Chapter 244: The Plan
On the pirate ship.
"Oven-sama, are we really just going to accept this humiliation?"
The Big Mom Pirates members, having retreated from Fish-Man Island, were clearly deeply disgruntled.
They were the Big Mom Pirates—normally respected and feared wherever they traveled.
But now, at Fish-Man Island, a mere transit point in what others mockingly called "Paradise," they had been essentially kicked out.
"What else would you suggest? You want to go back and face the Dragon Slayer Swordsman yourself?"
Oven shot him an icy glare.
"Uh, well..."
The subordinate who had just spoken immediately fell silent.
That Dragon Slayer Swordsman had defeated Oven with a single punch without even drawing his sword. Although they were all elite fighters—potentially officer-level in ordinary pirate crews—in an actual confrontation, they would probably be obliterated instantly.
"Contact Mama."
Puru puru puru...
The Den Den Mushi connected quickly, and a distinctive voice came through:
"Mamamamama! Is that you, Oven? How did it go? I can't wait to sample those Fish-Man Island desserts!"
"Mama, we encountered some... obstacles..."
Oven hesitated momentarily, then briefly recounted what had just transpired.
"The Dragon Slayer Swordsman?"
A noticeably intrigued voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi: "That rookie who fought Whitebeard one-on-one at Marineford?"
"Yes."
Oven responded in a grave tone, his voice carrying undeniable respect:
"He's extraordinarily strong. He defeated me with just one punch."
"One punch?"
Big Mom's tone shifted to genuine surprise upon hearing this.
Oven and the other crew members could see Big Mom's shocked expression mirrored on the Den Den Mushi's face, and strange feelings arose in their hearts.
If even a Yonko could be genuinely surprised, their hasty retreat seemed far less shameful.
The Den Den Mushi fell silent for a long moment—Big Mom seemed to be carefully considering something.
"This Dragon Slayer Swordsman hasn't even entered the New World yet, and he's already making such bold moves. It seems the New World won't remain peaceful for much longer."
"It's understandable that you're no match for him. Return to Whole Cake Island for now."
After the prolonged silence, Big Mom said this and then disconnected.
"Mama isn't going to pursue this matter?"
A pirate asked in surprise, not expecting Big Mom to let it go so easily.
"Fish-Man Island's geographical location is far too unique. The fish-men have overwhelming advantages underwater. If we truly insisted on conquering it by force, we could succeed, but the casualties would be catastrophic. It's simply not worth it."
Oven understood the situation clearly.
Big Mom had reached the same conclusion.
Her reasoning was even more straightforward.
Since Rhodes had claimed Fish-Man Island, he would inevitably enter the New World eventually. When that time came, as long as they found an opportunity to eliminate the Dragon Slayer Swordsman, Fish-Man Island would naturally change allegiance.
In fact, this was a common vulnerability for many New World powers.
As soon as the leader of a force—such as Whitebeard or Kaido—died, their entire organization would instantly collapse and dissolve.
After all, these were newly established warlord territories that had only existed for a decade or two, far less institutionally stable than the eight-hundred-year-old World Government.
Meanwhile, on Whole Cake Island, Big Mom hung up the Den Den Mushi and pondered thoughtfully.
"Mama, are we really just going to let this slide?"
Asked Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte Family.
"Since the Marineford War and Whitebeard's death, the situation throughout the New World has become far too chaotic and unpredictable. The Blackbeard Pirates are constantly hunting Devil Fruit users while simultaneously engaging in fierce battles with the Whitebeard Pirates' remnants.
The Navy is undergoing major personnel restructuring—Sengoku is about to step down, and whoever becomes the new Fleet Admiral will definitely make aggressive moves to establish authority.
And Kaido is also planning something unknown in Wano Country.
The entire situation is extremely unclear and volatile.
We cannot act rashly at this critical juncture."
Big Mom picked up an elaborate dessert before her, consumed it heartily, and continued her strategic calculations.
Big Mom was domineering and temperamental, but far from stupid. On the contrary, as one of the Four Emperors, she was exceptionally intelligent with unique insights into global power dynamics.
Compared to the Beast Pirates, which were filled with reckless madmen, the Big Mom Pirates operated far more rationally.
Meanwhile, on Fish-Man Island,
with the Big Mom Pirates' retreat, Fish-Man Island officially fell completely under Rhodes' control.
King Neptune adapted remarkably well to this transition, showing no dissatisfaction whatsoever. On one hand, he was a king with limited personal ambition; on the other, Fish-Man Island had always operated under external protection anyway.
Rhodes, however, took time to summon Enel from Skypiea, where he had been spreading faith, bringing him to Fish-Man Island to meet everyone.
Perhaps due to the influence of faith power, or perhaps from his experiences during this period, Enel's entire demeanor had changed dramatically. He was no longer arrogantly flamboyant, but rather composed and dignified. Combined with his distinctive divine attire, he now exuded an aura of genuine authority—almost like a true divine messenger.
"Your Kenbunshoku Haki should be sufficient to cover all of Fish-Man Island, correct?"
Rhodes inquired. Enel tested briefly before responding,
"Yes, it is."
Jinbe and the other leaders all sensed a peculiar fluctuation emanating from Enel. While ordinary people might not detect it, Jinbe was acutely aware of its presence and scope.
Neptune and Madam Shirley looked at him with hopeful expectation.
"This Kenbunshoku Haki... is definitely sufficient to protect Fish-Man Island comprehensively," Jinbe confirmed, his voice trembling slightly with relief.
Just then, Enel suddenly raised his hand toward the sky, and a dazzling pillar of brilliant lightning shot straight upward, sweeping across the heavens before, under precise Observation Haki guidance, striking a secluded corner of Fish-Man Island with pinpoint accuracy.
"Let's go investigate,"
Rhodes smiled knowingly. Actions spoke louder than words—they needed to demonstrate capabilities directly.
The group moved swiftly, quickly arriving at the strike location.
There they discovered five individuals, their bodies severely charred and smoking, collapsed unconscious on the ground. Beside them lay a captured mermaid, bound and terrified.
"This is incredible!"
Jinbe and the other leaders were genuinely astonished, then revealed profound joy.
With this ability, the threat of slave traders to Fish-Man Island's merfolk population could be virtually eliminated!
Moreover, given Enel's personal combat strength, ordinary powerful fighters wouldn't be able to defeat him—making Fish-Man Island far more secure than even with Jinbe standing constant guard.
Despite demonstrating such overwhelming power, Enel showed no trace of arrogance, simply standing quietly behind Rhodes like a devoted follower.
Witnessing this display,
Jinbe and the others were profoundly impressed.
This kind of individual was clearly capable of reaching the absolute pinnacle of power, yet he showed such complete respect and loyalty toward Rhodes.
Jinbe and the other leaders felt even greater confidence in Rhodes' future.
Several days later,
news that Fish-Man Island had fallen under Rhodes' protection spread throughout the entire island during King Neptune's public address.
All fish-men and merfolk now understood that Rhodes had become Fish-Man Island's de facto protector after Whitebeard.
Because of the recent suppression of Hody Jones' extremist rebellion, the island's residents felt no resentment—in fact, many celebrated with songs and festivities.
The merfolk were particularly pleased—to them, anyone who could bring lasting peace was worthy of genuine respect and gratitude.
However, because Rhodes didn't operate as a traditional pirate crew and didn't fly any flag, Neptune decided to commission a statue of Rhodes to be erected on Fish-Man Island.
To some extent, this was also Enel's subtle suggestion, to facilitate gathering faith power more efficiently.
A few days later, in the vast gardens of Ryugu Palace,
the mermaid princess Shirahoshi sat obediently beside Robin, who had successfully located and translated the island's Poneglyph.
Shirahoshi was already naturally endearing, and as the Ancient Weapon Poseidon, their relationship had warmed considerably after extended close contact.
On the opposite side of the garden,
Rhodes, Jinbe, and Law were discussing their upcoming strategic plans.
Although Rhodes was powerful and confident in defeating Doflamingo in direct combat, he never underestimated opponents—especially someone as politically influential as Doflamingo.
"As far as my intelligence gathering indicates, Doflamingo is one of the core figures controlling the entire underworld, with official Shichibukai backing and an extraordinarily extensive network of connections. He maintains dealings with major New World pirates, renowned mercenary groups, and elite assassin organizations,"
Law explained, leaning against a pillar thoughtfully.
He had specifically investigated Doflamingo extensively and knew many of his surface-level secrets inside and out.
"That's actually not the real issue,"
Rhodes shook his head, revealing the deepest secret:
"Donquixote Doflamingo was once a Celestial Dragon."
How else could Doflamingo's trading network span the entire global underworld?
His personal strength was far inferior to the Four Emperors, and his organizational influence even further behind, yet his underworld trading network occupied the absolute core of the entire world's black market.
One primary reason was his former status as a Celestial Dragon.
Although that status meant the loss of many World Noble privileges, he was still technically a Celestial Dragon by blood, and with that unique position, he could accomplish countless things ordinary criminals never could.
Moreover, Doflamingo knew numerous dangerous secrets about the Celestial Dragons and the Holy Land of Mary Geoise—secrets potentially devastating enough to shake the entire world order.
(End of Chapter)