On Riddridge Island, the war between the Marines and the Beasts Pirates had reached a stalemate. That afternoon, when the Marines seized the island's harbor, an unspoken agreement seemed to form between both sides, neither took the initiative to provoke the other.
The island fell into an eerie calm.
Originally, all the Marine battleships were docked directly in front of the island, but over the course of that day, they gradually dispersed. Yoriichi Tsugikuni had ships stationed to the east, north, and south, encircling the island from three directions.
Only the eastern side, where Yoriichi, Garp, and the main Marine force had landed, remained tightly guarded. The other three sides featured shallow shores, if a ship were available, escape was possible.
The west side, however, remained unsealed. There, a sea cliff dozens of meters high stood like a wall. While the height was negligible for powerful pirates, there were no ships stationed there. Without a vessel, escaping the vast ocean was out of the question.
Still, when the pirates discovered that one side of the island remained unguarded, they were delighted.
In their eyes, the Marines weren't going all out.
Yoriichi had entrusted the northern blockade to Zephyr. After assuming command, he didn't hesitate to delegate tasks, even to his own former teacher.
He also sent Kyros to assist Zephyr aboard his ship, hoping he'd learn something in the process.
The southern front was assigned to Bogard. Although Bogard's rank didn't match some of the officers in the fleet, his seniority, and the fact that he represented Garp, made him a reliable leader for the job.
Supporting him was Mihawk.
Yoriichi wasn't sure if he remembered wrong, but he'd always believed Garp's adjutant was exceptionally strong. In reality, Bogard's personal strength was merely on par with an average Rear Admiral.
Whether he'd grow stronger in the future was uncertain, but for now, Bogard simply wasn't up to the task of holding a coastal blockade alone.
To compensate for this, Yoriichi had no choice but to send Mihawk.
Over the years, Mihawk had only continued to improve. On the path of swordsmanship, he never stopped moving forward.
Yoriichi had full confidence in Mihawk's strength. Even if Kaido, the captain of the Beasts Pirates himself, took action, he wouldn't be able to defeat Mihawk quickly. If they clashed on land, Mihawk might even have the upper hand.
With Mihawk's assistance, the southern front could withstand even a fierce assault until reinforcements arrived.
After finalizing these deployments, Yoriichi turned his full attention to devising a strategy against the Beasts Pirates.
In the ideal scenario, the pirates would sense the "three-closed, one-open" encirclement and attempt to flee.
That sea cliff would stop most ordinary pirates, and Yoriichi predicted there wouldn't be many spare ships. Only a few elite pirates might escape.
Most wouldn't.
If the top officers tried to run, Yoriichi was confident he could use his Conqueror's Haki to seize control of the battlefield in an instant.
Of course, that was the best-case outcome.
If the Beasts Pirates were determined to drag civilians into a standoff with the Marines, things would get far more complicated. The entire cleansing operation could fall apart, and worse, it could tip their hand. If the Beasts Pirates were spooked now, any future operation would be exponentially harder.
By evening, the sky had turned a blend of deep red and gold, casting its hues upon the sea.
The wind stirred the surface into glittering waves as the Marine fleet gently rocked with the tide.
Yoriichi stood atop a rooftop, his brows furrowed as he gazed toward the central castle on the island. The setting sun stretched his shadow long across the roof tiles.
His eyes were filled with worry and depth.
He couldn't help it.
He'd spent the entire afternoon racking his brain but hadn't found a way to cleanly resolve the current crisis. He had no confidence that he could eliminate all the pirates while protecting the civilians.
Even the most ancient, culturally rich nations in history hadn't solved the dilemma of "civilians caught in battle."
Ultimately, they either killed the hostages, or showed mercy, only to be overrun.
Though his situation was slightly different, the core issue remained the same.
You could either slay the enemy, or protect the people.
Not both.
A perfect solution?
Where in this world did such a thing exist?
"Yoriichi, what are you planning to do?"
"You've been thinking all afternoon. Have you made your decision?"
Just as Yoriichi was staring absentmindedly at the distant castle, Garp leapt onto the rooftop. Seeing the troubled look on Yoriichi's face, he asked seriously.
"My decision…"
"Vice Admiral Garp, if it were you, what would you do?"
Yoriichi exhaled, his tone soft. He'd lived through several lifetimes, but even now, he had no clear answer.
If only Kaido were a bit more reckless! If he'd just ordered a direct assault against the Marines, everything would be so much simpler.
But Yoriichi had overestimated Kaido's brashness.
This was a man who not only conquered Wano, but also ran it smoothly for years. He'd carefully cultivated Doflamingo as a proxy to expand his influence.
Kaido wasn't a fool.
He knew whom he could fight, and whom he couldn't.
Now facing Yoriichi, Garp, and Zephyr, Kaido had played it safe. Apart from sending King to probe Zephyr, he made no reckless moves.
King had only been captured because Kaido didn't expect Yoriichi to show up and defeat him in a single strike.
Given all that, Kaido could only grit his teeth in frustration.
"What would I do?"
"Well, the one commanding this operation is you, Yoriichi."
Garp chuckled, seemingly unconcerned with the current predicament.
Yoriichi shot him a helpless glance. Garp stepped beside him, peering toward the castle and added:
"If it were me… I'd retreat."
"Yoriichi."
That caught Yoriichi off guard.
Retreat? That thought had never even crossed his mind. The Marines had finally assembled such overwhelming strength, and the top brass were fully committed to this campaign.
To Yoriichi, this was a rare opportunity. Retreat? What a joke.
Seeing the shock on his face, Garp laughed again and said earnestly:
"Yoriichi, since joining the Marines, you've never really tasted failure, have you?"
"Ever since you rose through the ranks, no pirate has escaped your blade."
"But the enemies you've faced were easy in one key way."
"You only had to defeat your opponent."
"But this, this is different."
"We're not up against a single pirate crew. We're facing a pirate kingdom."
"A nation where civilians and pirates have become one."
Garp's voice was somber, a stark contrast to his usual laid-back demeanor.
"Pirate kingdom?"
Yoriichi echoed the phrase, frowning in thought.
"Yes. A pirate kingdom."
"Riddridge Island…"
"From the moment I set foot on it, I sensed it. The civilians and pirates here are deeply intertwined."
"When I first landed, all the homes were already empty."
"The pirates were prepared. The people had already been moved."
"What kind of pirate is the hardest to fight? The ones who murder and pillage civilians?"
"No. It's pirates like the Beasts Pirates, organized, strategic, and aiming to 'govern' a nation."
"Yoriichi, if you can't become an executioner, you won't be able to cleanse them."
With that, Garp turned and lightly leapt down.
"Dinner time. Whether you have a plan or not, eat first."
He called up cheerfully, then strode off.
As Yoriichi turned over Garp's words in his mind, things began to clear.
Come to think of it…
Who was Luffy's toughest opponent? Kaido? Big Mom?
No…
It was Doflamingo, who sealed off Dressrosa with a Birdcage. Doflamingo's madness was more terrifying than Kaido's or Big Mom's. Had Luffy lost, the citizens would've faced unspeakable horrors.
At least Kaido still had reason. Riddridge Island wasn't yet as far gone, it was, at most, just a fledgling pirate regime in the making.
"Abandon the plan… or maybe…"
"There's still one last option… isn't there?"
As the sun dipped low, Yoriichi gazed at the castle and made up his mind.
By the coast, the Marines were starting fires and preparing meals. The smoke curled upward, giving the battle-worn beach a strangely peaceful air.
But this was only the calm before the storm.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Captain Kaido!"
"Lord Kaido! Open the door, quickly!"
Early in the morning, someone banged frantically on Kaido's door. Already on edge, Kaido leapt from the couch, grabbing his kanabo.
He scanned the room. Seeing nothing out of place, he relaxed slightly and opened the door with a scowl.
"What are you yelling for? What happened?"
He barked at the gathered officers outside.
One pirate pushed to the front and shouted:
"Lord Kaido, it's bad!"
"The Marines are planning to execute Lord King!"
"A public execution! They're planning to do it at sea!"
Kaido's irritation vanished. His pupils shrank as he rushed to the window and raised his telescope toward the Marines' eastern shore.
The battlefield had been cleared.
The speedboats? Gone.
The Marines who had occupied the coastal houses? Also gone.
They'd retreated.
Off in the distance, their warships had regrouped. The blockade of Riddridge Island was completely lifted.
"Where are the Marines?! Where are those bastards?!"
"Who told you about the execution?!"
"Speak!"
"There's no way they'd kill King! They wouldn't dare!"
"King is, !"
He suddenly realized how unhinged he sounded. Grabbing the reporting pirate by the collar, he demanded:
"Where did this news come from?!"
The pirate stammered, "The Marines withdrew early this morning."
"After they left, I sent men to scout."
"They left nothing behind, except a broadcast Den Den Mushi."
"It keeps looping a message: King will be publicly executed in three days."
"Lord Kaido, look at the flagship's bow. King is still tied up there, and they've already built a platform!"
The words struck Kaido like lightning. He froze, stunned.
Moments later, his fury returned. He let out a low growl and glared at his officers.
"I will not let King die."
"Notify everyone. Ready the ships. I'm going to save him myself!"
As he spoke, Conqueror's Haki burst from his body. The windows shattered instantly. He slammed his kanabo into the wall, smashing a gaping hole.
Sensing the overwhelming aura, his officers scrambled to mobilize their crews.
"Attack the Marines and save Lord King?"
"Can we really do that?"
"We just failed to breach their fleet, won't this be suicide?"
"Shhh! Don't let Lord Kaido hear you! He'll kill you!"
"This time, Lord Kaido is personally leading us. It'll be different!"
"No… charging like this is still suicide!"
Kaido's order spread quickly. Some pirates were roused to loyalty, praising Kaido's 'righteousness' and preparing to fight.
Others saw the lifted blockade as their best chance to escape.
Still others, forcibly conscripted into the Beasts Pirates, simply refused to follow orders.
Even among the officers, division had begun.
On the deck of the Dawn, Zephyr glanced at King, bound to the cross, and asked Yoriichi,
"Yoriichi… will this work?"
"Would someone like Kaido really risk everything for a subordinate?"
"I don't know," Yoriichi replied. "Let's hope he does."
"But even if he doesn't…"
"If he shows even the slightest intent to save King…"
"I believe the rotten nature of pirates… won't let me down."
The sea breeze blew. His red hair flowed.
King trembled. He began to struggle.
But the Seastone chains held firm.
"You call yourself a Marine?!"
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Big Bro Kaido won't fall for your tricks!"
King roared. His wounds tore open, his bandages soaked red.
"I never expected him to."
"Whether he saves you or not, the result is the same."
"Because no matter what Kaido decides…"
"The Beasts Pirates… will fracture."
"King, can you accept that truth?"