Ever since Elbaf wiped out the Marine G-14 Branch more than a decade ago.
The sea surrounding Elbaf had been perpetually patrolled by Marine surveillance fleets.
These ships circled the edge of the shipping routes day and night. On one hand, they kept a close eye on Harald's movements. As soon as this King of Giants stepped out of Elbaf, intelligence would be sent to Marine Headquarters and the World Government immediately.
On the other hand, they continuously intercepted Den Den Mushi radio waves between Elbaf and the outside world, trying to catch any clues.
But for more than a decade, they had gained little.
Most of the intelligence sent back was just diplomatic pleasantries between Harald and a few friendly nations after his return, nothing more.
"Something big has happened!"
Kong bounced up from his seat, his originally calm face tightening instantly. Unease in his heart grew like wild seaweed, tightly wrapping around his nerves.
He knew Harald too well.
To show sincerity for peace, this King of Giants had always turned a blind eye to the Marine surveillance fleets. Even if the fleet approached the offshore waters of Elbaf, he would never take the initiative to attack, but instead used unknown means to manipulate ocean currents to push the warships away.
But now, shortly after Harald returned to his country, the outer surveillance fleet was completely wiped out, unable to even send a complete distress signal.
This was no accident; it was undoubtedly done by Elbaf, and Elbaf had big moves they didn't want the Marines to discover.
"Immediately call Fleet Admiral Cook in the Holy Land. Ask him to contact Admiral Fazte stationed in the New World to rush to G-14 Branch for support. Not seeking victory, just interference, delaying their actions."
Kong made a prompt decision and ordered.
Even though he was favored by Fleet Admiral Cook and affirmed by the World Government, his position as the next Fleet Admiral unshakable.
But commanding other Admirals of the same rank still required orders to be issued through Fleet Admiral Cook.
"Also, notify G-14 Branch members to retreat in batches. G-5 to G-13 Branches, closely monitor the situation in the surrounding waters and look for traces of giant activity." Kong made a prompt decision and ordered.
The sea was in troubled times.
The Rocks Pirates were wreaking havoc in the New World.
In addition, new pirate forces like Roger and Byrnndi World were rising.
It was the moment when the Marines' control over the New World was weakest.
The troops in various branches of the New World were empty, with the least being less than a thousand and the most no more than five thousand.
Even if they were all elites who had experienced bloody battles, facing the giant legion of Elbaf was tantamount to hitting a stone with an egg.
Retreating and avoiding battle was the only choice to preserve effective strength at the moment.
"Yes!"
The intelligence officer bowed and accepted the order, almost running out of the conference room.
Kong paced back and forth, anxious. The intelligence gap regarding Elbaf made him feel like a blind person touching an elephant, unable to guess the opponent's true purpose at all, and naturally unable to formulate a comprehensive response strategy.
He looked at Sengoku and the other two, hoping for an answer: "Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, what do you think the situation is?"
"Two possibilities."
Sengoku pushed his glasses, the lenses reflecting a wise light, and analyzed calmly: "One possibility is that Harald reached an agreement with Rocks and began to deviate from his previous code of conduct. This is the sign of his alliance with Rocks, but the two haven't officially met. I personally think this possibility is low."
Tsuru added: "The second possibility is that although Harald has suppressed Elbaf's warlike side for decades, Elbaf's hawks have not disappeared. The tragedy of G-14 Branch more than a decade ago is proof. Now Harald has likely failed or even died in a coup d'état. Elbaf is now dominated by hawks, and everything just now is a signal."
"Is that so?" Kong muttered to himself, leaning more towards the second possibility in his heart: "Either way, it's big trouble."
A single Rocks is tricky enough; even Garp cannot defeat him.
If a warlike giant who can defeat Harald and control the entire Elbaf is added, whether the Marines can hold the defense line of the New World is unknown.
"Why think so much?"
Garp suddenly stood up, patted the justice cloak on his body, still wearing that unruly smile on his face, but his eyes were sharp, "Just go and see directly, won't it be clear?"
Garp, Harald, and Rocks should have fought each other before, and they are not strangers to each other (exchanges 48-44 years ago).
Tsuru rolled her eyes dramatically, her tone full of helplessness and complaint: "Idiot, by the time you get there now, Elbaf's people will have already completed their strategic goals and returned. It's all too late."
"Don't worry."
Garp waved his hand nonchalantly: "Although I don't like that arrogant guy Fazte, his strength is indeed impressive. Delaying for a while is no problem."
"You'd better hope he won't be like before." Tsuru didn't have much expectation.
Fazte, a Paramecia-type Freeze-Freeze Fruit user, can instantly freeze a sea area, his strength quite impressive.
Not someone who climbed up step by step from the bottom of the Marines.
But recruited by the World Government from a non-World Government member country after Rocks killed the former Marine Admiral [Wen Zhi].
He seems to have unclear relationships with both the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
Proportional to his strength is his arrogant attitude, comparable to the Celestial Dragons, disregarding the lives of ordinary Marines and civilians.
In the Marines, at least in Kong's faction, few people like this Admiral.
"Can't be helped. Kong, if Fazte fails to intercept the giants of Elbaf, I'll go to Elbaf to take a look this time." Garp stated his plan. He didn't believe a man like Harald would betray his own power.
"Hey, Garp! This is no joke! No one knows exactly how many giants Elbaf has." Sengoku stood up abruptly, his tone solemn, "Going deep into Elbaf alone, once surrounded, the consequences are unimaginable!"
"What's there to be afraid of?" Garp grinned, revealing snow-white teeth, full of confidence, "At worst, run if I can't beat them."
Before his voice fell, without waiting for the others to persuade or stop him, his figure disappeared from the spot.
Then, a dog-head warship carrying Garp flew directly into the sky from the harbor, stirring up huge waves, completely cutting off the thoughts of the others to stop him.
Inside the office.
"Really reckless." Kong couldn't help scratching his head again.
Garp's strength is unquestionable, but his biggest flaw is doing whatever he wants and never listening to commands. Once he sets his mind on something, ten bulls can't pull him back.
Although Sengoku is brave and resourceful with meticulous thoughts, he lacks Garp's explosive power to break the deadlock.
In the current situation, they can only pin their hopes on that unreliable Fazte to maintain the situation.
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Meanwhile, the second half of the New World sea area.
The sea breeze whistled, rolling up waves.
Loki's vessel, the Conqueror, was breaking through the waves, the ship as steady as walking on flat ground.
Charlotte Linlin leaned against the ship's rail, looking at the wreckage of the Marine surveillance ship slowly sinking on the distant horizon. She couldn't help turning to look at Loki in the center of the deck and asked doubtfully: "Loki, why didn't you let the Earthshaker Legion move out with us this time? After the Marines discover the surveillance ship destroyed, they will definitely be more vigilant, and subsequent actions will only be harder."
Loki sat cross-legged on the deck, elbows on his knees, palms supporting his face. Calculating light flashed in his eyes, and a playful smile curled up on the corner of his mouth: "Don't be impatient, Linlin. The more nervous the Marines are, the more they will gather the forces scattered throughout the New World. Only then can we catch them all in one fell swoop. What's more, we have allies now; there's no need to bear all the pressure of the Marines alone."
Attacking Marine bases on a large scale, the Marines and the World Government will definitely not sit still.
It will definitely attract Marine Admirals to encircle and suppress. Even if he defeats all Marines single-handedly.
How much soul power and giant warriors harvested at that time can be left?
This kind of Pyrrhic victory tug-of-war is not the result he wants.
He wants to wait for Rocks to take Hachinosu and integrate the criminal forces on the island, then join forces with Rocks to launch a general attack.
At that time, splitting forces and attacking together with Rocks, making the Marines attend to one thing and lose another, unable to look after both head and tail. Crippling the Marine forces in the New World completely in one battle, eliminating future troubles forever.
For now, give Rocks a little time and let him play boring pirate games for a while.
"Then where is our target this time?" Charlotte Linlin was still puzzled, walking to Loki's side and leaning on his leg.
"Wano Country." Loki looked towards the west, having locked onto that closed land.
Eliminating Kozuki Oden, who possessed mental pollution, was just casual.
The primary goal is to find the legendary Ancient Weapon Pluton.
Even if Pluton is highly likely in an unusable state like Uranus, it doesn't matter.
The Soul-Soul Fruit will take action. Then get the Pluton blueprints from Tom the Cat... no, Tom the Fish-Man.
He can let Pluton try to repair itself.
If this still doesn't work, then he can only find Vegapunk.
And the most important goal is still the Ripe-Ripe Fruit, which he doesn't know if it's in Wano Country at this moment.
The importance of the Ripe-Ripe Fruit to Loki is irreplaceable.
Once obtained, he can not only use the fruit's power to directly reach the peak state of full development.
In the future, he can also ripen the new generation warriors of Elbaf, as well as his and Linlin's offspring, completely strengthening the power of the Giant Tribe.
That will be the time when Elbaf truly revives.
"Alright." Charlotte Linlin shrugged indifferently. She had no interest in where the target was, as long as she could be by Loki's side.
As long as she can be with Loki.
"Linlin, you should train." Loki pushed Charlotte Linlin away from his inner thigh without leaving a trace.
"Train then train!" Charlotte Linlin rolled her eyes, took off her hat, turned it into Napoleon, and started slacking off.
Loki shook his head slightly.
He still had self-awareness of his lazy personality.
Linlin had none; she was completely a lazy cat who only wanted to stick to him and eat.
He pointedly said: "Linlin, I heard there is a race on the sea that is not only invulnerable like you but also born with mastery over fire. If a giant combines with this race, will more excellent offspring be born?"
"No, the strongest giant must be the offspring of you and me, Loki." Charlotte Linlin immediately became serious. The blade in her hand crushed the atmosphere rapidly, pressing out a clear shockwave that pierced into the sea and stirred up huge waves.
"Tsk, handled."
Loki laughed secretly in his heart, his attention sinking back into himself.
Of the three types of Haki, Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki lean towards mental perception and will; only by using them can there be a clear perception.
But Armament Haki is different. Once mastered, one can sense this power based on physique at all times.
Buzz...
Loki stimulated soul power and poured it towards Armament Haki.
But as if separated by an invisible membrane, although soul power was injected into it, it couldn't produce an effect.
"Still doesn't work. Could it be that Haki cannot be activated? Or ability cannot affect Haki? It shouldn't be. Bullet's combination ability can only affect inorganic matter, yet he can combine Armament Haki with himself. The Soul-Soul Fruit can activate both organic and inorganic matter, so it should be higher level. Could it be that the Clank-Clank Fruit is special to achieve this?"
Loki was quite distressed.
Since mastering Armament Haki, Loki has been trying to turn his own Armament Haki into a Homie and let it cultivate on its own.
But after several years, he still hasn't succeeded.
"Forget it, try again after fruit awakening."
Loki temporarily suppressed this obsession.
Picking up Iron Thunder, he joined the training.
Even if he could squeeze souls, over fifteen years, Loki had also developed the habit of training himself.
No choice; indulging in pleasure makes the will weak, and Haki will weaken accordingly. This is something Loki cannot accept.
Without sufficient strength, in this world, he has no sense of security.
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