One hour after the Radiant Eclipse departed from the island.
"Did the Sun and Moon Pirates do this?"
A phoenix wreathed in blue flames descended onto the island.
Marco frowned as he surveyed the field of corpses.
He had intended to use the island's most powerful underground faction to help track the Sun and Moon Pirates' movements.
But to his surprise.
They were all dead.
And they had died horribly.
Each body was dried up, their hair stark white, and their skin loose and withered.
"No blood left... All of it was drained? And they aged from young adults to elderly corpses." Marco wasn't afraid of corpses—he had killed plenty in his time—but these bodies gave him chills.
"What kind of ability is this? Do the Sun and Moon Pirates have another mysterious member?"
Marco felt uneasy.
But then he remembered—he was Marco, after all.
He chuckled at himself.
Nothing to worry about.
Besides, the Sun and Moon Pirates had approached the edge of their territory, likely to pledge allegiance.
That made him even less worried.
Marco inquired around the city about the direction the Sun and Moon Pirates had gone.
Once he got the answer.
"They left just an hour ago. I should be able to catch up."
Marco transformed back into the phoenix and flew swiftly in the direction the Radiant Eclipse had taken.
...
"Shakky, have they announced the new Warlords yet?" Kuke asked Shakky.
He was quite curious.
Who would replace Empress Hancock as the new Warlord?
"Not yet. The sea is abuzz with speculation—some think an Emperor will become a Warlord, and any pirate with even a hint of fame is being considered." Shakky shook her head.
The World Government had yet to announce the seven Warlords' identities.
This had drawn attention and curiosity from across the world.
But Kuke was confident about the identities of six of the Warlords.
"What's the current situation in Dressrosa?" Kuke continued to ask.
It was a gift he had prepared for the Navy and the World Government.
They wanted to establish the Seven Warlords to stabilize the seas.
But Kuke wasn't about to let them have their way.
This was just the appetizer.
Simply sabotaging the Warlords' formation wasn't nearly enough.
"Dressrosa, three months ago, was taken over by the Donquixote Family. Doflamingo has become the new king." Shakky flipped through her notebook, which contained records of every major event at sea.
"A pirate as the king of an allied nation? Dressrosa is quite influential among the allied nations. How can the Navy tolerate this?" Gion questioned.
The Navy should have gone after the Donquixote Family long ago.
"The previous king of Dressrosa, King Riku, made a grave mistake—he not only plundered the people's wealth but suddenly began slaughtering them. Doflamingo became the savior and was crowned king by the people." Shakky explained.
Gion still shook her head. "Even so, the Navy and the World Government wouldn't allow a pirate to be the king of an allied nation."
Kuke said, "If he's a Warlord and also has an even deeper connection—being a Celestial Dragon—the World Government has no choice but to agree."
Gion stared at Kuke in shock.
What?
Doflamingo, that weakling, had such a background?
"Captain, are you sure Doflamingo will become a Warlord and that he's actually a Celestial Dragon? Is that true?" Shakky was equally stunned.
She was responsible for intelligence.
She hadn't sensed anything.
How did Kuke know this?
"If the Captain's guess is right, then everything makes sense. Everything that happened in Dressrosa was just part of a conspiracy." Shakky's eyes gleamed as she looked at Kuke. "Captain, what are you planning to do?"
"Since it's a conspiracy, let's expose it and show the world the darkness of the Warlord system."
"Kuke, should we head to Dressrosa now?" Stussy was eager.
They all felt the same.
They had been holding in their frustration, wanting to settle the score for what happened at the Sabaody Archipelago.
"No rush. The timing isn't right yet. The impact will be most dramatic when it all comes to light on that day. The Navy plans to broadcast my memorial at my supposed gravesite, right? Let's grant them that wish—and make the Warlord's reputation even more infamous." Kuke smiled.
"The World Government has worked so hard on the Warlord plan, only for it to fail. The Five Elders' expressions will be priceless." Shakky could hardly wait.
"The Warlords are just an appetizer. Will the Navy be attending that day?"
Since the Navy wanted to trample on his grave during a memorial.
How could there not be blood?
"The Navy hasn't officially announced it yet, but Fleet Admiral Sengoku is expected to be there. Not all the Admirals will come; otherwise, the Warlords would worry it was a trap." With over two months left until the memorial, the Navy still hadn't disclosed much information.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, huh?"
Kuke's eyes turned cold.
Then let's target Sengoku's life.
Shakky's pupils widened as she looked at Kuke in disbelief.
She had thought.
Kuke was just planning to settle the score, disrupt the formation of the Warlords, and maybe teach the Navy a lesson.
But now it seemed like he intended to take down an Admiral—or even the Fleet Admiral.
Was it possible?
Shakky doubted it.
In the past, even Rocks had defeated Admirals and even a Fleet Admiral but had never managed to kill one.
For a century.
No Admiral or Fleet Admiral had died in battle—not a single one at the hands of a pirate.
"Captain Kuke, even if we take them by surprise, the Navy's strong fighters won't all be at Sabaody Archipelago. But Navy Headquarters and the World Government are close to Sabaody. If we show a force stronger than the one at Sabaody, they'll immediately send reinforcements." Shakky reminded Kuke.
It would be easy for them to get surrounded again, just like at Sabaody Archipelago.
"That's why identifying the Navy's other top fighters, the World Government's forces, their identities, strengths, and the time it would take for them to respond, is crucial." Knowing the enemy's numbers and locations was key to victory.
"How could we possibly know that?"
Shakky was helpless.
There was no way to investigate, no way to know.
They could only make educated guesses.
But in matters like this, even the slightest mistake would mean failure.
"I have a way." Kuke was unfazed.
"Huh?"
Shakky and Stussy stared blankly at Kuke.
What way?
Did the Captain have spies within the World Government or the Navy? But ordinary spies wouldn't have access to such high-level information.
Kuke's confidence came from.
One person.
A woman.
Currently in Dressrosa—the former princess, Viola.
Viola possessed the Glare-Glare Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit with the ability of far sight, capable of expanding her vision across a range of four thousand miles.
Kuke explained this to them.
Once again, they were shocked.
"I've gathered intelligence on all the notable figures at sea, yet I never knew Dressrosa's former princess had such an ability. Captain, you're the true intelligence officer here." Shakky felt defeated.
She spent every day and night gathering intel, but compared to Kuke, her efforts paled in comparison.
"Don't feel down, Shakky. I figure that when it comes to capable women across the sea, Kuke probably knows more than anyone." Gion, accustomed to such surprises, comforted Shakky while teasing Kuke.
It was a small payback for last night's madness—dragging Stussy along had been too much.
Kuke's face darkened.
He had no way to explain himself.
If, in the future, he ended up recruiting Yamato—unknown to the wider world—then it would only confirm what they were saying.
"Really? Then, Captain, do you know what we're wearing today?" Shakky asked boldly.
"I'm not wearing anything," Belo Betty immediately raised her hand.
The seasoned Shakky, paired with the audacious Belo Betty.
Kuke felt a headache coming on.
"Someone's coming," Kuke quickly changed the subject.
He looked toward the horizon.
The blue-flamed phoenix, Marco, was speeding toward them.
Marco had a smile on his lips—he had finally caught up.
Kuke also smiled.
A delivery right to his doorstep.
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 144+ at patreon.com/Emik01.
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