Crocodile really did make a good suggestion.
Zephyr's main trump card was nothing more than the Dyna Stone.
Its power was unmatched — capable of destroying an entire island in the blink of an eye.
However, Zephyr couldn't just use the Dyna Stone recklessly.
Without knowing who the mastermind behind all this was, could he really go around blowing things up at random?
Even a madman wouldn't do something like that, let alone someone upright and principled like Zephyr.
Of course, if Zephyr figured out who was pulling the strings, then it would be a different story entirely.
That was why Crocodile reached out to Ian — to share the risk.
He even had Ian contact the Charlotte Family and the teacher he respected the most, Kaido.
By uniting several powerful forces, even if Zephyr eventually learned who was behind the scheme, the risk of retaliation would be much smaller.
After all, he couldn't possibly blow everyone up, could he?
Ian also thought it was a great idea, so he went ahead and contacted Aunt Linlin and Teacher Kaido.
As for Whitebeard, there was no need to reach out to him.
The Whitebeard Pirates didn't even have a true base of operations — the NEO Marines wouldn't be able to hit them with Dyna Stone even if they wanted to.
Aunt Linlin wasn't entirely pleased with Ian contacting her, considering her unborn child was still in Ian's hands.
However, she was very interested in the Dyna Stone, so she readily agreed to Ian's proposal.
Grudges were grudges, and profit was profit — that's how the great pirates of this world operated.
As for Kaido, there was no need to convince him — Ian could speak entirely on his behalf.
And so, the Beasts Pirates, the Charlotte Family, and Cross Guild launched a joint operation.
The three forces scouted out several fairly strong pirate crews in the New World.
Truth be told, that was no easy task, since there weren't many powerful pirates left in the New World these days.
Still, after some effort, they managed to find a few candidates.
With a mix of threats and promises, these pirate crews were persuaded to head toward the seas controlled by the NEO Marines.
Their task was simple — cause destruction.
At the same time, Ian and the others had already begun moving.
They too were heading straight for the NEO Marines' territory.
If Zephyr was truly forced to show himself, then what came next would be simple.
Each to their own skills.
Whoever grabs the Dyna Stone first, owns it.
The front waters of the New World.
A massive, eerie triple-masted ship quietly sailed across the sea.
"Where's that guy Moria?"
Shiryu stepped into the meeting room and, seeing only Crocodile inside, asked in mild surprise.
"I sent him to find Red."
Crocodile replied calmly, "They're getting along well enough."
He was certain of what he saw — that Red, despite constantly proclaiming himself as a lone powerhouse, was in truth someone who longed for companions.
And coincidentally, that bastard Moria also valued comrades deeply.
In fact, after the death of his former crew, he never wanted to experience that pain again, so he only used zombies to fight for him.
In a way, the two had plenty to talk about.
"Are you sure this will work?"
Shiryu asked casually, "If we really end up fighting over it with the Beasts Pirates or the Charlotte Family, we probably won't have the advantage."
"It doesn't matter."
Crocodile said, "There's more than one Dyna Stone. There are plenty, aren't there?"
"As long as we can grab a few, that's already a victory for us."
A cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Don't forget, we still have World."
"Hahahaha! That's right! We still have World!"
Shiryu burst out laughing as well.
With World's More-More Fruit, a single Dyna Stone could be used as if it were a hundred.
Elsewhere in the New World, a singing pirate ship sailed forward, cutting through the waves.
"Mamamama!"
If Ian had been here, he would have been startled.
Because standing at the bow of the ship was Aunt Linlin, and compared to the last time they fought, she had slimmed down considerably.
She couldn't exactly be called slender, but she was at least sharp and lean now.
"If we turn Dyna Stone into Homies, it would be so much fun!"
Linlin burst into loud laughter.
"With those rocks, it doesn't matter even if we don't have the giants on our side!"
The Golden Dragon soared through the skies.
Thanks to Kuma's ability, even though Ian was on Hive Island—one of the farthest points from the NEO Navy's territory—they could still arrive quickly.
Standing at the bow of the great ship, Ian faced the roaring wind. "So, Mr. Zephyr, how will you respond?"
He didn't believe Zephyr would so easily show himself and fall into their trap.
Something interesting might just happen.
While their side began to move, others also caught wind of the news.
"Those disgusting people actually joined forces?"
In Mary Geoise, the Five Elders gathered once again.
"But perhaps they really can force Zephyr to appear."
"Have the Navy follow up. If Zephyr truly shows himself, we must not let Dyna Stone fall into the hands of pirates!"
Dyna Stone was already dangerous enough. If it were to fall into the hands of reckless, arrogant pirates who feared neither god nor demon, the consequences would be unimaginable.
And so, the Navy immediately mobilized.
Storm clouds began to gather toward the NEO Navy's waters.
The moment everything would begin had finally arrived.
NEO Navy's territory.
As a formal military force, NEO Navy soldiers naturally received salaries.
They needed income, of course.
Claiming to be the embodiment of true justice, the NEO Navy would never resort to looting to sustain itself.
Instead, just like the pirate emperors, they provided certain nations with protection in exchange for payment.
"Hahahahaha!"
At that moment, on an island under the NEO Navy's control, a city by the coast was engulfed in flames. Pirates wielding blades and spears rampaged freely, slaughtering and plundering to their hearts' content.
Out at sea, a NEO Navy warship was already sinking beneath the waves.
"Get that Zephyr guy out here for me!"
At the highest point of the city, the pirate captain wielding a huge sword laughed arrogantly, "The Dyna Stone that rivals the Ancient Weapons—that thing is only meant for the strong!"
"Tell him to hand everything over to me quietly!"
"Or we'll crush this entire sea area!"
"Ohhh!"
Chaos and slaughter instantly spread across the sea.
The pirates carefully selected from the three major pirate crews were naturally quite powerful.
Each captain's bounty was over 300 million, with the highest nearing 500 million.
United, they were completely unstoppable by the NEO Navy stationed here.
Even the Marines who left with Zephyr, except for Gion and the former G-5 base commander, had no strength to resist them.
This group of pirates was rampant in this sea, destroying three cities in a short time.
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