Warden's Office
Magellan, Borsalino, and four CP0 agents were waiting outside the door.
Saint Saturn leaned on the sofa and took a sip of tea. He cast a satisfied look toward the other side.
"The Beasts Pirates were completely wiped out; Kaido is imprisoned in Impel Down, and the Big Mom Pirates were also severely injured."
"You have done a great job with this mission. Tell me what reward you want."
Reward? Treasures and such are of little use to him. Let's not talk about the 500 million berries that we had previously requested from Stussy. Just twenty Devil Fruits are an immeasurable amount of wealth. He doesn't lack much in the form of Dark Thunder, Enma, Second Generation Kitetsu, and swords.
Carlos thought silently for a while, then raised his head and said in a deep voice, "I need a Zoan."
Saint Saturn frowned slightly. "Is it a Mythical Zoan? You also know that it's even rarer than Logia, and it's not that easy to get."
As one of the Five Elders, the highest authority in the World Government, he was unable to accept the request from his subordinates. This made him feel a little embarrassed, so he quickly explained, "Mythical Zoans are different from ordinary Devil Fruits. They have a certain consciousness and can choose their masters independently. They cannot be forced. Let's make another request."
Carlos was a little disappointed, but he also knew that the other person was telling the truth. "In that case, let's move my position up."
Saint Saturn smiled and put down the teacup in his hand. "Since you joined the World Government, we have seen everything you have done. There is no doubt about your ability, and there is no problem with you being qualified to be the commander-in-chief of CP0, but..."
He changed the subject and continued, "Previously, in order to cooperate with the Marines' actions, we deployed many elite agents to ambush in Punk Hazard. As a result, we still underestimated the Big Mom Pirates, and all the people we sent were annihilated."
"If you remove the members responsible for protecting the Celestial Dragons, there will be very few usable people left. Including CP0, we will focus on recuperating and cultivating new people for a long time to come. You were born to be an undercover agent, and we don't want to waste your talents."
Carlos nodded thoughtfully. He didn't rush to ask; he just waited quietly for the other person's next words.
Saint Saturn nodded secretly and turned to look outside the door. "Magellan, go about your business. We finally caught Kaido this time, but we can't let what happened with Golden Lion Shiki happen again." "As you command!"
Saint Saturn cleared his throat and continued, "Borsalino, you don't have to stay here. Go to the port to prepare for sailing."
After sending away the two people waiting outside the door, he turned his head and said seriously, "I have discussed it with the others and we are planning to make you a Marine Admiral!"
"Marine Admiral?" Carlos was stunned and looked at the other person in surprise. To be honest, he didn't expect this answer at all.
"You heard me right. In the Battle of Punk Hazard, the Marines had an absolute intelligence advantage at the beginning of the war. The result? We were deeply disappointed."
"If Kaido had not been captured, then forget about Big Mom and Linlin. But what they didn't expect was that only two of the twenty warships were defeated by the Big Mom Pirates' officers. The whole army was almost annihilated! This performance made the Five Elders extremely disappointed."
Saint Saturn picked up the teacup and took a sip. "Whether in terms of combat power or command strategy, the Marines have exposed many problems this time.
"In short, on the one hand, we will vigorously publicize this operation to the outside world, expand the influence of the Marines and World Government, and recruit more strong people to join. On the other hand, we hope that you can become a senior member of the Marines. With our support, it is not impossible to become Marine Fleet Admiral."
At this point, his expression became serious. "No matter what method you use, we hope you can completely control the Marines and make it a sharp sword for the World Government!"
Carlos weighed it a bit in his mind. It's self-evident what the other party means. Joining the Marines is also a good thing for him. Carlos was not disgusted, but rather eager to give it a try.
No matter from any aspect, the Marines' level should be stronger than the Beasts Pirates. In other words, it is at least a major force of considerable influence. The reward for successful betrayal must also be more generous. And from now on, he can legitimately form a fleet, have his own subordinates, and have his own jurisdiction. No more having to go on dangerous missions alone. The importance of subordinates is self-evident.
If it hadn't been for the help of Yamato, Denjiro, Shutenmaru, and others this time, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Kaido one-on-one in the end. Many things can also be left to his subordinates, and he usually only needs to bask in the sun to continue to grow stronger.
Without much thought, Carlos readily agreed. "If you want to convince the public, you must have qualifications and achievements. I need to recruit subordinates and form my own fleet."
"No problem, I'll let Sengoku make arrangements."
Everyone also parted ways at the port. Saint Saturn was escorted by Borsalino and CP0 to the Holy Land Mariejois. Carlos headed towards Marineford on a warship.
The Beasts Pirates were destroyed, and Kaido, the Emperor of the Sea, was captured and imprisoned in Impel Down. "Big News" Morgans naturally couldn't let go of such an explosive event. With intelligence support from the World Government, in just a few days, countless newspapers were scattered around the world by messenger birds. The world was shaken!
Moby Dick
"Glala lala! That guy Kaido was actually captured by the Marines and imprisoned in Impel Down?" On the huge seat, Whitebeard took a swig of wine while shaking his head and sighing.
Whitebeard was deeply impressed by this trainee on the Rocks ship. This guy has been missing for a long time since Rocks fell apart. When he reappeared, he had formed the Beasts Pirates and was making a name for himself with King. He even occupied Wano Country ten years ago and became the Emperor of the Sea.
"Akainu, Aokiji? These two Marine brats are quite capable!" "Huh? Garros was also caught and imprisoned in Impel Down? Marco, it would have been better if we had invited him on board."
Whitebeard shook his head sadly. He was equally impressed by this young man. He also thought about adopting him as his son and making him the captain of his second division. Unfortunately, when he got the news again, the other party had already joined the Beasts Pirates.
"Dad, things may not be what you think. Just now, news came from Izou."
"Oh? He's arrived at Wano Country?"
Marco nodded, and then his expression became extremely serious. "The one who truly defeated Kaido was not the Marines, but Garros!"
Whitebeard raised his eyebrows and said in surprise, "What? Are you telling the truth?"
Marco said seriously, "Yes, by the time Izou arrived at Wano Country, the war was over. After inquiring from many sources, he learned the truth."
"Just a few months ago, after Garros joined the Beasts Pirates and became the leader, he secretly found Kozuki Oden's daughter and the original retainers, and launched this uprising."
Whitebeard frowned and asked, "Why would he do this when he's already joined the Beasts Pirates?"
Marco's expression turned strange. "According to those warriors, Garros calls himself a member of the Whitebeard Pirates and is Oden's best friend."
"I came back this time, on the one hand, to avenge my former friends, and on the other hand, to help his descendants, the Kozuki clan, revive Wano Country."
"Garros? Whitebeard Pirates?" Everyone on the deck looked at each other and suddenly felt speechless.
Jozu scratched his head and said doubtfully, "Garros, if I remember correctly, we didn't seem to have this person on board back then, right?"
Vista crossed his arms, leaned against the mast, and nodded in affirmation. "Of course not; this must be a fake identity he deliberately created in order to gain the trust of the Kozuki family."
Everyone started talking about it word by word.
"Oden is a good guy, but it's a pity that something like that happened later..." There was a trace of nostalgia in Whitebeard's eyes. This samurai from Wano Country is generous, loyal, and very strong. The two are very close to each other, and they treat each other like brothers.
And Kozuki, and the children he was born with. Now thinking about that beautiful and harmonious time, Whitebeard couldn't help but sigh. Unfortunately, when he heard the news about Oden again, it was bad news.
After Whitebeard sighed with emotion, he said in a deep voice, "I guess this kid also heard about Oden's various deeds and was impressed by his courage. Therefore, he wanted to save his country, so he faked his identity."
"Although the two have never met, he actually went to this extent for Oden... Kaido killed Oden and seized Wano Country. Although Whitebeard hated it very much, he had to admit this guy's strength.
Kaido is known as the strongest creature in the world. He is also the Emperor of the Sea, and his strength is extraordinary. Even if the Beasts Pirates under his command are not as good as his Whitebeard Pirates, as they are both Emperors of the Sea, they are probably not far behind.
Garros actually dared to challenge such a behemoth alone. And he succeeded! It's really unbelievable.
"I am deeply honored that such a kind and brave man can call himself a member of the Whitebeard Pirates!" "It's such a shame to be locked up in Impel Down like this."
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed. A powerful aura of uncontrollable power suddenly emanated from his body. "Since we failed to protect Oden and his family back then, something must be done this time!"
"Marco, call all pirate captains immediately! Target Impel Down, rescue Garros!"
Kingdom of Totto Land
After investing a lot of money and manpower, the Big Mom Pirates' Cake Island, which was almost in ruins, has been rebuilt. It's a pity that the countless treasures collected were burned. It really made Big Mom feel heartbroken for a long time.
"Mom! The latest news!" Big Mom put down the dessert in her hand and took the newspaper from Perospero. After a quick glance, she laughed heartily.
"Well, well, well! Have Kaido and Garros been captured and imprisoned in Impel Down? Great, this is what happens when you go against the Big Mom Pirates! Marine did a good job this time..."
Although it's a pity that I couldn't take revenge in person, I still feel extremely proud. "By the way, how is Caesar's project going?"
"The experiment of human enlargement has not yet been completed. However, the technology of artificial Devil Fruit has matured, and all that is currently lacking are raw materials."
Big Mom's face darkened. "Split the troops into two groups: Katakuri, take people to Dressrosa, get rid of Doflamingo, and get the raw materials for producing artificial Devil Fruit. The rest of you come with me to Wano Country. Kaido, I'll take over your territory!"
Sabaody Archipelago
Inside a bar with the sign "Shakky's Rip-Off BAR". The bar is not big, it looks like less than ten square meters. The layout is a bit simple, with only a semicircular wooden bar and five high stools. A tall woman with short black hair and an indeterminate age stood at the bar, wiping the glass casually.
"Shanks, I didn't expect you to come. You are really a rare visitor."
A red-haired man with a missing arm walked straight to the bar. "Senior Shakky, long time no see. Isn't Uncle Rayleigh here?"
Shakky put down the rag and cup in her hand, leaned against the wall, and lit a cigarette. "Rayleigh? Since he was tricked by Garros last time, the Marines are still searching for traces of him. Who knows where he has hidden."
Shanks scratched his head and said regretfully, "Isn't he here? That would be a bit troublesome. We are going to the New World this time, and we also said that we would like to ask him to help with coating..."
"Oh? After wandering around the world for so long, you finally made up your mind to go to the New World?"
Shanks glanced at Yasopp, Beckman, and others beside him and said with a smile, "Yes, I am ready to become the Emperor of the Sea."
Shakky held a cigarette in one hand and rested on the bar with the other hand. She leaned forward slightly and murmured, "That red-haired kid back then is now full of manliness... But becoming the Emperor of the Sea is not that simple. Personal strength, the power under his command, and the influence on the sea are all indispensable."
Shanks nodded slightly. "Shakky, you are well-informed, so I want to ask you about the current situation in the New World."
Shakky breathed out a puff of smoke. "Hive Island, the original base of the Rocks Pirates and a paradise for pirates, is now occupied by Silver Axe Ochoku. If you can defeat him, the fame and wealth you gain will be enough for you to become the Pirate Emperor."
Shanks frowned. "I'm not interested in that kind of dirty place."
"Then Wano Country. You must also know that it was originally the territory of Kaido of the Beasts. The terrain there is dangerous and rich in Seastone and samurai. Now that Kaido is imprisoned, the remaining Kozuki clan must not be your opponent."
Looking at Shanks who was deep in thought, Shakky smiled. "Countless people are eyeing this lucrative territory, and I heard that the Big Mom Pirates have assembled a fleet. You'd better make a decision as soon as possible. If it's too late, it may be too late."