Night Talks
Ares learned the Elbaf Spear from Elbaf.
To help him improve his skills, Teach recommended that he go to Elbaf. Ares spent most of his training in Elbaf during the year following the end of the kendo tournament.
Fight the giants of Elbaf.
The people of Elbaf are simple and honest, warlike, and revere the strong; therefore, Ares' arrival was welcomed by them.
During this time, Ares absorbed the combat techniques of Elbaf and learned the ultimate skill of the Elbaf Spear. This powerful skill, which is suitable for tall people, was of great help to Ares.
Elbaf made no attempt to hide anything. Through continuous battles, Ares had gained the friendship of the Elbaf giants. In addition, due to Ares's identity Night Pirates, the Night Pirates specifically brought some supplies for the Elbaf giants when providing them to Ares.
Therefore, the Night Pirates gained the friendship of Elbaf, or at least a close relationship. With this connection, it was easier for them to recruit the giants of Elbaf.
At least the Night Pirates treated them very well, providing them with custom-made armor and weapons, and including meals.
Even giants yearn for the sea, but without certain abilities, given Giant race size, they might starve to death at sea.
Only a special sea area like Elbaf, with abundant Sea King resources, could sustain the entire Giant race.
Now that two giants have joined the Night Pirates, it shouldn't be long before Teach's goal of Teach eight giants as gatekeepers is achieved.
This also includes a collaboration between the Giant race and the Night Pirates, with the Giant race needing the Night Pirates to provide a large amount of resources that Elbaf lacks.
The Night Pirates were naturally happy with this arrangement; they would first use mutual benefits to win them over, and then gradually cultivate the relationship.
Big Mom narrowed her eyes, her gaze towards Ares revealing a longing—not a longing for Ares, but a longing for the power of the Giant race.
The crucial element missing from the Whole Cake Island of Totto Land that she established was the Giant race.
Combined with her childhood experiences, Big Mom has a very special feeling towards Giant race.
Unfortunately, she unintentionally killed the Giant race's hero elder, completely offending the Giant race, who all harbored deep hostility towards Big Mom.
Now it seems that the Night Pirates and Elbaf are indeed connected. Big Mom got the news of the two giants appearing on Pagila Island immediately, but at the time she didn't think much of it, only feeling a little envious.
Now, I'm genuinely envious, even a little jealous.
After all, possessing the power of the Giant race, there is no other force on the sea besides the World Government Navy. Even the Whitebeard Pirates do not have a son of Giant race, but they do have a Little Oars Jr.. who is even taller than Giant race.
"Zephyr, are you alright?" Back at the G4 Branch, Garp asked Zephyr with some concern.
Also nearby was Staff Officer Tsuru, who had come from Marine Headquarters to provide support.
"It's nothing," Zephyr shook his head.
But how could he be unharmed? This terrifying blow caused Zephyr's chest to cave in slightly, and several bones were broken. As an Elbaf technique, it has always been known for its terrifying power.
In addition, Ares's terrifying power.
"However, this asthma needs to be treated, otherwise, it will have a huge impact." He frowned. Although he had experienced it firsthand, he also learned about Zephyr's condition through subsequent investigations.
This is an absolute fatal flaw for a strong person. If it weren't for the asthma attack, it's hard to say who would have won between Zephyr and Ares.
After such a long battle, Ares withstood so many of Zephyr's punches, and he himself suffered serious injuries.
They only found out that Zephyr had developed asthma, and Zephyr probably didn't even know it until the fighting in the last few days, when Zephyr's asthma started to flare up.
Speaking of asthma, she gets a headache. Asthma is related to the body, and in theory, she can cure it by taking good care of her body, but that's only when the body is still young.
Zephyr's condition is declining. It might not be noticeable under normal circumstances, but his asthma could flare up during intense battles, which is completely unpredictable.
They didn't have much time. Just three days later, Kaido and his crew attacked again, and Garp and his men had no choice but to fight them once more.
In addition, the entire New World is in turmoil, with chaotic seas, the division of power, wars, and many forces undergoing a reshuffling.
With pirates pouring into the New World from all corners of the world, including Paradise, the Navy is powerless to stop them. Lacking sufficient manpower and suffering heavy losses, they are now struggling even to protect a small area of the sea, let alone launch a proactive attack against these pirates.
Compared to the Golden Sea Battle, which is already showing signs of ending, the war in the Chaos Sea has no end in sight. Due to the Golden Sea Battle, the conflicts between the major powers have become somewhat restrained.
The Night Pirates' army is expanding. In just half a month, they have already occupied five islands. This speed is not fast, and they are deliberately restraining themselves, targeting the islands with weaker resistance first.
Proceed step by step.
Only two islands truly resisted; the forces on the other three islands surrendered without resistance when faced with the Night Pirates' army.
With the Night Pirates' growing power, weaker forces are utterly powerless to resist. Those who understand the times are wise; given the vast disparity in strength, surrendering is not shameful.
Even if they had to divide their forces, they could still handle the three fronts —the Golden Sea, the front of the New World, and the area around the Night Sea Domain— with ease.
It's important to understand that pirates who can survive in the cracks between powerful forces, or even occupy one or several islands, are not weak and are well-known strongmen in the New World.
However, the Night Pirates are far more powerful. Even though many of their strong members have been sent out, the ones who remain—Iron Wallace, Emperor Crocodile Slada, Mostima, and Mobius— are all renowned figures in the New World, far beyond the capabilities of ordinary pirates.
Faced with the Night Pirates, submission is often the best option. Even if they resist, how long can they last? When the true powerhouses of the Night Pirates arrive, they will not escape their fate of death.
The Night Pirates' true adversary is ultimately the Whitebeard Pirates, if they simply surrender honestly or hand over the island.
Although they did not engage in battle with the Whitebeard Pirates, and even though they bypassed the Whitebeard Pirates' territory, the area where the Night Pirates' Night Pirates bordered the Whitebeard Pirates' territory increased as the number of islands they occupied grew.
After the Golden Sea Battle ends, the war between the Night Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates will expand and become even more intense.
At the very least, without Whitebeard's presence, the Whitebeard Pirates would be unable to stop the Night Pirates without deploying half their forces.
Under the cover of night.
"Nothing new to do?" Teach, naked and soaking wet, lay in the ice-filled bathtub after his workout, enjoying relaxing his body like this.
In front of him was Stephanie's Den Den Mushi, and they were talking through Den Den Mushi.
Stephanie's career is progressing very well; she has the support of the World Government on the inside and has openly allied herself with the Night Pirates.
Although they weren't particularly close, Night Pirates and Stephanie were newcomers to the New World in terms of time.
There was some connection in the West Blue, and the information was maintained through the trade of Devil Fruit. This was information that outsiders could access, at least from their perspective.
They were completely unaware that they already had a relatively deep cooperation, and that the World Government was using this to continuously deepen the relationship between the two sides.
Whether it was the Expo or the Kendo Tournament, Stephanie visited the Night Pirates' territory and had some contact with Teach.
After that, it was only natural that the Night Pirates' flag was planted on Stephanie's territory, letting people know that Stephanie was under the protection of the Night Pirates.
With the protection of the Night Pirates and the covert support of the World Government, Stephanie's power grew rapidly, and the Brilliant Casino, inheriting the name of the Brilliant Street in the West Blue, was constantly being built.
Even today, in parts of the New World, the title of "Glorious Queen" still resonates very strongly.
Moreover, although casinos contain a lot of profits, there are not many competitors, and the World Government has secretly handled some things, allowing Stephanie to develop very smoothly.
With the Night Pirates' banner in place, unless there's a significant conflict of interest, most forces wouldn't dare offend Stephanie.
In the Underworld of certain parts of the New World, rumors also circulated about the affair between Dark Emperor Teach and Stephanie.
This also reveals a method for establishing connections with the Night Pirates: through Devil Fruit. Compared to a single Devil Fruit, the benefits gained with the protection of the Night Pirates would undoubtedly be greater.
Therefore, some powerful forces gradually began to send Devil Fruit to the Night Pirates.
Teach never refused anyone who came to see him, and besides, they weren't even qualified to see him; usually, Mostima or someone appointed by Mostima would do it on their behalf.
Pirate flags often represent the face of a pirate crew and cannot be given away lightly. If anything happens to the crew under their protection, the Night Pirates must stand up for them.
Otherwise, what power would submit to you?
This is extremely important on the high seas, especially for pirate crews.
Within their own territory, the forces were all under the control of the Night Pirates. As for those outside their territory, the Night Pirates lacked a reason to attack others! How could they possibly miss an opportunity to blatantly expand their power?
That's how arrogant and domineering they are. The Sea Emperor is synonymous with absolute power and hegemony.
The Night Pirates would never treat outsiders kindly. This is an era for the strong, and the Night Pirates. Submit or die—these are the only two choices.
The Night Pirates are no longer satisfied with their current territory, and their expansionist trend is unstoppable, which is naturally noticeable to other pirate forces.
Aside from top-tier pirate crews like the Whitebeard Pirates, who are confident in their strength and care about their reputation.
Those forces willing to submit to the Night Pirates mostly establish themselves here. The New World is so chaotic that there aren't many pirate crews that can roam freely throughout New World; most simply stay in one area of the sea.
Since they couldn't resist, they joined in; they didn't want to be in an unfamiliar environment.
Those who remain die-hards are in the minority, and they even believe they have the support of other powerful forces behind them.
After all, the terrifying power of the Night Pirates is clearly visible; who hasn't seen the footage? They clearly understand the difference in strength and have self-awareness, which saves them a lot of trouble.
At least among the pirates who have entered the New World, there are basically none who are confident in their strength and aim to replace the Four Emperors. However, there are still a few fools on the high seas.
The gap in strength must be bridged step by step. Only the Overlord can challenge the Four Emperors. Anyone who dreams of ascending to the top in one step is a fool who is courting death.
On the other side, on the top floor of a huge casino, Stephanie sat on a sofa, looking out the window at the brightly lit street outside, which had a bit of the feel of West Blue Glory Street.
This is the Magnificent Casino, Stephanie's territory, but it's not her main base. In the Underworld, how could she have a main base? Would she invite trouble?
Although the Brilliant Casinos vary in size depending on the resources of each island, Stephanie doesn't have a fixed headquarters. Instead, she has several outposts, some important and some not. In the Underworld, concealing one's identity is crucial; it's best to keep your location a secret and maintain an air of mystery.
There are many clandestine methods, whether it's poisoning or assassination, they are all difficult to guard against, and countless people have died as a result of various means.
"There might be, but I don't want to inquire about it," Stephanie said, shaking her head slightly. With her rosy lips and long, wavy blue hair, Stephanie had become increasingly charming, perhaps due to her changed status.
Recalling the rumors of the Underworld, and facing Teach's Den Den Mushi, Stephanie felt a slight restlessness within her.
The more you get to know Teach, the more you can feel her charm. Stephanie is undoubtedly one of the people who have witnessed Teach's rise to fame firsthand.
"Hehe, that's true. Now that they know there are spies inside, how could they easily let the information leak out?" Teach chuckled, feeling a cool, refreshing sensation all over his body.
"Are you confident about this battle?" Stephanie couldn't help but ask, a hint of worry in her voice.
Although the outcome of this battle will have no impact on her, she does not want the World Government to win. Although she has a cooperative relationship with Teach is in a dominant position, so she can only go down the dark path.
In a sense, her interests are tied to Teach's. Since she betrayed the World Government, her fate will naturally not be good once the World Government finds out.
Therefore, she does not want the World Government to benefit; more importantly, it is her yearning for freedom that is gradually being released as she cooperates with Teach.
This is based on the World Government's belief that she is loyal to the World Government. In any case, one thing will not change: her Vivre Card will always be in the hands of the World Government.
Unless the World Government, she will remain under its control.
Deep down, she also harbored the idea of turning her own sister, Stussy, against her, but now was not the right time.
"That's natural. No matter what, the final result won't change; it's just a matter of how much or how little the loss will be," Teach said confidently, understanding Stephanie's concerns.
Teach had already speculated to the best of his ability about what other hidden methods the World Government might have, but in any case, they would be the ultimate victors.