"Red Hair Shanks has made contact with Hundred Beasts Kaidou... no signs of battle detected..."
"Garp, there's been a situation here, be on standby at any moment."
Hanging up the Radio Snail with Garp, Sengoku adjusted his expression. He was the Navy Admiral, he couldn't easily show his emotions on his face. If even he panicked, then his soldiers would have even less confidence.
"Is the information reliable?"
"The surveillance ship just sent in the intelligence, no follow-up news yet, they're trying to get closer..."
"Notify all Headquarter Vice Admirals and above to stand by in the meeting room... and have the people from the intelligence department come over as well."
Sengoku felt as though he was cursed somehow, just as he finished complaining about Garp's family stressing him out, he was faced with an even trickier family. At least Garp's family had a grandfather serving the Navy.
But Kaidou and his daughter, they were unequivocal disasters.
While waiting for others to arrive at the meeting room, Sengoku also reviewed the recent data on Kaidou and Yamato.
Being the Navy Admiral, he had too much to handle, so forgetting many details was normal.
Yamato's existence was well-concealed initially. Outsiders knew almost nothing about Kaidou's daughter, but her first appearance in the public eye made it clear that she was a huge threat.
On her first appearance, she suppressed Germa 66's commander. In an era not yet hit by inflation, a bounty of 170 million was unprecedented for a first bounty.
The initial bounty was a number given by the World Government and the Navy based on the perceived threat, and though Yamato's bounty was bolstered by Kaidou, her own power was also a significant danger.
From 170 million to 1.78 billion, countless battles had occurred, several veteran Vice Admirals were defeated by her.
The Navy's last record of her was one year ago when she retreated with ease in a battle against Kuzan, coupled with the support from the Hundred Beasts camp, she received this high bounty.
Had Golden Lion not died in obscurity, her bounty might have been redefined.
As for Kaidou...
His endless string of lethal achievements only gave Sengoku a headache. Currently, Kaidou was undoubtedly the most restless one, and you could never predict where this guy would show up tomorrow or what absurd thing he would do.
Under Sengoku's command, all the high-ranking officers except Garp in the East Sea, Kizaru by Vegapunk's side, and Akainu stationed at Mary Geoise, gathered in the meeting room.
One after another, new pieces of intelligence came in.
"Report! Clouds in the nearby sky are breaking apart, suspected clash between Kaidou and Red Hair!"
Hearing this, everyone present rather breathed a sigh of relief, fighting is better than no fight. It'd be best if they both got severely injured or perished together, as most of the Navy saw it, the more pirates that die, the better.
"Report! Battle aftershocks disappeared, no traces of Kaidou leaving."
Looking at the clock in the meeting room, the minute hand had moved less than three notches. There was no way these two could decide a winner in three minutes.
A few minutes later, the surveillance ship transmitted its final message.
Kaidou still hadn't left, but Red Hair's deputy Beckman had sunk the surveillance ship.
"Not long ago, the Nelson Fleet of the eighth branch in the East Sea was annihilated. Three days later, the sixteenth branch was attacked, and Branch Colonel Mouse was killed. The instigator of all this is Hundred Beasts Kaidou's daughter.
Now Kaidou suddenly meeting with Red Hair, everyone should know what this implies."
"It's not just those two, don't forget about BIG·MOM and Whitebeard. Whitebeard and Kaidou have conflicts, but Charlotte Linlin is different. Their pirate crews are already connected in private.
If Kaidou really has any major action, Charlotte Linlin might very well get involved. If it comes to that, the New World will be turned upside down, and Whitebeard definitely won't stand by and watch.
The worst possibility... we might have to face all four of those monsters simultaneously."
Tsuru also felt overwhelmed, Whitebeard had little chance of cooperating with Kaidou, but he wouldn't ally with the Navy against pirates either. He would surely have his own actions.
Facing one Sea Emperor, the Navy wouldn't worry about power, but the subsequent ramifications are too numerous to handle, and four...
The chain reaction caused by this, no one could withstand, and it might even shatter the current order of The Sea.
"All soldier leaves are canceled, all officers should be on standby. Have that guy Garp come back immediately, the situation in the East Sea can wait, this here is the priority now.
Tsuru, go try to persuade Zephyr.
Kuzan, order the spies within the Red Hair and Hundred Beasts forces to find out what those two guys are up to, no matter the cost!"
If Kaidou indeed has some major move, then the Grand Line and New World would definitely be the focus, while Yamato in the East Sea rather feels like deliberate baiting. Sengoku couldn't afford to split forces chasing after a Yamato who might be anywhere.
Since the destruction of the sixteenth branch, Yamato had vanished as if into thin air, with no idea of her whereabouts. If Garp stayed there and ended up with nothing, it'd be a loss.
"Yes!!"
Preparation for war was the only plan Sengoku could make, but he didn't know that Kaidou's objective had already been achieved.
...
Not long ago, on Red Hair's territory, a lively banquet was being held here, and the reason for the banquet was the kid from Windmill Village who had gone out to sea and became a pirate, this was a good enough reason for the members of the Red Hair Pirates.
More so, Red Hair ran into Hawkeye.
Back then, Hawkeye had chased Krieg to the East Sea and saw that familiar Straw Hat.
Afterwards, he saw Luffy's Wanted Poster, so he sought out Red Hair.
He didn't trace his way back but directly crossed the Red Earth Continent to enter the New World.
As for that small boat, it was easily managed.
Large ships couldn't cross the Red Earth Continent, but such a small boat, Hawkeye could carry it on his back. He only had to pack up the sails, and the coffin-shaped boat would turn into a backpack, for this he chose a secluded path.
It was during the time Hawkeye was being plied with liquor by Red Hair that Kaidou's Supreme King aura covered the island.
Faced with the choice of fight first or drink first, he chose the former, because if he drank first, it might make the Navy think they failed to come to terms, which wouldn't achieve his previous purpose.
Seeing Kaidou appear here, Shanks and Beckman shared Sengoku's same doubts.
They also couldn't understand why Kaidou abruptly showed up here.
Although Uta was an artist under Hundred Beasts Fruit, they weren't that familiar.
Kaidou coming for a fight, Red Hair wouldn't find it odd, but this guy coming with a bunch of wine barrels was quite intriguing.