"Hmph…" Bartolomeo snorted in annoyance. Although he disliked using his brain too much, he still understood something this obvious. Crossing his arms, he scoffed, "I said that on purpose. So why exactly did you call us here?"
Crocodile let out a cold snort before sweeping his gaze across the room. "The reason is simple, we want to form an alliance."
"An alliance?" Trafalgar Law muttered quietly.
A faint smile appeared on Crocodile's face as he replied, "The balance of the world has already changed. Whether the final victor is the World Government or the Emperors Alliance, neither side will spare us afterward. If we want to survive in the New Era, forming an alliance is our only option."
Cavendish narrowed his eyes and spoke coldly. "This alliance of yours, you're not planning to rule over us, are you?"
"No," Crocodile answered calmly. "This will be a true alliance between equals. The Four Emperors used to stand separately, but after the alliance between multiple Emperors, the power they displayed was enough to shake the entire world. You've all seen it yourselves."
"None of the former Seven Warlords can defeat an Emperor alone. But if we combine our strength, we can rival, or even surpass, the power of an Emperor's crew."
Meanwhile, in the New World, both the Emperors Alliance and the Revolutionary Army had begun gathering their forces in preparation for the coming war.
Dragon's original plan was to cut off the World Government's influence over its allied nations first, isolating it before launching the final attack. In his eyes, it was the safest and most reliable method.
The only drawback was the time it required.
The Emperors Alliance, however, had no interest in taking the slow route. Pirates respected strength above all else, and their proposal was straightforward, attack Marineford first, then invade Mary Geoise.
Marco himself leaned toward this approach.
The Emperors Alliance operated almost entirely within the New World, meaning their influence over the World Government's member nations was limited. Even though the Revolutionary Army had infiltrated many countries, starting revolutions and overthrowing kingdoms was still a long and difficult process.
Besides, the ultimate goal had always been the destruction of the World Government itself. Since they already possessed the power to challenge it directly, there was no need to waste time taking unnecessary steps.
Most importantly, Marco simply preferred this method.
As his strength continued to grow, Marco could feel himself nearing the limits of this world. Since Imu was still ultimately a being born within this world, there was a ceiling to her strength. Marco was confident that his current power was already enough to contend with her.
But before launching the final war against the World Government, Marco had another target in mind.
Red Hair Shanks.
Originally, Marco had no intention of dealing with the Red Hair Pirates. However, after Shanks interfered with them previously, Marco no longer intended to let them continue existing peacefully.
Kaido and Big Mom naturally agreed with the decision.
The New World no longer needed another Emperor. Red Hair's presence had become unnecessary.
At that moment, an unexpected guest arrived at Sphinx Island.
His appearance immediately put all the captains on alert.
At the port of Sphinx, former Admiral Kuzan raised both hands casually, signaling that he had no intention of fighting.
"Hey, don't look so tense," Kuzan said lazily. "I'm not here for a fight. Besides, it hasn't even been a year since the Marineford War, right? Your strength has improved quite a lot."
The members of the Phoenix Pirates remained vigilant.
Vista stared at him coldly. "Kuzan, what are you doing here?"
Kuzan scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I heard you're preparing to go to war with the World Government, so I came to take a look. Can you bring me to Marco?"
The captains exchanged wary glances.
Even though they had all gained the Phoenix abilities, none of them were arrogant enough to believe they could easily defeat a former Admiral in a one on one battle.
Vista eventually nodded. "I'll pass along the message. Whether Captain Marco wants to see you or not is up to him."
When Marco heard about Kuzan's arrival, he immediately ordered for him to be brought over.
The moment Kuzan entered, Marco greeted him with a faint smile.
"Long time no see, Admiral Aokiji."
Kuzan sighed helplessly and waved his hand. "Just call me Kuzan. I stopped being a Marine a long time ago."
Marco chuckled softly. "If you're no longer a Marine, then what exactly are you doing here?"
Kuzan scratched the back of his head. "Honestly, I'm not even sure myself. After hearing about your declaration against the World Government, I couldn't stop myself from coming."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"I wanted to see whether you truly possess the power to overthrow the World Government. And if you actually succeed, what kind of world you plan to create afterward."
Marco leaned back slightly and smirked. "Instead of standing by and watching, why not join us?"
Kuzan blinked.
Marco continued calmly, "After overthrowing the World Government, you can become Fleet Admiral. What I want to destroy is the World Government itself, not the Marines. This world still needs the Marines to maintain order."
Kuzan stared at him in surprise.
"That doesn't sound like something a pirate would say."
Marco smiled faintly.
"Justice and evil are determined by whoever stands at the top of the world. Right now, Imu sits above everyone else, so she calls me a pirate, a criminal, a threat to world peace."
His eyes turned colder.
"But once I defeat her, everything changes."
"The Marines are necessary for stability. The only thing that needs to disappear is the corrupt system ruling above them."
Kuzan fell silent for a moment before asking, "Imu… I've heard rumors that she's a Celestial Dragon who has lived for eight hundred years. If that's true, how do you plan to defeat someone like that?"
Although the World Government worked hard to suppress information about Imu, that control was mostly limited to the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line.
The New World was different.
With the Emperors Alliance dominating the seas, information regarding Imu, the God's Knights, and the Five Elders had already spread throughout countless territories.
Vegapunk's technology had accelerated the spread of information even further. Even civilians in the Four Seas had started hearing whispers about Imu's existence. The World Government desperately buried those stories beneath propaganda and false news, but the truth was still leaking out little by little.
Marco looked directly at Kuzan and smiled.
"I'll defeat her with strength."
Then his expression turned slightly mocking.
"If you're willing to join us, I'll welcome you. If not, that's fine too. Just don't stand in our way."
The instant he finished speaking, an overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Marco's body.
Crack!
The air trembled violently.
Furniture throughout the room shattered apart one after another, while deep cracks spread across the ground beneath them.
Kuzan's pupils shrank instantly.
The pressure crashing down on him was so immense that even his Devil Fruit abilities became difficult to control.
His heart shook with disbelief.
Less than a year ago, Marco had not possessed strength anywhere near this terrifying level.
Now, Kuzan clearly understood something.
If Marco truly wanted to kill him, he would have no chance of escaping.
A few moments later, Marco withdrew his Haki completely.
With his current mastery over Conqueror's Haki, controlling its range and intensity had become effortless.
Marco calmly looked at Kuzan.
"If serving under a pirate bothers you that much, then stay neutral."
His tone remained relaxed, but firm.
"Killing someone like you would be a waste. As long as you don't interfere, once we overthrow the World Government, justice itself will belong to us."
Marco's gaze remained steady.
"And if you still want to join afterward, it won't be too late."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Of course, if you refuse even then, I won't force you, as long as you don't become my enemy."
===
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