Chapter 166: The Shockwave
"Golden Lion... that guy's been preparing for this moment for twenty years."
Charlotte Linlin's voice was calm, but her tone carried weight.
"Morgans, give me a live feed."
"Linlin, we're old friends, but you know the rules," Morgans' voice crackled through the Den Den Mushi. "Let's talk business first..."
"I know the price," she interrupted, unfazed. "Aside from the usual payment, I'll throw in a shipment of arms."
Even the Four Emperors had to play by the rules when dealing with the News Agency. Without Morgans, it wasn't easy to obtain critical intel fast.
"Deal. It's set up."
"A News Bird will come collect your payment. As for the rest, just activate your exclusive video Den Den Mushi."
The call ended.
Big Mom was curious—just how much gold did this Dragon Hunter Pirates crew have to stir up such chaos in the Grand Line?
And Golden Lion was the perfect test.
Like Charlotte Linlin, another figure was paying close attention to this unfolding event—Kaido, who had just departed from Wano Country.
Now, alongside King, he was headed toward the Grand Line.
After all, these were former members of the Rocks Pirates. How could Kaido sit still when one of their own started making waves again?
Meanwhile, in Sabaody Archipelago—
"Fufufufu... Golden Lion?"
Doflamingo chuckled darkly as he leaned back.
"Looks like the Dragon Hunter Pirates aren't going to have it easy this time."
"This opponent's in a completely different league than the ones they've faced before."
He turned to Pica.
"Take some men and keep an eye on them. If an opportunity arises, grab some of the Dragon Hunters—if they lose."
He smirked.
"If they do, the Four Emperors won't be interested anymore. That's when we step in and recruit."
Elsewhere—
"Golden Lion?"
Hawkeye Mihawk stared at the newspaper, then folded it.
"What a pain..."
"Guess I'll head to Marineford first."
On Amazon Lily—
"Dragon Hunter Pirates? Golden Lion? That's the crew my brother leads, right?"
Luffy tilted his head, confused.
"Luffy..."
Boa Hancock's voice trembled slightly.
"The captain of the Dragon Hunters is your older brother?"
She took a step forward, hands clutched together.
"Should I go help him? He's going up against Shiki the Golden Lion—a legend from the old era."
She explained everything to Luffy. After the incident in Sabaody Archipelago, his crew had been scattered, sent flying by Bartholomew Kuma. For now, he was staying with Hancock.
"There's no need."
Luffy's voice was suddenly serious, unusual for him.
"Brother Ryuunosuke will be fine."
"Those so-called legends... they belong in the past."
"There's no place for them in this era."
"This is our time now."
"Luffy..."
Hancock swooned, stars sparkling in her eyes. Even in moments like this, her obsession didn't waver.
Of course, what she didn't know was that Luffy was just repeating what Ryuunosuke had once told him.
Without that, would this meathead have come up with such a poetic line on his own?
"Hancock, take me to the Grand Line!"
"I want to help my brother!"
"If the Navy's going to make a move on him, I won't just sit back!"
Luffy clenched his fists with determination.
"If you need me, I'll take you there—no matter what!"
Hancock declared.
---
Shichibukai. The Four Emperors. The Navy. The World Government...
Everyone was watching.
Even though the Navy had already drawn up battle plans, this fight might just force Sengoku to change everything.
For now, the world was in a wait-and-see state.
This was Benkejes —once a peaceful place, now a boiling point of tension.
"Brother Ryuunosuke! I still want BBQ!"
Akame pouted.
"Chrollo ate too much again!"
The freshly grilled meat had vanished into Chrollo's bottomless stomach.
Ever since entering this world, his body had undergone changes, strengthened by the system. His appetite was now off the charts.
Ryuunosuke was starting to think the Dragon Hunter Pirates needed a rebrand.
"The Foodie Pirates" had a nice ring to it.
With aura and passive life recovery, overeating wasn't even a concern. Everyone just kept shoveling food into their mouths like black holes.
"Relax, they'll be back soon," Ryuunosuke chuckled. "There'll be more than enough meat."
Just then, a huge pirate ship loomed on the horizon.
"Handymen 5th Division, reporting!"
Conrad stood at the helm, barking the call.
After Ryuunosuke summoned them, they'd rushed here immediately.
Compared to when they first left, the 5th Division had grown. The most notable change? They had recruited over a dozen Mink Tribe warriors.
Conrad really moved fast.
Soon, they unloaded crates of fruit and meat.
"Handymen 3rd Division, reporting!"
Gunado arrived next. He had been ambushed by CP agents during a previous mission, which lit a fire under him. He doubled down on his training and also pulled in a lot of new blood.
Thanks to the Dragon Hunter Pirates' growing reputation, many strong Devil Fruit users and talented young fighters had eagerly joined.
His division's contribution? Meat. Mountains of it.
Now, the island was swarming with over a thousand people.
Except for the divisions led by Akatsuki and Thunder God, everyone else had arrived.
And strangely enough, despite the looming war, the vibe was anything but tense.
It felt more like a festival than a battlefield.
Then the Den Den Mushi rang.
"Peruru... Peruru..."
Ryuunosuke picked up casually.
"Uncle Whitebeard! What's got you calling now?"
He knew Whitebeard was busy, especially with things moving toward the war at Marineford.
"Are you really planning to fight Shiki?"
The old man's voice was calm but heavy.
"This guy's no pushover. No one knows what he's been doing all these years. Are you confident?"
Whitebeard usually had faith in Ryuunosuke.
But remembering how erratic and dangerous the Golden Lion could be, he couldn't help but check in.
"I know."
Ryuunosuke's voice was firm. "I might not have all the details you do, but I'm not walking in blind. I know what he's capable of. And I'm ready."
"Good."
"Oh, and by the way—there's been a shift regarding Marineford."
Whitebeard paused. "A shift?"
That surprised him. Aside from putting pressure on the Navy, he'd been following Ryuunosuke's plan closely.
But now, with this sudden mention of a change, he felt thrown off.
"I had a meeting with Vice Admiral Garp," Ryuunosuke said.
Then he began explaining the situation in full.
Every new twist.
Every new plan.
Whitebeard listened, silent but thoughtful, as the new storm began to brew on the horizon.
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