A Clash of Emperors

This war was full of twists and turns, and although it was short in duration, it was extremely intense. The clandestine plots were also very exciting. Once you learn a little about it, you'll find it much more interesting than ordinary wars.

The navy withdrew in time, so the losses in this battle were not significant compared to the potential annihilation of the entire force. Nearly 8,000 people were killed, with almost half of the losses occurring while trying to break through the Beasts Pirates' fire range.

The Beasts Pirates also suffered significant losses, with over three thousand members, equivalent to the entire size of a large pirate crew.

More importantly, the Navy lost a high-level combatant. They could guess how he died; it was probably due to the outbreak of the Red Demon Virus.

Similar to the previous war, this war did not last long. Such a duration is actually the norm. In fact, apart from battles between top-tier experts, wars between ordinary armies do not last very long at a time.

The upcoming battle at Marineford will likely end in just over two hours.

Of course, wars of such massive scale, involving numerous forces, such as the Golden Sea Battle and the New World Wars, are another matter.

As the fighting continues, the number of people will decrease. If the battle lasts for several days and nights, the Navy's 50,000-strong army will basically have to stay here, and the Beasts Pirates will also suffer significant losses.

The towering Steel Fortress are primarily for launching weapons and providing firepower suppression; their defensive capabilities are actually quite limited. Marines capable of Geppo could easily storm them.

Therefore, the Beasts Pirates set up their battlefield in front of the Steel Fortress.

The Navy's research capabilities should not be underestimated. They quickly identified the problem: to prevent a large-scale outbreak of the Red Demon Virus, a large quantity of antidote was needed, and a ceasefire would be required periodically for the administration of the antidote.

Only in this way can the impact of the Red Demon Virus be truly avoided.

This necessitates the production of large quantities of antidotes in the rear, and the rapid depletion of the economy will likely cause the war to end sooner than expected.

The navy still has the advantage. With Sakazuki, a powerful top-tier fighter, they can hold off the enemy even if they are held back, and they can find an opportunity to strike.

With Kaido held back by Garp, Sakazuki could easily inflict heavy damage on the Beasts Pirates with a single Meteor Volcano.

Therefore, both Omon and Laimo knew this, and they relied on their strong vitality to avoid Sakazuki using devastating moves by trading blows, thus preventing him from seizing the opportunity.

The Beasts Pirates formidable firepower, and the Red Demon Virus is extremely troublesome, but the Navy still holds the advantage in top-tier combat power.

The battle Beasts Pirates and the Navy in the early New World will also have some impact on the forces in the large area of sea between the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, which are close to the battlefield.

Although the Red-Haired Pirates did not deliberately expand, their strength and personal charisma continued to attract other forces to join their ranks, thus increasing their power.

Currently, this sea area is dominated by three powerful Red-Haired Pirates, the Clown Pirates, and the Moonlight Pirates.

Clown Buggy's Split Fruit astonishing destructive power, and his ability to split himself is said to grant him Immortal Body. He is the bane of swordsmen and has several powerful core members under his protection.

Without deliberate expansion, its overall strength ranks third.

Second is the Moonlight Pirates, whose leader, Gecko Moria, is also a well-known figure on this sea. In his early years, he challenged Kaido, who had not yet become the Sea Emperor, and many other powerful figures.

Their development began many years earlier than the Red-Haired Pirates and the Clown Pirates. They didn't have many powerful officers, making them somewhat shabby compared to other forces. However, Moria's special abilities allowed him to "revive" three veteran overlords.

Although its strength has been greatly reduced, it is still terrifying to the vast majority of pirates.

Under their tutelage, their skills have improved over the years.

The strongest is undoubtedly the Red-Haired Pirates, whose average strength is formidable, with even the most ordinary regular crew members possessing combat power exceeding 100 million bounties.

The Red-Haired Pirates now possess the potential to become emperors, but to truly achieve this, they still face two major obstacles: another dominant force in this sea, the Moonlight Pirates, led by Gecko Moria, who possesses demon blood and is backed by the aura of three veteran overlords.

The other one is another top-tier hegemonic force in the central New World, a strong contender for the title of Sea Emperor, the Demon Pirates, and their captain Demon Caesar.

This is an inevitable path. Perhaps he can ascend to the throne through a powerful feat similar to that of the Night Pirates, but there will always be someone eyeing his position.

If someone wants to become emperor, they will first target them, unite to eliminate the Red-Haired Pirates, and then compete for the throne.

Therefore, war is necessary. Only by truly defeating competitors and using overwhelming strength to extinguish their ambitions can one's position be secured.

Even if the Red-Haired Pirates have no intention of becoming emperors, their numerous affiliated forces will still push them to ascend to that throne.

And their very existence can become a mountain, an obstacle, for others to climb—something that must be faced regardless.

Banquets are a regular occurrence for the Red-Haired Pirates, and Ben Beckman, the mastermind behind the Red-Haired Pirates, has already begun plotting Shanks' path to becoming Emperor.

They were naturally aware of the will and voices emanating from the numerous affiliated forces. It was precisely because they saw the possibility of Shanks becoming an emperor that many forces followed the Red-Haired Pirates. Personal charisma alone was too weak.

Don't the Red-Haired Pirates want to become emperors? Of course they do.

The reason they haven't taken any action is because their captain isn't strong enough.

To become the Sea Emperor, the most important thing is the captain's strength. Only then will he have enough deterrent power to live up to the name of an emperor.

Now, as they know their own situation, Shanks' strength is still no match for the current four Sea Emperors, not to mention Whitebeard and the Dark Emperor, there is still a considerable gap between them.

Kaido of the Beasts has demonstrated his terrifying strength in his numerous battles with Garp. It was thought that Kaido had reached his peak, but unexpectedly, Kaido strength has also improved during this period.

The reason is easy to guess: he felt pressure from the Dark Emperor and Whitebeard.

It seems that Big Mom, who has had fewer opportunities to fight, has also made considerable progress. The news that Big Mom is sparring with her children also hints that, as a natural-born monster, her rate of improvement is likely to be even faster.

The kings of the sea are all progressing, not standing still waiting to be caught up.

Due to the difference in strength, it is more reflected in physique and stamina. Although Shanks has mastered the Overlord's Entanglement technique, he believes that his attack power has reached the world's top level, but his overall strength is still some distance away.

Becoming emperor now is not a good time for them. They need to wait until their strength is further improved and their mastery of Conqueror's Haki is more proficient before defeating the other two powerful sea overlords with a huge advantage.

In this way, while minimizing losses, it can also deter the sea to a greater extent and make people recognize its status.

This temporary hibernation is only for a greater glory to come.

Similarly, Moria was also planning to become an emperor, something most pirates desired. He knew his rivals were Shanks and the Devil.

In terms of pirate crew strength, neither the Moonlight Pirates nor the Demon Pirates can compare to the Red-Haired Pirates.

However, he was confident in his abilities, which had improved significantly over the years, especially in the development of his physical potential and the refinement of his Haki presence.

At the same time, under the tutelage of three veteran overlords, he also mastered the Conqueror's Haki Entanglement. It is no secret that Conqueror's Haki can be used to entangle. Many people will have doubts when they see black and red lightning appearing out of thin air, and naturally, some people will also provide answers.

But only a very small number of people can do it, and they are all world-class, top-tier individuals with the qualities of a king.

The power of Conqueror's Haki's Haki depends on the strength of one's own aura and the level of mastery and proficiency with the technique.

Moreover, Moria has a trump card that can significantly enhance his strength, which is the source of his confidence.

Compared to Moria, who was already thirty-eight years old, the Demon Caesar was older, at forty-nine, two years older than Kaido.

However, their current strength, status, and position are completely different.

This isn't a difference in ability; the Human-Human Fruit, being Mythical Zoan, possesses the most powerful abilities among all Mythical Zoan, and is by no means weaker than the Azure Dragon Fruit.

The difference between the two sides lies in their innate potential, experience, willpower, and efforts made later in life.

It's difficult to reach true peak power with just one Devil Fruit, unless it's a special Devil Fruit, like the Combine-Combine Fruit or the Munch-Munch Fruit Devil Fruit, which can modify the body and further enhance its potential after the body has been Devil Fruit.

Of course, it could also be a truly invincible ability like the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which, after being developed, is almost flawless.

Ultimately, ability is only a great help; to truly establish oneself, one must rely on oneself. The New World is a world of Haki, and only those with Haki and strength can become true powerhouses.

A three-way confrontation, or one party taking the initiative, will likely occur in the next few years.

Ben Beckman calculated the timeline: roughly three years from now, when his captain turned thirty, he would have truly reached that level.

That level was about accumulation, and the difference in combat between then and now wasn't that great. After all, they had already mastered Conqueror's Haki Entanglement and their Armament Haki had reached its peak. Shanks had even taken a big step forward from the level of Great Swordmaster.

The problem might not be immediately apparent, but if the battle continues, the difference will quickly become clear. In terms of endurance, Shanks cannot compare to Kaido or Big Mom.

This is a contest of overall strength, so Shanks needs to work on his offensive power while making up for his weaknesses, that is, to make himself more durable.

While it's called a level, there's no clear-cut definition; it's something that can only be understood intuitively and is difficult to explain in words. It can only be truly felt in actual combat.

Shanks could sense his own amazing talent in terms of spirit, which was special and innate. Therefore, his main focus was on developing Conqueror's Haki.

He already had a clear direction: Pluto Rayleigh, his teacher, whose aura could influence the changes of heaven and earth.

Shanks has now passed the stage of rapid power enhancement. This is a process that requires time to mature, which is also the process Teach is currently going through. His strength will continue to increase, but the speed has begun to slow down.

Without training and combat, one's strength will stagnate and it will be difficult to improve.

This is a process of developing one's own potential, stimulating that potential through combat training. Some people reach their peak at forty, some at fifty, and some even earlier.

Some people will never reach the heights they were meant to reach, which is why there are so many ordinary people in this world.

Therefore, all members who graduate from the Marine Elite Training Camp are at least capable of becoming the backbone of the Navy's combat force.

This world is all about strength, and the theory of bloodline is prevalent; the descendants of the strong naturally inherit the bloodline of the strong.

That's why the World Government wanted to kill Ace so badly. He inherited the bloodline of the Pirate King and had the potential to become one of the world's top fighters, and this potential was already showing at a young age.

After finally enduring Whitebeard's old age, the Whitebeard Pirates would inevitably fall apart after Whitebeard death. Ace hadn't died, with his potential, he could have quickly gathered the power of the Whitebeard Pirates and established a new Whitebeard Pirates.

In this way, an old Whitebeard dies, and a younger "Whitebeard" is born. How could the World Government want to see such a situation? What would be the point of the Paramount War then?

Even if Sakazuki didn't kill Ace, Ace would still die. The Sengoku might show mercy out of consideration for Garp, but the World Government wouldn't.

The World Government's CP0 must have been hiding such a major war for a long time, and besides, the Navy did not use its full strength.

However, the arrival of the Red-Haired Pirates disrupted the plans of the Navy and the World Government, who originally intended to annihilate the Whitebeard Pirates.

During this time, the open Wano Country covert struggles between the World Government and Wano Country continued within the country.

The World Government's agents are divided into two groups, one overt Wano Country, while the most powerful agents disrupt the internal order of Wano Country.

In the shadows, though their strength may not be great, they have completely integrated into all aspects of Wano Country, keeping their identities secret.

Over the years, the World Government has infiltrated Wano Country to a considerable extent. Many people in Wano Country are colluding with the World Government, including businessmen and officials. After all, people have their own selfish motives and always want to advance further.

The number of samurai ultimately only constitutes a portion of Wano Country, and because Wano Country was opened to the world, it has also been influenced by the sea in some ways.

The exposure of certain events has led to a severe purge within Wano Country, causing widespread panic. This was actually a covert scheme by the World Government.

After all, the World Government is the absolute mastermind behind such operations, and countless kingdoms have been overthrown by them through clandestine means.

Even though Wano Country is in some trouble, they just need more time to prepare.

This is something Wano Country can never match; to be precise, it touches on their blind spot.

The chaos within Wano Country has made it easier for the World Government to take advantage of the situation and seize the Road Sign Stone.

Meanwhile, in secret, a plan targeting Kozuki Oden had already begun.