"Unknown force?"
Taking the Den Den Mushi from Noah and listening to Smoker report, Orion narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly.
"Smoker, there's no such thing as an unknown force at this time. They're either affiliated with the Beasts Pirates or some opportunists trying to take advantage of the situation. But that's not important. The only explanation for them attacking G-5 now is that Kaido and the Beasts Pirates are in dire situation!"
"I'll send reinforcements. Until then, you must hold the line even if it costs you everything. If the loss of G-5 affects Sakazuki war situation, you'd better grow a few extra heads for me to chop off!"
After saying that, Orion didn't waste any more words and turned to look at Ain, who was standing beside him.
Before Orion could even speak, Ain instantly understood his intention.
She immediately saluted, then turned and quickly ran out of the training ground.
"A diversionary tactic?"
Watching Ain figure disappear from the training ground, a cold glint flashed in Orion eyes before he handed the Den Den Mushi to Noah, his words laced with a hint of killing intent.
"Noah, it seems there are those who don't want us to achieve complete victory in this war."
As he spoke, Orion patted Noah shoulder, the killing intent vanishing instantly, replaced by a warm smile.
"Guess which forces are pulling the strings behind the scenes in this New World war."
"Guess right, and there's a reward."
***
New World, G-5 Branch.
The blaring alarm echoed endlessly through the sky.
Without hesitation, Smoker, who had just ended his call with Orion, decisively turned and pulled open the door in front of him.
The moment the door opened, the brutal sounds of battle assaulted his senses.
In the corridor ahead, dozens of Marine soldiers were locked in fierce combat with black-clad assailants swarming from all directions.
Gunfire, the clashing of metal, screams and roars intertwined, reverberating throughout the entire base.
At that moment, Tashigi, wielding her longsword and cutting a bloody path through several black-clad attackers, quickly approached Smoker.
"Rear Admiral Smoker!"
"Where did these people come from? How could they infiltrate the base without us noticing?"
Glancing at the slightly disheveled Tashigi, Smoker took a deep drag from his cigar before pulling out his Jitte, a weapon made of Seastone and said in a grave voice.
"They're not pirates!"
"Not pirates?"
Tashigi was stunned.
Before she could recover, the piercing sound of incoming projectiles grew louder.
In the next moment, dozens of cannonballs rained down on the base.
With deafening explosions, terrifying shockwaves swept through, surging violently within the base.
Faced with the sudden bombardment, the Marines stationed in the base were thrown into disarray, while the infiltrating black-clad attackers seized the opportunity to launch an even fiercer assault.
Several of them charged directly toward Smoker and Tashigi.
"Go and secure the fortress!"
Smoker had no time for further explanation.
Gripping his Seastone Jitte, he confronted the oncoming black-clad attackers head-on.
"As long as the pirates outside can't break in, these people won't be a threat!"
"Yes, sir!"
Tashigi didn't hesitate, immediately turning and rushing toward the fortress entrance.
As Tashigi reached the fortress, the base searchlights flicked on almost simultaneously, illuminating the sea outside the fortress.
Thanks to the fortress's strategic vantage point, Tashigi could clearly see dozens of massive warships under the searchlights.
"How is this possible? These ships… they're from the Beasts Pirates?"
Staring at the warships arranged in a fan-like formation, continuously firing cannonballs at the base, Tashigi pupils contracted.
Her gaze fixed on the pirate flag fluttering on the ships' masts—the unmistakable emblem of the Beasts Pirates.
She muttered in disbelief "The Beasts Pirates are supposed to be engaged in battle with Admiral Akainu! How could they be here?"
"The pirates on those ships are indeed members of the Beasts Pirates!"
A calm voice interrupted her thoughts.
Vergo, who had been demoted to the rank of captain, stepped out of the fortress command room with a serious expression.
"However, the ships they're on aren't pirate vessels. They've been modified from merchant ships!"
"The reason they were able to make their way unimpeded to the G5 base is that they first avoided the Navy intelligence surveillance by disguising themselves as merchant ships. Only after entering the waters of the G5 base did they raise the flag of the Beasts Pirates!"
"Modified from merchant ships?" Tashigi felt her mind struggling to keep up, muttering in confusion.
"What... what exactly is going on?"
Hearing this, Vergo turned his head to look at the bewildered and naive Tashigi, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
"Isn't it obvious? One of the underground emperors of the New World has made their move!"
"Those black-clad figures inside the base aren't pirates, they're assassins from a killer organization."
Vergo pointed down at the black-clad figures emerging from the base, his tone authoritative.
"In the New World, there are only two people capable of training so many assassins and daring to infiltrate a Navy base during such chaos. One is Stussy, the Queen of Pleasure Street, and the other is Peclo, the King of the Funeral Parlor, known as the Dealer of Death."
After a brief pause, Vergo shifted his gaze to the dozens of warships illuminated by the searchlights and continued.
"And there's only one person who could evade the Navy surveillance and transport so many combatants of the Beasts Pirates here—the Shipping King, Umit."
Before he could finish speaking, Vergo suddenly vanished.
In the next second, he reappeared at the entrance of the fortress swiftly snapping the necks of two black-clad assassins charging toward him.
Meanwhile.
Inside the cabin of one of the warships bombarding the fortress from the sea outside the base, stood two emperors from the underworld.
Standing by the cabin window, holding a telescope and observing the fortress, was none other than Peclo, the King of the Funeral Parlor.
The burly and obese Peclo gripped the handle of the massive scythe slung over his shoulder with one hand and held the telescope with the other, his lips curling into a bloodthirsty grin as he gazed at the fortress.
"It's been a long time since I've seen such a brutal war. Truly exhilarating!"
"Drug Peclo."
Seated on a sofa in the cabin, draped in a mink coat and with a fierce expression, Umit, the Shipping King, gently swirled the red wine in his glass before crossing his legs and looking at Peclo by the window.
His voice was low and serious.
"True power doesn't lie in the blood-soaked battlefield of death, but in the shadows of deals and schemes."
As he spoke, a flicker of concern flashed in Umit eyes.
"The situation with Kaido isn't looking good. If our actions fail to draw Sakazuki or Gion back to reinforce this base, the day Kaido falls will be the day we face our reckoning!"
"Your excitement now shows you don't fully understand the young Fleet Admiral of the Marines."
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