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Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Whitebeard Pirates diligently fulfilled the orders of Captain Whitebeard, aimlessly wandering around the Easy Blue Sea. Wherever they landed on an island, they would gather together to drink and purchase supplies.
On this particular day, early in the morning, Larson had completed his training for the day and was about to seek out Whitebeard for a drink when Marco suddenly rushed over in a panic.
"Not good! Not good!"
Whitebeard, who was sipping his drink, paused, and Larson turned his attention to Marco.
"What happened?"
Seeing Marco so flustered, Larson asked in confusion.
Marco pointed in a direction, panting as he spoke. "Ahead, there is a navy ahead!"
Whitebeard continued to drink while Larson shook his head and moved past Marco, noticing Plank busily engaged with his tasks in the distance.
On this pirate ship, the reaction to the navy was mostly calm.
Believing that no one was taking him seriously, Marco hastily insisted, "There really is a navy! There are many more navy! We should go take a look!"
"It's just the navy," Larson replied, glancing at Whitebeard. "Want to do some exercise, Captain?"
Whitebeard set down his wine glass and picked up the naginata beside him. "Together?"
Larson responded, "That's exactly what I meant."
Plank wisely turned the ship in the direction Marco had pointed out, while Marco remained bewildered, not understanding the situation at all.
However, as the pirate ship turned around, everyone on board was taken aback by what they saw in the distance.
Dozens of imposing naval warships were advancing toward their pirate ship. At a glance, every ship was filled with navy personnel. The firepower of these naval warships was far beyond that of any previous encounter Larson and the others had faced, easily several times stronger than what they had experienced with Garp.
Plank turned pale with fear.
Larson's expression also grew serious. "Are they coming for us?"
Larson frowned and questioned, "Do they really intend to engage us?"
It wasn't that they feared these navy ships. If a battle broke out, the navy would undoubtedly be no match for them. However, they worried that their pirate ship would sink under the weight of naval firepower.
Whitebeard cracked his knuckles. "At worst, we can seize their ship. If they dare to attack our Whitebeard Pirates, they must pay the price."
Larson nodded in agreement. "I've actually wanted to do this for a long time."
Marco, listening from behind, was momentarily stunned. What kind of situation is this? If they encounter these marines, their immediate reaction is to fight them rather than retreat?
Did he hear that wrong?
His current demeanor mirrored Plank's earlier reaction. He hadn't truly witnessed the full power of Whitebeard and Larson, leading him to subconsciously think of escaping upon seeing the navy.
Larson and Whitebeard stood calmly on the deck, ready to await the approaching naval fleet before launching their attack. They waited patiently, and the atmosphere on the ship remained surprisingly relaxed.
But just when the naval fleet was about 400 meters away, it suddenly changed direction and headed elsewhere!
They're running?
Larson squinted at the pirates in the distance, a look of confusion on his face.
No way?
Marco was flabbergasted. What was happening? The navy didn't attack them upon making contact, but instead took a detour and left?
Who are the navy to run from? Who are the pirates in this scenario?
Whitebeard turned around, dissatisfaction clear in his expression. "Plank, get the ship closer!"
Want to run?
It's not that easy!
Whitebeard was displeased? These marines had sought them out and then decided to leave. What did that mean?
Were they challenging him?
Did they truly think that they could simply intimidate him like those weak little pirates?
Who is he?
He has a white beard!
Today's Whitebeard is not in the twilight years of his life. In his prime, he was bold and unafraid. With his world-destroying powers, any challenge to him must come with consequences!
Seeing that the ship hadn't moved, Larson frowned and looked back. "Plank, set sail."
"Ah? Yes, yes!"
Only then did Plank realize that he hadn't misheard. The captain genuinely wanted him to steer the ship toward the navy.
At that moment, both Plank and Marco were left wondering what kind of pirate crew this was. Why was their first instinct upon encountering the navy not to flee, but to pursue? How reckless!
Meanwhile, on a naval warship in the distance:
A soldier reported, "Vice Admiral Sengoku, our warships are already far away from that pirate ship!"
Sengoku, who was seated calmly, nodded. "I understand."
He hadn't anticipated that they would run into the Whitebeard Pirates during their mission. While he was reluctant to admit it, he had to order the warship to take a detour because of Whitebeard's tremendous strength.
Sengoku glanced at his deputy. "How far are we from our destination?"
The subordinate replied, "Another two days."
Sengoku nodded in acknowledgment and remained silent.
The mission he was undertaking was to assist the Celestial Dragons in collecting heavenly gold. As is known, every country in the world must provide a significant amount of treasures to the Celestial Dragons, known as heavenly gold.
However, not long ago, two small nations in the Easy Blue Sea revolted, causing them to be unable to deliver the heavenly gold they owed.
While the navy may appear popular in front of the public, they ultimately serve as the dogs of the Celestial Dragons. Under continuous pressure from the Celestial Dragons, Cyborg Kong had no choice but to send Sengoku to handle the rebellions in the two countries before returning to collect the heavenly gold that was owed.
As for why Sengoku was chosen for this task instead of Garp, it was because Garp simply wanted nothing to do with those Celestial Dragons.
After defeating the Rocks Pirates the previous year, Garp had been hailed as a naval hero. He was an idol among the marines; with both strength and popularity, even the Celestial Dragons dared not act against him.
Sengoku rubbed his temples, contemplating, "With so many rebellions occurring every year, when will this world find peace?"
His deputy offered a smile. "One day, it will happen."
Sengoku shook his head. "As long as pirates exist, the world will never know peace."
He chuckled ironically, "It's ridiculous that our navy would take a detour when encountering pirates. The navy is truly losing its majesty."
The deputy was at a loss for words.
"Lieutenant General, there's trouble!" Suddenly, a panicked voice called out from the navy.
"What is the matter?" Sengoku inquired.
The navy soldier responded, "There is a pirate ship in the distance heading toward us!"
Sengoku furrowed his brow. "Are you certain it's a pirate ship?"
He thought he might be imagining things. It was the first time in many years he had encountered pirates actively pursuing the navy.
"It's absolutely true! That pirate ship is the same one we encountered earlier."
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