Teach had endured for decades within the Whitebeard Pirates solely to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit, and when the fruit finally appeared before him, he unhesitatingly murdered the comrade he had known for decades.
Blackbeard Teach had no pity for the weak, valuing only strength. Even the respect he showed his 'Pops,' Whitebeard, who had looked after him for decades, was limited to his power, not gratitude.
When he captured his own commander, Ace, he immediately handed him over to the Marines, using the act to further his own plans to usurp Whitebeard's power.
Now, facing Aeridar, he knew he was outmatched and shrewdly played the fool, unlike the old Moria, who loved to boast and dismiss everyone.
"If it tastes good, then eat more of it. I'd love to see how you face the entire Whitebeard Pirates tomorrow, Heh heh heh heh~" Aeridar said with hidden meaning, laughing softly.
Teach lowered his head, chewing the cherry pie in large mouthfuls without replying. No one saw his eyes darting about, or the cold sweat soaking his inner shirt.
"Fuffuffuffufu~" Seeing Teach act the fool and then looking at Aeridar, Doflamingo laughed for some unknown reason.
Mihawk and Chief of Staff Tsuru, however, shot Teach a thoughtful look.
The surrounding Marine soldiers were terrified. They were already frightened enough to be facing a group of notorious, terrifyingly strong monsters, but now, hearing "Zehahahahaha," then "Heh heh heh heh," and then "Fuffuffuffufu," their faces paled, and cold sweat poured down.
Fortunately, with the Warlords all assembled, Chief of Staff Tsuru began to assign them to different battle positions, aiming to maximize their fighting capacity.
Of course, Tsuru knew this was impossible. Selfish pirates would never cooperate, especially not against the Emperor of the Sea. In any case, the Marines' minimal expectation was for them not to be a hindrance, and ideally, they could stall one of the Whitebeard Pirates' commanders. Their deaths would not be a loss.
....
In the inner sanctum of Holy Land Mariejois.
The Gorosei sat on sofas, facing a man with a black mask. He had a balanced physique, was dressed in a black suit, with brightly polished black leather shoes, and wore a black, fur-lined overcoat.
Zero, Chief of Cipher Pol.
"Zero, are all the Warlords assembled?" the blonde Gorosei asked, his voice low.
"Yes, Golden Ring Aeridar has arrived at Mariejois. They are currently being escorted by Chief of Staff Tsuru and others," Zero answered flatly.
"Keep a close eye on them. They are, after all, a group of despicable pirates," the kimono-clad Gorosei warned.
"Hmm~ What about the Whitebeard Pirates' whereabouts? Have they still not been located?" the mustache-wearing Gorosei asked.
"My apologies, there are still no traces of the Whitebeard Pirates," Zero still replied with the same flatness.
"What exactly does your Cipher Pol do! You receive so much funding every year, yet you're useless at the critical moment!"
The curved-sword-mustache Gorosei was irritated.
The Marines' public execution of Ace was a source of immense pressure for the World Government as they faced the Emperor of the Sea. They dared not show any slight, wanting to know the Whitebeard Pirates' every move.
But now, the enormous Whitebeard Pirates had completely vanished without a trace, and even Cipher Pol's intelligence officers couldn't find them, which naturally infuriated the Gorosei.
For the Gorosei, this war could only be won, not lost. If the Marines lost, the World Government truly risked being overthrown.
"Apologies, but coming from the New World, they only have two routes: either crossing the Calm Belt or getting coated and passing through Fish-Man Island. But again, apologies, we have no personnel stationed in those areas," Zero replied unhurriedly.
"Have there been no clues found on the islands along the way?" the kimono-clad Gorosei frowned.
"Apologies, none have been found," Zero maintained his indifferent tone.
"I heard Kaido is stirring?" the long-bearded Gorosei asked, looking up.
"Yes, Kaido has even gathered his Three Disasters," Zero nodded in response.
"Forget it, we can't deal with New World affairs for the moment. Continue investigating the Whitebeard Pirates' whereabouts. You may leave." Knowing his subordinate's personality, the blonde Gorosei waved his hand in resignation.
"I will take my leave now."
Zero bowed slightly and turned to exit.
The hall fell into silence. The Gorosei said nothing.
After a long silence, the curly-haired Gorosei looked up. "In the final battle on Aznat Island back then, the Chris Pirates deployed a batch of battle-ready giant beasts. They must be slaughter weapons developed by that man's scientists."
The blonde Gorosei thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Impossible. We haven't offered him enough incentive to move. If it weren't for the deep cooperation between us and the fact that the Warlord title still has some use for him, he probably wouldn't even have come to participate in this war."
"Indeed. But we must be prepared. If we win this time and successfully defeat Whitebeard, the balance of the Yonko will be broken. And in the New World, is there anyone more suitable to take that empty Yonko position than him?" the curly-haired Gorosei said gravely.
"Perhaps, we will be turning on each other soon."
....
Inside a luxurious manor within Holy Land Mariejois.
The Celestial Dragon Saint Gustav sat on the throne of a high platform, wearing his bubble mask and swirling a glass of red wine.
Below, Malha paced the spacious hall with an expressionless face.
"The Clifford Kingdom's External Affairs Department has found out about us," Malha stopped walking and said flatly.
"It seems that brat Benson betrayed us before he died." Saint Gustav's face darkened.
"Though the impending war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates has diverted their attention, we need to find a way to strike first," Malha said coldly.
"Strike first?" Saint Gustav frowned and quickly said, "That man is in Mariejois right now. How about we surround and kill him here? After all, he's in Mariejois. Does he dare attack a Celestial Dragon?"
Malha opened his mouth and looked at Saint Gustav strangely. "Are you an idiot?"
The World Government and the Marines were already short on high-level combat power. Furthermore, if a forcibly summoned Warlord of the Sea were to be ambushed in the Holy Land at such a critical juncture, what would the other Warlords think?
In that scenario, not only would the Gorosei be ripped apart, let alone a Celestial Dragon, but the entire Holy Land Mariejois would likely be thrown into chaos by the enraged Warlords.
"Ahem~"
Saint Gustav also realized his mistake, immediately feeling embarrassed, but he insisted stubbornly, "Even if we can't do it now, then after the great war tomorrow, we will surround and kill that bastard when he leaves Marineford."
Knowing the other man was simply being defensive, Malha ignored his remark and said, "Striking first is still necessary. Have CP0 investigate if they can find the location of the Chris Pirates' research base."
"It seems a CP0 agent once infiltrated the Chris Pirates' research base, which is on a mysterious island in the New World. There should be a record." Saint Gustav's eyes lit up with surprise. "I'll have someone look for it. You figure out how to probe him."
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