Chapter 459: Kano Country Secret Meeting
Kano Country, western mountainous region. Inside an ancient assembly hall, the lights flickered.
This hidden location was tucked deep within the restricted area of Kano Country, completely inaccessible to outsiders.
Outside the hall, the mountain wind murmured, and cherry blossoms drifted down. Inside, however, an oppressive atmosphere filled the air.
Gathered around a round table carved from a single piece of Sea King bone were several "Adventure Fleet Leaders" renowned throughout the New World.
—Captain of the Beautiful Adventure Fleet, [Cavendish], his silver hair falling over his shoulders, gently swirling a wine glass in his hand;
—Boss of the Barto Club, [Bartolomeo], his feet propped up on the table, his expression as arrogant as ever;
—Leader of the Happo Navy, [Chinjao], and the new commander, [Sai], both exuding a steady, imposing aura;
—The Boxing Adventure Fleet's [Ideo], the New Giant Warrior Adventure Fleet's warrior [Hajrudin], and the Yonta Maria Adventure Fleet's [Orlumbus] were all in attendance.
For a moment, the former "fringe bosses of the world stage" were actually gathered here once again.
The air was thick with the scent of wine and gunpowder. After a long silence, someone finally broke the stalemate.
Cavendish gently swirled his red wine, elegantly glancing at the tall figure in the seat of honor: "Hey, hey, hey—old man Chinjao, you didn't call us all the way out to this middle-of-nowhere place just to reminisce about your 'fist and forehead' glory days, did you?"
"Yeah~"
Bartolomeo immediately chimed in loudly, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his tone arrogant: "I'm a busy guy, you know! I've got a ton of protection money waiting to be collected!! If it wasn't out of respect for an old senior like you, I wouldn't have even bothered to show up!!!"
Ideo and Hajrudin exchanged a glance, muttering softly: "A 'senior' like him... is definitely not someone to mess with."
Orlumbus sat upright and silent, his sharp gaze fixed on Chinjao, seemingly waiting for an answer.
The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense.
Chinjao remained silent for a long time before finally raising his head slowly.
That aged yet still burly body sat as straight as a mountain. Although his head had been hammered "concave" by Garp, that trace of majesty still made people afraid to look him directly in the eye.
He swept his gaze around the room, his voice low and hoarse, yet carrying an undeniable power.
"I didn't gather everyone here for idle chatter."
He slowly stood up, his towering 5.2-meter frame casting a shadow over the entire room, his green cardigan billowing slightly.
"I know that your current adventure fleets are nothing more than exiles wearing the guise of 'legal sea explorers.' The pirate flags of the past are still hidden at the bottom of your pockets; they were never truly lowered!!!"
Chinjao's gaze suddenly turned icy. His Haki exploded in the hall like something tangible, instantly fracturing the wooden table into countless cracks!
He paused, his tone growing deeper and more fanatical: "Our former era had its glory erased—but the ocean currents are still calling for the pirate flags!"
With that, he slowly raised his head, a long-lost battle intent igniting in his eyes.
"I want to form an alliance with all of you, to create a brand-new [Pirate Grand Fleet] and reforge the glory of pirates together!"
His tone shifted, the emphasis landing heavily: "And—to ally with the [Blackbeard Alliance] and sweep across the four seas!!!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was visibly shaken!
Wine glasses dropped to the floor, the crisp sound of shattering metal and glass exceptionally piercing in the dead silence.
"—What did you say?!"
"Ally with Blackbeard?!!"
Cavendish stood up abruptly, his blonde hair whipping through the air. His wine glass was knocked to the floor, the crisp sound of shattering echoing in the quiet hall.
His usually elegant face was now twisted in fury, veins throbbing on his forehead.
"That madman is a ruthless monster who doesn't even take the World Government seriously!!!"
Bartolomeo slammed his hand onto the corner of the table with a bang, smashing it to pieces. He roared with an arrogant sneer: "Hah?! Are you crazy, old man?! Throw our lot in with that guy?! He's a monster who'd slaughter his own subordinates without a second thought!!"
Ideo's face darkened, his knuckles cracking with a pop: "Allying with that kind of person... is tantamount to shaking hands with the abyss."
Hajrudin lowered his head, his massive shadow blanketing the floor, his voice rolling like thunder: "If he turns his blade on us—every single one of our crews will be wiped out completely."
Chinjao, however, remained unmoved. His eyes flashed with a ruthlessness even sharper than in his youth.
"Exactly because of that," he said in a deep voice. He slammed both palms heavily onto the table. The resulting airwave sent wine splattering and debris flying.
"We—need him even more."
The crowd froze.
Chinjao slowly scanned the room, his gaze like a blade, his tone low but soul-shaking: "We need him to attract attention..."
"The order of this world is about to be reshaped. If we don't step onto the stage in advance—we won't even have the qualifications to 'survive'."
In the brief silence, only the sound of wine drops slowly sliding down the edge of the table could be heard, dripping onto the wooden floor with a tick—tock.
Cavendish chuckled lowly through gritted teeth. He sat back down in his chair, his long hair covering half his face: "Heh... how interesting."
He took a sip of wine, the corners of his lips curling up slightly, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
"Since this stage is destined to be bloody, then I—wouldn't mind stepping up for a dance."
Bartolomeo suddenly slammed the table, his laughter wild and grating: "Hah! If we're gonna do it, let's do it! I've been wanting to beat up those bird-brains in the World Government for a long time anyway!!!"
"Idiot," Ideo frowned and said in a low voice. "Those madmen in the World Government aren't the scary ones; it's the Marines who have been making too much noise lately."
Hajrudin wiped away the wine spilled on his arm guard, chiming in with a deep voice: "The Marines... I heard a rumor. Those two 'Gods of Slaughter' seem to have gone crazy recently."
"...Gods of Slaughter?" Bartolomeo raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Hajrudin's eyes grew solemn. "Admiral Sakazuki and Vice Admiral Enel—it's said that because they've been too pent up lately, they've started hunting pirates all over the world. As long as a ship dares to set sail flying a pirate flag, whether old or new, they are greeted first by a Meteor Volcano dropping from the sky, followed by a sweep of divine lightning... leaving no survivors."
As soon as these words were spoken, the air abruptly solidified.
Images of sea zones swallowed by lightning and fire surfaced in everyone's minds—charred shipwrecks floating in steaming sea mist, lightning and magma intertwining into a purgatory.
That sight was enough to silence any pirate.
Even a fearless guy like Bartolomeo obediently shut his mouth at this moment, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing swirling in the air.
Chinjao remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft snort: "Hmph, we are only forming an alliance in the name of an adventure fleet. The Marines wouldn't go so far as to attack us."
The crowd's expressions softened slightly.
However, just as this trace of calm was about to return—
A mocking voice leisurely echoed from a dark corner:
"Hey, hey, hey~ Those arrogant words you all just spouted... we heard every single one of them, you know~"
The voice was frivolous yet freezing cold, causing the air to instantly freeze once again.
Amidst the flickering firelight, blurry figures slowly walked out from the darkness—smiles hooking the corners of their mouths, eyes like blades, their killing intent undiminished.
...
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