Chapter 625: Intimidation
Chapter 625: Intimidation
Seeing the people on the ship who showed no fear and no intention of avoiding battle, Boa Hawkeye sighed and shrugged:
"Well, if it weren't necessary, I wouldn't want to come here either. It's not that I want to fight, but not fighting isn't an option either. Most importantly..."
His voice grew low: "Even if I defeat you, it won't change the outcome."
"Hawkeye, don't talk big."
Moria's shadow flickered, "You alone won't find it easy to deal with us."
Dealing with a high-ranking admiral like this would certainly be challenging, but it wouldn't be impossible to resist.
In fact, dealing with Lily and Moria together would be impossible in the short term.
"Oh~ I don't want to start a fight either. Speaking of the Three Admirals, you aside, this 'Sword Maiden' is very important, right? If we really fight, wouldn't the second strike land on Marineford?"
Boa Hawkeye raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Lily said, "Instead of chatting, why don't you withdraw your forces from Red Port to avoid unnecessary casualties? I've told you what you need to know. Whether you act on it is up to you."
Boa Hawkeye didn't waste time, lifting the black Den Den Mushi on his wrist. Just as he was about to speak, he thought of something and chuckled, pulling out a miniature Den Den Mushi from his pocket.
"Getting old, I thought I could retire soon, but now I still have to handle things personally. It's really scary."
As the Den Den Mushi connected, he gave his orders directly: "Hello, this is Boa Hawkeye. Withdraw all forces from Red Port, the farther away, the better."
"Admiral Boa Hawkeye!"
The person answering, Mount Burns, was confused, "We're at Red Land, the bottom of Marineford. If we suddenly withdraw..."
Dealing with Pirate withdrawal wasn't a problem, but the location was wrong. Marineford had already been attacked twice, which had upset the higher-ups. Now, those damned Rebel Army members were using their abilities to run around Red Land, disrupting supplies.
If the forces guarding Red Port also withdrew...
The punishment they would face would certainly be even harsher.
"This is an order. I'll explain to Akainu. But I believe he'll understand. That's all."
Boa Hawkeye hung up the phone and shrugged, smiling:
"Ever since Worldslider forced his way into Marineford, everyone seems to think it's a great achievement to come up here. It's really a headache."
He paused, then asked, "Is it really that powerful? This is Red Land, after all."
"Wait and see."
Lily glanced at the live-streaming Den Den Mushi, "We're all waiting. Though we haven't seen it, I trust Sagel's judgment. Don't you trust your friend?"
His friend, of course, was Big Mom.
"Your words are getting sharper, Sword Maiden."
Boa Hawkeye's glasses flashed, and he turned his head toward Red Port without looking at her, "It's really scary. How much longer?"
"Forty minutes, total duration one hour."
Lily said, "This time is enough for the Navy to withdraw."
"What about the rest?"
"Sagel will handle it."
"What is your real goal?"
"Business."
Lily said, "Whoever tries to stop us from doing business won't be allowed to live in peace. Those who obstruct Sagel's plans won't be left alone!"
...
"Connected, huh?"
Ohara, the Palace.
As the call connected, Sagel chuckled, "Which old man is it this time?"
"Norton Sagel."
The Den Den Mushi on the other end emitted a very unfamiliar voice, not belonging to any of the Five Elders.
Hearing the voice, Sagel was taken aback, "Who are you?"
"The new Saturn, the Science Defense God, Figarand Garing. You can call me Saint Garing." The Den Den Mushi on the other end transformed into a crescent shape.
Sagel was stunned, "Saturn? What about Satan II?"
"He stepped down due to his lack of talent, so I took over."
Figarand Garing's Den Den Mushi, now crescent-shaped, said, "From today, I'll be playing with you."
"Heh heh heh, what a surprise! You old coots can step down? How do you step down? Go home and farm, or get planted as fertilizer? I never thought I'd see the Five Elders change positions in my lifetime."
Sagel laughed softly, "Figarand? Never heard of him. From the Shimizu family? I always thought the Five Elders didn't include Shimizu. Looks like I was wrong. You're selected from Shimizu. There are elites in Shimizu, too. Someone too weak probably couldn't hold this position."
People are all complex, and Shimizu is no exception. There are those who fall from grace after a fall from the heavens, and there are those like Shimizu, who recognize the injustices of the world and strive to improve. Through the trials of their environment, even Shimizu can become powerful.
So, a strong Shimizu is to be expected.
The only one truly to be pitied is Satan II.
To be honest, as a fellow member of the Sa family, he had a certain admiration for the old man. At the very least, the old man had principles in how he conducted himself.
According to Big Mom, no matter how harsh the conditions, they were always clearly stated. As long as you agreed, he would fulfill his end of the deal.
For example, the deal with Bear—Satan II was straightforward, telling Bear that he would become a human weapon in exchange for curing his daughter's illness. Once the terms were laid out, he would stick to them.
There were no issues with his integrity, but the way things looked now, if he were to be replaced, he would certainly be eliminated.
An almost immortal being, suddenly vanishing without a trace, only reinforced Sagel's belief that the Five Elders on the throne were mere puppets of the true ruler.
But, a puppet that could live for hundreds of years, or even longer, didn't seem like such a bad deal.
“Sagel, are you calling to declare war? Your ship has already reached Red Port. If it's war, one ship isn't enough, and you don’t seem like someone who would underestimate us,” Figarand Garing said.
“I just want to show you a demonstration. I recently acquired a new weapon, and it can now be activated. Initially, I planned to invite all the countries to witness it, connecting them through technology, but then I thought better of it. Causing such panic would likely make the World Government pin the blame on me.”
The last incident with the rising sea levels still hasn’t been resolved. Big Mom only knew she had been robbed, and while she might suspect the World Government, there was no evidence that they had activated an ancient weapon.
It couldn’t be made public.
If Sagel invited representatives from around the world, the blame for the previous incident would certainly be placed on him, making him the greatest enemy in history. While he didn’t care much, there was no need to become the scapegoat.
Sometimes, he even wondered if Raftel was the ultimate place to settle all accounts, and if the Pirate King was the new scapegoat. All the terrible things, all the historical scars, could be resolved by finding Raftel, clearing the past, and allowing everyone to live well in the future.
After all, whatever was lost could be found in Raftel, perhaps with countless treasures, enough food to feed everyone, and tools to unify the seas. The outcome would be beautiful, and everyone could laugh and celebrate, settling their accounts and forgetting the past.
Bullshit!
Sagel sneered, “So, I only intend to invite you important figures to witness the power I now possess, to see if we can have a fair conversation.”
The Den Den Mushi fell silent.
“Pluton, huh.”
Nas Shurou’s voice echoed, “There were a few minor reports suggesting you had discovered Pluton, but the sources were too insignificant to be taken seriously. No one paid much attention to those minor reports. But now, thinking about it, your arrival in Aghored and the capture of Big Mom were likely due to this.”
“Capture? That sounds harsh.”
Sagel laughed, “It was a collaboration, a joining. Big Mom chose me over you.”
“Stop with the useless talk. What do you really want?” Worley’s voice cut in.
“Just wait and see. The time isn’t right yet. Let’s chat for now. I’m confident about this, so let’s discuss the terms.”
Sagel leaned back comfortably in his throne, “First, my ship must be allowed to conduct business in Paradise without interference. Whether it’s in areas you can’t control or those you can, you must clear the way and not hinder my business.”
“Second, Fujitora is in your custody, right? Why not hand him over? You can’t make use of him, but I’d like to. Of course, you can also ask the fool Doflamingo. If he’s willing to join, I’ll have a place for him.”
“Lastly, you can’t secretly make things difficult for me in the places where I seek protection and conduct business. But it’s fine, I’ll let it slide. You probably can’t do much anyway.”
“Those are my terms for now. I’ll think about it more later. If nothing comes to mind, I’ll add them later, if they do, I’ll say them now.”
The Den Den Mushi on the other end fell silent, until Figarand Garing spoke up, "Do you know what you’re saying, Sagel? Even the greatest pirates have limits to their dreams."
"Ha! Pirates are the ones who turn their dreams into reality. If they can’t even dream, how can they dare to make them come true?"
Sagel laughed, "Don’t rush to make threats. Wait until the time comes, and then you can respond. For now, just treat this as a casual chat."
"A pirate with interesting dreams, like Shanks."
Figarand Garing said, "I hope you can maintain your initial aspirations even as time passes. I’ve seen too many bold and adventurous people like you become disheartened or drown in their own ideals after a few decades."
"Hohahaha! Who knows, maybe I’ll outlive you!"
Sagel laughed carelessly, "And don’t compare me to that guy. I’m not a fortune-teller, and I don’t need any guidance from fate. The only thing I believe in is what I can control."
He glanced at the clock on the wall and bared his teeth, "Power!"
"Buruburuburu."
Another Den Den Mushi rang, and Sagel didn’t hesitate to answer it, placing both receivers so that both calls could be heard clearly.
"Moshi moshi, Big Brother Sagel, we’re all set over here!"
The Den Den Mushi echoed a voice that was full of energy, very much like the Straw Hat’s.
Battousai.
Sagel hadn’t initially planned to bring Battousai along, but he just happened to evacuate from Aghored at the same time. Later, he drifted to Sagel’s territory and was discovered by his subordinates. Coincidentally, Big Mom was there, so they decided to let him join them.
Sagel didn’t expect Battousai to join their group. He was content with Battousai continuing to serve as Big Mom’s bodyguard, as he had in the past. However, Battousai was a man of honor. After leaving the Navy, he felt that if Big Mom joined the Worldslider, he should join as well. His strength was considerable, so Sagel put him in charge of the Peacekeepers project, overseeing their patrols and maintaining order.
Battousai already had the necessary authority, so Sagel didn’t need to provide him with an additional permission chip. The Peacekeepers he had were originally created by Big Mom, though they had been updated, their permissions remained the same. With Big Mom’s arrival, they could be appropriately modified.
The highest authority would be transferred from the Five Elders’ Star to Sagel, followed by the Triad and Big Mom, then the Seven Stars and Battousai. Any remaining commands would require a permission chip.
"Since everything is set, aim at the target."
Sagel grinned, looking at the clock on the wall and then at the live feed of Red Port, "How much longer?"
"Five minutes."
"Start the countdown at ten seconds."
Sagel spread his hands, "Many are watching, Big Mom. Don’t disappoint me."
"It won’t go wrong! We’ve double-checked everything!"
Renee’s voice chimed in from the Den Den Mushi, "There won’t be any accidents."
"Sure thing, Governor."
Quin’s voice added, "The technical skills are as good as ever, and Big Mom is even more impressive than before."
They were old comrades, so they couldn’t help but recognize each other. As soon as Big Mom joined, Quin eagerly offered to assist.
He had always aimed to surpass Kaji’s technical prowess, but he never thought about surpassing Big Mom. To him, she was always the best, the equivalent of a pirate world’s Sagel.
"Almost there."
Big Mom’s calm voice came from the Den Den Mushi, "Ten, nine, eight..."
As the countdown began, Sagel spoke to the Five Elders’ Star Den Den Mushi, "Remember what I said. I hope you give me a satisfactory response after you see this."
"Three, two, one, start."
There were no surprises, no pauses. As the calm voice finished the countdown, the Den Den Mushi on the other end erupted in a roar, followed by a chaotic signal that cut the call.
From a safe distance, the Navy that had evacuated, and the pirates on the Damnation Star, including Boa Hawkeye, all looked up at the sky. A mysterious red flash appeared, like a star, radiating an ominous pressure that sent shivers down their spines.
It’s here!
(End of Chapter)
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