Aboard the Ark Maxim
Satoru Gojo lay in a wooden armchair, wearing sunglasses and leisurely basking in the sun.
"Ring, ring! Ring, ring!"
Suddenly, his phone rang.
"Hello, Kalifa. What is it?"
Gojo opened his phone and saw that Kalifa was calling. Before leaving, he had told her to consult him only on major matters she could not decide herself. He had not expected one to come up so soon.
"Reporting to Your Majesty! Our merchant ship was plundered by the subordinates of Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors, in the waters of Totto Land. Admiral Esdeath asked me to request your permission to deploy."
Going to war with the Big Mom Pirates, the crew of one of the Four Emperors, was no trivial matter. Kalifa did not dare make that decision on her own, so she had to seek Gojo's instructions.
"The Big Mom Pirates certainly have some nerve! What kind of merchant ship was robbed?"
"It was a merchant ship carrying sweets!"
Kalifa answered.
"I see. It looks like Big Mom has gotten addicted to our country's sweets. But daring to attack our merchant ships is just asking for an early death."
"Your Majesty, do you mean to declare war on them?"
"Anyone who attacks my country will be slain, however far away they may be! Hold a press conference immediately and announce to the world that the Big Mom Pirates have infringed upon our country's interests, plundered our merchant ship, and caused losses of property and life. Dressrosa declares war on the Big Mom Pirates!"
"Yes! I'll make the arrangements right away!"
"Also, tell Esdeath that she won't need to deploy against the Big Mom Pirates. I'll take care of them along the way!"
He would take care of the Big Mom Pirates, one of the crews of the Four Emperors who ruled the seas, along the way! Kalifa was shocked by Gojo's confidence.
They were one of the Four Emperors! Who in this world dared to be so certain they could casually dispose of an Emperor?
"Yes!"
Though shocked, Kalifa still acknowledged his orders.
"Koratt, take a detour to Totto Land! They dared to rob me. I have to teach them a lesson!"
"Of course, Lord Gojo!"
"All hands! Change course! We're heading for Totto Land!"
Koratt immediately gave the order.
The New World, Totto Land
This was the territory of Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors. Inside the tallest building on Whole Cake Island, Big Mom was enjoying the sweets plundered from Dressrosa's merchant ship.
"Mama! Mama! Something terrible has happened!"
A pirate rushed in, flustered.
Big Mom swallowed the sweets in her hand and asked:
"What happened? What's all this fuss about?"
The pirate handed Big Mom the newspaper. She opened it, skimmed it, and burst out laughing.
"Mama, mama! Dressrosa actually declared war on us! Satoru Gojo wants to take us on alone! How ridiculous!"
"Who does he think he is? A wet-behind-the-ears brat! First he said he would challenge Whitebeard, and now he wants to walk all over me!"
"Come, then! I'll show you what it means to be one of the Four Emperors!"
Her words were full of contempt for Gojo. No one dared claim they could challenge an Emperor's entire pirate crew alone.
"Mama, we can't be careless. Satoru Gojo did defeat a Marine Admiral, after all!"
Seeing how lightly Big Mom took Gojo, Charlotte Katakuri gave her a worried reminder.
"Katakuri, when did you become such a coward? Do you think I'll lose?"
Big Mom roared angrily at Katakuri.
"I wouldn't dare!"
No one could change Big Mom's mind. Katakuri said no more.
An office at Marine Headquarters
Fleet Admiral Sengoku looked at the latest newspaper and said:
"Provoking two of the Four Emperors in succession-the Jujutsu Pirates really are fearless young fools!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru continued:
"All the better. We Marines can take advantage of the chaos!"
"Young people really are frightening. Challenging two Emperors at once, and going alone without bringing any officers!"
Garp expressed admiration for Gojo's courage. Even someone as strong as him would not dare venture deep into an Emperor's territory alone without careful consideration.
"Why did the Jujutsu Pirates declare war on the Big Mom Pirates out of nowhere?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru was puzzled.
Sengoku explained:
"Because the Big Mom Pirates plundered Dressrosa's merchant ship. The Jujutsu Pirates declared war on Totto Land on the grounds that its economic interests had been infringed upon, under the slogan, 'Anyone who attacks my country will be slain, however far away they may be.'"
Garp said, "'Anyone who attacks my country will be slain, however far away they may be'! Can a mere pirate actually have that kind of devotion to his country?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru said, "Then this is a war between countries. We Marines personally recognized Dressrosa as an independent nation not long ago, so we have no room to intervene! After all, we can't interfere in a country's political affairs at will."
Sengoku said, "Yes, we certainly can't intervene in wars between countries at will. But we're Marines, and capturing pirates is our duty. This is both a confrontation between countries and a confrontation between pirates. As long as we manage public opinion and define this war as a territorial dispute between pirates, we can legitimately join the battle and wipe them out!"
Clearly, Sengoku did not want to pass up any opportunity to wipe out an Emperor's pirate crew.
Although Gojo had caused him plenty of trouble before, Sengoku very much welcomed his current lawlessness. After all, if the pirates fought among themselves, the Marines could swoop in afterward and reap the rewards.
Vice Admiral Tsuru said, "Yes, that might work. But we must keep public opinion under control. Otherwise, Marines participating in a war between nations would go against our justice!"
Sengoku said, "We'll discuss that in detail at the meeting. For now, have our people closely monitor the Big Mom Pirates' movements! By the way, where is Satoru Gojo now? Is he going to Whitebeard first, or Big Mom?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru said, "According to our intelligence, Satoru Gojo's ship has already changed course and is heading for Totto Land's waters."
Sengoku said, "It looks like Satoru Gojo intends to attack the Big Mom Pirates first!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru said, "So it seems."
Sengoku rose, made a phone call, and said:
"Order all Marines near Totto Land's waters to assemble immediately and prepare to attack Totto Land at any moment! Also, order the Three Admirals to head to Totto Land's waters immediately to oversee operations!"
"Yes!"
Hearing the answer from the other end, Sengoku put down the phone, his eyes flickering.
Sengoku hoped Gojo would win, because he could then seize the opportunity to wipe out the Big Mom Pirates. Yet he also hoped Gojo would not win, because a victory would mean he might be an even more terrifying presence than Whitebeard! That would not be good news for the Marines!
The best outcome would be for both sides to suffer heavy losses. Then he could wipe out Gojo and the Big Mom Pirates together!
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