The World Government's public execution announcement, like a chilling cosmic storm, instantly swept away the fervor that had just risen within Pluton due to the new clues. Although the image of Ace on the screen was clearly a fake (or some kind of Devil Fruit ability, high-tech projection), the provocation and threat it conveyed were undeniably real.
"Damn it--!!!" Luffy's roar shook the bridge, and his terrifying Conqueror's Haki erupted uncontrollably, causing the lights to flicker. "How dare they!!! I'm going to smash that place to pieces! I'll rescue Ace!!" His rubber body swelled with extreme anger, and the aura of Gear Fourth was faintly about to be unleashed.
"Calm down, Luffy!" Sabo grabbed him (though he was slightly pushed away), his voice also filled with suppressed anger, "That's a trap! Imu is trying to lure us into it!"
"I know it's a trap!" Luffy's eyes were bloodshot. "But so what?! Are we going to turn back just because we're scared?! That's Ace!" The painful memories of the Paramount War came flooding back like a nightmare, and he absolutely refused to allow the same thing to happen again!
Ace himself was ashen-faced, the Flame of World Purification pulsating violently on his body, and the surrounding temperature rising sharply. "In my name... how dare they...!" This feeling of being desecrated and used fueled his rage.
"Without a doubt, this is Imu's treacherous scheme." Allen's voice remained calm, but a cold glint flashed in his deep purple pupils. "He has calculated our weakness. No matter how fake that image is, the declaration of public execution has been made. If we don't go, the prestige of the Navy and the World Government will be consolidated, while we will bear the infamy of standing by and watching someone die, and our morale will suffer a heavy blow. If we go, it will play right into his hands; he will surely lay a trap for Marineford."
"Perhaps... we can take advantage of this opportunity?" Robin pondered. "With Imu's attention drawn to Marineford, his surveillance of the ' Eternal Mist ' might be weakened."
"You mean... to split up the forces?" Sabo immediately understood her meaning.
"That's right." Robin nodded. "One group will head to Marineford and cause a ruckus, but not for a real 'rescue' (because Ace is right next to us). Rather, it's to draw Imu and the World Government's full attention, disrupt their plans, and perhaps... even see if we can turn the tables and severely damage their power."
"The other group will take the opportunity to head to the ' Eternal Mist,'" Allen interjected, "To find clues about the ' Final Dogma ' and the ' Domain of God,' which may be the key to our true victory over Imu. We might even find a way to break his power there."
This proposal is extremely bold and fraught with risk. Dividing forces means dispersing resources, and each route will face a dangerous and perilous situation.
"I'm going to Marineford!" Luffy roared without hesitation. "I'm going to rescue that fake Ace! And then beat Sakazuki to a pulp!" "Me too!" Ace declared resolutely. "No one can be executed with my face on their head! I'm going to expose this scam myself!" "Me too!" Zoro said, his hand on his sword hilt. "Perfect timing to try out this new trick." Sanji lit a cigarette. "We can't let them underestimate the Straw Hat Pirates." Chopper, Usopp, Franky, and Brook also chimed in, all wanting to join the trip.
Sabo, seeing the Straw Hat Pirates's high spirits, knew the trip to Marineford was inevitable. He took a deep breath. "Alright! Marineford is yours to handle! Make as much noise as possible! But remember, the primary objective is to attract attention and cause disruption. If things get out of hand, retreat immediately! I'll have the Revolutionary Army provide support from the perimeter, creating chaos to facilitate your retreat."
Then he looked at Allen, Robin, Tesoro, Jinbe, and the others. "The mission to explore the ' Eternal Mist ' will be our responsibility. We need Allen's abilities to deal with the temporal chaos there, we need Robin to decipher any ancient information that may exist, we need Tesoro's financial resources for special preparations, and we need Jinbe's experience to deal with the unknown environment."
"No problem," Allen nodded. "Just what I wanted," Robin said. "Adventures always require funding," Tesoro smiled. "That sea area... the star field, I'm also very curious about it," Jinbe replied calmly.
"Wait!" Nami suddenly shouted, " The Eternal Mist is so dangerous! Without the Log Pose and reliable star charts, how will you navigate? Pluton only has one ship!"
" Pluton will go with you to Marineford," Sabo decided. "It's a bigger target, has stronger firepower, and can better draw enemy fire, as well as better protect your escape. We're going to the Eternal Mist... we need another ship."
His gaze fell on Tesoro.
Tesoro understood and snapped his fingers, "Leave it to me. My Golden Fleet has a specially made 'submarine' called the ' Undercurrent.' It's small, has excellent stealth capabilities, making it suitable for covert operations, and it's also robust enough. I'll have it moved to the designated coordinates immediately and undergo adaptive modifications, adding equipment to cope with special environments."
The plan was thus finalized.
The troops split into two groups:
• Marineford direction (feint attack/main attack): Luffy, Ace, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Chopper, Usopp, Franky, Brook + Pluton + Revolutionary Army peripheral support.
• Eternal Mist Direction (Surprise Attack/Exploration): Sabo, Allen, Robin, Tesoro, Jinbe + Tesoro's submarine " Undercurrent ".
In the following period, Pluton entered a state of intense preparation.
Luffy and his crew, eager for action, checked their equipment and formulated a preliminary plan to wreak havoc on Marine Headquarters.
Sabo urgently contacted the Revolutionary Army Headquarters to mobilize forces and arrange support and retreat routes.
Allen and Robin, meanwhile, buried themselves in studying the animal hide scrolls and all the scattered information about the Eternal Mist in the Pluton database.
Tesoro contacted his subordinates through a secret channel, mobilizing the " Undercurrent " and transporting a large amount of supplies.
Franky led the engineering team to conduct final checks on Pluton, ensuring it was in peak condition for battle.
The moment of parting arrived. The two spacecraft docked at the designated coordinates.
"Be careful!" Koala said worriedly to Sabo. "Don't worry, we're going to cause a ruckus!" Luffy grinned, but his eyes were serious. "Come back alive," Ace said to Sabo and Allen. "You two too," Sabo patted Luffy and Ace on the shoulder heavily, "Don't be too reckless." Allen looked at Luffy: "Trust your strength, trust your comrades." "Yeah!" Luffy nodded emphatically.
The massive Pluton slowly adjusted its course, its engines emitting dazzling blue light, and resolutely sailed towards the Marine Headquarters — New Marineford— that was destined to be shrouded in war once again.
The smaller " Undercurrent," like a ghost, silently slipped into the depths of space, embarking on its exploration into the more unknown and dangerous " Eternal Mist."
Imu's open scheme had been laid, and the allied forces responded with an even bolder two-pronged attack. The gears of fate began to turn once more rapidly.