Chapter 136: The PlanIn the conference room on the top floor of the Marine base office building.A large group of Naval Officers sat inside. Because of the importance of this plan, the fewer people who knew the contents of the meeting, the better. Only those with the rank of Marine Rear Admiral or above were qualified to attend; those below Rear Admiral were not allowed to enter.Of course, Marcus was an exception. For certain reasons, Marcus's authority and status in the Marinewere higher than his rank of Brigadier General Lin Tian. Furthermore, Marcus had previously scouted Korode, so he was also present at this meeting.In the conference room, everyone's eyes were focused on Tsuru, who was explaining the intelligence. Among those present, Tsuru was the only one who knew the latest intelligence and operational details regarding the Marine's 'tenryuubito tribute'. This was also one of the reasons why Tsuru had come here.Besides being a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, Tsuru was also the Great Staff Officer of the Marine. Her opinion was sought for every important plan in the Marine; even Sengoku would consult Tsuru when making certain decisions.The fact that Sengoku had sent Tsuru to take overall command this time showed how much importance Sengoku placed on this 'tenryuubito tribute' incident.*Slap!* Tsuru took out a wanted poster and pinned it to the whiteboard behind her. The picture on the wanted poster was Doflamingo.She introduced in a deep voice, "Donquixote Doflamingo, the Captain of the Donquixote FamilyPirate Crew. This man has a bounty of 340 million Berries. His strength is extremely high, exceeding that of a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral."Hearing Tsuru's introduction, the Marines present all showed solemn expressions.'Strength exceeding a Headquarters Vice Admiral' meant that the only people present who could deal with him were Kuzan, a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral whose strength rivaled an Admiral, and Vice Admiral Garp, who was hailed as the marine hero and whose strength was speculated to exceed a MarineAdmiral."And I'm sure everyone has heard of this man's brutality. He once destroyed three towns. He is cunning and treacherous, and he also has powerful influence in the Underworld. Therefore, every time the Marine tries to capture him, he manages to escape for various reasons."Dalmatian spoke up and asked, "What does this group of pirates have to do with this 'tenryuubito tribute' incident?""That's what I'm about to say," Tsuru looked at the intelligence in her hand and continued, "According to the latest Marine intelligence reports.""The mastermind behind this 'tenryuubito tribute' incident is Doflamingo." Saying this, Tsuru paused and looked down, finding that most people's faces remained calm.The tenryuubito tribute incident happened so strangely. The news was leaked for no reason; there must be a hidden hand behind it. Anyone with a bit of sense knew that.It was just that this mastermind was hidden a bit too deep.No one had noticed, and they hadn't expected it to be this Pirate Crew."This Doflamingo somehow managed to move Kaido of the Beasts of the Four Emperors. He actually got Kaido to be extremely active in the New World, triggering a series of riots, forcing the Marineto dispatch an Admiral to suppress them. Then, by doing this, he weakened the combat power of the guard squad transporting the 'tenryuubito tribute' to achieve his goal."After hearing Tsuru's explanation, the Naval Officerspresent fell into deep thought. If the most powerful pirate was this Pirate Crew, then there shouldn't be much of a problem with this mission, as the Marinehad Admiral-level combat power here."The Donquixote Family is powerful. Besides Mingo, the entire Pirate Crew has a series of high-strength cadres, and there are fourteen such cadres."Tsuru suddenly turned the topic to Marcus, "As for the specific combat power of the Donquixote Familycadres, everyone should have some understanding after seeing Brigadier General Lin Tian's injuries."Marcus turned back to the Naval Officers present, "The ones who attacked me this time were three cadres under Doflamingo. Their combat power is roughly at the level of a Marine Rear Admiral. I don't know about the others, but I feel that those three should be among the strongest of those ten-plus people.""However, after that fierce battle, although I was seriously injured, they won't be much better off than me. They can forget about joining this incident."Hearing Marcus's account, everyone couldn't help but nod. With three out of commission, there were eleven left. Although the number was a bit high, it wasn't a big problem for the Marine. They only needed to dispatch one Marine Vice Admiral and six Rear Admirals to hold back those cadres.When the time comes, as long as Vice AdmiralKuzan moves quickly, he can completely eliminate this group of atrocious pirates.Vice Admiral Tsuru said, "Besides this Pirate Crew, there is another powerful Pirate Crew, the Hao Ge Pirate Crew. The Captain's name is Shi Zhihao, who is also a powerful expert. His threat level is no less than the Donquixote Family, perhaps even higher, and his subordinates are also very strong.""In addition to these, there are many other incredibly powerful Pirate Crews, but their threat level isn't as high."At this point, the Marines present showed a hint of solemnity. If there were two, the Marine's forces would be a bit strained, especially since they also had to spend a lot of manpower protecting the 'tenryuubito tribute' ships. This made the forces even tighter.As for the other weak pirates, they were not within the Marine's scope of consideration. In this matter, they were only fit to be bystanders and posed no great threat.After all, most of the Marine's combat power had been redeployed to the New World for suppression. It wasn't easy for Fleet Admiral Sengoku to spare them for support.Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to Garp. If Vice Admiral Garp were to take action, he alone would have no problem dealing with these two Pirate Crews.But Garp, seeing everyone looking at him, intentionally yawned and then collapsed onto the table to sleep. Within seconds, snoring echoed in the conference room.Well! Seeing this, everyone understood that Vice Admiral Garp seemed truly determined not to go.Kuzan, sitting at the front, asked, "Vice AdmiralTsuru, since you've introduced the strength of these pirates, what is Fleet Admiral Sengoku's plan?"Fleet Admiral Sengoku knew the intelligence and still sent them, so there should be a detailed plan. Fleet Admiral Sengoku liked to act according to a plan.Tsuru said, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku's plan this time mainly revolves around two objectives. One is to try to eliminate these incoming pirates; the opportunity for so many pirates to gather is rare.""The other objective is to safely escort the tenryuubito tribute. This is the primary objective, and for this, the previous objective can be abandoned at any time."Glancing at everyone, Tsuru said in a deep voice, revealing the specific execution steps of the plan. Generally speaking, the plan was divided into two parts.First, the Marine would escort fake 'tenryuubito tribute' ships out of the port to attract the pirates' attention. Then, they would lure these pirates to a place far from Korode Island, using that as the battlefield to eliminate them.While the battle was ongoing, the real 'tenryuubito tribute' ships would be escorted by Vice AdmiralTsuru, carefully departing from the port and following a route known only to Vice Admiral Tsuru.After Kuzan quickly finished off the high-end combat power of the pirates, the remaining pirates would be manageable for the Marine. At that time, Marine Vice Admiral Momonga and Kuzan would catch up as quickly as possible to guard the tenryuubito tribute ships.Sengoku's plan was indeed perfect, but it all depended on Kuzan. Whether this plan could be perfectly realized depended on Kuzan's combat power. Whether Kuzan could finish off those pirates in a short time—the heavy burden this time rested entirely on Kuzan.Being watched by so many people, Kuzan felt a bit embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head and said lazily, "I'm not sure either. I can only say I'll do my best. As for whether I can quickly resolve those pirates, it depends on how strong the two Captains, Mingo and Shi Zhihao, are."What Vice Admiral Kuzan said was indeed true. After all, plans can't keep up with changes, and there were too many variables."By the way," Vice Admiral Tsuru added, "there is a very important link in this plan, which is the ships used for the deception.""Ships, deception?" Everyone looked puzzled."This time, besides bringing intelligence and the plan, I also brought some bombs. These bombs were developed by Dr. Vegapunk and are extremely powerful. I brought four in total, exactly one for each ship."Hearing that the bombs were developed by Vegapunk, everyone showed curiosity. Vegapunkwas the smartest person in the world, so whatever he developed must be very powerful. But hearing there were only four, everyone's faces fell. How much could four bombs change the course of the battle?Tsuru looked around, taking in everyone's expressions, "The explosive lethality of each of these bombs is five kilometers."*Hiss...* Hearing this power, everyone couldn't help but gasp. 'Five kilometers'? That power was too great. If used well, it would be enough to sway the entire battle, providing no small amount of help.Marcus thought to himself, "It seems this is the source of Fleet Admiral Sengoku's confidence in simultaneously eliminating these pirates and protecting the 'tenryuubito tribute' ships intact
Chapter 137 Power RockIn the conference room, hearing that Fleet Admiral Sengoku had prepared such a thing, everyone felt much more relaxed.With such a powerful weapon, the disadvantage of the Navy's insufficient numbers could be reversed, and the strained troop situation could be resolved.With a bang, Tsuru pasted a picture on the whiteboard. It showed a huge black sphere, tightly placed in the ship's hold. The black sphere was not as massive as everyone imagined, only about half a meter in diameter, yet it possessed immense power."In this plan, these bombs will be an extremely important part. Each decoy ship will carry these bombs.""And when the battle begins, all Navy personnel must put on a facade of desperate resistance. Then, after a certain amount of time, they will feign a retreat. We cannot let those people see that we are faking it. Once all the pirates are within the bomb's range, we will detonate them.""Although such an explosion won't have much effect on many strong individuals, when the ships are destroyed, most Devil Fruit users will be helpless, and we can eliminate many smaller fry."Only now did Vice Admiral Tsuru briefly explain the entire plan. Although the plan seemed simple, its implementation was quite difficult.The timing of each step needed to be precise, and everyone had to play their part well. If any flaws were exposed, this operation would be ruined. Also, whether there were any experts among these pirates was another question... However, overall, this plan was very perfect. As long as no major changes occurred, the success rate of this plan was very high."Next, does anyone have any areas that need improvement?" Tsuru asked, looking at the people below.Everyone thought for a moment, but no one could think of anything wrong, nor were there any suggestions to make.The performance of these people was also within Tsuru's expectations. Asking these Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals to kill people was more their forte; asking them to come up with plans was not their talent.Just as Tsuru thought no one had any suggestions and was about to finalize the plan, a hand was raised. It was Rear Admiral Jonathan.Tsuru quickly extended her hand and said, "Rear Admiral Jonathan. Do you have anything to add?"Jonathan stood up and said, "This plan is indeed perfect, but there is one point that is very difficult to achieve, and that is the 'feigned retreat' part of the plan. To prevent the plan from being leaked, only we would know the specific details of this plan.""If it really comes to that...If we suddenly propose a retreat, it will definitely have a great impact on morale. Even if we explain it to all the soldiers at that time, soldiers who have no preparation will still make big mistakes when actually doing it.""The pirate we are facing, Doflamingo, is someone who used a plan to stir up the entire Grand Line. Even a small mistake could be discovered by the other party. Moreover, with so many pirates in this sea area, it will be very difficult for our true escort fleet to remain hidden. If we are discovered, we will be extremely passive."After hearing Jonathan's words, even the Marine Vice Admirals, who only knew how to fight, realized the huge loophole in the plan. However, this situation was very difficult to resolve, and Tsuru couldn't think of a solution for a while.She couldn't help but ask, "Rear Admiral Jonathan, have you thought of a solution?"Jonathan shook his head. "Our forces are a bit small, and it's a bit difficult to achieve these two goals. Moreover, we have too few bargaining chips and not much initiative.""No, Rear Admiral Jonathan, there's no need to worry about those two points," Lin Tian, who had been deep in thought and silent, suddenly spoke, immediately attracting everyone's attention.Facing everyone's gaze, Lin Tian calmly explained, "As long as the Heavenly Tribute is in our hands, the initiative is completely ours. The goal of all these pirates is the Heavenly Tribute. Therefore, no matter what we do, these pirates can only follow our script."Everyone nodded, continuing to listen to Lin Tian's explanation: "This Heavenly Tribute incident is so big, the pirates must know that the Navy will make a move. Yet these pirates still continue to stay here and not give up.""One is human greed; the wealth of the Heavenly Tribute has completely captivated these people. Even if they realize it, they will rush forward like moths to a flame. The second is their strength; they have the belief that they can succeed.""So what we should be worried about now is the actual strength of these pirates, and whether there are any hidden powerhouses among them."After hearing Lin Tian's explanation, everyone couldn't help but show a hint of admiration. Lin Tian had perfectly articulated the Navy's greatest advantage, which was absolute initiative. As long as these pirates wanted the Heavenly Tribute, they would have to follow the Navy's plan."And for the second point, everyone doesn't need to worry that the real escort ships will be exposed," Lin Tian's voice became a little heavy as he said this, "I learned in Coro that Doflamingo is gathering those weaker pirates, preparing to form an alliance."Everyone's expressions also became serious. If those weaker pirates also joined, the number of pirates would skyrocket. Although these people didn't have much combat power, they would still cause a lot of trouble for the Navy."Actually, we can also ask for help," Jonathan slowly began, apparently having thought about this suggestion for a long time.The others looked puzzled. Where else would the Navy get support? The reinforcements sent were them. Only Vice Admiral Tsuru seemed to have thought of something and pondered, "Are you talking about him?""Yes, that's right," Jonathan nodded in agreement. "The world's richest man, Gooderich."Hearing this famous name in the World Government, everyone quickly reacted. As a Marine, probably no one hadn't heard this name.Every time there was a military purchase, Sengoku would mention him, gritting his teeth in hatred, calling Gooderich a vampire.Tsuru stroked her chin and said, "If we can get him to act, our combat power here can be greatly enhanced. It's just that the price we'd have to pay would probably be very high."This was also the reason Jonathan had been reluctant to bring it up. After all, Gooderich's reputation as a vampire was deeply ingrained in people's minds.Kuzan said, "Actually, we don't need to bear this cost at all. Each of those pirates is worth a considerable sum. We can completely pay with the spoils of war obtained from the pirates. As for the exact proportion, that will depend on our negotiations."This method was indeed good. Although a large portion of the spoils of war would be lost, those things were essentially a free gain for the Navy and wouldn't cause much heartache."I'm afraid that possibility is gone," Lin Tian's words once again attracted everyone's attention.After a pause, Lin Tian briefly recounted how he had saved a girl in Coro today, only to discover that she was Gooderich's only daughter, how he helped her evade an assassination attempt, and finally, how they were ambushed by Doflamingo's subordinates. Lin Tian omitted some inappropriate details.After hearing Lin Tian's experience, everyone was astonished. They hadn't expected Lin Tian to go through so much in just half a day, and he had even become Gooderich's benefactor. To owe Gooderich a favor—how lucky must one be for such a thing to happen.Vice Admiral Bastille asked in confusion, "So, Rear Admiral Lin Tian is Gooderich's benefactor. Then, if Rear Admiral Lin Tian steps forward, Gooderich will definitely help. However... why...""In this, these assassins used a weapon," he said, gently glancing at everyone's expressions, "Dynamite Rock.""What?!" Sounds of astonishment erupted from all the Marine Vice Admirals present. In the Navy, only Vice Admirals and above were qualified to know about the existence of Dynamite Rock. Lin Tian was an exception.Dynamite Rock is one of the Navy's foundations and one of its most powerful weapons. Dynamite Rock is usually kept under strict guard in heavily fortified Marine bases, and only a few people in the entire Navy know the exact location of this base.Once Dynamite Rock comes into contact with oxygen, it causes a huge explosion, powerful enough to rival an Ancient Weapon, easily leveling a small island.It was precisely because they knew this that the Marines present were so shocked. These assassins were actually able to obtain Dynamite Rock for an attack. It was clear who was behind these assassins, and the shadow of the World Government must be behind them.Gooderich is not a fool. The World Government sent assassins to kill his only daughter. He would be lucky if they didn't cause further trouble, let alone ask for their help."Rear Admiral Lin Tian, are you sure this is true?" Kuzan couldn't remain calm at this point and spoke up to confirm."Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. However, it wasn't a complete Dynamite Rock, but rather it was cut into a bullet-sized piece, loaded into specially made bullets and fired for assassination."At that time, in front of the flourishing area, those two bullets were made of 'Dynamite Rock'; otherwise, how could a small bullet's explosion cause the ground to collapse for hundreds of meters around?
Chapter 138: BeastThe news Marcus brought caused a huge uproar among the many Marine Vice Admirals. In fact, when Marcus discovered those bullets were power rock, he was also shocked.The other Marine Rear Admirals, seeing the Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals' expressions change drastically, were puzzled and couldn't help but wonder what exactly this 'power rock' was.Since the Vice Admirals' expressions changed so much upon hearing the name, even though they didn't know what it was, the Marine Rear Admirals deeply memorized the name.In truth, the Vice Admirals weren't reacting so strongly just to the name, but to the implications behind it. Aside from the Marines, the only entity capable of obtaining power rock was the World Government. The Marines wouldn't use such a thing against Gudrit, so that left only the World Government.The meaning was self-evident. The World Government had always considered Gudrit a massive threat, but they lacked the resolve to take action against him, so they could only resort to this method.Marcus felt displeased with the World Government's methods from the bottom of his heart, and not just Marcus—the Vice Admirals present felt the same way."It seems seeking help from Gudrit is impossible," Tsuru said. "Now we can only follow the previous plan. Everyone go back and prepare; tomorrow night will be a great battle.""Yes!"Somewhere in the Marine base, Marcus and Ainwere walking together, and the Marine Soldiers passing by would greet them with smiles.News of Brigadier General Lin Tian and Ain had spread throughout the entire Marine base at a speed that shocked both parties involved, leaving them both with nothing but bitter smiles."I'm sorry! Marcus, my sisters were a bit too excited," Ain whispered."Thump!" Rubbing her tapped head, Ain looked at Marcus, confused.Marcus pretended to be serious and said, "Am I that easily angered? That was just punishment for your wild imagination. But, they were just too enthusiastic."Thinking back to that scene earlier, Marcus couldn't help but sigh. After the meeting ended, Marcus had a word with Tsuru and the Stinky Old Man, then went straight to find Ain.After all, he was leaving tomorrow, and there wasn't much time left for them to be together—just this one night. Garp understood this. He didn't say anything, just warned Marcus not to run off again.Since the matter between him and Ain had spread across the entire Marine base, trouble ensued. Girls mostly love gossip, so when Marcus found Ain, she was already surrounded by a large group of female Marine Soldiers, asking what had happened.As soon as Marcus arrived, he was grabbed by those female Marine Soldiers, asking this and that. He couldn't just not answer, and with so many people, even if everyone asked one question, it would take Marcus half a day to get through them.Finally, Marcus really had no choice but to grab Ainand run out, and not until they couldn't see those people's figures did Marcus let out a sigh of relief."Ain, I...""What is it, Marcus?" Hearing Marcus's call, Ainlooked up, gazing at Marcus with joy."Ain, I..." The words he had planned long ago, Marcus suddenly found them hard to say when he saw Ain's joyful face.Suddenly, Marcus felt his hand held back by the small hand in his palm. Marcus looked at Ain beside him in confusion.Ain was looking down, as if her attention was entirely captured by the bluestone-paved ground, and she said softly, "Marcus, I can probably guess what you want to say. You want to say you are leaving tomorrow, right?""Yeah, how did you know?" Although he hadn't said it himself, Marcus still didn't know how to face Ain, so he could only look ahead.Ain raised her head and said with a smile, "I heard it earlier in the cafeteria. The Marines were talking about how Vice Admiral Garp will leave tomorrow, so you will be leaving with Vice Admiral Garp, right?""Yeah!" Marcus responded quietly again and didn't continue, because Marcus didn't know what to say. The two of them just walked slowly, holding hands tightly."Don't worry, Marcus! I didn't..."It wasn't that Ain didn't want to finish, but she couldn't speak anymore. Marcus suddenly gave her a strong hug, instantly leaving Ain dazed, not knowing what to do.Holding the soft body in his arms tightly, Marcuswhispered in Ain's ear, "I'm sorry, Ain."Hearing Marcus's apology, Ain finally couldn't keep up the pretense. Her eyes instantly filled with tears, and her hands gripped Marcus's shoulders tightly.The look of being okay that Ain had before was just a pretense. In reality, Ain was very sad about this impending separation. After two years, they had finally reunited, but it was only for one short night.She kept scolding, "Bad Marcus, stinky Marcus, you're actually leaving, leaving me all alone again..."Marcus didn't argue. He cupped Ain's fair face in his hands, said nothing more, and kissed her passionately."Wuwu..., boom..."At this sudden kiss, Ain struggled only slightly before sinking into that deep affection. For the two of them in the midst of a passionate kiss, everything no longer needed to be expressed in words.In the sky, the bright white moon was also shyly hiding behind the clouds at this scene.The next morning, the sky was still faintly bright. Where the sea met the sky, a touch of red sun was slowly rising.All the Naval Officers gathered by the port to see off Garp, Marcus, and the others who were about to leave."Little Tsuru, I'm leaving, don't miss me," Garp said, biting into the donut in his hand with an expression that begged for a beating—at least in Tsuru's eyes.Ignoring Garp, Tsuru said to Marcus, "Little Tian, you must pay attention to your health recently. Although you feel fine now, you still need to be careful. If there is any battle in the next few days, it's best not to participate. Just leave it to your teacher; it will save him from sleeping every day with nothing to do.""Yeah, don't worry, Grandma Tsuru, I will be careful. Grandma Tsuru, you must take care of your health too," Marcus said with a smile."Stinky Kid!" Tsuru swiped at Marcus, scolding with a smile, "Your Grandma Tsuru has lived to this age, do I need you to teach me about such things?"Seeing this scene, Garp let out a deep sigh to vent his feelings. Decades of friendship couldn't compare to this Stinky Kid's sweet talk.Stepping back lightly to avoid Tsuru's hand, Marcussmiled slightly and turned his head to speak to the sleepy-looking Kuzan, a Vice Admiral, beside him."Vice Admiral Kuzan, you still owe me a meal from last time. I almost forgot. You didn't pay it back yesterday, so you must pay it back next time."Hearing Marcus's words, Kuzan immediately looked bitter. "Hey, Marcus, I can treat you to a meal, but can you find a cheaper place? My salary isn't that high.""Hahaha..." Hearing this, everyone present couldn't help but laugh, and Vice Admiral Momonga also looked bitter.There was actually a story behind this. Once, Vice Admiral Momonga also owed Marcus a meal. Unexpectedly, Marcus specifically brought in a chef from the Holy Land Mary Geoise for that meal, which cost Vice Admiral Momonga two months' salary.Because of this, Vice Admiral Momonga had to borrow money from other Vice Admirals. At the time, this incident caused quite a bit of laughter among the Marines, and for those few days, Vice Admiral Momonga almost didn't dare to go out.Marcus waved his hand and said, "That doesn't matter. By the time you become an Admiral, your salary should be enough."Kuzan rubbed his head. "Looks like I really can't escape this. I have to drink less alcohol."After speaking with Kuzan, Marcus walked a few steps to Ain, gently wiped away the few tears in her eyes, and said softly."I'm leaving!""Yeah!" Ain held back the tears in her eyes and responded in a low voice.The words of parting had already been said last night. The two had spent the whole night talking on a rooftop under the Moonlight, yet when the moment of parting truly arrived, it felt as if they still had so much to say."Goodbye!" Marcus waved his hands to bid farewell to the crowd on the shore.The warship slowly sailed out of the Marine base. When the people were reduced to nothing but shadows, Marcus finally stopped waving his hands and turned around, but the sight before him startled him."Ah... ow, ow!" Roberts slapped Marcus's hand away, covering his eyes, and kept sucking in cold air from the pain."Hahaha..., Roberts, what did you do to get beaten up like this by female soldiers? You're something else."Looking at Roberts' black eyes, Marcus couldn't help but clutch his stomach and laugh."Go, go..." Seeing Marcus laughing, Robertshurriedly waved his hands. "Are we brothers? If you're not going to comfort me, fine, but you're actually mocking me.""Alright, alright, I won't laugh," Marcus said, covering his mouth. "Pfft, hahaha... Roberts, I really can't help it. You're something else. How did you think of going to confess to female soldiers?"Roberts said irritably, "Isn't it because of you?""Me?""Everyone didn't know you knew that girl, and thought you captured her heart by confessing directly with Haki.""So, you really went to confess to those female soldiers?""Yeah.""Hahaha..." Marcus laughed until his stomach hurt. "You guys are really something, daring to try this. No wonder so many people have eyes like yours today. But, Roberts, did you succeed?"Roberts pointed to his eyes helplessly. "If I had succeeded, would I look like this?"Marcus stood up, brushed the dust off his pants, walked towards the cabin, and waved his hand back at Roberts."I stayed on the rooftop all night yesterday and didn't sleep at all. I'm going to sleep first. You watch things for me today."Roberts knew perfectly well about Marcus holding a girl all night last night, because the room Robertsslept in just happened to overlook that spot. Watching Marcus's departing back, it took a long time for Roberts to blurt out two words."Beast!!"
Chapter 139: The Revolutionary ArmySunlight spilled over the shimmering sea, draping the ocean in a golden coat. The sky was split in two: one side ablaze with fiery sunlight, the other shrouded in darkness.Under the setting sun, the entire sea surface was calm and beautiful. High above, a beam of white light flew at extreme speed just above the water, kicking up waves of air and leaving a clear trail on the sea.Marcus, flying close to the sea, was in no mood to admire the scenery. At this moment, he was replaying the plan in his mind over and over, refining it time and again.There was no other way. To fish in troubled waters under the gaze of so many powerful experts and then retreat unscathed, it was truly difficult without a perfect plan.Not only did he need a perfect plan, but he also needed partners who could keep secrets. Otherwise, with Marcus alone, even if he got in, how could he possibly make off with the tenryuubito tributetreasures?However, Marcus wasn't too worried about exposing his identity. Everyone knew he had already left Korode, and he had already told Roberts that he would be sleeping in his cabin and shouldn't be disturbed.Of course, even if he did succeed, no one would suspect him. Who would expect a ten-year-old child to pull off such a thing?While Marcus was thinking about these things, the shadow of a massive island slowly appeared before his eyes.Korode, I, Marcus, have returned!...At this moment, a serious, tense, and murderous atmosphere truly permeated the air above Korode. Following the Marine's notice, the island's residents had all returned to their homes. Even the bustling Peak had few people today, and most shops had closed their doors.The air was thick with that unusual atmosphere, and with groups of pirates appearing on the streets, everyone felt that tonight would not be simple.At Peak, Gudrit stood on the top floor, a glass of red wine in hand, looking at the distant Marine base illuminated by lights. Uncle Teng and the four Men in Black stood by his side."Old Teng, how are the preparations for the ship?" Gudrit asked directly without turning around."Master, the ship is ready. It's just that, in this situation, is it really okay for us to watch the battle from the sidelines?" Uncle Teng asked.Gudrit drained the red wine in his glass in one gulp and said with a smile, "Wouldn't it be a pity to miss out on something like this?"...Inside a massive pirate ship.The Donquixote Family cadres were gathered in a meeting room.Mingo said with a dark expression, "The plan has changed. Gladius, Lao G, Diamante—the three of you will lead those trash pirates.""Yes!" the three responded quickly, their heads lowered, a hint of shame on their faces.Originally, Mingo had planned to send Buffalo, Dellinger, and Baby-5. Those three were relatively weaker, and that side wasn't very important, so the cadres sent didn't need to be too strong.But Mingo hadn't expected that after sending Diamante and the other two to deal with that brat, they would return with severe injuries. The loss in combat power was significant, and they hadn't even killed the brat. Mingo was beyond furious.Mingo hadn't anticipated this. He had underestimated the brat, and his three cadres had been severely injured in return. For Mingo, who thought he controlled everything, this was extremely unpleasant.He had thought that with the strength of those three, they could surely deal with Marcus without anyone knowing. He hadn't expected the brat to be so strong. Now, not only had he failed to kill the brat, but he had also mortally offended both the brat and Garp. His life would surely be very difficult in the future."There must be no mistakes in this plan. Only if tonight's business is successful can our subsequent plans proceed. Do you understand?""Understood!"...And at this time, there was another faction that had remained hidden but possessed even greater strength: the Revolutionary Army.In the southeast corner of Korode, by a small beach—beaches like this were countless on Korode—a massive ship was anchored. This was the temporary base for the Revolutionary Army.On the deck, Dragon, that mysterious man, was leaning over the railing, looking at the dark-filled sea, his thoughts unknown.A voice suddenly came from behind him. "Dragon, are we really going to participate in this struggle for the tenryuubito tribute?"It was the Revolutionary Army cadre, Okama KingIvankov, who had walked over with Bartholomew Kuma and asked from behind.Dragon replied in an extremely firm tone, "Yes. To achieve our goals as quickly as possible, we must participate in this 'tenryuubito tribute' incident."Ivankov said, "But our strength is still somewhat insufficient. If we hijack the tenryuubito tribute, we will be completely exposed to the entire world. At that time, our goals and targets will also be exposed. I'm afraid the World Nobles of the entire world will become our enemies.""It is precisely because our strength is insufficient that we need these things," Dragon said, turning to face the two."I have given this careful thought. The 'tenryuubito tribute' is a massive fortune. I don't need to elaborate on exactly how much it's worth; you both know."The treasures offered to the World Government by a hundred allied nations across the world—one could only imagine how much that would be worth in Berries. It was a figure that would move anyone, otherwise, why would all these pirates gather here?"What we lack right now is money. Arms, food, and some plans—all must be driven by money. If we can obtain this wealth, our goals and plans can be accelerated significantly. It's worth it even if we are exposed to the world.""Moreover, being exposed to the world isn't without its benefits for us. It can allow more partners who share our dreams to join us."Ivankov thought for a moment and then said, "Hee-haw! Since you've made up your mind, let's do it. Anyway, given our strength, none of these pirates can compare to us.""In that case, we should start preparing too. Tonight will not be peaceful."Ivankov, who had turned to leave, suddenly remembered he had come to report the latest intelligence to Dragon. He quickly turned back and said, "Oh, right, Dragon. Our comrade in the Marinehas sent the latest intelligence again.""Oh? What intelligence?" Dragon asked curiously. Unless it was important intelligence, their comrade in the Marine wouldn't risk sending it out at such a critical moment.Since last night, the Marine had cut off all communication between the Marine base and the outside world for some secret reason. Dragon and the others had lost contact with their comrade inside, so the latest intelligence only found an opportunity to be sent out now. Upon receiving it, Ivankov immediately came to find Dragon."Just last night, the reinforcements sent by Marine Headquarters arrived at the Marine base. There are nine warships in total, and five Marine Vice Admirals: Bastille, Tsuru, Kuzan, Momonga, and Dalmatian. There are also ten Rear Admirals and a total of 6,000 Marine Soldiers.""Furthermore, that night, all officers of Rear Admiral rank and above held a meeting together. The specific contents are unknown."After hearing this intelligence, Dragon felt he had to treat it seriously. He hadn't expected Marine Headquarters to place such importance on this, going so far as to send these reinforcements. It seemed those pirates were in for trouble this time."What about that Marine hero, Vice Admiral Garp?" Dragon asked."He already left this morning. If he were here, the success rate of our operation would be practically zero."Ivankov had certainly heard of Marine Vice AdmiralGarp's reputation. However, logically speaking, why would such a powerful combatant leave at a time like this? Ivankov looked puzzled."Something else happened last night, and it's somewhat related to us.""Something... related to us?" Dragon said with a look of confusion. Everyone had been here last night, and no one had been injured or involved in an incident.Ivankov didn't answer directly but asked instead, "Do you remember that brat who helped us last night?""I remember. Isn't he the strongest genius of the navy? Did something happen to him?" Dragon inquired."Yes!" Ivankov nodded and replied, "That brat was ambushed last night. He fled to the Marine base with heavy injuries and almost died.""Oh? Really?" Hearing this news, a hint of surprise appeared on Dragon's face.Ivankov sighed, "Apparently, his teacher, Vice Admiral Garp, was absolutely furious and almost went out to wipe out that group of pirates himself, but he was stopped by Vice Admiral Tsuru. It must be nice to have a powerful teacher."Dragon only gave a low hum and didn't say much, just looking ahead, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Bartholomew Kuma hadn't spoken at all, simply listening quietly to their conversation.At that moment, a loud 'bang' rang out from the cabin. The three couldn't help but look toward the sound before immediately looking away. Everyone knew that the only one on the ship who would do such a thing was that brat."I didn't expect the Revolutionary Army would be talking about a Marine like me." (To be continued
Chapter 140: CooperationThe sudden voice startled the members of the Revolutionary Army on the ship. They hurriedly grabbed the weapons at hand, their eyes scanning constantly, searching for the person who had made the sound.The three main cadres of the Revolutionary Armywho were talking in front were even more shocked. Who could have come before them without making a single sound? They had to know that the three of them were extremely powerful experts. If even they hadn't noticed, just how strong was this person?However, their mental fortitude was much stronger than that of the ordinary Revolutionary Armypersonnel. They didn't show much panic, but their whole bodies were already on high alert, constantly observing their surroundings.As the strongest combatant among them, Dragon also had the sharpest observation skills. He instantly noticed something wrong above. Looking up, he saw a short figure standing on the lookout platform of the main mast.Ivankov and Kuma also hurriedly looked up. Upon seeing the figure clearly, a flash of surprise and relief couldn't help but pass through both of their hearts. Wasn't this Brigadier General Lin Tian supposed to have left with Vice Admiral Garp? Why did he appear here?Although they didn't understand why the Navy Rear Admiral would appear here and seek them out, judging from his help in the bar today, this Navy Rear Admiral was not their enemy.Seeing the cadres' actions, the rest of the Revolutionary Army also hurriedly raised their heads, seeing Marcus smiling down at the crowd below.Click, clack... A chorus of guns being raised sounded instantly. Seeing the hundreds of dark gun barrels below, Marcus hurriedly raised both hands and said nervously: "I have no malicious intent, I just want to discuss something with you all," yet his tone was full of ease and casualness.The Revolutionary Army members below had never seen Marcus, so how could they believe he had no hostility just because of one sentence? Moreover, in his words just now, he had said he was a Marine.They were the Revolutionary Army, opposing the World Government, so naturally, they were enemies of the Marines. Everyone didn't believe an enemy would come to discuss important matters with them."Put down your guns. These things are of little use against him; you are not his match," Dragon said.The crowd was unconvinced by these words. This was just a brat; how could he be a match for so many of them? But the leader had spoken, and everyone had to obey orders.Marcus smiled slightly. In the stunned gazes of everyone, he jumped down directly from above, stopped his figure in mid-air, and then walked down step by step from mid-air, as if there were an invisible staircase in the transparent Void Realm.This move was intentional on Marcus's part, meant to intimidate everyone and make the subsequent discussion of cooperation more convenient.Unfortunately, this move could only intimidate those ordinary Revolutionary Army members. As for Dragon and the other two, their expressions didn't change at all, and no one knew what they were thinking."I wonder why the strongest genius of the navy, Brigadier General Lin Tian, is not protecting the 'tenryuubito tribute' and instead came here to see us? You also want to discuss cooperation with us?" Dragon got straight to the point and asked these two questions directly."Wow, this tall guy. Are you a giant? To grow like this, isn't this too tall?"Marcus looked up at the nearly six-meter-tall Kuma and exclaimed. Currently, Marcus's height barely reached his knees; the difference was just too great."Hey, kid, are you listening to us?" Ivankov shouted loudly, extending his unusually large, deep purple afro.Marcus turned his head to look at Dragon and muttered to himself in contemplation: "You just asked me two questions. Which one should I answer first? I'll just go in order."Seeing this brat actually ignoring him, Ivankov was immediately unhappy. Was his sense of presence that low? Was this afro still too small?"I had already left, but now I have returned secretly. Of course, the 'tenryuubito tribute' doesn't need me to protect it, and the reason I sought you out is to cooperate regarding the tenryuubito tribute."Dragon asked suspiciously: "The tenryuubito tribute? The Marines and a group of people who want to rob the tenryuubito tribute... I can't think of anything we could cooperate on."Marcus smiled and said: "Of course you can. For example, regarding how to rob the tenryuubito tribute, we can cooperate. You have the strength, and I have the Marines' most perfect plan.""What!" Ivankov suddenly exclaimed upon hearing Marcus's goal, his face full of shock. Even on Kuma's face, a hint of shock appeared, which instantly vanished.After hearing Marcus's answer, Dragon felt that he couldn't fathom what this smiling youth was thinking. As a Marine, to actually seek people out to rob something being escorted by the Marines—this was the first time Dragon felt he had been shocked by a youth."Lin Tian Baby, are you sure there's nothing wrong with your head? I am a very powerful doctor; do you want me to help you check?" As he said this, he reached out to touch Marcus's forehead to see if there was really a problem.Marcus stepped back lightly, dodging Ivankov's hand, and smiled helplessly: "Rest assured, I am very clear-headed. The reason I came to find you this time is precisely for this purpose.""Marine! Do you know our identities?" "Yes!" Marcusresponded."The Revolutionary Army, a group of people harmed by the old order of this world and people with great dreams, an organization gathered together to overthrow the World Government, change the world, erase the rules that don't need people, and build a world of harmony, freedom, equality, and full of dreams.""In the current world, you are a group of people opposing the world, a group of people struggling for dreams, a group of Awakened people, a group of people pushing the world forward..."Hearing these words, even Dragon, who had a steady personality and would remain calm in any situation, had a look of shock on his face, not to mention the other two.Because what Marcus said was the theory he had been pursuing for many years. Dragon had always thought that in this world, he was the only one who truly understood these things, and the rest of the Revolutionary Army hadn't fully grasped this point either.But today, he hadn't expected that this thirteen-year-old Marine brat understood even better than him. What he said was more complete and detailed than his own, and some of it he hadn't even thought of. How could this be possible?For Marcus, who had lived under the red flag for more than ten years since childhood, saying these things was completely trivial. If he weren't afraid of scaring Dragon too much, Marcus could have said even more awesome things.It was precisely because he lived under the red flag from a young age that Marcus had an inexplicable feeling of goodwill towards the Revolutionary Armyfrom the bottom of his heart. This was also the reason why Marcus sought them out to cooperate, rather than looking for others.Actually, Marcus's ideal partner was Gudrit, who had enough experts, a large force, and this was his home turf; it could be said he was the best partner.The Revolutionary Army members on the side who had been observing this scene saw that their leader and the two top cadres were all full of shock, and they were curious about what they were discussing with that Marine brat."Dragon, what should we do?" Ivankov had long been frightened by what Marcus said and could only move a few steps to Dragon's side and ask in a low voice."Who exactly are you, and how do you know so much?" Dragon stared intently at Marcus and asked in a deep voice."Me?" Marcus pointed at himself, then held his chin and thought for a while before smiling and saying: "I am a Navy Rear Admiral who upholds justice. I can't stand seeing those things fall into the hands of pirates or Celestial Dragons; it would be better to put them in a useful place."Dragon pondered for a long time, and finally said: "Speak, how shall we cooperate, and how will we distribute that wealth after success?""Dragon, are we really going to cooperate with him? Should we reconsider..." Ivankov whispered a reminder, always feeling that doing this kind of thing with a brat, and a Marine brat at that, left him without a sense of security.Dragon waved his hand directly to interrupt Ivankov. Although this Marine looked like just a brat, after the conversation just now, Dragon dared not underestimate Marcus and had already placed him on an equal footing for the transaction. Moreover, it was hard to come across someone like-minded, a soulmate who truly understood him, so he couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill in his heart.Besides, since Marcus dared to seek them out for cooperation alone, it indirectly proved that he held enough chips to overwhelm everything. Dragon had a premonition that if they followed their previous plan, they would very likely fail.These reasons combined were what made Dragon decide to cooperate with Marcus."So that means we have a pleasant cooperation," Marcus extended his hand and said with a smile.Dragon also grabbed Marcus's hand, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. After talking for so long, this was the first time Marcus had ever seen a smile on Dragon's face."For so many years, I have never conducted such a cooperation."
Chapter 141 PlanUnder the moonlight, the handshake between Lin Tian and Dragon not only marked the beginning of their cooperation but also the start of a new identity for Lin Tian.Dragon said, "Since we've decided to cooperate, let's lay our cards on the table. That's the prerequisite for us to continue our discussion.""As I said earlier, you provide the combat power, and I provide the intelligence. These are our chips," Lin Tian said with a smile.Ivankov interjected, "If that's the case, then this cooperation isn't very useful to us. We already know the general intelligence."The Revolutionary Army's comrades in the Navy held quite high positions, similar in rank to Lin Tian. In Ivankov's opinion, the intelligence Lin Tian knew wouldn't be much more than what they already had. Such cooperation wouldn't work."Is that so? I presume your intelligence personnel should know that the entire Navy held a meeting last night, right?" Lin Tian retorted. He wasn't surprised that the Navy had Revolutionary Army spies, but this plan's secrecy was extremely high.Because they were transporting the 'Heavenly Tribute,' the Navy couldn't afford any mistakes. Their goal was also to eliminate pirates as much as possible, and with insufficient naval forces, a perfect plan was a crucial link.To ensure secrecy and smooth execution of the plan, Sengoku had dispatched Tsuru, the Chief of Staff. Therefore, apart from those present in the conference room last time and Fleet Admiral Sengoku, no one else knew about this plan.Lin Tian didn't believe their spy was one of those people in the conference room; otherwise, they would have been waiting there already, instead of preparing to rob the Navy with those pirates."That's right!" Ivankov nodded in agreement. "Are you saying that the Navy has a secret and elaborate plan this time, and yesterday's meeting was to discuss it?"Ivankov asked, feigning confusion, but his tone, devoid of any doubt, already betrayed his belief in this deduction."This time, the pirates are only robbing a decoy ship the Navy is using to attract attention. The real ship transporting the Heavenly Tribute will secretly depart from the port after the war..."Lin Tian then thoroughly explained the Navy's general plan, especially the key points. Dragon and the others listened, their expressions growing heavier.Dragon said in a deep voice, "I didn't expect the Navy to carry out such a plan this time. Fleet Admiral Sengoku truly lives up to his title as 'The Strategist.'""Fortunately, we didn't proceed with our original plan. Otherwise, all our efforts would have resulted in us seizing only four bombs. If those exploded, everyone on this ship, except for a few individuals, would be wiped out."After speaking, Ivankov glanced at Lin Tian. "It seems the Marine Headquarters is also ruthless this time, aiming to annihilate all these pirates without any intention of taking prisoners. With four bombs, each with a five-kilometer radius of destruction, how many pirates could survive such an explosion?"Ignoring Ivankov's gaze, Lin Tian took a few steps and leaned against the railing, facing the incoming sea breeze."To be honest, the Marine Headquarters' approach this time is one of the few I agree with. How many of those pirates are truly good? In my hometown's words, pirates who enjoy robbing and killing are not only scum but also a waste of air while alive, and a waste of land when dead.""Burying them in this vast ocean is actually a decent option for them."Hearing Lin Tian's words, the three's expressions changed. Such murderous words, spoken by Lin Tian, were so calm and indifferent, as if the deaths of countless pirates were merely a trivial matter.Although Dragon and the other two believed that the deaths of such pirates were indeed a good thing for the world, they found it difficult to achieve such an innate indifference.It was then that they remembered that this teenager, barely in his teens, was known as the 'God of Slaughter' among pirates—a reputation built upon the deaths of countless pirates.There was once a saying among pirates: "If you encounter the God of Slaughter Lin Tian and want to live, you must look at how red your hands are."Lin Tian's fearsome reputation among pirates was not only due to the fact that few pirates under his hand died a quick death, but also because of an incident that shocked the entire pirate world.Once, on a small island, Lin Tian encountered a group of pirates who were massacring a town. By the time Lin Tian arrived, it was already too late. There were not many surviving residents in the entire town.Enraged, Lin Tian gathered all the surviving residents and the captured pirates. In front of them, Lin Tian brutally used his Dark Blade Storm to tear the captain who had ordered the massacre into a skeletal frame.The screams during that period eventually alerted Garp, who then stopped Lin Tian, leaving the other pirates with intact bodies.For some unknown reason, this scene was recorded and witnessed by the entire world. All pirates were immensely shaken, and thus the name 'God of Slaughter Lin Tian' slowly spread. At the same time, Lin Tian was also on the hit list of all pirates.Getting off track, back to the main topic. After saying this, Lin Tian turned around, looked at the three with a smile, and said, "This chip should be enough, right?"Dragon nodded slightly in response, "Yes, this chip is sufficient."Pausing, Dragon continued, "Since you came to us for cooperation, you must already have a general plan in mind. Why don't you just tell us directly?"He truly lived up to his reputation as the man who could lead the entire Revolutionary Army to fight against the World Government. Both his combat prowess and intelligence were top-notch. Talking to him, one would unknowingly be led by him."Just now, I heard you say that you were afraid that participating in this Heavenly Tribute incident would cause the Revolutionary Army to appear before the public prematurely, right?""Yes, but what does that have to do with this?"Lin Tian glanced at the three, pursed his lips, and said, "It has a connection, a big connection. I have a way to hide this ship, to make you disappear from the sea."Ivankov was the first to disbelieve. Their ship was even larger than a warship; how could it be hidden? "How is that possible? Our ship is...""Ah...! It really disappeared!" Before Ivankov could finish speaking, Lin Tian proved his words with action.Lin Tian, slowly materializing from the void, looked at the stunned Ivankov and said, "How about it? I think this should prove it, right?"The silent Dragon spoke, "It seems your plan is to make the entire ship invisible, then approach the ship transporting the Heavenly Tribute, knock out everyone on board, and then, under the Navy's nose, transport all the treasures away.""And the reason you're seeking partners is that you can make the ship invisible, but you alone would find it difficult to instantly subdue everyone on the entire Heavenly Tribute ship. Once the people on board realize something is wrong, your plan will fail.""At the same time, the 'Heavenly Tribute' contains so much wealth; how can you move it all by yourself? And your invisibility should also have many limitations, right?"After hearing Dragon's deduction, Lin Tian couldn't help but applaud. Dragon's deduction was completely accurate, exactly as Lin Tian had envisioned.Hiding such a large ship was indeed very difficult for Lin Tian. Although such a large shield was only used for invisibility, there would still be many flaws, especially on the high seas with their towering waves, making it very easy to be discovered. This is where an expert on the side would be needed, and Dragon, both in terms of strength and relevant abilities, was very suitable."Now that everything has been discussed, we should talk about the last point: how to distribute the profits after obtaining the Heavenly Tribute."This was a concern for both parties and a potential point of divergence. Many collaborations have broken down because of disagreements on this matter.Lin Tian stroked his chin and thought for a moment, "I don't care about the treasures. You just need to give me five hundred million Beli, and for everything else I need, I have priority in selection. As for Devil Fruits, if they are useful to me, I want to choose them first."Seeing the three remain silent, Lin Tian looked puzzled. Was there a problem with his distribution plan? No, he wasn't asking for much."How about it? Is my distribution not acceptable?"Dragon said, "No... it's just that we're curious about this distribution plan. It's extremely beneficial to us, and you seem to not be asking for much."Indeed, according to Lin Tian's distribution plan, what he would receive would be insignificant compared to the entire Heavenly Tribute. Yet, Lin Tian contributed the most to this plan but only asked for these things, which greatly puzzled Dragon and the others.Lin Tian chuckled. So that was why. He had thought they disagreed with the distribution plan.Under the puzzled gazes of the three, Lin Tian explained, "The reason I'm robbing the Heavenly Tribute isn't for the wealth. It's just that I know there are quite a few things I need on it (Lin Tian had seen the list of Heavenly Tribute items). Since I'm going to take action anyway, I might as well just rob the entire Heavenly Tribute."There was also a small reason Lin Tian didn't mention: he had promised Hancock that he would get revenge for her. As a man, he naturally had to keep his promise. With the Heavenly Tribute stolen, the Celestial Dragons probably wouldn't feel too good either.
Chapter 142On the deck, amidst the puzzled gazes of all the revolutionaries, an event that would shock the world tomorrow had quietly begun."By the way, can you give me a room?" Lin Tian asked.All the details of the cooperation had been ironed out, and Lin Tian had nothing else to do. Of course, he needed to find a place to get some good sleep to prepare for the upcoming plan.Last night's intense battle was extremely physically demanding, and he hadn't slept because he was with Ain. After sleeping for a few hours on the ship today, he secretly slipped out and rushed to Korrod with all his might. Lin Tian was exhausted and sleepy all over.Now that he had time, of course, he needed to sleep. Maintaining such a large invisible shield and moving all that Heavenly Gold would take a lot of time, and it was extremely physically draining.Although he didn't understand why Lin Tian said that, Long still replied, "Yes, it's not difficult to find an empty room on such a large ship. Ivankov, take him there.""Mmm!" Ivankov responded, walking a few steps forward and leading the way, "Hee-haw! Please follow me. Our conditions are a bit rudimentary, so you might not be used to them."Lin Tian said, "Marines are not pampered individuals. As long as there's a flat surface, they can sleep anywhere."After speaking, Lin Tian walked straight ahead, following behind Ivankov, who was leading the way.Watching Lin Tian's retreating figure, Long spoke, "Kuma, what do you think about this matter? Is this plan feasible?"At Long's inquiry, Kuma, who had been silent, finally spoke. Kuma's voice was a bit low and deep."The fact that this young man dared to come to the Revolutionary Army alone already indicates his credibility. Furthermore, what he said seems highly feasible, not like a spy intentionally sent by the Marines.""There's just one thing I can't figure out: this young man is a prominent figure in the current Marines and is bound to hold a high position in the future. Why would he, knowing the nature of our Revolutionary Army, come to help us?"Long nodded. What Kuma said was also what Long couldn't figure out. In fact, no matter how much Long thought about it, he couldn't understand, unless Long knew that Lin Tian was a Reborn(reborn person).After walking just over ten steps, Lin Tian felt no less than a hundred hostile gazes, along with a faint killing intent directed at him. Lin Tian's brows furrowed slightly, and a grave expression appeared on his face.Lin Tian had never met these people, let alone offended them. Their killing intent towards him must be because of his identity as a Marine.Could it be that the Marines' reputation among the populace had deteriorated to such an extent? It was laughable that Marine Headquarters still considered themselves to be absolute justice.As they passed a stack of wooden crates, a figure suddenly darted out from behind. This figure held a discarded iron pipe and swung it down heavily at Lin Tian from above.The Revolutionary Army soldiers present were stunned by this scene, so much so that no one intervened. Even if they had reacted, they might not have stopped it.Seeing this, Kuma's eyes flickered, and he was about to stop the figure. But a hand suddenly reached out, stopping Kuma's movement. This person was Long."Don't move. This can also teach that brat a lesson, let him know how big the world is, and make him rein in his mischievous heart, so he doesn't cause trouble every day."Seeing his iron pipe just a few centimeters from Lin Tian, the figure's face involuntarily showed a smile, a hint of disdain in it."Still the strongest genius of the Marines? Is this all your strength? Haku and Corazon said he was so powerful, yet he can't even dodge such a simple sneak attack. Watch me knock him down and show Corazon. I'm much stronger than this strongest Marine genius.""What?" Seeing his pipe pass right through Lin Tian's body, the figure couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.He instantly realized that this person had already dodged his attack at an extremely fast speed, leaving only an afterimage. The real person should be beside him now, preparing to attack.The figure quickly raised the pipe in his hand. He forcefully braced it against the ground, and using that momentum, he leaped several times, moving away from where Lin Tian had just stood.As the figure left, Lin Tian's fist appeared just then. Seeing that he hadn't hit, Lin Tian wasn't disappointed; instead, a smile appeared on his face."Not bad reflexes. Soru!"Before the figure could land, Lin Tian's figure instantly appeared in front of him. Amidst the figure's surprised gaze, he directly kicked the figure.The figure quickly used the pipe to block Lin Tian's foot, but how strong was Lin Tian's kick? The figure, without a stable footing in mid-air, was sent flying by Lin Tian's kick, crashing into the stack of wooden crates, scattering them before coming to a stop."Good reflexes, but too slow," Lin Tian, who had landed on the deck, said calmly, shaking his head as he looked at the figure who had been sent flying.Seeing their comrade sent flying, the other revolutionaries quickly raised their weapons, looking at Lin Tian with wary expressions. Faced with so many guns pointed at him, Lin Tian's face remained perfectly calm, he just glanced at Long."Put down your guns, everyone. This young man is now our cooperative partner, and also our comrade."Hearing their leader's words, the revolutionaries looked at each other, all with puzzled expressions. But since their leader had said so, everyone still followed his words and put down their guns.At this moment, the figure kicked away by Lin Tian also climbed out from among the fallen wooden crates.He wore a top hat with goggles, had short blonde hair, a missing tooth at the corner of his mouth, and a scar over his left eye—a peer around Lin Tian's age.Seeing the true face of the person who had just ambushed him, Lin Tian's pupils contracted, and a hint of surprise flashed across his face. He knew this person; it was Sabo, Luffy's other brother.However, on second thought, according to the timeline, Sabo was indeed rescued by Dragon and the others at this time. He just hadn't expected to meet him in such circumstances.Gently wiping the dirt from his face, Sabo revealed a confident smile and charged at Lin Tian again, "You Marine genius are indeed formidable, but I won't lose to you!""Is that so?" Lin Tian gently extended his hand, as if he could predict the direction of Sabo's attack, and accurately caught the incoming steel pipe."I don't know what the future holds, but right now, you're far from my level."He increased the strength in his hand, pushed hard, and sent Sabo flying back, who had to retreat several steps to dissipate the force. He didn't forget to comment, "Your strength is also a bit lacking."Repelled by Lin Tian, Sabo didn't give up and still charged forward. Unfortunately, the gap between Sabo and Lin Tian was too great; Sabo was simply being dominated.Watching Sabo being beaten in the arena, Ivankov appeared in front of Long at some point and asked worriedly, "Dragon, is it really okay to let Sabo get beaten like this?"Long said calmly, "Don't worry, didn't you see that although Lin Tian pushed Sabo back every time, he didn't hit him too hard? If he had really attacked, Sabo wouldn't be able to stand up."Sabo was a young man Long had accidentally rescued when he passed through his hometown to visit his son. A sentence he said at the time deeply shocked Long. Unfortunately, he was injured in an explosion and had lost his memory when he woke up, so Long took him into the Revolutionary Army.And this young man did not disappoint him. His aptitude was indeed good. He hadn't been training in the Revolutionary Army for long before he could already contend with Revolutionary Army soldiers who had trained for many years. His strength improved very quickly, and he would definitely become a pillar of the Revolutionary Army in the future.However, his personality was mischievous and reckless; he liked to cause trouble. He must have been a troublemaker before losing his memory too. Letting him get beaten up now is also a good thing for him, at least he'll know how big the world is."Bang!"Another kick landed on Sabo's face, sending him flying. Whether Lin Tian was being playful or just momentarily interested, every punch and kick landed precisely on Sabo's face.At this moment, Sabo's handsome face had long been beaten beyond recognition by Lin Tian. The surrounding revolutionaries couldn't help but gasp at the sight; he truly looked like someone even his own mother wouldn't recognize."Want to come again?""Yes!" Sabo said angrily.Although he didn't know what his face looked like, seeing the expressions of the people around him, Sabo could probably guess. Anyone whose face was beaten like that would be angry.What angered Sabo the most was that he was roughly the same age as this Marine, yet his strength was so much greater than his own. The gap in their strength was too wide. He had been hit so many times, yet he hadn't even touched Lin Tian's clothes once..."Swish... Swish..." The steel pipe in Sabo's hand swung rapidly, rubbing fiercely against the air, producing whooshing sounds. Everyone could only see afterimages in the air."I didn't expect Sabo's strength to improve so quickly," a revolutionary exclaimed in admiration, watching Sabo in the arena.After speaking, this revolutionary looked at Lin Tian, who was constantly dodging in the arena, his face filled with shock, "However, this young man truly lives up to his reputation as the world-renowned strongest Marine genius. His strength is so formidable; Sabo has no chance against him.""Still want to go on?""Keep going." (To be continued.)
Chapter 143 Begins"Bang!"Lin Tian once again repelled Sabo. Lin Tian himself didn't know how many times he had repelled Sabo, but each time Sabo was knocked down, he would rush back up, refusing to admit defeat.And from the beginning until now, Lin Tian realized that Sabo's strength had increased quite a bit. At first, Sabo couldn't even touch his clothes, but now he had almost touched them several times.Lin Tian was very surprised. It was like his own training in the Navy at the beginning; every battle and training session allowed him to feel his combat power subtly increasing. It was precisely this spirit of not giving up and improving his strength in battle that made Lin Tian continuously repel Sabo without harming him, acting as his sparring partner."We've been fighting for so long, you should be clear about the difference in our strength. Are you sure you still want to go on?" Lin Tian said with a smile.Suddenly, Lin Tian's tone changed, "Also, sneak attacks are useless against me."As soon as his voice fell, Lin Tian's figure disappeared from everyone's sight. When everyone found Lin Tian's figure again, Lin Tian was already suspended in mid-air, with one hand raised, palm facing a little girl.The girl was also floating in mid-air, but seeing her constantly struggling limbs, it was clear that the little girl was not willingly suspended in mid-air."Huh, why is it a little girl?" Lin Tian secretly wondered.It was a beautiful girl wearing a short one-piece dress, high heels, and a small hat with goggles.Before Lin Tian could speak, the girl he had captured suddenly let out a whimpering cry. As soon as Lin Tian heard the girl's cry, he felt an immense headache.Rubbing his head, Lin Tian had no choice but to place the girl on the deck. As soon as she was on the deck and regained her freedom, the girl's crying immediately stopped.Watching this sudden change, Lin Tian couldn't help but shake his head helplessly. Are the girls in One Piece so formidable from a young age?Sabo quickly jogged over and asked with concern, "Koala, how are you? Are you alright?""Sabo, this Marine is as ferocious as the legends say! He bullied me. Hurry up and beat him for me!" Koala pointed at Lin Tian, indignant.Hearing Koala's words, Lin Tian and Sabo exchanged glances, then smiled wryly."Didn't you see that I've been beaten up like this by him? And you want me to beat him? It's fine if I'm the one getting beaten." Sabo thought to himself.Lin Tian, on the other hand, glanced at the spot where he had just stood.The ground was covered with tiny pushpins, making his scalp tingle. "I didn't do anything, I just caught you, and that's considered ferocious? Then what is this?"Of course, these were just Lin Tian and Sabo's internal thoughts; they didn't dare to say them out loud. If girls got angry, it could be very troublesome."Alright, I'm going to sleep to recover my strength. You guys should also rest. Tonight was very tiring, so I won't chat with you anymore."Lin Tian waved his hand and, with a few light jumps, leaped onto the crow's nest on the main mast. Lin Tian thought for a moment, saving Ivankov the trouble of leading the way. It was better to sleep in there anyway; the space inside was large, and he could also keep an eye on the outside situation at all times.At this moment, the other two Revolutionary Army cadres, Sabo and Koala, who had just fought with Lin Tian, also walked over.Ivankov asked with a laugh, "Hee-haw hee-haw! Sabo baby, how was it? Do you know how strong a true genius in this world is now?""Hmph," Sabo didn't answer. He just snorted coldly, turning his gaze to Lin Tian above, secretly vowing in his heart that he would definitely catch up to Lin Tian.Next, Dragon explained the content of his conversation and plan with Lin Tian to everyone, asking them to prepare accordingly... In the Marine base, although it was late at night, the entire Marine base was still brightly lit. All Marines had already boarded their warships, and the first batch of Marines was ready to depart.On the shore, Tsuru, just in case, once again said to the Headquarters Vice Admirals, "Remember, this time, facing those pirates, do not engage in direct confrontation. I am transporting only fake 'Heavenly Tribute,' so there's no need to cause casualties among our soldiers for it.""In this battle, we must fight and retreat, creating the illusion that the Marines are unable to hold on and are retreating. The timing to detonate the bomb will depend on you; you cannot involve the Marines in the explosion."Kuzan nodded. Tsuru had already handed the bomb detonator to Kuzan, so Kuzan had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders this time, which was also a test.Tsuru added, "Kuzan, after you've dealt with the high-level combatants among the pirates, and the remaining pirates can be handled by the Marines, you must hurry back here."Hearing the urgency and worry in Tsuru's words, Kuzan's brow furrowed. Vice Admiral Tsuru saying this must mean she had discovered something was amiss. He asked, "Did something go wrong with this plan?""No," Tsuru shook her head slightly and said, "It's just that I had a bad premonition just now, as if tonight's plan will undergo a significant change."Tsuru's premonitions had always been very accurate, having helped her escape danger several times. It was precisely because of this that Tsuru felt worried.However, it was only her premonition, and there were times when she made mistakes. In the current situation, they could only proceed according to the plan. They could only hope that Kuzan's side could resolve things quickly.Kuzan nodded and, along with the other three Vice Admirals, led the first batch of Marines to board the warships first, escorting the few fake ships loaded with Heavenly Tribute, and sailed out of the Marine base.Not long after leaving the Marine base, Kuzan could feel several ships in the darkness beside them, constantly trailing behind. Needless to say, those were definitely the pirates' scouting ships.Rear Admiral Jonathan also sensed them and said in a low voice, "It seems these pirates are completely insane, constantly sending people to monitor the Marine base and following us so brazenly."Jonathan was originally supposed to lead a Marine warship in battle alone, but there had to be a strategic figure in the central army to make the best choices in case of sudden situations. Among the Marine generals, apart from Tsuru, only Jonathan remained.Tsuru had to protect the real Heavenly Tribute, so this heavy responsibility could only be entrusted to Jonathan. Hence, Jonathan appeared on Kuzan's ship."Isn't this exactly what we need? All the pirates are on our side, so the plan can continue to be executed," Kuzan said calmly."Since that's the case, then let's make a bigger commotion. That would be more beneficial for Vice Admiral Tsuru and them," Jonathan pondered.He turned around and ordered the messenger behind him, "Order! Turn all the lights on the ship to the brightest setting. Give this order to the rest of the Marines."Hearing this order, the messenger was immediately stunned. In this situation, shouldn't they turn off the lights? If the lights were on, such a large fleet would definitely attract all the surrounding pirates.Seeing the messenger not moving, Jonathan asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Why aren't you relaying the order?"With a stomp, the messenger saluted and said, "Rear Admiral, this order is wrong. Even if you remove me as a messenger, I will not relay this order."After hearing the messenger's words, Jonathan couldn't help but smile, "Don't worry, Mr. Messenger, I know what this order means. Just go ahead and relay it."Kuzan also spoke, "Obey Rear Admiral Jonathan's order. Today, his orders are supreme throughout the entire Marine fleet, and everyone must obey them unconditionally.""Yes, Vice Admiral!"Glancing at the messenger's retreating figure, Jonathan thanked Kuzan. In the current situation, it was impossible to explain so much to these Marine soldiers, so Kuzan entrusting him with this authority was of great help to him... "Leader Dragon, the Marine fleet has departed from the northwest direction of the Marine base," a Revolutionary Army member reported, jogging over.Dragon ordered, "Everyone begin action. Hoist the sails and head southeast towards the Marine base.""Yes, Leader!" the Revolutionary Army members shouted in response, then ran to inform the already prepared Revolutionary Army members.After giving the order, Dragon lowered his head and said to Sabo, "Sabo, go up and inform Lin Tian that the operation has begun.""No need to inform me, I already know."Before his voice faded, a voice already sounded from above, and Lin Tian floated down directly from the air."That sleep was comfortable, refreshing, and my strength has recovered. I'm ready for action at any time."...Meanwhile, the pirates, who had been waiting for a long time, also hoisted their sails and rowed their oars, heading towards the massive Marine fleet on the sea.Every pirate captain issued the same order, "Advance towards the Marine fleet."..."Young Master, the Marines have begun their operation," Baby 5 said in a low voice.
Chapter 144: The Naval Battle BeginsThe Marine fleet, consisting of twelve marine warships, was arranged in an elliptical formation, while in the very center were four massive cargo ships, carrying not tenryuubito tribute, but four powerful bombs.All the lights of the entire fleet were turned on, resembling a ribbon of light that was so dazzling on the pitch-black ocean that this massive fleet could be spotted from miles away.Outside the fleet, hundreds of points of light appeared, surrounding the fleet. Looking down from high above, one could see an elliptical ring of light surrounded by tiny specks of light.On the marine warships, all Marine Soldiers held their posts tightly, gripping their weapons as they stared intently at the pirate ships in the distance, which appeared only as tiny specks of light, their palms already beginning to sweat.Although everyone knew there were many pirates before setting out, they didn't expect that a rough count of the incoming pirates would reveal over a hundred ships, which was ten times the number of marine warships.Faced with such numbers, any Marine would be nervous, but seeing the Marine Vice Admirals standing on the ships, everyone's hearts couldn't help but calm down. Even if the pirates were numerous, with the combat power of these Marine Vice Admirals present, no matter how many pirates there were, it would be useless given their strength.As time passed, the distance between the pirate ships and the marine warships grew closer. The cannons, which had been prepared for a long time, let out huge roars as soon as they entered range, their massive muzzles spewing jets of orange fire.Bang! Bang! Bang... Deafening sounds echoed across the entire battlefield, the calm ocean instantly became noisy, and a massive naval battle began.Countless black cannonballs, propelled by the immense force of the gunpowder explosions, vanished instantly into the black night sky, with only the shrill sounds of the cannonballs violently rubbing against the air coming from high above.In the dark of night, not only was the accuracy of the shelling much worse, but the black cannonballs blended into the darkness, making them difficult to dodge. Therefore, both Marines and pirates were doing their best, firing all their shells at the enemy ships as quickly as possible.Shelling in such an environment was extremely disadvantageous for the Marines, who were at a severe disadvantage in numbers. Although the Marines were well-trained, with a tenfold difference in the number of ships, even the most superb gunnery was useless.Swish, swish, swish... Some skilled gunners among the Marines, hearing these extremely close whistling sounds, instantly identified the trajectories of these cannonballs. They hurriedly dove to the side and shouted loudly, "Incoming cannonballs, take cover, take cover!"But before the Marines could dodge, a figure appeared on the deck, and a flash of sword light appeared. With several bangs, multiple explosions rang out on both sides of the ship, the orange-red fire illuminating the entire deck brightly.To reduce the probability of being hit by cannonballs, and since the goal of attracting the pirates had already been achieved, all marine warships, including those few transport ships, extinguished all the lights they could."Vice Admiral Momonga!" Seeing the figure who had slashed the cannonballs to pieces, the Marines couldn't help but exclaim joyfully.With a swish, another cold light flashed, and the incoming cannonballs were slashed to pieces again. Several deafening explosions rang out, and the powerful shockwave knocked several caught-off-guard Marine Soldiers to the ground."You all continue firing, I will block these cannonballs," Vice Admiral Momonga shouted loudly."Yes!" Since the Vice Admiral has already taken action, what do we have to worry about? With all the Marines working together, the cannons on the marine warships that had stopped firing roared again, and the rate of fire was even faster than before.This scene was happening on all the marine warships. Although the Marines were at a disadvantage in numbers this time, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had long anticipated this, so he had dispatched elite Naval Officers from Marineford, hoping to offset the numerical gap with elite forces.For these Naval Officers from Marineford, they had all mastered Haki. Blocking these cannonballs in the dark of night was something they could do easily.There were too many pirates. As soon as the naval battle began, over a hundred pirate ships opened fire at once; the number of cannonballs was simply too high.The pirates' shelling accuracy was poor, but with so many cannonballs, quite a few still hit the hulls. The Naval Officers had to take action to protect the marine warships, otherwise, the ships would have been destroyed by cannonballs before the pirates even got close.The rest of the shells that missed fell into the seawater, emitting muffled sounds, and the orange-red fire flashed beneath the surface, lighting up the entire ocean surface with that orange-red glow.The shockwaves generated by countless explosions raged beneath the ocean surface, and the calm sea instantly began to boil. Waves several meters high continuously crashed against the hulls, and even the massive marine warships began to sway under these waves.Many weaker Marine Soldiers could only hold tightly onto nearby objects to steady themselves. Faced with this situation, everyone still tried their best to stick to their posts, and the cannons continued to roar.The pirates on the other side were not as fortunate. The accuracy of the Marine shelling was not something these weak pirates could compare with. In the first wave of Marine shelling, several pirate ships were hit.These pirates might look numerous, but most of them were the lowest-level pirates in the Grand Line. In most Pirate Crews, the highest bounty was only twenty or thirty million, so how could such Pirate Crews have any experts, and who could block cannonballs?Such Pirate Crews originally lacked the strength to participate in the competition for the tenryuubito tribute, and they knew their own level. However, instigated by Mingo, these pirates believed that by uniting, they were a very powerful force that would definitely be able to eliminate these Marines and the other pirates, and in the end, the tenryuubito tributewould be theirs.But among the Marines and powerful pirates, they were just cannon fodder. The role of cannon fodder was to consume the opponent's strength and push the entire battlefield to its climax."Boys, speed up and charge! We are already at the very front. The Marine combat power has all been drawn to the New World, and the Marines there are very weak. Charge up, kill those Marines, and that immense wealth will be ours!"On one pirate ship, the Captain held up the golden hook on his right hand and said with a crazed look on his face, while the faces of the pirates below were similarly filled with madness."Bang, bang...!" Several explosions rang out, and as the smoke cleared, that pirate ship had already turned into pieces of wreckage of various sizes floating on the ocean surface. Those pirates who survived the explosion could only float on the ocean surface.The pirate ships coming from behind were not so merciful. They didn't care if there were people in front of them and just rammed directly into these pirates in the water. This scene was happening in every corner of the entire battlefield.Looking at the four massive transport ships protected by the Marines, all the pirates went crazy. No one knew how much wealth those massive transport ships could hold, but even a little bit would be enough to live worry-free for a lifetime.Outside the encirclement, sixteen pirate ships lagged behind at the very back. They didn't open fire, just quietly watching the spectacular scene of hundreds of cannons roaring in unison.Most of these were the truly powerful pirates who dominated the first half of the Grand Line, each with a bounty of over one hundred million. It was unknown why they remained in the first half instead of entering the New World, but their strength was unquestionable."The Joker did a good job this time. Although this trash isn't very strong, gathering them together as cannon fodder has indeed caused quite a bit of trouble for the Marines," a large man said boorishly, taking a bite of the roasted leg in his hand.Then he turned his head, looked at a man beside him, and asked loudly, "Strategist, having seen this so far, have you figured anything out?"The man nodded, withdrew his gaze, and pondered, "The Joker's intelligence was not wrong. The accuracy of these Marines' shelling is much higher than the Marines we usually encounter, and with so many cannonballs, not a single marine warship has been hit. These warships all have powerful Naval Officers on board.""It seems Marine reinforcements did indeed arrive last night, and they are elite forces from Marineford. We need to be careful this time."Hmph! The large man gave a heavy cold snort. "Of course. I spent ten million Berries. If the Joker dares to lie to me, the iron hammer in my hand definitely won't spare him. Others might fear him, the Joker, but I certainly don't."After speaking, the large man looked at the marine warships in the pirate encirclement and said in a deep voice, "So what if elite forces from Marinefordhave arrived?"He scanned the pirates nearby and continued, "Most of the powerful pirates of the first half have arrived. As long as there is no Admiral combat power, the Marine Vice Admirals simply cannot stop us."With a swish, a white cold light flashed, followed by two explosions ringing out in the sky. The man expressionlessly sheathed the long sword in his hand and said, "Regardless, it would be better for us to be careful.""Fine, I'll listen to the Strategist for these brain-draining matters; anyway, I'll just focus on fighting when the time comes," the man rubbed his head and said with a smile. (To be continued.)