Pere pere pere pere… Pere pere pere pere…
Suddenly, the sound of a yellow-and-red Den Den Mushi placed on the coffee table rang out.
Everyone frowned. Aeridar reached out and picked it up. "Moshi moshi, this is Aeridar."
"Captain, it's Mina." Mina's grave voice echoed from the Den Den Mushi.
Mina, as the head of the Chris Investigation Bureau's External Affairs Department, had been busy outside lately, as Aeridar had instructed her to investigate the Celestial Dragon Saint Gustav, head of the Aldrich family, and the Underworld's Roamer, Crimson Malha, in addition to monitoring the trouble between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Has something happened?" Aeridar knew Mina's voice would not be so serious unless it was something important.
"The Marines have mobilized elites from all over the world to Marineford and have already begun preparations," Mina said gravely. "Also, the latest news; Whitebeard has acted. All 23 surveillance ships monitoring Whitebeard's main ship, the Moby Dick, were sunk simultaneously, with no survivors. Furthermore, dozens of pirate crews in the New World have also grown restless; they are mainly crews affiliated with the Whitebeard Pirates."
"So, he's made his move…" Aeridar narrowed his eyes. "Whitebeard, that old man, has seized the initiative on the Marines."
"With 23 surveillance ships sunk, the Marines now have no idea of the scale of the Whitebeard Pirates or when they will arrive." Arlan's expression was indifferent.
"Without intelligence, the Marines won't know where the Whitebeard Pirates will attack. It's possible they might directly attack Impel Down while Fire Fist Ace is imprisoned there. The Marines are in trouble." As Minister of Military Affairs, Dimitri naturally understood the importance of intelligence.
Moreover, Dimitri was a keen learner, proficient in navigation, military command, physical combat, short-sword fighting, and gun fighting. He was formerly the navigator of the Chris Pirates, and his military command skills were naturally second to none within the entire crew.
"You can't say that entirely. This war concerns the direction of the world; the World Government will inevitably give its full support. The CP agency agents are spread across the world, and they will naturally help the Marines with intelligence, but as the head of the Yonko, Whitebeard's overt and covert forces are also formidable, which should be able to cover up their movements to some extent." Aeridar knew that when two giants clashed, it would not just be limited to overt battles. The secret struggles behind the scenes would also be extremely fierce.
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Mina heard Aeridar and the others' discussion and said in a deep voice, "That's right. The Marines and the World Government have already received the news. A large number of World Government CP agents have begun to mobilize, frantically investigating the movements of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Thank you for your hard work, Mina." Aeridar encouraged her, then ordered, "Put aside the matters concerning the Celestial Dragon and the Roamer Malha for now. The External Affairs Department is to focus all its efforts on monitoring the movements of the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Consider it done!" Mina did not say more.
Click.
Aeridar hung up the Den Den Mushi, looked at the four people present, and said solemnly, "Starting now, the Chris Pirates are on Level 3 Alert, and Alvis Island is on Level 1 Alert. The Internal Affairs Department is to strictly monitor the interior of the Kingdom, ensuring no internal unrest!"
"Furthermore, issue a command to all subordinate pirate crews: they must remain vigilant for the duration until the war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates concludes. Personnel are not to wander off. Once they receive my command, they must act with the utmost speed. Those who disobey will be utterly destroyed!"
After delivering a series of commands filled with murderous intent, Aeridar's expression remained extremely serious.
Given that this was a war against the Marines, the Whitebeard Pirates would undoubtedly move with their full force. The attention of the entire world was focused on this great war, so necessary precautions had to be in place to prevent opportunists from creating chaos.
"Understood!"
The four responded with solemnity.
"So, regarding this war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates, aside from the Captain participating, should we also get involved?" Arlan suddenly asked.
"Yeah! The Marine Pacifistas showed their might in the battle on Sabaody Archipelago, sending those rookie punks scrambling for cover. Didn't Dalt and Vade also design a biological weapon? We should take this chance to see how it stacks up against the Marine Pacifistas!" Oliver recalled the rows of ferocious figures he saw in the warehouse beneath Alvis Island, and he clamored excitedly.
"Although I plan to reveal some of my cards in this great war, it will only be from my own standpoint. If we use those weapons, it will make us look like lapdogs," Aeridar shook his head, disagreeing with Oliver's suggestion.
After all, this was a war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates. If the Chris Pirates actively intervened so aggressively, they would certainly be regarded as dogs by other pirates.
"Sigh~ To see an earth-shattering war about to break out, with powerhouses like Flower Sword Vista and Diamond Jozu participating, and yet I can't join in, it's truly a shame!" Oliver sighed.
His swordsmanship was advancing rapidly, already approaching that of a Great Swordsman. To progress further, he needed to clash with powerful swordsmen. A war involving Mihawk, Vista, and others was a chance he couldn't pass up if he could join.
As time passed, the atmosphere not just in the New World but across the entire world changed. People everywhere were focused on the movements of the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates.
On the Marine side, elite soldiers and seasoned officers from the Four Seas, the first half of the Grand Line, and the New World continuously gathered at Marineford. Vice Admirals like Onigumo, Doberman, Comil, and Jonathan, who commanded their own sectors, as well as Giant Vice Admirals like John Giant, Lacroix, and Lonz, and famous officers like Smoker, Hina, Onigumo, and Bowen were all present.
The port of Marineford was filled daily with a forest of warships, loaded with massive numbers of elite Marine soldiers and various weapons and ammunition.
Meanwhile, in the New World, one pirate crew after another disappeared from the eyes of the Marines, and the Whitebeard Pirates were nowhere to be found. Occasionally, a piece of information would surface, but it was quickly outdated.
It wasn't until several days later, the day before the public execution, that the Great Prison Impel Down suffered an attack.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
Eight ships flying the flag of the Happo Navy entered the giant whirlpool currents.
Following the current, they arrived directly at the entrance of Impel Down and launched an attack on the dozen or so Marine warships stationed at the gate.
Naturally, the Marines stationed at Impel Down were elites, and due to the impending public execution, the number of warships here was even more exaggerated than a Buster Call. Therefore, the Marines quickly counter-attacked in the face of the sudden assault.
The sound of cannons roared, and dark, scorching cannonballs flew through the sky, causing the sea surface to churn relentlessly and waves to crash over ten meters high.