"Yes, it was definitely Wildfire King from the Beasts Pirates."
The Marine lieutenant, still shaken, glanced toward the direction where the pirate ship had vanished. His voice carried absolute certainty.
"We saw no sign of Kaido."
"Only Wildfire King was present."
As for the masked warrior aboard the ship, the lieutenant had completely ignored their presence.
Few outside the Beasts Pirates knew that Kaido had a 'son'—so it never even crossed his mind.
A brief silence followed on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
Then, with a slight tone of disappointment, the Marine officer responded:
"I see. Understood. I'll notify the nearest Marine forces to begin your rescue operation."
"Since it's only Wildfire King, this is unlikely to be related to a full-scale war with the Thunder God Pirates."
For the Marines, the best-case scenario was that the five Emperor Crews would tear each other apart over territorial disputes.
Ideally, they'd kill each other off entirely—that would be the perfect outcome for both the Marines and the World Government.
With that thought, the Headquarters officer ended the call.
His expression turned serious as he stood up and walked toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
Wildfire King's presence in Thunder God Pirates' territory?
What was the Beasts Pirates' second-in-command planning?
He needed to report this immediately.
—
Headquarters – Fleet Admiral's Office
Knock, knock, knock.
The Marine officer rapped his knuckles against the wooden door, waiting a moment before stepping inside once he heard Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice.
Behind a massive desk stacked high with documents, Sengoku sat, his eyes fixed on a report in his hands.
At his feet, a white goat was calmly chewing on scraps of paper.
This unusual sight was nothing new to the officer, so he ignored it and saluted.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, a new report from the New World—Wildfire King of the Beasts Pirates is heading toward Dressrosa."
At this, Sengoku's pen paused.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked up.
Ever since Sanders had escaped from Impel Down, every report involving Dressrosa had been bad news.
He had developed something of a mental scar because of it.
"Wildfire King?"
"What are the Beasts Pirates up to now?"
"I don't recall any alliance between them and the Thunder God Pirates."
"Aren't they supposed to be enemies?"
Sengoku muttered, his brow furrowing.
Sanders had defeated and driven Doflamingo out of Dressrosa—and Doflamingo had been Kaido's ally.
At that time, the Beasts Pirates and the Thunder God Pirates had even clashed.
More recently, Kaido had even taken in Crocodile, another pirate who had bad blood with Sanders.
By all logic, the two crews should be mortal enemies.
So why was Wildfire King heading toward Dressrosa alone?
"Should we send forces to intercept him?"
The Marine officer hesitated before adding:
"He already destroyed a Marine warship near Dressrosa's waters."
The World Government and Marines had always tried to prevent Emperor Crew leaders from meeting each other.
The only exception? War.
Because if two Emperors joined forces, it would be an unprecedented threat.
Even a single Emperor Crew was a nightmare to handle.
If two of them allied, both the Marines and the World Government would have to prepare for the worst.
Thankfully, the Emperors rarely got along.
Even Kaido and Big Mom—who had history together—had not met in decades.
Sengoku tapped his fingers on the desk, deep in thought.
After a moment, he shook his head.
"No, leave him be."
"Even an elite Vice Admiral-led fleet wouldn't be able to stop Wildfire King."
"Only an Admiral could ensure a victory."
But the Marine Admirals were all scattered across the world—it was impossible to dispatch one in time.
Rather than wasting resources, it was better to gather intelligence on Wildfire King's movements.
Dressrosa was Sanders' only stronghold in the New World—so the Marines had spies planted there.
"Send a reconnaissance team instead."
"Focus on gathering intel about Wildfire King's objectives."
"For now, prioritize rescuing the surviving Marines."
—
At that moment—
A second Marine officer rushed into the room.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! We have a new report!"
"We've detected Whitebeard Pirates' ships near Dressrosa!"
Sengoku's eyes flashed with interest.
"Whitebeard Pirates?"
"Are they coming to settle the score?"
After all, Whitebeard had suffered a loss at the hands of Sanders before.
Perhaps the old man wasn't willing to let it go.
If Whitebeard and Sanders clashed, it would be a war between two Emperor Crews.
That was exactly what Sengoku wanted.
No matter who won—
The pirate world would weaken.
And that was a victory for the Marines.
"Uh... not exactly."
"Whitebeard and the Moby Dick are not here, only the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, the Undying Phoenix, Marco."
"Only Marco?"
Sengoku was a bit disappointed.
He had thought that after Whitebeard's defeat at the hands of Sanders, the Emperor might feel that fighting only the Beasts Pirates wasn't enough to solidify his reputation and would seek out a battle with the Thunder God Pirates as well.
Just like with the Beasts Pirates before, if the Whitebeard Pirates had only sent Marco, then it certainly wasn't for war.
What are these guys up to? Why are they all heading to Sanders' territory?
Could there be some conspiracy at play?
Did Sanders stir up trouble again?
Attacking Mary Geoise and killing a Celestial Dragon he had a grudge against wasn't enough—was he planning something even bigger?
Sengoku furrowed his brows, feeling like things were slipping beyond his control.
The Five Emperors of the Sea.
Now, Dressrosa had already become a gathering point for three of them.
Who knew if they were scheming something?
If they were secretly plotting against the Marines and the World Government, the world would plunge into chaos—something Sengoku definitely did not want to see.
"I understand. Inform the frontline Marines: do not intercept them. Let them go to Dressrosa."
Sengoku gave the order.
Then, he picked up the Den Den Mushi and reported the situation to the World Government.
Three of the Sea Emperors' forces converging in one place was enough to draw the attention of both the Marines and the World Government.
Moreover, Sengoku wanted to make use of the World Government's CP organization.
He was certain that the Government had planted a fair number of intelligence agents in Dressrosa.
After all, Sanders had just attacked Mary Geoise and inflicted significant losses on the Holy Land.
Compared to the Marines' intelligence division, CP was far more adept at handling the dirty work.
The Five Elders took immediate notice of the report.
They ordered the CP agents in Dressrosa to investigate immediately.
At the same time, they dispatched additional personnel to the Dressrosa Kingdom, intending to dig deeper into the Thunder God Pirates.
The attack on the Holy Land was an unforgivable crime, one the Five Elders remembered all too well.
If they discovered any weaknesses in Sanders, they wouldn't hesitate to mobilize their full strength to eliminate the Thunder God Pirates.
Among the Five Emperors, the Thunder God Pirates were the World Government's greatest concern.
Not only because Sanders possessed immense power and bizarre abilities, but also because Nico Robin—capable of deciphering the Poneglyphs—was a member of the Thunder God Pirates.
While the World Government and Marine intelligence departments were busy...
On the waters near Dressrosa, a large ship bearing the Whitebeard Pirates' flag sailed steadily across the sea.
Marco stood at the bow.
His distinctive "pineapple leaves" hairstyle swayed in the sea breeze.
"Marco, the Marine ships have withdrawn."
Diamond Jozu strode over to Marco's side.
Just moments ago, the Marine ships that had been monitoring them had left the area, disappearing without a trace.
"I see."
"I thought we'd have to fight the Marines before reaching Dressrosa."
Marco's expression remained lazy, his tone lighthearted.
Jozu laughed heartily at that.
"The Marines wouldn't dare fight us without an Admiral present."
"We are the Whitebeard Pirates, after all."
"Without orders from Sengoku and the World Government, those Marines wouldn't dare start a battle with us."
Marco simply smiled in response.
"Marco, are we really going to hand over this territory to the Thunder God Pirates?"
"Wouldn't that damage Pops' reputation?"
"Recently, quite a few reckless fools have been challenging him."
Jozu spoke in a deep voice after a brief silence.
Losing to Sanders had already emboldened many ambitious individuals.
If the world found out that the Whitebeard Pirates were giving away one-fifth of their territory, even more challengers would surely emerge.
Hearing those upstart pirates in the New World shouting, "Whitebeard is old; it's time for a new ruler of the seas," made Jozu want to crush them all.
A bunch of useless dreamers who only talked about becoming the Pirate King—they were an eyesore.
"This is something we agreed to, Jozu."
"Going back on our word would do even more harm to Pops' reputation."
"Besides, those little punks can serve as training for our crew."
"Too many of our men have lost their drive under Pops' protection."
Marco spoke calmly.
The decision to relinquish one-fifth of their territory had already sparked dissatisfaction among many within the Whitebeard Pirates, particularly their allied crews.
Many of them even shouted that if Sanders wanted territory, he should come and take it by force.
But in the end, Whitebeard had made the final call—Marco was to personally oversee the handover.
As for giving the land to the Thunder God Pirates, Marco had no objections.
Not only because this was something they had agreed to, but also because Sanders hadn't taken the opportunity to finish Whitebeard off.
Every time Marco recalled Whitebeard being defeated by Sanders and sinking into the sea, a chill ran through his heart.
What if something had happened to Pops?
What would the Whitebeard Pirates have done then?
Would he even have the ability to shoulder such a heavy responsibility?
The Whitebeard Pirates had long been accustomed to living under their captain's protection.
But this crisis had been a wake-up call for Marco.
They had grown too complacent.
The former apprentice of the Roger Pirates—Red-Haired Shanks—was about the same age as Marco. Yet now, he stood as an Emperor of the Sea, on equal footing with Whitebeard.
Meanwhile, Marco, as the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, struggled even to hold his own against a Marine Admiral. It was disgraceful.
And because Sanders had chosen not to kill Whitebeard when he had the chance, Marco didn't hold any resentment toward him.
Even if it meant giving up one-fifth of their territory, he didn't care.
To Marco, no amount of land could ever compare to a single drop of Whitebeard's sweat.
"Don't forget—we have another purpose for this trip."
Marco continued speaking.
Hearing this, Jozu's eyes lit up with anticipation.
"You think Sanders will agree to our request?"
"If he can completely heal Pops' old injuries, we'd gladly give him more than just one-fifth of our territory—we'd give him everything."
"And if that happens, we can just take territory from other pirate crews later."
Jozu had no doubts.
If Whitebeard could recover to his peak condition, they—the Whitebeard Pirates—would have nothing to fear.
Yes, Marco had personally come on this trip not just to hand over the agreed-upon territory, but also to seek Sanders' help in healing Whitebeard.
After their previous battle, Sanders had used his healing abilities to significantly improve Whitebeard's condition—even reducing his need for constant IV drips.
"I don't know… but Sanders would probably be interested in seeing Pops at full strength."
Marco shook his head.
If it were anyone else, he wouldn't be confident.
After all, pirates in the New World were constantly competing, and no one wanted a legendary figure like Whitebeard to regain his prime—that would threaten their interests.
But Sanders was different.
He was strong.
He was young.
People like him were full of confidence. They didn't fear others becoming stronger—on the contrary, they welcomed it.
The stronger the opponent, the more excited he would be.
And Marco had another reason to believe there would be a future battle between Sanders and Whitebeard.
Because of the Gura Gura no Mi—the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
By now, it was no secret that Sanders had multiple Devil Fruit abilities.
Many had tried to uncover the secret behind his power.
Marco had done his own research as well.
And after comparing and analyzing the intelligence he gathered, he noticed something—every Devil Fruit power that Sanders had acquired came from someone he fought intensely.
Golden Lion Shiki.
Admiral Aokiji.
Beast Emperor Kaido.
Before fighting them, Sanders never had their abilities.
But afterward… he did.
From everything he had pieced together, Marco suspected that Sanders' power was related to copying abilities.
And the key to copying… was combat.
A fierce battle.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit was considered the most powerful Paramecia-type ability.
There was no way Sanders wouldn't want it.
Marco wasn't sure if Sanders had already acquired Whitebeard's ability.
Probably not.
Just like how he only obtained Kaido's Mythical Zoan fruit after fighting him twice.
"Let's just hope everything goes smoothly."
Marco gazed at the rolling waves, a hint of anticipation flickering in his eyes.
It had been a long time since he had seen Whitebeard at full strength.
That towering figure, the one who had shielded them from countless storms, had already been battered by time and battle.
Before Sanders' treatment, Whitebeard had needed to rely on IV drips just to stand.
Even Marco's healing flames couldn't mend his internal injuries.
But he believed—Sanders could.
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T/N:
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