"Perrospero, have the grouping lists been arranged?"
Big Mom asked, looking sideways at Perospero.
Candy Minister Perrosperro stood up immediately and replied, "Mom, all arrangements have been made. The two pirate regiments are divided into groups, each with a pirate ship, a minister, and fifty fighting Homies."
"Well, that's good"
Big Mom expressed satisfaction upon hearing this. The power of dozens of pirate ships would definitely deal a heavy blow to Whitebeard.
"Whitebeard, just wait. I will make you pay for the humiliation!"
Big Mom vowed silently.
"Everyone, check your weapons and gear, and get ready to board the ships!"
Big Mom ordered.
All the pirates began to board their respective ships, with Capone-Bege, Kid, and the others assigned to one pirate ship.
"You guys are here"
Announced Cracker, the Sweet Commanders leading Capone Bege and Kid ship. Both of them were very surprised to see his face on the boat.
Capone-Bege and Kid didn't expect their pirate ship to have such a high-ranking member.
However, since neither Capone Bege nor Kid had seen Cracker's real body, they didn't know that the person sitting here wasn't actually Cracker himself.
It was merely a biscuit man summoned by Cracker using his Biscuit Fruit ability. Furthermore, Cracker utilized the biscuit man to control numerous pirate ships.
After boarding the ship, Capone Bege found that things were as he had suspected. The items on the ship were mostly Homies infused with soul.
And not only were there ordinary Homies, but there were also dozens of fighting Homies. In this situation, Capone Bege felt a lot of pressure.
Given his, Kid's, and their crew's strength, even if they were to unite and exert their full power, it would be impossible to deal with Cracker.
Not to mention the numerous Homies, but at this moment, Capone Bege had no way to talk with Kid and the others.
Even if he wanted to talk, there were eyes everywhere on the boat, making it impossible not to be noticed by Cracker.
"I can only take it one step at a time,"
Capone-Bege sighed inwardly.
Big Mom's forces set sail from Cake Island one after another, making a grand spectacle along the way. News of Big Mom's conquest of Whitebeard continued to spread as they progressed.
Big Mom's conquest of Whitebeard was absolutely explosive news. As soon as the news was received, the newspapers began printing the story without delay.
Moreover, these newspapers were swiftly distributed to all corners of the world, quickly sending shockwaves throughout the entire pirate world.
…..
Fishman Island, Ryugu Palace.
Neptune has reorganized Fishman Island, creating a peaceful life here. Under the protection of Whitebeard, the number of mermans who have hatred against humans has significantly decreased.
However, on this day, Neptune received important news.
"Report! Your Majesty, there is news from the outside. The Four Emperors, Big Mom, are planning to attack Whitebeard."
After receiving the report, Neptune immediately felt self-blame.
"It must be because of Fishman Island. Whitebeard offended Big Mom for the sake of our island, so Big Mom wants to retaliate against him"
Neptune remarked.
"Then let's dispatch our troops to support Whitebeard immediately!"
Fukaboshi suggested, expressing his admiration for Whitebeard.
Minister Left stood up and offered his perspective: "Your Majesty King, Your Royal Highness, I don't believe there's need for us to worry. We've seen how powerful Whitebeard's is. I doubt Big Mom will be a threat for him."
"But, Big Mom is one of the Four Emperors after all, and her strength shouldn't be underestimated. Even if Big Mom is defeated, heavy losses might attract Kaido's attention,"
Neptune remarked.
"Let's trust Whitebeard. If there's trouble, he'll surely issue a summon for The Fishman island,"
Minister Right added.
"Your ideas are too optimistic. I am not as optimistic as you are. I fear the Whitebeard Pirates will face heavy losses. The Marines and even Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, might take advantage of this opportunity to strike them"
Neptune expressed his concerns.
"I agree. We should mobilize our forces early. Whitebeard aided us during the crisis at the Ryugu Palace before. We can't just stand by now,"
Fukaboshi emphasized.
Witnessing the king and prince's resolute decision to support Whitebeard, the ministers left and right grew anxious. After all, The Fishman island had just emerged from civil strife and was not yet fully stable.
In such circumstances, intervening in the war between the Four Emperors is akin to courting disaster.
"My lord, please think twice. We, The Fishman island, really don't have the strength to participate in this level of battle. It will only increase casualties."
"Yes, even if we mobilize all our forces, the impact on the battle will be minimal. We can't justify risking The Fishman Island's stability by intervening in the war. It might even worsen our situation."
The left and right ministers were anxious in their persuasion, primarily concerned about The Fishman Island's well-being. For them, Whitebeard's interests couldn't surpass those of The Fishman Island itself.
Fukaboshi expressed frustration, "Are we just going to stand by? This is how we repay our former benefactor? Whitebeard hasn't been gone for long."
"Given that The Fishman Island is under Whitebeard's protection, if Whitebeard falls, our situation becomes equally dangerous. So, why not support Whitebeard?"
Neptune reasoned.
"My dear King, deploying our troops to the battlefield risks leaving The Fishman Island vulnerable to pirate control once more. Our non-participation, however, is the greatest aid we can offer to Whitebeard. Confronting the Four Emperors, particularly Big Mom, would be suicidal. It could divide Whitebeard's attention to our situation in the war"
After careful consideration and persuasion from his ministers, Neptune ultimately decided against sending troops to support Whitebeard for the time being, opting instead to choose a wait-and-see approach.
...
Upon receiving news of Big Mom's impending attack on Whitebeard, the Marine Headquarters was thrown into a state of shock. High-ranking officials immediately mobilized various intelligence systems in search of specific details.
The Marine Headquarters also called for a meeting to address the situation, with Akainu presiding over the meeting.
He suggested that the Marines should take action in response to the situation.
Either attacking Big Mom, Whitebeard, or both - in short, the civil war among the Four Emperors would greatly benefit the Marines.
"Gotta pick our battles wisely. I think we should get rid of the Big Mom Pirates first,"
Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp suggested .
Since Big Mom is weaker compared to Whitebeard, it's easier to deal with her. Plus, if she's already in a fight with Whitebeard, taking her down becomes even simpler.
Even though it would demand a massive effort from the Marines, at the level of the Four Emperors, this cost is relatively manageable.
.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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