The incident on Black Fist Island didn't circulate widely among the general populace, but all the major powers across the seas, especially those within the underworld, had received word. It caused quite a sensation, particularly in those shadowy circles.
The fall of a prominent underworld family like the Bisacchi had an extremely significant impact. Of course, many other underworld kingpins, while perhaps sighing at the news, wasted no time in making moves to snatch up the Bisacchi family's former territories.
The Shipping King, Umit, personally telephoned Bege. He directly expressed his wish for Bege not to expose their cooperative relationship, lest it draw the ire and enmity of the Fear Pirates.
This was his primary concern. Although the Shipping King was a major figure in the underworld, even he could not withstand the full wrath of the Fear Pirates.
To this, Bege naturally agreed not to reveal anything. After all, the Shipping King's channels and connections were considerably important to him, and at this stage, they were an asset he couldn't afford to discard.
Besides the Shipping King, Monkey D. Dragon also called subsequently. His call was more laden with concern, and he even stated that if Bege ever needed his assistance, Dragon would personally step in to help.
Bege was currently of extreme importance to the Revolutionary Army; he was their most crucial channel for weapons and resources. If one were to ask which power in the world least wished for any misfortune to befall Bege, it would undoubtedly be the Revolutionary Army.
In the New World, the Fear Pirates were now frantically searching for any trace of Bege's whereabouts. However, even if they were to turn the entire Grand Line upside down, they wouldn't find him.
Marineford, within the Fleet Admiral's office. Sengoku, Garp, and Vice Admiral Tsuru were gathered.
Fleet Admiral Kong's expression was grim. "The Five Elders have already confirmed my transfer order," he said, his voice heavy. "I estimate that in about another year, I will formally resign from the position of Fleet Admiral of the Marines and assume the role of Commander-in-Chief of the World Government forces. Before I depart, however, there is one individual who remains a persistent thorn in my side, a matter that leaves me with extreme unwillingness to let go."
After Gol D. Roger's death, the Five Elders had initiated Fleet Admiral Kong's promotion, preparing for his transfer to the Holy Land Mary Geoise to serve as Commander-in-Chief. When that time came, Sengoku would take over as Fleet Admiral of the Marines.
Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru knew perfectly well whom Kong was referring to: Capone Bege.
He was the strongest rookie to have risen during Kong's tenure, a terrifying newcomer who possessed the rare quality of Conqueror's Haki. Fleet Admiral Kong had always wanted to eliminate Bege, but time and time again, Bege had managed to escape, leaving the Fleet Admiral deeply frustrated and unwilling to accept defeat.
He desperately wanted to eliminate Capone Bege before his departure, to bring a perfect, satisfactory close to his long career in the Marines.
After Roger's death, Fleet Admiral Kong had initially planned to dispatch troops to Skypiea to deal with Bege. However, the ensuing Great Pirate Era, ignited by Roger's last words, had thrown the seas into renewed chaos, forcing the Marines to concentrate their forces on maintaining order in the Four Seas.
Furthermore, the reconnaissance units he had sent out had been consistently unable to reach Skypiea, instead suffering heavy casualties. This had forced Fleet Admiral Kong to temporarily abandon the idea of landing troops on the sky island.
Vice Admiral Tsuru spoke, her voice calm but firm. "This time, Capone Bege has provoked the Fear Pirates. For us, this presents a good opportunity. We can secretly leak Capone Bege's information to the Fear Pirates and let them eliminate him for us."
"Exactly, that's precisely my intention," Fleet Admiral Kong affirmed. "Let them tear each other apart like dogs. In the end, the Marines will reap the benefits."
"The greatest concern," Sengoku interjected, shrugging helplessly, "is that Capone Bege won't fall for such a ploy. We are almost certain that his main base of operations is on Skypiea. As long as he chooses not to descend, the Fear Pirates will have virtually no way of eliminating him."
"Capone Bege is an extremely ambitious man; he won't remain on Skypiea indefinitely," Vice Admiral Tsuru stated, a wise glint in her eyes. "Perhaps he is merely lying low for now, avoiding the immediate storm, or maybe he's focused on accumulating strength. But one thing is certain: when they believe they possess sufficient power, they will undoubtedly reappear in the New World. At that juncture, a battle between the Fire Tank Pirates and the Fear Pirates will be inevitable. One side will surely fall. And regardless of which one it is, the other will undoubtedly suffer tremendous losses. That will be our opportunity to eliminate them, to take down two hegemon-level pirate crews in one fell swoop."
"What we need to do now," she continued, "is to exacerbate the conflict between them, to make them as irreconcilable as fire and water. It would be best if this war could be brought about even sooner. I have already submitted a request to mobilize the CP organizations. They will work in the shadows to intensify the animosity between the two sides, ensuring they become mortal enemies."
Fleet Admiral Kong's eyes were ice-cold; a plan had long since taken shape in his mind.
"I don't know if I will live to see Capone Bege's demise before I leave my post," Kong said, his gaze fixed intently on Sengoku, his expression serious and solemn. "However, I hope that you, Sengoku, and all of you, will find a way to incite war between the Fire Tank Pirates and the Fear Pirates, and annihilate them both. This will be my final plan conceived during my time in the Marines. It is codenamed: the Dragon Extermination Plan."
Sengoku immediately stood at attention, delivering a crisp military salute to Fleet Admiral Kong. "Rest assured, sir!" he replied with unwavering resolve. "I will dedicate all my efforts to the full implementation of the Dragon Extermination Plan."
The Dragon Extermination Plan: conceived from the singular desire to eliminate the "Demon Dragon" Capone Bege. It was a grand, overarching strategy intended to provoke a devastating war between the Fire Tank Pirates and the Fear Pirates, with the ultimate aim of annihilating both formidable pirate crews.
At present, knowledge of this Dragon Extermination Plan was confined to Fleet Admiral Kong, Sengoku, Garp, Vice Admiral Tsuru, and the highest echelons of the World Government. It was classified as an absolute top secret.
Bege slipped back to the blue seas quietly, capturing numerous fierce beasts and Sea Kings. Then, just as stealthily, he returned to Skypiea.
Ben Kosa, supplied with new materials, created a large number of fusion monsters. Bege and his crew then embarked on an arduous path of intensive training.
Bege led by example, spending most of his time on Mad Beast Island, battling the formidable Nightmare Beasts there to hone his swordsmanship and Devil Fruit abilities. He would also occasionally oversee and guide the training of his men.
He paid particular attention to Little Oars Jr.'s development, creating a rigorously demanding training regimen specifically for him. Bege had immense expectations for Oars Jr.; he hoped Oars Jr. could quickly master Armament and Observation Haki, and he personally guided him in the further development of his Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle Fruit.
Little Oars Jr. was a man of deep loyalty and righteousness. For the importance Bege placed on him and the kindness shown, he was willing to repay it a hundredfold, a thousandfold. He trained with extreme seriousness and diligence, meticulously completing every aspect of his training plan without cutting any corners.
Little Oars Jr. made progress every single day, and his advancements were remarkably obvious.
This, in turn, ignited the competitive spirit of Moria and the others. They began to vie with one another, pushing themselves to see who trained harder, who made greater strides.
Time flew by, and in a flash, three years had passed.
Skypiea. On a small island within the Mad Beast Archipelago, earth-shattering roars and the deafening sounds of impact continuously echoed. Even from a great distance, two colossal figures could be seen engaged in a fierce, brutal battle at the island's center.
Both behemoths erupted with sky-high, baleful auras, as profound as an abyss, as vast as the boundless sea.
Entire rows of ancient trees toppled like dominoes. The very earth beneath them trembled violently, cracking and collapsing. A constant hail of shattered rock and debris filled the air, and a swirling storm of wind and dust ravaged the surroundings, lashing out in all directions.
The two colossal figures fought with ever-increasing ferocity, the entire island quaking beneath their blows.
An airship hovered in the sky above the island. Aboard it were Moria and several others. They watched the two giants locked in their all-consuming battle, their expressions grave.
"Oars has gotten stronger again," Riki said, his voice heavy.
"The Dragon-Eating Giant Eagle Fruit and his Ancient Giant bloodline are truly a perfect match," Moria stated solemnly. "In just two short years, Oars has developed his Devil Fruit abilities to such an astonishing degree."
"His progress is immense, but we haven't been slacking either," Riki declared proudly. "If we were to fight now, it's not entirely certain who would win."
"Cut the crap," Moria scoffed, glancing dismissively at Riki. "You definitely can't beat him. I, on the other hand, might still have a chance."
Riki's face stiffened, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes. But Moria had a point. Although Riki had made significant progress over these three years, he still found it difficult to keep pace with Little Oars Jr.'s incredibly rapid advancement.