The following day, the sky was just beginning to pale with the first light of dawn.
Within the castle, Wilder sat upon the high chair. Vinsmoke Judge stood below, his complexion ghastly, his entire being exuding an aura of profound weakness. The battle armor he wore was twisted and deformed, a testament to the crushing force it had endured.
"Unconditional withdrawal from this island's war," Wilder began, his voice calm as it carried down from the throne. "All assets, including the commission earned from this conflict, are to be left behind. Furthermore, you will publicly announce an alliance with Wilder's forces."
"Impossible!" Judge's face instantly flushed with rage.
"Is that so…" Wilder stared at him intently for a long moment, his expression cold, his tone laden with meaning. "Of course, you are not without other options. For example… Vinsmoke, including yourself, and… everyone, down to your son, all of you… annihilated!"
"I can agree to the previous conditions, but the latter is absolutely out of the question!" Judge's face was a mask of ugly fury as he glared at Wilder, his fists clenched so tightly they trembled, a clear sign of his extreme anger.
"You have no right to negotiate terms with me." Wilder's gaze was cold and unsparing. "I've done my research. You are currently attempting to establish connections with Big Mom, aiming to gain the support of the Big Mom Pirates through a political marriage, all to restore your former status as the hegemon of the North Blue, correct?"
"In fact… you probably believe you've already made initial progress. This war-torn island is also part of an initial arrangement between you and Charlotte Linlin, is it not? She is supporting you in assisting one of the factions in this country's army." Wilder had even discovered that Big Mom had a stake in the commission money from this conflict. She desired not only long-term benefits but also immediate profits. The sooner this country stabilized, the more advantageous it would be for her.
"Truly a well-calculated scheme," Wilder continued. "But! You must understand, if you refuse my conditions now, I can make Vinsmoke cease to exist this very instant. Which option is preferable? I trust you are capable of making that judgment."
As Wilder ruthlessly and coldly exposed these dark dealings, Vinsmoke Judge's expression flickered for a moment. Yes, the truth was precisely as Wilder had stated. He had indeed been planning, once he located his "good-for-nothing son," to force him to return and enter into a political marriage with the Charlotte family. But how could Wilder possibly know of this? The more Judge considered it, the uglier his expression became. Wilder's final condition was practically designed to create a powerful enemy for him—a colossal enemy at that!
He didn't know that this was part of the "gift" Wilder had intended for Big Mom from the very beginning. He was even less aware that Wilder and Big Mom had already sown the seeds of a feud. Wilder's current actions, aside from thoroughly vexing Judge, were more importantly aimed at gaining an "ally" in this complex game. Of course, the unfolding of events would never be so simple.
Regardless, Wilder was determined to take this island. And offending Big Mom was now a certainty. It had been fated from the moment he set his sights on this island and was subsequently intercepted by Cracker. No matter how vast Big Mom's power, no matter how terrifying she might be, Wilder had no room left for retreat.
Seeing Judge visibly seething with rage yet desperately trying to maintain his composure, Wilder softened his tone slightly, a sudden smile gracing his lips. "Perhaps, we can engage with each other in good faith, can we not? Restoring your status as the hegemon of the North Blue doesn't necessarily require relying on Big Mom. What do you think?"
Wilder's words seemed to momentarily stun Vinsmoke Judge. He looked up, a subtle shift in his gaze.
"I would be very pleased to have a friend who is the hegemon of the North Blue," Wilder said, his smile appearing entirely sincere.
Vinsmoke Judge was no naive child, nor was he a fool. He certainly wouldn't blindly trust Wilder's current demeanor or his words. But he had no choice, a fact he was forced to admit. As things stood, Wilder held the knife, and he was the fish on the chopping block. Whether Wilder's words were an empty promise, an "unseen pie in the sky," was irrelevant. The crucial point was that he had to comply.
And, perhaps…
Vinsmoke Judge's eyes flickered with a complex light. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze was calm and devoid of emotion.
"Then… a pleasure working with you," Wilder said, a broad, satisfied smile spreading across his face.
The injuries sustained by the giant snail had, after a night of recovery, already healed by seventy to eighty percent. The regenerative capabilities of such a monstrous creature gave Wilder a new appreciation for the Vinsmoke family's advancements in biological science. "Perhaps, one day, there might truly be an opportunity for deep cooperation between us."
Wilder stood at the island's edge, watching as the colossal snail castle gradually sailed away from these waters. He mused to himself whether he too should acquire some sort of gigantic creature to pull his ships. Not only would it look incredibly imposing, but it would also allow him to disregard the Calm Belt, enabling movement even in the absence of wind power.
Next…
Wilder turned, facing his assembled forces, all of them now ready and waiting. It was time to claim this country. And, inevitably, Charlotte Linlin would soon learn of these events. Then, they would have to face her wrath. Wilder had already made preparations for this eventuality.
Taking a deep breath, Wilder's gaze turned grave as he addressed his men: "Depart!"
...…
Meanwhile, news of the battle between Wilder and Vinsmoke Judge had been transmitted with utmost speed to the G5 Marine warship waiting in the nearby waters.
The sea was just beginning to brighten with the light of dawn. Kizaru, holding a teacup, took a delicate sip before accepting the report handed to him by a Marine soldier.
After a long moment, he put down the documents, rose to his feet, and gazed out at the distant sea, a glint of light flashing across the lenses of his glasses.
"This fellow… he certainly knows how to make enemies, doesn't he?"
The battle report contained only a general overview of the outcome; it was impossible for them to have obtained details of the conversation between Wilder and Germa 66.
"According to our agreement, that fellow said he would arrive there in two days. Given his personality, he will undoubtedly lock down all information in the vicinity during this period. That will make it very difficult for us to gather any intelligence. Though this is a cooperative effort, it's still quite annoying, wouldn't you say?"
As he spoke, Kizaru seemed to suddenly remember something. His expression went blank for a second, and he turned to a nearby Marine soldier. "By the way, did Sakazuki agree to this?"
The Marine soldier felt several dark lines appear on his forehead. Isn't it a bit too late to be asking that question now?! he thought. Outwardly, however, he maintained a respectful and cautious demeanor. "Fleet Admiral Sakazuki was initially very angry, sir. However, after calming down, he did agree to both your and Warlord Wilder's plan. After all… this sets a precedent among the Warlords, and the benefits to us Marines are self-evident."
"That's true, isn't it?" Kizaru replied, his speech still languid and unhurried. His memory also didn't seem to be the best, as he jumped from one thought to another. "By the way, are the ten largest-class warships and twenty ordinary warships, along with the engineers and construction materials, all being prepared?"
Wilder's conversation with Kizaru that day had captured his attention. He had immediately grasped the significance of the matter and had instructed his subordinates to relay the information, verbatim, to Marine Headquarters. This had, in turn, caused the Marine top brass to pay extremely close attention to this affair. After all, if it succeeded, this endeavor could represent a major victory for the Marines in their current strategic situation—a vital breakthrough! It would be akin to establishing another crucial component of their power, beyond Marine HQ and the major branches, significant enough to impact the Marines' strategic posture in the New World. It was a matter that could not be ignored.
And, of course, for Wilder, who had facilitated this, certain reasonable requests were to be accommodated whenever possible. Thus, even Kizaru and Sakazuki had adopted a stance of utmost leniency regarding this particular matter. For example, Wilder had stated that his operation would take place in two days, and prior to that, the Marines were not to dispatch any personnel for reconnaissance. Naturally, this request didn't conflict with their own interests; if they were to send a large reconnaissance force, it would inevitably be detected by the Big Mom Pirates, an outcome neither the Marines nor Wilder desired.
And now, although the island was nominally under Big Mom's protection, its location within the Calm Belt, its remoteness, and its position as a weak point in Big Mom's sphere of influence meant that, until the country's internal war concluded, Big Mom was unlikely to extend her reach there. Partly because it wasn't yet worthy of her significant attention, and partly because it was genuinely difficult to control. Furthermore, given the current tumultuous situation in the New World, the threat posed by the formidable Blackbeard Pirates, and the ongoing re-division of territories, even a Yonko like Big Mom had limited energy to spare.
Then there was the matter of the country itself. Wilder planned to establish a new nation, and to do so on the ruins of a country already in a state of collapse and nominally under Big Mom's control. Naturally, the Marines had no objections to this. After all, a Warlord was still, in a sense, "one of their own." To have one of their own established in a Yonko's territory was an ideal outcome.
"Well then, let's just wait and see how things unfold," Kizaru said, taking another sip of tea. Unconsciously, a hint of his characteristic lecherous aura slipped out.
…
Events unfolded much as Kizaru had surmised. Wilder deployed his Battle Units and Information Units, effectively sealing off the surrounding area to prevent any news of their activities from leaking out, at least not within the critical short-term window of two to three days. After all, Big Mom's spies were not all directly affiliated with the Charlotte family; many belonged to minor, less significant powers under her banner. Guarding against such entities was considerably easier. Coupled with the inherent remoteness of the location, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
News of the battle with Germa 66 also did not spread, save to the Marines. This was another of Wilder's instructions to Vinsmoke Judge, aimed at preventing Big Mom from reacting too quickly. Once Wilder had secured control of this country, Judge's public announcement would serve as Wilder's "generous gift" to Big Mom. At that point, all pretenses would be shattered. Big Mom would not let the matter rest, and Wilder would have to prepare to face her full fury.
Fortunately, Wilder had already made preparations for this. Now, the immediate objective was to conquer this country within two days.
From the moment he had made this decision, Wilder had re-established contact with his forces in the East Blue. Reinforcements were still arriving in a continuous stream. In addition to these, the forces Vice and the others had brought with them numbered between four and five thousand troops. Coupled with over a dozen executive-level members and nearly ten Senior Executives, taking over a country was, frankly, not a difficult task.
However, the sheer size of the territory posed a significant challenge. Although Wilder's forces were strong, they couldn't cover the entire country in such a short timeframe. Therefore, the first step was to subdue one of the existing factions on the island and incorporate their forces! To conquer together! To achieve this, the leaders of the opposing faction and their die-hard supporters had to be eliminated.
"Begin," Wilder commanded coldly, standing on a small earthen mound, looking down at the enemy camp below.
Nearly ten Senior Executives standing behind him moved without a sound, like ghosts, straight towards the camp. Soon, the sounds of shouting and killing erupted.
The battle raged for over an hour. Ultimately, they succeeded in capturing more than a dozen high-ranking individuals who were willing to submit. The enemy leader and his fiercely loyal supporters all perished, falling in pools of their own blood.
"First step complete. Next, consolidate the nearby armies. Leave one primary high-ranking official to command the headquarters. Simultaneously, each high-ranking captive will be accompanied by one of our Senior Executives to participate in battles across the entire warfront."
Wilder issued his commands with cold indifference. At the same time, he began to order his men to spread the news of the new king's arrival. The country had found a savior, an enlightened ruler named Lucifer Wilder, who would lead the war-ravaged populace out of their sea of suffering and towards an era of peace! This message began to spread across the island with the speed of lightning.
Wilder intended to use this opportunity to build a solid, well-established nation. Therefore, this step, while seemingly minor, was an indispensable part of his plan.
The flames of war continued to rage. With the intervention of Wilder's forces, the tide of battle turned dramatically. The opposing "King's Army" began to suffer setback after setback, retreating in disarray. Across the various battlefields, Wilder's name was cheered—this, too, was part of his arrangement. It was perhaps a bit shameless, but effectiveness was paramount.
What began as cheers among the armies on the battlefield gradually spread to the civilian populace, the calls for Wilder growing louder and more fervent with each passing day. At this point, Wilder's initial objective had been achieved.
With the outcome of the war now largely decided, Wilder, after some thought, recalled Mandigore and Bilvat from the front lines. Simultaneously, he also recalled two small teams from the Monitoring Unit.
Wilder held Mandigore and Bilvat in particularly high regard. Among the executives he had personally recruited, these two stood at the pinnacle. Though they both presented the appearance of refined, scholarly merchants, when it came to action, they were more ruthless than anyone. This was especially true of Bilvat, who had earned a reputation as a philanthropist in the East Blue and always wore a gentle, smiling expression. Yet, in combat, his every move was vicious, aimed with lethal intent.
The reason Wilder had recalled these two now pertained to a matter of grand, long-term strategy. To this end, he had even assigned them two small Monitoring Unit teams to assist with their investigations.
"I've called you back primarily with our long-term development in mind," Wilder stated directly, wasting no time. "I have previously considered establishing an 'Officer Factory' to cultivate successors. This time, I want you to search the New World for children of outstanding aptitude. They must be orphans. I believe there are many such individuals to be found."
Mandigore and Bilvat exchanged a look, both their eyes reflecting a shared sense of shock. From this directive alone, the sheer scale of Wilder's ambition was readily apparent. At the same time, it filled them with excitement. Such a goal was one they naturally supported with utmost enthusiasm. Nodding in affirmation, they accepted Wilder's mission and departed without delay.