Every war is a gamble.
Magnus tossed himself onto the table as the stake.
If he won, he took more territory; if he lost, he'd become a handful of dirt.
And only at moments like this did the World Government get a real chance to kill Magnus.
So they never turned down Magnus's gambles.
But this time—
They lost again!
If they couldn't kill Magnus, they lost. If they couldn't even drain the White Wolf Pirates' foundations, they lost big. And if they had to cough up half the New World in the bargain—then they'd lost their shorts.
Imu didn't end up handing the entire New World to Magnus.
Magnus knew that was impossible.
But in the end, it wasn't the White Wolf Pirates who pulled back—it was the World Government and the navy.
Imu did not recognize Magnus's status in the New World.
Yet she ceded Acropolis Harbor; with the navy's current strength, they couldn't cross the White Wolf's blockade to enforce laws in the New World. Saying she gave Magnus half the New World wasn't much of an exaggeration.
In the end, it came down to the understanding between monsters.
They'd clash in open war, not play cheap ambush games. If you lose, you admit it. Otherwise Magnus could "drop by" Mary Geoise every few days, and Imu could teleport Divine Knights to wreck anything in Magnus's sphere.
Why did Imu yield the New World to Magnus in the first place? This was why.
Before, Magnus was barefoot; even if he had forces, it was just one island.
Now he wore shoes.
With over a dozen member islands, he could duck into one for a while—but what then? Was Ripley supposed to shrink entire populations and stuff people from a dozen countries into one, hiding forever?
Anyway, this was a crushing victory.
The ones who died most were the pirates Magnus had hauled in with Stussy's youth serum. In these times, few pirates were good people; they weren't his core, so even if they died off, he didn't feel bad—and it actually made future management easier.
By contrast, the navy's casualties were the part that left Magnus regretful.
Magnus was the navy's enemy—
But he didn't despise marines who fought pirates to protect ordinary people.
Unfortunately, the navy obeyed Celestial Dragons.
Had they not opposed the White Wolf Pirates, fine—but once they did, Magnus would show no mercy.
In truth, late in the battle, that three-way clash of Conqueror's Will between Magnus, Imu, and Ryuma actually capped the losses.
Plenty of pirates and marines fainted, leaving only the stronger fighters to keep going—and these had one thing in common: ridiculous vitality.
In the end—light wounds aside—the pirates lost over ten thousand.
The navy likely lost even more.
Imu handed over all of Acropolis Harbor to Magnus, but kept the G-1 Branch to check the White Wolf Pirates—
And to reassure the New World nations still in the Government's fold.
The war between the World Government and the White Wolf Pirates wasn't a loss; they were "negotiating as equals," and the Government hadn't abandoned them.
Still, in many eyes—
The Fleet Admiral had been captured, and the Government was forced to cede Acropolis—the front door of the New World. How was that different from indemnities and ceding land?
So—
The World Government publicly declared victory, and the White Wolf Pirates publicly declared victory.
After dumping the shattered Acropolis Harbor back on the navy, Magnus took the remaining pirates into the belly of the lanternfish—
And threw a feast!
"Long live the White Wolf Pirates!"
"Haha, it's been ages since we had a fight this satisfying."
"You should've seen that Fleet Admiral's face—like he'd lost his parents."
"Damn it, why'd I pass out halfway?"
"Your own fault for being weak!"
"…"
After this war, the pirates who chose to follow Magnus felt more belonging to the White Wolf.
In a world where strength is justice, strength is justice—and if you can show strength and still treat others with courtesy—
Everyone bows their heads willingly.
At first, those crews who came for youth serum and pure gold were just mercenaries. After this battle, Magnus began to set rules for them and distribute spoils.
One big fight won doesn't mean no more fights.
The Government has just under two hundred member nations; the New World has fewer than thirty, and the White Wolf's sworn supporters are eleven.
So the White Wolf's logistics still can't match the Government's.
But this is a world of overwhelming individuals.
As long as Magnus isn't killed, the Government can only bide time and wait for him to toss himself onto the table again.
Next time will likely be the showdown.
Clink!
A massive beer stein clashed with Magnus's tiny cup, nearly cracking it; Harald and the other giants sat together, pointing at Magnus and laughing.
"Didn't we win? Why the long face?"
"Kekekeke, now that was a war!"
"Shame we didn't keep that Admiral—guess we're still a bit short!"
"…"
Dorry and Brogy guffawed. Elsewhere, Rocks sidled up to Newgate again, whispering an invite.
"Newgate, want to set sail with me?"
Two years after leaving the White Wolf, he'd reached Admiral-level power. Rocks figured he could finally butt heads with Magnus, so he decided to poach early.
Newgate glanced over.
"Who are you?"
Rocks swung first on the spot.
"Brat, two years and you forgot me?"
"Where'd this vagrant come from? You know I'm the White Wolf's chief crewmate?"
Newgate truly didn't recognize him. Back under the White Wolf flag, Rocks at least kept his beard and hair trimmed and his clothes neat—get too slovenly and Magnus would pound him.
But out in the wild, with no one to ride him—and after living rough in sewers in the Magra Kingdom for half a year—
Rocks was still young, but compared to before he looked ten years older.
Once he proved who he was, Newgate eyed him with disgust.
"How'd you end up this shabby?"
In Newgate's mind, a pirate doing well might not be as sharp as Magnus—nice clothes, a few pretty female crew, big ships, sub-factions paying fealty—
But at least don't look like a bum.
Rocks looked like a street thug who'd wandered in.
Where was the big-name pirate in that?
It wasn't just Newgate. After hearing him, even the crewmates Rocks had scraped together stared at him with doubt.
Most familiar with him, Barlorick, shot him a look of pure contempt.
"These are the loyal lackeys you bragged about?"
If he hadn't gotten wanted alongside Rocks, Barlorick wouldn't have set sail—much less follow Rocks into days of empty bellies.
Think going to sea is easy?
Even with a big ship gifted by the Magra Kingdom and Barlorick doubling as a half-baked navigator, food and water were a constant problem.
Two men couldn't manage logistics. Sometimes Rocks got an idea, sailed with empty holds, and swore that with a hook he could fish at will on the open sea—
Three days later they hadn't even snagged a hair. They finally dove in to grab fish—caught poisonous ones—and if not for strong bodies and Life Return, they'd have died out there.
Later they found two more crew, and the Rocks Pirates barely counted as a crew.
But Rocks wasn't satisfied.
The recruits were young and looked decent, but forget top-tier—most were short of proper "big pirate" level.
Take Barlorick: Rocks put him through Magnus's old training methods, and after all this time, Barlorick had only just learned the basics of Rokushiki. Haki was still far off.
The others were worse.
Right now, the Rocks Pirates didn't have a single real hitter.
So when they heard Rocks wanted to join the war at Acropolis, the other young pirates nearly peed themselves.
Bro, is that even a fight for people at our level?
But there was no choice.
Rocks was in the first half of the Grand Line. Everything was fine there—except most pirates were rookies.
There were stronger ones—
But most would rather die than bend. Even Barlorick, the vice-captain, was tricked aboard by Rocks with sweet talk.
A natural Observation talent? You could search the whole sea and only find a handful!
But talent isn't strength by itself.
Rocks now looked a lot like Magnus after getting his system and planning a comeback—some strength, no manpower, forced to raise his own.
That's why he came to Newgate.
Raising your own is slow!
How's that faster than calling a sworn brother to help?
He'd overestimated his place in that brother's heart.
Once they knew he was Rocks—
If not for the fact that, after the White Wolf declared war on the Government, Rocks still came to support, showing at least some conscience—Newgate wouldn't have spared him a glance.
Then came Magnus.
"Brat, if you want crew, go find them yourself—raise them yourself. If you didn't have a shred of conscience, I'd toss you out right now!"
"Che, I was just worried you'd die out there!"
Rocks would never admit he'd come to help Magnus. In his mind, Magnus was his greatest future rival for world dominion; how could he die to the so-called World Government?
That's right—after Magnus united the seas and declared war on the Government, rumors spread everywhere that he aimed to rule the world.
Rocks realized how small his old dream was.
Rule the seas?
He would rule the world!
For now it was just talk. Admiral-level wasn't his ceiling, but to challenge Magnus, being beyond a normal Admiral wasn't enough.
What use is matching Magnus's strength—
If you have no forces?
So Rocks took the Magra Kingdom without hesitation.
He didn't consider—
The Magra Kingdom wanted the White Wolf's protection. In the Rocks Pirates, he was the only real fighter—and he still had the White Wolf's shadow over him.
Until he fully broke with the White Wolf, most would assume he was helping them seize turf.
Because Rocks seized but didn't hold.
In the end, the White Wolf still had to send people to help.
Magnus took a look at Rocks's crew—
And was amused.
Besides the outlier Barlorick, two of the remaining three were people he knew.
In this era, if Magnus knew you—
You had either strength or talent.
The other two were a kid named John and a young pirate named Wang Zhi.
Neither was strong yet, but as future silver-medal players, their ceilings were second only to future Linlin.
This time—thanks to Magnus's training—she hadn't eaten the Soul-Soul Fruit, but Linlin's achievement would be no less than in that original future.
At least now, with her frame filling out, she was no longer the chubby little girl. Slim and sharp-featured, pirates had begun calling her the Pirate Princess.
So young, and already fighting at the two-hundred-million mark.
Few doubted that once she came of age, Linlin would be a living legend.
With Rocks already recognized by the Government as Admiral-class—some pirates still bristled, but none could deny he had top-tier potential.
So the White Wolf had the present—and the future.
Unless Magnus died one day—
The White Wolf would remain a colossus in the New World.
Many crews joining the White Wolf were old pirates who'd hit their ceilings and seen no future. They felt no burden at all about swearing fealty.
As for the unruly lackeys?
They'd been thrown to the very front as cannon fodder the moment the war started.
How many die in a great war is anyone's guess.
But those who charge first—
Die first.
Top-tier monsters aside.
After a great war, counting both the White Wolf and the Government—
Only one apex powerhouse actually died.
The Divine Knights' vice-captain cleaved down by Ryuma.
Other than that—
Even Ortega, who took the worst of it, survived.
That was just on the surface.
After this battle, even though Ardent and Portman Nissen lived, being captured by pirates might as well have killed them.
They'd be nailed to the navy's pillar of shame.
Was it their command error?
No—it was Imu selling out the navy!
A monster's strength rises and falls with their spirit. After this war, even if ranks stayed, Ardent and Portman Nissen's barely-remaining Admiral-level strength would vanish for good.
Sure enough—
Not long after, the navy announced news.
Fleet Admiral Ardent and Chief of Staff Portman Nissen resigned.
Admiral Ortega became the new Fleet Admiral.
Admirals Kong and Hains Oran kept their posts.
The navy launched another world conscription.
Before the fighting, the navy barely counted five Admiral-class combatants. After, even if nobody died, the Fleet Admiral and Chief of Staff stepping down left the navy utterly weakened.
As for conscription—
Admiral-class fighters don't grow on trees. Even in a whole era, you only get a handful.
If you can't find them, you have to raise them.
To face the growing White Wolf, the Government finally loosened the leash on ordinary marines and began truly training recruits.
Sengoku and Garp saw their spring.
And at the turn of the year—Sea Circle Calendar 1466—a small pirate ship, carrying a few rookies, sailed from the East Blue into the Grand Line.
(End of Chapter)
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