As the Giant Warriors departed Elbaf, their ranks fractured, though many remained steadfast in their resolve to fight together. The fleet pressed onward toward Totto Land. On the deck, Vice Captain Benn Beckman approached Shanks, his voice low and weary.
"Shanks, you have been thoroughly tricked yet again."
Shanks gazed at the vast, horizon-stretching sea with a grave expression. Aside from Kaido, who else would bother with such a tedious ploy? He had to admit, however, that the move was effective; a rift had already formed between the Red Hair Pirates and the Giants. Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi in Beckman's arms began to ring. Anxious about the developments beyond their ship, Beckman answered it immediately, only for the voice on the other end to leave him stunned.
"Captain Beckman, this is Ronald, currently monitoring the Beasts Pirates."
"What is the matter, Ronald? Have the Beasts Pirates entered our territory in the New World?"
"No, Captain. The ships of the Beasts Pirates have simply vanished!"
Shanks and Beckman were taken aback by the report. "Vanished? What do you mean by vanished?"
"I am not sure how else to explain it, Captain. They simply disappeared from the sea in a heartbeat."
The news left the crew in a state of confusion. Jia Peng, who had been listening nearby, asked with growing curiosity, "What is happening, Shanks?"
Beckman turned to him, explaining, "Mr. Jia Peng, before we arrived, we received intelligence that the Beasts Pirates had dispatched three separate fleets totaling eighteen ships to intercept us. They were led by the Three All-Stars—King, Jack the Drought, and Lightning Disaster Enel. They had completely blocked our path near our territory."
Jia Peng looked surprised at the sheer scale of the force. "Eighteen ships? That is an exaggerated number, reminiscent of the Golden Lion in his prime. Has that brat Kaido, formerly of the Rocks Pirates, truly grown to such an extent? But what do you mean by they 'vanished'?"
"We do not understand it ourselves," Beckman replied, frowning as he tried to process the report. "Our scouts insist that the ships simply ceased to exist on the sea. If we assume they truly disappeared, what could Kaido possibly be planning?"
Nobody knew the answer. It seemed unlikely that anyone would even consider the possibility of such a strange occurrence. Meanwhile, the Marines were grappling with the exact same mystery on the magnificent, vast waters of the New World. The massive fleet heading toward Totto Land—led by the Three Admirals and dozens of Vice Admirals aboard nearly one hundred warships—had received the same jarring intelligence.
"What do you mean, you said the Beasts Pirates disappeared?"
"Admiral Borsalino, our tracking vessels witnessed it with their own eyes. The warships simply vanished from the sea, one by one."
The entire command deck fell into a stunned silence. Figarland Shamrock, the newly appointed Admiral, frowned deeply. "Is it possible that you Marines simply lost track of them and are now making excuses?"
The Marines present were visibly displeased, but seeing the man's face—which was identical to Red-Haired Shanks—and acknowledging his status as a Celestial Dragon, they held their tongues. Borsalino pressed for confirmation once more.
"There is no mistake, Admiral Borsalino. Every scout saw it happen, and CP agents were there to witness it as well."
The confusion was total. Were they hiding, preparing for a surprise ambush? No one could say for certain. Figarland Shamrock thought for only a moment before speaking with arrogant authority. "Report this to Marineford and the World Government immediately. Our objective remains unchanged: we will retrieve the Nika Fruit at any cost."
"Yes, sir!"
Back at Marineford, the headquarters was working frantically to collect and organize reports from across the sea. The news that multiple fleets of the Beasts Pirates had suddenly vanished caused an immediate state of high alert.
"What is that man Kaido planning?" Staff Officer Tsuru mused, reviewing the documents in her hand. "Is he waiting for us to engage Big Mom, only to reap the benefits and capture everyone in one fell swoop?"
The senior officers pondered this, as it seemed the only logical strategy. Akainu, standing at the head of the command, finally issued his order. "Command all Marine units to raise their guard to the maximum level. That is all we can do for now."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Akainu!"
Just then, a messenger rushed in, looking visibly nervous. "Reporting, Fleet Admiral Akainu! We have just received intelligence from the New World that the Blackbeard Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates have engaged in combat."
Garp, who had once again assumed the duties of a Vice Admiral, reacted with immediate intensity. The messenger glanced toward him, his voice trembling slightly. "The situation for the Whitebeard Pirates appears quite grim."
"Grim?" Akainu sneered. He held no goodwill toward the Whitebeard Pirates, having been the one to end Whitebeard's life during the war. "The Whitebeard Pirates and the Blackbeard Pirates are fighting—when has the situation for either of them ever been good?"
The messenger hesitated, then lowered his voice. "Our scouts spotted CP members on the battlefield. It appears they have been cooperating with the Blackbeard Pirates."
A collective gasp went through the room. While it was common for the Marines to use informants or infiltrators to monitor pirate movements, this was different. The World Government and the Marines operated on a rigid stance; cooperating with pirates in open combat was strictly forbidden. The Shichibukai were an exception, operating under a government-sanctioned mandate, but working with the likes of Blackbeard was an entirely different matter.
A leisurely, cynical voice broke the tension. "The World Government is terrified."
Everyone turned to see Staff Officer Tsuru, who had spoken plainly. Sengoku looked as if he wanted to interject, but he remained silent. It was true—the World Government had swallowed its pride to cooperate with Blackbeard, a descendant of the Rocks Pirates who had already betrayed the Marines once. The reason was clear: the immense, suffocating pressure that Kaido of the Beasts had placed on the World Government over the past two years, especially following the events on Egghead Island, had driven them into a corner.
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