"Third, issue orders to Marine Headquarters—enter the highest wartime readiness state immediately! Mobilize every force that can be mobilized, including the Science Unit! Have Commander-in-Chief Kong personally oversee the operation, and prepare to launch the Ultimate Buster Call on the Lulusia Kingdom! This time, I'll make Lulusia vanish from this world—completely!!"
The order was filled with a mad, scorched-earth resolve to destroy everything. And because of that newspaper, the World Government's gigantic war machine finally roared into motion.
But no matter how furious the Gorosei were, the paper had already flown to every corner of the world. The signal it released could no longer be stopped.
New World — the Moby Dick.
On the deck, Whitebeard sat in his massive chair, holding the newspaper that had just arrived today.
"Gurarararara!" After reading it, Whitebeard let out a booming laugh that immediately drew everyone's attention on deck. "Get over here and take a look! That brat from Lulusia—he's really done something terrifying!"
The crew crowded around in curiosity. The moment they saw the contents, they all sucked in a sharp breath.
"Damn… cutting down a Marine vice admiral, wiping out a fleet, and executing Celestial Dragons?!"
"And Beth and Teresa… they're that strong now?!"
"And that King of Lulusia Ronan—he's only eleven, right? He actually killed that hard bastard Stainless with his own hands?!"
"Are they insane?! They're going to war with the World Government to the death!"
Everyone pointed at the paper and argued at once, faces full of shock. They'd rampaged through the New World for years—they knew better than anyone how terrifying the World Government's foundation really was. What the Lulusia Kingdom had done was like punching a hole straight through the sky.
The First Division Commander, Marco, stood to the side and analyzed calmly, "From the report, the top-end combat power they showed is genuinely astonishing. Destroying an entire fleet in a single strike, killing a Headquarters vice admiral—this level of strength is already firmly at the threshold of an admiral… and it might even be stronger than that. No wonder the World Government was so wary before. They only stripped their status instead of launching an all-out war right away."
He paused, then added another piece of intel: "Also, Pops—according to the messages from our forward observation posts, over the past few days, the main Marine fleet that's been maintaining a standoff with us near the G-1 Branch has begun withdrawing quietly. Their destination is unknown. And the Marine elites stationed on several nearby islands also show signs of being redeployed."
The moment he said it, the mood on deck turned heavy.
Whitebeard's expression steadied too, a hint of understanding flashing across his face. "Gurarara… isn't it obvious? The Marines are gathering strength."
His eyes swept across his sons. "Lulusia kicked up a mess this big and even publicly executed Celestial Dragons—how could the World Government just let it go? Before, they underestimated that brat. Now they're getting serious!"
Marco nodded and continued, "Given what Lulusia displayed, the World Government's next move won't be like this one—just one admiral and a few vice admirals. They'll definitely mobilize a force that can crush them outright, so there's no chance for any other accidents."
"A crushing force?" The Fifth Division Commander, 'Flower Sword' Vista, couldn't help asking. "You think they'll send two admirals at once? Or even… three?"
The guess made everyone's hearts seize. Multiple admirals deploying together—something like that practically never happened in the New World. That was the Navy's highest combat power.
"It's not impossible." Whitebeard's voice sank. "Lulusia's like a poisoned thorn stuck in the World Government's throat. If they don't rip it out, it'll be endless trouble for them. The high-end combat power they've shown is already enough to make the Gorosei feel a real threat. This time, the World Government may destroy them at any cost."
A brief silence fell over the deck. Everyone could picture it: when a massive world-scale machine truly starts moving and points its spear at a single target—how terrifying that would be.
"Pops, then we—" someone couldn't help starting.
Whitebeard lifted a hand and cut him off. "That's the road they chose themselves! The consequences are theirs to carry! Our Whitebeard Pirates won't interfere—and we couldn't even if we wanted to."
"But…" Whitebeard slammed his jug down onto the deck with a heavy thud, his voice spreading like thunder. "Tell the brats to wake up and stay sharp! With the Marines moving on a massive scale, there'll be a power vacuum in the New World! That's our chance to expand territory and seize resources!"
"Yes, Pops!" everyone shouted back at once.
Out at sea—
On deck, Shanks was drinking with Beckman, Yasopp, and the others when the newest paper was delivered into his hands.
Shanks picked it up, planning to see what amusing story had come up lately. But the instant his eyes swept the content, the smile on his face froze solid.
"Th-this bastard…" Shanks had assumed that after Kizaru pulled back, Lulusia had simply forced the Marines to retreat. He hadn't expected they'd done this much—Kizaru hadn't "withdrawn," he'd flat-out fled.
And they'd publicly executed more than a dozen Celestial Dragons.
"He… he actually dared?!" Lucky Roo's eyes bulged as he blurted out, "Those are Celestial Dragons! The World Government will never let him go! Lulusia's finished! Completely finished!"
Beside him, Beckman said slowly, "It won't just hit Lulusia. The impact of this will spread across the entire sea. The image the World Government has maintained for eight hundred years has been torn open into a bloody gash. Every oppressed kingdom—and every power dissatisfied with the World Government—will see a possibility."
The analysis cut straight to the bone.
Shanks lowered the paper. He didn't even feel like drinking anymore.
"Ronan… you really punched a hole through the sky this time." he murmured, his tone full of complicated feeling.
He admired Ronan's nerve and strength, and to some degree even agreed with his actions—cleaning up pirates, protecting civilians. But executing Celestial Dragons? That step was too insane. This wasn't just "bold." This was outright unrestrained.
Shanks understood the World Government's power. He also knew that doing this might drag out horrors hidden deep within the World Government itself.
The Lulusia Kingdom had become a target the World Government would erase at any cost. Ronan and everyone who followed him would face a hunt from the entire World Government system.
"This sea… is really going to turn upside down…" Shanks muttered.
Across the world—whether the Ōka Shichibukai or the great pirates of the New World—everyone was shaken by what Ronan had done. Everyone watched for the World Government's next move. Everyone understood the same thing:
The World Government would never let it go. And the Lulusia Kingdom was about to face an even more terrifying retaliation.
(End of Chapter)
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