Why did Streusen guard the Hidden Treasury?
To protect the treasures inside from being stolen?
Yes.
But the purpose was not purely altruistic.
In his eyes, the items inside were his bargaining chips to make a deal with Soryu (Azure Dragon), so he couldn't allow anyone to take them.
As for Big Mom...
Once you're dead, who cares about you?
This really shows the true face of a pirate.
Not everyone is like the Roger Pirates, who remained loyal to their comrades even after their captain's death.
Streusen took in Katakuri's expression, then suddenly sneered, "What an ugly face, makes me feel bad!"
Katakuri's appearance, hidden under the scarf, had nothing to do with "handsome". His wide mouth, split to the earlobes and filled with sharp teeth, made him look like a beast.
After the incident with Brûlée, Katakuri decided to become a perfect older brother who could protect his younger siblings, starting by changing himself.
He covered his mouth with a scarf and worked hard to shape his perfect image. This had always been a point of insecurity for him.
But for the first time, Katakuri realized that Streusen, like others, despised his appearance.
"Die!"
In extreme anger, Katakuri raised his trident, spun it quickly, and thrust it straight at Streusen.
Clang!
Streusen didn't move, and neither did Rowen.
It was Dante who acted.
Kā Chā!
Holding his sword with both hands, Dante blocked the trident and stood in front of Katakuri, radiating a threatening aura like an evil spirit: "Sorry, Katakuri, you can't kill him until Rowen makes a decision."
"..."
Katakuri knew that if he continued to attack, Dante would truly fight him to the death.
"Marine Ghost Sword" Queen Dante had the strength to make him cautious.
"There must be more somewhere else, right, Streusen?"
Rowen glanced at the two facing each other, then turned around and asked, "Otherwise, this alone isn't enough for me to let you go.
With his absolute speed, he could destroy the Hidden Treasury and still teach Streusen a lesson.
"That's right!"
Streusen nodded and said, "The information-gathering abilities of the Big Mom Pirates are world-renowned, including many unconfirmed treasures. After establishing Totto Land, I advised Linlin not to put all her eggs in one basket. Several other treasure troves, while not containing Poneglyphs, are just as valuable as cities."
"Of course, there's also the most important information: the list of personnel associated with us that the Marines have always wanted to know."
"As long as you promise the Marines won't harm me, I'll give you everything."
To save his life, Streusen's actions undoubtedly betrayed the Big Mom Pirates completely.
Without this information, it would be much harder for the Marines to completely take over the Big Mom Pirates' legacy, potentially causing untold trouble.
"Traitor!"
Katakuri couldn't help but roar in anger.
Streusen looked at him calmly, a contemptuous smile on his lips.
"So are you."
One betrayed for his own survival, the other for the survival of his younger siblings. Regardless of their starting points, they were both traitors.
Rowen thought for a moment, then nodded, "All right, I can agree to your terms."
"But you'd better disclose everything clearly, or believe me, not even White Beard will be able to protect you."
Bang!
As his words fell, a terrifying Haoshoku Haki accompanied by a dragon's roar filled the Hidden Treasure Room. Streusen, who was sitting on the floor, was thrown backward by the shockwave, his back pressed tightly against the poneglyph.
After killing Big Mom, Rowen's own aura had strengthened once again. At this moment, he was confident that he wouldn't be at a disadvantage even if he faced the "Most Haki Man" Shanks.
The oppressive feeling, as if the sky was falling, weighed heavily on Streusen's heart. He felt immensely relieved.
Relieved that he hadn't chosen to oppose Rowen, otherwise, as Rowen had said, not even "The Strongest Man In The World" Whitebeard would be able to protect him!
"I... I understand."
Streusen, drenched in cold sweat, quickly soaked his clothes.
The momentum was overwhelming; he had no chance to retreat now, even if he wanted to.
...
What was the Marine up to lately?
This question concerned all the powers of the sea.
After the final verdict on Dragon, to everyone's surprise, it was a suspended death sentence.
A suspended death sentence is still a death sentence, but it is very different from a regular one, and reveals many problems.
Combined with the recent news of the Revolutionary Army's activities, which were slowly resurfacing, everyone across the sea knew the truth.
Dragon was finished, but the Revolutionary Army was not!
What he had left behind hadn't completely disappeared after the overthrow of the headquarters. Instead, it had branched out and integrated itself into every corner of the sea.
The navy had fallen into a trap!
At this point, even the underground world giants who didn't know the details had come to the same conclusion as Rowen.
Previously, the Revolutionary Army and Dragon had only been topics discussed by a few. As Sengoku said, they were the biggest threat to the government's rule, not the civilians, so many didn't care about their cause.
But with the Navy's coverage of the overthrow of the Revolutionary Army headquarters, the existence of the Revolutionary Army reached countless households.
Dragon's defeat didn't extinguish the revolutionary flame; it burned even brighter!
Coupled with the scattered and unknown whereabouts of the Revolutionary Army's forces and numerous unknown infiltrators, the sea didn't see the expected outcry against the Revolutionary Army. Instead, there was an eerie calm.
Neither obstructing nor supporting, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear, this was the current attitude of all the powers toward the Revolutionary Army.
They also wanted to see how far Dragon's Revolutionary Army, left behind, could go.
Red Line, a newly declared independent nation.
"I see, so this was the leader's real plan!"
Shocked, Sabo held the documents in his hands and trembled with excitement after reading them.
If carried out as planned, Soryu (Azure Dragon) would be manipulated, eventually ostracized by the Five Elder Stars, and become a rebel driven to act against the government.
But!
"Unfortunately, the leader did not anticipate that the Navy would attack the headquarters directly."
From the Den Mushi came the sad voice of Terry Gilteo, the Revolutionary Army's information officer: "He planned everything, but he forgot to leave himself a way out."
Sabo fell silent.
Yes, this man dedicated his entire life to the greatest cause, but he didn't leave himself a way out.
Because the plan included contingencies for what the Revolutionary Army should do if he met an unexpected end.
"Hey, Kuma, why didn't you know about this?"
Koala asked in surprise. As Dragon's right-hand man and the highest-ranking spy in the government, how could Kuma be unaware of such an important matter?
"Because Soryu (Azure Dragon) discovered my identity."
Kuma calmly said something that left everyone speechless.
Koala suddenly remembered the voice she had heard in Century City, her eyes immediately reddened and she instinctively covered her mouth.
"Could it be..."
"Yes!"
Kuma silently turned his head to look out the window. "If I knew about these things, Soryu (Azure Dragon) would have reported me directly..."
"Maybe you all don't know, but the suppression device Vegapunk implanted in my brain can read parts of my memory. The role I played reassured the government so they didn't have to use it."
"The leader protected me with his own life."
Sabo scowled and asked, "Wait a minute, now that you've heard all this..."
Before he could finish, Kuma waved his hand. "Don't worry, I haven't read the documents. Besides, I've used the Paw-Paw Fruit to create a vacuum around my ears, so no sound can get in. I read your lips to understand what you're saying.
"As for the leader's plan, I still know nothing so far."
Everyone was speechless.
Kuma looked nostalgically at the people in the room, and for the first time, an affectionate smile appeared on his usually stoic face.
"Thank you all for taking care of me these past years."
"Sabo, you are the one the leader saw the most potential in. I hope you can take up the banner of the Revolutionary Army after him."
"The next time we meet, please don't hold back, all of you."
"I may not exist by then."
Everyone fell silent at these words. Kuma knew his fate, yet he faced it with such calmness and generosity.
"What a remarkable organization."
Robin, holding the tearful koala, allowed a smile to form on her lips.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to join them?
Bang!
At that moment, the door was flung open.
A Revolutionary Army soldier rushed in, out of breath and in a panic.
"Big... Big news!"
"The Marines have won a great victory in the New World!"
"Yonko Big Mom was decapitated by Soryu (Azure Dragon)!"
Shuā!
In an instant, everyone was stunned!
...
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