Chapter 402: Courting Big Mom! Seventy Thousand Elites!

A colossal figure, stitched together with needle and thread, nearly filled a third of the laboratory with its massive size.

"What an incredible body! Just give me a little time, and I could merge Kaido's cells with White Zetsu cells. Maybe then, we could clone a real monster," Orochimaru said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Perhaps, within this body, I could uncover the secrets to immortality. After all, the body of such a strong individual is too valuable for research. It might even bring me a step closer to my goal of eternal life.

"Pfft, I'd rather turn this body into a puppet," Sasori disagreed, eager to try. "If I could combine this body with the Dragon Veins, the puppet I create would be an artwork that could last for millennia."

Clearly, Kaido's bisected body had been salvaged by the Whitebeard Pirates and brought into the laboratory.

Both Orochimaru and Sasori had taken a keen interest in Kaido's body.

"Heh, I just need his cells. You can do whatever you want with the body, but I'd advise you to act quickly," Orochimaru said with a chuckle.

Sasori paused, "What do you mean?"

Orochimaru explained, "Nagato's Pain was damaged by Whitebeard, five of them. He might want the body of this Emperor too!"

Sasori quickly caught on.

It seems Kaido's body is indeed a hot commodity.

"Hmph, I've already thought of that, no need for your reminder," Sasori snorted proudly.

...

"King, are you really unwilling to join our Whitebeard Pirates?" Marco asked the man shackled with seastone handcuffs in the cell, his fifth time extending an olive branch.

Marco leaned against the cold wall, speaking to King, who sat cross-legged on the ground: "The truth is before you, your captain is dead. That's the price he paid for challenging the Whitebeard Pirates."

"The entire Beast Pirates have crumbled with Kaido's death. Without Kaido, they can no longer be called one of the Four Emperors' crews."

"At a time like this, do you really want to stay with the Beast Pirates?"

Ash, already towering in stature, didn't even need to look up to see Marco.

With an expressionless face, he said, "The Beast Pirates won't fall apart. In Wano Country, Queen and Jack are still there. They will revive the Beast Pirates' spirit."

Marco crossed his arms and chuckled, "Do you think, with just those two... the Beast Pirates can withstand the wolves of the New World?"

King fell silent.

Queen might be fine, having the strength to stand alone at sea.

But Jack, that kid, is not quite up to par.

Relying on just their power, it's possible that the samurai of Wano Country combined could completely overthrow the Beast Pirates' rule in Wano Country.

When that time comes, the Beast Pirates will truly fall apart.

Captain Kaido is dead, an unchangeable fact.

King, as the leader of the three disasters, feels it's his duty to keep the Beast Pirates sailing the seas.

If the Beast Pirates disband, King doesn't know how he'll explain it to Captain Kaido after he's gone.

"King, let's make a deal between pirates!"

Marco caught a flicker of doubt in King's eyes.

His smile grew wider: "Originally, the Whitebeard Pirates planned to head straight to Wano Country to completely crush the Beast Pirates, to erase the name of Beast Kaido from the seas."

King jerked his head up, the chains binding his body clanking loudly.

Marco continued: "The Whitebeard Pirates can put this plan on hold. You guys can keep sailing under the name of the Beast Pirates."

After a few seconds of silence, King asked, "What's the price?"

Marco grinned: "You need to serve the Whitebeard Pirates for ten years, as an associate crew member. How about that? It's a fair trade, right?"

"Ten years of freedom for the entire Beast Pirates, and Kaido's name won't vanish from the seas. If I were you, I'd agree without hesitation."

This is a vice-captain of the Beast Pirates.

Marco felt his actions might be a bit underhanded.

But if it meant adding a vice-captain level fighter to the Whitebeard Pirates, what's a little trickery?

"Heh... Katakuri from the Big Mom Pirates, he was brought on board in a similar way, right?" King asked with self-mockery.

Marco shook his head: "Your situation is different from him."

King thought for a long time.

Finally, he responded: "Don't touch the Beast Pirates."

Marco's lips curved into a smile.

"Deal."

A man like King, once he agrees to something, he'll see it through.

No regrets, no broken promises.

And certainly no betrayal.

...

On the deck of the Moby Dick.

A woman of varying size was stuffing chunks of roast meat into her mouth as if she could swallow them whole without chewing.

She had already eaten an entire Sea King, but her voracious appetite seemed unappeased.

Yet, she was dressed like a prisoner.

Both her hands and feet were shackled, and with seastone at that, specifically used to restrain Devil Fruit users.

"Gurara... Linlin, getting you to calm down wasn't easy!" Whitebeard sat grandly in a large chair, while Big Mom sat on the floor, legs crossed in disarray.

Big Mom grabbed a drink and poured it furiously into her mouth.

Then, looking up at Whitebeard, she clenched her teeth: "Damn you, Whitebeard. After I've had my fill, I want another fight with you. I refuse to believe I can't beat you!"

Whitebeard was unfazed by Big Mom's fierce words.

When someone is strong enough, threats and bluster can seem almost cute.

"Although Big Mom's appearance has nothing to do with being 'cute,' that's more or less the right comparison.

'Gurara! Linlin, I have some bad news for you. The land you've carefully managed for decades, the Totto Island, is now under my control,' Whitebeard said with a grin.

'Even if I let you go now, you're no longer one of the Four Emperors of the New World.'

Crack—

Despite being shackled with seastone cuffs, in her emotional state, big mom still managed to crush a large bone with one hand.

She glared at Whitebeard, furious: 'Hey! What have you done to my territory?!'

"Of course it is what the pirate should do!" he replied.

Big Mom gritted her teeth in anger: 'You scoundrel, what are you really up to?'

Whitebeard put down his sake cup and gave Vista a look.

Vista immediately understood and brought over a sake barrel, filling Whitebeard's cup and then another of the same size for Big Mom.

Seeing this, the Big Mom's expression was one of surprise and uncertainty.

'Gurara! Linlin, we've known each other for decades. I didn't want to kill Kaido; after all, as one gets older, it's complicated to see acquaintances die one after another. But he did something... something I absolutely cannot tolerate.'

Whitebeard said to the Big Mom, 'I can return your territory to you, as well as all your sons and daughters. Are you interested in joining my crew?'

Big Mom was stunned.

She hadn't expected Whitebeard to extend such an invitation to her, a mighty Emperor.

And to think that she, Charlotte Linlin, would become a member of Whitebeard's crew? That would mean becoming his subordinate.

With her pride, how could she accept such an invitation?

"Hmph! Whitebeard, you're dreaming!" she scoffed.

"Join Whitebeard's crew? You might as well kill me!"

"Gurarararararararara!" Whitebeard laughed. "I remember, back on the Rocks ship... you said you wanted to create an ideal nation, one without discrimination, war, or strife, where everyone lives in peace."

It's hard to imagine such an ambition for an Emperor, but it's indeed what Big Mom has always been working towards.

Whitebeard continued, 'What do you think? If Whitebeard's crew and the Big Mom Pirates joined forces, would your original dream be out of reach, or easily achievable?'

"Join forces?!" The Big Mom's eyes flickered.

Compared to joining Whitebeard's crew, the idea of joining forces seemed more acceptable.

It wasn't much different from her alliance with the Beast Pirates, at least not in sound.

"Whitebeard, if I remember correctly, you're not the type to be so ambitious," Big Mom said, narrowing her eyes. "Do you realize what it means to join forces with me? Together, our power could shake the entire world."

"Gurararararararara! I indeed have no such ambitions," Whitebeard admitted openly, revealing his reason: "But I also want to create a world where my foolish sons can grow and thrive!'"

This is why Whitebeard wants to expand the Whitebeard Pirates.

It's all rooted in his concern for his family.

"It's quite clear..." Whitebeard said, "this decaying world is not one that allows people to thrive and grow."

Whitebeard's hometown was ravaged by war.

He knew all too well how twisted this world was.

Whitebeard didn't have the notion or the desire to reform the entire world; for him, a pirate, that was just too much trouble.

He preferred the straightforward and forceful approach.

As long as the Whitebeard Pirates possessed the power to balance the world, they would have the power to set the rules.

His foolish sons and daughters could then grow up properly in this world.

Perhaps they would even marry and have children of their own.

Maybe, in the future, someone would call him "Grandpa Whitebeard."

Big Mom reached for a piece of roast meat, but her movement paused.

Her plump hand moved over the bowl of sake in front of her.

"Ma ma ma ma, damn Whitebeard, give me back my sons and daughters, and all the nations too!"

She grabbed the sake bowl.

"Gurarararararara..." Whitebeard also picked up his sake bowl with one hand.

The two looked at each other and drank.

This meant that the Big Mom Pirates, who had just allied with the Beast Pirates, immediately abandoned them and joined hands with the Whitebeard Pirates.

It was said to be an alliance...

But in reality, given the power gap between Whitebeard and Big Mom, it looked more like the Big Mom Pirates had merged into the Whitebeard Pirates.

It was just for the sake of Big Mom's pride that they called it an alliance.

At that moment...

A member of the Whitebeard Pirates came running over in a hurry.

"Pops! Pops!" he gasped, shouting to Whitebeard, "Jin... Jinbe, Jinbe is here!"

"Oh?"

Whitebeard laughed heartily, "Gurararararara! Jinbe is here? Haven't seen that kid in a long time!"

...

On the other side.

Under the orders of the Five Elders, all departments under the World Government, except for the Marines, began to operate, and a large number of personnel were drawn from each department.

One warship after another was ready to launch, and the clouds of war seemed to envelop the entire sea.

Saint Saturn stood on the deck of a warship.

The active warships of the Marines could not be mobilized; some were pulled directly from the shipyards where they were built, many looking unfinished and somewhat crude.

Other warships were cobbled together by various allied nations.

After all, such a large-scale military mobilization would be difficult to complete without the power of the allied nations, especially when unable to command the Marines.

"How many people do we have now?"

Saint Nusjuro asked Saint Saturn.

"Seventy thousand," replied Saint Saturn.

"Seventy thousand?" Saint Nusjuro frowned, "Why so few?"

During the Summit War, the Marines could mobilize a hundred thousand elite troops.

But under the command of the Five Elders...

They could only muster seventy thousand?

"This is already all the elite forces we can mobilize. If you want to gather some misfits, maybe you could get a few hundred thousand. But they're no use; those misfits in the New World would all fall down with just one blast of Conqueror's Haki."

Saint Saturn said solemnly, "Most of the elite forces at sea are gathered with the Marines. It's estimated that seventy thousand is the limit of the forces we can mobilize."

...

...

(End of Chapter)