Three days after the Hachinosu incident, the explosive news finally swept across the entire world as the propaganda campaign kicked into full gear.
New World, territory of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Aboard the Moby Dick, Newgate stared at the newspaper in his hands, his expression oddly conflicted.
"For the sake of a missing Navy Lieutenant Commander, that Ortoren guy personally went into action, flipped Hachinosu upside down, and even took out Ochoku and Silver Axe?" he said.
He turned to Marco and asked, "Do you believe that?"
Marco shook his head without hesitation. "I don't buy it. Sounds like an excuse to me. Whether that Lieutenant Commander went missing or not, Ortoren was probably going to move on Hachinosu anyway."
"That's how it feels to me too…" Newgate smacked his lips, a trace of melancholy creeping in. "Still, Ochoku and Silver Axe… that's two more old friends gone."
At that moment, Kozuki Oden came running over in a hurry, an underworld bulletin clutched in his hand.
"Shirokichi-chan, take a look at this!"
"What is it?" Newgate asked, taking the bulletin from Kozuki Oden and skimming it. After a moment, he said, "That red-haired brat from Roger's ship… looks like he was involved in the Hachinosu affair too. He really managed to piss Ortoren off."
"Shanks is a good guy," Kozuki Oden said, looking at Newgate. "With Ortoren targeting him like this, his days probably won't be easy. I was thinking… should we go find him?"
"Find him?" Newgate frowned. "For what?"
"In the current situation, Shanks either leaves the New World or relies on us to survive. And for us, he'd be a solid addition. If he's willing to join the Whitebeard Pirates—" Kozuki Oden began.
Before he could finish, Newgate cut him off in a deep voice.
"If he joins the Whitebeard Pirates, that means I'm taking on the grudge between him and Ortoren. Oden, do you understand? Doing that would break the tacit understanding we currently have with the Navy."
"But—" Kozuki Oden tried to speak again.
"No buts," Newgate interrupted flatly. "Don't get involved in this."
It was obvious that Newgate had no intention of lending Shanks a hand. They weren't particularly close, and offending Ortoren for someone like that simply wasn't worth it.
These days, even the world's strongest man had to give Ortoren some face in the New World.
…
On the other side, Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin showed no surprise at what happened on Hachinosu. They had known for a long time that Ortoren was going to make his move there.
Kaidou was just a little annoyed. They had agreed to act together, yet things ended up like this.
But it was nothing more than mild irritation. He had no intention of confronting Ortoren about it. Instead, he actively began preparing for future business cooperation with Ortoren and his side.
He even took the opportunity to help look for the Red-Haired Pirates.
…
Meanwhile, the Shichibukai who received the news were downright excited.
Venturas Island, bordering the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates, was the domain of the Shichibukai known as Smash-Hit Slekemind.
Although Slekemind hadn't had much direct interaction with Ortoren since becoming one of the Shichibukai, he was far from idle in the New World.
Over the past few years, he had been constantly butting heads with the Whitebeard Pirates and had challenged Whitebeard himself multiple times, though every attempt ended in defeat.
Unlike Crocodile, who was driven out of the New World after failing to challenge Whitebeard, he had still managed to firmly establish himself here. That alone spoke volumes about his strength.
"Ahahahaha! Excellent! Those two eyesores, Ochoku and Silver Axe, are finally gone! Well done, Ortoren!" Slekemind laughed loudly as he read the newspaper.
With the Marines forcefully sweeping Hachinosu, there was no way they would allow that place to turn back into a so-called "pirate paradise."
The New World was overflowing with pirates, and now that Hachinosu was gone, one of the biggest beneficiaries was Slekemind himself.
His base, Vindalas Island, also had the qualities of a "pirate paradise."
It was just that, compared to veterans like Ochoku and Silver Axe, who had been famous for years and possessed deeper foundations, Slekemind hadn't been as competitive in that regard. As a result, most pirates preferred to flock to Hachinosu rather than Vindalas Island.
Now that Hachinosu had been torn apart by the Marines, Slekemind could already see it in his mind.
Soon enough, waves of pirates would come flooding into his territory.
And this, in turn, meant his chances of recruiting powerful subordinates had grown even higher.
"Once I've brought in more strong fighters, absorbed more pirate crews, and built an even larger pirate fleet, challenging Whitebeard won't be completely hopeless anymore," Slekemind thought with excitement.
As he was mulling this over, one of his officers spoke up.
"Boss, the Marines want us to cooperate in hunting down the Red-Haired Pirates. How should we respond?"
"Search for them," Slekemind said, waving his hand decisively. "That bastard Ortoren is petty as hell. We may have stayed out of each other's way these past few years, but since he's already made his stance clear, we still have to give him some face."
"Besides, killing that so-called Red-Haired and handing over his head would earn us a favor from Ortoren. That's a damn good deal. Go. Send everyone out. If the Red-Haired Pirates dare show up on my turf, kill them!"
Don't be fooled by how boldly Slekemind challenged Whitebeard or how often he provoked the Whitebeard Pirates. He looked arrogant on the surface.
In reality, he genuinely harbored a deep psychological fear of Ortoren. He had personally experienced just how terrifying Ortoren could be. That man wasn't just an Admiral. He wielded immense influence throughout the New World, and Slekemind had already paid a heavy price because of it once.
In his eyes, Ortoren was an even more frightening opponent than Whitebeard.
Provoking Whitebeard meant that as long as you could withstand the pressure from the Whitebeard Pirates, you'd probably survive. But provoking Ortoren was different. You never knew where might still be considered safe.
From the most obscure corners, one of Ortoren's allies could pop out at any moment and trip you up. There was no guarding against it.
That was why, despite having no real friendship or contact with him, as soon as Ortoren spoke up, Slekemind was more than willing to lend a hand. He didn't want to be remembered by that narrow-minded bastard.
And precisely because he understood how terrifying Ortoren was, Slekemind also knew just how valuable Ortoren's favor could be.
If he could secure that favor, combined with his status as a Shichibukai, then as long as he didn't do something completely outrageous or self-destructive, he could roam the New World without any real worries.
Slekemind actively responded to Ortoren's "call to arms." As for Doflamingo, Moria, and the others, there was no need to even mention them.
Even on Fish-Man Island, Jinbe and Tiger sealed off the ports and carried out strict inspections, searching for any trace of the Red-Haired Pirates.
On the other hand, Mihawk, who was vacationing on a small island somewhere in the New World, showed no reaction at all after learning about Hachinosu and the Red-Haired Pirates.
After being forced into the position of Shichibukai, Mihawk had continued to advance steadily toward the title of the world's greatest swordsman.
Unlike two years ago, he no longer actively sought out swordsmen to challenge. Instead, he openly declared where he was and waited for those who refused to accept him to come challenge him.
Mihawk even set a two-year deadline. If no formidable swordsman managed to defeat him within those two years, he would officially proclaim himself the world's greatest swordsman.
In fact, by now, many across the seas already acknowledged both his strength and that title of "Number One Swordsman."
Looking at the intelligence in his hand, Mihawk let out a soft sigh, his expression tinged with regret.
"These two years were meant for you… Shanks. But now, it seems you don't even have that chance."
Mihawk had never imagined that Shanks would end up clashing with Ortoren on Hachinosu, let alone have one of his arms crippled by him, turning him into a one-armed swordsman.
After all, in Mihawk's memory, Shanks had always been extremely wary of Ortoren. Every time they crossed paths, Shanks would run at the first opportunity. What on earth had gotten into him this time?
Mihawk had little to say about the matter. His relationship with Shanks was indeed quite good, but at the same time, his relationship with Ortoren wasn't bad either. Although Ortoren had screwed him over for a while, Mihawk never truly held it against him. After becoming a Shichibukai, he really had enjoyed a smoother life at sea.
In the end, with the exception of Crocodile, who wasn't active in the New World, all the other Shichibukai took action. Mihawk alone chose to help neither side, acting as though he knew nothing about the whole affair.
However, those hunting the Red-Haired Pirates weren't limited to the Shichibukai and the Marines.
In the underworld, figures like Lu Feld and Umit also mobilized their intelligence networks to track down Shanks. Even Spandine and the Queen of the Pleasure District, Stussy, were searching for him as well.
It was clear that everyone wanted to obtain the favor of Ortoren, that powerful figure within the Navy.
At this moment, the greatest "treasure" in the New World seemed to have become Red-Hair himself.
Kill him, and it felt like you could soar straight to the top.
...
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