"After that, play it by ear. I trust your judgment, Diamante."
After giving Diamante a few more instructions, Werther hung up the Den Den Mushi.
Werther had pursued Luffy because he wanted to settle the matter once and for all. If he failed, so be it.
The route from Fish-Man Island to Dressrosa was riddled with deadly traps. The Straw Hat Pirates might well die along the way.
On Fish-Man Island, for instance, the moment the Straw Hat Pirates landed, Jinbe's head would be cut off and delivered to Luffy.
The forces on Fish-Man Island were waiting for the Straw Hat Pirates to land. Once they were spotted, those forces would descend on them.
Luffy was badly wounded, and no one even knew whether he was conscious. Faced with such a hopeless situation, the Straw Hat Pirates had little chance of turning things around.
Even if they left Fish-Man Island and reached the New World, Werther had another "gift" waiting for the Straw Hat Pirates.
At that thought, Werther gave a wry smile. The original story had made him place too much importance on Luffy. He had practically turned Dressrosa into a fortress.
Still, that caution was warranted. Werther did not fear Luffy's strength, but he had always been wary of the people behind him.
Garp, Red-Haired, Monkey D. Dragon—any of them might step in for Luffy. Failing to prepare for them would be an Absolute mistake.
If Werther met Luffy on land, he could cut him down in under ten minutes.
But after killing Luffy, Werther would have to face the enemies who might come after him. That was why he had chosen to hunt the Straw Hat Pirates in the deep sea.
To Werther, his opponent had never been Monkey D. Luffy. It was the people behind him.