Kronos paused for a moment, then continued seriously.
"But… have you ever thought that if we ended things too quickly, the Marines might not even come to fight?
"That is to say—before the fish takes the bait, I have no intention of finishing this so soon.
"Besides…"
"If the game ends too quickly, it's far too boring."
He grinned.
"Let Senju Hashirama and the others play for a while, hahaha!"
If Whitebeard and the others knew what Kronos was thinking, they would be absolutely furious.
This wasn't just looking down on them—Kronos had treated the entire war as nothing more than a game from the very beginning.
Every word dripped with contempt for the Whitebeard Pirates.
At first, Albedo truly had no idea what was going through Kronos's mind. But after hearing his explanation, she and the others suddenly began to understand.
Pain spoke thoughtfully.
"So… you're planning to take on the Marines as well?"
Kronos didn't answer directly. Instead, he quietly glanced toward another part of the sea, murmuring almost to himself:
"The timing is almost right."
Meanwhile, the massive battle that had suddenly erupted on Hive Island was putting enormous pressure on the Marines.
Whether it was the Whitebeard Pirates or the Kamui Pirates led by Kronos, neither was an enemy that could be provoked lightly.
One was the strongest man in the world.
The other was the Fifth Emperor of the New World.
Either one alone could cause a bloody storm across the seas.
If these two forces were truly determined to fight to the death, the Marines couldn't afford to waste a second. That was why both sides had brought massive forces, prepared for mutual destruction.
What many didn't expect, however, was that Admiral Akainu himself had left Marine Headquarters—personally leading a unit of elite troops.
Since the end of the Paramount War, the Five Elders—eager to change the current world order—had come to believe that Sengoku was no longer suitable to remain as Fleet Admiral. They had quietly begun supporting Akainu as his replacement.
Although Sengoku still officially held the title, most of his real authority had already been handed over to Akainu.
Even without the Five Elders' urging, Sengoku himself had been planning to step down, intending to enjoy a quiet life like Garp.
Akainu, however, knew that if he wanted to secure the position of Fleet Admiral, he needed a decisive, overwhelming victory to solidify his standing.
In truth, the Marines were not so different from the pirates—both were ruled by the law of strength. Whoever had the biggest fist was the one people followed.
If Akainu could seize this opportunity to crush both of the Emperor crews, then with this victory, he would not only claim the title of Fleet Admiral—his fame could even surpass Sengoku's in one stroke.
Of course, the greater the reward, the greater the danger.
Whitebeard was terrifying… but Kronos was even more so.
Akainu understood this better than anyone.
Whitebeard was aging.
His days as the unstoppable Strongest Man in the World were long behind him.
The fact of his declining health was no secret—almost everyone knew about his chronic illness.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to [Umbra Paco]for joining my Patreon page!🎉Your support means the world to me. 🙏
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 80+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.