The War is Coming
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(Sorry for the late update, my sister was hospitalised)
In Mariejos, Brontes's airship touched down right at the entrance to his grand mansion.
As he stepped off, a man dressed in a sleek black suit came up to greet him. Brontes took off his cloak, and the man promptly placed a hat on Brontes's head and wrapped a white coat around his shoulders.
"Where are they?" Brontes asked.
"They're all waiting in the conference hall." The man answered.
...
Meanwhile, in another location, the Five Elders had already heard about Brontes's return.
"What should we do?" Asked one elder, who wore a black hat, his voice heavy with concern.
"We'll discuss our next steps once Brontes arrives; especially about Fire Fist Ace's real identity—that's quite the revelation for all of us. Who would've guessed that Garp was the one hiding him?" Remarked the blonde elder thoughtfully.
"Garp has really overstepped this time." Said the bald elder who carried a sword, his tone filled with anger.
"That old troublemaker! He's always causing a stir." Grumbled another bald elder, with a large mustache.
"His contributions to the Marine over the past forty years have been significant, complicating our current situation." The blonde elder mentioned, closing his eyes in frustration.
"We can't let him off easy this time. We need to make a decision swiftly." The elder with long hair and a beard said.
"When Whitebeard hears that we've captured Fire Fist Ace, he won't just stand by. We either release him or we're heading towards a war." The blonde elder looked at the other four and said.
"Releasing him isn't an option. He's the son of Gol D. Roger; we need to carry out his execution without delay." Said the elder with a moustache sternly.
"With Ace in our hands, we've got a golden chance to bring down the Whitebeard Pirates. Whitebeard himself is aging, and he can't keep up with his own dreams and arrogance anymore. We can use Ace as bait to set a trap for Whitebeard." The blonde elder put his strategy on the table.
"Do you think he won't see through our plan?" the elder with the sword questioned.
"Even if he does see through it, with his personality, do you think Whitebeard would back down?" Responded the blonde elder, his voice laced with an evil and confident sneer.
...
In the conference hall of Mariejos, Brontes entered and was met with the sight of five distinctive-looking pirates seated around a circular table.
"Zehahaha! So this is Mariejois. Truly a paradise fit for the arrogant World Nobles." Laughed Blackbeard, his voice booming through the room.
"Our legend will begin here and will not stop until we become the strongest pirate crew in the world, surpassing even the Four Yonko, Zehahaha!" His laughter echoed, loudly.
"Hey! How much longer do you bastards want us to wait?" Blackbeard turned his imposing gaze upon the three marine officers seated to the side.
The naval officers felt the immense pressure of facing Blackbeard. Previously seen as unremarkable, his presence now carried a different weight; he was here with a clear intent to replace Crocodile and become a Shichibukai.
For a decade, the Shichibukai had been formidable; this group of seven pirates had lived up to their fearsome reputations, becoming significant forces on the seas and valuable pawns of the World Government.
"You got some nerve showing arrogance here, Teach."
Just as Blackbeard finished speaking, the sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor, followed closely by a voice near his ear.
As Brontes made his entrance, Blackbeard was visibly startled, his eyes widening in shock as he turned to face Brontes.
"Zehaha! So it is Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok." Blackbeard burst out laughing heartily, but his eyes were filled with a clear intent to kill.
Though Blackbeard masked it well, Brontes still sensed the underlying threat. However, he showed no concern, remaining unfazed by the pirate's demeanor.
"Well done, you've proved your worth. Capturing Fire Fist Ace is quite the feat. But it seems like you have other plans; you didn't take his devil fruit and gave us his body instead, did you?" Brontes said, with a playful smile on his face.
Hearing this, Blackbeard began to sweat; his forehead and back were damp with fear.
Brontes's words hinted that he knew too much about Blackbeard's secrets concerning Devil Fruits, which terrified him.
"Since you've defeated Fire Fist Ace and delivered him to the World Government, I can confirm that you will become a Shichibukai. Congratulations, Crocodile's spot is yours now." Brontes said, examining Blackbeard with keen interest.
"Zehahaha! I won't let you down, Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok!" Blackbeard roared with laughter, his voice was booming in the hall.
"For now, stay here in Mariejois for a while. We'll announce your appointment as a Shichibukai soon, and then you can leave." Brontes instructed, looking deeply into Blackbeard's eyes.
Blackbeard paused, considering Brontes's words. After a few seconds, he burst out laughing loudly again. "Zehahaha! Then, we will be in your care, Fleet-Admiral Ragnarok."
"Arrange for them to stay next to my mansion. If they dare to make any moves, you have my permission to eliminate them immediately." Brontes instructed the three naval officers.
"Yes, Sir!" The officers responded, glaring at Blackbeard and his crew with obvious distaste.
As Brontes left the meeting, Blackbeard and his crew exchanged glances before following the officers to their assigned lodging.
...
A few minutes later, Brontes entered the office of the Five Elders; now it was time to discuss what to do about Fire Fist Ace.
"We have confirmed that Fire Fist Ace's father is Pirate King, Gol D. Roger." the blonde elder said to Brontes in a serious tone, as soon as Brontes sat down.
The revelation of Ace's true identity was shocking and significant, so much so that it made the Five Elders momentarily forget about Brontes's earlier sneaking out.
"Roger has a son?" Brontes pretend to be surprise.
"Yes." The elder with blonde hair replied seriously.
"Well, this is a surprise..." Brontes murmured quietly.
Then, raising his voice, Brontes said: "Ace is the 2nd division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, which means he's now under Whitebeard's protection. So, what are your plans? Moving against him could ignite a full-scale war. Despite his age, Whitebeard shouldn't be underestimated."
"Then let it be a full-scale war, and let Marineford be the battlefield." The Five Elders decided in unison.
"Very well." Brontes nodded, smiling slightly.
....
"BluBlurr!"
"Hey, this is Brontesm" Brontes answered the Den-Den Mushi.
"Arrange for Bartholomew Kuma to move out immediately." Sengoku's voice ordered from the other end.
"Kuma? Where to? What happened?" Brontes asked curiously.
"The Straw Hat Pirates have been spotted on Moria's island. We must prepare for the coming great battle. We need to ensure the safety of all our allies, including the Seven Shichibukai; we absolutely cannot afford any losses before the battle begins." Sengoku explained seriously.
"Tch, another Shichibukai going to lose. Alright, I understand. I'll contact Kuma and send him there." Brontes responded, his tone resigned.
He found it somewhat peculiar how Sengoku seemed to have developed a cautious attitude towards the Straw Hat Pirates following Crocodile's failure.
After the incidents with Crocodile and at Enies Lobby, the Straw Hat Pirates had emerged as notably formidable and active compared to other Supernovas.
Even though Brontes was confident that Gecko Moria wouldn't lose to Luffy, he still felt it prudent to take additional precautions.
Deploying Kuma was a straightforward decision—his abilities would allow him to reach Moria's location far quicker than other marines could, except perhaps for Borsalino.
However, Sengoku would definitely not dispatch Borsalino to confront Luffy and his crew.
If two Shichibukai couldn't handle Luffy, it would indeed suggest a serious flaw within the Shichibukai System.