The plan he was discussing with Stussy at this moment was one piece outside the grand plan that would follow the Marineford War.
The foundation this plan relied upon was the Golden Den Den Mushi Ren had drawn earlier.
The one that belonged to Akainu, the Golden Den Den Mushi that could be used to launch a Buster Call.
At present, the two Celestial Dragons—one still in Whitebeard's hands and the other already exchanged back—both had hidden arrangements on them related to this plan.
What Ren wanted to do was make the succession of the Fleet Admiral position undergo a slight change.
He believed Kuzan absolutely had no way of taking the position.
And a Fleet Admiral who acted viciously while obeying the Five Elders' orders did not align with the benefits Ren hoped for.
After the Marineford War, the Marines should obediently remain crippled for a few years.
But accomplishing this was not easy.
It required not only electromagnetic technology to interfere with and falsify communications, nor merely a wish from the Limited Wishing Machine.
It also required someone inside the Marines to help him complete the docking step, allowing the gears of the Buster Call matter to fully begin turning.
Coincidentally, Ren knew very well that people from the Cipher Pol Agency definitely existed within the Marines.
Although both were organizations under the World Government, there were still major differences when one broke them down.
The Cipher Pol Agency was more like a private army in the hands of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. Everything it did served them.
Just as Lucci had said, the greatest justice they believed in was the World Government.
Although the Marines shared the same underlying logic, on the surface, they still served the order of the world.
Below the rank of Vice Admiral, many people had joined the Marines for the sake of world order.
If that were not the case, then the words Ren had Whitebeard say under his instruction during the Marineford War would not have caused such a severe impact on the Marines afterward.
According to intelligence passed back from the Revolutionary Army, among the elite Marines who survived the Marineford War, at least thirty to forty percent submitted resignation letters, abandoning the justice they had upheld in the past and leaving the Marines.
Thanks to that, some people, after becoming disappointed, chose to come to the Revolutionary Army.
Dragon was extremely happy about this. The only time he had been happier was when he took over Pluton.
It could be said that in the Marineford War, the greatest loser was the Marines!
Back to the matter at hand.
Because of the special nature of the Marines, the World Government was certain to have restrictive measures in place.
It was not merely that the Fleet Admiral had to be loyal to the World Government, nor merely that they controlled the promotion channels for Marine officers.
They would definitely plant people from the Cipher Pol Agency inside, to serve as preventive preparations that could play an important role when necessary.
The existence of a brake pad beside Akainu was also inevitable.
The difference lay in whether Stussy could accomplish this.
"CP0's identity is very hard to come by. Are you really planning to discard it now?"
Stussy was somewhat stunned, seemingly unable to understand Ren's approach.
"Stussy, do you know where power comes from?" Ren asked.
"From what?" Stussy frowned.
"Absolute violence."
Ren chuckled and said, "The reason the World Government possesses absolute power is because they are the strongest violence in the world.
"No one can defeat that violence. Therefore, they must submit to the rules it establishes.
"So—power stems from violence."
At this point, his tone became cold and indifferent. "I am only two steps away from the absolute violence I envision."
"..."
Stussy fell silent. She very much wanted to mock him and ask whether he was being a little too confident.
Although, through the Cipher Pol Agency's intelligence network, she had roughly learned that this man had interfered in the Marineford War, and that he did indeed possess powerful strength.
But his opponent was still the World Government. As a member of the Cipher Pol Agency, she knew very well just how much power that colossal entity possessed.
Yet when the words reached her lips, she could not say them.
Because everything that had happened so far had not deviated from the direction this man spoke of.
The terror of a prophet, the ability of a prophet, and the certainty of a prophet—these three things left Stussy unable to question him.
After a brief silence, she suddenly laughed.
"If I complete this, I won't have much use anymore. How do you plan to deal with me after that?"
"You can choose to follow me and complete the mutual goals of my crew, or you can choose to leave.
"Killing the donkey after it has finished grinding the mill is not the way I like to do things. Parting on good terms has always been my usual method.
"Provided—you truly stand on my side."
Ren's tone was calm, even carrying a faint trace of sincerity.
"...I need helpers."
Stussy took a deep breath, then said, "Sugar, the Toy-Toy Fruit user; Baccarat, the Luck-Luck Fruit user; and Violet, the Glare-Glare Fruit user.
"If we want to push the Buster Call into being successfully implemented, there cannot be any omissions in the Marine side of the process.
"The Toy-Toy Fruit can erase certain people's identities, allowing me to forge identities and replace personnel. It can also erase exposure caused by unexpected accidents.
"Luck is a necessary safeguard during implementation. The Glare-Glare Fruit will allow me to understand the general situation locally, and even globally."
"Fine. Robin will contact you."
Ren agreed without hesitation. After all, those people had no current assignments.
"By the way, I found some information about the Seraphim."
Stussy suddenly said, "It's Vegapunk's technology. The Pacifista that appeared during the Marineford War are an inferior version of this technology.
"What's subtle is that after I obtained part of the data, this side showed that I had acquired a portion of the evolution data."
"If you can obtain the complete data, you can use the BUG Poké Ball to complete your metamorphosis.
"You can change from an artificial human into a Seraphim and obtain strength greater than what you have now."
Ren spoke bluntly.
"Oh?"
Stussy's eyes flickered. "Should I say, as expected of a prophet? But if that's the case, you're actually still willing to give me the option of leaving?"
"One of those two steps requires me to visit Vegapunk."
Ren's tone was flat, but there was meaning behind his words.
"..."
Stussy instantly fell silent. Then she said, "You even know that?"
"Don't underestimate a prophet."
Ren shrugged. "All right, that's enough for now. Only after this matter is over will you have the option of being released.
"Also, I only want to obtain something from him. I'm also somewhat interested in his scientific research ability, that's all."
"Understood."
Stussy hung up the Den Den Mushi.
Ren put away the modified Den Den Mushi and looked at the scenery rapidly rising outside the Judgment.
As for Whitebeard's side... there were probably going to be changes soon as well.
Come to think of it, all kinds of major news seemed to be happening across the world.
"Pops, your wanted poster! Your bounty went up!"
Amid a noisy voice, Ace came striding over with a wanted poster in hand.
After several days of recuperation, the injuries on his body had basically recovered to normal.
At the same time, under his comrades' guidance, he had completely walked out of his self-blame and past self-destructive desires.
And now, he displayed a wanted poster.
The image was a photograph of Whitebeard grinning fiercely as he tore the atmosphere apart before Marine Headquarters.
But what drew the eye the most was still the dense row of zeroes in the bounty amount below.
.
{Dead or Alive}
{Whitebeard · Edward Newgate}
{Bounty: 10,000,000,000!}
.
Ten billion.
In pirate history, this was practically a number that could not be surpassed. Even the Pirate King himself had never received such a bounty.
Only Whitebeard, who had stirred up the Marineford War, won it, and even kidnapped Celestial Dragons as hostages to exchange for Ace, could possess this bounty that could be called unprecedented.
Everyone on the Whitebeard Pirates' ship discussed it animatedly.
Including Marco, the commanders all wore expressions of pride, joy, and honor.
However, Whitebeard only glanced at it before crumpling the wanted poster into a ball and throwing it away.
"That kind of thing doesn't matter at all. It's nothing more than other people's evaluation of us."
Whitebeard suddenly downed a barrel of liquor, then said, "Since the World Government has updated the bounty amounts, it should be about time for the reckoning as well.
"Brats, you should pull yourselves together and prepare. Then—listen to Marco's command and go where you should go."
"Pops, shouldn't we be together at a time like this?"
The commanders looked at one another. In the end, it was Jozu who scratched his head and asked the question.
"My battlefield is not one you brats can interfere in yet."
Whitebeard shook his head. "Next will be a great war. You have many things you ought to do."
He seemed as though he wanted to continue saying something, but... Ace suddenly interrupted him.
"Pops! You're not..."
Ace stopped mid-sentence, his expression becoming agitated.
Along with him, the commanders also changed expressions one after another. All of them stared at their father, similarly stopping themselves from speaking.
"No, it's only because—"
An indifferent, unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded here. A stranger abruptly appeared out of thin air, stepping onto this whale ship while speaking cold words.
"—you are all too weak, and have no qualification to enter the battlefield that comes afterward."
Ren said this.
"Hey! Is it an enemy?!"
"Who is it?!"
The person and words that had appeared so abruptly made the commanders instinctively tense up.
But very soon, someone recognized him.
"It's Demon Ren!"
"One of ours?"
Vista of the Flower Swords narrowed his eyes and gave that subtle description.
Whether from news reports or as people who had experienced things personally, plenty of sharp individuals had detected Ren's position within it all.
He had arrived just before the Celestial Dragons ended up in Pops' hands. How could there be such a coincidence?
"You could say that."
The one who answered at this moment, however, was First Division Commander Marco.
His expression was complicated as he nodded, then looked at everyone around him.
"Everyone, come with me. I'll tell you what we need to do next."
This extremely blunt and sudden request made the commanders frown.
But immediately after, Whitebeard also spoke.
"Except for Ace, the rest of you follow Marco and learn the next plan."
As an order from their captain and father, it still made these unruly pirates obediently leave.
On the now-empty deck, only Ren, Whitebeard, and the utterly confused Ace remained.
"You look like you're living well enough."
Ren first sized Ace up, then said, "Have you met Sabo?"
"You are..."
Ace's eyes instantly changed as he thought of what the brother he had met before had said.
"That prophet... benefactor?!"
(End of Chapter)