"That being said, if Rocks is determined to capture Shiki, unless Shiki completely retreats and hides..."
The blond Five Elder's words were unfinished, but his intended meaning was obvious. However, they all knew that with Shiki's arrogant and untamed personality, he wouldn't hide forever. In their view, it was only a matter of time before Shiki was defeated by Rocks and forced to join the Rocks Pirates.
"After this incident, Reno shouldn't make any further moves for a short period." "It's also not easy for Rocks to capture Shiki. Let's use this time to allow the Marines to recruit and recuperate."
"If I'm not mistaken, it won't be long before these restless fellows will surely act again."
"We must be prepared and ready to awaken Im-sama."
The sword-wielding Five Elder spoke in a low voice, his face grim. Awakening Im-sama was no small matter, only done when they encountered a problem they themselves could not resolve. Once Im is awakened, it means the world will be reshuffled. Im will use absolute power to eradicate the evil forces threatening the World Government and once again consolidate their rule. They would never disturb Im-sama's slumber unless absolutely necessary.
In the current New World, with the great pirates Whitebeard, Captain John, and Wang Zhi successively joining the Rocks Pirates, three major factions had formed:
The Rocks Pirates, led by Rocks.
The Roger Pirates, led by Roger.
The Reno Pirate Crew, led by Reno.
As for the other pirates, they were not worth worrying about.
Rocks is ambitious, with a clear goal: to directly confront the World Government, seeking to overthrow their nearly 800-year rule and become the World's Master himself.
Although Roger has no interest in ruling the world, a pirate is a pirate, especially one as powerful as Roger. The threat he poses to them is second only to Rocks.
Reno, needless to say, killed three Celestial Dragons in quick succession, directly demonstrating his attitude—an act that outraged both humans and gods.
"From now on, ensure those Celestial Dragons exercise restraint. They must stay in the Holy Land for now and not venture anywhere else."
The long-sword-wielding Five Elder stated solemnly:
"If Reno really becomes desperate, they will be in danger."
"Seconded!" "Seconded!"
"It is decided. Issue the notification!"
The remaining Five Elders were reluctant, but there was no other choice. Reno had already killed three Celestial Dragons, leaving no room for reconciliation with the World Government; it was a battle to the death. Killing one or two more Celestial Dragons wouldn't make much difference to him.
...
The clash ultimately ended with Sengoku the Buddha, Bogard, Sengoku, and the heavily injured Garp escaping back to Marine Headquarters, while all other Marines were completely annihilated.
The entire fleet of twenty Marine warships that set out grandly for Caster Kingdom was visible to countless pirates in the New World. Therefore, this news was something the World Government could not hide, even if they wanted to.
Just as Sengoku the Buddha was sending people to polish the narrative, aiming to describe the entire incident in a way that minimized the Marines' losses, a report spread throughout the entire New World with lightning speed on the day after the battle ended, driven by those with vested interests.
Several newspaper agencies almost simultaneously and tacitly dispatched their staff, working overnight to print the papers and released all the News Coos (News Birds) to deliver the report worldwide. This was because the reward they received this time was enough to cover their agency's operating costs for half a year.
The front page of the newspaper featured two photographs:
On the left was a photograph of Reno, transformed into a Thunder God, suspended in the void, surrounded by lightning. On the right was a photograph of Garp, critically wounded and covered in blood.
Flipping through the newspaper revealed headlines deliberately marked in red:
[Marines Mobilize with Overwhelming Force, Descend Upon Caster, But Suffer a Crushing Defeat!]
[Marines Suffer Heavy Losses in the Battle of Caster: 20,000 Soldiers Completely Annihilated!]
[Marine Admiral Sengoku the Buddha Defeated, Forced to Flee via the Sea!]
[Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Zephyr Dies in Battle, Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Garp Critically Wounded!]
[Reno Pirate Crew Captain Reno Unleashes Lightning Power, Instantly Destroys 12 Marine Warships, Annihilates Over 10,000 Elite Marine Soldiers, and Powerfully Defeats Garp!]
[In the Battle Between the Reno Pirate Crew Members and Marine High-Ranking Officers, the Advantage Was Fully Displayed, and the Marines Were No Match!]
[Following Rocks and Roger, Reno Rises Powerfully!]
[After Killing Three Celestial Dragons Consecutively, Just How Ambitious Is Reno?!]
[Can the Marines Truly Uphold Justice?]
...
The eye-catching headlines captivated the public's attention, maximizing the impact of the battle. Everyone who read the newspaper knew that the Marines had been completely overwhelmed in this fight with Reno. Utterly dominated by Reno.
Not only did they suffer heavy casualties, but out of over twenty thousand people, only four escaped. Meanwhile, Reno's side suffered no casualties.
Following two engagements with the Marines, this series of impressive achievements allowed the whole world to witness the terrifying strength of Reno and the other members of the Reno Pirate Crew.
After the news spread, reactions across the world varied. Some were happy, and some were worried!
...
"It's over! Aren't we completely doomed now?!"
"The Marines suffered a crushing defeat! Even Black Arm Zephyr died in battle!!"
"Rocks and Roger are already troublesome enough, and now there's a Reno! Is the world really going to be taken over by pirates?!"
"God, who will save us? Why can't justice ever defeat evil?!"
"Save your people!"
The moment they saw the newspaper, countless civilians turned ashen. Some even lost all strength and collapsed onto the ground.
This was a normal reaction. After all, the World Government had ruled the seas for nearly 800 years. Besides military suppression, there was the subtle influence of 'correct' ideology. In the eyes of these ordinary civilians, the Marines represented justice, and pirates were the embodiment of evil. This notion was deeply ingrained. They even believed that the Marines were invincible on the high seas. No matter how wicked the pirates were, they could never be a match for the Marines.
Even though the infamous Rocks had committed countless crimes and caused destruction everywhere in the New World, the civilians still believed that the ultimate victors would be the Marines.
But what about this time?!
Marine Admiral Sengoku the Buddha led the charge, accompanied by three Vice Admirals whose strength rivaled an Admiral, twenty elite Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals, and twenty thousand fully armed elite Marine soldiers. It was an all-out mobilization, a display of crushing power.
There were pictures to prove the truth! The newspaper photos clearly showed the twenty Marine warships lined up. If people didn't know better, they would have thought the Marines were going to have a decisive battle with Rocks.
But what was the result?!!
This massive Marine lineup was only meant to deal with a pirate crew that most people had never even heard of. Even more shocking was that the final outcome was a crushing defeat for the Marines!
With the power of just a few individuals, they sent the Marines running in panic. Even Marine Admiral Sengoku the Buddha was forced to jump into the sea to escape. The ruthlessness and brutality of their methods truly made the entire world tremble!
"Hahahahahaha... exhilarating, that was truly exhilarating!!"
"Is this what they call the Marines? I think they're nothing special!!"
"Reno! I'll remember that name!"
"In the future, the Marines will surely bow down at our feet!!"
"That's right! I must become someone like Reno!"
"Brothers, kill them all and follow me into the New World!!"
"Charge!!!"
In countless corners of the sea, people who were previously afraid of the Marines saw the newspaper and immediately began recruiting crew members, building ships, and heading out to sea.
The disastrous defeat of the Marines finally emboldened their ambitions. Countless pirates, calling themselves freedom fighters and heroes, poured into the New World, and while plundering towns, they even deliberately slaughtered Marines.
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ONEPIECE My Crewmates Are All God-Tier! (130 Chapters, Ongoing)
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If it were before, most of them would run at the sight of the Marines. But now, Reno's overwhelming victory had moved the mountain that was pressing down on their heads. The ambition in their bodies fiercely ignited, making them no longer fear the Marines.
The Marines are not invincible. Even Sengoku the Buddha was defeated and forced to retreat, and Zephyr died tragically at Caster. The pirates were only facing some ordinary Marine soldiers and a few Marine Rear Admirals. What was there to be afraid of?!!
Just do it!!
... ...
Elbaf, the Land of the Giants!
"Chief Yorulul! Chief Yarulul! Big news! There's big news!!"
On this day, the two Chiefs were talking and laughing with the children of the former Lamb's House as usual. Over a dozen years had passed, and the children had all grown up. They were young, vibrant, and full of life.
When Carmel mysteriously disappeared in Elbaf, they had searched continuously for nearly a year. They not only combed through all of Elbaf but also searched the surrounding sea areas. However, they found nothing, and eventually, the matter had to be dropped. Fortunately, the children were young back then. Over the dozen years, they only occasionally thought of Carmel, showing a sense of melancholy. But they hadn't become suicidal over it.
Thump, thump, thump!Thump, thump, thump!
The vibration from the ground made the two Chiefs and the children, who were in the middle of their conversation, stop talking. They looked toward the direction of the sound.
"Hanck, what are you doing?" "What happened that has you so flustered?!"
Chief Yorulul, who didn't understand the situation, was slightly annoyed. He was a man of seventy or eighty, yet he was still so reckless in front of so many children—it was improper.
"What's wrong with Uncle Hanck?" "I don't know!" "Maybe it really is something big!"
The children also looked at each other, shaking their heads in confusion.
Soon after, Hanck ran up to the crowd, panting heavily: "The... the newspaper!!" "Quickly, look at the newspaper!!"
He handed the few newspapers he was clutching, which were barely visible in his palm, to Chief Yorulul, Chief Yarulul, and the children.
"This... is this Hajrudin?!" "Jess! It's Jess!!" "And Kurokage!!" "Reno, the Captain of the Reno Pirate Crew?! Isn't he the one from back then?!"
After seeing the contents of the newspaper, everyone's eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
After a long while, Chief Yorulul said with emotion: "I was a little worried when Hajrudin followed Reno back then. I never expected him to reach this point today."
"Yes," Hanck chimed in. "Hajrudin must have already surpassed Captain Brogy and Captain Dorry."
Among the Giant warriors today, Brogy and Dorry were the most renowned on the sea. But after today, Hajrudin would be the new representative for their Giant Race! Because of Hajrudin, more people would learn about the Giants! They would know the strength of their Giant Race!
"When did Jess get so powerful?!"
Compared to Hajrudin, the children of the Lamb's House were most concerned about Jess and Kurokage. After all, they were companions who lived together day and night more than a decade ago. However, after all these years, their lives had undergone earth-shattering changes.
"The Goro Goro no Mi user, so cool!!!"
"Look at this photo. Jess looks just like a Thunder God! He's so handsome!!"
"And Kurokage, he seems to have changed too!"
"How did those two become so powerful? Even the Marines were no match for them!"
"I remember Linlin was the strong one back then. Didn't Reno have no strength?"
"Who knows? I kind of miss Jess. I want to go find him!"
"Hey, hey, Jessica, are you alright? Are you getting carried away?"
"How could I be!" "Alright, you better wipe that drool first!"
...
Wano Country.
Although the country practices isolation, it doesn't mean they know nothing about the outside world. On the contrary, they pay more attention to external news than other places, purchasing many newspapers daily. For any News Coo that flies into Wano Country, the sales of the newspapers are incredibly high.
Inside the Shogun's Residence.
As usual, Kozuki Sukiyaki knelt at a table, sipping afternoon tea.
"How is that girl, Linlin, recently? Is she still staying with Kōzaburō?"
Sukiyaki asked softly after taking a sip of tea.
"Yes, Shogun. Since Kōzaburō agreed to forge swords for them, Linlin and the remaining ten people have all stayed at Kōzaburō's residence, helping him with the forging." "They only go out for routine procurement and haven't visited any other places."
Linlin was extremely strong, and she would be staying in Wano Country for a long time. Sukiyaki naturally sent people to keep an eye on her. However, after all these days, his spies hadn't discovered anything unusual.
Sukiyaki nodded: "That's good. The opponent is powerful. If not necessary, do not provoke a conflict with them. However..."
At this point, Sukiyaki paused, frowning:
"I wonder how Reno persuaded Kōzaburō. He actually agreed to forge two Supreme Grade Swords (Saijō Ō Wazamono) for them. I recall that even when I went to see him, he was evasive."
Thinking back to that time, Sukiyaki felt quite displeased.
"Shogun!!!" Thud, thud, thud—Thud, thud, thud
Just then, a samurai rushed in from outside.
"Shogun, the latest newspaper!" "Linlin seems to be mentioned on it!"
"Hmm?"
Sukiyaki, who was initially indifferent, put down the teacup he had just brought to his lips and immediately took the newspaper.
"Reno Pirate Crew Captain Reno...""Powerfully Defeats Marines, Slays Zephyr!""Crew Member Linlin, Gura Gura no Mi User, Strength Comparable to a Marine Admiral!""....."
The news headlines continuously shocked Kozuki Sukiyaki. The further he read, the more his hand trembled while holding the newspaper.
"They... they..."
Sukiyaki, feeling extremely dry in his throat, opened his mouth but stopped short.
"Linlin actually has such terrifying strength?!"
He had speculated that Reno and Linlin were of extraordinary origin and were powerful individuals. But he never expected the opponent's strength to be comparable to a Marine Admiral. Such dangerous individuals were staying in Wano Country.
"Quick, relay my command! Have everyone monitoring Linlin return immediately!!"
"But Shogun, what if Linlin does something..."
"Nonsense! Do you know what the strength of a Marine Admiral is?!"
"They've likely already been discovered by Linlin. We absolutely cannot provoke her."
"They are only here to forge swords; they shouldn't do anything to harm Wano Country. There is no need to monitor them anymore."
"Relay my command: if they have any needs in the future, do your best to help them."
"Yes, Shogun!"
The samurai immediately took the order and left.
"Perhaps I know now why Kōzaburō agreed to forge swords for them!"
In the room, only Sukiyaki's murmurs remained.
...
Caster Kingdom.
"It seems pretty good. The money wasn't wasted."
Reno looked at the newspaper, quite satisfied.
"Hahahahahaha... the Marines have completely lost face this time!"
"It's a pity we didn't keep Sengoku the Buddha and the others."
Jess said with reluctance, still brooding over Sengoku the Buddha's escape.