-----
"What did you just say?!"
"Stop spouting nonsense!"
"You're just a rookie! What do you know? Come on, let's keep drinking!"
"Cheers!"
The pirates returned to their revelry, feasting and drinking without a care.
Gion lowered her voice and asked, "Are you sure this island is heading toward the Navy headquarters?"
Kitaro nodded. "My Observation Haki covers a large range, so I can sense movements below us. Although it's harder to feel them from this floating island, I can detect that these islands are accelerating slowly toward the Navy headquarters."
He paused, then continued, "If I'm right, this was his plan all along—to attack the Navy headquarters. The talk of targeting the East Blue was just a ploy to mislead Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Sengoku knows how much the Golden Lion hates the East Blue, so he'd naturally send a significant portion of the Navy's forces there."
"This would leave the Navy headquarters defenseless. Combined with the current state of chaos caused by pirates everywhere, the headquarters' defenses are already stretched thin."
"With this setup, the Golden Lion found the perfect opportunity to strike the new Marineford. If he succeeds, his reputation will skyrocket, and he'll attract even more pirates to his cause. It could give him enough momentum to become a dominant force in the world again."
"This old man is more cunning than I thought."
Gion frowned. "What should we do then?!"
She was visibly worried. The original Marineford's destruction had severely damaged the Navy's reputation. It had taken months of effort to begin rebuilding their credibility."
"If the new headquarters were also destroyed, the Navy's reputation would plummet to the ground. This would sow distrust among World Government member nations, leading to widespread chaos.
Kitaro smiled. "No need to panic. The Golden Lion's plan is clever, and under normal circumstances, it would have a high chance of success."
"But there's one thing he didn't account for—me!"
"As long as I'm here, all his schemes will come to nothing."
"And honestly, this saves me the trip back."
Gion felt a surge of relief at Kitaro's confidence.
Many people assumed the so called Uchiha Akira was merely a shadow of his older brother, Uchiha Kitaro—a lesser sibling overshadowed by his brother's brilliance. In Gion's eyes, Akira's strength, though not as overwhelming as Kitaro's, was still on par with the Navy Admirals. Gion suspected he was even hiding his true abilities, which might surpass that level.
It will be shocking for her when she know there is no Akira and he was Kitaro all this time.
---
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the pirates were summoned to the Golden Lion's palace for a grand ceremony.
Inside the grand hall, 81 pirate captains sat in two long rows. Each had a small table in front of them, with a bowl of liquor placed on top.
The doors opened with a creak, and the Golden Lion strode confidently to his throne, sitting down with an air of dominance.
"It's wonderful to see so many brothers gathered here today!" he declared.
"Tonight, we'll hold a ceremony to solidify our brotherhood. From now on, you will swear loyalty to me! Betrayers will not be forgiven—make no mistake about that!"
"And one more thing—the target for tonight has changed! We're not attacking the East Blue anymore! Our goal tonight is the Navy headquarters!"
"What?!"
"The Navy headquarters?!"
Gasps of shock echoed through the hall.
"Captain Shiki, the Navy headquarters is full of powerful fighters, especially the Admirals—they're monsters!"
"I know!" Shiki laughed. "If the headquarters were fully staffed, even I wouldn't dare to launch an attack. But right now, the Navy is stretched thin, with forces scattered everywhere to deal with pirate uprisings."
"Not long ago, I even took a little trip over the Navy headquarters to confirm my suspicions. Sure enough, most of their forces have been sent to the East Blue."
"Right now, aside from Fleet Admiral Sengoku, there's hardly anyone worthwhile left to defend the headquarters. This is our golden opportunity."
"If we destroy the new Navy headquarters, the entire world will tremble at our feet! Fear will spread across the globe, and countless pirates will join our ranks."
"With that momentum, we'll take the world by storm!"
"Long live Captain Shiki!!" the pirates roared, swept up by his fervor.
"Pour the wine!" Shiki ordered.
A servant moved down the rows, filling each captain's bowl with liquor.
Shiki stood, raising his own bowl. "Brothers, we all know the story of how the original Navy headquarters was destroyed by some rookie who lucked into Whitebeard's scraps. The world hailed him as its strongest, but it was a fluke."
"With my abilities, I can lift the entire Navy headquarters into the sky and smash it down again! Just imagine the spectacle!"
"Let the destruction of the Navy headquarters mark the start of our brotherhood! The Golden Lion Pirates are born today!"
"Cheers to Captain Shiki!" the pirates roared, lifting their bowls high.
Suddenly, the palace doors swung open with a loud creak, silencing the room.
Two figures stood silhouetted in the doorway—one man and one woman.
Uchiha Kitaro stepped forward, waving casually. "Hey! Sorry to crash your party, everyone."
"Who are you?!" one pirate captain shouted. "This is a private gathering. Didn't your captain teach you any manners? Rookies like you should wait outside!"
Ignoring the outburst, Kitaro looked directly at the Golden Lion. "Shiki, we meet again."
"Oh? It's you," Shiki said, recognizing the young man who had once shielded the Navy ships from his onslaught. "What's this? Have you finally realized the Navy's a dead-end and come to join my crew? If so, you're welcome here."
"The Navy is filled with shortsighted fools. They'll never trust you like I would. Join me, Uchiha Akira. I'll make you my right-hand man."
Kitaro chuckled. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm quite happy where I am. Actually, I'm here on orders from Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
He smiled faintly. "I'm, Vice-Admiral Uchiha Akira, here to catch you, Shiki."
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