"If this is the extent of your plan, then I'd advise you to drop the idea before you get yourself killed," Crocodile sneered, looking at Wilder with disdain.
The others fell silent, their eyes fixed on Wilder. It was clear they were not confident in the plan.
After hearing about Big Mom's terrifying defense, they could all imagine the immense risks involved.
Wilder swept his gaze over them. "Of course, that's not all there is to it," he said calmly. "But no matter how thorough a plan is, it ultimately comes down to strength. Are you all not confident in your own abilities?"
"This is the core of the plan. If it fails... you can all choose to stay and fight or to withdraw. At that point, it will be a battle of pure strength. As long as you can keep her children occupied, Big Mom... is ours!" Wilder's final words were powerful and resolute, filled with a grim authority.
The others were moved, but only for a moment. Moria let out a derisive laugh. "Even if things go as you say, the first problem isn't whether we can hit Big Mom with that weapon or keep her children busy."
"The first step is getting onto Cake Island. Don't underestimate a Yonko. In the end, you haven't even thought about how to land on the island, have you?"
His words were a wake-up call. That's right. Landing on Cake Island would not be easy. The entire surrounding sea was under Big Mom's surveillance. This was one of the most terrifying aspects of the Four Emperors' power.
Any enemy would be spotted long before they made landfall. Anyone who tried to attack Big Mom would likely be killed by her children before they even set foot on the island.
They all realized the difficulty of the task and turned to look at Wilder. But he remained perfectly calm. He met Moria's gaze and said with a cold smile, "Landing on Cake Island will be effortless."
What!?
For a moment, they thought they had misheard him. But his expression was serious. They didn't know how to react.
His words... they wanted to pry open his head and see if something was wrong with his brain. How could he say something so outrageous?
"Are you joking? Now is not the time for jokes. Effortless? Hahaha!" Moria laughed, though it was a laugh of anger. "Do you have any idea how many spies Big Mom has in the waters around Totto Land? We'd be spotted before we even landed. She'd attack us at sea. You think you'd make it out of that unscathed?"
Wilder shot him a cold look. "What if I told you that someone is already clearing the way for us?"
Moria's sneer froze on his face. The hall fell silent.
"Who!?" Crocodile's eyes widened, a sharp glint in them.
Wilder glanced at the others. "You'll find out when the time comes. And the plan I just outlined... will depend on their actions."
"The plan is set. If there are no objections... then this meeting is adjourned." With that, Wilder stood up and left the conference table. The officers of Morass all rose and followed him.
As he walked away, a cold expression settled on Wilder's face. He was beginning to doubt the reliability of his allies. A bunch of timid fools... I suppose they're past their prime.
He didn't deny that they were still ambitious and powerful, but that was no excuse for their lack of faith.
Of course, going up against a Yonko was enough to make anyone hesitate. But if they wanted the rewards, they had to have the courage to match. To be honest, Wilder only wanted them as extra insurance; attacking Big Mom would not be easy. But that didn't mean he was relying on them.
Back in the hall, after Wilder and his men had left, a heavy silence remained. None of them were cowards, but weighing the risks and rewards was only human nature. No one was foolish enough to throw themselves into an impossible task. That wasn't bravery; it was suicide.
After about five minutes, Crocodile was the first to stand. He glanced at the others, said nothing, and walked out of the hall.
One by one, the others also seemed to make their decision. They rose and left without a word.
Not long after, over a dozen medium and large ships, along with a massive black and red flagship, set sail from the docks of Morass, heading in different directions.
All of them were Morass's combat vessels, equipped with second-generation cannons.
And on each ship was at least one high-ranking officer. On several of them were the men who had just left the conference hall.
Their decision was clear.
Wilder himself was on the black and red flagship. As his personal vessel, it was a symbol of Morass's dignity and image, and it had undergone several upgrades and modifications.
The current flagship was even more imposing and majestic than before. Not only was the hull larger, but all of its features were top-of-the-line, including the propulsion system and the Seastone plating. The exterior was still primarily black and red, but it was now accented with golden wave patterns. The railings and other fixtures were also inlaid with gold, giving it an air of royal dignity on top of its intimidating presence.
The combat systems had also been upgraded. The bow and stern were now equipped with second-generation cannons—enlarged, augmented versions. Six on the bow, arranged in a fan-like arc, and four on the stern, clustered together at the center.
The sides of the ship each had ten retractable, concealed gunports, for a total of twenty second-generation cannons.
In addition, the bow was fitted with three rotatable, second-generation heavy machine guns with a range of over five hundred meters. The stern and sides were also equipped with heavy machine guns, with the largest number on the sides.
And the main mast was completely different.
It was now made of a steel alloy and other materials, and its primary purpose was no longer to support a sail; the sails had been removed.
Its new function was for surveillance, reconnaissance, and warning. It was fitted with a three-tiered crow's nest and downward-facing cannons and machine guns, making it a fully integrated surveillance, observation, defense, and attack platform.
The sail-less warship was able to move thanks to its propulsion system. As a precaution, the flagship was equipped with three separate systems, two of which were backups, though all three could be used simultaneously.
In short, the black and red flagship was now a mobile fortress.
Intelligence on Sanji and Big Mom continued to flow in from the Monitoring Unit.
The flagship cut through the waves. In Totto Land, preparations for the wedding were underway.
At the same time, the sea-faring castle of Germa 66, the Vinsmoke Kingdom, was also heading toward Cake Island.
And the Straw Hat Pirates were on their way as well.
Upon receiving this intelligence, Wilder issued an order. "Inform all fleets to maintain a steady speed. They are to approach Totto Land but are not to make landfall before the Straw Hats arrive."
"Yes, sir!" The order was immediately relayed.
Wilder's plan was simple: use the Straw Hats' attack as a diversion to make his own landing. Not only would this ensure a smooth landing, as Big Mom's forces would be occupied, but it would also allow him to leverage the Straw Hats' power.
Wilder knew that the Straw Hats grew stronger at an incredible rate. The difference in their strength between one encounter and the next was always staggering. He would not underestimate them.
If necessary, he was even prepared to extend an olive branch to them.
Making an enemy of the Child of Destiny is not a wise move, Wilder thought, a cold smile on his face as he looked out at the sea. At least... not before I'm strong enough to be an enemy of the world.
"Report! We will reach the waters of Totto Land in two hours!" a voice called down from the crow's nest.
At the same time, Wilder received a report that the Vinsmoke family had arrived at Cake Island. This meant that the Straw Hats had also arrived.
Wilder immediately issued a new order. "All ships, full speed ahead!"
"Yes, sir!"
In a dozen different locations, the fleets received the order and increased their speed.
Wilder went back to his cabin, grabbed a fishing rod, and decided to do some fishing.
Of course, with the ship moving at high speed, it was less like fishing and more like "snagging."
He sat on the bow, holding the rod, his eyes closed. He unleashed his Observation Haki.
BOOM!
In an instant, everything became clear in his "mind's eye."
Beneath the waves, the undercurrents churned. Schools of fish, sand, and rocks all appeared in his mind with perfect clarity.
He focused, his Haki "swimming" through the depths.
Before long, a common fish of about two meters in length entered his "vision."
"You'll do."
A corner of Wilder's mouth turned up. He whipped the rod forward, the line a near-invisible arc in the air before it hit the water with a splash.
The weighted hook plunged into the depths. Wilder gave the rod a sharp tug.
He felt a resistance and smiled. But a moment later, the smile vanished.
"It got away..." He reeled in the line.
A single scale was stuck on the hook. The fish must have been unhealthy, its scales loose, which was why the hook had caught. But that was also why the scale had torn off so easily, allowing it to escape.
"Again." Wilder re-baited the hook and once again sent his Observation Haki into the sea.
This time, no fish entered his range for a long while. After about ten minutes, a few small ones appeared.
Wilder didn't bother with them. In this world, if you didn't catch a fish of at least two meters, you couldn't even tell people you had been fishing.
Fish of over ten meters, while not common, were not exactly rare either, especially in the deep sea.
So, Wilder waited. His target was at least two meters long, though he wouldn't mind something in the ten-meter range.
After another ten minutes or so, a four-meter-long Tiger Grouper swam dumbly into his "vision."
Wilder's expression changed. He hadn't expected to be so lucky as to encounter such a rare fish.
In some ways, this world was no different from his last one.
When it came to fish, bigger didn't necessarily mean more expensive or tastier. On the contrary, some of the smaller, rarer species were the most valuable, sometimes priceless.
He had only eaten a Tiger Grouper once before, but he still remembered the taste and texture.
The largest Tiger Groupers were only about five meters long, and they were incredibly rare. It was said that they came from the legendary All Blue, the sea where all the world's finest ingredients could be found.
The one time he had eaten it was back in the East Blue. The owner of a restaurant he was dining at had had his fishing fleet accidentally catch one.
The fish had been put up for auction in the restaurant, and countless people had bid on it. In the end, Wilder had won it with a high price of 80 million Berries.
It was an astronomical price, considering some famous pirates only had bounties of 100 million.
That was how precious the Tiger Grouper was.
And while its name was similar to the tiger groupers of his past life, they were completely unrelated.
This Tiger Grouper had a clumsy appearance, with tiger-like stripes on its body and two tusks protruding from its lower lip. But the tusks were just for show; the fish had no real means of attack. It was, in fact, quite stupid and slow, which was likely why it was so rare.
Wilder aimed his Observation Haki at the fish. This time, he intended to run the hook straight through its body. He put his full strength into the cast.
The line cut a beautiful arc through the air, and the hook shot into the sea like a cannonball.
SPLASH!
A direct hit. The hook, carrying an immense force, pierced the unsuspecting fish's body, coming out the other side.
Just as Wilder was about to reel in his prize, the Den Den Mushi in his coat pocket suddenly began to ring.
"Boss, Kaido is on the line," Kaneshiro's slightly trembling voice came from the other end.