Chapter 108: The Four Emperors' Reactions!
"Look at this, Tsuru," Sengoku said, his voice rasping with exhaustion. He pointed a shaking finger at the surveillance photo of Charlotte Katakuri standing on the deck of the Pola.
"He boarded their ship. He spoke with them. And he left alive."
Sengoku traced a line from Wano Country to Totto Land.
"There has already been a conflict with Kaido. Jack the Drought is dead. That bridge is burned to ashes. But what about Big Mom? What about Charlotte Linlin?"
He turned to his old friend, fear evident in his eyes behind the round glasses.
"What if... I mean, what if they reach some kind of cooperation? What if Suzaku marries into the Charlotte Family? A 'Fifth Emperor' allied with Big Mom... that would be an absolute disaster for us! The balance of power would tilt irrevocably against the World Government. We cannot fight two Emperors united."
Vice Admiral Tsuru sat calmly on the sofa, her hands folded in her lap. She watched the steam rise from her cup of green tea, her expression unreadable.
"Sengoku," she said softly, her voice a steady anchor in the storm of his panic. "I understand your concerns. The nightmare scenario is valid. Strategically, an alliance would be the end of the current era."
She took a sip of tea, the porcelain clinking softly in the silence.
"But the reality is, our current forces are already stretched thin just maintaining the balance of the seas. The Shichibukai system is fragile. The Revolutionaries are moving in the shadows. We simply cannot spare enough strength to actively eliminate an emerging Emperor-level power of unfathomable strength in their home turf! Sending another fleet would be sending them to their graves."
Tsuru stood up slowly, walking to the window that overlooked the sea.
"Furthermore," she paused, her eyes becoming sharp as she recalled the psychological profile of the new threat. "Judging by Captain Suzaku's past actions... executing a Tenryuubito in broad daylight, humiliating an Admiral, killing a Calamity without hesitation..."
She shook her head.
"It is impossible for someone with his arrogance and ambition to be subordinate to any of the Yonko. He is a King, Sengoku. Not a vassal. He does not bow. The 'alliance' you fear is highly unlikely. It will be a clash of egos, not a meeting of minds."
"Let them fight," Tsuru advised coldly. "Kaido will never let the death of Jack go unpunished. He is a mad dog. Allowing these monsters to consume each other in their own territories is the most advantageous situation for us right now. We let the poison cure the poison."
Sengoku let out a long, shuddering breath. His shoulders slumped as if the weight of the Justice coat was too much to bear.
He knew she was right. But the gamble was terrifying.
"...It can only be this way," he leaned back in his chair, exhausted. "We watch. We wait. And we pray they kill each other before they turn their eyes on us."
He picked up a pen.
"Draw up a bounty for this newcomer girl, Akame. Start her at 800 million. She killed a billion-berry man. We cannot ignore that."
"Alright," Tsuru nodded, making a note.
"Let them fight in the New World," Sengoku murmured, closing his eyes. "And see how big of a stir they can cause. May God have mercy on us all."
However, deep down, an unsettling thought simultaneously arose in the minds of the two highest Marine strategists.
Is it really that simple?
This sea, perhaps, has not seen... such an unreasonable, rule-breaking 'wave' since the days of Rocks D. Xebec. And waves like that... they don't just break ships. They drown the world.
[New World - The Red Force]
In a leisurely sea area of the New World, the waves were calm and the sky was a brilliant, cloudless blue.
A banquet was being held on the Red Hair Pirates' flagship, the Red Force. The smell of roasted pork and sake filled the air. Laughter, music, and the clinking of mugs created a symphony of freedom. Yasopp was shooting apples off Lucky Roux's head, while others danced on the tables.
It was a picture of paradise in a hellish ocean.
However, today, the protagonist of the banquet, the Yonko "Red Hair" Shanks, uncharacteristically did not participate.
He sat alone on the ship's rail, his back to the party. He held a newspaper in his single hand, his brows tightly furrowed, his face displaying an unprecedented solemnity that clashed with his colorful pants and loose shirt.
His hearty, infectious smile—the one that usually brightened the darkest days—had vanished the moment he read the headline.
The surrounding noise gradually quieted down. The music stopped. The crew members exchanged worried glances, noticing their Captain's unusual behavior. The Haki leaking from him was making the weaker members dizzy.
First Mate Benn Beckman, cigar in mouth and rifle on his back, slowly walked over. He sat beside Shanks, leaning against the railing.
"What's wrong, Shanks?" Beckman asked, exhaling a plume of grey smoke that drifted over the wanted posters spread out on the deck. "You look so listless. Bad news from home? Or did you run out of booze?"
Shanks didn't answer immediately. He handed him the newspaper.
"The gears of 'the era'..." Shanks whispered, his voice tight. "They are turning too fast, Beckman. The mechanism is going to break."
Beckman took the newspaper and quickly scanned it. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the photo of Jack's corpse, lying face down on the steel deck.
"It turns out you were right," Beckman said, flicking ash into the sea. "This group of newcomers—the Suzaku Pirates—is even fiercer than we imagined. They're causing trouble as soon as they entered the New World. Killing a Calamity on day one? That's not just bold; that's a declaration of war against the very concept of the Yonko."
"That's the problem," Shanks rubbed his temples, sighing deeply. The three scars over his eye throbbed.
"That madman Kaido will never swallow this insult. He treats his Calamities like family, in his own twisted way. He will definitely retaliate with all his might. It will be a total war. Wano will empty its forces."
Shanks looked at the horizon, where storm clouds were gathering—perhaps a reflection of his own mood.
"And the Suzaku Pirates... judging by their actions, they are certainly not to be trifled with either. They have the power to fight back. They have giants. They have monsters. Do you know what happens when two unreasonable behemoths collide in a cage this small?"
Beckman was silent. He knew the answer.
"The balance will be broken!" Shanks' voice deepened, losing its usual lightness. It became the voice of an Emperor.
"The fragile balance we painstakingly maintained for years will completely collapse. The Marines will panic. Big Mom will move to capitalize. Blackbeard will strike in the chaos. The world will be engulfed in flames before the 'Dawn' is ready."
Shanks gripped the hilt of his sword, Gryphon.
"Now is not the time... it's not time for chaos yet! It's too early!"
"So?" Beckman looked at him calmly. "What do you want to do, Captain?"
Shanks stood up. The wind caught his black cape. His eyes regained their usual determination—the eyes of a man who stood between the world and destruction.
"I have to stop them," Shanks declared. "Or at least, I can't let them fight to the death and break the world right now! I have to intervene."
"Ha," Beckman chuckled, standing up and extinguishing his cigar on the ship's rail. "What a meddling Captain we have. Always playing babysitter to the world."
He turned to the crew, who were watching anxiously.
"Who told you to be the Captain? Well, you heard him!" Beckman shouted. "What do you say, guys?!"
"OHHH!!!"
The crew erupted in cheers, raising their weapons.
"Of course! Wherever Captain wants to go, we go!"
"It's just breaking up a fight between monsters! Easy work!"
"Bring our best sake! Maybe we can even have another party with Kaido! Hahaha!"
Looking at the trusting and supportive smiles of his crew, the gloom in Shanks' heart was swept away. He once again displayed his signature, confident smile.
"Alright! Then, lads, prepare to turn the ship!"
He raised his remaining arm high, full of vigor.
"Set course for Totto Land! We're crashing a Tea Party before Kaido gets there!"
[New World - Totto Land - Whole Cake Island]
While Shanks worried about peace, Charlotte Linlin was worrying about dessert.
The Queen who ruled this dessert kingdom was enjoying her pleasant afternoon tea time in the gardens of the Whole Cake Chateau. The garden was alive—literally. The flowers sang soprano, the trees hummed bass, and the sun (Prometheus) smiled down on them.
But the atmosphere was manic, teetering on the edge of violence.
Her eldest son, Charlotte Perospero, stood before her, holding the latest newspaper with his long tongue lolling out. He looked gleeful.
"Perorin~! Mama! Mama! Look at this!" Perospero cackled. "That kid named Suzaku really has some skills! That foolish Mammoth under Kaido was actually taken down by a newcomer? And a little girl at that? How embarrassing for the Beasts Pirates!"
"MAMAMAMA!"
Big Mom laughed heartily, leaning back and forth in her massive chair, shaking the ground. Saliva dripped from her mouth onto a sentient donut, which screamed before being eaten.
"Is that so? Kaido must be furious! Serves him right for sending that brute to do business! That Jack never had any manners!"
She turned her gaze to her second son, Katakuri, who was silently standing nearby against a pillar made of chocolate. He looked unusually tense, his arms crossed tight.
"Katakuri," Big Mom asked, shoving a handful of croquembouche into her mouth. "You said earlier that you had delivered our tea party invitation to that kid, right?"
"Yes, Mama," Katakuri replied in a deep voice. He didn't look at Perospero. His eyes were shadowed. "Captain Suzaku personally promised to attend at that time."
"That's good! Very good!" Big Mom nodded with satisfaction, crumbs falling from her lips. "I can't wait to see him. And his crew! I want them all in my collection! That black-winged woman... that pale man... I must have them!"
Katakuri hesitated for a moment. He gripped his trident, Mogura, his knuckles turning white. He decided to speak the truth, even if she wouldn't like it.
"Mama," Katakuri said, stepping forward. "I must warn you. Captain Suzaku's strength... it is unfathomable."
He looked her in the eye.
"Moreover, the executives on his ship... they are all very dangerous. The woman named Albedo... her Haki rivals mine. The girl Akame... she killed Jack instantly. They are not normal pirates. They are not afraid of us."
Katakuri's voice grew urgent. He remembered the feeling of helplessness on the deck of the Pola.
"We must welcome them with the highest level of courtesy. And... we absolutely must not easily become enemies with them. If we try to trick them... or if the Wedding goes wrong... it could destroy Totto Land."
Big Mom stopped chewing. The garden went silent. The Homies froze in terror.
She licked the cream from her lips, looking at her most outstanding son with interest. Her eyes narrowed.
"Oh?"
"Is this the conclusion you reached after your contact with him?" Big Mom asked softly. "Are you scared, my son? My perfect Katakuri? Are you afraid of a rookie?"
"Yes, Mama," Katakuri admitted without shame. "I am concerned. And, with Jack dying at their hands, I'm worried Kaido might cause trouble then... If he attacks during the Tea Party..."
"HMPH!"
Big Mom impatiently interrupted him, slamming her fist on the table. The table shattered.
"That bastard Kaido! He still owes me a huge favor! A lifetime debt!"
She stood up, her shadow falling over her children like a mountain. Prometheus flared up on her shoulder, turning into a ball of fire. Napoleon, her hat, opened its eyes.
"He wouldn't dare cause trouble on my territory! Not at my Tea Party! Not in front of ME!"
"Don't worry, Katakuri! You worry too much! If he dares to come, I'll just settle old scores with him and kill him too! MAMAMAMA!"
Seeing her mother's confident—or rather, completely dismissive—attitude towards his warning, Katakuri fell silent.
He knew there was no point in saying more. Her hubris was her shield and her weakness. She lived in a world where she was the queen, and everyone else was a meal.
He could only silently retreat to the side, pulling his scarf up to hide his grimace.
The ominous premonition in his heart grew even stronger.
This upcoming Tea Party, Katakuri thought, looking at the invitation list that now included a monster who hunted Calamities for sport.
I'm afraid it won't be just a simple feast as Mama imagines. It will be a battlefield. And this time... we might bleed.
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