A Hefty Ransom

In just three days, the island that had been taken back by the Whitebeard Pirates was reclaimed by the Night Pirates.

Coupled with their powerful offensive, even with the Whitebeard Pirates' fierce resistance, the Night Pirates managed to breach two islands.

The Whitebeard Pirates controlled many islands close to the Night Pirates' territory, especially after these islands, which originally belonged to the Whitebeard Pirates, were occupied.

Therefore, the Night Pirates, who hold the initiative, have many options regarding how to attack and which island to target. In contrast, the Whitebeard Pirates, despite their strength, are somewhat lacking in manpower.

In particular, two important members, Wyper and Haruta, were captured.

The Whitebeard Pirates' affiliated pirate crews didn't participate in the battle; there were only a few. It wasn't that they didn't want to come, but rather that the journey was too long. After all, this was the Whitebeard Pirates' outskirts, and they had many other places in the New World to fight in.

Moreover, they were confident in the Whitebeard Pirates' strength, given that several division commanders had taken action.

The Whitebeard Pirates, having temporarily shown weakness, shifted from an offensive to a defensive posture.

Through Transponder Snail, they belonged to different islands, forming a defensive line to resist the attack of the Night Pirates.

This is a temporary truce; the war has just ended, but it will resume in just a few days.

"Don't panic, everyone. Hold on. Pops has sent reinforcements," said Jozu, the leader. However, he was frowning, and it was clear that he was not at peace.

They hadn't expected the Night Pirates to launch a counterattack. Two key members were captured, and the morale of the Whitebeard Pirates was slightly low. In addition, their overall strength was clearly insufficient against the Night Pirates.

In this battle, the islands that had been recaptured were taken back by the Night Pirates, who also ceded two other islands.

But the most important thing is the safety of Wyper and Haruta.

The Whitebeard Pirates valued family ties highly. Now that Wyper and Haruta have been captured, although they haven't died, the Night Pirates, having captured them, naturally wouldn't kill them, otherwise they would truly offend the Whitebeard Pirates.

However, we must rescue Wyper and the others as soon as possible. It's a disgrace for them to be unable to protect their families, and if this goes on for too long, it will definitely have a significant impact on the Whitebeard Pirates.

Many people are watching from the high seas now.

"How about we launch Night Raid? Let's infiltrate the Night Pirates' territory together and rescue Wyper and the others. It doesn't matter if our defenses are weak and we lose a few islands; we can take them back later," Rayok said through gritted teeth, gripping the meteor hammer chain tightly in his hand.

A meeting had actually been held to discuss this issue beforehand, but the Night Pirates launched a surprise attack shortly after the meeting began, catching them completely off guard.

They naturally knew the location where Wyper and Haruta were imprisoned, and the Night Pirates had no intention of hiding it.

On an island that originally belonged to the Whitebeard Pirates, right in front of them, it seemed to beckon them, yet remained out of reach.

It seems that three members of the Night Pirates were stationed on that island to guard Wyper and Haruta: Gari, Slada, and Nelson. Also, the island was relatively large and had abundant resources.

"No, that might be a trap set by the Night Pirates to lure us there." Invading the Night Pirates' territory isn't that simple; just these three officers alone will be difficult to deal with.

Moreover, members of the Night Pirates on other islands are always ready to provide support. It would be bad if they were surrounded by the Night Pirates.

"Don't worry about Wyper and the others, Pops will handle it. The Night Pirates wouldn't dare harm them," Jozu said confidently, a fact they were well aware of.

The Whitebeard Pirates, faced with the capture of their family members, naturally wouldn't stand idly by; they had already received the news.

"Gurararara! Teach has an officer on Gaya Island, right? Let Marco ask what price they need to pay to ransom Wyper and the others." Whitebeard laughed loudly upon receiving the news, showing no anger. Being defeated and captured merely meant that his children were no match for others.

Since the Night Pirates didn't harm their lives, it means this matter is negotiable.

Looking at the somewhat angry children around him, Whitebeard slammed his large sword heavily on the deck. "Make a note of this matter and deal with it later. Right now, things here are more important."

Moreover, the pressure from the Night Pirates and the New World can also help his children grow.

"But who will go to Jozu's side to provide support next?"

Whitebeard takes the war with the Night Pirates very seriously. Currently, the Whitebeard Pirates' base is in the Sea of Chaos in the middle of the New World. If the Night Pirates raid their base and steal too many islands, it will be a great loss for the Whitebeard Pirates.

Now, the Night Pirates have occupied nearly ten islands Whitebeard Pirates, and he needs to send out more powerful fighters to resist the Night Pirates and reclaim the territory that the Night Pirates have taken.

Upon hearing this, many members of the Whitebeard Pirates volunteered.

"Pops, let me go."

"I'm going too!"

Besides the core members of the Whitebeard Pirates, there were also members of other affiliated pirate crews present, all of whom were currently fighting alongside Whitebeard in the Sea of Chaos.

As the Whitebeard Pirates expanded, their territory became increasingly insufficient. After all, the Flying Pirates were still around, and the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates were even more powerful, along with many other dominant pirate crews and forces.

Therefore, seizing more territory, especially more valuable territory, is especially important. Although all Whitebeard wanted was a home, they were pirates after all and needed territory.

Striving for greater living space for his family is something he, Pops, should do.

Moreover, as the Sea Emperor, the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates have become somewhat quiet.

Like the Flying Pirates, they are the biggest rivals to other forces in the New World. Although they are powerful, they also face tremendous pressure.

The larger the territory occupied, the more other forces it will border, requiring it to simultaneously contend with attacks from several forces, or even a coalition of several forces.

After all, the territory in the Sea of Chaos is limited; the more territory the Whitebeard Pirates occupy, the less territory other forces have.

This was destined, Flying Pirates were no exception.

However, the Flying Pirates are undoubtedly in a much better position. In the sky, thanks to the abilities of Pirate Admiral "Golden Lion" Shiki, they have already established their own Sky Kingdom.

More than one hundred islands of varying sizes have come together to form a terrifying Sky Island group!

All four islands are gathered together, and there are even several kingdoms under the World Government!

This is the Sky Kingdom that Golden Lion. Now it is no longer just a kingdom belonging to pirates, but the Sky Kingdom that belongs to Golden Lion.

The concept of the Sky Kingdom was proposed by Shiki the Golden Lion Shiki's right-hand man, "Uranus" Rhine. As the wise man of the Flying Pirates, he undoubtedly grasped the direction of the future.

Moreover, the distances between different islands at sea are vast, and there are great dangers at sea.

However, controlling so many islands at the same time puts a lot of pressure on the Golden Lion, especially if it continues, as it may even affect the Golden Lion's combat strength.

Therefore, with his own abilities, the Golden Lion controlled the White Sea and the Island Cloud, connecting all the islands together. With a large amount of Island Cloud present, he was able to stably keep these islands floating in the air.

This also saved Golden Lion Shiki's energy.

Here, a ladder made of white clouds connects the various islands, allowing the residents to move freely. They live in peace and prosperity, free from war and suffering—truly an ideal paradise.

"The Golden Lion doesn't seem so bad after all; he didn't slaughter us." A passerby stood on this paradise-like island, gazing at the large island in the center from afar!

Meanwhile, the residents who had also been abducted couldn't help but nod in agreement. In a place like this, there was no need to worry about pirates invading!

Ah! Life is nothing more than this.

They have no worries about food, drink, or clothing; there is no war or suffering, because there are no conflicts of interest, and the residents here rarely even quarrel!

The daily updates of various videos bring immense joy to their otherwise mundane lives. Although they lack strength, watching powerful figures battle on the high seas is still quite entertaining, isn't it?

Because of this, the Golden Lion Pirates' territory is very safe, allowing them to have more power to guard or occupy other islands.

The Flying Pirates are now far more powerful than the Whitebeard Pirates, especially with the establishment of the Sky Kingdom, which has attracted many pirates to join their Flying Pirates.

After all, who would willingly become someone else's son and wish to have multiple fathers on their head?

There are also many Flying Pirates with territories on the high seas. Although they have established Sky Kingdom, it does not mean that they have lost contact with the sea. The Flying Pirates naturally control the routes from the sea to the Sky Island.

This is precisely why Golden Lion Shiki has become a much greater threat. Although he is slightly weaker than Whitebeard in terms of raw strength, he has surpassed Whitebeard in bounty, reaching 4.97 billion. He will soon become the second Great Pirate with a bounty exceeding 5 billion.

The last Great Pirate with a bounty exceeding 5 billion was the Pirate King Roger.

This is enough to demonstrate the power of the Flying Pirates in the New World; even the Whitebeard Pirates have to give way to them.

The crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates are still young and have not yet reached their peak; they still need time to grow.

Meanwhile, on Gaya Island, war is brewing in the waters around Gaya Island. Naval deployment will require a lot of time, manpower, and resources.

Today, Gaya Island has been divided into sections and divided among various forces. Although the Gaya Island is shrouded in the smoke of war, it is actually quite lively.

With the arrival of powerful figures from various factions, they are confident they can withstand the navy.

However, with such a mixed bag of people, things were naturally very chaotic underneath, with minor conflicts and all sorts of incidents constantly occurring.

Among them were many local pirate residents, after all, many of their interests had been seized by foreign forces.

They originally considered the Golden Sea to be their own, but with the increase of foreign forces, their living space was gradually squeezed, and a large amount of their territory was invaded and seized.

However, resistance was futile; they lacked the most decisive force.

A blue-green figure flew across the sky, and many people knew who he was: Marco the Phoenix. The direction he flew was towards the territory of the Night Pirates.

Thinking about what had happened in the past few days, an interested look appeared on their faces.

"Please come in, Mr. Lafitte is already waiting for you inside," said a member of the Night Pirates guarding the door.

They still held Marco in high esteem, though their tone carried a hint of pride; they were naturally aware of the news from the New World.

Marco frowned, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, but a loss was a loss. Wyper and the others had been captured and would definitely have to be ransomed; the Night Pirates wouldn't release Wyper so easily.

Moreover, the Night Pirates are not so easily dealt with; they are prepared to bleed.

Upon entering the territory belonging to the Night Pirates, Lafitte was already waiting inside, a slight smile on his face. His face was somewhat pale, his lips were crimson, and even his attire was rather strange.

Marco harbored deep fear of Lafitte. Lafitte was an extremely ruthless person who enjoyed violence and torturing others; he was undoubtedly a villain, a born villain.

Furthermore, Lafitte is very strong. Although he is not yet his match, he is very troublesome. The Ancient Species' flight ability is even faster than his flight speed. If he wants to escape, he simply cannot stop Lafitte.

And then there's that bizarre hypnotic ability, and his intelligence is extraordinary. To be honest, he doesn't want to communicate with someone like Lafitte.

Lafitte stood there quietly, looking at him without saying a word. Finally, Marco couldn't hold back any longer. "Release Wyper and the others. We acknowledge that the islands you occupied belong to you, and we will not take them back in the future."

"Heh, even if they've been occupied, they're naturally our islands. We don't need your recognition. Besides, I don't think you have the ability to take these islands back." Lafitte laughed when he heard Marco say this. Marco was practically trying to get something for nothing; how could he possibly agree to that?

"So, what do you want?" Marco's face was somewhat grim as he looked at Lafitte and said in a deep voice. Around them were members of the Night Pirates, smiling and watching him, which made him feel even more humiliated.

"..." Lafitte lightly pinched the brim of his hat, twirled his cane, slightly raised his head, smiled at Marco, and opened his mouth.

Marco's face turned extremely ugly upon hearing this. He could easily guess Lafitte's offer. He remained silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth.

"We agreed."

Marco soon left the Night Pirates' territory on Gaya Island.

Three days later, on the battlefield between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Night Pirates, "Ice Witch" Wyper, Haruta, and her crew were released and returned to the Whitebeard Pirates' territory.

With so many people watching, the transactions made were impossible to hide.

The Whitebeard Pirates used seven Devil Fruit plus 3 billion Beli to ransom the captured members of the Whitebeard Pirates.

The price was undoubtedly very high, and the way it was done made the Whitebeard Pirates feel extremely pained and humiliated.

It's easy to imagine that the ensuing war will be even more intense.