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"The Sun Pirates... 'First Knight of the Sea' Jinbe?" Arthur's tone carried a hint of mockery.
During the battle where Shiki the Golden Lion met his end at the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, the fish-man leader Fisher Tiger had been punched into oblivion by Arthur himself. That scene had been broadcast across the globe; there was no way the fish-men didn't know who their enemy was.
Hunting members of the Thunder God Pirates was, of course, a pursuit of vengeance for their fallen "Big Brother."
Seeking revenge is a natural human—and pirate—instinct. Blood feuds among pirates were a common occurrence that Arthur found utterly unremarkable. Furthermore, while the Seven Warlords of the Sea were technically a neutral power, in the eyes of most pirates, that title was a gift from the World Government. To be a Warlord was to be on the Government's side.
Conflict between the World Government and pirates was a matter of principle and destiny. There was no room for reconciliation; if they met on the sea, they would simply kill each other.
However...
Jinbe was not just the Captain of the Sun Pirates and a member of the Seven Warlords; he also carried the label of a "Son of Whitebeard." That was the line that could not be crossed.
Pirate, Warlord, or Son of Whitebeard—which of these three identities was he using to provoke the Thunder God Pirates?
Whitebeard couldn't possibly be ignorant of the fact that his "son" was killing Arthur's men. As Shiryu suggested, it was likely that Whitebeard tacitly approved of Jinbe's revenge. After all, the first thing Arthur had done upon entering the New World years ago was to slaughter Squard—another "son" of Whitebeard—on the spot.
That grudge had been simmering for over a decade, slowly fading with time. During the battle at the Sabaody Archipelago nine years ago, Whitebeard, with his immense pride and character, refused to strike a wounded Arthur. Thus, the hatred had been buried in silence.
But now, by indulging Jinbe's slaughter, was Whitebeard looking to settle the score?
"Heh... hahahaha!" Arthur let out a cold, sharp laugh. "A son of Whitebeard, eh? This is something I simply cannot ignore."
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"Hmph!" Hancock, who had successfully become the 9th Division Captain, sat alongside her sisters in the Thunder God Temple.
Hancock could not tolerate any slight against Arthur. Eager to prove herself, she slammed her hand onto the table in a fit of rage.
"I don't care if he's the 'World's Strongest Man'! Anyone who dares to raise a hand against Lord Arthur is unforgivable! I will set out immediately and crush them!"
As she spoke, her cheeks flushed as she stole a glance at Arthur's expression—looking very much like a child seeking approval. Seeing no change in his face, she then turned a haughty, disdainful gaze toward Jessica and Stussy, mentally psyching herself up.
Hmph... trying to steal Lord Arthur from me? I won't lose to you! I will never lose!
"You foolish woman, you actually have the nerve to stay in the Thunder God Temple?" Jessica, standing habitually behind Arthur, couldn't help but sneer. "If Whitebeard were that easy to defeat, he wouldn't be called the World's Strongest Man!"
"What did you say?! You useless woman..." Hearing the word "foolish," Hancock bristled instantly, her expression turning ferocious. "What 'World's Strongest'? Lord Arthur is the strongest!"
"Useless? Hah, you're just jealous that Arthur only eats the meals I cook. If a Sea King ate the food you make, it would die of poisoning!" Jessica replied calmly, her arms crossed. She was entirely immune to Hancock's legendary charm and held zero fear of being petrified.
"To address Lord Arthur so familiarly... you are unforgivable!!" Unable to out-argue Jessica, Hancock was nearly ready to explode. She began rolling up her sleeves, ready to throw hands.
"Haha... why am I being dragged into this?" Stussy's beautiful, charming face twitched slightly, her smile feeling a bit forced.
The atmosphere in the Thunder God Temple had taken a sharp turn toward the absurd. The serious discussion about Whitebeard had been completely derailed.
Meanwhile, Rockwell, Shiryu, Chinjao, Pizarro, Foxy, Vasco Shot, and Devon remained dead silent. They stared at their own feet or the air, doing their best to ignore the "war" of words and hoping for a chance to slip away.
Morgans scratched the back of his head with a wing, looking like a bird that didn't quite understand human behavior. Vegapunk, however, watched with great interest, appearing to be scientifically analyzing why they were arguing in the first place.
The air was heavy. In moments like this, silence was the only safe harbor. One wrong word could lead to a lifetime of "small shoes" to wear from a vengeful woman.
"Take your filthy hands off Lord Arthur..." Hancock was fuming, refusing to let the matter drop.
Jessica opened her mouth to retort, but—
"Enough! What are you all bickering for?" Arthur waved his hand impatiently, putting a stop to the infighting. He knew that once women started arguing, they wouldn't stop until their stamina was entirely depleted.
"Shiryu, assemble our forces... Tell Whitebeard who the most powerful pirate crew on the sea really is!"
"The old man has sat on that 'World's Best' throne long enough. It's time he moved over!"
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By the end of 1509, the war to continue the struggle of the "Four Emperors and One Sovereign" began with the fish-men led by Jinbe.
Because Jinbe carried the title of Whitebeard's son, Arthur viewed it as a direct provocation. Following the Thunder Emperor's order, the Thunder God Pirates mobilized half of their fleet. Led by nine Division Captains, they officially declared war on the Whitebeard Pirates!
Unlike the clash between the Red Hair Pirates and Big Mom, which was more of a display of dominance than a fight to the death, this duel between the Thunder God and Whitebeard was the first true clash of ocean overlords since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era!
Usually, these top-tier powers avoided all-out war; even the strongest would suffer casualties, so they typically stuck to minor skirmishes. But this time, Arthur's declaration made it clear: the gloves were off. This was going to be the real deal.
News-Coos carried the shocking headline across the four seas! The news of the Emperors going to war swept the world like a cataclysmic tsunami.
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Navy Headquarters, Marineford.
The meeting room was packed with high-ranking officers and the Navy's strategic think tank, all analyzing the consequences of this grand conflict.
"Jinbe's fish-men certainly know how to cause a stir, hahahahaha!"
"To think an ignored 'small fry' could trigger such a world-shaking event. Is he teaching us not to underestimate anyone?"
"Ahem, quiet!" Sengoku silenced the bickering officers and turned to Vice Admiral Tsuru. "Tsuru, what is your insight?"
The death of Garp had left both of them devastated, but life—and the Navy—had to go on.
"Warlord Jinbe can be viewed as the World Government's man, but he simultaneously carries Whitebeard's name," Tsuru said, her back slightly hunched and her eyes cloudy, yet her wisdom remained as sharp as ever.
"Without the Whitebeard connection, this would just be a skirmish between a Government pawn and a Thunder God subordinate—a routine clash of opposing sides that happens every day. Arthur would have zero interest in such small talk."
"But the moment the 'Whitebeard' label is attached, it becomes a mutual provocation between hegemonies..."
"This time, Whitebeard will have to give an account!"
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