Whoosh!
A pirate ship soared into the sky, piercing through the clouds, and vanished from everyone's sight in an instant.
Aboard the ship were six individuals:
Arthur, Shiki, Edward, John, Ochoku, and Silver Axe.
"Hmm."
Silver Axe frowned, pondering aloud, "How exactly does Captain Rocks plan to lure away all the top powerhouses from the Red Line?"
Indeed—
That was a baffling question. For years, the Red Line's top forces had remained immovable. And now Captain Rocks claimed he could draw them away? That sounded far-fetched.
Ochoku chuckled with intrigue.
"You know better than anyone, Silver Axe—Captain Rocks' power is… insane, terrifying. What he's capable of doing is beyond anything we could imagine."
"Right."
John, drunk as usual, grinned. "Do we really need to say more about how terrifying our captain is?"
"Arthur, what about you?"
Edward turned to him, curious about the newcomer's thoughts.
"My thoughts?"
Arthur mused for a moment. "Logically speaking, this mission should involve you all and Big Mom. I shouldn't be here. With my current strength, taking part in something like this seems... unrealistic."
There was no denying it—
Compared to these monsters, Arthur was still a step behind.
"Jihahahaha!"
Shiki burst into laughter. "That just proves how much Captain Rocks trusts you! No need for modesty, kid."
But Arthur shook his head. "That's not the point. In fact, the fact that Big Mom isn't here means she has to act publicly elsewhere. And with just the five of you onboard… it means there are at least five enemies on the Red Line strong enough to match you all."
"…Five of them?"
The expressions of the others turned grave.
They were all sharp enough to instantly grasp what Arthur was implying.
The CP Organization.
If there were five combatants equal in power to them, all hidden within CP, then it meant CP possessed at least five admiral-level fighters.
In this world, even one admiral-level powerhouse was a monster.
And CP could field five?
If that were true…
It was terrifying.
Still, regardless of how dangerous it was, the mission clearly wasn't suicide.
That man—Captain Rocks—was going to do something insane. But he wouldn't send his people to die for nothing.
"Hmm."
Arthur narrowed his eyes, thinking. How exactly would Rocks pull this off?
After mulling over it—
Arthur gave up and said, "Forget it. Trying to figure it out is pointless. I'll just ask."
Without hesitation, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed.
The five others blinked in confusion.
Seriously?
While we're all trying to piece it together, you're just going to call someone and ask?
Arthur didn't care. Everyone had their strengths. Thinking and analyzing wasn't his, and there was no need to pretend otherwise.
Trying to act like he knew what he didn't…
That was pointless.
Brrr~~ Brrr~~
"Arthur!"
Shakky's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"What is it?"
Arthur asked directly, "Shakky, do you have any idea who Captain Rocks is planning to target? We're supposed to attack the Red Line."
Even though the mission was top secret, Arthur didn't bother keeping it confidential. It didn't matter to him.
"Hmm…"
Shakky paused, then replied,
"Arthur, it's likely the Kingdom of Adam and the Iron Empire in the New World. You should know what each of those two nations holds. If any country is attacked, those two would warrant immediate Red Line reinforcements. The Marines wouldn't make it in time."
"I see."
Arthur ended the call.
Just before hanging up, Shakky added, "Don't forget the payment."
Putting down the Den Den Mushi, Arthur spoke,
"Looks like we're targeting those two nations."
The Kingdom of Adam.
The Iron Empire.
The former possessed the Treasure Tree Adam, an irreplaceable resource used to build the world's strongest ships. As a member nation of the World Government, they provided Adam wood—its value on the seas was beyond measure.
The latter held 90% of the world's iron ore reserves.
Weapons, ships—everything required iron. That alone made them critical to global stability.
Both were powerful nations.
Both were heavily protected by the World Government.
Ordinarily, attacking them would be unthinkable.
But if it was the Rocks Pirates making the move… it was a whole different story.
These two countries were loyal contributors to the Government, offering annual tributes.
But now, with Rocks in motion,
who could say what madness he might unleash?
"Jihahahahaha!"
Shiki laughed again, entertained. "Didn't expect this, Arthur. You and Kaido are strong, but Shakky? That little girl got some nice intel and analysis skills."
Edward pondered, a dangerous gleam flashing in his eyes.
"In that case… why not go all out and make a scene?"
"Go all out?"
Ochoku, John, and Silver Axe looked surprised.
Arthur, however, caught on immediately and chuckled,
"Possible, sure—but the five of us alone won't cut it."
"No…"
Edward shook his head. "That won't be a problem. Not far from here is a base for the subordinate crews of the Rocks Pirates. We'll pick a few capable ones from there. Once Captain Rocks starts moving—
we'll begin our own operation too."
"Hmm???"
Some looked confused. Others understood instantly.
But everyone got the message.
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