Chapter 150: Fate of the World (4)

On numerous islands that are laid across the world, the World Economy Newspaper's final works were sprayed all over the sky.

People watched it in confusion, for it had only been a few days since the release of the copies before that.

Curious, people picked up the newspapers that had fallen on the ground. Upon reading, they were unable to conceal their shock.

*If you're reading this, it means that I, the president of the World Economy Newspaper, is dead.*

*The purpose of this news is to spread the news bigger than any other, one that the World Government was trying for centuries to hide.*

*On Mariejois, the land of gods, there exists the magnificent Pangaea Castle, the place where the rulers of World Government, be it the Five Elders, God's Knights, or Commander-in-Chief Kong, dwell.*

*There exists one infamous throne, one that supposedly sits at the center of the world. Given the title of 'Empty Throne', the fact that there exists no owner of it served as a declaration of peace, that no one will ever take full control of the world.*

*However, what if it was a lie all along? What if, from the very start, there was an owner to the throne? What if someone was controlling the world from the very start?*

It contained content more heavy than any other. The writing style of the newspaper wasn't that of a newspaper either, and said quality seemed to have intensified the tension brought by the news.

*What if, the miseries brought upon your lives, from the very start, were fabricated? What if they were meant to be that way for the sake of someone, doing whatever he saw as fit?*

*Due to the shortage of time, I won't have time to write much more. But remember this one name,*

*Nerona Imu.*

__________

Time ticked by, and the number of ships stationed outside the Momoiro island continued to rise.

The Revolutionary Army knew very well at this point, that the World Government was attempting to end them in one go.

Smoker was their best bet, Tsuru said. However, how was he supposed to find out their situation and locate them?

The best source of information, the World Economy Newspaper... was now disbanded, as evidenced by a copy of the newspaper in Dragon's hands.

The calls couldn't reach out as the surrounding World Government and Marine cut off all possible signals.

Knowing this full well, Tsuru too, in normal circumstances, wouldn't have thought of Smoker.

However, they had others to rely upon. To be more specific,

"Marineford, you say?"

Tsuru nodded at an individual whom she was looking at.

"Without a navigation tool and lack of knowledge that we are on this island, they have three options of reaching the base of our operation, Marineford, or Mariejois.

They know that we wouldn't have gone to the base of our operation and exposed others to danger. On the other hand, going to Mariejois and facing the enigmatic being named Imu—it is unlikely for them to choose such an option, knowing that such action is unlikely to be a help to us.

What they lack the most is the information, and Marineford is the headquarter that contains a vast majority of information across the world. For sure, Marineford is where they will be at."

Tsuru explained calmly,

"However, they won't find anything. What they require is the recent most information that details the resolution in Tajine Kingdom and our evacuation to Momoiro island. Problem is, the number that we see just outside suggests that most of, if not all, marines were dispatched. In other words, there is no reason to 'report' back to Marineford, and therefore, no reason for the information that they need to be in that place."

"Then...!"

"Yes."

Tsuru nodded with a stern expression.

"Though we are ashamed to rely on you, an outsider, you are our only hope,

Jinbe."

"I wonder what that kid, Shyarly, meant when she said that we need to go on the surface and follow the marines, but now it's clear."

Jinbe, standing across Tsuru, nodded firmly.

"I, Jinbe, is a man of honour. Smoker saved our kind once, and it is only right that I return that favour—especially if it were to dictate the fate of the world...!"

Jinbe slammed his fist on his chest,

"Worry not, Tsuru-san. As swiftly as possible, I will bring them!"

The Five Elders and notable Marine Officers were stationed atop ships at the body of water near the Momoiro island.

However, there is a limit to how far their Observation Hakis can reach.

And they don't how deep the fish-men kind, those whom they discriminated against and ignored, can dive underwater.

"Ha..."

After watching as Jinbe disappeared, Tsuru sighed before chuckling dryly.

"Just two months ago, it was us who had the World Government isolated in Mariejois, and now, here we are, facing the same circumstance in reverse."

It was one complex situation for them. The time was on their side if they were to assume Smoker's arrival, or not if they thought of the food supplies that were available in Momoiro island.

Under the watch and oppression from the Marine and World Government surrounding the island, it has become nigh impossible to harvest resources on the island. With the evacuated members plus the residents of the island, the Okamas, Tsuru knew that they would either have to be the ones to engage against the enemies whose number was increasing as days went by, or remain still until their deaths.

And they decided to bet that Smoker would arrive on time.

__________

Some time has passed since Jinbe left the Momoiro island and arrived at Marineford. He, with his arms crossed and eyes closed, stood still and waited for those whom Tsuru said would arrive.

Though the battle between Sakazuki and Borsalino was chaotic enough to draw fear out of others, Jinbe didn't budge.

After an unknown number of days passed, the battle between two Marine Officers died down. Then arose, the sudden surge of smoke and steam, one that effectively muffled out the disastrous impact of magma.

Jinbe's eyes opened.

"So you found nothing?"

"...I have no idea what the fuck the Marine is doing-dara."

"Hina wonders if we really are in Marineford."

Smoker and the others were running out of the central plaza.

Smoker seemed frustrated as he rubbed his head roughly and messed up his hair. Bastille and Hina too expressed their disappointment, and silent others grimaced, not knowing what they should be doing next.

"..."

Jinbe, standing in front of them with his arms still crossed, waited for Smoker and the others to take notice of him and stop.

...He sure didn't expect them to simply run past him as if they saw nothing.

"...?"

Jinbe quickly turned and stared at their backs in confusion, before hurriedly running after them.

"W-Wait!!"

__________

"Commander-in-Chief Kong."

Tensei, the current Admiral in charge of the Marine units that surrounded the Momoiro island, bowed as Kong, the current Commander-in-Chief of World Government and the past Fleet Admiral of Marine, walked up to him.

"Is Sakazuki responding?"

Tensei shook his head negatively in response to Kong's question.

Kong frowned in disapproval.

"For the Fleet Admiral himself to be missing in such a crucial war as this, because of a reason as idiotic as having his subordinate rebel against..."

Kong recalled the glorious days that the Marine had under his management. Snorting, he muttered,

"Pathetic."

"Thus is the limit of Marine, Commander-in-Chief."

Seated on a nearby seat and having a sip of tea, Bayard remarked.

"There is nothing to be surprised of. The moment my brother... passed away,"

His eyes narrowed,

"this organization was bound to be like this."

"Wow, hot! Why don't we all calm down, eh?"

With his usual, playful antics, Tokikake attempted to lighten up the atmosphere, but to no avail.

"Regardless,"

Kong, ignoring Tokikake, said,

"this operation should go smoothly without Sakazuki and Borsalino. Not only do we outnumber them vastly, but also fight at an optimal state unlike them. The observers stated that Garp is unlikely to be in a condition to combat, and if Monkey D. Dragon and Sengoku are taken care of, rest shouldn't be much of a threat."

"...I have a question to ask."

Tensei then spoke up, pushing up his sunglasses.

Kong, raising an eyebrow, motioned his chin at Tensei, gesturing him to ask away.

"While on our way to the Tajine Kingdom, we witnessed the beams of laser that were more destructive than any other that we've seen. What... exactly were those?"

Kong closed his eyes and kept his mouth shut for a while, thinking. After some time passed, he finally replied,

"I too don't have much information regarding them. The only thing that I currently know, is that they won't be useable for quite some time."

"...I see."

Tensei, seemingly in a thought, then decided to share his ideas.

"It's just my speculation, but something of such destructiveness—what we witnessed on that day may be one of the Ancient—"

He couldn't finish his words, as Kong motioned him to stop.

"We are soldiers, Admiral Kurouma. Soldiers are swords of their lord and nothing more. Swords don't think."

Kong stated stoically.

"Whatever it may be, it is none of our concern. As soldiers, all we have to do is stick to the orders given to us."

Tensei nodded in agreement, knowing full well that he made an error in his words.

"My apologies."

Thoughts were scary things. Thoughts evolve into doubts, and doubts become convictions that change people—that is what Tensei feared the most.

Garp, Sengoku, Tsuru, Zephyr, Kuzan, and now, Borsalino. It is once they began thinking due to the doubt that Smoker inserted in them, that they changed and became criminals who no longer bore the name of justice.

"The world was maintained for centuries under the rule of the World Government."

Bayard muttered.

"It was running fine this way. Maintenance is better than the shift that will bring chaos. It's as the Commander-in-Chief says. If you begin thinking, you reveal yourself to chances of corruption with no way of return."

__________

"First, whatever weapon that they had at hands, all the preparations that they made to effectively combat against mine... all have been neutralized through Uranus."

Sitting on the 'Empty Throne' in Pangaea Castle, Imu impassively noted.

"Having them evacuate and tracking them down, Mu managed to corner them with no way out."

Imu, talking to himself, gazed at the chessboard.

"Under usual circumstances, simply waiting out until their starvation would've sufficed. However,"

His eyes gleamed knowingly,

"The thriving of pirates in the New World is not the matter that can go ignored."

Down the long staircase ahead of the throne, one soldier was kneeling as he held a Den Den Mushi in his hands.

"The Revolutionary Army likely believes that they have the time, that Mu won't make a move until they've effectively been weakened—that as we do so, they will wait for White Hunter to arrive..."

Flicking the white king piece off the chess board, Imu watched as the piece rolled down the staircase. Its noises echoed throughout the room every time it bumped against the stairs, which showed how huge the room was.

Even then, the kneeling soldier didn't budge from his spot.

"How unfortunate it is for them,"

For they have already run out of time.

__________

"The order has arrived."

Saturn placed his cane on the deck, firmly. The four other Elders too rose from their seats and gazed at the island coldly.

"..."

Saturn then stated,

"Initiate the Buster Call."

Kong roared,

"INITIATE THE BUSTER CALL!!!"

Tensei, Bayard, Tokikake, Doberman, and many others looked at the island, grimly.

Then, the Marine Officers simultaneously roared,

"FIRE!!!"

Some marines hesitated to bombard their past superiors with lethal weapons.

BANG!

Instantly, they were killed and replaced with other ones.

"FIRE!!!"

It was a wave of insanity. Rapidly and surely, the eyes craving for blood and violence spread from one to another, as the marines obeyed the order from the above.

"""FIRE!!!"""

The sky was filled with countless number of cannon balls, approaching from all sides of the island. The size of this 'Buster Call' was a hundredfold greater than any other of its kind.

It was akin to an apocalypse, as if the world was about to meet its end.

"...What?!"

And Tsuru witnessed this phenomenon with widened eyes, wondering where she made an error.

"Tsuru-san! We need to take cover! Quick!"

Tsuru was left frozen, and it was Gion who quickly pulled Tsuru in.

BOOOOM!

The dirt flew and the air quaked as the explosive noises were generated from every possible direction.

"Kuzan!!"

Sengoku shouted.

"I know, Sengoku-san, I know!"

Kuzan, without a trace of his usual silliness, quickly generated a layer of ice between them and the cannonballs, though said layer quickly broke upon the bombardment.

"Tch..."

Sengoku roared,

"IMPACT WAVE!!!"

The ice shards, together with the flame, smoke, dust, and intact cannonballs, were blasted back into the sky.

BOOOOM!

"KYAAAAA~"

Standing in the center of the island where the Okamas shrieked as they ran here and there, Dragon glared at the rain of cannon balls.

"Imu... what an unpredictable man."

He raised his hand to the sky.

An enormous hurricane arose centering him and flew upward before crashing against the cannon balls.

The sky was illuminated brilliantly as the massive blast of flame occurred from the simultaneous explosions of cannon balls in the sky.

Dropping to one knee, Dragon huffed from such an operation of his fruit ability.

Then, as the sky cleared, Dragon found his eyes widened, for even another round of cannon balls were fired and filled the sky with countless black dots yet again.

"Dragon, are you alright?"

Taking hold of the hand that Kuma reached out to him, Dragon stood back up.

"...We are close, Kuma. The fact that the World Government is going to this extent to combat us..."

Dragon, although huffing in exhaustion, smiled.

"It is a sign that we're drawn them to the corner."

Watching as Ivankov too arrived by his side, Dragon then said,

"Jinbe is on his way. Surely, he will return with Smoker. If so, all we have to do is simply..."

To hold on and withstand as long as we can.

"...I have a question."

One of the Revolutionary Army's members, unable to hide his inquiry, asked.

"What is it that makes White Hunter special, for you to be certain of our victory upon his arrival?"

Dragon stared at the falling cannonballs.

"It's simple,"

He thought of the first time he met Smoker in Lulusia Kingdom. Back then, Smoker was a much weaker fellow than him to a great extent.

Who knew that the title of 'White Hunter' would come to invoke such a might?

"He is our strongest."

Once again, Dragon raised his hand. Mimicking his action, Kuma too raised his hand.

Ivankov, on the other hand, winked at the incoming cannonballs.

"Death Wink~!"

The forces were then blasted, again, to repel the cannonballs—marking a start to their struggle, one that may be the finale, perhaps.