Chapter 306: News
Meanwhile,
on the other side of the island, the men in black returned to their ship and urgently contacted the Kurman family.
"What happened?"
"The Thunder God Swordsman! We encountered the Thunder God Swordsman! We were almost wiped out!"
The man in black dared not conceal anything and spoke frankly.
"What? The Thunder God Swordsman?!"
A chaotic sound came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi, and its expression turned utterly horrified: "I'll contact Luke-sama immediately."
The Thunder God Swordsman's reputation was simply too great.
With the strength to defeat a Marine Fleet Admiral and power approaching Yonko level, the Kurman family, while not afraid, had to take it seriously.
Soon,
the call connected, and a slightly weathered yet steady voice came through:
"Explain the situation in detail."
The man in black knew this was the legendary Luke-sama and dared not be negligent, quickly recounting their previous encounter without any bias.
"Is capturing slaves forbidden?"
"Is he truly acting out of a sense of justice, or is he trying to expand into the underworld?"
Kurman Luke pondered upon hearing this.
With Doflamingo's death, a large portion of the underworld's resources had been vacated, and Luke was one of the biggest beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the ambitious Luke was attempting to consolidate the underworld's power and strengthen his family.
With Whitebeard's fall and Marine Headquarters' aggressive actions,
anyone with a modicum of sense could feel a new era dawning. Without sufficient strength, one risked being swept aside!
"The Thunder God Swordsman is about to clash with the Marines—he shouldn't have time to get involved in the underworld's conflicts...
not necessarily. Perhaps he also wants to use the underworld's power to resist the Marines!
It seems that even if it means sacrificing some benefits, it's crucial to unify other forces as soon as possible.
At this time, it's either advance or retreat!"
Luke made his decision and hung up the Den Den Mushi.
A busy signal followed.
The men in black exchanged glances, all showing signs of relief.
Dressrosa, the Royal Palace.
Robin, wearing black-rimmed glasses, was diligently reading documents.
She was Dressrosa's chief secretary and also managed the intelligence department, analyzing a vast amount of information daily—a heavy workload.
After a moment, her brow twitched slightly, then she looked up to her right, sensing an unusual fluctuation.
Silently, a spatial portal materialized out of thin air.
Rhodes stepped out, smiling slightly.
"Looks like your Kenbunshoku Haki is quite developed."
"That's all thanks to your repeated surprise visits,"
Robin replied expressionlessly, her cool expression revealing neither joy nor anger.
Rhodes paused, smiling.
"Of course, a boss should check on his employees regularly."
"Hmm."
Robin made a noncommittal sound. What boss checks on their employees in the bathroom?
"How's the situation lately?"
Rhodes didn't continue the banter, instead asking about business.
"With the Marines' intentions being discovered by most, there's been a significant outflow of people from Dressrosa recently, and trade in the underground market has also decreased."
Robin frowned slightly.
"It seems everyone is more optimistic about the Marines."
Rhodes casually picked up a steaming cup of tea from the table and took a sip.
Robin glanced at him, already used to this shameless boss, and continued,
"Marine Headquarters is, after all, Marine Headquarters. In name, it's one of the three major powers alongside the Yonko and the Shichibukai.
Although it has suffered setbacks recently, its strength is undeniable. It's normal for outsiders to be pessimistic about us."
Robin saw things clearly and was deeply worried.
Her understanding of Rhodes's forces was no less than his own, and in terms of low- to mid-level combat power, it was even better.
Whether it was lower-ranking soldiers, mid-level officers, or high-level combatants, they were all lacking. If it came to a decisive battle, their chances of winning would probably be less than 10%.
"In a while, five giants will be arriving. You can make arrangements then," Rhodes said.
"That's good news."
Robin's eyes lit up, but she still shook her head:
"It's not enough."
She knew the giants' combat capabilities—it might be enough to compensate for some disadvantages, but it was far from sufficient.
"These giants are different from ordinary giants."
Rhodes smiled mysteriously.
"Hmm?"
Robin was taken aback. Different?
How could they be different?
Robin, usually so calm and intellectual, looked genuinely curious and puzzled, which was quite alluring.
Rhodes couldn't help but feel a surge of desire...
Ten days later, Hajrudin and the other giants arrived in Dressrosa, making no attempt to conceal their arrival and directly announcing their allegiance.
In the world of One Piece, there's no need to be low-key—the more high-profile you are, the easier it is to gain recognition.
The addition of the five giants greatly boosted the morale of ordinary people in Dressrosa.
Most ordinary people don't know just how strong the truly powerful are, but giants are clearly synonymous with strength—their sheer size is formidable.
This news spread quickly and reached the Marines, but Sakazuki and the others didn't care, even showing some disdain.
Giants were nothing—they weren't enough to change the battle's outcome.
"It seems that brat Rhodes has become desperate and is starting to expand his forces recklessly,"
Sakazuki sneered.
"I think we shouldn't underestimate them—we should send someone to investigate," Issho said.
Sakazuki gave him a disgruntled look. "The theft of Heavenly Tribute has already made the World Government somewhat dissatisfied with us. We should focus our attention on the most important matters right now."
Issho fell silent upon hearing this—it was indeed his fault.
Sakazuki wasn't actually concerned about the theft of Heavenly Tribute, and was even somewhat grateful to Rhodes, because it had dampened Issho's prestige, implying, "Since everyone lost to Rhodes, don't use this to criticize me."
He, as Fleet Admiral, was actually quite frustrated.
While the Fleet Admiral didn't necessarily need the strongest power, being defeated by a newcomer was undoubtedly embarrassing.
"We recently obtained intelligence that the Kurman family of the underworld seems to be planning to consolidate various underworld forces on Marcus Island. I think we might be able to go and eliminate them," Sakazuki said.
Luke was one of the veteran peak-level powerhouses, with considerable prestige. If they could arrest or kill him, it would undoubtedly intimidate the world, and Sakazuki's position as Fleet Admiral would be secured.
"Marcus Island is located in the heart of the New World. Not only are the underworld forces there formidable, but the powerful pirates along the way won't let us pass easily," Issho retorted directly.
Sakazuki wasn't angry, only sighed. When he became Fleet Admiral, he was ambitious, aiming to lead the Marines to sweep across the New World.
But in reality, he felt the road ahead was difficult. Not to mention the five emperor-level figures, the various pirate forces along the way were extremely troublesome.
That wouldn't be so bad—it would just mean more work for the higher-ups.
The key issue was the New World's unpredictable climate—some Marine warships even lost contact mid-journey...
Otherwise, Sakazuki wouldn't have given Rhodes time to develop.
Increasing the strength of their forces was secondary—they couldn't expand too much in a short time. The main concern was that Rhodes might have direct connections with the other four emperors, which would introduce variables into the future decisive battle.
Meanwhile, Rhodes, far away in Dressrosa, also received intelligence from the Kurman family.
(End of Chapter)
[500 PS unlocks 1 Extra Chapter]
[10 Reviews unlock 1 Extra Chapter]
Thanks for reading—reviews are appreciated.
P1treon Soulforger has 40+ advance chapters