“Dorry? Why would he contact us?”
“Listen for yourself and you’ll find out.”
Beckman casually tossed the Den Den Mushi toward Shanks. After tumbling through the air like it was riding a roller coaster, the Den Den Mushi successfully landed in Shanks’s hand.
“Dorry?”
“Shanks, I’ve got some bad news. King Odin suddenly gave us an order earlier, forbidding us from helping you in any way.”
Dorry’s voice came through the receiver, making Shanks realize something.
“Is this about the World Government?”
As the Giant King of Elbaf, Odin held some influence with the World Government. The Red Hair Pirates had been stationed on Elbaf for several years without being driven away, which clearly meant Odin had tacitly permitted it.
Now that things had suddenly changed, Red Hair refused to believe the World Government had nothing to do with it.
“Gegyagyagyagya! I wouldn’t know about that. King Odin didn’t say much.”
“I understand. Thanks for calling to warn me—”
“Gabababa! Shanks, you seem to have misunderstood something. King Odin did say that, but we didn’t listen. The Giant Warrior Pirates will never abandon their friends, so we’ve set sail again!
“We’re pirates. Isn’t it perfectly normal for pirates not to obey orders?”
After many years, the Giant Warrior Pirates once again appeared on the seas. Odin’s call seemed to have produced the opposite effect, though there was also the possibility that this had been one of Odin’s intentions all along.
“Boss, there’s a new development! World Government ships are heading this way, and they’re flying the flag of the Celestial Dragons!”
Shanks had only just ended his call with Dorry when he received new intelligence.
“The World Government and the Celestial Dragons… Looks like the trouble we’re facing is even bigger than we thought. Lucky Roux! Raise the sails. It’s time to meet my new opponent.”
………
“Governor-General, please wait! Our allies have sent new intelligence!”
Bao Huang’s legs nearly blurred as she ran before finally catching up to Kaido, who had left ahead of her, and reported the newly received information.
Neither Shanks nor Charlotte Linlin had come asking for reinforcements. They were both proud people. If they asked Kaido for help as soon as fighting broke out, they wouldn’t be able to hold their heads high on the seas anymore and might as well just turn around and announce they were joining Kaido.
Because of their alliance, they were merely informing Kaido of the enemy’s location.
“They’re starting wars on multiple fronts at once? Their appetite really is enormous. They must be confident they can swallow all of us in one bite. But this is even better. A battle of this scale is what makes things interesting.”
After making a rough estimate, the Marines’ current operation was large enough to drag the entire New World into the flames of war. For Kaido, that was unquestionably a good thing.
“Bao Huang, the equipment testing is finished, right?”
“Everything is ready. You only need to press the switch in front of you to begin.”
Bzzzt—
As Kaido pressed the switch before him, the equipment on Onigashima began operating. Every official screen in Wano Country went black at that moment, and in the next instant, Kaido’s figure appeared on them.
It was not only Wano Country. Every island within the Beasts Pirates’ territory showed the same scene.
“Everyone! War has come!”
As a war maniac, public speaking was an indispensable skill. After all, a good speech could raise morale to its peak in an extremely short time.
“Eight hundred years. The World Government has existed for eight hundred years. Their order is everything. As long as you obey them, anything you do can be carried out in the name of justice, while anyone who defies their will is branded evil.
“But today, I have no intention of debating what justice is, because I’ve never considered myself just. I’m nothing but a villain!”
Kaido had no intention of whitewashing his actions. He simply described reality objectively.
“War is war. No matter how you dress it up, the true nature of war will never change. But I love war!
Only war can shatter the World Government’s eight-hundred-year rule.
Why are the Celestial Dragons allowed to stand above everyone else? Why can they control another person’s fate at will from the very day they are born?!
A person’s worth should not be defined that way. Only war can redefine it all!”
Kaido still held to his usual values, believing that everything had to be won through fighting. If he had not been strong enough, he could never have made it this far.
“The World Government covers everything up with a false peace, while the so-called righteous Marines are nothing more than the force they use to maintain their order. Flevance was destroyed because of those nobles who stood high above everyone else.
Those weaklings who can’t even truss a chicken can send strong soldiers to their deaths merely to satisfy their own desires!
And Flevance was not an isolated case. Can you even count how many islands have been destroyed by the Celestial Dragons’ hunting games?
Freedom? Peace? Justice? I won’t use reasons like those to dress up this war. Its only purpose is value! Prove your own worth!
Go fight, everyone! Tear apart the peace that preserves the Celestial Dragons’ position and drag those high-and-mighty World Nobles back down into the dust!
No one will be allowed to steal your achievements, and no one’s efforts will be forgotten. Everything you accomplish in this war will serve as proof of your worth.
You aren’t bleeding for some noble. You’re bleeding for yourselves!
The Marines and the World Government have launched their greatest offensive in history. They are attacking our territory.
Anyone who’s afraid can get the hell away from here right now. I’ll pretend I never saw you. But those with the guts, come with me!
I’ll always charge at the very front!”
The moment he finished speaking, Kaido transformed into an azure dragon and soared into the sky, flying toward the battle zone without even bothering to wait for his subordinates’ response.
“Yeahhhh!”
After a brief silence, deafening cheers erupted throughout the Beasts Pirates’ territory. Then, under the officers’ organization, the pirates boarded their ships one group after another and advanced toward their designated positions in an orderly fashion.
Most people did not understand grand principles, nor did they possess any noble ideals. Their hatred of the Celestial Dragons, their thirst for power, and their loyalty to Kaido—those were the reasons they fought.
By stripping away those somewhat hollow goals, Kaido naturally ignited the fighting spirit within them.
To the members of the Arceus Cult, Kaido’s words were extremely crude, but that did nothing to affect their resolve. Their hatred for the World Government ran far deeper than that of ordinary people.
It could be said that nearly every high-ranking member of the religion bore an immense grudge against the World Government. Some had seen their entire race exterminated, while others had lost their families and homes, so not a single one of them could ever reconcile with the World Government.
To them, this was a holy war of vengeance. No speech was needed to drive their fighting spirit to its peak.
“Father really says one thing and does another. Before this, he said he couldn’t get interested without a worthy opponent, but in the end, he still rushed off immediately.”
Yamato had gloriously taken on the duty of guarding their home. Arceus was searching for the final Mind Plate, and Kaido had already flown off to who knew where, so naturally, Yamato was the only one left who could oversee the rear.
Yamato had just been about to eliminate the unstable elements on the island when she noticed something amiss.
“Uncle Queen, could you explain why you, one of the highest-ranking officers, are still here?”
While passing by the dining hall, Yamato spotted Queen still crazily trying to fatten himself up.
King, Olga, Jack, and even Zeraora had all left Wano Country. Nearly every senior officer had gone into battle.
Among the single-digit Numbers, only Mandrell, Maria, and Delia remained in Wano Country to protect the families living there.
“Young Miss, this is the result of careful consideration. Although the chances of the enemy invading this place are infinitely close to zero, we still can’t rule out the possibility.
Besides, Shayna stayed behind too, didn’t she? Lord Arceus deliberately left her here to deal with any unexpected situations, but I think she’s too impulsive. If she encounters the enemy, she might not be able to stay calm.
Mandrell and Maria may be capable, but they still have certain shortcomings. Delia’s personality isn’t exactly dependable either. To ensure that you can properly look after this place, it is only natural that I, the person most familiar with the island’s defensive systems, remain here.”
Leaving out some Pokémon and officers who rarely showed themselves, Queen carefully went through the crew’s senior officers and gave his reasons for staying on Onigashima.
“Look, Boss Kaido didn’t object either. He must have tacitly approved of me guarding this place.
Chef! Bring me another bucket of Oshiruko!”
Afraid to fight? Impossible. These words were an absolute taboo within the Beasts Pirates. In Kaido’s eyes, you can lose, but you can never be afraid to fight.
In a sense, Yamato felt that Queen’s reasoning did make sense. This was their headquarters, after all. If Shayna were the only senior officer here, it would make support and coordination a bit troublesome. However, at that moment, Kaido, who had already flown out of Onigashima, sent her a new message.
[It’s fine for Queen to stay behind. As long as he never appears, the Marines will have to remain wary of him as an unknown factor and won’t dare concentrate their forces too recklessly. But to prevent him from slacking off, you’ll be responsible for keeping him in line.]
“Uncle Queen, take a look at this.
Oh, Father sent it as a voice message. I might as well play it for you directly.”
Kaido’s familiar voice rang in Queen’s ears, making him feel like crying.
“What’s wrong? Are you dissatisfied with Father?”
“Of course not. I’m marveling at Boss Kaido’s wisdom. Other people can use my weapons too. As long as they fire a few of my Plague Bullets, it’ll create the impression that I’m everywhere and keep the Marines constantly on guard. It’s truly brilliant.”
Queen practically gritted his teeth as he said the word “brilliant.” No matter what, he wouldn’t dare badmouth Kaido right in front of Yamato. If he gave her that kind of opportunity, he would end up facing a mixed-doubles beatdown.
“Tch, I don’t think that b*stard father is brilliant at all. I’ll come find you after I finish settling matters in Wano Country. That idiot father left without even cleaning up the hidden danger he personally let inside.
I’m going to see what Robin thinks.”
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