Water 7, Inside a Tavern
"Impossible! The Marines actually..."
Clang! Crash!
A pirate shot up from his seat, disbelief etched across his face as he clutched a Den Den Mushi tightly in his hand. The device had fallen silent, its receiver now dormant, but just moments ago, it had relayed his friend's final, desperate words.
Summed up in two simple words:
"Run away!"
Exhale…
In a quiet corner, Sanji exhaled a ring of smoke, his voice trembling with unease.
"That… monster…"
Not long ago, the pirate coalition had surrounded Sabaody, gathering over half of the ambitious pirates from the Grand Line and the Four Seas.
That's half of the world's pirates!
They wouldn't have been able to force the mighty Marine Headquarters into a defensive position otherwise, constructing a line of defense centered on Sabaody.
Even though many pirates had fled after hearing that Shanks had taken the Pure Gold and had no intention of fighting to the death, the remaining pirates still numbered in the millions!
That's millions of living, breathing people— not seashells scattered on a beach!
"How dare they?!!"
The sheer scale of it made the news feel surreal.
Faced with such overwhelming numbers, the Marines had deliberately allowed them to advance, then staked everything on a do-or-die counteroffensive, encircling them completely and initiating a prolonged massacre.
And… they succeeded!
This kind of audacious, extraordinarily difficult plan could only have come from one person in Sanji's mind.
If Rowen knew what Sanji was thinking, he would surely protest his innocence.
Everyone knew that Rowen, nicknamed the "Honest and Reliable Gentleman," only ever acted in self-defense after being provoked. He would never initiate aggression on his own.
For instance, this time it was Aokiji who proposed the plan. But because Rowen was the overall commander, the blame fell squarely on his shoulders.
Of course… even Aokiji was shocked by the sheer number of pirates remaining in the trap. He had genuinely worried that the plan might fail.
Luckily, with the support of the Marines' intelligence networks and assassination units, the impossible became possible.
"It's truly… inhumane."
Robin lowered the brim of her hat in silent mourning for the pirates who had inadvertently walked into the encirclement.
Indeed, the pirates outnumbered the Marines five to one.
Given the need to avoid alerting the pirates prematurely, the Marine Headquarters hadn't been able to mobilize reinforcements from distant G-series bases.
But war isn't a simple game of "highest number wins."
A well-trained elite unit could easily crush the competition.
At any given moment, the number of pirates truly able to confront the Marines was less than one-tenth.
The rest were scattered across the seas, frantically searching for escape routes.
But with someone like Rowen in charge, escape routes were obviously a fantasy.
As long as the Marines maintained their overwhelming advantage in any given confrontation, the outcome of this annihilation campaign was inevitable: divide and conquer.
In a battle between fleets of equal size, how would pirates fare against Marines?
After witnessing the power of aerial forces and super electromagnetic cannons, no one would bet on the pirates.
"Marching ants."
Suddenly, a burly man seated at the same table raised a finger and said this.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm talking about the Marines' strategy this time."
Gulp… gulp…
Franky downed a bottle of cola in one go, then let out a long sigh.
"I've studied the battles the Marines have fought in recent years. Their strategy has shifted from the wolf-pack style to that of marching ants."
"You've probably heard the phrase, 'Range is justice,' right?"
"Within range, justice reigns. Cannonfire coverage means peace."
Robin nodded and asked, "And then, Franky?"
Franky's face turned serious as he explained: "In the past, the Marines were known for their wolf-pack tactics. This relied on the exceptional combat strength of their commanding officers, or 'alpha wolves,' who would lead groups in encircling and eliminating their targets."
"But with the mass deployment of warplanes, plasma cannons, super electromagnetic cannons, and the once-forbidden Thunder-Lightning Stimulation Device, the importance of alpha wolves has diminished. Except for a handful of superhuman monsters, ordinary soldiers' combat effectiveness has been exponentially enhanced."
"This shift transformed their wolf-pack tactics into a strategy akin to marching ants. Commanding officers now only need to issue orders, as the rank-and-file forces are evenly matched and can be deployed flexibly at will."
"This battle may seem unbelievable— Marines defeating a larger force in an encirclement and annihilation campaign— but the reality is simple: those idiots underestimated the changes in the Marines, assuming they were the same as before."
At this point, Franky looked solemnly at Robin and said: "You said your captain intends to continue forward, right?"
"I think you'll need my help, Straw Hat Crew."
Franky's reasoning wasn't wrong. But the key factor was Rowen's deep understanding of the pirate mindset.
Because he understood their greed and desires, the bait was crafted perfectly, drawing them into the encirclement and ensuring their annihilation.
The world wouldn't remember the immense sacrifices made by the Marines and even civilians for this victory. They would only remember the brilliance of the Marines' triumph, a victory that brought an unprecedented peace to the Grand Line!
In a single battle, a million pirates perished.
The scent of human flesh attracted countless Sea Kings and sea beasts from the ocean's depths. They surfaced, gorging themselves on the carnage.
Blood dyed the blue ocean red, with even the white clouds reflected in the water taking on a crimson hue. Under the noonday sun, the sea emitted a nauseating stench, and the surface was strewn with fish and shrimp fighting over severed limbs and remains.
This was a vision of hell on earth.
As the news spread and people saw the horrific battlefield images printed in the newspapers, the Grand Line and even the Four Seas erupted in an uproar.
Civilians cheered, celebrating this unprecedented Marine victory with joy and excitement.
Meanwhile, pirates, having witnessed the Marines' terrifying ruthlessness, found their boldness further suppressed.
In truth, after this annihilation of a million-strong pirate army, the remaining number of pirates had dwindled so drastically that they no longer posed any threat to the Marines.
Even if they regrouped, they would be nothing more than a ragtag bunch, easily defeated.
…
Meanwhile, in the "Holy Land," Mary Geoise:
Thud!
Rowen strode into the office of the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars), dragging a chain behind him. A group of disheveled captives was tossed unceremoniously onto the floor.
"Gentlemen, I believe you'll find these individuals… very interesting."
While pirates resorted to plunder and violence, these captives had taken advantage of the chaos in far more underhanded ways.
Returning victorious from the war, Rowen had issued an order to Dante and others to swiftly capture the Underground World's leaders, who were retreating to their lairs after seeing the tide turn against them. Now, they were presented before the Gorōsei.
It's worth noting that the term "Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)" was more a title than a literal description. Historically, there had only ever been four of them, making the current era's true five a unique anomaly.
"Mercy… please, my lord!"
"Shipping King" Umit screamed hoarsely, pleading for his life.
"I helped the Marines against the Big Mom Pirates before! Please spare me just this once!"
Back in the New World, during the standoff with the Big Mom Pirates, Umit had aided the Marines by supplying resources, enabling their forces to infiltrate Totto Land under the guise of material support.
This had allowed Umit to gain temporary dominance over the other three Underground World leaders, becoming the most influential figure among the so-called "Four Underworld Kings."
Later, emboldened by his success, Umit had even dared to challenge the "Gold Emperor," Gild Tesoro, vying for control over the Century City profits.
However, the temptation of the Pure Gold had blinded him. Driven by greed, Umit had taken a dangerous gamble and joined the fray— only to lose everything.
The long-mustached Gorōsei didn't even glance at Umit. Instead, he nodded at Rowen.
"Thank you for your efforts, Rowen."
"And you as well, Stussy. Excellent work."
"What?!"
The "Loan Shark King," Lu Feld, another of the Four Underworld Kings, turned in shock. He stared at "Pleasure District Queen" Stussy, who had been captured alongside him, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"You traitorous woman! You sold us out?!"
No wonder the Marines had so easily found their hideout— this explained everything!
"Don't say that, Feld," Stussy replied with a sly smile. "I've always been a member of CP0. How could I possibly 'betray' you?"
With a wave of Rowen's hand, the chains binding Stussy fell away. She stood gracefully, adjusted her appearance in a small mirror, and smiled sweetly.
"If you hadn't gone so far this time, I think we could've continued working together."
"You vile witch!!"
Feld roared, trying to lunge at her, but Bald Zero stepped forward in a flash. A swift chop to Feld's neck rendered him unconscious, his body crumpling to the floor.
One of the once-mighty Four Uranus Kings had fallen to such a state, but no one seemed to care.
The long-mustached Gorōsei waved his hand dismissively, issuing an order:
"Take him away and wring every last ounce of value out of him!"
"Understood!"
(Chapter End)
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