The entire battle of Sphinx ended in victory for the White Wolf Pirates, led by Magnus, but this time, the fight had been brutal.
According to incomplete statistics, at least three thousand marines and pirates died in this war, over five thousand were severely injured, and countless more lightly wounded.
In the end, about eight thousand marines managed to retreat to their ships.
Another seven thousand were left stranded on Sphinx.
These were marines who, for various reasons, did not receive the evacuation orders in time.
If not for the fact that the marines' morale had not completely collapsed during the retreat, and that Kong, an admiral-level force, was still present, the pirates did not dare pursue.
If the marines had truly fallen apart, far more than seven thousand would have been lost.
And so it ended with Kong and his marines on their ships, staring across the sea at Magnus and his pirates, neither side daring to make another move.
Continuing the fight was no longer an option.
However, with so many marines still stranded on Sphinx, Kong couldn't simply abandon them and sail away.
"I'll have Rona come over as soon as possible."
Since one admiral still needed to remain stationed at Marine Headquarters, the only remaining admiral-level force they could move was Hisesa Rona.
Elephant-yama already regretted more than once sending Rona off to deal with the Giant Shark Pirates.
If three admiral-level forces had come together here…
How could they possibly lose?
But thinking about it more, it was clear that was unrealistic.
If three admirals really appeared, Magnus would have fled without a second thought.
Even sending two admirals, Elephant-yama worried that Magnus might simply cut his losses and run.
That was how pirates were.
If you came after them, they would flee. No roots, no territory — they plundered wherever they went.
But if Magnus truly intended to develop his power base on Sphinx, that wasn't necessarily bad for the marines.
Pirates with roots weren't as frightening.
What was frightening was a powerful pirate who had nothing to lose.
Previously, the White Wolf Pirates were exactly that — unrooted and unpredictable.
Even with several admiral-level forces, the marines couldn't do anything about the White Wolf Pirates roaming the seas.
They couldn't defeat them outright, but they could harass and exhaust them.
But now it was different. If Magnus started developing his base of power, then monitoring the White Wolf Pirates became much easier.
As for whether the White Wolf Pirates posed a true threat?
"At the end of the day, he's still just a pirate."
That was the sentiment Elephant-yama conveyed when he compiled the battle report and sent it to the Gorōsei, the Five Elders of the World Government.
Their feedback was clear.
Magnus was powerful — but that didn't mean the White Wolf Pirates as a whole were powerful.
After receiving Kong's intelligence, these high-ranking men immediately saw through the hollow façade of the White Wolf Pirates: the entire crew was being propped up by one man — White Wolf Magnus. Without him, they amounted to nothing.
"However, we are curious as to how he managed to restore his youth and break through his own limits."
That was the full extent of the Gorōsei's opinion.
They didn't consider Magnus worth their worry.
And hearing this, even Elephant-yama felt his own earlier reaction had been overblown, thinking the White Wolf Pirates could truly threaten them.
The truth was, there was only one White Wolf Magnus.
He could defeat an admiral, yes, but his strength wasn't yet so overwhelming as to be unmanageable.
Looking at the White Wolf Pirates as a whole—
Aside from Magnus, the strongest among them was a vice-captain with a bounty not even reaching two hundred million, who stood no chance at all against a real admiral.
And now, Magnus clearly intended to occupy Sphinx Island.
"If he wants it, let him have it."
Elephant-yama made his decision. After all, it was just a non-member nation, outside the jurisdiction of the World Government. The marines normally wouldn't bother with such a place.
Giving it to Magnus might even help contain him to one place — a good thing.
The only headache left—
"Fleet Admiral Elephant-yama, there are a lot of reporters gathered outside our headquarters. How should we handle this…?"
After analyzing everything, it was clear the White Wolf Pirates didn't actually pose a real threat. But ordinary people didn't know that.
All they would see was that the marines were defeated at Sphinx by the White Wolf Pirates — and not just defeated, but with an admiral killed in the process.
Once word got out, the marines' reputation would take a serious hit.
And there was no way to keep it quiet.
Because Sphinx had always been a chaotic place, full of pirates, black market merchants, slave traders — and reporters.
The marines sending a massive fleet to attack Sphinx?
That kind of big news, no reporter could pass up.
Elephant-yama glanced at the wanted poster of Magnus on his desk.
After this battle, Magnus had truly shed the label of an ordinary great pirate.
He had become a name worthy of history.
A legend of the seas.
As for the World Government and the marines' assessment of the White Wolf Pirates, Magnus didn't know — and even if he did, he would just laugh it off.
A hollow reputation?
Magnus glanced at Rocks, wrapped in bandages, eating roasted meat while loudly cursing the marines; at Ripley, who had returned to her giant form and lay on the ground snoring; and at Edward Newgate, sitting beside Rocks, his shy face turned toward the sea with longing in his eyes.
And then he thought of Charlotte Linlin, still in Elbaf, the land of giants.
Hm, if it's hollow, then let it be hollow.
The World Government underestimating the White Wolf Pirates was a good thing — at least Magnus didn't have to worry about being fully targeted.
"Once this storm passes, I'll go bring Linlin here."
Although Charlotte Linlin was doing well in Elbaf, her food sickness was indeed a problem — and with Kureha here, she could research a cure.
Roya, Lily, Ed, Kureha!
This time, four of his original crew had come.
Without their help, Magnus wouldn't have been able to seize Sphinx — more likely, he would've had to flee with Rocks after a fierce battle against Seibas and Kong.
The reason only four came? Magnus didn't believe it was because the others didn't want to, or were afraid — more likely they hadn't received the news yet, or were still on their way.
After all, the sea was vast.
Sometimes, a single parting meant never meeting again.
"Roya, what are your plans now?"
"Plans?"
Roya, wrapped like a mummy in bandages, looked at Magnus in confusion.
"You don't mean you're kicking me out after all this?"
"Yeah, exactly."
The blonde woman glared at Magnus.
"I rowed a boat by myself for half a month just to get here. If you dare to kick me out, I won't let it go!"
"Heh."
Blue Flame Ed chuckled.
"I may be getting on in years, but I can still serve as a swordsmanship teacher, right?"
"I already said — there's only one doctor on the White Wolf Pirates!"
Kureha laughed loudly.
At that, Magnus could only shrug helplessly and reassure his old crewmates.
In the banquet that belonged solely to the White Wolf Pirates, laughter rang out through the night.
(End of Chapter)
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