You can read ahead up to 90 chapters on my patreon and I've also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
As long as I reach 200 dollars on my Patreon, I will post 10 extra bonus chapters per month in batches of 5 for that month. If I reach 300 dollars then I will post 15 extra bonus chapters in batches of 5 for that month. If I reach 400 dollars then I will post 20 extra bonus chapters in batches of 5 for that month. So come and support me.
On the shallow beach, the faces of the three men looked grim.
"Order the soldiers to fall back and observe the reaction of Whitebeard's pirate crew," Rowen suggested.
That way, they could limit their losses while testing whether they were Whitebeard's allies.
After all... there were just too many of them! They had to proceed with caution.
Unlike Akainu and Kizaru, who could only judge with their naked eyes, no enemy could escape Rowen's perception before the Heart Network.
Therefore, Rowen had the clearest understanding of the number of enemies.
As the saying goes, when there are more than ten thousand people, they spread out across the mountains and plains. So...
What about when the ships exceed ten thousand?
In Rowen's perception through the Heart Network, the enemies that had entered his perception range were not even all of them. More and more pirates were pouring into this sea, and it was difficult to see the end of them for the time being.
As for the numbers...
They had long surpassed the million mark!
This Marine-Whitebeard confrontation wasn't a full-scale war, so the number of troops brought along wasn't large, at least, it was not a full mobilization.
Compared to the number of pirates on the other side, it was like a difference between night and day.
"Chaton, why haven't our people reported any information?"
With such a large gathering of pirates, even if the Assassination Force's main focus was on Whitebeard at sea, they shouldn't be completely unaware.
On the battleship, Chaton's expression was equally grim as he replied, "There is a senior official in charge of information transmission in this area of the New World. We've just discovered that we've lost contact with him."
Losing contact meant only two things.
One, he was already dead.
Two, he had betrayed them.
Previously, they needed the right tokens and codes to transmit the information they wanted, and the results were always delivered on time. Now it was clear as day why there had been no whisper of the great pirate gathering, making it obvious which scenario had occurred.
"..."
Rowen fell silent. Restructuring the Assassination Force was indeed a daunting task.
"Wūlālāla, did it really break like that? Are you a monster, Soryu?"
Pū Chī... Kuāng Dāng!
On the submarine, amidst a burst of air-lock venting sounds, the hatch was forcefully pushed open, and a burly, four-meter-tall man emerged.
In his hands, he was carrying a bronze sniper rifle with a barrel the width of an average person's head and a black hole the size of a thumb.
The entire sniper cannon was over ten feet long, clearly sacrificing all other conveniences in favor of increased power and firing speed.
"'Subverter' Kyle Carnegie, bounty: 390,000,000..."
Rowen recognized the man and furrowed his brow in silence before saying, "I remember a few years ago when you failed to challenge Whitebeard and chose not to submit, instead wandering around the New World... When did you join Whitebeard without informing us in the Marines?"
"Because... if I had known earlier that you were with Whitebeard, I could have easily decided to raise your bounty to 400,000,000, just to make it even."
These words were a bit provocative.
What did "if I knew you were with Whitebeard" and "raise your bounty to 400,000,000" mean? Among those fellows who struggled to survive among the Yonko in the New World, especially those who remained unrepentant after being defeated, every one of them was proud and arrogant.
They would never allow their bounty to be eclipsed by another.
However, this also indirectly reflected a morbid fact: the bounty system, which was originally set up to deter other pirates, had somehow turned into a glory contest among the pirates themselves.
"Hmph, stop sowing discord, Soryu!"
"I'm well aware of your reputation in the New World!"
A hint of anger flashed across Carnegie's face, but he remained calm rather than lose his temper. He sneered, "To be honest, I... we're not here to help Whitebeard."
"Oh?"
The three men exchanged glances, their minds racing.
From this statement, it was undeniable that the opposition was here to deal with the Marines, but the triggering point wasn't because of Whitebeard...
"Because of what then?"
"Because..."
Before the words could finish, a commotion erupted in the distance.
The four of them turned around and held their breath.
"It's [The Red Force]! 'Red Hair' Shanks has arrived!!!"
"Be careful, it's a large fleet!"
"Quick, retreat and regroup with the main force!"
Yonko 'Akagami' Shanks had majestically arrived on the battlefield!
Without waiting for further words, another commotion sounded on the other side.
"That flag... the Hundred Beasts Pirate Crew is here! And those accompanying ships, are they from Kano Country?"
"'Hundred Beasts' Kaido has also arrived!!!"
"This... how shall I put it? It's really lively..."
Kizaru's expression turned dark and ugly as he saw this scene.
The main forces of three Yonko pirate crews gathering together was an unprecedented event! Unlike the last time they watched Shanks and Whitebeard's confrontation with the Hundred Beasts from the sidelines, bringing their main forces meant a completely different implication!
The Marines were not afraid to go to war with one Yonko because they were confident of victory!
But to fight three Yonko at the same time...
Even the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) would have to consider how much support the government could provide. With the Marines alone, they wouldn't be able to fight them.
"Marco, you asked me earlier, what's the use of showing your presence?"
Behind them, a towering and muscular small giant stood up, leaning on his naginata, in front of Marco, who was catching his breath after being battered by meteor showers.
"I can answer you now."
His face was splattered with blood, his narrow and authoritative eyes shining brightly and firmly.
Boom!
With a heavy stroke of his naginata, Whitebeard laughed heartily, "Showing your presence means someone will definitely notice!"
"When someone notices, they will stand up and not give up hope!!!"
"Because we are all..."
"Pirates!!!"
The Yonko were the backbone of the era, and even more so, the backbone of the pirates.
As pirates, they wished for Yonko's downfall in order to create opportunities for themselves.
But because they were pirates, they would never allow Yonko to fall into the hands of the Navy, successfully turning the tide and consigning the Pirate Era to history.
In fact, they didn't come because of Whitebeard.
They came for their identity!
Their target could be Whitebeard.
But it should more appropriately be the Marines!
Bang... Huā Lā La!
The two huge Yonko flagships swept through the battlefield without anyone daring to interfere with them, arriving right in front of McKinley Island.
With an exaggerated length of over three hundred meters, [The Red Force] lay horizontally on the sea like a sleeping behemoth.
Above the deck, Red Hair Shanks rested his left hand on the hilt of his Griffin sword. His red hair fluttered in the starlight and the night wind, exuding an incomparable dominance, majestic as the sun.
Noticing the situation on the island, Shanks grinned broadly.
"Hey, Whitebeard! So you weren't beaten to death after all?"
"Asshole!"
Marco moved forward angrily, but Whitebeard held him back.
"Gūlālālā!"
"Red-haired brat, do you want to have it out with me first?"
"Get lost! He's my opponent, Aakagami!"
Boom!
A tall figure jumped down from the flagship that resembled a Viking warship on the other side and landed right next to Whitebeard, shattering the ground below.
"If you interfere, I'll fight you both!"
Hundred Beasts' Kaido, an indestructible monster!
"Oh? Is that so?"
Buzz!
Griffin was unsheathed and in hand, while Whitebeard was holding his Naginata. Kaido, eager to fight, chose his target.
Three terrifying and overwhelming auras clashed simultaneously in the center of the battlefield. At that moment, the night sky became incredibly bright, as even the clouds thousands of meters above dissipated in the face of these three terrifying auras, cleansing the night sky.
Watching the three of them face off, Carnegie beside the submarine felt a cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
Stay calm, everyone!
Now is not the time for internal strife!
Logically speaking, Rowen would prefer to see them fight among themselves. After all, facing three Yonko at once... he didn't want to experience what it was like to become a prisoner.
But with two Admirals present, showing such disregard when the most advantageous course of action would have been to remain silent, Akainu couldn't bear the humiliation of being ignored.
Not only was he being ignored, but so were the Marines and the Justice they represented!
"Whitebeard, Aakagami, Kaido..."
Akainu stepped forward, with magma flowing powerfully around him, emitting intense heat. "As a Marine, I cannot pretend that I did not see you join forces!"
(End of chapter)