"What is this, the world's self-correcting timeline?"
"Tokiomi, come out and face... uh, never mind, it's not your fault."
The information network left behind by the Assassination Force was indeed extraordinary.
Unlike the information network of the Marines, which consisted of carefully selected soldiers loyal to the Marines, the sources of the Assassination Force were diverse, coming from both the underworld and the legitimate world.
Some of these informants didn't even know they were working for the Marine Assassination Force; they were simply making money selling information.
When these dormant information systems were reactivated, backed by vast amounts of data, Teach's route was quickly calculated within a day. Comparing this to the ocean models on the sand table, Rowen was stunned.
Well then!
There was no need for him to intervene; Teach was destined to collide with Thatch!
"So that means..."
Chaton, who was holding a painstakingly forged 'Devil Fruit', looked incredulous as his mouth twitched.
"So that means this thing is useless?"
Chaton didn't care who "Tokiomi" was. He just wanted to know if the Devil Fruit he had stayed up all night to create was still usable!
The Assassination Force's assassination style, as seen in Garfield's story, was absolutely uninhibited. Luring enemies with a fake Devil Fruit was a basic professional skill.
"This isn't my fault!"
Rowen looked at him innocently. Who could have predicted that Teach would accidentally run into Thatch?
To avoid detection, Teach deliberately avoided all possible Whitebeard pirate routes, intending to avoid any encounters.
And Thatch, unaware of the situation, ordered his crew to sail day and night to reach the battlefield in two days.
As a result, their paths, which should have remained parallel, crossed directly.
They were rushing toward their destiny, unstoppable- and who could blame them?
"The plan has changed! I remember that the Scientific Force's new submarine is ready, right? Can we catch up with them?"
Shivering under Chaton's resentful gaze, Rowen decisively changed the subject.
"It wasn't a perfect plan to begin with. He fell for it once; would he fall for it twice?"
Chaton muttered, then turned to make a phone call. After a detailed inquiry and comparison with the sand table, he reported to Rowen, "No problem!"
"To gather information near the battlefield, three teams are stationed in the surrounding seas."
"Excellent!"
Rowen's lips curled.
"Have them monitor the movements of both parties around the clock. If they start fighting, that's fine. If they don't..."
Rowen looked deeply at Chaton. "You know what I mean."
Chaton shivered.
He understood!
As the former commander of the assassination force, Shadow Dragon, Chaton was a perceptive individual.
Whether they fought or not, Thatch had to die!
The ideal scenario was that Teach's twisted psyche would drive him to kill his former comrade.
If Teach showed mercy, the three teams lurking in the shadows would finish the job.
But if Teach and Thatch wouldn't fight, Chaton would have to do it himself.
Rowen's Supercharged Travel caused too much commotion and couldn't appear directly on the battlefield.
Imagining the consequences of this manipulative move, Chaton felt inexplicably excited.
How many years had passed since he had a mission that gave him such a complete sense of excitement?
Lurking in the shadows, dancing on the razor's edge!
Chaton felt his long-dormant blood boiling!
"Time waits for no one, I'm leaving now!"
If the third possibility came true, the three covert squads could only delay Chaton's Fourth Division for a day at most. He had to get to the battlefield quickly to make sure everything went perfectly.
"Yes, go ahead. The Bullethead is fully loaded and ready to go."
The Bullethead submarine, which once held Burgess on [The Drifter], was one of Vegapunk's proudest creations. Although it could only be used once, it was the best tool for someone without other fast travel methods to quickly cross the sea!
However, the riding experience was terrible.
It wouldn't be surprising if an ordinary person passed out inside it.
Watching Chaton leave, Rowen put away his smile, his eyes scanning the sand table with extreme calm.
"Whitebeard, Blackbeard, heh!"
Chaton only knew how much of an opportunity pitting Whitebeard against Blackbeard would create for the Marines.
But only Rowen understood how Thatch's death would profoundly impact Ace.
People rarely change before learning a lesson. This was true for Luffy, and also for Ace. In fact, many don't change even after learning their lesson.
As long as Thatch "died" at Teach's hands, Ace would undoubtedly leave his companions alone, seeking Teach to avenge him.
At that time, Rowen would have numerous options to manipulate the situation.
For example, capturing Ace, revealing his identity, and provoking Whitebeard to launch an all-out attack.
"Alright, the lights and actors are in place."
"Now, let the show begin!"
...
New World, Marine's forward position.
"Yo! Akainu!"
Kizaru stepped out of the cabin, his wrinkled old face full of mischief, raising a hand in greeting.
"Kizaru, what's the current situation?"
Akainu had no time for small talk. He aimed to annihilate the Whitebeard pirate crew in this battle, so every second counted.
"This is the information from the Assassination Force. Take a look."
With a helpless shrug, Kizaru handed Akainu a stack of A4 papers and said, "You arrived just in time. Their reinforcements only arrived recently, and Vice Admiral Mozambia has retreated four seas to set up defenses."
"Since you're here, whether to fight or negotiate... uh, never mind."
Noticing the black smoke of magma rising from Akainu's shoulder, Kizaru rubbed his nose and promptly shut his mouth.
"Since we know their exact location, why didn't we attack?"
Akainu glared.
The documents detailed the movements of the support unit of the Whitebeard Pirates. The familiar feeling made Akainu nostalgic for a moment before he pointed at the clearly written information of the Assassination Force and questioned.
"Didn't the Air Force finish the repairs the day before yesterday? Just go around!"
"Hey, don't blame me, Akainu!"
Kizaru raised his hands in innocent surrender.
"Have you forgotten the orders of the Fleet Admiral? Unless the enemy strikes first, we have no right to attack."
There were over a hundred different forces at sea, all looking for an excuse to trouble the Marines, so they couldn't afford to give anyone ammunition against them.
"So evil!"
Akainu naturally understood this reasoning and stopped speaking.
"Notify the entire army to hurry up!"
"Let's see if these evil pirates have the courage to start a war!"
As the overwhelming naval forces arrived on the battlefield, the pirate camp on the Third Division's flagship was filled with gloomy faces.
"Still no answers, Ace?"
"Diamond" Jozu crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, frowning as he asked.
"No..."
Ace replied quickly, his fingers in his mouth, biting his nails. He sat on a small stool in the corner, staring intently at the Den Den Mushi.
"Pick up the phone, Thatch! What the hell is going on?!"
BuruBuru... BuruBuru...
Kā Chā...
The Den Den Mushi continued to ring, and after a few dozen seconds, it closed its eyes and fell asleep to conserve energy. Due to the long period without an answer, the Den Den Mushi helpfully hung up on itself.
"Damn it!!"
Seeing this, Jozu took a deep breath. "Everyone, the situation is not in our favor."
"Driving out the mechanical cyborg has little effect on the overall battle. We need to seriously hurt the Marines to gain the upper hand."
"Now I'll assign the tasks."
"Wait!"
Ace stood up and looked at him incredulously. "Jozu, Thatch hasn't arrived yet?"
Assigning tasks without everyone present meant that something had happened to Thatch.
"Vista, your injuries are serious. Stay in the rear and prevent enemy sneak attacks."
Jozu ignored Ace and continued, "Third Division will defend the front line with me. The rest of the Fifth Division will take care of the flanks..."
"I said, Thatch hasn't arrived yet!"
Bang!
A whirlwind of flames erupted in the room as Ace transformed into a "Fire Human" and roared in anger.
The intense heat shattered the glass, and even ships several ships away could feel the searing temperature. This showed how much Ace's power had grown under Whitebeard's tutelage since Teach's betrayal.
Only then did Jozu seem to notice Ace, turning his head and locking eyes with him. Finally, Jozu grinned.
"The entire Second Division will follow your commander along the route of the Fourth Division. Find him dead or alive."
As he said this, Jozu put a hand on Ace's shoulder and flashed a toothy smile. "Find Thatch and tell him I'm going to kick his butt mercilessly!"
"You...!!"
The flames on Ace's body suddenly receded as he looked up at Jozu in surprise.
"Well, the situation is really bad!"
Vista stood up, the bandages he had just changed quickly showing red spots with the movement. "Are we really going to face the Marines, with two Admirals, with just us?"
"But..."
"Don't worry, Ace!"
Vista patted Ace's shoulder as well. "Father told me that the Marines won't attack unless we make the first move."
"We have time to wait for you."
"You all..."
A wave of regret swept through Ace's heart as he gritted his teeth and held back tears.
"I will definitely find Thatch!"
"I swear!"
(End of Chapter)
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