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The blow dealt by Rowen rendered Big Mom unable to bear children, what a heavy blow it must have been for her! Compared to that, the ambush on Pott Island is hardly worth mentioning! It's cutting off Big Mom's roots in Totto Land! It's foreseeable that under such circumstances, the battle will not easily subside.
The largest battle in the Pirate Era has undoubtedly begun, but the Gorosei have yet to realize it. After Rowen regained control from the chaotic Awakening, rationality took hold, and he quickly realized the terrifying consequences of his actions.
This kind of responsibility is not something a mere Vice Admiral like him could bear.
So he made the decisive choice to flee.
Let them fight on, I'm on vacation! After all, he didn't believe that the Gorosei and Sengoku had sent troops to assist him just to protect his life.
There must be some unknown secret behind this!
And Lirisk, who remained in Alabasta, is a suspicious informant.
"Nibelung Lirisk."
Rowen's expression was icy. Although from the results, this time he made a huge profit, severely injuring Big Mom and mastering his Awakening Abilities. But this was the result of his own efforts!
It's easy to imagine that if it were someone else, in that frenzied state, losing their sanity would be the only outcome.
Rowen really wanted to know, aside from getting rid of him, what benefit did it bring to Lirisk?
Rowen left, but the traces he left behind in this battle were too obvious.
With the Big Mom Pirates declaring war on the Marines in the name of revenge against the Soryu, the mess couldn't be contained.
Almost the very next morning, news of the all-out war between the New World "Yonko," the Big Mom Pirates, and the Marines spread throughout the world.
In Kano Country, West Blue:
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of tea sprayed all over Huo Hai, the Three Treasures Navy Pillar of State, who sat across, causing the Ramen to cough uncontrollably, embarrassedly apologizing.
"Sorry, sorry, what were you saying just now?"
Huo Hai wiped the tea off his face with his sleeve, looking dumbfounded. As a member of the Happo Navy, he wouldn't get angry with the King over such a trivial matter.
After all, his reaction was the same as the Ramen's upon hearing the news.
"The follow-up to the news from a few days ago is out. The Marine Soryu severely wounded the Yonko Big Mom. The specific details are unknown, but the Big Mom Pirates have declared all-out war on the Marines, vowing to kill Soryu to avenge themselves."
Huo Hai summarized the report in the newspaper, then suddenly heard the Ramen ask, "Is Big Mom dead?!"
"No."
"She's a Yonko, after all!"
Huo Hai's mouth twitched as he shook his head. "But it's certain that she's seriously injured. Everyone in the Big Mom Pirates is in a frenzy, attacking the Marine positions as if they've gone mad. With so many people involved, it's impossible to keep it secret. I'm sure news will spread soon."
The Ramen's eyes were filled with shock.
The Marine Soryu was truly stirring up the sea, determined to wreak havoc until the very end!
"Alright, is there any news from the World Government?"
King Ramen was seasoned and quickly regained his composure, asking in a solemn tone.
He couldn't afford not to be concerned about the government's movements. As a Shichibukai, it was explicitly stated in the Shichibukai treaty that "at necessary times, the Shichibukai must obey government orders, or else lose their Shichibukai status!"
With the Marine Headquarters engaging in an all-out war against the Big Mom Pirates, their forces are bound to be stretched thin, inevitably affecting their control over the seas.
At a time like this, how could the World Government not be wary of each ambitious move made by the Shichibukai? There was a high probability that Don Sai would be called in for reinforcements, keeping the Shichibukai under close watch to prevent them from causing trouble.
"That's exactly what I wanted to say."
Huo Hai's brows furrowed with suspicion. "It's like they've forgotten about us."
"Moreover, the entire incident of the Marine raid on Totto Land, from beginning to end, has been shrouded in strangeness and irrationality. There must be something we don't know."
"Those are some valid points!"
King Ramen nodded and instructed, "In that case, let's adapt to the situation! With the recent unrest in the New World, let's hold off on delivering that shipment for now. We'll wait until the limelight passes."
"Yes!"
Relying solely on Don Sai's subordinates, big and small, wouldn't be enough to cover all of West Blue's arms trade. It took the concerted effort of the entire Kano Country to secure this large piece of the pie.
And King Ramen was visionary enough to understand that politics is all about compromise. He had already extended his influence to the New World.
Watching Huo Hai walk away, King Ramen clenched his fist, then sighed dejectedly after a moment.
"The Marine Soryu is indeed a monster!"
…
In Loguetown, East Blue, at the Independent Commission Against Corruption:
"Colonel Smoker! Something big's happened!"
Boom!
The office door was forcefully pushed open, and within seconds, the pink-haired bespectacled man who barged in stumbled backward, covering his nose.
"Cough Cough! Colonel, I can't see, it hurts!"
"You're so noisy, kid!"
Inside the office, Smoker, with silver hair standing firm atop his head, his chest wide open, and two cigars clenched in his mouth, glanced at Koby at the door, saying mildly, "You're panicking at the slightest provocation, no calmness at all!"
"With you like this, I don't think you should go to the Grand Line. I'd rather not have to collect your corpse."
"Yes, sir! I'm extremely sorry!"
Going to the Grand Line was Koby's dream, and it was also Smoker's leverage over him. Hearing this, Koby's buttocks clenched instinctively, his middle finger pressed against the seam of his pants, bending over 90 degrees to salute.
Thud!
"Hiss!"
Feeling the impact, Smoker took in a breath of cold air, rubbing his forehead. Thank goodness I'm a Logia. The threshold was shattered, damn it! Ignoring Koby, the room, shrouded in mist, suddenly had a gust of wind as Smoker opened the window.
It was a common sight for the wind to blow open the window.
But considering that the window had been securely locked before, this sight was highly unusual.
The draught quickly dissipated the smoke, and once visibility was restored and the room was no longer a blur, Smoker put his feet down from the table, sat up straight, and lifted his chin.
"If you're not dead, come in and report, Seaman Apprentice Koby!"
"Hiss? Oh! Yes!"
The three interjections said it all. Smoker, feeling the pain, rubbed his forehead, feeling utterly exhausted.
Koby was good in every way, diligent in training, and kind-hearted. At a young age, he was already hard to match in Loguetown. The effort he put in behind the scenes was evident to everyone, earning him deep admiration.
However...
It's just that his mind isn't very sharp!
"It still needs polishing!"
Stuck in the training base in Loguetown all day long, he couldn't become an outstanding Marine capable of standing on his own.
Without even glancing at Koby, Smoker waved his hand, swirling a cloud of white smoke, and picked up the report Koby had left at the door.
Koby rubbed the large lump on his forehead in surprise.
"Huh? How did my report end up there?"
Smoker: "..."
What do you think?!!!
With three black lines on his forehead, Smoker opened the report, and suddenly his pupils shrank.
"Something big has indeed happened!"
It was a notice from the Marine Headquarters.
It demanded that Loguetown Marine Base in East Blue immediately contact all branches of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in East Blue to launch a six-month crackdown, ensuring that no pirates or criminals would cause trouble during this period.
There was only one reason.
"The Marine Headquarters and the Yonko Big Mom are in all-out war, with an Admiral leading troops stationed at G-5?!"
Smoker recalled some unpleasant memories, then clenched his fist, his gaze sharp.
"After completing this mission, it's time to set off for the Grand Line!"
East Blue remained as calm as stagnant water, with Marine's crackdown being the strongest here due to Roger's origins in East Blue. Big Mom probably wasn't interested in paying attention here.
If it weren't for the fact that the war had stretched the Marine Headquarters thin, requiring each branch to maintain order and manage its jurisdiction, East Blue wouldn't have received such a superficial quest with more show than substance.
The center of the world is the Grand Line!
And the center of the era "Marine Soryu!"
After wasting several years, once Smoker's fighting spirit reignited, it wouldn't be extinguished again.
(The end of this chapter)