A Plan in the Shadows

The clash between the Clown Pirates and the Moonlight Pirates is not over yet.

Not long after the Clown Pirates settled on an island, Gecko Moria single-handedly attacked, instantly drawing the world's attention once again.

"The Joker? What a busybody." Caesar had clearly received the news that losing Moria, a powerful asset, had reduced his chances of dealing with Shanks.

However, even if Moria couldn't participate, their Pirate Alliance still had a considerable advantage in strength.

There are more than ten pirate crews with bounties exceeding 600 million Beli, plus the pirate forces he invited with promises of various benefits.

The powerful Pirate Alliance gave Caesar great confidence in this battle, and he was even less likely to back down in the face of Shanks' rise.

Caesar still has a trump card up his sleeve to deal with the Red-Haired Pirates.

Although it may seem despicable, such conflicts between pirates are all too common. Even within pirate crews, infighting often occurs; this is the norm on the high seas.

"I'll deal with the Red-Haired Pirates first, before I deal with the Joker," Caesar muttered to himself, a confident smile on his face, as if the Red-Haired Pirates' destruction was imminent.

He paid a heavy price for this battle.

Most pirates only care about their own interests. Even if they want to deal with the Red-Haired Pirates first, the main force will still be the Demon Pirates. If they succeed, the Demon Pirates will be the biggest beneficiaries in the end.

If they don't offer something in return, why would other forces be willing to join the Pirate Alliance?

"Where is the Red-Haired Pirates now?" Caesar asked his first mate.

"Staying in the Rubel Sea, they should know we're waiting for them here, and they're unwilling to come over on their own."

This is normal. Since their own forces are generally weaker than the pirate alliance led by the Demon Pirates, why should they rush in to fight them head-on?

This war will not end so quickly. Both overlords are extremely powerful and have enormous influence, making it difficult to defeat them in a single battle.

"Then let's set off and see how strong Shanks is now." Caesar knew that Shanks was very strong, no weaker than him, and the two had never truly fought each other.

Under Caesar's orders, the massive pirate alliance marched towards Rubel's Marines, their target being the Red-Haired Pirates were stationed there.

This entire war has garnered immense attention, even the Sea Emperor could not ignore it. Who will ultimately stand alongside them, becoming the last of the five poles of the New World?

Caesar believed he had a good chance, but sadly, Teach and his men didn't take him seriously. For him to think he could be on par with them was pure fantasy.

Strength is one aspect, influence is another. The fact that the Emperor needed to form a pirate alliance to deal with his rivals in the war to become an emperor made them feel somewhat ridiculous.

With such a lack of ambition, how can one possibly stand on the same level as them?

The wars between pirates never last very long.

In the war to become emperor, the best way to minimize losses is to defeat your enemy in the shortest amount of time.

This was true for Golden Lion Shiki, for Whitebeard, and for Big Mom and Kaido as well.

Teach's path to becoming emperor was different from theirs.

The faster you defeat your opponent, the faster the war ends, and the less damage you will suffer.

This is based on a high degree of confidence in one's own abilities.

Demon Caesar's behavior actually reveals his inner cowardice and lack of confidence in his own power.

A war between emperors would not normally affect many subordinate forces, but Caesar's actions expanded the scale of the war.

It turned into a war between two factions, one led by the Red-Haired Pirates and the Demon Pirates, which would greatly increase the number of casualties.

However, this is very unfriendly to the Red-Haired Pirates. The Demon Pirates are a pirate alliance, and even if the other allied pirate crews are destroyed, it has nothing to do with the Demon Pirates. It's like they've recruited a group of thugs.

The Demon Pirates actually hoped they would die in battle, so they wouldn't have to worry about the promises they had made.

The Red-Haired Pirates' losses were all due to their own forces.

Even if the Demon Pirates defeat the Red-Haired Pirates, they are not qualified to become emperors; at least, the Sea Emperor, such as Teach, would not recognize them.

The cause of this war was not that the Demon Caesar wanted to become emperor, but that many pirate forces in the New World, especially those near the territory of the Red-Haired Pirates, did not want the Red-Haired Pirates to become emperor.

Or rather, they don't want a fifth Sea Emperor to emerge.

I want this seat to remain empty, not occupied by someone.

This is currently the highest throne on the seas besides the Pirate King. Keeping it means there is still hope and something to look forward to.

The Red-Haired Pirates are at the forefront of this trend, with their power expanding rapidly and their prestige rising to the point where many pirates are wary of them.

This has led to the current situation, and even if they manage to get through it, they are very likely to never recover.

To be honest, the Red-Haired Pirates' foundation in the New World is somewhat weak and unstable, mainly because Shanks doesn't have the same deterrent power as Dark Lord. A single move like Star of Ruin is enough to extinguish any thoughts of coveting the island, a deterrent power that Shanks simply cannot match.

Shanks' strength and potential are both highly regarded, which is generally acknowledged, just like Teach back then.

But if you die, there is no future at all.

"Can Shanks get through this?"

In an ordinary bar in the Sabaody Archipelago, Shakky watched the live video feed and then asked Rayleigh, who was leisurely drinking at the bar, a question.

"Trust Shanks. Few people can continue to develop smoothly indefinitely. At times like these, you can only rely on yourself and your comrades." Rayleigh put down his wine glass, as if the image of Roger Pirates sailing the seas appeared before his eyes.

Even the Roger Pirates faced numerous perilous situations, including those with the Marines and the Flying Pirates, but ultimately they all relied on their own strength to overcome them.

Rayleigh looked up slightly at the image on the screen, which showed Buggy and Moria fighting Moria. The entire island had become Buggy battlefield.

The terrifying power of the Split Fruit, and the bizarre abilities of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit.

No matter how powerful the attack, it's useless if it can't hit the target. This is what makes Buggy's situation so troublesome.

In terms of combat experience, physique, and the strength of his Haki Moria, who has undergone rigorous training, is far superior to Buggy.

Therefore, as can be seen from the situation during the battle, Buggy was completely at a disadvantage.

The main problem was that he hadn't gotten used to Moria's fighting style, and his various bizarre abilities caused him a lot of trouble.

In previous battles, Buggy mostly relied on the powerful abilities of the Split Fruit to defeat his enemies, but now he has encountered a truly formidable foe.

Although Buggy looked a bit disheveled, he wasn't in any real danger. Rayleigh, on the other hand, saw Buggy's growth. "Buggy has grown to this level."

"I remember this little guy wasn't very reliable before!" Shakky knew a bit about the Roger Pirates, and through Rayleigh, she also knew some things about Buggy and Shanks.

"But are you really sure it's okay? The difference in overall strength is huge. Shanks' enemies represent almost half of the New World." Shakky smiled calmly. She knew that Rayleigh's heart was not as calm as it appeared. If Shanks were really in danger, Rayleigh would not stand idly by.

If their only real opponent is the Demon Pirates, then things will be much easier.

Although the Night Pirates have largely taken control of intelligence, Shakky still has some channels to obtain information and can access some of the intelligence held by the Night Pirates.

Shakky was well aware of the vortex in the New World; if even one or two more dominant forces intervened, the Red-Haired Pirates would be unable to withstand it.

"See? He has trustworthy companions. The fact that he's willing to face it means he already has a way to deal with it."

A true man can bend and stretch; if he can't win, it's okay to run away. He can come back and sweep everything away after a few years when his strength has increased.

The Roger Pirates have fled from the Navy countless times.

But this is the worst approach. The Red-Haired Pirates have numerous affiliated forces, so how can they easily give them up? If they retreat, the vast power they have built up over many years will collapse, and it will be a huge blow to their reputation. It is unknown how long it will take to recover.

In the New World, while strength is important, reputation is equally indispensable.

Prestige is a potential benefit.

Therefore, the Beasts Pirates are willing to pay a huge price to fight a war against the Navy.

"That's true, it's not something we should worry about." The Red-Haired Pirates have Ben Beckman, a powerful and intelligent lieutenant, who might see the situation they face even before they do.

Highly intelligent pirates hold a very important position on the seas, forming the cornerstone of a pirate crew's strength, which sets them apart from ordinary pirate crews.

The development of the pirate crew and its overall strategy are clearly demonstrated.

Since the Red-Haired Pirates weren't worried, they didn't need to rush either.

On the other side, not long after the pirate fleet set sail, Caesar's face darkened as a piece of news ignited his fury.

"Is it not possible?" Caesar asked again, still somewhat unwilling to give up.

"I'm sorry, this deal cannot be completed. I will return what you gave me." A calm voice rang out. "Dracule Mihawk has sent word that he wants to challenge me. I can't leave now and cannot help you."

"Mihawk has some connections with Shanks, so he's probably here to help Shanks deal with me."

The speaker is Demon Sword Apep, the Demon Swordsman, one of the overlords in the early stages of the Great Pirate Era, Great Swordmaster, and Devil Fruit User.

Aside from those who became emperors, the deceased and disbanded Weird Pirates, and the retired Trickster Akane Rixter, the only remaining overlords were the Demon Caesar and the Demon Sword Apep.

But Apep had no interest in the throne; he knew he could not become emperor.

The Demon Sword Apep had some connections with Caesar, and he was also Caesar's trump card invited to deal with Shanks; it was also a deal.

With Apep's abilities, he could deliver a fatal blow to Shanks at a crucial moment, or severely injure him even if he didn't die, or distract Shanks during the battle by attacking members of the Red-Haired Pirates.

This is also Caesar remained confident of victory even after knowing that Moria could not come.

But now, his trump cards have been discovered and cracked one after another, which makes him extremely angry.

The Clown Pirates and Dracule Mihawk blocked Moria and Apep respectively, which was equivalent to pulling out the two sharpest fangs of his entire plan.

He never expected that his confident plan would be seen through by the Red-Haired Pirates, which was the most infuriating thing for him.

Caesar has always been rather arrogant. He learned a lot from the battle between the Flying Pirates and the World Government. He learned how to form Pirate Alliance and invite outside help, maximizing his side's strength and minimizing losses.

Caesar played a significant role in the Red-Haired Pirates' growing reputation in the New World, contributing considerably to their current standing.

Thus, Caesar has lost two trump cards that would determine the outcome of the battle.

Originally, with him, Moria, and Apep, this battle was a complete hunt for the red-haired man, and there was no possibility of defeat.

But this situation will not be possible now, even though he has invited some strong individuals, they are far from enough compared to Moria and Apep.

However, the subordinate forces are enough to deal with the Red-Haired Pirates' crew. As long as the forces under Shanks' protection are annihilated, the remaining Shanks are not a threat at all.

Moreover, he was confident in his own strength, believing he was no weaker than Shanks in his current state.

Even without Moria and Apep's help, he still holds a huge advantage.

In the shadows, he sowed discord among the forces under the Red-Haired Pirates' protection, turning them against him and weakening the Red-Haired Pirates' overall power.

There has never been a shortage of opportunists among pirates. Genuine submission to someone is too fake and very rare. More often, they rely on the strong for protection.

Many forces that Red-Haired Pirates value Red-Haired Pirates future, and it is precisely this reputation that attracts many forces to join them.

However, the current situation is very unfavorable for the Red-Haired Pirates. They cannot see the future of the Red-Haired Pirates and are pessimistic about it.

Some forces have begun to fear and no longer have high hopes for the Red-Haired Pirates. Faced with the terrifying power of the pirate alliance, a small number of forces are unwilling to accompany the Red-Haired Pirates on this journey and have already left the Red-Haired Pirates' ranks.

This inevitably caused unrest among the people, but under the powerful measures of the Red-Haired Pirates, things stabilized.

"Let them go if they want. If they ever show their faces in front of us again, they'll be our enemies," Beckman said coldly, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he watched the pirate ship stealthily depart from the stern of the fleet.

Traitors never have a good ending. They come and go as they please, and the Red-Haired Pirates won't let them get away with it. It's easy to imagine that if they survive this ordeal, these forces won't fare well; they've already been blacklisted by the Red-Haired Pirates.

Beckman already had a step-by-step plan in mind to deal with the Demon Pirates. He knew the Red-Haired Pirates had their own intelligence channels, and combined with his wisdom, he guessed Caesar's plan.

Therefore, he asked Buggy and Mihawk to hold off the two most troublesome enemies.

"I've already sent men to attack the rear of those forces. At that time, a portion of the Demon Pirates' pirate alliance will leave and be lured back to their own territory," Beckman said calmly, glancing at his crew.

"The rest is up to us." He had tried his best to weaken the Demon Pirates Alliance, but in the end, strength would prevail.

"Don't worry, we won't lose." Seeing Beckman frown, the red-haired man put one hand on Beckman's shoulder and laughed.

"Heh, you should worry about yourself, Captain. Don't lose." Beckman smiled and glanced at Shanks.

All they could do was try their best to create a level playing field for Shanks and Caesar, and wait for Shanks to defeat Caesar.