Intelligence

"Enel ..." Buggy slowly put down his glass. "Are you sure you saw him?"

"There's no mistake, his appearance is exactly the same as the one on the bounty poster."

Lilina said, "Furthermore, according to the intelligence I've gathered, Enel seems to have used the terrifying power of lightning during the attack on Marine Branch G-32, causing widespread destruction and numerous casualties throughout the Marine Base, including the deaths of a Commodore and a colonel. During this terrorist attack, Enel even proclaimed himself a god..."

She softened her tone, "Buggy, we've been to Sky Island before. The ruler there claims to be a god, and Enel appeared out of nowhere, with no prior records available. I suspect he might have come from Sky Island..."

"You know quite a lot..." Buggy nodded. It was quite impressive that Lilina was able to grasp Enel's information and analyze his origins in such a short time.

"Lightning!" Mikuru seemed to remember something, took the grilled fish out of his mouth, and interjected, "If it's lightning... I also saw a very strange phenomenon today. Just now, a large area of unnaturally formed Thundercloud unusually gathered above the Sabaody amusement Paradise. Logically speaking, the climate of the Yarukiman Mangrove on Sabaody Archipelago shouldn't be affected by weather on the ocean... If Enel can control lightning, do you think this might be related to him?"

"So, Enel really did come to the Sabaody Archipelago and used lightning to attack the amusement Paradise..."

Hearing Mikuru's additions, Buggy suddenly felt a sense of impending doom. The Celestial Dragons were currently stationed on Sabaody Archipelago, and judging from their attitude of treating Sabaody Archipelago as their backyard, they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. If Enel attacked the Celestial Dragons, the subsequent plot would change drastically. For example, after Enel angered the Celestial Dragons, the Navy could send Admiral to the island, leading to a battle where Enel would be defeated, captured, and imprisoned in Impel Down. He would then be rescued by Luffy, who broke into Impel Down, and at Luffy's urging, he would agree to participate in the Marineford War...

Having considered this, Buggy stopped his wild speculations. There was no point in making any more guesses; the priority now was to ensure that his next plan wasn't disrupted. He looked at Mikuru, "Little Cat, do you still have the Eternal Pose you found on that Ghost General from the Kingdom of Weilan?"

"Yes, it's still on me!"

"That's good..."

Buggy then asked, "If we set off from this island and reached Marine Headquarters underwater, were you confident you could navigate without being affected by the currents?"

"Of course! I've inherited the Cat God's legacy; a mere ocean current is no challenge for a cat!"

Mikuru patted his chest confidently, took a couple more bites of the tender grilled fish, and asked curiously, "Are we going to the Marine Headquarters next? But we're pirates, aren't we...? Why are we going there? Are we just walking into a trap?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone fell silent and their eyes fell on Buggy. They all knew, to varying degrees, that this training was inextricably linked to the upcoming actions.

"I'll tell you later, it's not the right time yet..." Buggy didn't reveal anything yet; saying something that hadn't happened yet would only make it harder for people to understand. He paused, "Also, I'll go see Mr. Rayleigh tomorrow and ask him to help me coat the ship."

Lilina reminded, "For coating, you don't necessarily need to bother others; Kaya can help!"

"Huh?" Buggy paused, "How... how can she help?"

Lilina said, "During her training, Kaya has learned new ways to use her Devil Fruit abilities. She now possesses the same skills as coating craftsmen... no, she's even more skilled than them. Even outside of this environment, she can still use her Devil Fruit abilities to perform coating!"

"Really!" Buggy exclaimed in surprise.

"A mere coating is nothing..." The drunken Kaya was incredibly boastful. After taking a swig of her drink, she slammed her glass onto the ground, splashing a lot of liquor. "Leave it to me!"

"Haha, that's great!"

Upon receiving Kaya's personal confirmation, Buggy couldn't help but burst into laughter. Once the ship could be coated regardless of the terrain, it would mean that the Big Top could submerge into the sea at any time. Combined with Mikuru's navigation skills, it would not be difficult for it to appear silently in any sea area in the future. Strategically, this would be a step ahead of any other power!

"In that case, I won't bother Mr. Rayleigh!" Buggy laughed heartily and took a swig of his drink.

As the group chatted and enjoyed their meal, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively. The small banquet, reserved only for the Buggy Pirates, brought them closer together after eight months apart. A few hours later, the group, thoroughly drunk, fell into a deep sleep.

Four days passed in the blink of an eye. During these days, Buggy kept a close eye on Enel's movements, but not only did the latter not attack the Celestial Dragons, but he also did not send out any news, as if he had suddenly disappeared from the island.

Aside from Enel, one big piece of news after another has been breaking these past few days. First, there's the dramatic increase in the bounties of the Supernovas. These restless guys are always trying to create Big News Morgans, but that's something the Navy should be worried about.

Of course, the most shocking battle was the one at Enies Lobby. This battle made the Straw Hat Pirates famous. They set fire to the World Government's flag and declared war on it. Enies Lobby, which symbolized the World Government's Absolute Justice, was subjected to Buster Call, breaking the legend that it had never been breached since its establishment!

However, in order to cover up the scandal of Enies Lobby being destroyed by the Buster Call, the World Government blamed the Straw Hat Pirates for the island's destruction, which caused Monkey D. Luffy's bounty to skyrocket from 100 million to 300 million, making him the talk of the town!

Of course, Buggy also saw Cavendish's news in the newspaper, but because the news about the Supernovas took up most of the space, only a small section was left for him, with just a few words briefly mentioning his level of danger. Basically, no one would care about this guy anymore...

Secondly, what unsettled the Navy even more than the news of the Supernovas was the destruction of the fleet they had sent to monitor Shanks and Whitebeard. These two emperors, who reign supreme among the Four Emperors, were finally about to meet!!

Let's rewind to one day earlier, to the New World the Grand Line.

On the Moby Dick, the Whitebeard Pirates, their heads spinning, were unable to stand for a moment. Meanwhile, the Whitebeard Pirates' captains stood around the outer edge of the main deck, staring at the two men in the center: their Pops, Whitebeard, and one of the Four Emperors, Red-Haired Shanks!

Shanks sat upright on the deck, poured himself a bowl of liquor, and tossed the entire jug to the Whitebeard covered in slings. "I've sailed the world's oceans, and there's no liquor better than this... Try the liquor of my homeland!"

"The wine from the West Blue doesn't seem that great..." The Whitebeard sniffed the rim of the pot, then gulped down a mouthful. "Oh... it's alright..."

He put down his wine jug and said with a sigh, "Roger... Garp... Sengoku... there aren't many people who understand that era anymore. Twenty-two years have passed, no wonder..."

"Back then, I was just a trainee kid on Gol D. Roger's ship, but now I've climbed the ranks pretty fast... Roger's ship and I often went to war... We got to know each other after all that fighting. Is that funny Red Nose you used to hang out with dead?"

"You mean Buggy..." Shanks listened to Whitebeard's words and fell into a moment of reminiscence. "It's really nostalgic. After Captain Roger was executed, I parted ways with him in Loguetown. He's still a pirate now. I saw news about him in the newspaper before... but he seems to have disappeared again recently."

"To me, it's just a blink of an eye. It feels like the day you fought Mihawk was just yesterday. I never imagined that a man like you would lose an arm in the East Blue, leaving everyone dumbfounded! What kind of enemy... took your arm?"

"Well..." Shanks chuckled, "I've staked it on the [New Era]!"

"... As long as you don't regret it!"

"I'm a veteran of countless battles, riddled with wounds..." Shanks pointed solemnly to the three claw marks on his left eye. "The only thing that can still cause me a dull ache is this wound, and the one who left it was none other than your subordinate, Blackbeard!"

"I didn't pay much attention to that at the time..."

"You should understand what I mean... He hid himself under the banner of Whitebeard, neither elevating his status nor enhancing his reputation, but instead waiting for the right opportunity. Once he gained power, he began his actions... One day he will seize your position!"

"What are you trying to say... is this the purpose of your trip?"

"Summon Ace... back!!" Shanks said. "I know Ace is strong, but his reputation and your trust in him will make this very complicated! Now is not the time for them to fight!!"

"Kuralalalala--" the Whitebeard laughed loudly, "You little snotty brat, you sure know how to talk!"

Shanks: "...!!"

"His crimes are the most intolerable crimes on a pirate ship. Once you're on my ship, even if you're an idiot, you're still my child! If Ace comes back, how can the crew members killed by Teach rest in peace..."

Veins began to bulge on the Whitebeard's forehead. "The unrighteous and immoral do not deserve to live in this world. Isn't it my responsibility to teach Teach this lesson?!"

Having said that, he downed the wine in the jug in one gulp. "Trying to boss me around? Wait another hundred years!"

Shanks also downed his drink in one gulp, drew his rapier from his waist, and declared, "This mad age... is going to spiral out of control!!"

"What's there to be afraid of!" Whitebeard raised his halberd, which was resting on the chair. "I'm Whitebeard!!"

In an instant, their weapons clashed, a fierce and Haki battle that cleaved a crack in the sky!

Rewind to the present, Marineford, Marine Headquarters, in the Fleet Admiral's Office.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat behind his desk, repeatedly flipping through the intelligence documents in front of him. Senior Advisor Vice Admiral Tsuru sat beside him, gently blowing on the hot tea in his hand and sipping it slowly. Besides these two, Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was also present. He held a Bible in his hand, sitting expressionlessly in his chair, without saying a word.

Finally, Tsuru spoke, "Sengoku, how's the observation going?"

"That Buggy the Clown disappeared for so long, but he seems to have reappeared on Sabaody Archipelago recently..." Sengoku placed the file on the table. "I don't know why... but I always feel very uneasy about that guy."

Tsuru said, "Is it because of Shanks...? Are you worried that Buggy the Clown is an important pawn that Shanks planted in the first half of the Grand Line?"

"No... According to the current intelligence, Buggy the Clown and Shanks have never been in contact... But the more this is the case, the more uneasy I become. Dalmatian (Dalmatian), who fought him, sent me a report from Crown Island, and he also mentioned that Buggy the Clown is a very dangerous guy..."

Sengoku paused, let out a deep snort, and continued, "How could I not be wary of Gol D. Roger's crew... Even those pirates who've been causing a ruckus lately are still just a bunch of greenhorns. But Buggy the Clown is different. He's been lying low for over twenty years without making a move, yet he suddenly rose to prominence in the East Blue and is now stationed on Sabaody Archipelago. I have absolutely no idea what he's up to... And at this critical juncture, with Portgas D. Ace captured and us determined to go to war with the Whitebeard Pirates, this ticking time bomb is keeping me up at night!"

Crane comforted him, "Sengoku... you're under too much pressure!"

"As Fleet Admiral, I must consider everything I do carefully!"

After finishing his Sengoku, Sengoku looked at Bartholomew Kuma and said, "The World Government is sending you to Gecko Moria's waters to help him take down Straw Hat Luffy Gecko Moria, right?"

"That's the order," Bartholomew Kuma replied calmly.

"In that case, after you get Straw Hat Luffy's head, I want you to go to Sabaody and test Buggy the Buggy the Clown. If you can, bring his head back as well. If you're not confident... don't anger him, and come back immediately!"

Bartholomew Kuma said, "Is that all? I understand."

After saying that, he stood up from his chair and walked straight towards the door. "I'll bring the message back."

Glancing at the towering figure of Bartholomew Kuma's back, Sengoku slowly said, "Next... we will face an unprecedentedly difficult war..."

Tsuru slowly sipped her hot tea. "The naval mobilization order will be issued soon... Let's use this time to prepare our forces and strive to win this war..."