Chapter 1294: World Summit Reopens
Chapter 1294: World Summit Reopens
Over a year since the full-scale war began, the Grand Line shifted from the Navy's string of victories to the current stalemate.
Though Sakazuki was stationed there, the pirates weren't ones to back down. Feeling their survival space shrinking, countless New World pirates headed to the frontlines en masse.
This wasn't like the Grand Line or the Four Seas, where a single ship could serve as a base. These pirates had established territories. If the Navy wanted to eliminate them, resistance was inevitable.
After a year of brutal, all-out battles, the entire New World descended into chaos. The same turmoil spread across the Navy's main bases, with unrest erupting everywhere.
Kuro's situation mirrored this. Klah's fleet returned for supplies only once in months, staying barely a few days before heading back to war. Even Lida had departed on multiple missions over the past year.
Yet Kuro had heard nothing of Luffy or Marshall D. Teach. They'd vanished like shadows. The Beehive Island base was abandoned, and no one knew Teach's whereabouts.
While the Grand Line was in chaos, Wano Country remained relatively stable. Though the battle situation was deadlocked, this was an inevitable phase of war. As long as victory remained possible, it was acceptable. Kuro occasionally descended to deal with reckless pirates, but his ultimate goal was still to locate Marshall D. Teach and Luffy.
Yet during his rare period of respite, an unexpected call arrived.
Poseidon, the King of the Sea.
Kuro knew exactly whose name this was—the mermaid princess Shirahoshi, one of the three ancient weapons, the so-called King of the Sea.
But who would dare publicize this? The World Government was already mad enough. If they'd known this secret during the previous World Summit, it wouldn't have been just Charloss's idiotic solo hunt for Shirahoshi. They'd have mobilized everyone to capture her.
So how had this been discovered?
The Transponder Snail reported, "Those pirates passed through Fishman Island, attempting to capture Shirahoshi and triggering war. Unexpectedly, Shirahoshi summoned a massive swarm of Sea Kings, wiping out the pirates entirely."
"Ah."
Kuro grunted, leaning back. "I see. So what's the higher-ups' plan now?"
"Capture."
The Transponder Snail continued, "Admiral, the World Government plans to lure Princess Shirahoshi to the World Summit and capture her. Since she attended last time, they expect her presence again. This operation will be led by Sakazuki, who'll handle the 'escort' of Shirahoshi."
"Understood. What about Luffy? Any news on his location?"
"Only rumors of his appearance. His exact whereabouts remain unknown."
"Fine. Notify me once confirmed."
Kuro set down the receiver, his body sinking into the chair. "Finally some movement... but I'll have to put that aside for now."
The World Summit escort mission had arrived first. This time, Kuro couldn't avoid it. Though he'd participated in the last Summit four years ago, the battle situation then hadn't been this intense. Now, with the entire Grand Line in turmoil, the Navy had to temporarily withdraw most forces to secure the Summit. They'd escort the attending kings during the meeting.
Had this happened a year ago at the war's outbreak, Kuro would've firmly refused. Sakazuki likely would've too. That was when the fighting was fiercest.
But now, with the war at a stalemate, the Navy's overstretched frontlines left them no choice but to hold their ground. Meanwhile, pirates had been forced to retreat, abandoning territorial disputes in favor of traditional piracy—raiding and looting with their ships' mobility.
The Navy struggled to counter this. Without concentrated forces, the conflict had regressed to classic naval warfare: chasing pirates in a deadlock.
Precisely because of this, the World Government decided to mobilize the Navy for the Summit's security. This time, massive fleets would escort each group, combining nearby kings into the safest possible force.
Kuro's assigned mission involved escorting Dressrosa's King David and surrounding rulers qualified for the World Summit. Leading the operation himself, he'd have his subordinate Vice Admirals provide support en route to Mariejois.
Kuro didn't care much about the details—Klah could handle the planning. He'd just provide the manpower.
"Shogun-sama."
Baohuang knelt beside him, her small hands pressing her temples. "Officer Lida has returned."
"Oh? Back already?"
Kuro bit into a cigar, exhaling smoke.
Moments later, the sliding door creaked open as Lida burst in, still in her young girl form. "Kuro! I'm back!"
She looked like she was about to leap into his arms—
Kuro raised an eyebrow. "Go wash up first. Your hands are still bloody. What did you do?"
"Eh?" Lida froze, instinctively checking her hands.
"That? I ran into some stubborn pirates on the way back", she said. "They put up a fight, so I got splattered."
As a Vice Admiral—no, a powerful Vice Admiral—Lida naturally joined expeditions. Most major threats had already been eliminated by Kuro, leaving only minor pests. To prevent accidents, Kuro had even assigned Moer to her ship to evacuate her if danger arose. Proudly, Lida had returned successfully every time, unscathed.
With her Grand Line-developed Whitebeard shockwave strength, few in the Grand Line could rival her.
"Go clean up and rest. We're heading to Mariejois soon."
"Eh? Why there again?"
"The World Summit's reconvening. Time for a break. We've got a mission."
"Okay", Lida replied, heading to wash her hands.
"Baohuang, contact Klah. If he hasn't returned, have him come back", Kuro ordered.
"Yes, Shogun-sama." Baohuang bowed and left to relay the message.
Kuro exhaled another puff of smoke, pinching his brow. "Troublesome."
Another World Summit.
In Kuro's view, holding it now was pointless. With the war at this critical stage, what use were meetings? Without ending the war, no summit would matter.
He could already predict the chaos once the Navy's main forces withdrew.
But the higher-ups didn't care. To them, the World Nobles' core territories always came first—member states and pirates were secondary. As a Navy officer, he had no choice but to follow orders.
Blue-collar worker's life—always a grind.
(End of Chapter)
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