Time to Make a Move, Time to Make a Move

"Alright, let's all go over the intel," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette.

"Going to war with a Warlord isn't easy. If we're headed to Rainbase, we need to cross the Sandora River first, then trek through the desert. I've already prepared the food and water.

"Now, there's still the issue of the civil war. How do we stop it? The rebels' fervor has reached its peak; even revealing the truth might not do much good."

Sanji's low voice made everyone grow serious.

"I plan to go to the Yuba oasis. Kong Zha, the rebel leader, and I have known each other since we were kids. I want to try and persuade him," Vivi said.

However…

The entire room fell silent. No one spoke.

"Vivi… do you really think he'll listen to you?" Reiner looked directly at her, mercilessly shattering Vivi's illusion. He said, "He carries the hopes of seven hundred thousand people on his back. Do you think a few words from you will make him give up?"

Everyone knew the answer: impossible!

Sitting cross-legged, Reiner scratched his golden hair and said, "We don't have any proof, Vivi. Forget childhood friends, even if you were his dad, it wouldn't work."

His dad actually tried to persuade him, and it really didn't work.

A war on the scale of a million people… just lining them up would be enough to fill the capital, Alubarna.

The difficulty wasn't just with the rebel leader. Even if they had a good relationship and Kong Zha trusted Vivi unconditionally, what about the seven hundred thousand agitated rebels? What would they use to convince them?

Use Haki Nation?

Pirates guarding the nation's gates, rebels dying for the country?

That's not persuasion. Besides, Reiner doesn't have the stamina for seven rounds in one night; he'd be done after two.

Plan A (crossed out)

"But what else can I do? I can't just watch the war break out…"

Vivi's voice grew weaker, and with a thud, she collapsed onto the floor. "That's a million lives… What am I supposed to do?"

"Sigh, the little brat is going to cry again," Reiner said with a helpless sigh, resting his face on his hand and his hand on his leg.

Cry, it's good to cry. If she cries, Crocodile should be finished too. Let Old Sand feel the power of the D. family.

"Hey, Reiner, don't say things like that at a time like this." Nami pinched his face tightly, annoyed.

At this moment, Reiner also began to recall the original story. He vaguely remembered that the two armies had already started fighting, and it seemed they only stopped after it rained.

If it rains…

"Hey, I just thought of an idea. Maybe it really could persuade the rebels."

Hearing this, Nami let go of him, and everyone looked over. Reiner continued, "The rebels are in a state right now where they won't listen to anything. But what if we could lower their agitated emotions?

"The rebels, to put it plainly, were started by a group of commoners. Later, those who defected were also troops originally loyal to the king."

Everyone listened expectantly as Reiner continued, "Putting Crocodile's influence aside, for the rebels, raising arms and pointing fingers at the king comes down to two reasons:

"One, they can't live without water. Two, they believe the king is the one who took their water. For the rebels, that's correct, right?

"So, the reason this rebel group can unite, is essentially one word."

Hearing this, everyone understood and said in unison, "Water?"

"Exactly. For the rebels, this war is a fight for rain. So, the fastest way to calm their emotions is also rain.

"If it could rain in places outside the capital, or even directly on the rebels, then their heightened emotions would waver at least a little, wouldn't they?"

Even now, some rebels still find it hard to believe the king would do such an absurd thing, and this group is not small.

Sanji was the quickest to understand Reiner's idea. Just rain alone wouldn't be enough to make the rebels give up, but it would be enough to temporarily reduce the resistance of most people, and even extinguish the desire to fight in a small portion.

In that situation, if they then applied external pressure and interfered with the rebels' minds, success would at least no longer be impossible.

"I understand what you mean, but the most crucial question also arises: how do we make it rain?" Sanji asked, and everyone else looked at him blankly.

"Dance Powder!"

Reiner looked bewildered and said, "Why are you looking at me? It's not like I can summon rain."

What, does this thing have a patent or something?

Crocodile can use it, but I can't?

Vivi had mentioned information about Dance Powder on the ship before, and Reiner hadn't paid much attention at the time. Who would have thought it would be useful now?

"But… but Dance Powder is forbidden by the World Government… thing…"

Vivi's voice grew weaker and weaker. She gradually saw the mischievous grins on the others' faces.

Hehehehe~

The World Government didn't agree to them being pirates either!

"So, our current mission is to quickly go to the rebel stronghold and burn the Dance Powder, right?"

Sanji then added, "The rest depends on what you, Vivi, can achieve, and also on how highly people still regard the King."

"Don't worry, if it weren't for Crocodile's scheme, my father would be the most trusted person in the entire country."

Vivi then looked puzzled. "But where do we find Dance Powder?"

"That's not difficult at all. It's not like Crocodile or those high-ranking officers are personally burning the Dance Powder, at most they'd leave it to some Million Agents or Billion Agents."

Reiner said dismissively, "Just show our faces on the street, and plenty of Baroque Works members will come looking for us. We can just catch them one by one and ask."

"Also, when we docked earlier, didn't we spot about ten Billion Agent ships? There might be plenty of it on board."

"—Yosh!"

Luffy raised his hand, his fists meeting in front of his chest. "Even though I don't understand, it means we can go fight now, right!"

"Not bad, Four-Eyes, I didn't expect you to have a brain like that," Zoro praised with a smirk.

"Heh, keep it low-key, low-key."

Relying entirely on his omniscient perspective, Reiner then recounted his discoveries in town to everyone.

Nami, using the directions and map, determined that the rebel army had likely moved from Yuba, as Vivi had said, to Cattelya.

This was also why the group went to the wrong place in the original story. And the location of Cattelya…

What a coincidence, isn't it?

It's right next door!

Rubbing Chopper's head, Reiner chuckled, "Thanks to Chopper's sense of smell, otherwise we would have made a huge blunder."

"Hehehe, even if you say that, I won't be happy, you jerk!" Chopper wiggled his bottom, looking both shy and pleased.

Having made up their minds, they continued their morning's two-pronged approach, with Luffy joining in this time, going with Vivi and the others.

Reiner summoned the Undead and walked directly along the coast, heading towards the Baroque Works ships they had seen that morning.

When they arrived, the ships were not bustling with activity. It seemed that those at this level somewhat knew the inside story; even if they didn't know the core plan, they certainly knew the timing of the plan.

At this moment, a banquet was being held on the ship, with a noisy crowd, constant sounds of clinking glasses, singing, laughter, and… moaning?

"Reiner, are you sure?"

"They're 200 Billion Agents, can you beat them?"

"Vivi said they're candidates for Chief Agent!"

The timid trio spoke one after another, making Reiner dig his fingers into the floor. He scratched his head and pointed at a few Undead.

"Ask them, why ask me?"

The next moment, the Chainsaw Devil charged forward directly, with the Blue Ogre and Red Ogre joining in as well. The sooner they finished, the sooner they could leave.

As for Reiner and the other three, they found a place to hide, peeking out with four heads from behind a large rock.

"Wow! They sank a ship directly!"

"The Blue Ogre and Red Ogre are too fierce!"

"Reiner's Undead are really strong…"

At this moment, on the Baroque Works ship, a brutally overwhelming battle was unfolding.

"Screech—screech—!"

Clang!

The Chainsaw Devil and Wolverine Undead moved like agile dragons through the crowd, a flurry of blades flashing with every strike, sending enemies falling one after another. Soon, a whole area was littered with bodies.

The Blue Ogre and Red Ogre had it much simpler; a single blow sent enemies flying back, knocking down a large group.

Even when a ship attempted to approach, the Red Ogre tightly gripped its shield and unleashed a powerful shield bash into the ship's center. A crack instantly appeared, spreading around until the entire ship snapped in half, its ends rising before sinking into the sea.

These enemy ships weren't small either; they were several times larger than the Going Merry. But compared to the two giant Sea Kings that giants once hunted in Little Garden, they were pure toys.

Soon, about ten ships were decimated. Reiner quietly summoned Fish-man Undead to harvest those who had jumped into the sea.

Most of these Fish-men were weak, but in the water, where their combat strength shifted, they quickly overwhelmed the opponents with a group attack.

Reiner left only a few alive to extract information about the Dance Powder, learning that there was indeed some on these ships.

Monthly Pass Thanks

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