Seeing the Golden Lion submit to Creed, Redfield found it just as hard to stay calm as Trafalgar Law.
Back in those years, he had met Whitebeard and Roger. He had crossed blades with them, hoped against them, despaired before them, and finally conceded defeat—convinced that Whitebeard and Roger stood at the pinnacle of the world's strength.
The Golden Lion, whose power rivaled Roger's, had once almost wiped out Roger's entire crew in the Battle of Edd War. If not for a twist of fate, the title of Pirate King might well have fallen to him instead…
Across the seas, pirates were as numerous as carp in the river. Talents emerged with every generation, countless and unending.
But pirates of legend—true legend-class pirates—over all these years, there were only a handful.
They stood at the very top of the world, gazing down upon the masses, steering the great tides of the era. Their roars made the stormwinds rise, sweeping the four seas clean.
Without a doubt, the Golden Lion belonged to that tier.
And now, he had chosen to serve under Creed.
Beyond shock, Redfield also felt a faint sigh rising in his chest.
He thought of Whitebeard not long ago, covered in IV tubes. All of this gave him the illusion that an era truly was drawing to a close.
"Time is merciless. We who once rampaged across this sea are finally becoming relics of history, to be thrown aside by the crashing waves of a new age…"
"But!"
"The era that's coming… will belong to Creed!"
In the next moment, that trace of melancholy was wiped from Redfield's heart, and his gaze turned sharp as he looked to Creed standing ahead.
Now that the Golden Lion had surrendered, and assuming Big Mom honored their agreement, Creed would possess two Emperor-level combat forces under his banner.
Compared to the sea's overlord Rocks from decades past, Creed's lineup was in no way inferior—perhaps even stronger.
"The curtain on the new era has already been raised. And I'm honored to be one of those pushing history forward."
Redfield's eyes blazed again.
For the man who had granted him a second life—Creed—he was willing, even if his body were shattered to dust, to help him climb to that empty throne and become the new king of this world.
"Yeeeng yeeeng!"
On the Creed, the noisiest one was Falkor.
Creed's Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push) and Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation) in the sky had left the little dragon envious to the point of madness. It fluttered up and down around Creed, begging him to teach it, leaving him a bit helpless.
Fortunately, with Ain nearby, the little thing was quickly lured away by gourmet treats and sent off to one side.
After Creed finished introducing the Golden Lion to everyone, and things had been roughly sorted out, the group once more set course for Totto Land.
Because the seawater had previously been flung into the sky, there were now rainbows arcing ahead of them as they sailed. The dazzling colors lifted everyone's spirits.
At that moment, a small boat quietly slipped out from behind a tiny island several miles astern of the Creed and began to trail them from a distance.
…
The new Marine Headquarters grew ever more bustling as elite forces from all over the world arrived and took up their posts.
Right now, in the conference hall, a meeting of the Warlords of the Sea was underway.
But Sengoku, who was presiding over it, did not look pleased.
Originally, he had already filed a request with the higher-ups to officially install Trafalgar Law as a Warlord before the first battle began, so Law could enter the war as a proper Shichibukai without going through further probation.
Who could have guessed that by the time the reply came back, Trafalgar Law had already run off with Creed—and even become the Sixth Division Captain under Creed's banner.
Sengoku had been so enraged he nearly smashed his desk to splinters.
Worse yet, of the Warlord candidates who had followed Zephyr out on campaign, some were dead, others horribly wounded. Their combat effectiveness was basically gone.
At this point, the only ones he could truly rely on were Dracule Mihawk, Boa Hancock, and the Sea Knight Jinbe.
Besides that turncoat Law, even Bartholomew Kuma had gone missing. No one knew where he had disappeared to, and there was still no news.
All these sudden changes were like a hammer blow to the Marines.
If the opening moves were already this unfavorable, how could the overall commander, Sengoku, not feel suffocated?
If he were to learn that Creed had also defeated the Golden Lion, he'd probably be even more depressed.
"Only three of us? Looks like we should change the name to the 'Three Warlords of the Sea' instead."
Mihawk glanced at Jinbe and Hancock not far away, faintly amused by how empty the meeting felt.
But Zephyr had no patience for his cold joke.
"Mihawk, say a little less."
He had already taken the blame for this mess. Sengoku's scolding earlier had nearly worn grooves into his ears; the last thing he wanted was for Sengoku to start nagging again now.
Sengoku, however, clearly didn't have the heart to say much more to them.
After running through a few minutes' worth of key points, he dismissed the meeting.
"Hm? That's it?"
Even Zephyr was surprised.
The Warlords were supposed to be a critical component of the war council. How could a discussion about them end in just a few words?
Had the plan changed?
At that moment, Garp walked over and muttered in his ear,
"CP0's two big shots just arrived."
"What?!"
Zephyr's face changed dramatically.
When the Marines announced their large-scale mobilization earlier, he'd been worried—but only mildly.
Now, he was seriously starting to sweat.
Zephyr knew exactly what kind of existence CP0's two giants were: the strongest shield of the Celestial Dragons, the force that had guarded them for hundreds of years without a single invasion reaching their throats.
CP0's supreme commanders numbered three in total.
Privately, the Marines also called them the "Three Giants."
But a few years ago, the third-ranked giant had died in an accident, and CP0 currently had only two left.
Each one possessed power on par with a Marine Admiral—or greater.
By rights, such figures should be stationed permanently in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, ensuring the Celestial Dragons' absolute safety.
For both of them to come to Marine Headquarters today… what great matter could warrant that?
A bad feeling flashed through the hearts of both Zephyr and Sengoku.
Previously, when they had met Creed, they'd seen with their own eyes that his strength had already reached the Four Emperor level, and their hearts had relaxed somewhat.
They'd thought that even if the Marines mobilized everything, at best they could smash Creed's pirate crew; actually killing Creed would still be extremely difficult.
Who would have thought CP0's two giants would personally come to the new Marine Headquarters?
It was obvious they were here for this war plan.
"Let's go take a look."
Zephyr could no longer stay still.
"Take a look at what? Commander-in-Chief Steelbone is here too. Don't go over there just to make things awkward for yourself."
Garp's next bit of news made Zephyr's eyes bulge.
"What? What's he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be guarding that undersea post?!"
If Steelbone Kong had come as well, then the worst-case scenario they'd imagined had become reality.
"Where are you going?"
Head pounding, Zephyr saw Garp strolling off at a leisurely pace and hurriedly called after him.
He was furious at how thick-skinned Garp could be.
The World Government had already mustered a lineup like this just to deal with Garp's grandson, and the man could still act as if nothing was wrong.
Was he really not worried about Creed's safety at all?
(End of Chapter)
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