The New World sea, the "Endless Dream" flew at low altitude above the sea, with its engines running at full power.
The ship zoomed forward, leaving a long fiery trail, creating sonic booms as it cut a lengthy wave across the ocean.
Many pirates sailing in the New World barely got a glimpse of what it was before the "Endless Dream" disappeared into the dark distance.
"Zyhark, can't we go any faster? Damn World Government, how dare they target my faithful believers!!"
On deck, Aqua's expression was filled with impatience upon hearing about the extermination operation.
For the sake of her devout followers, the dumb goddess now had none of her usual lazy, indifferent attitude.
At this moment, she was only thinking of appearing in the Divine Kingdom as soon as possible to provide protection to her adorable followers!
"It's already at maximum power. Don't worry, we have enough time," Zyhark said, looking toward the distance, the cold sea wind blowing his clothes.
After a hasty farewell to Shanks and the Minks, he calmed down from his initial agitation and nervousness.
The Gorosei clearly knew that the Divine Kingdom was his territory, and yet they insisted on launching their operation there—this was clearly a test aimed at him.
In other words, the World Government would definitely deploy a much larger scale of forces than ever before.
This time, they were targeting an entire nation, and the previous tactic of using speed to fight and then retreat wouldn't work.
If a full-scale conflict erupted, it would be a battle to the death against the World Government.
As defenders, the Sea Restaurant would undoubtedly be in an extremely disadvantageous position.
One mistake, and they would face annihilation.
So, no matter how urgent the situation, he needed to keep a cool head.
Fortunately, they still had a day and a night to prepare.
The crew understood the severity of the situation, and their usual playful attitudes were replaced with seriousness.
"What we're about to face is a force far stronger than Big Mom's pirate crew. Everyone, get some rest and conserve your energy," Zyhark took a deep breath, indicating to his crew not to be too anxious. "Don't worry, victory will be ours!"
"No problem! Even though I may look like this, I can still come up with some plans!" Uta waved her small fists and resolutely stood beside Zyhark.
Although she was young, Uta's knowledge of the pirate world far exceeded that of an average pirate, and she knew well what it meant to directly confront the World Government.
Even so, Uta showed no hesitation.
In a sense, it was Zyhark who gave her a new life and pulled her out of the darkness.
As the newest member of the crew, she wanted to help shoulder some of the burden—even if she didn't actually understand much about strategies.
"It's alright, Uta. Let's just listen to Zyhark. He's never let us down, meow," Meowth said, waving his paw at Uta.
Having crossed into the world of pirates, Meowth had spent quite some time with Zyhark.
This was the first time he heard Zyhark, who always approached things with confidence, say something like "victory will be ours" as if to motivate himself.
It showed just how serious the situation was.
He didn't want to distract Zyhark at such a critical moment.
"But..." Uta's worries didn't lessen; instead, they increased.
"No problem, Uta! Little Zyhark is the best in the universe!" Kanna said confidently, raising her small fist.
Although she usually appeared somewhat clueless and had caused trouble due to her gluttony, she was actually very considerate.
"Let's go." King, with his imposing face, still showed little emotion.
Even though he should have been scared out of his mind knowing a big battle was coming, at this moment, he was extraordinarily calm.
"Indeed, it's best to have a good sleep." Escanor adjusted his outdated glasses, smiling as he spoke.
With that, the crew led Uta towards the cabins, each returning to their rooms.
The lively deck instantly became quiet, with only Zyhark and Aqua leaning against the railing.
"Aqua, why haven't you gone back? If I remember correctly, you drank quite a bit of alcohol earlier, didn't you?" Zyhark glanced at Aqua, who was gazing up at the starry sky.
The dumb goddess's long blue hair fluttered gently in the breeze, and under the clear moonlight, she exuded a sense of dreamlike divinity.
"I've purified all the alcohol."
An unfamiliar seriousness appeared on Aqua's face. "My followers are facing destruction. As their goddess, how could I sleep?"
It was only in moments like this that she showed a glimpse of being a real Water Goddess.
Understanding Aqua's character well, Zyhark didn't say much more. He let her stay by his side as he began considering how to handle this massive crisis.
The first thing to do was, of course, gather all the powerful individuals he could in the limited time they had.
That included the revitalized Moria, Pirate Empress Hancock, and Bartholomew Kuma.
These three were all Shichibukai-level combatants and would undoubtedly agree to come to the Divine Kingdom.
As for Jinbei, Mihawk, and Whitebeard—either his relationship with them wasn't deep, or they had various constraints.
If there was more time, he might have been able to visit them in person, but under the current circumstances, it was impossible.
So, on the way to the East Blue, the Endless Dream would pass by Shadow Island and Amazon Lily.
There was one thing Zyhark couldn't quite understand: Moria had only recently established himself in the New World, so it was understandable that he was lacking in intelligence capabilities.
But Hancock had Shakky, who was incredibly well-informed, so how was it that no news had reached them?
Given Hancock's character, she definitely wouldn't have intentionally hidden something like this. The specifics could only be known once they reached Amazon Lily.
If they could persuade Rayleigh and Shakky to come along, their chances of winning the war in the Divine Kingdom would increase significantly.
Of course, relying solely on their combat strength wouldn't be enough to protect the Divine Kingdom from the well-prepared World Government.
They needed to make the situation even more chaotic.
With that in mind, Zyhark went to retrieve the encrypted Den Den Mushi stored in his room and dialed a dedicated line.
Brrrr-brrrr-brrrr.
After a while, the other side picked up, and the face of the Den Den Mushi transformed into that of a cunning albatross.
"Who on earth is calling me so late... Oh, it's my dear ally, Mr. Zyhark."
Morgans seemed to have just woken up, his voice still drowsy. "I've been meaning to thank you in person, you know. You've given my newspaper some incredible headlines recently!"
"Cut the nonsense, Morgans. Are you aware of the Celestial Dragons' upcoming extermination operation?" Zyhark didn't have the mood for small talk.
The Den Den Mushi was silent for a moment.
"So you already know, huh."
Perhaps guessing Zyhark's intention to take on the World Government, Morgans, who was in a luxurious room aboard his airship, looked serious.
"This time is different from before. The World Government is extremely prepared—it's better not to go and throw your life away."
As an Emperor of the Underworld, Morgans only valued news.
You could tell just by the fact that he was willing to risk offending the Gorosei to report on Luffy's Fifth Gear.
For him, Zyhark was currently a topic with endless potential.
Although a battle between the Sea Restaurant and the World Government would undoubtedly make for world-shaking news, the price would be that the Economic Newspaper would lose this headline character forever.
The shrewd Morgans didn't want to make a decision that amounted to killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Thus, even though he had received the information early, he had no intention of informing the Sea Restaurant.
In his opinion, no matter how many miracles the Sea Restaurant had performed, it could never stand against the World Government with its navy.
Going against them was like hitting a stone with an egg.
"You don't need to worry about that. We have our reasons for this battle!" Zyhark's tone was firm. He went straight to the point: "If you still consider us allies, then help me spread the word about the Celestial Dragons' actions to more pirates!"
"If the World Government finds out, my newspaper will be in grave danger," Morgans said gravely.
He immediately understood Zyhark's intent and sensed the unyielding determination.
"But the reward could certainly make for a century-defining headline."
"Kehahaha! Looks like you understand how tempting those words are for me!"
After laughing, Morgans, realizing that the battle was inevitable, narrowed his eyes. "Alright, I'll do you this favor."
"But don't die so easily, kid, or I'll lose out big time on this deal!"
"Thanks."
With that, Zyhark hung up.
Over at the airship, with Morgans' excited command, the entire World Economic News organization operated like a well-oiled machine.
All the spies embedded in major forces went into action, persuading their captains and leaders to vie for the treasure.
The information, already barely a secret, quickly spread across the Grand Line.
Suddenly, the complex undercurrents of the world surged even more fiercely.
After finishing his call with Morgans, Zyhark gathered his thoughts and, after much hesitation, called Ginny using the encrypted line.
It was fortunate that back at Twin Capes, he had left Ginny with a way to contact the Revolutionary Army.
To be honest, if it weren't for the urgency of the situation, he wouldn't have contacted Dragon so soon.
According to his original plan, that would only happen after they reached Laugh Tale.
"Hello, is this Mr. Zyhark?" Ginny's voice sounded surprised.
There was the faint sound of a baby crying in the background.
"Ginny, I have something very important to tell you," Zyhark responded.
"Is it about the Celestial Dragons' extermination operation?" Ginny's voice was calm.
Even though she had chosen not to stay with the Revolutionary Army, it didn't mean she was completely in the dark about the world.
On the contrary, as a former intelligence agent of the Revolutionary Army, she had always quietly provided them with information.
"Yes."
Zyhark didn't ask for Dragon's direct line immediately but instead brought up something from before.
"I'm sorry. The statement that you would need treatment once a year—it wasn't true."
"The jade scales on you and Ginny have been fully cured. You no longer need to worry about that."
He wasn't confident that they could protect the Divine Kingdom from the World Government in the coming fight.
So it was necessary to tell her the truth.
Who knew if they would be able to see Ginny again in a year?
In the cathedral of the Sorbet Kingdom, Ginny, who had been gently comforting Bonney, was momentarily stunned but wasn't overly emotional.
Looking at Bonney's bright smile in her arms, she said with a smile, "Mr. Zyhark, as I said before, even if I had only a year left to live, I'd be very content."
"Time is short, so you'd better speak with Dragon. He's been wanting to talk to you for quite some time."
With that, the considerate Ginny transferred Zyhark to the Revolutionary Army headquarters.
After a brief wait, the Den Den Mushi's image transformed into Dragon's side profile, marked with the imprint of a sandal.
The two engaged in a conversation that lasted half an hour, the specifics of which were unknown.
What was known, however, was that after the call ended, Dragon, who had been hesitant about intervening in the Celestial Dragons' extermination operation, resolutely issued orders for action to his officers.
Revolutionary Army bases across the globe went into action, making intensive preparations.
With the Revolutionary Army stepping in, the already unstable world order grew even more precarious, a chilling atmosphere pervading.
"Now all we can do is do our best…"
Zyhark put away the Den Den Mushi, his deep eyes full of determination.
This time, he would make sure the World Government paid dearly for their brutal extermination.
As the tension eased, a wave of exhaustion washed over him.
Seeing that they were still a short distance from Shadow Island, Zyhark leaned against the railing on the deck and closed his eyes for a quick nap.
They still had a lot to do tomorrow.
Not far away, Aqua, who had been staring out at the sea in a daze, turned her head and saw Zyhark, curled up and asleep.
"Idiot."
The dumb goddess muttered softly, took off her treasured goddess mantle from her shoulders, and gently draped it over Zyhark.
The two original companions leaned against each other, drifting off to sleep.
The night sky sparkled, and the lights of the cabins remained on.
Meowth wore a helmet, diligently repairing the damaged second-generation suit;
King did one-finger push-ups, pushing his limits;
Weak-mode Escanor held his divine axe Rita, pondering ways to counter the darkness;
Kanna lay on the bed, hugging her plushie, studying stronger moves with a serious face.
Even the newly joined Uta was trying her best to enhance her control over her Uta Uta no Mi, aiming for a more effective attack.
The crew said it casually, trusting Captain Zyhark completely.
But when it came down to it, in a life-or-death crisis, how could they sleep peacefully without making every effort?
In the quiet atmosphere where everyone was giving it their all, the "Endless Dream" maintained its course, speeding toward the nearest Shadow Island.
Finally, at dawn, Zyhark and his crew reached Shadow Island.
At that moment, freshly awakened Moria was in the castle at the center of the island, organizing the newly recruited pirate crew.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning lit up the scene. Before Moria could react and instinctively grab his broadsword, Zyhark had already appeared before him.
"No time to explain, Moria. Get on the ship now!"
And with that, the carrot-head found himself aboard the "Endless Dream," utterly bewildered.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]