When the morning sun finally broke over the horizon, washing the world in light, Rojen slowly opened his eyes again.
"Still a little short of the mark…"
He shook his head, a hint of frustration in his expression.
Even after cultivating all night, and despite his innate martial genius, truly mastering the sword arts of the immortal family was proving difficult. However, achieving a basic mastery of the Manipulating Sword Arts was already a satisfying gain.
"Captain, are we seriously heading for the Red Line?"
Jason, now awake and taking in their heading, stared at Rojen, needing confirmation.
"That's right," Rojen affirmed with a nod. "Directly above the Red Line lies Marineford, and beyond that… Mary Geoise."
"To reach Mary Geoise, we have to go through Marineford first."
"You mean…" Trens' eyes widened in shock. "...we're going to charge straight into the Marines!?"
Even Crocodile was speechless. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Has the Captain lost his mind? he thought.
That wasn't some minor branch base; that was the Marine Headquarters! Just the four of them, how could they possibly stand against that kind of power?
"Of course not," Rojen said, shaking his head with a faint, amused smile. "Just the four of us? We wouldn't even be enough to clean the Marines' boots."
He was realistic. Even if all four of them miraculously possessed Admiral-level combat power, trying to storm Marineford was pure suicide.
"Then, Captain… what exactly is the plan?" Jason asked, utterly confused.
Rojen extended his hand, pressing a finger down on the massive sea chart Jason was holding. He pointed to a small, insignificant corner at the very edge of the Red Soil Continent.
"We're going here."
"Huh?"
The moment Jason, Trens, and Crocodile saw the coordinates Rojen indicated, they all froze in stunned disbelief.
Jason swallowed hard, ready to protest, but Rojen cut him off.
"Jason, set sail," Rojen ordered calmly. "I have my own way of doing this."
Hearing the resolute confidence in his captain's voice, Jason hesitated no longer. He quickly adjusted the helm and changed their course.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Red Soil Continent, in the second half of the Grand Line, Vast stretches of pirate ships covered the sea, arrayed in a terrifying, perfect battle formation. They stretched out endlessly, coating the ocean like dark storm clouds, creating an overwhelming and oppressive sight that filled the heart with dread and awe.
Above those countless vessels, thirteen islands, varying in size, hovered mysteriously in the air, held aloft by some unknown power.
The sea and the sky mirrored each other, forming a single, united, colossal pirate armada.
They were the Flying Pirates.
That very morning, this enormous fleet had finally reached the waters directly beneath the Red Line. At the command of Golden Lion Shiki, every pirate ship came to a silent, unsettling halt, waiting patiently in their immense formation.
"Captain, when should we begin the attack?"
Behind the Golden Lion, his lieutenants, all distinctive in their dress and bearing, asked, their voices buzzing with anticipation.
"No rush," Golden Lion roared, his voice like thunder that rolled across the sky. "Let the Marines sweat a little first!"
His expression was filled with utter, unshakeable confidence. He radiated an aura that broadcast one thing: he could not possibly lose, and it was the World Government who should be trembling.
That fierce, leonine belief was contagious. It infected his entire crew. Every pirate stood taller, grinning with fierce anticipation as they gazed up at the towering Red Line, showing not the slightest hint of fear.
This was the spirit of a true warrior.
Golden Lion Shiki believed wholeheartedly in his own power, and in the Marines' inevitable defeat. His towering arrogance inspired his followers, filling them with a "Heaven alone, beneath none" attitude, scorning every so-called hero in the world.
The black clouds of war gathered over the sea, pressing down with suffocating weight. The vast pirate armada surged restlessly below the Red Line, a shadow ready to consume the horizon.
And naturally, the Marines had been fully aware of their arrival for quite some time.
As the tension mounted, several reporters, risking their lives, boarded small, fragile boats and approached the war zone. With a mixture of fear and excitement in their voices, they began to broadcast this unfolding spectacle to viewers all around the world.
"Hello everyone! Dear viewers, can you see it? Behind me, those are the world-renowned Flying Pirates!"
"And their captain… is none other than the living legend himself, Golden Lion Shiki!"
"His very name shines like gold, noble, glorious, radiant! With his signature golden mane and the unshakable majesty of a lion king, he exudes an overwhelming power and an ambition that could swallow the entire world!"
"In the past, he drove the Pirate King Gol D. Roger into a desperate corner! That legendary clash, known as the Battle of Edd War, is etched into history! If not for the sudden, miraculous storm that intervened, who can say whether Roger would ever have become the Pirate King?!"
"The Golden Lion truly lives up to his name, strong, domineering, and dazzling with golden might!"
"Seeing him up close, this mighty lion is even more awe-inspiring than the legends say. His boldness is limitless; his ambition could devour the world itself!"
The reporter took a deep, shaky breath, his voice trembling with intensity as he continued shouting into the Den Den Mushi.
"And now, do you see this?!"
"He's gathered every pirate crew under his flag, all his alliances, together in one place! What in the world is he planning to do?!"
"To my astonishment… they are preparing to attack the Marine Headquarters! This is world-shaking! His audacity is something ordinary men can't even imagine, yet he dares to make it reality!"
"War is on the brink of eruption! The Golden Lion has led his forces right to the gates of Marineford itself, he's not here for sightseeing! Given his personality, it is certain, he has come to do something monumental!"
"Does he intend to overthrow the Marine Headquarters? To show the world his strength, and the true standing of pirates?!"
The reporter's passionate voice rang out again and again, his eyes blazing, his entire body shaking with excitement.
This would be a war that rewrote history. No matter who won or lost, it would send shockwaves across the entire globe.
If the Marines triumphed, their prestige would rise even higher, and pirate power across the seas would be crushed. The fall of a legend like Golden Lion Shiki would signal the swift decline of pirate dominance. But if the Golden Lion emerged victorious, then pirate power would surge to terrifying new heights, expanding uncontrollably.
The balance of the entire world would begin to tilt irrevocably toward the pirates' side.
"The war hasn't even begun yet. What's Golden Lion thinking? I don't know, you don't know!"
"But one thing is certain, this mighty King of Ambition surely has a plan of his own! When the battle finally begins… the whole world will tremble!"
The reporter's words echoed across the minds of people worldwide.
Some were shocked. Some were thrilled. Others simply trembled in fear.
On a remote, nameless island, a burly young man with a thick black beard tilted his bottle and downed a mouthful of rum. Watching the broadcast, he suddenly burst into thunderous, hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! Golden Lion, truly worthy of being called a legendary pirate!"
"But personally… I'm betting on Whitebeard!"
He grinned darkly, wiping his mouth.
"Because my name… is Blackbeard!"
Laughing thunderously, the bearded man turned and walked away. It was clear he did not believe that Golden Lion Shiki could claim victory in the coming war.
(End Of This Chapter)
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