"Sir! But Wano is a natural fortress. There is no way we can even dent it, let alone sink such an island," Sengoku countered. He genuinely did not want to carry out this mass genocide, so he put forth reasons that might make the Elders change their minds.
However, he did not understand how much of a threat Kozuki Oden was to the World Government, especially after he made it to the final island. Earlier, Oden had been dancing around naked in the Flower Capital and under the thumb of Orochi, but now he was a major threat. Taking him down once he had solidified his position in Wano would be practically impossible. They had to strike now and strike fast while things were still unsettled after their clash with the Beast Pirates.
"You disappoint me, Sengoku. I thought maybe you would understand the need to keep balance in these seas. Maybe I was wrong," Elder Nusjuro commented, disappointment laced in his tone.
"There is more than one way to sink an island, Sengoku. And this time it will not be the battleships that sink the island, but the people aboard them. I cannot trust you, Marines, to complete the task, seeing your lack of resolve. So, you will only be providing support and manpower. The lead will be taken by the Aigis team we send out. Just make sure to follow their orders throughout the mission," Elder Saturn announced. Both Kong and Sengoku's faces soured, but Sengoku realized that the Elders were making it clear that the orders would be carried out with or without him.
"What about the Shichibukai? Are there any in the vicinity of Marineford who can be mobilized within a day?" Elder Saturn questioned again. This time, he wanted to take Oden and the Kozuki family out because this might be the only chance. Once Wano fully awakened, it would become a massive behemoth.
"We should have Ochoku and Hector nearby," Kong announced. The elders contemplated this.
"What about Garp? Has he returned to duty yet?" Elder Mars questioned. Although they resented Garp's rebellious nature, they couldn't deny the man's strength. If there was anyone within the Marines who could truly threaten the Elders, it was Monkey D. Garp. They even doubted if they could best him in a fair fight.
Kong felt a headache creeping up at the mention of Garp. Garp had been away from Marineford since the Shichibukai issue. Although Kong had informed the Elders that Garp was on vacation, no one truly knew where Garp had vanished to. Even the Marines sent to Fusha Village in East Blue did not find him there. Kong could only wait for that man to return voluntarily.
"Vice Admiral Garp is on a long leave, sir. I don't think he will be returning to duty anytime soon," Kong replied. The scowl on Elder Mars's face deepened at the answer. He very much felt like bashing the teapot at Kong's face. As a Fleet Admiral, Kong did not have control of his own subordinates, but he knew the kind of man Garp was, so he just let it slide.
Elder Saturn thought deeply. He already had an idea about whom to send from the World Government's side, but he would need to get permission from Imu-sama because the person he was planning to send was one of God's knights to lead the CP0.
Only Imu-sama had the authority to mobilize them. So, there would be an admiral, three admiral candidates, and thousands of Marines and government agents, along with an elite squad of CP0 agents being personally led by a God's Knight. There was no way Oden would survive this.
"Remember, Oden needs to be killed or captured, preferably killed. And because they were harboring such a dangerous criminal, the Kozuki family needs to vanish," Elder Saturn stressed again. After a few more instructions, both Kong and Sengoku vacated the office.
***************
Meanwhile, as the World Government prepared to launch a massive assault on Wano, I was busy planning our rescue mission. The bait I had thrown out in the form of Gecko Moria was working in ways I hadn't imagined. Currently, accompanied by Wolf and Miyamoto Uzuki, we were making our way towards the first half of the Grand Line. I was scanning through the newly released bounty posters.
[WANTED]
[KOZUKI ODEN]
[DEAD OR ALIVE]
[3,235,000,000 Belly]
"Oh, Shogun-sama seems to be quite famous in the outside world," Uzuki commented, peeking at the bounty poster of Oden. For someone who had never stepped out of Wano, he was surprisingly good at sea, unlike Wolf, who seemed to be puking his guts out.
"Yes, Oden-san is pretty famous. He is one of the few men in this world who knows about the location of the greatest treasure in this world," I chuckled while flipping through the newspaper. Uzuki carefully pocketed the bounty poster.
"I'm sure Oden would have told you about One Piece if you had asked him, right?" Wolf, who had just stood up after emptying his breakfast, questioned me curiously. Although he was a scientific man, he was also curious about the so-called greatest treasure in the world.
"Perhaps. If I had asked him, he might have. He is a man who knows gratitude, so he would not deny it if I had really wanted to know," I replied, retrieving my kit to start the regular maintenance of my swords. Although Kitetsu had long reached its limits, I hadn't neglected it, and I kept maintaining it regularly with care. Miyamoto's eyes widened in shock at the damage I had managed to inflict on a blackened blade, believed to be nigh indestructible.
"So why didn't you... why didn't you ask him about One Piece? Are you not interested in knowing what the final island hides?" Wolf asked curiously as I dabbed the soft cloth with oil and carefully ran it across Shusui's blade. Miyamoto, with my permission, started inspecting every inch of Kitetsu. As a master-class swordsmith, he began studying this rare phenomenon he had come across for the first time in his life.
I turned my attention back to Wolf. "And what of it, Wolf-san? What am I going to do after knowing what One Piece is? Is that going to change my goal? No, whatever One Piece holds might not be my destiny. My destiny is something else, something much larger than One Piece. As for One Piece, I am sure sooner or later someone who is destined for it will come by," I chuckled and went back to oiling Shusui.
"Say, Miyamoto, what do you think One Piece is?" Wolf questioned our new companion. However, the man had already immersed himself in studying Kitetsu. Just as Wolf was about to pester him, the boat rocked due to a huge wave, and Wolf immediately buckled over the railing once more and started puking again. The man just chuckled and continued to examine the sword, unfazed by Wolf's seasickness.
Soon enough, a week passed, and the forces targeting Wano were quickly converging upon it. In Wano, Kurozumi Orochi was sentenced to death, and Oden personally beheaded him in the central plaza in the presence of tens of thousands of samurai who had come to witness the event. The air was thick with a mix of solemnity and satisfaction as the people of Wano saw justice served to the traitor who had caused them so much suffering.
As for Gecko Moria, his crimes included desecrating the Sword God's shrine and invading Wano as a pirate. Many demanded his execution, but Oden, informed by his reconnections with the Whitebeard Pirates, chose a different path. Moria was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Whitebeard had advised Oden to keep Moria alive as a bargaining chip for future negotiations with the Marines. This strategic advice was underscored by the impending assault from the Marines and the World Government, information that Whitebeard had shared with Oden.
***************
A small, modified caravel stealthily traveled toward the infamous World Government prison, Impel Down, under the cover of the night sky. Only two people were aboard: Iceburg, who was steering the modified vessel, and Doflamingo, who was carefully watching the movements of the Vivre Card on his palm. They were supposed to regroup and then launch an assault on Impel Down. With the Marines and World Government's attention on Wano, Doflamingo and I were going in for the rescue.
Just as Doflamingo was about to ask Iceburg to hold the course steady, the Vivre Card stopped moving, and a series of soft thuds echoed on the deck. Doflamingo, with a smirk, safely pocketed the card.
"Welcome aboard, little brother! It seems you were successful in retrieving our weapons genius and have brought a new recruit," Doflamingo chuckled, immediately recognizing Wolf, who had once been the main research lead of their weapons factory in Spider Miles.
Before Doflamingo could react, Wolf stepped up and gave him a bear hug, happy to see him once again. Doflamingo was flustered by the sudden show of affection and stood dumbfounded. I couldn't help but chuckle, to which Doflamingo simply gave me a dangerous glare. Freeing himself from the bear hug, he turned his attention to the towering figure of Miyamoto.
"And who might you be?" Doflamingo questioned, raising his brows.
"Doflamingo-dono, my name is Miyamoto, Uzuki Miyamoto. I am a samurai of Wano and have pledged my allegiance to Ross-dono. I am willing to serve as part of the Donquixote family," Miyamoto replied, giving a short bow. Doflamingo turned to me, asking, with a gesture, if the man was trustworthy and would fit in. I simply gave him a nod of assurance.
With my approval, Doflamingo extended his hand to Miyamoto. "Welcome to the Donquixote family! I hope my little brother has already told you why we are here, so I hope you are ready," he chuckled, then turned to Wolf, with whom he was much more acquainted from their time in North Blue.
"Wolf, it seems like you are missing a few of your fingers," Doflamingo questioned with a smirk, though there was a hint of sadness and guilt in his eyes. The missing fingers were a constant reminder of his failure to protect his own family.
Wolf looked down at his hands, a wry smile forming on his face. "Yes, Doffy, but what matters is that I'm here. And, to be honest, don't you think it looks cool with just three fingers? Look, now I can make that cool gesture!" Wolf used his hand with only three fingers and waved it, making various poses.
Doflamingo bellowed with laughter at Wolf's antics, his earlier discomfort melting away. Placing a hand on Wolf's shoulder, he said, "It's good to have you back, Wolf. We'll need all the brains we can get. Our family is gathering too much brawn; I fear we will soon become a bunch of muscleheads!"
Wolf chuckled, appreciating the lighthearted moment amid the looming tension. "Well, we do need a bit of balance, don't we? After all, muscle alone won't get us through this world."
Doflamingo's laughter subsided as his expression turned serious. "So, what's the plan, little brother? Are we going in guns blazing?" His demeanor shifted, and he chuckled again in amusement, imagining the chaos that would ensue.
I couldn't help but give a creepy smile. "Well, that's the plan! At least the first half of it. We'll be breaking through the front door, you and me. However, we can't have the Marines reinforcing Impel Down, nor can we have our retreat blocked. So, Miyamoto and Wolf-san will be taking control of the Gates of Justice." I casually tossed a black transponder snail to Wolf, who caught it deftly. Like he said earlier, he was going to be the brains, while Miyamoto secured his safety as they made their way to the control room.
"The direct current connecting the three strongholds will enable the reinforcements to reach Impel Down in a fraction of the time it would take if they used other routes. So it needs to be sabotaged to give us enough time for the rescue. With my lightning powers, I should be able to disrupt any messages that go out for support. Taking control of the control room is an added precaution. In addition to the rescue, I need to attend to a few other matters in Impel Down, which will require additional time."
"So what are we waiting for? Let's unleash CHAOS!" Doffy bellowed, disregarding the quietness of the night. I couldn't help but shake my head and move next to Doffy, grabbing him by the collar. Before he could protest, we vanished from the caravel.
On the caravel, as Iceburg steadily guided it towards the control tower, Miyamoto and Wolf prepared for their mission. Wolf activated the black transponder snail, ready to jam any communications, while Miyamoto sharpened his focus, anticipating the challenges ahead.
"Remember, we need to secure the control room and take out the Gates of Justice," Wolf reminded Miyamoto. "Once we have control, reinforcements will be delayed, giving Ross and Doffy the time they need." Miyamoto nodded, his grip tightening on his sword. "Understood. Let's move."
In a flash, I reappeared at the entrance of Impel Down and put Doffy down. The massive prison loomed before us, its foreboding structure a testament to the despair it housed. The guards at the entrance barely had time to react before Doffy and I sprang into action.
***************
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Currently updated until Chapter 186.
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