"When a wall starts to crumble, everyone gives it a push. How could it be truly impossible to find them? It's just difficult to infiltrate deeply, that's all," Sakazuki said, shaking his head.
Diarmuid's eyes lit up. He understood what Sakazuki meant.
Nowadays, anyone with half a brain could see that the Navy's momentum was unstoppable. They had overturned Mariejois itself, and they had done so with virtually no loss of strength. In this situation, the Navy had effectively cast off its shackles; its "claws and teeth" had grown sharper than ever.
Even before this, the Navy had displayed an attitude of total dominance over the New World. Consequently, the influence and deterrent power of the "Big Name" pirates had plummeted. Many opportunistic "fence-sitters" were already considering how to leave a better impression on the Navy.
Under these circumstances, it was difficult for the likes of Whitebeard to remain in hiding. They still needed supplies, didn't they? The moment they showed their faces, there was no guaranteeing someone wouldn't quietly report them. Even within Charlotte Linlin's Totto Land, many were already jumping ship, sensing that Big Mom's vessel was about to sink.
Thus, at this stage, obtaining intelligence on these pirate lords wasn't exactly easy for Sakazuki, but it wasn't particularly difficult either.
"So, where are they?" Diarmuid asked.
Sakazuki spread a nautical chart across the table. It showed the islands of the New World. "Here," Sakazuki said, pointing to one of them.
"Hachinosu?" Diarmuid raised an eyebrow.
"Exactly. Hachinosu," Sakazuki nodded, adding, "The former base of the Rocks Pirates."
Indeed, before the irritable Garp hammered them into dissolution, the Rocks Pirates' headquarters in the New World was Hachinosu. Its geographical location was unique, situated almost exactly in the center of the New World. Back then, the Rocks Pirates were incredibly powerful, with top-tier legends under their banner; even Kaido was nothing more than a "little brother" on that island.
The likes of Whitebeard and Shiki the Golden Lion all hailed from that group. In that era, the New World had almost no opponent capable of resisting them. Thus, Rocks arrogantly placed his headquarters on Hachinosu, the prime "real estate" of the sea.
Then came the God Valley Incident, where they ran into Roger and Garp and were dismantled. The Rocks Pirates shattered into pieces, and the various "shareholders" went solo, each carving out their own legend.
In the original timeline, Hachinosu gradually became a pirate paradise. Later, after the Paramount War, "Blackbeard" Marshall D. Teach established his base there. On one hand, Teach was naturally arrogant; after obtaining both the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he firmly believed he was invincible.
Though his later actions showed he still had many reservations, three Sakazukis would have sent them running, it didn't mean he couldn't fight. There were many reasons to avoid an engagement. Once he secured his footing as a Yonko, despite having the lowest bounty, he seemed to be the most arrogant. The fact that he held Hachinosu proved that his strength, while perhaps not "invincible," was certainly rare in the world.
Of course, things were different now. Currently, Teach was still taking a nap inside Impel Down.
Hachinosu was now at one of the intersections of the territories belonging to Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and Whitebeard. Among the four Emperors, only Smoker had no contact with the island. It seemed natural that the three-way alliance chose Hachinosu as their "Joint Headquarters."
Precisely because Hachinosu was in the heart of the New World, Sakazuki said it was "difficult to infiltrate." It was quite a distance away. This distance was awkward; a large-scale movement would definitely expose their tracks, while a small-scale vanguard would be insufficient and prone to accidents so far from support.
"Are all three of them there? Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido?" Diarmuid asked.
"Barring any surprises, they should be. They were seen appearing together before. Originally, they likely planned to attack our Navy during the Reverie to seize a geographical advantage over the gateway waters of the New World. That would have given them strategic depth to maneuver. They just didn't expect us to 'break the news' first, making them hesitate," Sakazuki explained.
"I see..." Diarmuid rubbed his chin. After a pause, he asked, "Do you have any good ideas? How do we give them a taste of our cannons?"
Sakazuki smiled and nodded. "I have two plans."
"Let's hear them," Diarmuid said, taking a sip of tea.
"First, frontal pressure. A direct, orthodox war. We push our advantage bit by bit and crush them!" Sakazuki said coldly.
This was the "King's Way"—no fancy tactics. Since the Navy was currently at its peak, this was the safest method. Unless they hit a once-in-a-thousand-years streak of bad luck, they couldn't lose. It was a battle of pure, raw power.
"Matches my thoughts. But if we use this method, we'll have to wait until things in Mariejois settle so we can concentrate our forces for a total steamroll," Diarmuid noted.
"Correct. That was my original plan. But since you're here, there's a second option," Sakazuki said.
"And that is?"
Sakazuki didn't explain the tactic immediately. Instead, he asked, "Just how far has your strength reached?"
Diarmuid blinked, thought for a moment, and said, "Very strong. Actually, back at the Domain of the Gods, I might have been able to take down Imulia if I really pushed it."
Sakazuki, having clashed with Imu himself, understood the weight of that statement. Yet he still asked, "What about Whitebeard?"
Diarmuid smirked. With supreme confidence, he said, "Calling him 'no big deal' would be too arrogant. Let's call him a... 'medium' threat."
Sakazuki: "???"
A medium threat? Is that even a category?
"Are you sure?" Sakazuki asked again.
"Absolutely sure!" Diarmuid stated firmly.
"Fine. Then the second plan: a Decapitation Strike," Sakazuki said without hesitation.
Diarmuid: "???"
I thought you'd come up with some high-level maneuver or some earth-shaking, miraculous tactic. In the end, it's just a Decapitation Strike? Again?
In reality, while the Decapitation Strike sounded "low-tech," it was currently the most common, prevalent, and effective tactical plan on the high seas. The payoff was massive: once the enemy's central command was destroyed, the war was essentially won. It often achieved the greatest victory at the smallest cost.
So, while the tactic seemed "low," you couldn't argue with its track record of success across a thousand battles. It was simple, but lethal.
However, a Decapitation Strike wasn't something you could just use on a whim. it required a vital prerequisite: the "blade" you use for the decapitation must be harder than the enemy's "head." To put it simply, the executors must be strong enough to ensure that when the blade arrives, it lops the head off cleanly. Otherwise, it's not a decapitation; it's a long-distance delivery of your own head to the enemy.
Currently, Kaido, Big Mom, and Whitebeard were all in one place. Generally speaking, decapitating them was impossible. Anyone who tried would just be throwing their life away!
But Diarmuid had said "medium threat." Sakazuki understood then that Diarmuid believed there was a success rate. If Diarmuid led the "blade," they might actually be able to take those three heads.
Among the three pirate crews, Charlotte Linlin's Big Mom Pirates were the most systematic and had the most stable structure. Kaido and Whitebeard's crews, while powerful, relied entirely on personal charisma and martial pressure to stay together. Once Whitebeard and Kaido fell, their crews would immediately drop from "top-tier" to "average." At that point, the Navy could clean them up easily.
Normally, the Big Mom Pirates were the most troublesome. Even if something happened to Charlotte Linlin, the crew's efficient and tight system would continue to function, and they would quickly elect a second-generation leader. There might be some turbulence, but it would likely be a smooth transition. In the original story, when Big Mom fell into the sea at Wano, her crew was already discussing whether Perospero or Katakuri should take over.
But the situation was different now. The Navy was overwhelmingly strong. People were already fleeing Totto Land. If Charlotte Linlin died under these conditions, even the Big Mom Pirates likely couldn't escape a disastrous fate.
Looking at the comprehensive results, one had to admit Sakazuki's proposed Decapitation Strike offered the best outcome. Simple, crude, but effective.
"A Decapitation Strike?" Diarmuid nodded, though he looked a bit hesitant. "You mean I act as the blade and take on all three?"
He was confident, but those three would surely cooperate sincerely when facing him. They had the foundation of working together on Rocks' ship; they might actually pull off something big. Furthermore, "Decapitation" meant killing or capturing them. If they escaped, the plan was a failure. Diarmuid wasn't certain he could take on all three at once and ensure not a single one got away.
And on the off chance it ended in a stalemate? That would be awkward—being alone in the heart of enemy territory. Of course, Diarmuid was certain his life wouldn't be in danger; with the Gravity-Gravity Fruit and the Dark-Dark Fruit as his foundation, even if the entire enemy fleet powered up, he could still run if he couldn't win.
But before Diarmuid could finish his analysis, Sakazuki shook his head. "No. We go in together!"
As a Marine Admiral, Sakazuki was incredibly strong. Moreover, when he fought, he was relentless, capable of putting his own life on the line without a second thought.
With him joining in, Diarmuid's confidence surged. Although it was only two-against-three instead of one-against-three, Sakazuki's presence would give Diarmuid much more room to maneuver. Looking at their combined strength, this was doable, and the win rate was high!
Diarmuid nodded, but then asked hesitantly, "If you go with me, who stays here to oversee the overall situation?"
Sakazuki froze. He had actually forgotten about that. What if the enemy's plans changed, and while he and Diarmuid were deep in enemy territory, someone "snuck into their house"?
Seeing Sakazuki's bewildered expression, Diarmuid was shocked. "No way. You didn't consider such a basic flaw?"
"Ahem..." Sakazuki rubbed his nose. "Even a wise man has a slip-up once in a while... it was an oversight. A total oversight."
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