Chapter 61: The Tide Rises
"Four Emperors," Satoru murmured, a meaningful smile curling his lips. "It looks like this area is about to get really chaotic again."
If the world had been relatively stable before, the title 'Four Emperors' would change everything. From now on, the world would plunge into turmoil. The number of pirates would explode.
Before, those four were just powerful New World pirates without a unifying title. Now it was different. Countless pirates would now eye those 'Emperor' seats. Toppling one would bring immense fame and prestige. Many ordinary people would choose to set sail, become pirates, and dream of becoming an Emperor.
As the epicenter of this whirlwind, the New World wouldn't stay calm. Beneath the surface calm, a massive undercurrent was brewing. Once it erupted, it would shake the entire world.
"It seems my workload is about to increase significantly."
Satoru could already predict the busy days ahead. Countless fools, moths drawn to a flame, would charge into the New World one after another, rushing to their deaths.
Buru Buru Buru... Click.
The Den Den Mushi on his desk rang.
"Moshi moshi, this is Satoru."
"It's Sengoku."
The Fleet Admiral's voice was heavy, dripping with gloom. Satoru didn't need to see his face to know his mood was terrible—like a volcano seconds from erupting.
"Ah! Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Long time no speak! Miss me that much?"
His tone had grown increasingly casual lately. Maybe it was the 'out of sight, out of mind' effect of being far from Headquarters. Or perhaps inheriting Gojo Satoru's abilities was subtly warping his originally more reserved personality toward that boundless eccentricity.
"Speak properly," Sengoku growled.
Miss you? I've met you, what, three times? Even if I missed that idiot Garp, I wouldn't miss you, brat.
"Yes, sir, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Satoru's voice instantly turned serious. "What are your orders, sir?"
"Have you seen today's paper? About the Four Emperors?"
"I have. I have to say, 'Emperor of the Sea' is a majestic title. Feels much more imposing than 'Pirate King.'"
Sengoku almost cursed. I'm not here to discuss which title sounds cooler! But now that he mentioned it... 'Emperor' did have a certain ring to it.
"I have a feeling the New World is about to boil over. You need to be extra careful. But when you encounter pirates, show no mercy. Wipe them out if you can. Kill if you must, capture if possible. Fight whenever you can.
"Soon, Headquarters will dispatch additional forces to the New World. We're planning a major purge of the pirates here."
The killing intent in Sengoku's voice was palpable, even through the snail. Satoru could feel it. The Fleet Admiral seemed ready to come to the New World himself.
But Satoru suspected it would be 'all thunder, no rain.' A 'purge' likely meant targeting the weak pirates. The Four Emperors themselves? Sengoku probably wouldn't dare touch them.
If you had to pick the 'weakest' Emperor, it was hard to say. Take the Whitebeard Pirates: their true powerhouse was Whitebeard alone. His division commanders might not match the top officers of the other three Emperor crews.
The Red-Haired Pirates had few members, but all were elites. His first mate, Benn Beckman, was rumored to be as strong as Shanks himself.
Let me clarify: that's a rumor. Benn Beckman is incredibly strong, but not quite on Shanks's level. He's half a step behind.
As for the Big Mom and Beast Pirates? They were established powers. The Beast Pirates' Three Disasters and Big Mom's Sweet Commanders—they might not beat an Admiral, but holding their own for a long time wouldn't be a problem.
So even if the Navy launched a 'purge,' they'd mostly sweep up the small fry. It wouldn't fundamentally change the New World's environment.
"I understand," Satoru replied. "I'll make sure the pirates here learn to fear the Marines."
"Good. That's what I want to hear. Satoru, I also hope your strength grows quickly. The pirates now have their Four Emperors. We must have our... reliable Admirals."
Sengoku's words were full of expectation. The Navy did have candidates to fill Admiral positions, but their strength was in an awkward spot—above Vice Admiral level, but not fully at the Admiral tier. Sengoku couldn't lower the standards for an Admiral. As the Navy's strongest combat force, an Admiral couldn't have a shred of weakness. It would be irresponsible—to the Admiral themselves, to the Navy, and to the people of the world.
"Don't worry, Fleet Admiral," Satoru said, his voice firm with confidence. "Give me two years. I'll reach Admiral level."
"Good. I'm relieved to hear that. Toss the New World as much as you want. Just protect your own safety. You're far more important than any situation here."
"Yes, sir."
Sengoku hung up.
"It seems I'm destined for a life of hard labor," Satoru sighed, stretching his arms. He'd just finished cleaning up three pirate crews, and now he had new orders.
"Just as well. We're running low on construction workers for the base. Time to grab a few more."
His goal was to build the G-8 base into something grander than Marineford itself. Relying on just a couple hundred captured pirates? That would take until the next century.
He picked up the Den Den Mushi.
"Order to all hands: Assemble at the port. Prepare for an expedition."
"Yes, sir!" Colonel Clarl's voice came through immediately.
Instantly, the base echoed with the thunder of synchronized footsteps. Within minutes, every Marine stationed at G-8 stood assembled and ready. The hunt in the newly-christened 'Emperor's Sea' was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)
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