On the uppermost deck, Admiral Kizaru sat lazily against the railing, his gaze wandering to the bow where Fleet Admiral Sengoku was addressing the men with sweeping gestures.
"Ahhh… Sengoku-san and Garp-san both setting out in person," Kizaru drawled softly.
"And with the two of us as well, that leaves Marineford and G-1 practically unguarded. If Mary Geoise were to be attacked now, what would we do?"
"The leader of CP0 and the Commander of the God's Knights are also aboard, not to mention Kong himself. Even the Holy Land's defenses are thin right now."
"Who would even dare to strike at us now?"
The voice came from Admiral Akainu, who was balancing effortlessly on a single finger, doing one-armed handstand push-ups. His expression was grim, movements precise and mechanical.
"The monsters of the New World have all been driven into the Four Seas by Ian. Besides them, who else in this world would have the courage to attack Marine Headquarters—or even Mary Geoise itself?"
There were hardly any truly fearsome pirates left in this world.
"But to think even one of the Five Elders—Saint Saturn himself—has decided to take action…"
Kizaru sighed as he spoke. "Someone who stands at the very peak of the world, holding the highest authority, stepping down from the top just to personally erase a pirate… I never imagined such a thing could happen."
"Because the Beasts Pirates under Ian's command have already become that dangerous."
Akainu's voice was cold. "We cannot allow them to exist any longer. They are the greatest threat to justice."
"Is that so?"
Kizaru only pushed his sunglasses higher and said nothing more.
One way or another, the World Government had already begun to move.
They had assembled the most terrifying strike force ever seen.
From the Marines came Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the Hero Garp, Admiral Kizaru, and Admiral Akainu—a dream lineup.
From the Government's side, all of the Seven Warlords of the Sea were summoned, except Weevil, including the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.
In addition, the Supreme Commander of CP0 and the Commander-in-Chief of the entire military, Kong, would also be joining.
From the Celestial Dragons, half of the God's Knights had been dispatched, personally led by their Supreme Commander, Figarland Garling.
And finally, leading the entire operation, one of the Five Elders himself—Jaygarcia Saturn.
Terrifying!
There was no other word to describe the power of this force.
If Imu had joined, it would have been truly invincible—but that was not possible.
Even so, in this world, no one could resist such overwhelming might.
Saturn was certain of it.
This time, they would utterly annihilate the uncontrollable Beasts Pirates.
A massive vessel set sail in silence, its destination—Wano.
Soon, they would invade Onigashima and slaughter the demons entrenched there.
There was no fanfare, no grand fleet, only this single ship.
But what the World Government did not expect was that Ian already knew of their plan from the very moment they set it in motion.
"Lord Ian, we must be prepared."
Stussy was the first to pass on the intelligence. "The World Government has already begun moving!"
"I don't know the exact lineup, but I can confirm this much: all of the Warlords are gathering, the Navy is sending their strongest, and even CP0's commander is mobilizing."
"This time, instead of deploying a massive fleet, they're sending a small but elite strike force straight to Wano, aiming for a decapitation strike."
"Oh?"
Ian raised an eyebrow. "To keep me from giving them a little surprise with my Dyna Stone along the way, perhaps?"
A grand fleet would have been impossible to conceal. If the Government had taken that route, Ian could have easily welcomed them mid-voyage—with a few well-placed Dyna Stones.
But if it's an operation on the scale of such a small team, tracking their movements would be much more difficult, let alone intercepting them along the way.
"So, Stussy, what other intel have you brought me?"
Ian chuckled lightly.
Of course, it wasn't just about telling him that the government had formed a squad of strong fighters.
"Even with only one ship, it's impossible to sail through the New World silently. They'll need supplies."
Stussy smiled faintly. "And for secrecy's sake, these can't be openly obtained at Marine bases."
"Since I still have some influence in the New World, this task fell to me. I can provide their likely route."
Ian's lips curled into a smile. "Good."
Indeed, after the recent expansions by the Cross Guild and the NEO Marines, the World Government's influence in the New World had already suffered a severe blow.
Their options were limited, and Stussy happened to be a crucial piece in the game.
Recruiting her had truly been the right decision.
The impact this woman could make was immense.
"So, Lord Ian," Stussy asked, "what are your plans? Though I don't know the exact personnel, the force the government has gathered this time must be astonishingly strong."
"If it's a direct confrontation, even the Beasts Pirates under your command…"
She didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Victory was impossible.
Even now, the Beasts Pirates were overwhelmingly powerful, but compared to this government-assembled force, they still fell short.
"Is that so?"
Ian's lips curved slightly. "I, however, think we can have a bit of fun with them."
"Huh?"
Ian quickly summoned all the officers of the Beasts Pirates.
He gave them a brief overview of the current situation.
"So that means," Bullet slammed his broad hand onto the tatami with excitement, "if we take these guys out, the World Government is basically finished?"
"Gahaha! It really seems that way!"
Kaido laughed heartily. "Then what are we waiting for? Fight, Ian!"
"That's right! Fight!!"
Yamato clenched her delicate fists tightly.
If they won this battle, it could basically decide the fate of the entire world.
Ian shook his head with a smile. "I'm afraid it's not going to be that easy."
As everyone knows, according to the usual rules of shonen stories, the later a boss appears, the stronger they are.
That guy, Imu, most likely has power that completely surpasses even the Pirate Emperors—absolutely terrifying strength.
As long as he's around, the World Government isn't going to collapse that easily.
Not to mention, defeating his team isn't going to be an easy task either.
But.
"It doesn't mean we can't fight!"
Ian grinned.
Although this battle couldn't be said to directly decide the fate of the world, at the very least, it could directly change the world's balance of power.
Ian looked at his subordinates. "Kaidoi, Bullet, Yamato, Hancock,"
He called out the names of the strongest officers in the Beasts Pirates one by one.
"And… Kuma,"
Finally, Ian's gaze fixed on Kuma.
"You all will go with me to face those guys!"
The gap in strength might be big, but it's not impossible to fight.
**********
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