Chapter 326: Summoning the Warlords!
The last war with the Curtain Call was in the North Blue. This time, the tables had turned. The World Government was on the offensive, entering the New World. And that meant… Whitebeard's territory was unavoidable! The other Elders, after a moment's thought, all nodded in agreement.
The logic was simple. The Curtain Call's territory was now the largest among the Yonko, but its two core regions, the Galaxy Sea and Totto Land, were in the middle of the New World. Kaido's Wano was in the latter half. And the Whitebeard Pirates' territory was mostly concentrated near the entrance to the New World. To destroy the Curtain Call, no matter which direction they attacked from, Whitebeard's territory was a necessary path!
"But, that Whitebeard…" A hint of dread appeared in Saint Nusjuro's eyes. "Although that old man doesn't seem to have any ambition to conquer the seas, especially since Roger's death, and all he does is play house with his pirate 'sons,' he… he still holds the title of 'World's Strongest Man.' He must not be underestimated!"
"Hmph, just an old relic from a bygone era," Garling sneered. The only one he was wary of now was Shane. "Have Kong hold down the fort. The other three Admirals will all be deployed!"
"Two Admirals will be responsible for suppressing Whitebeard! The other one will be responsible for cleaning up his top commanders!"
"As for the rest of their mid-tier pirates, we don't have to worry. Even though we're short on veteran Vice Admirals, we still have the Warlords. We only need to summon two or three of them, and with the Pacifistas, even on their home turf, we will still have the advantage!"
"With this, we can definitely take down the Whitebeard Pirates in one battle!" Garling said with absolute certainty, but after a moment of silence, Saint Ju Peter shook his head. "It's not enough."
"Not enough?" Garling frowned.
"Three Admirals can certainly defeat the Whitebeard Pirates. There's no doubt about that. But it will be difficult to achieve a quick victory," Peter said flatly. "One Admiral to clean up the top commanders? Don't forget, that Marco alone can hold off an Admiral for half a day."
"Indeed," Saint Warcury also nodded in agreement. "Defeating them won't be difficult, but it will take time. And no matter how secretly we advance, once a war of this scale breaks out, the other Yonko in the New World will surely hear about it. There's no guarantee they won't interfere."
Would Red-Hair interfere? No one knew. Even Garling couldn't guess what his son was thinking. Would Kaido interfere? Also unknown. Though the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beast Pirates had had their share of friction in recent years, the two Emperors themselves had never fought. Considering that decades ago, Kaido and Whitebeard had been crewmates, and were on good terms, it was possible that Kaido would transform into his Azure Dragon form and come to join the fun.
"One move affects the whole board. So, if we're going to strike, we must do it with the force of a thunderbolt and crush the Whitebeard Pirates as quickly as possible!" Nusjuro added coldly. "Besides the Marines, we need to commit more forces. The Holy Knights should also be fully deployed. I will personally lead them and lie in wait. Once the Whitebeard Pirates are locked in a grueling battle, we will strike and annihilate them!"
"As for the possible intervention of Kaido and Red-Hair…" Nusjuro looked up at Warcury.
"Hmm," Saint Warcury nodded. "I will be on standby in the Holy Land. If Kaido makes a move, I will be responsible for intercepting him." His Mythical Zoan ability, the Houki, was a giant beast that resembled a wild boar, and its defensive power was said to be the strongest in the world. Even if he was a step below Kaido in a one-on-one fight, holding him off would be no problem.
"Then I will take Red-Hair," Peter said flatly, then smiled at Garling. "As for the last Yonko, if there are any unusual movements, I'll leave him to you. Your main task will be surveillance. Even if he does make a move, you don't need to defeat him, just hold him back. You can do that, can't you, Garling?"
Can I do your mother… Garling was instantly furious, but he managed to swallow the curse that was on the tip of his tongue. He had thought these three old fossils had finally put aside their differences and were starting to cooperate with him. But in the end, they were still trying to screw him over, leaving him with the toughest bone to chew!
In the past, people would have argued endlessly over who was stronger, Kaido or Whitebeard. But now, no one would. Even a child would answer without hesitation that the strongest Yonko in the world today was Shane!
"Why are we assuming all the Yonko will know and will mobilize?" Garling retorted. "If you're so worried about the news leaking, hmph, in my opinion, it would be better to release a bombshell of our own to draw their attention."
"A good suggestion," Warcury's eyes narrowed. "But Garling, what kind of bombshell could attract the attention of three Yonko, while at the same time leaving Whitebeard unfazed?"
"You may not have a way, but that doesn't mean I don't!" Garling sneered. He beckoned to a CP0 agent outside, whispered a few words, and the agent hurried away. A few moments later, he returned with a photo and carefully placed it on the table.
The other Elders' gazes were immediately drawn to it.—It was a photo of a rather sleazy-looking middle-aged man with dark skin, an afro, and big yellow teeth, wearing an ill-fitting suit.
"Who is this?"
"The 'Fiesta Peddler,' or the 'Fiesta Shop'," Garling said, crossing his legs. "These two titles are quite famous in the underworld. You've been high and mighty for so many centuries, it's normal that you wouldn't know. I happened to run into him on a mission in the lower world and have worked with him before."
"This guy's real name is Buena Festa. He's a true ambitious man. His greatest desire is to hold a grand Pirate Fest, to which all the famous pirates will come," Garling said, tapping the photo. "And in his possession… is something that even a Yonko cannot refuse, something that can be used as the ultimate prize for the festival."
"Oh?" Nusjuro's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"
"The treasure Roger spoke of, the One Piece," Garling sneered. "To be precise, an Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale!"
An Eternal Pose? The other Elders were stunned. That meant that whoever got it wouldn't have to go through the trouble of collecting the four Road Poneglyphs! They could go straight to the final island, Laugh Tale!
"Is it real?"
"I don't know," Garling said, taking a sip of his tea. "But that doesn't matter to us, does it? As long as the news gets out and the pirates are enticed, that's enough."
That's true… The three Elders nodded. If news of a Pirate Fest got out, it was hard to say about Red-Hair, but that Shane and Kaido would definitely be tempted to go. And Whitebeard had no interest in Laugh Tale or the One Piece. So this bait was extremely attractive to the other three Yonko but would not affect the Whitebeard Pirates' movements. It was a perfect fit for their needs.
"A brilliant plan!" Nusjuro nodded. "Then let's do it. Garling, I'm starting to be impressed by you!"
As long as my lord trusts me, who needs your approval? Garling thought with contempt, but he maintained his composure and nodded. "You're too kind. Since you all agree with this plan, let's have the CP agencies contact Festa as soon as possible and ensure that the festival is held at the same time as our attack. As for the specific time…"
Knock knock.
The door was knocked, and then pushed open. A beautiful young maid in a veil appeared. Seeing the unannounced maid, the Elders were not angry, but all of them were startled and instinctively stood up.
"Our lord is aware of your plan," the beautiful maid said flatly. "The other arrangements are fine, but there is one point she is not satisfied with and requires a change. So she has asked me to invite you all to the Chamber of Flowers to discuss it."
"Our lord wants to see us?"
"Not satisfied?"
The Elders exchanged a look, and a cold sweat broke out on their foreheads. But they didn't dare to hesitate. They nodded and followed the maid, their hearts filled with trepidation, towards the Chamber of Flowers…
First half of the Grand Line, Kuraigana Island.
On the foggy terrace of the old castle, the current Warlord of the Sea, "Hawk-Eye" Mihawk, put down his newspaper and looked out into the distance. His eyes, so similar to Imu's, narrowed slightly. "Not only the Marines, but even the Five Elders have become prey."
Interesting. It was good to live a long life. To think he would see such a thing. He flipped through the Five Elders' wanted posters and noticed that both the newspaper and the posters had two lines of text:
"All Celestial Dragons have a bounty of one billion Berries, dead or alive!"
"Those who fear retaliation may seek refuge in the Curtain Call's territory. The Curtain Call guarantees your absolute safety!"
With this news out, he didn't know how the higher-ups in the Marines and the World Government would react, but those Celestial Dragons were probably scared out of their wits, not even daring to leave the Holy Land. Mihawk took a sip of his red wine, a sarcastic smile on his lips. Those pampered Celestial Dragons, so used to their debauchery, always coming down to the lower world to capture or buy slaves. Had they ever thought that one day, they themselves would have a price on their heads? A bounty of one billion Berries, plus the promise of the Curtain Call's protection. If a Celestial Dragon who didn't believe in evil were to appear in the lower world, countless desperados would flock to them.
Mihawk looked towards the New World. With the Curtain Call's current prestige, they were indeed qualified to do this. He just didn't know where this storm that was sweeping the world would ultimately lead the sea. The so-called tide of the new era was getting more and more turbulent. Even a recluse like him could feel it.
Speaking of which… my foolish apprentice should be having a comfortable time there. There was no doubt about it. It was much better than this broken-down old castle, where he would come back every day, beaten black and blue by the baboons, and still have to serve him, his unreasonable master. Thinking of the past year, Mihawk couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
Purupurupuru~
Just then, the Den Den Mushi, which he hadn't used in a long time, suddenly rang, interrupting his thoughts. "What boring meeting is it this time?" Mihawk frowned, put down his wine glass, and went to the Den Den Mushi. As the strongest and most reclusive of the Warlords, Marine Headquarters had a hard time contacting him. And he had almost never attended any of the Warlord meetings. This time, he was about to ignore it as well. But then he remembered the World Government's recent pathetic appearance in the newspapers, and a smile tugged at his lips. He pressed the button.
"Hawk-Eye, this is Kong," a deep, majestic old voice came from the other end. "Within seven days, you must come to Marineford for a top-level meeting. As a Warlord of the Sea, your presence is mandatory this time."
Mihawk's eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh? A personal call from the Commander-in-Chief. It seems this time is different. Something major has happened?"
"That's right," Kong said in a low voice. "Don't be so quick to refuse. I understand your mindset. You don't care about rewards. But a great swordsman like you is always looking for a worthy opponent, aren't you?"
"This is your chance. The World Government is about to launch a war. Although, for security reasons, I can't tell you who the enemy is yet. But I can guarantee you, in the enemy's camp, there is a world-famous great swordsman whom you can fight one-on-one. How about it?"
Mihawk's expression changed. "A great swordsman?" a rare hint of interest in his deep voice. "For you to use that word, could it be…"
"You've probably guessed. So, are you coming or not…"
"I'll be in Marineford in five days. Have the red wine ready." With that, Hawk-Eye hung up.
He went back to the terrace. As he looked towards the New World again, he couldn't help but draw the black blade on his back and gently caress it. I've finally waited for this day. He had missed him time and time again on the vast sea, and after giving up, he had begun to doubt whether they were destined to ever meet. And now, he finally had a chance.
SWISH!
The black blade was sheathed, and Hawk-Eye's gaze grew resolute! Don't blame me for standing against you, Shane! The title of World's Strongest Swordsman has been yours for some time now. It is time for me, with this black blade, Yoru, to test whether that title is truly deserved
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