Chapter 147

Suddenly, Sengoku's emergency transponder snail buzzed. He disengaged from battle as Akainu and Borsalino took over, keeping the enemy at bay with the assistance of Ochoku and Hector. Despite being old crewmates, Linlin paid no heed to Ochoku's presence.

Just as Sengoku received the call, the flustered and hurried voice of Tsuru echoed from the other end. "Sengoku, you need to retreat back to Marineford immediately! Everything is chaos here; we might possibly lose control of the first half of Paradise entirely!" Her urgency and seriousness were evident in her tone.

Sengoku, in the thick of battle, retorted, "Tsuru, I am in the middle of a war, if you have forgotten. Any other matter will have to wait. It's good that you reached out—send reinforcements to Wano. Have Zephyr sent over. Both the Whitebeard Pirates and Big Mom Pirates have besieged us. If this continues, our siege of Wano will fail." He spoke logically, confident that with enough reinforcements from HQ, he could turn the tide.

But then Tsuru almost spat from the other end, "Sengoku! Did you not hear me? This is a direct order from Kong-san. He is currently at Mary Geoise, trying to do damage control. Impel Down has fallen. Almost all the high-profile criminals have been released back to the sea." Suddenly, Sengoku felt like he had been hit by a sledgehammer to the chest, his breathing became ragged.

But then Tsuru threw another curveball, "Make sure you retreat with the man leading the mission. He is a Celestial Dragon. If anything happens to him, you know the consequences." Tsuru spoke urgently and then disconnected the call, not wanting to distract Sengoku any longer in the middle of a fight.

Sengoku's mind froze. That was a Celestial Dragon? A Celestial Dragon was the one clashing with Whitebeard? He had thought the man was some kind of secret weapon of the World Government, but that mythical Zoan fruit user turned out to be a Celestial Dragon. He immediately spread out his Observation Haki to check what exactly was happening on Wano's shores, as the intensity of the battle had died down since Whitebeard had managed to tear one of the mythical Garuda's wings.

Ignoring the consequences, Sengoku sounded the retreat signal, knowing they would take heavy losses. He himself rushed towards the shores of Wano to get the Celestial Dragon out.

On the shores of Wano, Whitebeard stood majestically over his defeated foe, who was sprawled on the ground, clinging to life by a thread thanks to his mythical Zoan vitality. "Not bad... Not bad at all, Newgate. No wonder the Elders are wary of you. You are indeed worthy of their attention. But so what if you have bested me? Let me tell you something, I am a Celestial Dragon. So tell me, Whitebeard, do you still have the guts to take my life after knowing my true identity?" The God's Knight chuckled. This was his greatest reliance; he was a descendant of gods. These vermin dared not look them straight in the eye, much less kill them.

Sengoku, frantically rushing towards Wano's shore, detected the presence of Whitebeard and the Celestial Dragon from miles away with his Observation Haki.

"Hehehe, Whitebeard, you might have saved Wano today, but what about tomorrow? The day after? I will return to the Holy Land, bring a bigger army, and raze you and your pathetic sons to the ground..."

The naginata soared through the air, severing the head of the God's Knight in one clean stroke before he could complete the sentence.

Sengoku, witnessing Whitebeard behead a Celestial Dragon, roared, "Edward!" and launched a devastating shockwave attack directed at Whitebeard. But Whitebeard simply clenched his fist, creating a white halo, and punched back. The two attacks collided, but after a dozen seconds of stalemate, Sengoku was thrown back hundreds of meters. He safely landed on one of the Marine ships. Realizing all was lost, Sengoku decided to save at least what he could of the remaining Marines. Soon enough, the Marines made a full retreat.

Whitebeard ordered his crew not to chase the Marines, but Big Mom was not going to let go of such a chance. She started chasing the battered Marines, maximizing her profits by hunting down as many as she could. Staying near Wano with Whitebeard around was simply asking for disaster, so the Big Mom Pirates chose to seize the opportunity, capitalizing on the chaos.

****************************

Soon enough, the entire world shook with three pieces of news. The first was that the Big Mom Pirates had chased the Marines throughout the New World, ultimately sinking all ten great battleships intended for the Buster Call. This victory cemented the Big Mom Pirates' position as the second Emperor of the New World. Anyone who had doubted their claim was silenced upon realizing that the fleet had been led by none other than Sengoku the Golden Buddha.

The second piece of news was even more shocking. A massive war had erupted between Wano and the Marines, and with the support of another Emperor, Edward Newgate, the defenders of Wano successfully repelled the Marines. To make matters worse for the World Government, the Whitebeard Pirates declared to the world that Wano was now in an alliance with them.

Challenging Wano was as good as challenging Whitebeard himself.

However, it was the third piece of news that shook everyone to their core: Impel Down had fallen. The great underwater prison, deemed impenetrable, was breached by the rising superstars of the New World, now being dubbed the 'Twin Heavens': the 'Heavenly Demon' Donquixote Doflamingo and the 'Heaven's Equal' Donquixote Rosinante.

The notoriety of the Donquixote brothers skyrocketed, especially with the leaked photos of the Impel Down aftermath. The headless corpse of the Chief Warden hung from a post, and an ominous blood pyramid was built within Level 6. While the true extent of the damage had not been disclosed, rumors spread that almost all of the criminals within Impel Down had been set free, and the Chief Warden had been beheaded.

"Fufufufu, look, little brother, they've given you a moniker: 'Heaven's Equal.' Sure is a grand name, just like mine," Doflamingo snickered as he flipped through the newspaper.

Wolf, sitting nearby, thought for a second and spoke, "Isn't that supposed to be the title of the Monkey King from the old legends? If I'm not wrong, he must have had another title. What was that..." Wolf scratched his shabby beard, trying to remember.

"The Great Sage..." I responded as I filtered through the new bounty posters. The World Government sure was efficient when it came to printing out new bounty posters.

"Monkey King..." Doffy snickered, adding, "Tell me, little brother, since when did you get a tail?"

Leo, who had been listening quietly, suddenly shot up. "Wait! What! Ross has a tail just like us? Where? Where?" He turned to me, excitement shining in his eyes. "Ross, quick, show me your tail! I want to see it!"

The whole boat burst into laughter. Annoyed, I threw the stack of bounty posters at Doffy's face, who had started all this. He casually caught the stack and looked through them with interest.

[WANTED]

['WHITEBEARD' EDWARD NEWGATE]

[ALIVE OR DEAD]

[4,495,600,000 Belly]

[WANTED]

['BIGMOM' CHARLOTTE LINLIN]

[ALIVE OR DEAD]

[3,388,000,000 Belly]

[WANTED]

['GOLDEN LION' SHIKI]

[ALIVE OR DEAD]

[3,915,500,000 Belly]

[WANTED]

['RED COUNT' PATRICK REDFIELD]

[ALIVE OR DEAD]

[3,497,000,000 Belly]

[WANTED]

['CRIMSON KING' KOZUKI ODEN]

[ALIVE OR DEAD]

[3,230,600,000 Belly]

[WANTED]

['HEAVENLY DEMON' DONQUIXOTE DOFLAMINGO]

[ALIVE OR DEAD]

[1,456,000,000 Belly]

[WANTED]

['HEAVEN'S EQUAL' DONQUIXOTE ROSINANTE]

[ALIVE OR DEAD]

[2,299,900,000 Belly]

Doffy couldn't help but chuckle. Although his own bounty saw a significant increase, his little brother's bounty had skyrocketed, leaping by a billion belly compared to the previous one. This was unprecedented; other than the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, no pirate had experienced such a massive spike in their bounty.

The new bounty posters were overflowing with attention, and despite the World Government's efforts to keep the matter under wraps, the news had spread, accompanied by damning pictures from within Impel Down. With a sudden influx of notorious pirates back into the sea, the World Government could not deny the matter. Blow after blow hit them: the rise of a new Emperor in the New World, Whitebeard joining hands with Wano, the loss of one of their three great institutions, and to top it all, the loss of a God's Knight.

"Doffy, after this, we might have to lay low for a while, react only if the World Government targets us. We have bought ourselves time, but I don't know how long it will last. Now, with Wolf-san here, we might need to revisit our plans one by one," I remarked. Doffy's earlier jovial demeanor dropped, and he turned serious.

"Yes, little brother, you are right. Standing out too much might spell our doom. Once Senor and Diamante wake up, we must start hunting down all those bastards from back then. It's also time to reclaim the entirety of North Blue; they've kept my seat warm long enough," he said, his veins popping as he vividly remembered everything that had happened back then. His revenge was yet pending.

"Fine. In that case, you can deal with the matters of Dressrosa and the Underworld while I roam the seas," I commented with a smile.

Doffy raised his brows. "So, you're planning to set sail again, little brother?"

"Yes. Now that we've stirred up this shitstorm, it's time to start fishing in these troubled waters. There are still quite a few talents out there that I'd like to add to our family," I said, thinking of the numerous tasks ahead. I had to fulfill the final plea of a dying father. Though he never said it to me in words back in Loguetown, I knew what Roger's final request was, conveyed through the Voice of All Things, meant for me and me alone.

In addition to that, with so many Devil Fruits released back into the sea, I had to try and get some for our family. Leo had raided the kitchen and the storehouse in Impel Down and found a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, which would be a perfect match for Giolla-san, who had been practically raising our Donquixote family. With the fruit, she would become another trump card for us, and just like Shyarly, her abilities would need to stay a secret.

"So, are you planning to set sail alone again this time?" Doffy questioned, but I saw a hint of tenderness reserved only for me on his face.

"Well, I was thinking maybe I would take Miyamoto-san and maybe Lucci along," I said, gazing at Miyamoto, who was sharpening his blade. He nodded, accepting any arrangements I made for him.

"Me... me... I want to come too! I want to see the world, experience adventure, and sail into the unknown. I want to see it all!" Suddenly, little Mansherry, who had been quiet all along, started throwing a tantrum.

"If the princess is coming, then I am too," Leo declared. As Mansherry's steadfast protector, he couldn't even think of staying away from her.

Doffy chuckled at the display, but I was getting a headache. I had truly spoiled these two; they tended to do whatever they wished. Now, I would have to speak to the Tontatta chief about taking them out on a voyage.

"Mansherry, we can discuss that once we reach Dressrosa. Now, will you please stop rolling around all over the deck?" I quickly picked her up, seating her on my shoulders and dusting off her clothes, returning them to their pristine condition.

The entire ship seemed to relax for a moment. Despite the chaos we had stirred up in the world, moments like these reminded us why we fought and why we stayed together. The bonds we shared were stronger than any external threat, and as long as we held onto that, we could face anything.

******************

Room of Authority, Mary Geoise

In the opulent Room of Authority within Mary Geoise, tension hung thick in the air. Elder Mars, one of the highest-ranking figures in the World Government, stood with a face contorted in fury. His hand, trembling with rage, clenched the delicate porcelain tea cup before hurling it with all his might.

The cup shattered against Kong's face, the pieces scattering across the polished marble floor. "This is an outrage!" Elder Mars roared, his voice echoing through the grand chamber. "First, the loss of the Buster Call fleet, then the debacle at Wano, and now Impel Down has fallen! How could you allow this to happen, Kong?"

Kong, the Fleet Admiral of the Marine Forces, remained stoic, despite the sting from the broken cup. His stern features barely flinched as he wiped away a trickle of blood from his cheek. "Elder Mars," he began, his voice a calm contrast to the Elder's fury, "the situation is dire, but reacting out of anger will not rectify our losses."

"Reacting out of anger?" Elder Mars spat, his eyes blazing. "This isn't about anger, it's about failure! Sengoku's operation was a disaster. The Marines were humiliated, and now Whitebeard has openly allied with Wano. The pirates grow bolder by the day!"

"Enough!" Elder Saturn, the senior member of the council, interjected, slamming his fist on the table. "We must focus on solutions, not blame."

Kong nodded, appreciating the intervention. "We need to re-strategize. The loss of Impel Down is a severe blow, and the escape of the prisoners will cause chaos. We must increase security across all our territories and hunt down these criminals swiftly."

"Shut up! No one asked for your opinion," Elder Warcury fumed from the side as Kong put forth his suggestion.

"Get Out! Get out and wait outside until we call for you." Elder Mars roared, and Kong, without any complaint, turned and left with his head hung low.

"Swift action is needed, but we must also deal with public perception," Elder Mars added.

"Our strength must not be seen as wavering. The news of Impel Down's fall has already spread, and the emergence of those brats, hailed as the 'Twin Heavens' will inspire further rebellion if we do not act decisively."

Elder Mars, his anger simmering but not entirely quelled, took a deep breath. "Forget about those little bastards. What we have to worry about now is how to explain to Imu-sama that we lost one of God's knights. For all we know, Imu-sama is already aware of the matter. That's what unnerves me—the fact that Imu-sama hasn't summoned us yet."

The room fell into a tense silence. The elders knew the gravity of their situation. The loss of the Buster Call ships and the fall of Impel Down were significant blows, but they were not insurmountable. However, losing a God's Knight was a catastrophe of a different magnitude.

Elder Mars's eyes narrowed as he continued, "We requested the God's Knight be dispatched. This places the responsibility squarely on our shoulders. How do we explain this to Imu-sama?"

The God's Knights served Imu-sama exclusively, dispatched only because of the direct request of the Elders. Each God's Knight was groomed from a young age, trained to be the ultimate enforcers of divine will and protectors of the Celestial Dragons' interests.

Elder Saturn, attempting to maintain a semblance of calm, interjected, "Our priority should be to assess the situation thoroughly and present a plan of action. Imu-sama will expect solutions, not just explanations. And if we are punished for our folly, then we will accept it without complaint."

Elder Nusjuro nodded, his expression grave. "We need to show that we are still in control. Increasing security around Mary Geoise is imperative. We must also initiate an immediate hunt for the escaped prisoners from Impel Down. We need to demonstrate our strength and resolve to the world."

Elder Mars, though still agitated, acknowledged the plan. "And what of Whitebeard? His defiance cannot go unanswered. Killing a god's knight is a direct affront to our authority."

"We will deal with Whitebeard in time," Elder Stars responded, his voice firm. "But we cannot rush into another confrontation. We need to plan carefully and ensure that our next move cripples him for good."

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