Chapter 39: The Emperor's Gambit
In the serene, oppressive halls of Mary Geoise, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's usually composed face was tight with frustration. The report from the New World surveillance fleet lay on his desk like a lit fuse.
"What do you mean, 'vanished'?!" he barked into a Den Den Mushi, its face mimicking his own scowl. "He was just engaged with Kaido's forces! He made contact with Whitebeard's perimeter ships! And now there's no trace?!"
The voice on the other end was apologetic and fearful. "Y-yes, sir. The Red Hair Pirates… they disengaged from the skirmish with Kaido and simply… disappeared into the sea lanes. Our scouts lost them. It's as if the sea swallowed them whole."
Sengoku slammed a fist on the table. This was the worst kind of variable. He prided himself on understanding the psychological profiles of the Emperors. Kaido was a destructive force of nature, Big Mom a gluttonous sovereign, Whitebeard a protective patriarch. But Shanks… Shanks was the enigma. A man who could halt a war with his presence, who moved with the casual ease of a man attending a party, yet whose actions always carried profound, hidden weight.
He's planning something. And he's doing it now, of all times.
Sengoku's mind raced, piecing together motives. Objective one: Rescue Silvers Rayleigh. His former first mate, a living piece of Roger's legacy. Objective two: Rescue Monkey D. Luffy. The boy he inspired, the one who carries Roger's hat. Both are in Impel Down. That alone was a powerful impetus.
He leaned back, steepling his fingers. Would he attack Impel Down? For Rayleigh and the boy? Possibly. Roger's will is a powerful motivator for that man. It might be a risk he's willing to take.
But something felt incomplete. Shanks was a strategist, not a berserker.
Objective three… align with Whitebeard against us. The thought sent a chill down his spine. A war against Whitebeard alone was a calculated, winnable gamble. A war against a potential Whitebeard-Red Hair alliance was a catastrophic coin toss. The World Government could not afford a 50/50 battle. Their authority was built on invincibility. A loss would shatter the world's fragile order.
"He's a man you can never see through," Sengoku muttered to the empty room. His predictions, usually sharp, felt blurry when applied to Shanks. The red-haired Emperor had a habit of doing the gloriously unexpected.
He forced himself to think tactically. If his goal is Impel Down… the geography favors defense. Magellan is a formidable deterrent. But against two Emperors? We'd need an Admiral on site to hold, even for a short time. It was a drain on their main force at Marineford, but a necessary precaution.
"The worst-case scenario must be prepared for," he declared, reaching for the dedicated Den Den Mushi line to Impel Down and the Holy Land's strategic command. He would reinforce the prison and request an Admiral to remain. He would also need to consult the Five Elders and former Fleet Admiral Kong. They might have intelligence he lacked.
A separate, more personal headache nagged at him. Garp had returned to Headquarters. His adjutant reported the Hero of the Marines had been storming around, demanding an audience, his usual boisterous laughter absent. Two grandsons, Sengoku thought with a pang of sympathy and deep unease. I only accounted for one. What do I even say to him? The prisoners were caught; the machinery of justice, once set in motion, was nearly impossible to stop.
In the New World, on the foreboding shape of Hachinosu—Pirate Island, future stronghold of Blackbeard, now a temporary rallying point—the air thrummed with controlled chaos.
Following Whitebeard's summons, his vast armada gathered. Ships of every description, flying flags adorned with the iconic white mustache, sailed into the bay. Within a day, tens of thousands of pirates had congregated. In two weeks, it would be a host of legendary size. Only the truly strong would see the front lines at Marineford; the rest were a show of force, a testament to Whitebeard's reach.
Inside the central fortress, Edward Newgate sat not on his medical cot, but in a sturdy chair, a large jug of sake in his hand. Marco the Phoenix stood nearby, not chiding his father for drinking. Today, they all needed fortification.
"That red-haired brat…" Marco said, shaking his head. "To even consider a direct strike on Marine Headquarters with just his core crew… it's madness. If he combined forces with us, the odds would shift dramatically. But he refused."
Whitebeard took a long swig, his eyes clear and sharp, all traces of age and illness burned away by paternal fury. "He didn't come for an alliance. He came to create an opening. A distraction. The cunning fox…" A grudging respect colored his tone. "He can't wait for our full muster. Something about Rayleigh's capture has forced his hand. But he is not a fool. He would not charge to his death. If he attacks first, it will soften Marine's defenses for our arrival. We would be fools not to use the chaos."
He stood, his massive frame seeming to fill the room. "Have any of our sons shown hesitation?"
Marco's chest swelled with pride. "Not a single one, Oyaji. All 43 allied captains have answered the call. Every last one."
A fierce, loving smile broke across Whitebeard's face. This was his family. This was his strength. "Then we will show the world what it means to threaten a Whitebeard!"
But the smile faded slightly, replaced by the grim awareness of a commander. He placed a heavy hand on Marco's shoulder. "This battle… it will extract a heavy price, my son. If this old body should fail… you must be ready to lead them home."
Marco's eyes widened in instant refusal. "Oyaji! Don't say such—"
"I am not planning to die!" Whitebeard's voice boomed, cutting him off, a spark of the old fire returning. "Not until I hold my son again! It is simply the duty of a captain to plan for every tide. Now, enough gloomy talk! We have a war to prepare for, and a red-haired distraction to watch!"
He laughed, the sound shaking the rafters, but Marco heard the steel beneath it. The gears of war were turning, propelled by a captured brother, a captured legend, and the unpredictable movements of a red-haired emperor. The calm before the storm was over.
(End of Chapter)
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