Threatening a Ceasefire

Messages flooded the private chat window, one after another.

Straw Hat cracked his knuckles, clearly wanting to trade a few moves with Su Lin.

Kaido dragged his spiked club along, sparks flashing across the ground.

Whitebeard grinned, while the three old-timers stared at him sideways.

"Luffy, I wasn't talking about you. Don't look at me like that."

"Garp, Sengoku, Whitebeard, Kaido, Hawkeye—you too. Don't look at me like that. I wasn't talking about you."

"Buggy, don't get mad. I wasn't talking about you either. You're pretty impressive, in a certain sense."

"Fine, maybe I was being a little too arrogant. I'll tone it down." Su Lin shrugged, utterly unconcerned.

At the same time, he used Aokiji's Devil Fruit ability to create an ice throne. With a wave of his right hand, magma rose from the ground around him, lifting him above everyone else.

Su Lin slowly sat down. Though the chair was freezing his ass, his expression remained composed as he leisurely crossed one leg over the other.

"In short, everyone here, please give me, Su, some face."

"Do you think I don't carry enough weight?"

Su Lin smiled at everyone present. Then again, no matter how strong his abilities were, he was only one powerful fighter. His diverse Devil Fruit abilities still gave Marine Headquarters a chance of victory, though they had to consider whether the price in casualties would be too high.

"Look over there. Isn't Red-Hair coming?"

Su Lin pointed toward the sea.

Although Su Lin's words sounded absurd, everyone was now considering only his abilities and the threat he posed.

"Red-Hair?!"

Aokiji narrowed his eyes and looked toward the horizon.

Several black dots appeared in the distance.

A messenger at the communications tower spotted the distant scene and immediately notified the Marines.

"Wasn't Red-Hair still confronting Kaido in the New World yesterday?" a Marine vice admiral asked in astonishment.

"Kaido has already shown up. It's entirely possible that Red-Hair has come too." Momousagi bit her finger as she thought.

"Another Yonko..." This Marine rear admiral wanted to say they should just stop fighting, but he feared his colleagues around him would kill him first if he did.

He was not the type to lay down his life for the Marines' pride. Work was work.

Buru buru.

Buru buru.

The Den Den Mushi in Sengoku's coat pocket rang. Sengoku returned to human form and took the coat handed over by a soldier who jogged up beside him.

He took out the Den Den Mushi.

"Report!"

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! A ship from the Yonko Red Hair Pirates has appeared five kilometers away and is heading toward Marineford!"

"Continue monitoring them!"

Sengoku hung up, gritting his teeth as he looked at Su Lin, then at the several black dots appearing beyond the horizon.

"Even Red-Hair is coming to get involved?!"

Sengoku suddenly felt exhausted. Everything had clearly been within their plans. Even with the variable that was Straw Hat Kid, they should have been able to handle it.

After all, at the beginning, Straw Hat Kid had not amounted to much in their eyes.

Even though Straw Hat Kid's strength had somehow become incredibly formidable, reaching the level of a Yonko, they still had a chance of winning this battle.

At the very least, they had to keep Whitebeard here.

But that man called Su Lin, along with Red-Hair, had become weights that shattered the balance.

If they kept fighting, even if he and Garp could still fight, their chances of victory were slim. If things went badly, more than half of Marine Headquarters' top combat power might be lost today.

But if they agreed to stop now, Fire Fist Ace would be rescued as well. Where would the Marines' pride be then?!

This was not a responsibility he could shoulder alone.

"Ah, right." Su Lin's booming voice once again drew the attention of the entire battlefield.

"Celestial Dragon lives are important, right?"

"How many Celestial Dragons do you think it would take to trade for a ceasefire, Sengoku?"

Su Lin revealed a gentle smile. Under his control, a ray of sunlight fell over where he stood.

The moment Su Lin said this, the reporters watching from Sabaody Archipelago were so terrified that they did not dare speak.

To most people in this world, the status of the Celestial Dragons was deeply entrenched and utterly untouchable.

For Su Lin to make such remarks before the entire world was no different from declaring war on every legitimate military force in the world.

"I can change my appearance, and I also have abilities such as the Glint-Glint Fruit that I copied today."

"How about this? If you refuse my demands, I'll leave the battlefield and start assassinating Celestial Dragons."

"You can keep wasting time on this battlefield. Let's see who goes to protect that bunch of pig-like trash."

Su Lin spoke freely as everyone stared at him with widened eyes.

"I once copied the Warp-Warp Fruit ability. I can go anywhere I want. If you don't believe me, check Impel Down's surveillance footage and see whether I suddenly appeared there."

"My patience is limited. If you refuse, I'll kill one—no, five Celestial Dragons first, just to show you. How about it?"

"You can keep fighting."

Su Lin extended one hand, signaling for them to continue.

"I'll go bring back a few Celestial Dragon heads for you to use as balls. Liven things up a little?"

Inside the World Government's conference room.

The bald member of the Five Elders smashed the table with an angry slap and roared, "How dare he?!"

"This man's Devil Fruit abilities are far too threatening," said the bald member of the Five Elders.

"With him around, CP0 must not only deal with the Nika Fruit's abilities, but also guard against this man," said the long-bearded member of the Five Elders.

"Have Sengoku agree to the ceasefire first. Check the surveillance footage at Impel Down."

"There is no other choice. The Celestial Dragons are already calling."

"But this man and Straw Hat Kid must be dealt with."

"We need to make long-term plans. Have CP0 gather intelligence on this man first."

"The Marines have already lost this Summit War."

Su Lin had watched One Piece. Though he had forgotten some of the plot, he knew the personalities of Marines like Sengoku and what they were worried about now.

I got to show off, and I farmed my points.

As for face, if you give me face, I'll give you face. Isn't that how it should be?

And I even thought up an excuse for you.

"Sengoku, for the safety of that bunch of trash, there's no choice but to cease fire~." Garp picked his nose and trotted over to Sengoku with a grin.

"Shut up, Garp!" Sengoku roared at him. But Garp was right. If they did not cease fire, no one could keep that man here. Sengoku glanced at the Den Den Mushi in his hand.

He knew someone was even more panicked than he was right now.

It should be soon.

Buru buru.

Buru buru.

"This is Sengoku." Sengoku picked up the Den Den Mushi.

"Mm, understood."

He hung up.

In that case, all responsibility had nothing to do with the Marines.

Sengoku closed his eyes. After thinking it over, he took out a loudspeaker.

"All Marines!"

"Stop the pursuit! Regroup and rest where you are!"

"Fleet Admiral?!" Some Marines did not understand.

"This is an order from the World Government! Everyone, follow orders! Rescue the wounded and assess the losses."

This was not the Marines' decision. It was an order from the World Government?

A ceasefire?!

The Marine elites and Pirates immediately turned their gazes toward the man standing at the center of the battlefield.

That man's threat had worked?!

Someone actually dared use Celestial Dragons to threaten the Marines and even the World Government.

"Celebrate, Whitebeard."

"This time, you won." Sengoku put away the loudspeaker and spoke to Whitebeard.

Then Sengoku and Garp turned and left, leaving behind everyone still stunned.

(End of chapter)