds of meters of the surrounding sea froze solid. The ice spread outward at an incredible speed, and within a few breaths, a thousand meters of the ocean was completely frozen over. The pirate ships were all instantly trapped, held motionless in the ice.
Aokiji's face was extremely pale. He had just unleashed all the chilling power in his body in one go and was now exhausted. He took a syringe from his pocket and injected its contents directly into his body. It was a drug similar to adrenaline that could rapidly restore his stamina, but it came with severe side effects. Once the drug wore off, he would likely need several months of rest to recover.