The Final Battle Was About to Begin
"That guy has finally made his move." Holding a newspaper, looking at the headline that clearly reported the Night Pirates' renewed expansion campaign, Buggy said solemnly.
Although he's dressed as a clown, he exudes a unique and imposing Haki. This is Buggy, the captain of the Clown Pirates, with a bounty of 760 million.
In less than a year, the bounty tripled.
"Captain, the Dark Emperor is strong, but you're not bad either. Is it necessary to be so afraid of him?" Carlos, standing to the side, was somewhat puzzled. He could see that Buggy harbored a deep sense of dread towards the Dark Teach, Teach.
Even he had to admit that Dark Emperor Teach was a true monster; they had vividly witnessed the great battle between Dark Emperor Teach and Pluto Rayleigh.
Our own captain is still far behind Dark Emperor Teach.
However, he believed that with his captain's potential, he wouldn't be too bad; what he lacked wasn't just time.
But thinking about his own captain's pointless actions makes him want to laugh.
"Hmph! That guy is a real monster, he's lived much longer than us." Teach's physique was no secret to many people, Buggy knew it all too well.
Catching up isn't that easy. He's improving, and Teach is getting stronger, not to mention Teach has more time.
Those who are family know their own situation. Aside from his Devil Fruit ability, Teach has a powerful physique and superhuman strength. This innate advantage means that Teach has a higher potential that cannot be narrowed by hard work alone.
Besides, Teach's efforts were no less than his.
Moreover, his intuition told him that Teach was extremely dangerous. When the two met in the East China Sea, Teach's words and the look in his eyes as he was about to leave sent chills down his spine.
Something bad seemed to be going on; Teach seemed to have his eye on something.
Perhaps, he will find out later.
Buggy's intuition is very sharp, and he trusts his premonitions. He has avoided many crises in advance by relying on his intuition.
Therefore, after entering the New World, he separated from Shanks. Shanks sailed in a southerly direction, while he sailed in a northerly direction, partly to avoid the Night Pirates' advance.
He naturally wanted to stay far away from a dangerous figure like Teach, especially since he was still young and not yet a match for Teach in terms of strength.
"Haha, this has nothing to do with us, let's continue the banquet!" Shanks tossed the newspaper aside, grabbed a bottle of wine, and shouted, then drank heartily.
"Captain, something terrible has happened! Three pirate crews have joined forces and are attacking!" At that moment, a crew member rushed over.
The moment the words were spoken, the joyful atmosphere vanished, and a chilling aura emanated from the Red-Haired Pirates members present.
"This is troublesome. The banquet has to be interrupted. In that case, let's deal with them first." Shanks put down his wine glass and chuckled, placing one hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist.
On the other side, in the first half of the Grand Line, Golden Sea.
The war in the Golden Sea escalated further, with frenzied fighting erupting. The World Government, determined to seize the gold, would not yield so easily; they had their sights set on the Golden Sea and were willing to pay any price.
Therefore, as time went by, the number of naval and army troops sent to the Golden Sea continued to increase.
However, the resistance from the various factions on Gaya Island was unexpectedly strong and extremely tenacious.
The major World Government have sent stronger support, and the New World will also receive the news and send even more powerful individuals.
In terms of military strength, they are undoubtedly at a great disadvantage compared to the World Government.
Moreover, the waters around Gaya Island are blocked off, and their main base is in the New World. The forces sent to provide support need to be very covert and troublesome, and they also need to be protected from being sniped.
Therefore, it is necessary to rely on the strength of the powerful people on Gaya Island, focusing on defense while simultaneously employing naval guerrilla warfare tactics to harass the naval and army soldiers.
At the same time, when facing these enemies, kill them if you can, regardless of their strength, and try to reduce their numbers as much as possible.
Faced with the World Government's encirclement and suppression, Gaya Island is under immense pressure, with shortages of various supplies. It is primarily focused on defense, and its artillery shells are being consumed rapidly.
The supply of large quantities of materials often requires Nelson, a user of the Devil Fruit, to transport them back and forth using his ability to Steal-Steal Fruit.
At the same time, there are also cargo ships coming in from outside. The ocean is so vast that the World Government's blockade is not secure.
At such times, in order to ensure the smooth arrival of the cargo ship, the strongmen of Gaya Island would first attack the warships patrolling the area where the cargo ship was coming from.
They were already at a disadvantage, so in order to win, they would stop at nothing. The patrolling warships would not have survived without a Vice Admiral- level expert.
If faced with a stronger pirate ambush, and without reinforcements, one might also perish.
This is why the Navy and the World Government suffered enormous losses, losing over a hundred warships alone. Warships were also the primary targets of these powerful forces.
Navigation at sea requires warships; without warships, the World Government's coalition forces would naturally be unable to continue their offensive, and they would also need to rescue the soldiers who had fallen into the water.
The compensation and other post-mortem arrangements all need to be made. The economic and human losses caused by the Golden Sea over the years have been enormous.
The Golden Sea is currently attracting more attention than the Chaos Sea of the New World.
Even though the scope of the Golden Sea Battle was much smaller than that of the Chaos Sea.
Countless amounts of gold—who could ignore that?
The battles between pirates are nowhere as interesting as the wars between various forces and the World Government.
The Golden Sea was like a meat grinder; the number of deaths and the speed at which they occurred were staggering, according to statistics.
In just one year, the World Government had lost a total of 100,000 soldiers.
Of these, 60,000 are in the army and 40,000 in the navy.
This is an unimaginable number; this war truly lives up to its name as a meat grinder.
The navy was deeply pained by the enormous losses, but the war was far from over, and they had to continue to invest in it, sending out more and more naval soldiers.
The hope of occupying the Golden Sea was within reach. In their eyes, they already had a clear advantage and would soon be able to occupy Gaya Island and the Golden Sea.
Indeed, this is the case. Marine Admiral "Black Dove" Frieda and "Aokiji" Kuzan, the two strongest combatants in the Navy, plus Army Admiral "Violent Bear," a master of physical combat, possessed the Ancient Species Bear-Bear Fruit Fine-Toothed Bear form, which had already been Awakening.
The presence of three Admiral- level fighters put immense pressure on Gaya Island, which only had one Admiral- level powerhouse, "Lightning Titan" Chronos.
However, in terms of individual combat strength, Chronos is undoubtedly stronger than the three Admiral of the World Government.
The three Admiral alone held back many powerful pirates, and they also had many Vice Admiral- level fighters under their command, along with a massive army.
The sense of oppression it brought was extremely strong.
The World Government has undoubtedly made up its mind; any losses incurred will be worthwhile if it gains the Golden Sea.
Although the World Government holds the advantage, it is also at odds with the rest of the world. The small Gaya Island is home to many powerful forces from around the globe, including World Government Member States.
This all represents their interests; how could they possibly let the World Government swallow it up like this?
The World Government is corrupt, and many are waiting for change to begin. Even some of the World Government Member States are showing signs of restlessness.
How could they possibly allow the World Government to grow stronger again using the vast wealth of the Golden Sea?
Undercurrents are surging around the world, not only in a chaotic world, but also targeting the World Government and the navy.
In the first half of the Grand Line, under the manipulation and influence of various forces, pirates became even more rampant and chaotic, and various Marine Branch suffered attacks both openly and secretly.
This has greatly increased the pressure on the Navy, and it's unclear why.
The same was true in the New World, where many pirates came to New World front and attacked Marine warship.
Kaido of the Beasts descended from the sky and landed directly at the G1 Branch, causing chaos before leaving. At present, Admiral Akainu is no match for Kaido. If it weren't for Admiral Kizaru being sent by the Marine Headquarters for support, the G1 Branch might have been destroyed.
Even so, more than half of the G1 Branch was destroyed, and Admiral Akainu was seriously injured.
Ares, the "Fierce God" of the Night Pirates, appeared directly at the Marine G3 Branch. With terrifying power, he forcefully killed the Marine Vice Admiral guarding the G3 Branch. More than half of the G3 Branch was killed or wounded, and the entire branch was completely destroyed.
Other powerful pirate crews also took action, causing significant losses to the Navy's power in the New World and forcing them to shrink their influence. The Navy's operational range in the New World was greatly reduced.
In the first half of the Grand Line, three Marine Branch were massacred, and the one who did it was none other than "The Lone Red" Redfield. The World Government and the Navy benefited, Redfield did not want to see.
Moreover, they harbor absolute hatred for each other. Revenge may be delayed, but it will never disappear. This particular opportunity is merely a coincidence.
Just as the World Government's coalition forces were gaining the upper hand in the Golden Sea, a storm was brewing, plunging the world into further chaos, with the target being the World Government and the Navy.
The navy was completely devastated, and its originally thriving upward trend was halted, instead regressing.
The losses were enormous. Adding the losses at the Golden Sea, the total naval losses worldwide have exceeded 100,000.
The World Government's influence around the world has been suppressed to varying degrees, and many World Government officials have been assassinated, some of whom have died.
The bloodshed of the war was exposed; most people died. Public opinion was directed at the World Government and the Navy. The Golden Sea is the wealth of the sea and belongs to everyone.
The World Government and the Navy, driven by greed, wanted to seize this wealth for themselves, thus launching an "unjust" war that resulted in the deaths of so many lives.
They proclaimed the concept of peaceful development on Gaya Island, claiming that the Golden Sea belongs to everyone and that everyone can pan for the Golden Sea.
This amplified the negative influence of the World Government and the Navy, portraying the pirates and various factions of Gaya Island as heroes fighting for the people of the world.
Such ideas spread widely around the world, and also aroused resistance against World Government and navies, especially among the relatives of those soldiers who died in the war.
They joined the navy for justice and to protect civilians, not for interests that don't belong to them.
Within the navy, the massive losses also generated immense negative sentiment.
Such public opinion is something even World Government cannot suppress.
Taking advantage of this opportunity Revolutionary Army spread its ideology, expanded its power, and prepared to overthrow some kingdoms.
Even on the Red Line, the base of the World Government, some unrest has occurred.
This situation was completely unexpected by the World Government and the Navy. The situation seemed to be spiraling out of control, as if the whole world had become their enemy in an instant.
Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that, aside from a few who acted openly, most were pushing things along in secret, but they also knew why.
They violated the interests of the majority and were resisted by most forces.
The alliance, formed to prevent the World Government from winning the Golden Sea Battle, has had such a huge and widespread impact.
Some Affiliated Nation began to put pressure on the World Government, arguing that the wars launched by the World Government were of no significance in maintaining world stability, and that the losses to the navy and the chaos at sea could not provide effective protection for their kingdoms, but instead caused them enormous losses.
Therefore, these World Government Member States refused to hand over the Heavenly Gold, and the World Government failed to fulfill its mission of maintaining world peace and stability.
The World Government Member States the World Government, and the World Government might even take action to destroy that World Government Member States through its own power.
Other World Government Member States will remain bystanders, as this does not affect their interests.
But what if there were ten World Government Member States? Twenty? Or even fifty?
There are many corrupt kingdoms that like to follow the Celestial Dragons, but there are also many kings who are ambitious, rational, and can be considered wise rulers.
Moreover, there is a large number of followers. If they can avoid paying the Heavenly Gold or reduce it, they will also benefit greatly, since 10 billion Beli of Heavenly Gold is really too much.
The world has become more chaotic, causing enormous losses to these Affiliated Nation, which is undoubtedly due to the inaction of the World Government.
A World Government is only World Government if it has the support of all its Affiliated Nation; without the support of its Affiliated Nation, World Government is nothing more than a powerful kingdom.
The Heavenly Gold is undoubtedly the lifeblood of the World Government, and it's impossible for them to ignore it.
To be honest, the World Government doesn't have the ability to resist most of its World Government Member States unless it doesn't want to rule the world.
These World Government Member States have also demonstrated their extraordinary influence.
In the past, the World Government was the only dominant force, and the Affiliated Nation seemed dispensable. Now, the power of the Affiliated Nation has been fully demonstrated.
Not to mention the resistance from most powerful countries.
The World Government was undoubtedly panicked. If it could suppress the previous chaos with its powerful strength, the resistance from the Affiliated Nation World Government like a blow to the head.
The participation of Affiliated Nation has made it difficult to reverse global public opinion.
Within the World Government, the conflict quickly split into two factions: one advocating for a ceasefire, and the other insisting on continuing the war.
The reason for the ceasefire was the issue of the Heavenly Gold. Without the Heavenly Gold to sustain it, the World Government, with its enormous size, would be unable to function at all.
Even though the World Government still has a considerable amount of funds, it cannot sustain this for long. The time has come to hand over the Heavenly Gold, but the Affiliated Nation have yet to take any action.
There is no doubt that these Affiliated Nation are not joking.
The pro-war faction also had very valid reasons: the war had progressed to this point, countless amounts of money had been spent, and victory was within reach; if they were to give up now, wouldn't all the previous investments have been in vain?
That would also be a huge blow to the prestige of the World Government.
If they just hold on a little longer and conquer Gaya Island, the entire Golden Sea will be theirs. They can also eliminate a powerful group of pirates, weaken their strength, strike at those forces that oppose the World Government, deter them, and strengthen the World Government's prestige.
Once the World Government obtains the Golden Sea, it will quickly amass a fortune, and the total amount of gold in the Golden Sea is countless "Heavenly Gold."
At that time, all problems will cease to be problems.
At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku's eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't rested in a long time. During this period, countless young lives had been sacrificed in the fight for justice, which was also a huge blow to the Navy's power.
Public opinion around the world is difficult to reverse, even for World Government, let alone the navy.
This put a lot of pressure on him and on them.
Even if the World Government agrees to compensate them, those are all lives lost, and as the Fleet Admiral, he bears a heavy responsibility.
During the Sengoku, he couldn't even sleep.
They hadn't anticipated that the war would escalate to this point and that such a situation would arise.
No one expected that it would inflict such a huge blow on the navy's power; the enormous losses are heartbreaking.
The Navy has once again become the scapegoat, paying the price for the World Government's mistakes.
Amidst the grief, a sense of anger also permeated the Navy, and this anger towards the World Government seemed to have begun to show some resistance, something Sengoku was well aware of.
Despite the navy suffering such heavy losses, World Government officials instead blamed the navy for its incompetence, arguing that it couldn't conquer the Golden Sea sooner and cause such significant damage to the World Government.
Even Sengoku was almost laughing in anger; after all, he was a "Buddha," and he nearly killed that high-ranking official of the World Government with a single, furious palm strike.
He walked in, carrying a cup of brewed tea. Seeing Sengoku's appearance, she sighed, knowing the pressure Sengoku lately.
Place the tea in front of the Sengoku period.
"What does the higher-ups plan to do?" They are all aware of the current situation at sea, but ultimately it depends on the World Government's decision.
"Continue the war and occupy Gaya Island in the shortest possible time." Sengoku took a sip of tea and said slowly, stating the final decision made by the World Government.
"Hmm." Tsuru nodded. This result was not unexpected. The World Government was so arrogant, how could it easily compromise, even if it was World Government Member States?
"Should we send more people?" Crane asked.
"Impossible, Admiral. This is already the limit. This concerns the balance of the sea." Sengoku shook his head, then said seriously, "The army will send another Admiral, and even CP0 might be deployed. We also need to increase the number of army soldiers by 50,000, and our navy will need to send another 20,000."
"There are only three Admiral in the army, right? And then there's CP0. It seems the World Government really intends to take over the Golden Sea, bearing such immense pressure," Tsuru said softly.
"Can it succeed?" Sengoku asked. He wasn't sure either. Even if the World Government were to take it all seriously, they would send four Admiral -level fighters to the Golden Sea, and there would even be the mysterious CP0.
"I don't know. Who knows which pirates will come? It could even be one of the Four Emperors." Tsuru shook her head. The war had reached this point, and no matter what, the Navy's losses were irreparable. Even she felt somewhat helpless; some things were beyond her control. "Right now, I just hope the war ends soon."