"War is coming!!"
The deep voice echoed through the Room of Authority. Sengoku wasted no words, cutting straight to the point.
War? The five old men looked at each other, frowning.
"Sengoku, the war you're referring to..."
The CP agents they had dispatched hadn't detected any major movements from the great powers on the seas.
Could the Marines' intelligence be more accurate than that of the CP, which specialises in espionage?
The Five Elders were sceptical.
"Among the two pirates Atlas brought back, one is a member of the Whitebeard Pirates. Given Whitebeard's personality. He will definitely attack Impel Down!"
Although Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit had the power to destroy the world, it didn't mean the Marines were afraid of him.
"..."
The Five Elders were speechless.
Although they knew Atlas hadn't followed their orders to find the Pure Gold and had captured two pirates instead, they had only been paying attention to Shanks.
They knew little about the other one. They never expected that the "Byakko" would bring back such a huge problem...
"The balance of the seas must not be broken!!" Saint Topman Warcury emphasised.
"I know. But Whitebeard is the one initiating the attack. The Marines cannot afford to be passive!"
Sengoku's voice was devoid of any emotion, making it impossible for the Five Elders to guess his thoughts.
That guy Sengoku... he's really grown over the years...
The same thought flashed through all five of their minds. They were well aware of the power of the Zoan-type, Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Model: Daibutsu.
The title "The Strategist" was well-deserved.
"Then what is the Marines' stance?" Saint Topman Warcury tossed the question back to Sengoku, a master of political deflection.
"There are two options. One is to release Teach from the great undersea prison."
Hearing this, Saint Topman Warcury glanced at the other four, seeking their opinions.
"However... I, on behalf of the Marines, refuse!!" Sengoku's tone was absolute, leaving no room for negotiation.
The World Government's recent underhanded manoeuvres had already made him extremely dissatisfied with these five old men.
Furthermore, this incident struck at the very foundation of the Marines; he would not back down.
"The Marines have decided. We will make a full display and execute him in front of the entire world. If the Whitebeard Pirates dare to come, we will ensure they never leave!"
"...We will discuss this."
After a moment of silence to weigh the pros and cons, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro spoke in a deep voice.
This is how those in power operate. What you see is only what they want you to see.
When faced with what they deem an unreasonable demand from the Marines, a "good cop, bad cop" routine is essential.
...
New World, aboard the Moby Dick.
Whitebeard's colossal figure sat leaning against the thick mast as always, his body free of the various IV drips.
His expression was grim, and the aura of the World's Strongest Man enveloped the entire deck.
The atmosphere was heavy, a far cry from the usual relaxed, carefree vibe. All the pirates wore solemn expressions, their sharp gazes fixed on Whitebeard at the front.
"Pops, what do we do now?"
Thatch had taken off his chef's hat, and the two longswords at his waist signalled his resolve.
"That guy, Teach, was captured by the Marines! We can't just sit by and do nothing!!"
After Blackbeard had intentionally gotten close to him over a shared love of cherry pies, the two had become the best of friends on the ship, a truly heartfelt relationship.
Now that the Marines had captured Blackbeard, Thatch, as his best friend, was naturally the first to volunteer!
"Pops, if you don't want to save Teach, I'll go by myself!!"
"Gurarara! What nonsense are you spouting? Teach is my son, too! I would never abandon him!" Whitebeard looked at the anxious Thatch and laughed, scolding him.
"That's right! We don't even fear Marine Headquarters! Anyone who dares to harm a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, even the Marines, will pay the price!!"
"After all, Pops is the World's Strongest Man!!"
Marco chimed in as well. This was the pride one should have as a subordinate of the World's Strongest Man.
"Yeah! So what if it's Marine Headquarters? That guy Shiki dared to attack it all by himself! The Whitebeard Pirates will not be cowards!"
"That's right! Anyone who dares to harm our family must pay!"
"Even if we die, we'll take a bite out of the Marines! We'll show them that the dignity of the World's Strongest Man is not something they can trample on!"
The surrounding pirates were riled up, raising their weapons and shouting.
Although Teach was usually a background figure and seemed close only to Thatch, his "nice guy" persona meant most of the crew had no ill feelings toward him.
Most of the people who joined the Whitebeard Pirates were relatively "simple-minded".
After all, what kind of pirate goes to sea just to become someone's "son"?
There's definitely something to that.
"Gurarara! It's been a long time since I've made a move. It's time to remind the Marines of how terrifying I am!"
Whitebeard slowly rose to his feet. His eyes were wide, and a terrifying aura shot to the heavens, instantly stirring the clouds.
"Uooooh! Uooooh! Attack Marine Headquarters! Assemble the allied fleets! We must save our brother, Teach!"
A wave of frenzy swept the ship. The pirates grew more agitated, some already making battle motions, clearly placing blind faith in Whitebeard's power.
"Gurarara! Then assemble all the pirate crews under the Whitebeard banner! We will rescue Teach from the great undersea prison!"
Grand Line, Sabaody Archipelago.
Inside Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.
Rayleigh sipped his drink, his hand propping up his chiselled chin, exuding the unique charm of a mature older man.
"Here..."
Shakky, beside him, suddenly handed over a freshly inked newspaper, raising an eyebrow.
"Looks like the young'uns from your old crew have run into a bit of trouble."
"Shanks?!"
Rayleigh, slightly tipsy, put down his glass, reflexively taking the paper and blurting out the name.
To cause a stir big enough to make the papers, it clearly couldn't be Buggy.
"What did Shanks do now?"
"See for yourself. This time, it's a big problem. He probably can't solve it on his own."
Shakky had a faint smile on her face.
She knew Shanks, of course. Back in her pirate days, she had dealings with Roger's crew more than once.
What's more, Shanks had just come to visit Rayleigh a short while ago.
"Hm?"
Rayleigh frowned as he finished reading the paper. He pondered for a moment, then walked silently into the back room.
....
Impel Down, LEVEL 6, Eternal Hell.
"Fuffuffuffuffu—!!!"
Shanks lay on the floor, his four limbs chained by thick manacles, their ends embedded in the walls.
He was staring blankly at the gray-black ceiling, a bizarre laugh echoing in his ears. In the dim light of a weak candle, he could vaguely see some moss.
He had been imprisoned here for over three days. Other than knowing this was Level 6 of Impel Down, he had received no other information.
The prisoners locked up on this level were all infamous figures. Some were beings whose very existence the World Government wanted to erase.
"Red Count" Patrict Redfield, "World Destroyer" Byrnndi World, "Demon Heir" Douglas Bullet...
Even the former Warlord "Sir Crocodile" and that "Heavenly Yaksha" Doflamingo, both captured by Atlas, were imprisoned on this level.
Coincidentally, those two were his immediate neighbours.
"Hey! You! Can you stop that weird cackling!"
Shanks frowned and sat up, the chains dragging loudly on the floor. He turned his head to look at his "neighbour."
It was a man with short, blond hair, whose four limbs had been severed. His body was slumped against the wall, a Seastone chain wrapped around his neck, like a leashed wild dog.
"Fuffuffuffu—!!"
"Can't you see it? The tide of the era... This world is about to be turned upside down!!"
The man ignored Shanks, his gaze, hidden behind sunglasses, never leaving the newspaper on the floor.
The newspaper was his only link to the outside world.
He had fought hard with the Five Elders to secure this "privilege" while imprisoned. After all, it wasn't as if he had no bargaining chips.
A cunning rabbit has three burrows. He didn't believe those five old men were unaware of that!
"Turned upside down?" Shanks didn't understand. He reflexively glanced at the newspaper on the floor. Unfortunately, he couldn't see anything.
But...He hadn't seen that guy, Teach, since he got here. Where did he go?
"Kid! Don't pay any attention to that flamingo. He's been spouting nonsense ever since he got here."
Crocodile, his other "neighbour, "kindly advised.
He forced his heavy eyelids open and looked the newcomer up and down.
"To be locked up on this level, you must be a big shot out there, kid."
"Just barely. I've made a small name for myself."
Shanks was thrilled that this cold-looking cellmate was actually talking to him.
He had been bored to death these past few days. One neighbour was a nutjob, spouting incomprehensible nonsense, and the other just sat there with a cold face, arrogant as hell.
Even with his outgoing personality, he hadn't managed to strike up a conversation.
"I just... refused a Warlord position not long ago."
Shanks scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
He had been wandering the Four Seas, so he wasn't familiar with all the big-name pirates on the Grand Line.
But a criminal locked up on Level 6 of Impel Down... they had to be at least as strong as a Warlord.
"...Kuhahahaha! Are all rookies these days this arrogant?"
Crocodile looked at the innocent, red-haired kid and was speechless. Doesn't this guy know... That I am the Warlord he's talking so dismissively about?
"Aren't pirates supposed to be free? Arrogance comes with the territory, right?"
Shanks pulled his straw hat down slightly, his eyes hidden in shadow, as he grinned, "Besides, when I get out of here, I'm going to defeat that 'Byakko' guy!!"
"Tch—! You brat. You're still holding on to that fantasy? This is Impel Down. Since it was built, only that old-timer Shiki has ever escaped."
"And it cost him both his legs."
Crocodile sneered, rattling the thick chains on his hands. "Why else do you think all four of our limbs are chained up?"
"That's not necessarily true..." Shanks was unfazed.
He casually turned his head, his gaze seemingly penetrating the thick walls, looking toward the Red Line, at the so-called Holy Land.
"But, you're pretty lucky, kid. To be captured by that guy and still be in one piece."
Crocodile didn't care that the kid was ignoring him. He just continued, his face growing darker.
"That guy? You mean the Byakko?" Shanks was stunned. Did the Byakko capture this gloomy guy too?
"That's right. Speaking of which, I was lucky I met him when I did. Back then, that bastard Marine didn't operate the way he does now. Otherwise, I'd probably look like that flamingo over there."
A flash of relief crossed Crocodile's face.
While in Impel Down, he had only heard news of that bastard Marine from Doflamingo. But the guards on patrol also talked about him.
After all, that bastard Marine had added a lot to their workload. Severed arms, severed legs... prisoners who could barely even move.
"Doflamingo?"
Shanks followed his gaze and saw Doflamingo, all four limbs gone. A shiver ran down his spine, and an embarrassed look crossed his face. He said, uncertainly:
"Maybe... he just forgot that day?"
...
New World.
The massive Red Force sailed slowly on the stormy sea. A skilled helmsman kept the speed steady, but the ship was circling in place, like a headless fly.
On deck.
The Red-Haired crew, led by Beckman, sat cross-legged on the deck, at a complete loss. Even Lucky Roux, who always had a chicken leg in his hand, looked grim.
A heavy atmosphere hung over the entire ship.
"By the way, who actually captured the captain?!" Yasopp, who was cleaning his beloved rifle, slowly looked up, a trace of confusion in his eyes.
Although Beckman had guessed it was most likely the Marines...That was still just a guess. They had no concrete information!
"First Mate! We've got news! The captain is being held in Impel Down!"
Suddenly, a piercing shout broke the silence. A pirate ran toward Beckman, waving a newspaper and shouting excitedly.
Although the voice was shrill, to the crew, it was more beautiful than any song.
Compared to wandering, they now knew where their captain was. It gave them a target.