Souta Kiryuu and Dragon continued their discussion on the aftermath of recent events and the possibility of an all-out war breaking out.
Souta also revealed the hidden truths about Imu and the Five Elders.
"The old monsters entrenched in Mariejois are all wielders of Mythical Zoan abilities. Most of them have already awakened their powers—their regenerative abilities are terrifying. Each one of them is no weaker than a Marine Admiral."
Souta described Imu and the Five Elders in rough detail. What worried him more was that the Elders seemed to possess a special five-point star teleportation array that allowed them to summon one another instantly. That was something everyone needed to be cautious of.
"The foundation of the World Government is monstrous."
Hearing Souta's words, everyone present felt the weight of its power. Even the God Knights alone were a force on par with the Revolutionary Army's elite.
On top of that, there was the Navy, suppressing pirates across the world, with the Five Elders commanding from behind the scenes.
Taking on the World Government and the Celestial Dragons would not be easy—it was a mission that would require time and sacrifice.
"That's why this time, we must slaughter this batch of Celestial Dragons—especially the elite within the God Knights."
Souta's voice brimmed with killing intent. He had lured three of the Four Emperor crews into this conflict, along with Golden Lion Shiki and the Revolutionary Army. His purpose was clear—to cripple the Celestial Dragons.
The nineteen Celestial Dragon families of Mariejois had multiplied for over eight hundred years. No one even knew their true numbers anymore.
In just one "Native Purge Tournament," there were over two hundred Celestial Dragon participants—all adults.
That meant Mariejois housed at least several thousand of them.
A single Celestial Dragon vacationing at Sabaody Archipelago or Gran Tesoro could casually spend tens of billions of berries. With thousands of them, their extravagant expenses devoured the "Heavenly Tribute" of nearly two hundred allied nations, and still it wasn't enough—they demanded more every few years.
Even the Navy's budget was squeezed thin to cover it.
"Besides Kaido and Big Mom, did you really call in the Whitebeard Pirates too?"
Dragon was stunned. Whitebeard had grown old. Unlike Kaido or Charlotte Linlin, he was no longer as ambitious or war-hungry.
These days, Whitebeard was practically retired, rarely participating in major battles.
Yet Souta had somehow convinced Edward Newgate himself to move.
During the Sorbet Kingdom war, three Emperors had gathered, but the Red-Haired Pirates acted as mediators and didn't truly fight.
For Souta to gather three Emperors again… Dragon couldn't help but admire his ability.
This was a man of endless schemes—the most cunning God-Slayer of all.
Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit was the most destructive ability in existence. With the world's strongest man entering the fray, their chances of shaking the Celestial Dragons grew immensely.
"The cadres of the Rocks Pirates must also appear—otherwise, how could this war live up to its name?"
Souta chuckled softly. Once the crews gathered, he would reveal the war's true purpose:
to kill the Celestial Dragons, plunder their Devil Fruits, and perhaps even give the remnants of the Rocks crew a chance to avenge their fallen captain.
Whether those old members still remembered Rocks D. Xebec was another question.
Big Mom and Whitebeard had poor relations with Rocks, so revenge was unlikely to move them. But the rare Devil Fruits hoarded by the Celestial Dragons would surely entice Big Mom. As for Whitebeard—Souta had used Fire Fist Ace as leverage. Like it or not, he had to join.
Kaido and Golden Lion Shiki might still recall a shred of Rocks' legacy, but even they wouldn't fight purely for vengeance.
If they could seize treasure and battle while settling an old debt, though, they would gladly take it.
"Then we won't be giving up the Celestial Dragons' spoils either," Dragon said evenly.
The Revolutionaries' main objective was gathering proof of the Celestial Dragons' massacres, but if they had the chance to seize rare Devil Fruits, they would not hold back.
"Of course. Whoever takes it, keeps it."
Souta raised his brows. He knew it would be impossible to monopolize all of the Celestial Dragons' treasures.
The important thing was killing them. After that, let everyone fight for what they wanted.
If Big Mom clashed with Dragon over spoils, Souta wouldn't interfere.
"At present, among the Marines' top forces: Akainu's whereabouts are unknown, Kizaru remains at Headquarters, and Aokiji is stationed on the Grand Line.
Akainu could still appear nearby—we need to prepare for that."
Dragon stroked his chin. By rights, with three Emperors gathered alongside him and Souta, they could annihilate the God Knights completely. Yet he still felt unease.
If both the Five Elders and Akainu appeared, things would become explosive.
Still, with Garp back in the East Blue, there was one relief—at least there would be no father-son battle between him and Dragon.
"If it's just Akainu and one accompanying Elder, there won't be any surprises," Souta said calmly.
His only real concern was whether the teleportation array between the Five Elders truly allowed them to summon one another.
When the fighting began, they would need to jam all Den Den Mushi signals on the slaughter island, cutting off communication between the battlefield and Mariejois.
If the Five Elders in the Holy Land remained blind to the situation, there was a chance they could take down Akainu and one Elder, delivering a devastating blow to both the World Government and the Marines.
"That would be ideal."
Dragon folded his arms across his chest, expressionless. To him, the Four Emperors were no less dangerous than the Government—especially when Devil Fruits came into play. Pirates would never abide by rules when it came to treasure.
Meanwhile, on Onigashima—
The Beasts Pirates had followed Souta's instructions and uncovered a massive paw-shaped crater. Inside, they found a special chest holding a Permanent Log Pose.
"A war greater than God Valley… I want to see what tricks you've got this time, Souta Kiryuu!"
Kaido's interest was growing by the day. From their transponder snail calls, Souta had urged him to bring several of his strongest men in secret.
That demand made Kaido frown. After a moment of thought, he ignored most of Souta's words and set out with only King the Wildfire. Queen the Plague and Jack the Drought were left behind to guard their territory.
He refused to carry too many on his dragon's back.
Not even his All-Stars, Queen or Jack, were worthy to ride atop his azure scales.
With King holding the Log Pose, Kaido and his right hand took off from Onigashima that very night.
Back at the stronghold, Queen groaned in frustration.
"The boss got tricked into being Souta's thug again. If he doesn't bring back something worthwhile this time, I'll make sure he gives Souta hell. That bastard sweet-talks our boss way too much…"
Elsewhere in the New World, aboard the Lion's Mane—
Golden Lion Shiki cursed loudly as he received the Permanent Log Pose delivered by Bartholomew Kuma. With a furious laugh, he ordered the massive ship-island to change course and fly directly toward the designated battlefield.
War was brewing.