The horrifying figures seemed to silence the entire world.
Only after a long while...
The curly-haired member of the Five Elders slowly spoke:
"Bring me the map of the New World."
Sakazuki's decision to detonate the New World, and the strategy behind it, gradually took shape in their minds...
A Cipher Pol agent brought out the map of the New World that the curly-haired Elder had marked in the pristine white hall.
Sakazuki's deeper objective leaped off the page.
They had originally thought Sakazuki intended to divide the pirate forces and destroy them separately in a prolonged war.
But now...
Within the circles on either side of the New World, every island representing Hale Nock's and Red-Hair's forces had been wiped out.
As shown in the illustration.
All that remained was the largest circle at the top: Charlotte Linlin's and Kaido's forces, along with the remnants of Hale Nock's and Red-Haired Shanks's forces that Aramaki and Borsalino were driving toward them.
Every mystery that had previously baffled or confused them had been solved.
Why had Sakazuki kept advancing toward the center from the moment the war began?
Why had he suddenly split his forces at a critical moment, sending Aramaki and Borsalino out separately, only to push deeper and encircle the enemy rather than turn back to close the trap?
Now they understood completely.
How was this a prolonged war?
This had been Sakazuki's objective from the very beginning. He had deceived everyone...
He had begun laying his plans the moment he declared war.
By constantly dividing and wearing down the enemy, he had convinced the whole world that this was a war of attrition. In reality, he had merely been waiting for an opportunity...
Exactly.
Just as they had supplied intelligence to the pirates to hold back the Marines,