Two months passed in the blink of an eye. The waters of the New World remained turbulent beneath the surface.
One morning, brilliant sunlight pierced the clouds, bathing the deck of the [Gluttony].
Setsuna sat at a specially made dining table, enjoying breakfast, when the Den Den Mushi on the table suddenly rang.
Purupuru purupuru… Gacha!
Answering the call, the Den Den Mushi's eyes donned a pair of round-framed glasses, perfectly replicating Sengoku's serious expression. "It's me, Sengoku."
"So early?" Setsuna rested his chin on one hand, leisurely chewing the fried egg in his mouth. "What's so urgent?"
"A major incident has occurred in the New World. The Marines need your help," Sengoku's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, then added, "And this matter is somewhat related to you."
"Oh?" Setsuna paused his fork mid-air.
Sengoku said gravely, "Because you caused the consecutive defeats or withdrawals of Warlords, creating huge vacancies, we had no choice but to recruit Weevil. As a result..."
The Den Den Mushi's expression turned exceptionally complicated. "This decision directly caused former Admiral Zephyr to quit the Marines in anger, forming the [NEO Marines]."
Setsuna took a sip of black tea. "I won't take the blame for this. Clearly, it's you Marines who neglected Admiral Zephyr's feelings. Out of all the pirates, you had to pick Weevil to become a Warlord?"
"Not every pirate qualifies to be a Warlord. Never mind, let me continue."
"Crocodile and Gecko Moria jointly invaded Wano Country." Sengoku's tone grew graver. "They seem to have discovered clues about the Ancient Weapon Pluton in Wano. When Kaido found out, they were subjected to the Beasts Pirates' frenzied pursuit."
The Den Den Mushi mimicked Sengoku rubbing his temples. "After escaping, perhaps feeling their failure was due to weak forces, they actually allied with the newly appointed Warlord, Weevil, to attack Ochoku on Hachinosu, attempting to absorb his forces."
Setsuna set down his teacup, showing a hint of understanding. "So that's it. No wonder Kaido hasn't come seeking revenge after I defeated him. He was held up by this."
Setsuna pondered inwardly, 'For Crocodile and Moria to escape... their strength must have recovered considerably.'
"The problem is far bigger than that," Sengoku's voice suddenly rose. "Zephyr now believes all pirates should be exterminated. So he's attacking both Ochoku and Crocodile simultaneously. Currently, the three forces are engaged in a chaotic battle in the waters near Hachinosu."
Setsuna chuckled lightly. "Isn't that good for you Marines? The best outcome would be all three destroying each other, right?"
"If only it were that simple," Sengoku sighed. "According to our latest intel, Zephyr not only formed the NEO Marines but also stole a large amount of Dyna Stones from a Marine base."
"Dyna Stones?" Setsuna frowned for the first time.
"They are extremely dangerous explosives. With sufficient quantity, they can easily wipe out an island. Their power is comparable to Ancient Weapons." The Den Den Mushi's expression turned exceptionally serious.
"Worse, his target seems to be the three Endpoints in the New World. Endpoints are three magma lakes. If these three magma lakes are destroyed, the entire New World will be completely annihilated!"
Setsuna chuckled. "Isn't the New World's destruction good for you?"
"If we could wipe out all pirates at once, perhaps it would be good. But this destruction has a time lag, enough for most pirates to escape the New World," Sengoku sighed.
"The New World is a graveyard for pirates, but also a breeding ground. If the New World's pirates are driven to the four Blues or the first half of the Grand Line, it would be a catastrophic disaster!"
Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "So, you want me to stop him?"
The Den Den Mushi nodded solemnly. "While Zephyr is currently focused on attacking Weevil and hasn't implemented his plan yet is the best time to stop him."
Setsuna sneered. "This is entirely the fault of you Marines. Yet you want me, a Warlord, to clean up your mess? Is that appropriate? Or is your real plan to have Zephyr use the Dyna Stones to take me out with him?"
"Don't be so sensitive. We don't mean that. The Marines will, of course, mobilize. But the New World is, after all, pirate territory. If large numbers of Marines enter rashly, it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings and conflicts," Sengoku explained calmly.
"Additionally, the Reverie is about to begin. Over sixty percent of Marine Headquarters' combat strength has been dispatched to escort kings from various nations. The only top-tier combatant available now is Kizaru."
"But Kizaru is inherently lazy. Entrusting such an important mission solely to him worries me greatly. Therefore, I hope you can cooperate with him, or you can take full command."
Hearing this, Setsuna smiled. "Let me take full command? You trust me that much?"
Sengoku was silent for a moment, then sighed. "I just trust Borsalino even less. If he's in charge of command, those three factions might finish fighting before the Marines even arrive."
Setsuna chuckled. "Alright then. But I have a condition."
Seeing Setsuna agree, Sengoku clearly sighed in relief, hurriedly asking, "What condition?"
Setsuna said, "I want the Marines to use their entire intelligence network to help me search for the Yami Yami no Mi."
Though he already had the World Government searching, the World Government and Marine Headquarters were somewhat different.
Behind Setsuna, Teach's pupils contracted sharply upon hearing this.
He struggled to control his facial expression, but the wild joy in his eyes betrayed his inner excitement.
'If even the Marines joined the search, my chances of obtaining the Yami Yami no Mi would skyrocket!'
Though not fully understanding Setsuna's intent, Sengoku replied, "Acceptable. That's not a problem."
"Deal," Setsuna hung up decisively.
The surroundings quieted, only the sound of Setsuna's fingers tapping the table.
Setsuna turned to Teach, the corner of his mouth curling into a meaningful smile. "Teach, go to Hachinosu. Deal with Zephyr."
"Me?" Teach pointed at his own nose, the shock on his face appeared just right. "Fight a Marine Admiral?"
Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. His tone was full of trepidation. "Captain, you must be joking..."
"I see your potential," Setsuna walked closer slowly. Each step made Teach's heart pound wildly. "You're just too lazy, lacking ambition."
He stopped before Teach, looking down at him from above. "Time to give you some pressure."
Teach waved his hands repeatedly, the fat on his face jiggling with the motion. "No, no! I really can't do it!"
"Then how about this," Setsuna sighed, seemingly compromising. "Go deliver a message for me. Tell all three factions to stop fighting out of respect for me."
His gaze suddenly turned cold. "If you don't even have the guts for that, better return to the Whitebeard Pirates early."
Teach gritted his teeth, frantically weighing the pros and cons in his mind.
As an infiltrator, he shouldn't expose his strength.
But if he went to deliver a message as an 'ordinary crew member', those pirates, crazed with bloodlust, might very well kill him outright.
"I... I'll try," Teach finally made up his mind. A flash of determination passed over his simple, honest face.
As Teach turned to head for the small boat, Setsuna's voice came from behind. "Remember, you are representing my reputation."
Teach's back instantly stiffened, but soon relaxed again.
He turned back, showing his trademark simple smile. "Don't worry, Captain! I definitely won't let you down!"