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The seawater crashed against the hull, making a surging sound.
The sea breeze blew over the heads of the four old men, lifting their hoods and revealing four stunned, mutually staring faces.
Imu's words quickly dissipated in the wind. But the four stars were left in disarray in the wind.
What did he mean? What did Lord Imu mean by that? Where was he going? The world war was about to erupt, and he was leaving like this? Was Lord Imu running away?
Why! Confusion and shock arose in the hearts of the four old men, leaving them standing there stunned, unable to react for a moment.
Logically speaking, the enemy had destroyed their home base, and the entire Holy Land of Mary Geoise had been obliterated.
Shouldn't Lord Imu's heart be filled with infinite rage? Shouldn't he be rolling up his sleeves, gathering his forces, and going to fight the other party? The four fell into a strange silence.
They did not dare to ask.
To question what the other was thinking. The small boat moved forward slowly. It wasn't until it approached an island at a certain moment that it slowly came to a stop.
"The world is in your hands!" Imu left only this one sentence, then leapt from the bow and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The four old men were completely bewildered. They stood blankly at the bow, watching his retreating figure for a long time before they finally came to their senses.
"Sigh! Lord Imu, he?" Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro started to speak but then stopped, ultimately not daring to say what was on his mind.
"The thoughts of a great lord are difficult for mortals to predict. But we cannot fail to avenge Mary Geoise, and the World Government's coalition army also needs someone to take the lead!"
"Just as my lord said, the world, right now, is at a time when it needs us!" Saint Topman Warcury said in a low voice, taking a deep breath.
The other three all nodded. Lord Imu's thoughts were hard to guess. His approach to things has long been enigmatic.
Perhaps he had even given up on this entire world and was planning something new. But they could not give up the world in their hands like that.
Their long lives had already accustomed them to the feeling of being in a high position. This lofty status was difficult to abandon.
The next day, they appeared in a kingdom that was subordinate to the World Government and had a close relationship with them.
The high-ranking officials of the kingdom possessed the blood of the Celestial Dragons.
"My four lords! The news has already spread everywhere outside!" the middle-aged king wearing a crown said with a nervous expression, bowing as he followed behind the four, trembling.
"It has spread?" Saint Topman Warcury asked in a low voice.
"Mary Geoise disappeared yesterday, and the World Nobles living on it were all destroyed in an instant. This matter has already spread throughout the world!"
"There are even rumours that the four lords also." Speaking to this point, the king fell silent immediately, not daring to say more.
But none of the four paid it any mind. Instead, their eyes were grave. Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro turned around, his voice low.
"Mary Geoise was indeed severely damaged. A large number of Celestial Dragons fell in the Marines' surprise attack! A few of us were lucky to escape."
"By now, I'm afraid this matter has already spread all over the world, right?" Hearing this, the king took a deep breath and nodded in shock.
"It is spreading at an extremely fast speed! Moreover, the Marines have already launched an attack on all coalition forces worldwide!"
"They have started a world war!"
The eyes of the four old men narrowed, their faces darkening significantly at this moment.
The decisiveness and sharpness of the Marines had shocked them.
"The whole world is in an uproar over this matter now. I'm afraid countless countries are trembling with fear," then.
The king said again after taking a breath. The four old men looked at each other, their eyes growing sharp.
"We need to assemble the World Coalition Army!" After a long moment, the longsword in Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro's hand was unsheathed and then abruptly closed with a clang.
The light of the blade flashed, incomparably dazzling, making the king close his eyes at the same time.
........
The regions of the East, West, North, and South Blue, the Grand Line, and the New World—this entire vast world was already in an uproar, appearing extremely lively.
Newspapers were being printed around the clock in the press offices, and then News Coos took to the skies, delivering them to all corners of the world.
"Quick! This is big news that will shock the world! This is the dawn of a massive empire! It will soon welcome its noon, and the sun will hang high in the sky!"
"Have all the press offices around the world print at full capacity! We have to be the first to break such big news!"
The president of the newspaper company, his face and neck red, was jumping up and down, roaring at the workers before him.
"With such a workload, the workers will be exhausted!" a person beside him said with worry.
"I'll add more money, ten times more!! This is big news that will shake the world! It is the changing of an era! What does it matter if you have to risk your lives?"
"You and I are participants in this revolutionary era! This moment will become eternal in history!"
"Even life itself pales in comparison and cannot emit the slightest bit of light!" the newspaper owner roared.
His voice was deafening, and it also made the workers present breathe heavily, their hands moving even faster.
Yes, when today passes, the history of the future will bear their marks because of the sweat of this moment.
Forever, it could never be erased! Although they were but a speck in the long river of history, not even counting as a single drop of water.
But if they could contribute a single drop of their sweat for a bright future, that too would be their honour.
"History! What a heavy word! To think that we are so fortunate to be able to stand at such a moment!" the newspaper owner shouted excitedly.
Clearly, he had already fallen into a state of madness due to the news of Mary Geoise's destruction, his reason no longer existing at this moment.
......
On the Sabaody Archipelago, the sound of cannon fire could be faintly heard. On the streets, although the people were curious, they were still living their peaceful lives.
There were not many people; most civilians still feared the war, afraid that it would affect them.
An old man wearing flip-flops, with greying hair and a bottle of liquor in his hand, was now walking on the street with a serious expression.
The glasses on his nose flashed with a glint of light as he looked at the garrison of the World Government's coalition forces.
"Even Mary Geoise," he murmured.
A look of shock appeared in the old man's eyes. Mary Geoise was gone, destroyed by the Marines using a mysterious weapon.
There was even a huge gap on the Red Line, a brand-new landmass. When he first heard this news, even the once-famous Dark King Rayleigh couldn't help but be stunned.
Eight hundred years! Who could have accomplished such a thing? And Rayleigh thought even more deeply about one point: the current strength and foundation of the Marines were probably far beyond what he could have imagined.
Compared to a pirate crew of a dozen or so people, or even an organised pirate crew of several thousand, the gap was too great!
"The Celestial Dragons. From now on, it will disappear from history! Eight hundred years ago, the roles of offence and defence would be reversed at this moment!"
Rayleigh tilted his head back and poured the liquor into his mouth, his throat bobbing.
After swallowing a mouthful of hot liquor, he felt refreshed all over. He let out a breath, and then he actually burst out laughing on the street.
"Is this the future you were waiting for? Roger!!" Rayleigh roared with laughter.
As his voice fell, he fell into a daze, inexplicably recalling his entire life. Childhood, youth, adulthood, until that fateful encounter.
"Hey, shouting on the street is not something an old man like you should be doing, you know!"
Just then, a voice sounded. Immediately after, a group of people came before him. Rayleigh's eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at the other party.
"Admiral, Kizaru, Borsalino! Why are you here?"
Kizaru had a smile on his face. "Mary Geoise is gone. The new continent on the Red Line has connected the first and second halves of the Grand Line."
"Now, it doesn't take much time to get here from the first half, you know!"
Rayleigh was taken aback, speechless for a long time. He had not seen that huge gap and could not imagine how magnificent the passage connecting the front and back of the Grand Line was.
"Thump-thump-thump!" Then, accompanied by a sonorous sound, a majestic and tall figure came before him.
The white "Justice" cape rustled and shook. A huge, heavy naginata was slammed onto the ground, causing the earth to tremble.
Rayleigh looked up, and what met his eyes was a white, crescent-shaped moustache.
"Whitebeard?!" His pupils suddenly contracted, and he cried out in shock.
He had never expected that the Marine before him would be the former pirate, the world's strongest man, Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.
"Gurarararara! What an incredible old acquaintance! To think I'd see you here, Rayleigh!" Whitebeard said with a face full of emotion, smiling.
Rayleigh carefully observed him, somewhat shocked that this man had been released. Then, when he saw his round face and bulging belly, his eyes widened again.
"You, how are you?"
Whitebeard laughed loudly. "Gurararararara, don't give me that look, I hate! It's just that the food has been a bit better recently, so I've put on some weight!"
"That kid Arashi has already laughed at me for it!" Speaking of this, Whitebeard pouted.
"Arashi?" Hearing this name, Rayleigh's pupils narrowed slightly, and he became serious.
"Relax, Rayleigh. I think now, you and I are probably no longer opponents or enemies! Am I right, Borsalino!"
Kizaru shrugged his shoulders. "The current Marines' only enemy is the World Government!"
Whitebeard burst out laughing and looked at Rayleigh. "You see! The era has already changed, hasn't it?"
Rayleigh stood there stunned, not reacting for a moment. After a long while, he finally began to laugh. "You're right, the era has changed!"
Whitebeard turned his head to look at Kizaru. "You wouldn't mind if I catch up with an old friend, would you?"
"Of course!" Kizaru said, spreading his hands with a smile.
Their mission was to end the battle on Sabaody as quickly as possible and let the Marines take control of the island.
With their strength, even just one of them was enough. Kizaru quickly led his team away.
Whitebeard's gaze followed Kizaru, and he said with a smile, "I think your shock right now is probably not much different from mine, is it?"
Hearing this, Rayleigh was silent at first, then sat down cross-legged on the spot. "You and I can be considered old acquaintances. I am indeed very shocked."
Whitebeard nodded with great understanding and also sat down. "What Arashi has done is beyond what an ordinary person can do!"
"I have some questions. Perhaps you can answer them for me!" Rayleigh said in a low voice.
He wanted to toss the flask in his hand to himself, but on second thought, the liquor in this flask was not even enough for himself, so he stopped.
"Oh?" Whitebeard saw his small movement and couldn't help but laugh.
He shouted to the field officer beside him. "Kid, go get me a few jars of good liquor!"
"Yes, sir!" The officer immediately turned and ran off.
"Ask away, Rayleigh!" Whitebeard said with a smile.
"What was it that destroyed Mary Geoise?" Rayleigh's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked in a low voice.
"Pluton!" Whitebeard's voice was deep. Thinking of the power of those countless pitch-black cannons yesterday, he still felt incredibly grave at this moment.
The majesty of the Ancient Weapons was indeed terrifying.
"Pluton!?" Rayleigh's pupils contracted; he had not expected this at all.
"Yes, it is the Pluton that shares your name, 'Pluton: Dark King'. You two are really fated!" Whitebeard laughed.
"To think that Arashi has even mastered this ancient weapon that has been missing for eight hundred years," Rayleigh said, shaking his head with a sigh.
"It's not just Pluton! From the looks of that kid, it seems he also knows the location of Poseidon," Whitebeard sighed.
"He has actually mastered two of them?" Rayleigh was somewhat shocked.
"I didn't expect it either. But with the current scale of the Marines, it doesn't seem surprising that they could obtain information about the Ancient Weapons!"
"Even if he were to tell me the location of Laugh Tale one day, I wouldn't be surprised at all!" Whitebeard said with a laugh.
"Is that so?" Rayleigh was a bit lost in thought, but then his expression turned serious.
"Then, what is Arashi's ultimate goal?" Whitebeard was about to answer when a bolt of lightning flashed beside him, then transformed into a human figure who sat down cross-legged.
"If you have any questions, isn't it better to just ask me directly?" The smiling words came out, and the person who had suddenly arrived turned to look at Rayleigh. "Rayleigh!"
The latter's pupils suddenly contracted, and his entire body tensed up. This was entirely due to the aura triggered by his sudden arrival.
"Arashi!" One word escaped from between Rayleigh's teeth. The oppressive feeling from this man was too strong, even if he was sitting there, not making any move.
"So! What is your ultimate goal?" Rayleigh asked in a low voice.
At this moment, in the current world situation, the Marines already could dominate the next era, and as the Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Arashi had even greater ambitions.
"My goal?" Arashi suddenly grinned, his smile frank and unconcealed.
"I want to become this world's one and only Emperor!"
The words were sonorous and forceful, and they also made Whitebeard and Rayleigh, who were sitting beside and opposite him, have their pupils contract. "
The Twenty Kings are too many! For the world, one king... no One Emperor is enough!"
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach the top 100)
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