The Decision

Bondy a's death had little impact on the battle for the throne, as he was not involved in it in the first place.

The war between the Red-Haired Pirates and the Demon Pirates continues, with clashes occurring every few days, and no victor has emerged.

While remaining wary of the Clown Pirates, the Moonlight Pirates began their war against the Evil Spirit Pirates.

Therefore, the battle for the throne of the New World has two battlefields, but as everyone knows, the final victor will be either Shanks or the Demon Caesar.

As for Moria, he is strong enough, but his influence is much weaker. If the war continues long enough, it is possible that the Evil Spirit Pirates could rise up and take his place, but the possibility is not high.

If the war drags on for too long, both sides will be depleted of manpower, and the spoils of victory may be stolen by other forces.

Therefore, the winner will emerge within a few months at most.

Shanks needs time to develop, while Demon Caesar is pressing forward relentlessly. Their war is evenly matched, but the Demon Pirates are stronger in terms of overall power.

Even though the Red-Haired Pirates had a strong average strength, Caesar managed to recruit a group of forces that opposed Shanks becoming Emperor, including many powerful Great Pirate.

Overall, the Red-Haired Pirates were at a disadvantage in the war and suffered considerable losses.

However, compared to the complex and unpredictable Demon Pirates Alliance, the Red-Haired Pirates' forces have a stronger sense of cohesion.

Therefore, although there was a difference in the strength exerted by both sides, it was not to the extent that it would affect the course of the battle.

Ultimately, victory will depend on the battle between the two Overlord, Shanks and Caesar.

"Boom!"

In a sea area, two forces clashed in a fierce battle, with hundreds of warships firing cannons and the sounds of battle never ceasing.

This is the battlefield where the Red-Haired Pirates and the Demon Pirates fought.

If it's a fight to the death, like Big Mom or Kaido becoming Emperor, directly invading the enemy's territory, the war won't last long because war can't be stopped. As long as the leading overlord is defeated or killed, the war will be almost over.

But this is naval warfare, which has more variables and minimizes casualties compared to land warfare.

More often than not, it was an attack by artillery fire, a battle between the strong.

Such battles are rarely sustained until the strong finish their fight. They stop to rest every few days to avoid suffering too many casualties. At the same time, very few people can fight continuously for days and nights without eating.

Physical strength needs to be restored, and injuries need to be treated.

In naval warfare, where would one find the time to do such things? Each battle would not last very long.

The battle between Shanks and Caesar has remained evenly matched these days, with Caesar even having a slight advantage.

Red-haired Shanks doesn't have many footholds and needs to rely on Geppo to maintain his footing. In contrast, Caesar's demon form possesses demon wings and the ability to fly.

In this respect, Caesar had a considerable advantage.

Low casualties and the ability to retreat at any time are advantages of naval warfare, but this is only true when the combat strength of both sides is roughly equal.

If there is a significant gap in strength, naval battles are more likely to result in total annihilation. In the face of true powerhouses, the sea cannot limit their advance, and they can easily catch up with ships.

Although the casualties were small, this is in comparison to the overall strength of both sides, meaning the actual losses were not insignificant.

Each battle resulted in over a thousand deaths, and as the numbers accumulated, the death toll became terrifying.

The war has now lasted for two months, with casualties exceeding 15,000. While it may not be considered crippling, such casualties are still considerable.

This is nothing to the Night Pirates, but it's a considerable number for other pirate crews.

This is, after all, a difference in size.

When casualties reach a certain level, both sides will be unable to sustain the war, due to logistical support and internal morale issues.

Especially the Demon Pirates, who are united in their fight against the Red-Haired Pirates, might back down if they see no hope or if their losses become too great.

If one, two, or more members withdraw, the entire alliance will collapse and disband, leaving no hope of victory.

In other words, when the limit is reached, the final battle will begin.

This depends on the stability within the Demon Pirates alliance.

For the time being, there are no problems, because the overall situation of the war is in their favor. The Red-Haired Pirates are weaker than them in terms of numbers and strength, as are their casualties.

But how long will this situation last?

The struggle for the Fifth Emperor lasted longer than expected. Others thought it would end after a few wars, with the strongest becoming the Fifth Emperor. Even if not, the one who was recognized as the Fifth Emperor would be able to officially become the Fifth Emperor after a few years when their power increased.

Although many people are vying for the throne, there are actually only two, and the Evil Spirit Wendigo is far from strong enough.

Compared to other emperors, Moria is significantly weaker in terms of power and strength.

Even though the Red-Haired Pirates powerful enough, Shanks is still somewhat lacking in strength.

While Demon Caesar, who is currently on par with Shanks, is weaker in terms of power than the Red-Haired Pirates, his current formidable strength is only due to his efforts against the Red-Haired Pirates.

It must be said that his calculations were excellent, temporarily compensating for his own weakness and putting him in an advantageous position in the war.

Once the Red-Haired Pirates are destroyed, Caesar can take over other forces and then rapidly expand his power based on his strong reputation, eventually approaching the Sea Emperor.

Unfortunately, his plan was supposed to be foolproof, and he had even arranged for help, but the Red-Haired Pirates foiled it, leading to the current situation.

With dark red demon horns on his head, his body had transformed into a six-meter-tall fire demon. It is worth mentioning that Caesar himself also possessed the bloodline of the demon race.

His collaboration with Moria was partly due to their shared ethnicity.

Dark flames rose around Caesar, who held a long whip wreathed in flames in his hand. He flew through the air, not with great speed, but with remarkable agility.

Shanks's sword, Griffin, had transformed into Black Blade, its sharp strike meeting the long whip.

The battle between the two was extremely fierce, and it was difficult to tell who would win. The air was thick with killing intent, and every move they made was aimed at killing the other.

During the battle, Shanks gritted his teeth, trying his best not to show any signs of fatigue. He was the pillar of his side in this war.

Once they fall into a disadvantageous position, the Red-Haired Pirates, who are already at a disadvantage in the war, will quickly collapse.

In fact, Shanks was somewhat suppressed during the battle, mainly due to his physical strength.

In terms of physical strength, he is no match for Caesar, a Mythical Zoan Fruit user with a powerful physique.

When fighting Zoan Devil Fruit user, if the battle ends in a draw, you're not far from defeat; there are countless examples of this on the high seas.

The most obvious example is the battle between Kaido and Kozuki Oden many years ago. Oden clearly lost because of his stamina. The difference in their combat power was negligible, but the difference in stamina and recovery ability directly determined the outcome of the battle.

If the battle continues, the victor is more likely to be the Demon Caesar.

Therefore, it is often the Red-Haired Pirates take the initiative to retreat.

Once they retreat, even the Demon Pirates will have a hard time stopping them, Caesar alone wouldn't dare to chase after the Red-Haired Pirates.

The main reason is that the Demon Pirates' allies are dragging them down.

For many of these forces, they lack the qualifications and strength to become emperors. While they claim to be dealing with the Red-Haired Pirates, in reality, Red-Haired Pirates and the Demon Pirates are their enemies.

How could they not understand Demon Caesar's thoughts?

Someone has to become emperor, and whoever becomes emperor has an impact on them, whether it's the Red-Haired Pirates or the Demon Pirates.

In contrast, the Demon Pirates are far more aggressive, and the Red-Haired Pirates do not actively expand their territory, which would infringe upon their interests.

Therefore, many forces within the Demon Pirates Alliance were hindering the fight and conserving their strength. None of them wanted anyone to become emperor, and they wanted to use war to continuously weaken the power of both sides.

Because of this clandestine situation, although the Demon Pirates held the advantage, it wasn't a significant one, as some hoped the war would drag on as long as possible, resulting in greater casualties on both sides.

It involves not only the two sides, but also other forces.

This is a targeted attack on the Red-Haired Pirates and the Demon Pirates, since every additional Sea Emperor reduces the potential profits to be divided in the New World.

With four Sea Emperor already ruling the oceans and their power already terrifying, the addition of another would certainly affect many other forces.

Even if the Red-Haired Pirates and the Demon Pirates knew, so what? That's just how the New World is; once the war starts, it can't be stopped.

If one had to choose someone to be called the Sea Emperor, then Red-Haired Shanks would be the most suitable.

In the New World, strength reigns supreme, and Shanks has the potential to do so. After defeating and annihilating the Red-Haired Pirates, Demon Caesar needs another victory to prove himself.

Like Teach, challenge a Sea Emperor to prove your strength and become Sea Emperor yourself. Otherwise, you'll only humiliate yourself and won't gain the recognition of the many pirates.

Regardless of any plans, in the New World, one's own strength is fundamental.

Although the Demon Caesar is powerful, he has reached his limit. Just like the three old overlords, John, Silver Axe, and Ochoku, he cannot become emperor and can only become a stepping stone for the new emperor.

Furthermore, Shanks' personality and style of doing things mean that he will not proactively or excessively infringe upon the interests of others.

Furthermore, with the added advantage of being an apprentice pirate in the Pirate King's crew, Shanks is the most suitable candidate for the Fifth Emperor.

If it weren't for the Demon Caesar instigating this war, Red-Haired Shanks would have become emperor smoothly in just a few years, and wouldn't have suffered such heavy casualties.

In short, the outbreak of this war was influenced by many factors. Many people did not want to see Shanks become an emperor so easily and wanted to make things difficult for him and suppress the development of the Red-Haired Pirates.

As for the Demon Caesar, he was merely a tool that was pushed out to be used.

Ultimately, the New World is a world of the strong, and Shanks is more qualified to become emperor than the Demon Caesar.

This war is a grand performance, cruel yet indispensable.

The Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates are secretly involved. If Shanks becomes an emperor, it will have the greatest impact on them, because Shanks' power is sandwiched between the territories of the two pirate crews.

Once they become emperors, the Red-Haired Pirates will become their main rivals and enemies, so what's wrong with suppressing their competitors first?

Moreover, they hadn't anticipated that such a powerful dragon would appear in the vast sea area between the two forces.

Watching the Red-Haired Pirates depart, Caesar's expression was somewhat gloomy, a reflection of his dissatisfaction with himself. Although he had suppressed Red-Haired Shanks, he had not achieved the effect he desired.

The war has continued to this day, and the Red-Haired Pirates are still fighting tenaciously.

At the same time, he also felt a bit jealous, jealous of Shanks' potential. He possessed a top-tier Mythical Zoan, while Shanks wasn't a Devil Fruit user, yet he had reached his current level at such a young age.

Furthermore, it was clear that in the past two months of battles, he could sense Shanks' progress. In their continuous battles, Conqueror's Haki had become increasingly proficient, and its power had increased considerably.

Shanks' powerful Conqueror's Haki, in particular, made him feel even more wary.

The feeling that Shanks is getting stronger while he remains stagnant is very unpleasant.

At the same time, he sensed that the alliance was not functioning as it should, otherwise the war would not have ended up with such results.

But he had no choice; he needed the strength of these people.

Once a war begins, it cannot be stopped unless the warmaker is willing to accept defeat.

A ceasefire would mean his defeat, and the Red-Haired Pirates would only grow stronger.

A glint of madness flashed in Caesar's eyes. He needed to find more allies to break the deadlock, and time was indeed running out.

He also tried to contact the Beasts Pirates, but they only had a slight connection, and Kaido rejected him without hesitation.

The Moonlight Pirates are currently at war with the Evil Spirit Pirates, and Moria is also being watched by the Clown Pirates.

The Demon Sword Apep was targeted by Dracule Mihawk and was unable to spare the time to help him until the war ended.

He knew that the Red-Haired Pirates had reached their limit, and that they only needed to find one more top-tier fighter to break the deadlock.

As long as he succeeds, the other schemes behind it are nothing to fear. Having been the overlord of the New World for so many years, he can find out about some things.

It's just some losses; after defeating the Red-Haired Pirates, they can recover quickly and even become stronger.

He pondered who else he could ask to break the deadlock, his mind racing through the list of figures. First, he ruled out the current Four Emperors; there were only a few spots left, and he had actually invited most of them.

Suddenly, some figures flashed before Caesar's eyes, and a hint of madness flickered in his eyes. He quickly made up his mind; he had been waiting with a somewhat obsessive desire for the throne, or rather, for a higher position.

Therefore, he was willing to risk even a dangerous situation, even though he knew that if outsiders found out about this, he would be scorned or even ostracized, but it was the best choice for him.

In fact, that force had contacted him long before.

However, he was full of confidence at the time and refused without hesitation.

But given the current situation, he really has no better choice than to accept the external forces, which is actually what other forces are forcing him to do.

Originally, with his plan and the power he had gathered, even without the help of two top-tier fighters, and unable to defeat Red-Haired Shanks, the Red-Haired Pirates would have been almost wiped out, making them unable to fight against the Demon Pirates.

Instead of the superficial advantage they currently possess, Caesar was filled with intense anger, leading him to make this irrational decision.