Chapter 566: Friends Assemble
In Imu's eyes, Brett was undoubtedly a thorn — more troublesome an opponent than Joy Boy had been eight hundred years ago. But that didn't mean Imu would immediately spring into action the moment Brett appeared. He wouldn't abandon all hesitation and come charging in.
The situation had reached this point. Imu had chosen to stay hidden, and he would not show himself easily.
Brett understood this clearly.
Unless what was placed before him was bait he simply couldn't refuse — bait worth taking even at risk.
The answer wasn't hard to come up with. If Brett alone wasn't enough, then add an ancient weapon to the equation.
Hades's speed was perfectly suited for exactly this.
And the timing was convenient. The World Government had just finished gathering all its recruited forces in one place, which gave Brett a natural reason to appear there and sweep them all up at once.
Brett laid out his idea.
His allies were skeptical.
"Isn't that a little too obvious?" Dragon said with a frown. "Imu isn't foolish. He knows that once Hades was complete, the advantage shifted to our side."
Under those circumstances, why would Imu move at all?
"Let's gamble on it." Brett leaned back in his chair with a easy smile. "Gamble that he wants to gamble too."
"What Imu knows better than anyone is that with time, our advantage only grows. Because Poseidon is maturing with every passing day."
Poseidon was not yet fully developed. But in a few more years, she would reach her complete form, and at that point Imu would be facing all three ancient weapons in earnest. Even his ultimate weapon would have little chance of winning against that combination.
He needed to act before that window closed.
So Brett was willing to bet: when he appeared with Hades, Imu would move.
"That does seem to be the only real option." Zephyr gave a quiet nod. "Brett — once again, we're counting on you."
"Leave it to me." Brett smiled. "On another note — I've already sent out the call to our other allies. The ancient weapons are the core of this war, but they're not the whole of it."
The World Government had CP agents and the mysterious God's Knights alongside Imu and the ultimate weapon. The CP units were probably not a major threat beyond whoever their strongest shield was, but the God's Knights were not to be taken lightly.
Bring together every available force. All the work of the years leading here — now was when it would bear fruit.
The Giants, Wano, the Minks, the Long-Arm Tribe, the Long-Leg Tribe, the Long-Neck Tribe — every one of them had made a promise to Brett. The time to keep those promises had arrived.
"This is going to be a war unlike anything that's come before," Dragon said.
"So then, everyone." Brett smiled. "Let's set the whole world in motion."
"It's time to act."
"While we plan the decisive battle against Imu, we strike at World Government forces across the entire globe first — and dismantle their influence completely."
"Of course — we've waited long enough!" Dragon said loudly. "Our fighters are spread across the world. They can move at any moment."
"We're ready too!" Zephyr followed quickly. "Our strength is concentrated in the New World, but Brett — the Fish-Man Island logistics teams can transport us anywhere in the world, can't they!"
"Of course!" Brett's mouth curved slightly.
The Fish-Man Island logistics teams, with their mastery of deep-sea current transport, were just as capable of moving people as they were goods. Among the best in the world for that kind of operation.
"Hahahaha, then we can make ourselves useful too!" Fleet Admiral Garp laughed loudly. "We can head to Navy branches across the world and bring our former comrades back over to our side."
"Absolutely." Brett nodded.
With that, a war sweeping every corner of the world was about to begin.
The strategy meeting wrapped up from there. The Revolutionary Army, the NEO Navy, and the New Navy each moved on to coordinating their respective zones of operation.
This was a war to overturn the entire world order. The World Government's reach had to be cleared out completely, across every sea.
After the meeting, Brett went to contact the rest of his allies.
The King of the Giants and the friends from the minority alliance — as well as national leaders like Yamato, Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, and others. Every last one of them responded warmly to Brett's call.
Whether it was gratitude for past help or their own long-held anticipation of this moment, not one of them hesitated.
"Then leave the rest to us!" Yamato's enthusiastic reply said it all, and every ally answered the same way — ready to commit forces.
From there, the logistics teams would blend these allies' forces with Dragon's, Zephyr's, and Garp's units and ferry them to destinations across the world.
Whatever else could be said, the Giants alone were close to deciding the outcome of a wide-scale war.
Beyond sending troops, the leaders and strongest fighters from these nations and peoples would also converge on New Fish-Man Island to stand alongside Brett for the final battle against Imu.
As always: when the enemy was someone like Imu, no amount of preparation was excessive.
And so Fish-Man Island became an enormous engine and began to turn.
The logistics teams were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the transport demand.
But there was a solution. In the immigration authority and the Ryugu Palace army, there were plenty of sea beast units. They weren't professional transporters, but under the direction of experienced logistics personnel they could handle the work.
And then there was Shirahoshi.
With the Sea Kings answering her call, they too could be brought into the war effort. Once they had delivered all the armies to their destinations across the world, they could join the fighting directly.
Fish-Men, sea beasts, and Sea Kings combined — an unstoppable force across any of the Four Seas, and nothing in Paradise would be able to stand before them either.
There was no way to lose on this front.
That was exactly why the real key was still Imu.
If that man was left free to act, then sea beasts, Giants, and Sea Kings alike would never be able to hold back his assault.
He had to be drawn out first.