Chapter 75: The Boiling Sea

"Hey, this is fake! There's no way this could be true!"

Newspapers with Morgan's story spread around the world, leaving people in disbelief.

"What's wrong? What's the big news that has you so shocked?"

The person next to him leaned in curiously after seeing the stunned look on his friend's face, but his own expression soon mirrored his friend's.

"Pops, you gotta check out this news! It's even crazier than Golden Lion's arrest!"

On the Moby Dick, Marco hands Whitebeard a newspaper.

"Wow..."

Even Whitebeard can't stay calm this time. He admires whoever dared to attack the Celestial Dragons.

Would he, Whitebeard, dare to do it himself? No way. Not unless he was alone with nothing to lose, and even then, only if the Celestial Dragons provoked him. With a huge family and countless dependents, attacking the Celestial Dragons would mean war with the World Government.

The World Government could easily handle the Whitebeard Pirates, even without Aokiji and Kizaru. If Sengoku and Garp joined the fight on the Government's side, the Whitebeard Pirates would be utterly defeated. It wouldn't even be close to the battle in the original story.

So no, he wouldn't dare. Going after the Celestial Dragons would be putting everyone on his ship at risk. Whitebeard wouldn't take that chance.

***

Whitebeard isn't the only one surprised. Even the crazy Kaido wouldn't touch the Celestial Dragons. Kaido's attacked Mariejois and Navy Headquarters, but never them.

Now someone's suddenly attacked the Celestial Dragons, capturing over a dozen and taking over Impel Down for a while, basically starting a war between Impel Down and the World Government. This has the attention of all the Four Emperors' crews.

"I never thought someone could be crazier than our boss! Attacking the Celestial Dragons? That's guts!"

Jack, known as the strongest fighter at sea, even has to admire this. While he claims to follow the Beast Pirates' captain, he wouldn't dare take on the Celestial Dragons himself. This guy straight-up attacked them.

"The sea will always have its share of lunatics, but this one's gone too far. Taking on the entire World Government by himself? Even Rocks or Roger couldn't do that back then!"

King took one look at the news and lost interest. In his opinion, this Luo Ning guy might be crazy, but he's just throwing his life away.

This situation seems like a dead end, with Luo Ning unable to make any real impact.

The Whitebeard Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and even Red-Haired Pirates all share this view.

Even Shanks doesn't plan to get involved this time. If two major powers were at war, he might try to mediate. But here, he sees it as a one-sided fight where Luo Ning is sure to lose, so there's no need for him to step in.

***

"Arrogant, incredibly arrogant. I can't believe there are such madmen out there. It'd be nice to clean up some of the trash before we die!"

Doflamingo sneered at the newspaper in his hand, with his family joining in with wild laughter. It was the first time they'd seen someone this crazy.

"This guy's a real lunatic. Starting a war with the World Government and attacking the Celestial Dragons? That's a death wish," Trebol and others said dismissively. In their eyes, this Luo Ning is just a suicidal madman.

"Get the ships ready. The Marines will likely send out the summons soon," Doflamingo said after putting down the newspaper.

"My lord, do you think they'll call the Shichibukai?" the others asked Doflamingo.

"Absolutely. This isn't just a Marine issue anymore. Arresting Celestial Dragons is a direct attack on the World Government's authority. The Shichibukai are part of the system, so they'll definitely be called in."

"This will be our chance to see what kind of madman this is!"

After Doflamingo finished speaking, the others nodded in agreement. This incident wasn't just a matter for the Marines anymore; it was a challenge to the World Government itself.

***

"Boss, someone attacked the Celestial Dragons! What should we do?"

On Baltigo, the white-soil island that serves as the Revolutionary Army headquarters, all members looked to Dragon for direction.

This situation directly involved them. The Celestial Dragons have always been the highest power in the sea, and the Revolutionary Army hasn't dared to confront them because they lack the strength for a full-scale war with the World Government.

Right now, they can only fight through guerrilla warfare. A head-on collision would be the army's demise.

"As much as I want to help, we can't get involved," Dragon gritted his teeth. "This would cripple the Revolutionary Army. We have to hold back."

He had to consider all his people; he couldn't let them die. Revolutions take time, you can't become a giant overnight. The Celestial Dragons will be their target, but not now. They need to focus on expanding their influence and recruiting more soldiers to challenge the World Government's power.

The others, however, were a little annoyed. Their annoyance stemmed from their own weakness; otherwise, they could have used this incident to inflict severe damage on the World Government.

***

"How is this possible? Someone actually dared to make a move on those so-called gods!"

On Amazon Lily, Hancock's hand trembled as she gripped the newspaper. The Pirate Empress, who seemed fearless, held the most profound terror for the Celestial Dragons.

And now, someone had done something to them. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Sister, the Marines have also sent a message summoning the Shichibukai. Shall we go?"

Hancock's two younger sisters had also received the summons from the Marines.

"Go," Hancock replied. "I want to see what kind of person dares to attack the Celestial Dragons!"

Hancock tossed the newspaper aside, a decision forming in her mind. In the past, she likely would have argued with the Marines.

But this time, since it involved the Celestial Dragons, she was determined to make the trip.

The same scene was constantly being played out among the large and small forces in the sea.

The news that the Celestial Dragons had been captured sent a wave boiling through the entire sea. This was the biggest event since Roger's execution and the dawn of the Great Pirate Era. Everyone in the sea awaited the repercussions of this event with bated breath.