Chapter 386: Let's Go There Directly!
Chapter 386: Let's Go There Directly!
"Damn them!"
In the conference hall within the palace of Storm City, Renitiah bared her small fangs and waved her tiny fists, shouting, "Sage, let's go straight to that Azure Kingdom and capture that old coot. We'll humiliate him thoroughly!"
Kaku came and left quickly, bringing the World Government's conditions before departing.
As for Sage, after returning, he called for a meeting.
"Oh dear, are we being targeted by so many?" Marika smiled and said, "So this is the treatment of a Pirate King?"
"There will be no weaklings."
Lily walked to Sage's side, refilled his empty cup with another drink, and after a moment's thought, she spoke, "We may not have the title of Pirate King, but we have the strength. They will understand the terror that comes with it. The fact that a Fleet Admiral has been dispatched means that the leader behind this knows the stakes. They wouldn't gather useless individuals."
"The ones coming will definitely be elites, but we should consider where they're coming from and how they're getting here. The enemy should be prepared. Just like the news Kaku brought, this is an attack aimed at Sage."
"If we go to the Azure Kingdom, they might be waiting for us there. Also, I highly doubt the credibility of the World Government. If they mobilize all their forces, wouldn't they take advantage and come here?"
The World Government does not acknowledge the existence of the five Pirate Kings, and currently, the title of the Great Pirate is still held by the Four Emperors. Catastrophe and Blackbeard are still in contention for the final Pirate King position.
In Sage's words, whether there's a fruit or not, it's all about taking a chance. What if Tich can't hold back, or Sage himself gets annoyed by the lack of recognition and goes to clash with Blackbeard or some other Pirate King?
Whoever dies, it's a good thing for the World Government.
While they lack the title, their strength is undeniable, and even in this situation where no one dares to provoke them, there are still those who attempt to snipe them by uniting multiple forces.
They must not be the kind of people who think that numbers alone guarantee success.
Aside from the Fleet Admirals, the others must be formidable as well, at least capable of withstanding Sage's Tyrant Aura.
Only those with such strength would qualify to participate in the attack.
"The World Government will dispatch a Fleet Admiral as proof of their involvement," Lily said. "According to the intelligence, it should be the new Fleet Admiral, Green Ox."
The World Draft allowed the Marine Force to recruit two Fleet Admirals: Tiger Vine and Green Ox, both with titles combining colors and animals.
As for their true strength, no one knows.
There are still many powerful individuals who remain unknown and lack fame on the high seas.
They could be as strong as Yellow Ape Qingchi, or they might be on par with Crimson Dog, or perhaps slightly weaker. But since they hold the title of Fleet Admiral, they must be formidable and should be taken seriously.
"Regarding the bounty hunters, is there anyone who knows about the representative figure, Mad Torrega?" Lily asked.
"Ah! I know, I know!"
Renitiah raised her hand and said, "He's known as the strongest Treasure Hunter, originally from the East Sea, and quite famous there. I never expected him to come to the New World as well."
As she spoke, she slammed her hand on the desk, "Let's crush that guy!"
Lily's voice turned cold, "Indeed, it's absurd. Do they see our territory as a treasure to plunder?"
But upon further thought, it made sense.
Sage was too wealthy.
The taxes kept circulating, and with money, more money was collected. The excess, although used for infrastructure and industry development, was unknown to others.
Not only outsiders but even the people under his rule believed their lord to be affluent. After all, he owned all the land, lived extravagantly, and loved collecting precious golden and silver jewelry, historical artifacts, and was naturally considered an extremely wealthy Great Pirate.
Rumors had already spread that the Great Pirate Catastrophe had plundered half the treasures of the Grand Line, destroyed seven Golden Nations, and stored all the acquired wealth in his palace.
By defeating him, one could gain fame, wealth, power, and status.
It wasn't entirely impossible to achieve.
These people here could create weapons and warships, a display of power.
The Rainbow Gem, gradually gaining recognition from the nobles, coupled with Sage's own treasure trove, undoubtedly represented wealth.
Defeating Sage would undoubtedly bring fame and status.
It felt like if Sage were to detach Storm City and hide it somewhere, and when he's caught and about to be beheaded, he'd say something like, 'If you want it, then go and find it.' Whether or not others would search for the One Piece, Sage didn't know, but they would undoubtedly scramble for his treasure.
But thinking about it and actually doing it were two different things.
Even a random bounty hunter would dare to dream of defeating him? If only they knew where he was, Lily would be thinking of bringing his head back right now.
"And the Underworld."
Lily furrowed her brows, "For those guys to agree to this alliance means they're pretty confident about this operation."
The six great kings of the Underworld, leaders of various industries, and the Grand Undertaker himself, the top assassin, taking on this mission was already a significant signal.
These guys were sneakier than rats. Sage had intelligence on them, including Lucci, but they still couldn't locate Du Feld.
As for the pirates, who exactly was involved was unknown, as the information Kaku brought was also uncertain.
The key figure leading this operation was the most crucial.
The most important thing was that no one had heard of this person, but since the World Government chose them as the leader, they were probably one of those silent but powerful individuals.
"Hee hee hee, they probably won't come to Storm City, but if you want to lure Sage out, you should learn from me. Just stay here for now, and when the time is right, they'll disperse on their own."
Moriah thought for a moment and then cackled, "I'll lead an attack on the Azure Kingdom. Let's take that place first; it should be the last territory to be incorporated into their sphere of influence, right?"
These temporarily united groups would surely disband on their own given enough time.
"Hmm, the game of chess won't be that short."
Sage chuckled, finished his drink, and pushed the gemstone cup forward, as if moving a chess piece.
"If the World Government is negotiating with me, it won't be just for show. With an Admiral involved, there must be some results."
"If I stay here, it's you who will suffer. As long as you make a move, you'll be caught, and your situation will become even more passive."
"Kaku mentioned that someone named Kai Hai also made demands to the World Government. If they win, they become a powerful nation in the New World, and if they lose, the World Government will take them to the West Sea."
"Look, this guy has united so many people, but he's also thought about what would happen if he loses. There are also many unallied countries in the West Sea. He must have a well-planned backup plan. At least two sets of plans can be seen."
"Even if we occupy the Azure Kingdom, it's useless. Their target is me, not some territory. He must have other plans."
Sage leaned back and scoffed, "But no matter how well-planned, it won't stop me from going there myself! I'll go wherever he is. Lily, prepare the ship, and let's go to the Azure Kingdom directly. I want to see what tricks he has up his sleeve and how many people he's gathered to deal with me."
Logically, the Azure Kingdom's headquarters, where most allies were united, was the most dangerous place.
Even the Pirate Emperor wouldn't escape unscathed if there were many powerful individuals.
But this most dangerous method was also the most effective.
Instead of waiting for others to make their moves, Sage decided to charge into their headquarters, rendering all their plans useless!
With the leader eliminated, who would still play their strategic games with them?
No matter the plans or strategies, they would all be revealed before Sage's decision to attack the Azure Kingdom.
As for numbers, he didn't have time to gather a large force, nor did he need to. Bringing a few people with him would suffice.
(End of Chapter)
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