The Marines were the Marines, and the World Government was the World Government.
All they needed to do was fulfill their duties as Marines and obey orders.
As for the political struggles within the World Government, those had nothing to do with them.
...
Some time later...
Meanwhile, in a certain sea area of the North Blue.
"We're almost there."
Standing at the bow, Is looked toward the enormous island on the horizon.
A dense mass of dark clouds hung over the island, splitting apart irregularly and casting a gloomy shadow over everything below.
Ripples of immense force continuously erupted from the island, shaking the surrounding seas and sending waves rolling across the ocean surface.
Even from this distance, they could still feel the residual shockwaves of the battle raging on the island, enough to prove just how fierce the fighting had become.
"Those great pirates are really going all out for the Pluton battleship blueprints."
Acnologia leaned against the ship's railing, letting the sea breeze brush past him as he spoke indifferently.
There were currently seven great pirates on the island, all fighting one another for possession of the Pluton battleship blueprints.
Even though they knew the Marines would eventually receive the news and come to suppress them, none of them chose to flee. Every one of them was waiting for a chance to kill Byrnndi World and seize the blueprints.
Since they were mostly fighting independently, whenever one person got close to killing Byrnndi World and taking the plans, the others would immediately interfere.
As a result, despite battling for so long, no one had managed to kill Byrnndi World, nor had anyone obtained the Pluton blueprints.
The battle had fallen into a stalemate.
They all knew that the longer it dragged on, the more dangerous their situation would become, yet none of them were willing to let anyone else have a chance at obtaining the Pluton blueprints.
"Most pirates are either consumed by ambition or twisted in the mind. Every one of them dreams of ruling the world or destroying it. Since the Pluton battleship can make those dreams a reality, it's only natural they'd fight this desperately."
Unohana Retsu sat calmly in her chair as she gave her assessment.
"Are we killing all of them here, Is?"
Uchiha Madara rested his scythe on his shoulder, already prepared for battle as he glanced toward Is.
"If we can kill them all, then kill them all."
Is picked up a teacup from the table and took a sip.
...
As their ship drew closer, the pirates on the island also noticed the Marine warship sailing across the sea.
"The Marines are here."
Charlotte Linlin gripped Napoleon with both hands while standing atop the cloud Zeus, her expression dark as she stared at the approaching vessel.
"So those damned Marines finally showed up!"
Shiki the Golden Lion withdrew from the battlefield and floated into the air, turning his gaze toward the warship.
Bang!
The moment Shiki shifted his attention toward the sea, John suddenly pulled the trigger.
A Haki-coated bullet shot straight toward Shiki.
Whoosh!
Shiki turned his head and drew one of his famous swords, slicing the incoming bullet cleanly in half.
"John, Seastone bullets don't work on me. How many more times do you plan to try?"
Shiki spoke calmly.
Seastone bullets were indeed effective against Devil Fruit users.
As long as one struck Shiki, it would greatly weaken his ability to use his powers.
The problem was...
They couldn't hit him.
"As long as one lands, you'll be at a disadvantage for the rest of this battle."
John holstered his pistol and replied indifferently.
Throughout the fight, he had been searching for opportunities to shoot Shiki, but every attempt had failed.
"Wait... the man standing at the bow is Is!"
Whitebeard suddenly recognized the figure standing at the front of the Marine warship.
It was Is.
The man who had killed their captain, Rocks.
"What?! Is?!"
Even Shiki looked toward the warship in shock.
Sure enough, the man standing at the bow was none other than the Celestial Dragon Aurelius D. Virel Is—the man the world hailed as a god.
"Damn it... why is he the one who came?"
Cold sweat appeared on Charlotte Linlin's forehead.
Even if Fleet Admiral Kong had arrived personally, they would not have feared him this much.
But the one who had come was Is.
"Damn it. We've wasted too much time on this island. Even the Celestial Dragons have arrived."
Silver Axe stared coldly at the distant figure standing at the bow.
"Should we retreat? Even Captain Rocks wasn't a match for him."
John was already considering withdrawal.
The name Is carried far too much weight throughout the world.
"Lion Chikiri Valley!"
Just as the three were discussing retreat, Shiki suddenly floated high into the air and swung both of his famous swords toward the Marine warship carrying Is.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Countless golden flying slashes surged forward at astonishing speed.
"Shiki, shouldn't your first reaction upon seeing me be to run?"
Is spoke calmly.
Sheets of paper separated from his body and gathered together in his hand, forming a longsword.
Armament Haki immediately coated the blade.
Slash!
With a single-handed horizontal sweep, Is unleashed a terrifying sword wave that shattered every golden slash in front of him.
Some of Shiki's attacks, however, struck the sea itself, cleaving through the ocean surface.
A grin spread across Shiki's face as though his scheme had succeeded.
His fingers moved slightly.
Immediately, the ocean surrounding Is's ship began to surge upward, raising dozens of gigantic waves that towered into the sky.
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