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In the hotel where the kings and nobles resided, an eerie silence took over.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock as they stared out of the window, frozen as if under a spell.
"Yes, it's Whitebeard coming to attack the Bertomy Passion Kingdom!"
But soon, a loud, shrill voice filled with terror snapped everyone back to reality.
"Oh my god, why is Whitebeard here?"
"Run quickly! That's the King of the Seas! Not even the Marines can stop him from coming here in person!"
"Wait for me, I'll put on some pants first!"
"Forget about pants, Your Majesty! If you run any slower, you'll lose your life!"
The kings and nobles quickly regained their senses and bolted out the door without a word.
At that moment, they didn't even have time to think about their belongings.
In the New World, even a pirate with a bounty of hundreds of millions can scare them to the point of losing their appetite and getting into trouble.
Let alone when the one who's coming stands at the very top of all pirates.
Everyone's instinctual reaction was to run!
The hotel plunged into chaos.
Not only were the kings and nobles fleeing, but even the people of the Bertomy Passion Kingdom were rushing home in fear.
The only ones who hadn't moved are the bold CP0 agents.
But when they stood by the window and looked at the Moby Dick docked in the port, their expressions were tense and filled with fear.
"Captain, are we going to leave?" A CP0 subordinate averted his gaze and couldn't help but ask.
Even though he knew his skills were exceptional, he really didn't want to stay here any longer.
Otherwise, if they were noticed by such a monstrous force, they would have to be prepared to die in the line of duty.
Of course, if the mission required it, he wouldn't even think of running away.
But now the mission was to find out how the Marines were making money, and there was no need to confront such a massive threat. There was no point in risking their lives.
"Let's watch a bit longer, let's watch a bit longer!"
Graeme took a deep breath, deciding to stay and observe while his eyes flickered with calculation.
After all, it looked like Whitebeard was targeting the Marines.
And with Garp on the island, it wasn't as dangerous as it seemed.
As long as Whitebeard didn't make a move himself, the rest of the captains and crew posed no real threat to him.
"But how did Whitebeard get here? It doesn't make sense."
Graeme whispered to himself.
The pirates must have known about the Marines promoting the Bertomy Passion Kingdom all over the world.
Generally speaking, unless a pirate is out of their mind or wants to provoke the Marines into launching an all-out pursuit to kill them, no pirate would dare come here.
Even though they know that many wealthy kings and nobles are gathered in this kingdom—raiding it could mean not worrying about money for years—there are also many powerful Marines stationed here.
Pirates want money, but most of them value their lives more.
Knowing that the Marines were prepared and even had an ambush in place, who would foolishly walk into a death trap?
At least for this month, Graeme hadn't received any intel from his subordinates indicating that pirates had invaded the Bertomy Passion Kingdom.
He had thought this would be one of those rare safe spots in the New World.
But then this happened.
The most unlikely person had arrived.
It left him utterly puzzled.
While Graeme was lost in thought, the Marine officers and soldiers stationed on the island didn't hesitate.
They immediately grabbed their weapons and, under the officers' leadership, rushed toward the port.
In the top office.
"This fellow Newgate is really here!" Garp's eyes widened.
Even though the truth was right in front of him, he still couldn't believe it.
Marine's plan relied on the pirate being seriously injured and forced to retreat.
The key point: serious injury and defeat!
Even if it was just for show, once news like that got out, it would definitely leave an indelible "stain" on Whitebeard's reputation!
"Unbelievable!" Garp murmured.
He couldn't fathom that someone like Whitebeard would agree to such a scheme.
The Akira clone stood up from his seat and walked over to the window to watch the battle breaking out at the port.
There, the officers were already clashing with the Whitebeard Pirates.
Whitebeard himself was holding off more than a dozen officers with sheer strength, and one of them was coughing up blood like crazy as they fell.
However, anyone with real knowledge could see that it was just for show.
The blood was exaggerated, and with a decent physique, they'd be back on their feet in a few hours.
"Akira, how did you get that guy Newgate to agree to cooperate?" Garp turned, his face full of curiosity.
The Akira clone chuckled and responded, "I don't know either. I might have to ask Lu Feld about that. But actually, it's not that surprising."
"What do you mean it's not surprising? He's Whitebeard."
"When a man has a weakness, he's no longer invincible, not even Whitebeard."
"Weakness? What are you talking about?"
The Akira clone didn't answer. He simply shifted his gaze from Whitebeard to Marco and the others, who were "fighting" with the soldiers around them.
These very young, inexperienced 20-year-old "sons" are Whitebeard's biggest weakness.
Though it's unclear how Lu Feld convinced Whitebeard, the Akira clone could guess that it was definitely his sons that made Whitebeard hesitate.
The exact persuasion process remains unknown, but it doesn't really matter.
What does matter is the result, and that's something for the subordinates to worry about.
This result!
It met expectations and left him very satisfied.
"Mr. Garp, it's your turn to show your might," the Akira clone reminded, pulling his gaze back.
The entire Bertomy Passion Kingdom had been roused, with everyone instinctively gathering at Akatsuki for a sense of security.
Even the kings and nobles who were about to flee were mixed in, their faces full of confusion and fear.
Now was the perfect time for the Marines to demonstrate their strength in front of everyone.
And if Garp didn't make his move soon, Whitebeard's side couldn't keep up the act much longer.
After all, controlling one's strength during a battle is a highly challenging task.
"Hey hey hey, the old man's about to give Newgate a good thrashing."
"This is going to be fun."
Garp knew now wasn't the time to be stunned; he needed to seize this opportunity to show the world just how safe Akatsuki was.
Only then could they sell more villas and rake in a mountain of berries.
Suppressing his mixed emotions, Garp cracked his knuckles and disappeared on the spot.
The Akira clone casually placed his hands in his pockets, watching the unfolding scene.
It wasn't until Garp and Whitebeard clashed, and the two skillfully kept the battlefield limited to the port, that he finally relaxed and let out a long sigh of relief.
Although Whitebeard had earlier mentioned wanting to test the strength of the security here, indicating his intent to cooperate, there was still a lingering worry that Whitebeard might feel insulted and come here to pick a fight to save face.
"Everyone, stay awake tonight. Let's witness the might of my Marines," the Akira clone announced, looking down at the scene below.
Vice Admiral Tsuru had already led the soldiers out to maintain order as planned.
In addition, everyone was strategically arranged in a large open space with excellent visibility, allowing them to have a clear view of the battle.
"That's good. It seems the fake big pirate I prepared won't need to be used."
"Fakes are fakes, after all, and there's always the risk of them being exposed."
The Akira clone returned to his seat, picked up a diary, and began writing.
At the port, Marco had already transformed into his phoenix form, using his claws reinforced with Armament Haki to block the sword strike from Momonga.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the clash sent shockwaves rippling through the air, causing the nearby trees to rustle and shake.
"Hey, hey, don't go so hard! We're all just acting here!" Marco said with a helpless expression.
He knew full well that the Marines were aware of the situation.
After all, moments ago, a Marine soldier knocked down his opponent but didn't deliver a finishing blow, instead choosing to engage others. And when he charged in, he didn't attack from behind but instead approached from the front, ensuring the fight was visible.
It was clear they were pulling their punches, indicating they knew the true purpose behind this encounter.
But what was frustrating was that everyone was still giving it their all.
"Acting~~~" Momonga frowned, gradually increasing the pressure with his blade. "If we're going to act, we have to be serious. We don't want people to see through it."
The air hummed with the sound of piercing sword energy.
Marco folded his wings and took a few steps back.
"Fine, if you want to be serious, we'll go all out."
"That's what I want. I'm curious to see how strong the Whitebeard Pirates are, aside from your captain."
"You'll find out soon enough."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The battle grew fiercer, with brilliant Devil Fruit powers and sharp sword auras sweeping across the entire port.
The most intense clash was between Garp and Whitebeard.
Both men were at the peak of their strength, and each punch they exchanged caused the sea to roar and the air to vibrate.
When their Conqueror's Haki clashed, a storm of black and red lightning crackled through the sky.
"So strong!"
"Is this the power of the most fearsome monster on the seas?"
"If Whitebeard ever comes to my country, how could we possibly stop him?"
The kings and nobles watching were utterly stunned, their hearts filled with a deep fear of the pirates.
Graeme and his subordinates, on the other hand, were also wide-eyed, but their expressions were different from the others.
"Ca-captain… if I'm not mistaken…" one of the CP0 agents stammered in disbelief.
"Whitebeard… is he… is he acting with the Marines?"
The subordinate's words were filled with shock and confusion.
Graeme, however, ignored the question.
He simply stared blankly at the scene unfolding at the port, catching occasional snippets of conversation.
"Zehahaha, you're strong, major. I almost died by your hand."
"Don't lie to me, pirate. Use your full strength."
"Zehahaha…"