With a full stomach, there's finally time to stir up some trouble.
Rowen's Awakening going haywire wasn't a major issue, but it certainly shouldn't be underestimated.
Considering the difficulty of intercepting a Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit) Ability user, the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) ordered the military to "protect" the Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land, closely following them 24/7, rendering Orrick's prepared moves useless.
They occupied the moral high ground of protecting the World Nobles, leaving Orrick with no room to maneuver.
At the same time, with Rowen causing trouble, all political struggles had to be set aside.
Im on the Empty Throne would not tolerate any nonsense about "maintaining internal stability before dealing with external threats." This incident was entirely provoked by him alone, and there was simply no need for "internal stability."
But it must be said, that the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) played this hand beautifully.
It was reasonable and justified publicly and privately, leaving no room for criticism. At the same time, they killed two birds with one stone, directly eliminating Orrick's threat.
At this moment, whether Orrick was smashing cups at home, Rowen had no idea. After passing by the Holy Land, the chaotic magnetic field of the New World came rushing toward him, leaving Rowen with no time to spare for further thoughts.
It's well known that the biggest difference between the New World and Paradise is the climate, followed by the power struggles.
In the First Half of Paradise, the planet's magnetic field is chaotic but orderly. As long as one doesn't encounter pirates or extreme weather, reaching the destination with the Log Pose isn't difficult.
However, in the New World, there's no regularity to the magnetic fields at all. Besides the magnetic fields around islands being the only indicator of direction, the Sea's blank areas have no discernible north or south, and the weather is hard to predict.
"If it weren't for my Awakening, I'd probably get lost in this sea without a Log Pose."
Rowen remembered the experience of crossing the North and South Blues without guidance, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
What ordinary people couldn't feel at all, the magnetic field bands were clear as day to Rowen's Thunder-Lightning Human physique.
But at this moment, he'd rather not see it.
The chaotic magnetic fields of the New World were like a highly polluted painting, and not being able to see them was actually a good thing.
After Awakening, there were some changes to the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit).
All aspects of his abilities were enhanced, allowing Rowen to lock onto the planet's magnetic field without needing to mix Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) with the Heart Network, as these things were already part of his perception range, no different from sounds, colors, or scents.
"This magnetic line is broken, and the probability of an island being present is not high."
Flying high in the sky, Rowen carefully discerned the sensed magnetic fields, determining his location.
"Ordinary Log Poses only have three lines to choose from, but I'm much more capable now than a Log Pose."
Silently complaining in his heart, Rowen organized the collected information one by one, locking in a direction with a complete magnetic line.
Zipper Thunder danced rapidly among the clouds, the awe-inspiring might terrifying the sea below, and wherever it went, countless pirates trembled in fear, afraid that the Marine's Soryu would fall upon them.
At the same time, in the sea near Totto Land, on the deck of a battleship.
The one with no hair silently sipped his tea and sighed, "Thunder and lightning, such restless abilities."
Behind him, several CP0 elites remained unchanged, as if they hadn't heard the muttering of the senior official.
Zero didn't blame them and asked, "How's the preparation on the Marine's side?"
"Report, sir. Fleet Admiral Sengoku dispatched Admiral Kizaru, and it's estimated that he will arrive at the same time as us. Admiral Aokiji's forces just passed by the G-1 Branch and are on their way."
The CP0 agent spoke respectfully.
"Hmm, Aokiji's mission is mainly to deter, to prevent other Yonko from causing trouble. Whether he comes or not is indifferent."
Zero nodded, then continued, "What about the others?"
The agent hesitated slightly, "Retired former Marine recruit and Instructor Black Arm Zephyr sought an audience with the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) and wanted to join the battle, but was rejected by the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)."
"Tsk, Sensei from someone else's home!"
Zero shook his head silently, picked up his teacup, and changed his posture, "Since that's the case, we can't lose face either. Notify everyone to move forward at full speed; Vice Admiral Soryu won't leave us any room to breathe."
"This time, it's do or die!"
Totto Land, Totto Land.
The Marine's movements couldn't escape the notice of the Yonko. Upon receiving news of the Marine's large-scale deployment into the New World, all factions immediately dispatched all available scouts in an effort to find out what was happening.
Then, countless eyes watched as the Zipper Thunder, heading straight for Totto Land, was met by the massive Marine army coming from the Red Line.
This meant war!
For a moment, the entire New World surged with hidden currents.
No one knew why the Marines would come to the New World at this juncture. Weren't they supposed to be searching for the culprits behind the theft at Mary Geoise? People racked their brains trying to understand why this war came so unexpectedly.
"Asshole!"
"I'm going to kill them!!"
At the top of Cake Island City Fortress, BIG MOM clad in a pink polka dot sundress, roared in anger, her whole body pulsating with terrifying Haoshoku Haki.
Her ministers and children trembled in the presence of this Yonko-level Haki, with the weaker ones even fainting outright.
The reason for BIG MOM's fury was simple: as information gathered, all factions in the New World suddenly realized that the Marine's target was none other than the "BIG MOM" pirate crew led by Charlotte Linlin!
Why?
That was everyone's first thought.
Even BIG MOM couldn't fathom why the Marines would suddenly target her, especially with such a long-distance assault, which didn't fit the style of straightforward frontal attacks typical of Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
But now wasn't the time to ponder over that.
The Marines had already provoked war, and as a Yonko, if she didn't fight back, she and her crew would have no place in the New World.
"MAMA, could it be that our actions in Alabasta angered the Marines?" Minister of Juice Smoothie, resisting the terrifying Haoshoku, asked.
"Didn't Katakuri Onii San say that the Marine Soryu also targeted the pirates who attacked the towns according to his orders before leaving Alabasta?"
"What's a mere Alabasta? The Soryu isn't like those hot-headed kids."
BIG MOM suppressed her anger and thought calmly, "Besides, those guys in the Underground World suffered heavy losses this time, without any prior warning. It seems that the Great Characters on the Red Line were also involved."
If it were just the Marines making a move, BIG MOM wouldn't be afraid. After all, the Yonko built their reputations through strength, and in the end, none of the four would easily overpower the others, which is what maintained the title of "Yonko."
During this process, they've fought the Marines before and understood each other's strengths well.
But this time, the enemy launched a long-range attack out of nowhere, and BIG MOM wasn't afraid of anyone.
But...
"Who can tell me what happened at Mary Geoise? Why is the World Government getting involved?!"
BIG MOM roared angrily, feeling a bit aggrieved.
A Marine attack wasn't terrifying, but what was frightening was that the Great Characters at the center of the world's power were also targeting her Totto Land.
The combination of the two wasn't just a difference in combat power; it was a difference in attitude!
"Could it be that Alabasta really has an Ancient Weapon? And Kataku Nii San found it, so it attracted the government's attention?"
Smoothie speculated suspiciously.
BIG MOM paused at the words, her mouth twitching uncontrollably.
What is this nonsense about Ancient Weapons?
This news was spread by her and those mongrels from the Underground World!
They spread it to attract scattered forces on the Sea, to confuse and disrupt, so they could easily plant their agents in Alabasta and plunder its wealth.
There had to be this cover story!
It was an unwritten rule; otherwise, how could Marines turn a blind eye to such a big mess in an Allied Kingdom Member?
So BIG MOM's first reaction was disdain, but...
Smoothie's reasoning did make sense. If it wasn't about a taboo item, why would the government bother them when they had better things to do?
Could it be that Alabasta really had an Ancient Weapon?!
"Where's Katakuri now?"
BIG MOM sat back in her seat, her expression gloomy and dark.
(End of Chapter).
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