As Garp exited the cell, now out of William's sight, he carefully placed the black Transponder Snail used for eavesdropping back into its box.
Meanwhile, a prisoner identical in build and clothing to Morgan William, but with a burlap sack covering his entire head, stood silently in the corridor. The shackles on his wrists and ankles clinked softly as he shifted his weight, his face completely obscured.
At this point, the Marines no longer believed a single word William said. Though William claimed that the plan to destroy the Bridge Kingdom, Tequila Wolf, was merely a "dead hand" contingency to ensure mutual destruction, the Marines assumed otherwise. They speculated that all of this was orchestrated by William's subordinates as a diversion to rescue him.
To prevent any chance of William being rescued, the temporary command center debated two options. One suggestion was to have Garp take William along to Tequila Wolf. The reasoning was simple: among the Marines currently stationed in the East Blue, Garp was unquestionably the strongest.
However, this suggestion was quickly dismissed by the majority of the decision-makers. For one, the date and location of William's public execution—scheduled to be broadcast live from Kalmar City in two days—had already been set in stone. Major population centers and commercial hubs across the East Blue, such as High Town in the Goa Kingdom, Caen in the Faraise Kingdom, and the renowned Loguetown, had all been equipped with live broadcast equipment in anticipation of this event.
Taking William aboard a ship to Tequila Wolf would mean abandoning the original plan, significantly undermining the Marines' efforts to destroy William's reputation. With only two days left, the Marines were determined not to let their efforts go to waste.
Additionally, it was clear that Garp couldn't watch over William 24/7. His primary responsibility was to protect Tequila Wolf during the impending naval battle. If Garp were to spend all his time guarding William, his role in the battle would be rendered meaningless.
In the chaos of battle, it would be impossible for Garp to keep an eye on William at all times. And once William was no longer confined to a fortified island but instead held aboard a warship, the risk of rescue would skyrocket. As Smoker had pointed out during the meeting, the Arlong Pirates, who had previously joined "Clown" Buggy in looting the Faraise Kingdom's capital, Caen, were still unaccounted for. If William were brought to the battlefield, his men would only need to sink the warship to allow the Fish-Men to rescue him. In the chaos of battle, there were countless ways to stage a prison break, especially when the Marines' attention was divided between protecting Tequila Wolf and fighting off the pirates.
Ultimately, Vice Admiral Strawberry and the other decision-makers resolved to stick to the original plan: William would be executed in Kalmar City. However, before their departure, they devised a decoy strategy to confuse William's men and prevent them from knowing his exact location.
This time, three Vice Admirals, including Garp, were assigned to leave Kalmar City. If there were no informants within the Marines, Dampier and his men might genuinely believe that William was being transported with Garp, prompting them to attempt a rescue at sea.
Vice Admiral Dalmatian was left behind to guard the prison, along with Smoker, a few elite officers from Marine Headquarters, and Gin, who was still recovering from injuries sustained during Buggy's capture.
Strawberry instructed Dalmatian to avoid dispersing the prison's forces unless absolutely necessary. If any issues arose, he was to rely on the city's ruler to mobilize the local military.
Meanwhile, the Marines stationed closest to Tequila Wolf had already begun their inspections. Just as Buggy had described, they discovered caches of Buggy Balls, M.H.5 poison gas bombs, and explosives hidden in inconspicuous locations throughout the bridge. Even the bridge's structure had been rigged with explosives in places no one would normally notice.
When this information was relayed to Garp and the others, a chill ran down their spines. If they hadn't known about these traps in advance, William's men could have detonated them during the chaos of battle, right under the noses of the Vice Admirals and the Marines. In such a scenario, aside from Garp, the rest of the Marines might not have been able to escape unscathed.
Vice Admiral Doberman even lashed out at the World Government officials stationed on the bridge, cursing them for their incompetence.
But in truth, even the officials of Tequila Wolf hadn't anticipated William's ruthlessness. Their "business" dealings had been running smoothly, and their relationship with the Four Seas Trading Company had grown quite close. Occasionally, they would even entrust the company with transporting supplies, and William, in turn, would "reciprocate" by offering generous kickbacks. Never in their wildest dreams did they suspect that their cooperative business partner had been smuggling explosives onto the bridge under the guise of delivering supplies, preparing to give them an unforgettable "fireworks display."
Tequila Wolf was simply too vast. Garp and the others had no idea how many explosives William had hidden on the bridge. To conduct a thorough inspection, they had to mobilize every available Marine, whether from Headquarters or local branches. They even brought most of the Marines stationed in Kalmar City to assist, while reinforcements from more distant locations were redirected to Kalmar City. Along with these reinforcements, many local Marine officers returned to the city aboard the ships that had ferried the elite forces away.
After Garp and the main force departed, Dalmatian relocated the temporary command center from William's former estate in the noble district to a site adjacent to the prison.
Inside the now-empty prison, only Gin and Morgan William remained in their cell.
"This is the time when the city has the fewest Marines," Gin whispered, lowering his voice. "If Garp and the others were further away, this would be the perfect opportunity for you to escape. But starting tomorrow, Marines will begin returning to the city in waves. Both the military and the residents will be in chaos. That's when we'll get you out."
"What does Dampier say?" William asked.
"He believes the best time to break you out is the day after tomorrow—during your execution," Gin replied, pursing his lips. His expression made it clear that he didn't fully agree with Dampier's plan.
Dampier's reasoning was likely sound from a strategic standpoint, but Gin, as one of William's earliest and most loyal followers, was unwilling to see William endure even a single extra day in this prison.
William studied Gin for a moment before breaking into a smile. "Dampier is right. I can't sneak out of here like a beaten dog. I need to walk out of here openly and declare to the East Blue—and to Garp—that I've returned."
"...Alright," Gin said after a moment of silence, nodding in agreement.
William's gaze fell on the bandages wrapped around Gin's shoulder. "You've all been through a lot lately," he said softly.
Gin grinned, scratching at his injured shoulder. "It's what we're supposed to do."
Leaning against the wall, William slowly sat down. "The day after tomorrow, we'll put on a grand show for the world. Let them see who truly rules the East Blue."
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