"Mihawk…? What do you mean by that?"
"Shanks. Stay out of this war."
"This is…" Shanks's voice was filled with a rare, genuine disbelief.
Was this really the same Mihawk he knew?
The world's greatest swordsman had always been a lone wolf, a man who cared little for the world's trivial affairs.
He never gave unsolicited advice, let alone tried to persuade someone to do something.
Yet here he was, telling him—an Emperor of the Sea—to stand down.
It didn't make sense.
Unless… unless there was more to this execution than met the eye.
Some hidden truth that he wasn't aware of.
"Mihawk…" Shanks's tone grew serious, all traces of his usual carefree demeanor gone.
"Do you know something?"
"..."
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, there was a long, heavy silence as Mihawk weighed his words.
Of course, I know things. Quite a few, in fact.
As a rival and, in his own way, a friend, he had no desire to see Shanks get dragged into this hopeless, one-sided conflict.
The conclusion was obvious to anyone with all the facts.
The Whitebeard Pirates stood no chance.
The Marines, the dominant power on the seas, were already formidable.
But this time, they held every conceivable advantage.
Marineford was a natural fortress.
They had gathered all their elite forces: the three Admirals, Sengoku, Garp, and countless Vice Admirals.
And then there was the monstrously powerful wild card, Mike.
The Warlords, usually unreliable, were another story now.
Kuma was a government dog.
The Triangle Syndicate—himself, Doflamingo, and Crocodile—was now operating under Mike's influence.
And with Fish-Man Island now Mike's territory, Jinbei would surely follow his orders as well.
That was five of the seven Warlords already aligned with the Marines.
Or rather, with Mike.
The remaining two, Hancock and Moria, were hardly powerful enough to tip the scales.
The balance of the Three Great Powers has already been shattered, Shanks, Mihawk thought grimly.
Ever since that kid Mike sailed out of the East Blue, the tides have shifted.
With him, the Marines effectively have the strength of four Admirals and the loyalty of most of the Warlords.
What difference can you and your one arm possibly make? I have no desire to draw my blade against you.
"Shanks," Mihawk finally said, his voice a low rumble.
"There are some things I cannot disclose. If you trust me, stay out of this. This war… cannot be stopped."
Cannot be stopped?
Shanks's pupils contracted.
Those four words landed on his heart like a mountain.
For Mihawk, a man of few words and even fewer exaggerations, to say that… the severity of this situation was far greater than he had ever imagined.
"Wait quietly for the war to end, Shanks," Mihawk's voice carried a rare, stern note of admonishment.
"Unless… you want the Red Hair Pirates to be dragged into this as well."
"What?!" Shanks shot to his feet, his voice a shocked roar. "How could the Red Hair Pirates be affected?!"
The implication exploded in his mind like a cannonball.
It meant the Marines were now confident they could take on two Emperors at once.
How was that possible? Even with the Warlords, they were wild cards at best.
With just three Admirals, Sengoku, and Garp, facing two Emperors should have been an overwhelming, impossible task.
Why does Mihawk sound so certain?
What has changed?
There must be a new player on the board… someone of significant weight whose involvement has skewed all previous calculations.
"Alright," Shanks finally said after a long, heavy silence, his voice hoarse.
"I trust you, Mihawk. I'll… consider this matter carefully."
"..."
The soft click of the receiver being hung up echoed in the quiet room.
After several minutes of deep, silent contemplation, Shanks turned to his first mate.
"Beckman. Cancel all preparations to head for Marineford."
"Understood," Ben Beckman replied crisply, turning to leave without another word.
.....
The New World.
The massive, formidable fleet of the Beasts Pirates cut through the waves like a moving fortress, its destination Marineford.
On the deck of the flagship, King, the All-Star, bowed respectfully as he delivered the latest intelligence to his captain.
"Kaido-san, the latest updates. The Whitebeard Pirates remain silent; their method of arrival is unknown. The Big Mom Pirates show no signs of movement and are unlikely to participate. The Red Hair Pirates initially showed signs of mobilizing, but they've since canceled their movements and remain at their base."
"Wororororo!" Kaido's signature booming laughter shook the deck. He took a massive swig of sake from his gourd.
"That Red Hair brat. As long as he doesn't get in my way, I couldn't care less what he does!"
He slammed the gourd down, the impact making the entire ship tremble.
"Listen up, you lot! Get your heads in the game! We're heading to Marine Headquarters to raise some hell!"
"OOOOOOOOH!" the Beasts Pirates roared in a unified, bestial cry, their fists clenched and their eyes burning with the thrill of impending battle.
"CHARGE!"
The fleet accelerated, plowing through the towering waves as it raced toward the greatest war of the era.