"It has been confirmed that one of the organizers of the Pirates Festival is Douglas Bullet; he is alive and well.
Crocodile and Buggy of the Cross Guild have appeared here as well; their intentions are unknown.
Another organizer, Buena Festa, has already been killed by Crocodile. There is a suspected Eternal Pose on the island that leads to Laugh Tale.
Emperor of the Sea Red-Haired Shanks and Kaido of the Beasts are both on the island and are currently engaged in a battle with Bullet.
There are other pirates present; numbers incalculable, situation unclear. Report concluded."
It looked like nothing more than a simple phone call, but in this environment, even making a call was no small challenge.
Although his rank had already reached Vice Admiral, and he was far from the weakest among them, facing such Conqueror's Haki was still extremely difficult.
Red Hair's Conqueror's Haki alone was enough to intimidate ordinary Vice Admirals to the point that they could barely move. If they were a bit weaker, even an Admiral might be scared off directly.
And now there were three of them.
The good news: none of the three paid him any attention. The focal point of the Haki clash wasn't on him; he was only affected by the aftermath.
The bad news: once the aftermath of the three Conqueror's Haki mixed together, they produced a strange chemical reaction—an even more bizarre and overwhelming sense of intimidation.
"Headquarters? No response received?"
The intelligence had already been sent, but no reply came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi. After Smoker asked again, a response finally came through.
"R-received, Vice Admiral Smoker. Please ensure your safety."
The operator on the other end was momentarily stunned. It had been a long time since an incident of this magnitude had occurred.
The last time so many monsters gathered in one place was during the outbreak of the Summit War.
Even the Dressrosa incident was nowhere near comparable. Yamato and Redfield were top-tier powerhouses, but the impact they had on the outside world was far less than that of Kaido and Bullet.
Naturally, Vice-Captains like Katakuri could not appear at the Emperor's banquet table, let alone the fact that even Red Hair, who had always acted as a mediator, was dragged into it.
"The follow-up arrangements need to be adjusted. The original plan is no longer suitable for this situation."
"I understand the situation. Withdraw immediately and await further orders."
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki."
The voice on the other end of the Den Den Mushi changed. Akainu's low, heavy tone reached Smoker's ears through the receiver.
"Damn it… Were all the monsters of the old era like this?"
Casting one last glance at the center of the battlefield, Smoker took a deep breath.
Then, enduring the discomfort, he activated his elemental transformation, turning into smoke and carrying Tashigi away as he drifted into the distance. According to prior arrangements, there should be a Marine support fleet waiting in that direction.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, what about the next—"
"The plan is canceled. All personnel remain on standby."
This time, no tables were harmed. Although the situation was unexpected, it had not yet caused any losses to the Marines.
Buena Festa had originally leaked information about this place to the Marines, intending to trigger a Buster Call. The Marines had indeed made preparations for one.
Not far from the island, five Vice Admirals and ten large warships had been standing by, planning to eliminate as much of the pirates' main fighting force as possible once they gathered.
If it had only been Bullet, the plan would have proceeded as scheduled. But once Red Hair and Kaido appeared, the Buster Call lost all meaning.
With those three gathered together, no one knew what might happen.
If something went wrong with their heads and they decided to join forces against the Marines first, then the Buster Call would become a joke.
Forget ten warships, without deploying top-tier combat power capable of handling all three of them, no matter how many ships were sent, they would just be delivering themselves to their deaths.
Akainu hated pirates. As long as his objectives were achieved, he didn't care too much about casualties, but he would not send his soldiers to die for nothing.
His mind was clear. Under the current circumstances, letting the pirates fight among themselves was the most advantageous outcome.
"Send a message to Momonga and the others. Tell them to stay alert. If the situation turns bad, they are authorized to withdraw at their own discretion."
"Yes, sir!"
"The compass to Laugh Tale…"
Not losing his temper didn't mean he wasn't anxious. In Smoker's report, that so-called Eternal Pose was also a major problem.
What exactly was hidden on the Final Island, even the Marines did not know. But the start of the Great Pirate Era was inextricably linked to this so-called One Piece.
Whether the compass was real or fake, once news of it leaked out, it would cause significant trouble.
Before Akainu could think further, his communications officer hurried over with another Den Den Mushi.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki! A call from the Five Elders!"
"That was fast."
After dealing with the Five Elders so often, Akainu was well aware of the kind of resources those old men had at their disposal. Wherever the Marines mobilized, CP0 agents were likely lurking nearby. It was no surprise that they had received the information so quickly.
It was only natural they would call at a time like this. The World Government was even more concerned than the Marines about the secrets of the Final Island.
However, Akainu was mistaken about one thing. This time, the Five Elders hadn't received their intelligence from CP0. They had obtained it through wiretapping, directly intercepting Marine communications and receiving the information at the same time.
"Sakazuki, it's us. You're already aware of the situation, correct?"
"I just received the report. What new idea do you have this time?"
"The Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale is in Kaido's hands. Regardless of whether it's genuine, regardless of what ultimately becomes of that compass, it is currently in Kaido's possession."
The Five Elders stated their decision calmly, and Akainu immediately understood their meaning.
"So we ignore it?"
"The World Government will dispatch personnel to handle the matter. The issue of the compass does not concern you. As for everything else, proceed according to your original plan."
The Five Elders did not want pirates obtaining the Eternal Pose, and they didn't even want the Marines to have any chance of coming into contact with it. Matters like this had to be entrusted to their most reliable force: CP0.
As for claiming the compass was in Kaido's possession, the reason was simple. They needed the pirates of the seas to cause Kaido some trouble.
The Beasts Pirates were far ahead of the rest. Other pirate crews simply could not compete. Big Mom Pirates seemed to have some sort of agreement with them, and Red Hair's relationship with them was ambiguous as well.
Pirates were supposed to be locked in constant conflict, but the skirmishes of the rookies were no longer enough to threaten the Beasts Pirates. To change this situation, the Five Elders decided to make use of the current circumstances.
The One Piece was the treasure countless pirates sought. Kaido was already the man closest to becoming Pirate King. If he acquired this shortcut, then obtaining the One Piece would be all but certain.
For others to surpass him through conventional means would be impossible, unless they dragged him down first.
When the distribution of benefits became unequal, even alliances would shatter. The World Government hoped to use this news to draw the bulk of pirate aggression toward the Beasts Pirates. If things went well, perhaps some monsters would set their sights on Kaido as well.
That would create trouble for the Beasts Pirates, and might even ease some of the pressure the Marines faced from pirate raids.
However, they would not truly allow Kaido to take the Log Pose, so they had already arranged for others nearby to act when the opportunity arose.
Thus, both the Marines and the World Government began making their own moves regarding this matter. Meanwhile, Kaido, Bullet, and Red Hair concluded their first clash.
Their Conqueror's Haki began to recede back into their bodies, and the violent air currents around them gradually calmed. But this did not signify a truce; it was merely the final calm before the storm.
"Now, we are the only ones left on this island."
The three stood separately atop different sections of the island, guarding their respective territories while watching the other two.
Shanks, however, was feeling somewhat irritated. He was wondering why he had even bothered getting worked up with these two lunatics. Unlike these battle maniacs, he had no interest in meaningless fights.
But given how things had turned out, it was hard to say whether events had unfolded according to his wishes.
"Worororo! My apologies, I almost forgot. You're quite a troublesome fellow yourself. I'll show you proper respect then, Vajra Arrow!"
Hassaikai swung forward in a frenzy, forming an impenetrable wall of club shadows, as countless pillar-like shockwaves enveloped both Bullet and Shanks within their range.
This was Kaido's version of respect; he would seriously beat you along with everyone else.
"Annihilation Cannon!"
Clashing his arms together, Bullet threw a punch in response to Kaido's greeting, and likewise, he did not forget about Red Hair.
Watching the two attacks sweeping toward him, several more dark lines appeared on Shanks' forehead. He had only snuck out to watch a concert. Was it really necessary for heaven to drop these two calamities on him?
"I really… appreciate the face you're giving me!"
No one could guarantee that the thought processes of the Emperors of the Sea were entirely normal. Everyone had their occasional bouts of madness. As the youngest among them, Shanks did not hold back. Countless slashes shot out in response.
Boom! Boom!
There were no explosives involved, yet the smoke and surging waves they produced were no weaker than heavy artillery fire. Before the shockwaves had even dissipated, Shanks chose to press the attack, striking first against the other two.
One had meticulously planned this event for the sake of battle, another had caught the scent and eagerly rushed in, and the last one didn't even know how he ended up caught in this chaotic melee. Thus began the three-way clash.
Bullet stomped forward, his body bursting ahead. Under the influence of his Haki, his arms had completely turned blue, and even his face was tinged with that color.
The uniquely colored Haki made him look like a demon incarnate, hence his epithet, "Demon Heir"
Clang!
Gryphon, now pitch-black, collided with his fist. At that moment, both the blade and Bullet's fist had surpassed the hardness of their original materials.
"With that color… are you about to forge your own Black Blade?"
The most defining characteristic of the Black Blade is its sturdiness; some blades are made of metal that turns black during the forging process due to the specific techniques used, resulting in a dark, somber edge.
Others became black through years of tempering with swordsman's Haki, until the Haki fully fused with the blade.
Some were the result of generations of effort; others were the transcendence of a singular genius. In Bullet's eyes, Shanks' Gryphon was close to taking that final step.
"That's how it should be! That's what it means to be an emperor of the sea!"
Driving power from his waist and twisting his wrist, Bullet attempted to fling Shanks away in one motion. But he failed. Shanks' body suddenly relaxed and slipped free with agile precision.
The moment he evaded, Kaido—his scales nearly bristling with excitement—had already arrived.
"Destroyer of Death Thunder Bagua!"
****Please support on pat*eon for extra chapters; there is date to date subscription enabled on patreon. [There is a 7-day trial version availabe on patreon.]
https://www.pat*eon.com/dmtranslations
You can read ahead upto 75 chapters on my pa*reon.