Smoker was silent for a moment, then looked at Newgate and said: "Is there some misunderstanding?"
Newgate spoke expressionlessly: "Marine Headquarters Admiral Candidate Momousagi... She's already appeared here. What more is there to misunderstand?"
"I said I came here to help you. Do you believe me?" Gion retracted the lightning from her body and looked at Newgate.
"What do you think?" Newgate scoffed.
"Actually, I think she's telling the truth," Smoker said helplessly.
In fact, the Marines' plan from the beginning did involve this intention, but now...
Seeing that Newgate completely ignored her, Smoker spoke again: "You realized long ago? My cooperation with the Marines?"
"No..." Newgate shook his head, then said: "I merely prepared for it. After all, you are a Warlord of the Sea..."
A man like Whitebeard had never truly trusted Smoker.
After all, Smoker was a Warlord of the Sea.
The reason why he didn't trust Smoker yet still cooperated with him lay in a deeper consideration he had.
In other words, he was also utilizing Smoker.
Just as he said, he simply made preparations for this possibility, a two-pronged approach.
The first approach: Smoker was not allied with the Marines. In that case, he would simply participate in this struggle for supremacy as a pirate.
Newgate wouldn't need to do much. Joining forces with Smoker to defeat Charlotte Linlin and Kaido would be enough. The script so far had played out according to this, with no surprises.
The second approach: Smoker, as a Warlord of the Sea, was a running dog of Mariejois. He had some collusion and cooperation with the Marines. The reason he entered this war so quickly was to ally with the Marines and take down Whitebeard, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin all at once.
In that case, Newgate could go with the flow.
He needed to wait for the optimal moment for the Marines to act. This moment was undoubtedly during the chaotic fight, the decisive battle, between himself, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin. Clearly, that moment was now.
And now, Gion's appearance signified that the Marines were indeed participating in the fray.
At this point, Newgate's plan could shift.
Marines and pirates are irreconcilable. The appearance of the Marines provided a way out, an opportunity, for Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, and Newgate.
In such a situation, the true pirate faction could completely put aside their grudges and deal with the Marines first.
Charlotte Linlin's sudden attack on Smoker just now could be seen as a silent declaration of intent, which Newgate had received.
In fact, since he began clashing with Kaido and Charlotte Linlin on Jam Island, even without explicit discussion, their actions subtly hinted at a kind of mutual understanding.
Why hadn't Charlotte Linlin detonated Jam Island?
What was she waiting for?
Was Newgate truly unable to retreat because of the Dyna Stone?
Don't be ridiculous. Could that thing really hold Newgate's feet in place? That thing could, at most, catch him off guard. Once Newgate was prepared, was sinking the island enough to kill him? How could that be?
This unspoken understanding, even without being stated explicitly, proved that Charlotte Linlin and Kaido were also waiting for a certain truth.
To see if the Marines had truly entered the game.
So, from the beginning, they were all waiting for Smoker.
Newgate was waiting for Smoker to see if the Marines were involved. If they weren't, joining forces with Smoker would allow him to retreat more smoothly, find the next war node, or defeat Charlotte Linlin and Kaido right here.
If they were involved, he would join forces with Kaido and Charlotte Linlin right here to eliminate Smoker the turncoat, and simultaneously counterattack the Marines.
Charlotte Linlin and Kaido were also waiting for Smoker for two possible outcomes.
The first outcome: Smoker was not allied with the Marines. In that case, his arrival would perfectly allow them to bury him and Whitebeard here, securing the victory in one fell swoop.
If Smoker truly was allied with the Marines, they would join forces with Whitebeard to eliminate these damned Marines, or retreat and reconsider their strategy.
It was that simple.
But looking at the overall situation, Newgate's plan was undoubtedly the deeper one, because the entire war initially revolved around him, and his situation was the most precarious. Without Smoker, he might have been slowly devoured by Kaido and Charlotte Linlin.
With Smoker, the conspiracy of the Marines might be drawn in.
But Newgate, with a grand gesture, dragged everyone down with him. His most dangerous predicament was thus resolved. Now, if there were no Marines, he'd ally with Smoker.
If the Marines showed up, then everyone would unite against the Marines. In any case, his personal crisis was instantly neutralized...
Listening to Newgate, Smoker also began to understand the situation.
First, the fact that he was actually a Marine hadn't been exposed.
They only mistook him for being untrustworthy because he was a Warlord of the Sea, leading to the current situation.
As things stood, they only assumed he had allied with the Marines. That was fine. This outcome was what Smoker had wanted anyway. Everything was going to be revealed eventually; it was just happening a little sooner, so it didn't matter.
As for whether his reputation would be ruined, that was even less of a concern for Smoker. As he himself had said, he wasn't really a pirate, so why should he care about a pirate's reputation?
As for the current situation, where Charlotte Linlin, Kaido, and Newgate, who were just fighting to the death moments ago, suddenly looked like they were about to team up...
Smoker wasn't too bothered, because after the Dyna Stone leak, Admiral Diarmuid's strategy had already changed to striking hard against all three: Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido.
Only by defeating and inflicting pain on all three of them here could the Dyna Stone incident be covered up logically, preventing an investigation by Mariejois that might expose the Marines' true secret. This was paramount.
Therefore, even if his alliance with the Marines was exposed now, it didn't matter, as long as the Marines could win this battle!
So, all he needed to do now was find a suitable excuse to prevent his true Marine identity from being revealed.
Thinking this, Smoker sighed and said: "Your reaction is too extreme, Newgate. I genuinely didn't intend to exploit the Marines or anything. To be honest, I was just looking for a fallback and a backer for myself..."
Newgate frowned slightly but remained silent.
Smoker continued: "As long as the two of us team up, Charlotte Linlin and Kaido will surely lose. That's what I've always believed. But what happens after that? I am self-aware; with my strength and level, I am absolutely no match for you. After this war ends, we will return to our opposing stances. The alliance will naturally collapse. At that time, what can I rely on to hold onto the war dividends, the power and status, I gained in the New World? Strength? My strength isn't enough, so the only thing I can rely on is the Warlord of the Sea title!"
After a slight pause, Smoker looked at Newgate and said: "That's why I would ally with the Marines. I truly didn't harbor any ill will towards you. I merely wanted to display the backer I had..."
Newgate pondered this for a moment and felt there was some truth to Smoker's words.
From the start of the war until now, Smoker had provided money and men. He even had a large sum of funding from Smoker in his hands. It was clear that Smoker was full of sincerity.
Considering his position and these issues, it really seemed like he wasn't setting a trap to take them all out.
Thinking further, if Smoker had cooperated with the Marines to take out himself, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido... would the Marines still need him?
It was possible they might just take him out next.
So, at this point, Newgate subtly began to believe Smoker's words. Perhaps this guy truly didn't have any hostility toward him.
But believing him was one thing, and the choice he had to make now was another.
He could only choose to ally with the true pirates and eliminate the threat of the Marines first!
So, Newgate remained noncommittal to Smoker's explanation. He looked at Smoker, then stated gravely: "What you're saying now is meaningless, Smoker..."
Saying this, Newgate took a few steps back. After these steps, he, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido formed a triangle, placing Smoker and Gion right in the middle.
"Linlin... you know what choice to make, right?" Newgate glanced at Charlotte Linlin.
"Mamamama..." Charlotte Linlin gave an evil laugh, then said: "Don't underestimate me, Whitebeard..."
Kaido looked up at the sky, frowning: "Who else has arrived?"
Gion brandished the Konpira in her hand, glancing at Smoker: "These pirates are all cunning beyond belief... Regardless of the Dyna Stone issue, our strategy was impossible to execute from the start..."
"Yes, it seems we can only go head-to-head. Fortunately... our preparations are also quite thorough," Smoker whispered.
Just then, Kaido's expression, having been watching the sky, turned somewhat savage, his eyes blazing with anger: "As expected, it's that bastard!!!"
Charlotte Linlin and Newgate also looked up at the sky.
Sure enough, a giant meteor was plummeting toward them.
And a meteor like this had now become the signature entrance for a certain bastard in the Marines...
"Rodriguez Diarmuid..." A look of solemnity flashed in Newgate's eyes.
Among the current three Admirals of the Navy, he didn't give much importance to Sakazuki and Borsalino. Instead, it was Diarmuid... Newgate always felt that this guy was very threatening.
Kaido snorted coldly, raising his hand and extending it toward the sky, letting out a low growl.
Then, around the meteor, numerous flame clouds rapidly erupted. These clouds enveloped the meteor in a short moment.
Then, Kaido waved his large hand. The flame clouds immediately altered the meteor's trajectory, pulling it away toward the distant sea...
"Stop playing tricks, Diarmuid!!!" Kaido roared angrily.
"Oh yeah? Are your wounds healed? We should commit suicide together sometime, Kaido..." A slightly arrogant voice came from the high altitude in the distance.
Smoker's ship slowly descended from the clouds, with Diarmuid standing at the bow.
Listening to Diarmuid's mocking tone, Kaido seemed to feel a faint ache in his chest, where his wounds had long since healed.
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