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Afterwards, the group found a secluded place. Lucci took out a purple Den Den Mushi from his coat.
Upon seeing this Den Den Mushi, the expressions of everyone present became slightly grave.
They knew very well what this Den Den Mushi represented. It was the only one within SWORD that could directly contact the highest level of Marine Headquarters, meant for dealing with special incidents they might encounter.
"Buru buru buru~" A muffled ringing sound began. After only two or three seconds, a voice came through.
"Speak! SWORD!" The deep voice sounded somewhat familiar, but they couldn't place it at the moment.
The group was also surprised; this wasn't the voice of any Grand Admiral or Admiral. Within the squad, Helmeppo seemed to realise something. His pupils widened drastically, and his entire body trembled.
"A sudden major change has occurred on Lulusia Island. The supreme commander of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, and all of his army commanders have been discovered in the southwest corner," Rob Lucci said in a deep voice.
"In addition, the Whitebeard Pirates, led by Flame Emperor Ace, and the Straw Hat Luffy crew have also arrived! We anticipate their operation will commence very soon!"
"We need reinforcements from headquarters to deal with any unexpected events in this incident. Furthermore!" Lucci paused, hesitating slightly before offering a suggestion.
"I believe that after suppressing this rebellious act, headquarters should abolish the Lulusia royal family and take true control of this island, giving these ugly nobles and royals no more chances!"
As his words were transmitted, the other side seemed to fall into a long silence, as if carefully considering the matter. A moment later, a soft chuckle was heard.
"I will adopt your suggestion! As for the reinforcements you mentioned..." The laughter seemed to grow louder, accompanied by the sound of a great sea wind.
"They have already arrived!" There was a hint of unexpectedness in the laughter, which made the entire SWORD squad, led by Rob Lucci, jolt in unison as they realised who the person on the other end was.
"This voice is...?!" Kalifa's eyes widened. Blueno, Jabra, Kaku, and the others swallowed hard, sweat beading on their foreheads, their eyes filled with utter shock.
"It's Fleet Admiral Arashi!" Koby said through gritted teeth, his voice trembling.
No one had expected that this Den Den Mushi would be answered personally by the supreme commander of the Marines, Arashi.
It was even more unimaginable that he had already personally arrived at Lulusia Island.
"When it involves the Revolutionary Army and the Whitebeard Pirates, I can't just sit still! Besides, the five Grand Admirals all have their matters to attend to." Through the Den Den Mushi, Arashi's laughter came through.
"Yes, sir! We will await your arrival in the capital of Lulusia! Also, the Revolutionary Army's operation could erupt at any moment, so please be careful!" Rob Lucci took a deep breath and quickly shouted.
"Don't worry!" Arashi said with a faint smile. Then, the Den Den Mushi was hung up. The entire SWORD squad fell silent.
When they looked up, there was a strange atmosphere as they glanced at each other. They had alerted Fleet Admiral Arashi!
The strongest man in the world had personally arrived on this island. The future battle against the Revolutionary Army would be even more intense.
At the same time, on the coast of Lulusia Island, a warship with a golden sceptre sculpture embedded in its bow slowly docked and came to a steady stop.
"A beautiful island. But who would have thought that beneath this beauty lies the endless greed and desire of the royal family," Arashi lamented softly.
He didn't pay much attention to the affairs of the Lulusia royal family. After all, in his status, his focus was on other matters.
In his eyes, Lulusia was just a tiny piece of land among the twenty nations.
"Now, this island has gathered the Revolutionary Army, the Whitebeard Pirates, and the great pirate who has most recently made a name for himself in the world, Straw Hat Luffy. It's lively!" Arashi smiled faintly.
"The world is just like this. There will always be countless newcomers, emerging generation after generation, a cycle of succession, active on the grand stage! Our era will eventually fade away."
His words left the few people beside him silent, unsure of what to say in return. Arashi turned his head, looked at Kizaru, Bartholomew Kuma, and the ten-year-old girl Jewellery Bonney, who had just recovered from a serious illness, and chuckled softly.
"You can be considered old friends reuniting. Why not be a little happier?" Hearing this, the expressions on both Kizaru's and Kuma's faces changed.
"Fleet Admiral, you truly are terrifying!" Kizaru replied with a smile. With his current status, he was naturally not worried about his past personal privacy being known.
Of course, the most important thing was that the current Marines were fully worthy of the word "justice," which aligned with his ideals.
Kuma was the same, which was why he had remained with the Marines. "We did indeed have some contact with Dragon in the past," the honest Kuma quickly replied.
Kizaru covered his forehead, looking speechless. "Fleet Admiral Arashi knew about this matter a long time ago," Kuma added.
Kizaru was rather surprised, not understanding where Arashi's intelligence channels came from.
"The trip to the Lulusia Kingdom looks like it will be fascinating. It will be a close and lively meeting of old friends!" Arashi said with a smile.
He was not concerned that the people beside him had relationships with the enemy. After all, such things were not uncommon in the Marines.
If one were to go into detail, Dragon was Garp's son and was once a Marine himself, while Luffy was Garp's grandson.
He had even personally looked after Ace when he was a child, and he still sent gifts to Rouge during holidays and festivals.
"Hehe~ Then it will truly be a meeting filled with both anticipation and apprehension!" Kizaru sighed.
"Fleet Admiral Arashi is a magnanimous person; he won't make things difficult for you, Borsalino!" Bartholomew Kuma said with certainty.
Hearing this, the corner of Kizaru's eye twitched. As for Bonney, she had been silent the whole time, standing quietly to the side and listening to their conversation.
Arashi smiled, then walked down the already laid-out gangway, taking the lead in stepping onto Lulusia Island.
They had chosen a port near the Lulusia capital. Besides the three of them, they had not brought any other Admiral-level personnel.
To put it simply, this could be called a special operations team; its scale was small, but its configuration was very high.
After passing through the jungle path that circled the island, they would be able to reach the Lulusia capital.
Along the way, the group's pace was neither fast nor slow, and they were even in the mood for some idle chat.
"Kuma, what kind of dance is the Dance of Nika? Why have I never seen it? Does staying in the Marines make you feel uneasy and unhappy?"
Arashi's words gradually made even an honest man like Kuma feel that something was not right. His face showed a bit of apprehension.
"I can also dance for you."
"I hear your family were once helpers to the Sun God Nika? Now, you have become my capable Admiral. If you were to run into Nika soon, what choice would you make?"
The meaning behind Arashi's words made Kuma feel increasingly uneasy. "You are doing what the Sun God Nika once did!
Now, I only want to follow you and do the right thing," Kuma said cautiously, his emotional intelligence and wisdom instantly soaring to their peak in this crisis.
What he said was exactly what he felt in his heart now. Nika was just a legend, and besides, at the Sabaody Archipelago, Joy Boy had lost to Arashi.
What truly made him submit was what Arashi did after becoming Fleet Admiral.
Breaking with the World Government, implementing truly equal justice, ensuring that all races were equal in the territories under Marine jurisdiction, punishing nobles and commoners for the same crimes, and adding the ideas of innate equality of personhood and dignity to the school textbooks.
Such things were simply impossible in the World Government ruled by the Celestial Dragons. Was such conduct not another form of liberation?
He even faintly felt that Arashi's liberation and ideology were perhaps even more correct than that of the former Sun God Nika.
It was clear that the current scene in the Marine Empire, with its prosperity, happy populace, and peaceful living, also proved this point.
Therefore, Kuma was already firmly convinced. Arashi was the true liberation warrior! And he was the person he would surely follow in the future.
Kuma's words suddenly made Arashi burst out laughing.
He turned his head, looked at the other's apprehensive, simple, and honest appearance, and couldn't help but say with a chuckle, "Kuma! After being with me for these two years, you've become much smoother than before!"
After a pause, he smiled faintly again. "No matter where you are, what identity or profession you hold, as long as you are doing what is just and right, that is enough!" Kuma scratched his head and gave a simple, honest smile in response.
Kizaru sighed. "Fleet Admiral, just stop teasing Kuma! However, if we're talking about connections," he suddenly smiled, his eyebrows raised, "I'm more curious about what you will say when you see Dragon soon. Are you going to have a big fight?"
Kizaru's words made even Arashi freeze for a moment. He turned his head and looked at the other with a strange expression.
"That question is indeed worth considering!" After a long moment, such a sentence came out of Arashi's mouth.
His relationship with Dragon was undoubtedly subtle and complex. On one hand, Dragon was Teacher Garp's son, so there was some bond between them. On the other hand, in a certain sense, they were also comrades.
Although their paths were different, their objective was the same: to target the World Government. Now, on this objective, Arashi was undoubtedly ahead.
Dragon's Revolutionary Army, on the other hand, was still forging ahead blindly. "I think that will certainly be an interesting situation," Kizaru said with a chuckle, a glint of light flashing across his sunglasses.
The showdown between the son of the Marine Hero Garp and his student would be very interesting. Just thinking about it brought a strange sense of excitement.
The group was in no hurry, chatting idly as they walked. A moment later, they arrived at the royal capital of Lulusia and rendezvoused with the SWORD squad.
"Fleet Admiral Arashi! Admiral Borsalino!" Rob Lucci and the others' eyes all narrowed slightly upon seeing them. "No need for formalities. You and I are already very familiar with each other, Vice Admiral Lucci," Kizaru said with a grin.
Arashi, after glancing at Lucci and the others, fixed his gaze on Koby. The latter's whole body immediately tensed up.
Even though he had been trying his best to become stronger, under the other's gaze, it was still difficult to avoid feeling nervous and heavy.
"Sen... Senior Brother Arashi!" Koby said through gritted teeth. "Not bad!" Arashi suddenly smiled, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.
"The Summit War, the Battle of Onigashima, two wars have allowed you to complete a transformation, Koby! Your strength now is probably no less than that of a Vice Admiral, right? Even though you were just promoted to Rear Admiral not long ago."
At this, Arashi felt a bit emotional. He still remembered how timid and weak this little guy was when they first met.
But meeting again now, Koby had a hint of ferocity and dominance about him. The scar on his face was undoubtedly a testament to the battles he had experienced.
This was already an elite warrior who had been through blood and death. "The effort Koby has put in is dozens, even hundreds of times that of others! He is a very hardworking person!"
Even a strict person like Rob Lucci couldn't help but say at this moment. "Is that so? Not bad, you haven't disgraced Teacher Garp! I look forward to the day you become an Admiral, Koby!" Arashi said with a smile.
"Yes, sir!" Koby was invigorated by the recognition and responded loudly. As for the other squad members, they were somewhat reserved and nervous upon seeing Arashi, Kizaru, and Kuma.
Arashi naturally needs no introduction. Kizaru was one of the five Grand Admirals of the major regions, even hailed by the world as one of the five General-Emperors.
Kuma, on the other hand, had already been promoted to Vice Admiral based on his combat merits and strength.
This also meant that in the next batch of Admirals, there would surely be a place for him. They were all major figures in high positions.
Facing the three of them, they naturally felt pressure. After Rob Lucci gave a simple report on the situation, Arashi fell into deep thought.
He was deciding what his next move should be. After a long while, Arashi slowly spoke, his face filled with emotion and regret.
"At the Twenty-Nation Conference, the Lulusia Kingdom was the last to state its position. Back then, their country's economic situation and their conflict with the World Government were the most severe."
"I respected the old king's decision at the time. He believed he could properly handle the internal conflicts of his country and, over time, allow both sides to integrate gradually."
At this, Arashi's expression turned icy. "It seems now that I was too naive! These royals and nobles are the scum of the world, and they are the greatest enemy of the common people, the vast majority of humanity!"
Raising his head, he stared at everyone before him. "Go to the palace!"
"I want to see for myself how this old king is going to explain the current situation of the Lulusia Kingdom to me." Hearing this, everyone was shaken.
Such a clean and decisive judgment was truly befitting of the one hailed as the toughest and most spirited supreme Fleet Admiral of the Marines.
"Are you going to depose the King of Lulusia?" Kizaru asked softly.
"I thought he would be a good king, but clearly, I was wrong!" Arashi said faintly. Kizaru's expression flickered, but he was still somewhat shocked inside.
Deposing a king, such a thing would have been impossible in the past! Although the Marines' influence radiated throughout the world, protecting the safety of many countries and their people, strictly speaking, they had no law enforcement authority.
To even think of participating in or interfering with a kingdom's affairs was impossible. Even an Admiral did not have this right.
Therefore, the Marines of the past, though they acted in the name of justice, were powerless in many matters.
But now, this situation had changed long ago. At the very least, in the New World, within the current massive empire of the Marines, they held supreme power.
As one of the five Grand Admirals, he could even, with a single word, decide the fate of a certain minister, king, or noble.
"I have heard about the affairs of the Lulusia Kingdom. When I was on a mission to Totto Land, a merchant who had fled from here told me about the oppression and plunder he had suffered at the hands of the royal family," Kuma said softly.
"It is precisely because of this that the rebellious commoners were used by the Revolutionary Army, forming a rebel army, which has led to constant warfare in this country now."
Arashi snorted. "Truly scum! However," at this, his eyes narrowed again, "the affairs of the Lulusia Kingdom are the internal business of my Marines, and we should naturally resolve them. The Revolutionary Army has no place to interfere here!"
Kizaru and Kuma nodded silently. The reason for sending the SWORD squad into this country was precisely to gather evidence to depose the king, elect new ministers, and rebuild the Lulusia Kingdom.
To this end, the political department within the Marines, with its many ministers, had already finalised many complicated, detailed procedures.
They did not believe that the revolutionaries could be more reliable than their people.
This was because, in terms of ideology, Dragon's Revolutionary Army was very different from the current Marines.
In the eyes of the Marines, the matter of Lulusia Island was undoubtedly an internal problem, not to be meddled with by others.
"Let's go. Let's go see what this old king looks like now!" Arashi said faintly. The group quickly passed through the streets and arrived in front of the royal palace.
Just from the outline, scale, and the peeling paint on the exterior of the royal palace, one could see the major economic problems of this kingdom.
Even the guards at the palace gate looked listless, and their armour was old and worn.
"The Marines have not imposed particularly harsh taxes on the Lulusia Kingdom. Even so, their financial situation is so bad that they can't even repair the city walls. And the guards' equipment hasn't been updated for a long time?"
Arashi found it somewhat unbelievable. In his memory, the kings at the Twenty-Nation Conference had all chosen to side with the Marines because they deeply loved their people, setting aside their status.
The old king of the Lulusia Kingdom had changed drastically, giving a sense of incredible contrast.
"This king is perhaps completely different from the one in your memory. In comparison, the prince seems to be more benevolent," Lucci said softly.
The SWORD squad had been in this kingdom for some time now and had naturally investigated all the intelligence thoroughly.
As the intelligence department of the Marines, regardless of good or bad, they had to ensure the accuracy of the information and could not be biased.
"It seems the situation is even more severe than I imagined!" Arashi sighed. The group soon arrived at the gate of the royal palace.
"Marines?" From a distance, the guards saw them in their Marine uniforms, and their expressions immediately changed slightly.
It should be known that although the kingdom had established an allied relationship with the Marines, the Marines had never visited or sent anyone over during this time.
At this moment, seeing Marines suddenly arrive, they were naturally surprised. "Quick, go report to the left and right ministers, and to His Majesty the King!"
After a hushed exchange, one of the guards immediately ran quickly into the palace. The status of the current Marines in the New World was completely different.
Even if it were just a colonel-ranked officer arriving, they would not dare to be negligent. Not to mention, the aura of the group before them made their scalps tingle.
In the blink of an eye, Arashi's group had arrived in front of them. "May I ask who you are, Your Excellency?" the guard asked through gritted teeth.
It was only at close range that they felt the terrifying pressure. The aura of this group was too strong. Just facing them made their breathing almost stop, and cold sweat poured out.
"Get out of the way!" Arashi did not speak, but Rob Lucci took a step forward and shouted coldly. An oppressive aura burst forth, almost without concealment.
The members of the guard unit fell limply to the ground without a sound. "The King of Lulusia is now rushing to the main palace hall, accompanied by a group of ministers and royals," Lucci said in a low voice.
"Hehe, it seems they are quite surprised by the news of the Marines' arrival," Arashi said with a smile, a hint of sarcasm in his words.
"The Lulusia Kingdom of today can't even set up a basic intelligence network," Lucci said.
"How pitiful!" Kizaru remarked with admiration.
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