The New World was in chaos.

Pirates were on edge, terrified.

Knowing that Marine forces, World Government elites, and three of the Five Elders were currently in the New World, no pirate could remain calm.

A sense of dread hung over everyone, as though death itself was looming overhead.

Moreover, the knowledge that the Five Elders and the Marines were at their angriest and most dangerous heightened the fear.

Many believed their wrath would spill over onto the other pirates in the New World.

This fear drove the pirates to desperation.

“Hide! Hide at all costs! Don’t draw their attention under any circumstances.”

“Right now, it’s all about luck. Whoever encounters them is doomed.”

Throughout the New World, pirates scrambled to find hiding places. They were gripped by anxiety and panic.

And as they hid, they began to curse the Sun and Moon Pirates.

“Damned Sun and Moon Pirates! They ran off and disappeared without a trace. Instead of standing up to the World Government, they’ve left us all to fend for ourselves.”

“Exactly! What did we ever do to deserve this?”

“That’s why, no matter how strong they are, I can’t recognize the Sun and Moon Pirates as the rulers of all pirates.”

“At best, they’re nominal rulers. Unless they step up to resolve this crisis in the New World, they’re nothing more than cowards.”

Meanwhile, on Lodestar Island:

The defeated group, heads hanging low, had already boarded their ships.

A mysterious World Government agent activated a special ability, and their ship took off like an arrow, shooting across the sea.

“Five Elder Lords, I request permission to initiate a sweep of the New World pirates,” Akainu immediately proposed.

He couldn’t bear the thought of returning home empty-handed.

If they couldn’t capture the Sun and Moon Pirates, then at least capturing some of the New World’s strongest pirates would restore some dignity to their mission.

The Five Elders hesitated, tempted by the suggestion.

They had brought an overwhelming force with them.

If they targeted anyone, even the likes of Whitebeard or Kaido wouldn’t stand a chance.

However, the sword-wielding Elder quickly dismissed the idea. “No. We must return immediately. The whole world knows we’ve left Mariejois, and they know Marine Headquarters is left vulnerable. This is a situation ripe for catastrophe.”

Destroying a few pirates might be beneficial, but nothing outweighed the importance of safeguarding Mariejois.

“The safety of Mariejois and the Celestial Dragons is paramount,” the other two Elders agreed.

But deep in their hearts, a sense of unease lingered.

They were haunted by the words of Kuke as he fled: Why had he deliberately asked about the state of Mariejois?

He had seen their overwhelming presence. So why would he ask such a pointed question about Mariejois?

What was his plan?

The three Elders shared their concerns, hoping the assembled minds could decipher the meaning behind Kuke’s cryptic question.

“Could it be that Kuke plans to use this opportunity to attack Marine Headquarters or even invade Mariejois?” Kizaru suggested.

All eyes turned to him in displeasure.

Kizaru gave an awkward smile. “Alright, fine. I’m just throwing out wild ideas.” He raised his hands in mock surrender but muttered internally, I was just trying to lighten the mood.

“We cannot dismiss the possibility that Kuke has the audacity to attempt such a thing, but there’s no way he could pull it off,” one Elder declared with certainty.

Akainu and the others nodded in agreement.

In their minds, it was inconceivable for anyone to instantly cross the entire New World. Such an ability had never been heard of.

If it were possible, the wielder of such power wouldn’t be human—they would be a god.

“It’s more likely connected to the Revolutionary Army,” Akainu suggested.

The Sun and Moon Pirates might not be directly involved, but there was another faction bold enough to strike against the World Government: Dragon and his Revolutionary Army.

Karp’s expression became complicated.

Could it be?

Could that troublemaker Dragon actually be involved in such a colossal event?

“If he really joined forces with Kuke, at least it’s better than what he was doing before. He’s finally showing some ambition,” Karp thought bitterly.

“It’s highly likely,” the three Elders nodded, agreeing with Akainu’s speculation.

They even allowed themselves a smug smile. “The Revolutionary Army has decent strength, but if they think Mariejois is completely defenseless, they’re gravely mistaken.”

The idea that no strong forces were left to defend Mariejois was laughable.

Unless Kuke himself led an invasion, the Elders were confident that no single faction, not even if they brought their full might, could successfully storm Mariejois.

Having reached this conclusion, their anxiety subsided considerably.

In fact, they almost hoped the Revolutionary Army would try an assault—it would provide an excellent opportunity to crush them once and for all.

“On our return route, we’ll take the path with the highest pirate activity. Every pirate we encounter is to be destroyed. It’s time to curb the arrogance of these New World pirates,” the Elders commanded.

This plan would not delay their return significantly, and it would serve as a warning to the rest of the sea.

“Understood!” Akainu responded enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, the three traveling Elders picked up a Den Den Mushi to contact the two Elders who had stayed behind at Mariejois.

The two remaining Elders were:

Des, a short-haired man with golden hair and a matching golden beard, bearing a scar across his chest.

And Reis, a bald man with a prominent mustache curling downward like two hooks.

The line connected, and silence fell.

The two Elders at Mariejois were furious about the results of the mission, but they couldn’t bring themselves to scold their peers.

After all, the three Elders who had traveled to the New World were equally powerful and shared their rank.

Likewise, the three Elders aboard the ship were too ashamed to explain their failure.

The tension between the two groups created a painfully awkward silence.

Finally, the sword-wielding Elder broke the ice: “Des, Reis, be on high alert. The Revolutionary Army might use this chance to launch an assault on Mariejois.”

“Understood,” the two Elders replied nonchalantly.

They weren’t particularly concerned.

The Revolutionary Army’s ideology was worrisome, but its combat strength was hardly a threat. If the army dared to reveal itself in full, they would relish the opportunity to annihilate it.

“Have you found any trace of the Sun and Moon Pirates?” the Elders in Mariejois asked.

“No.”

Another silence followed.

In an attempt to reassure his counterparts, the sword-wielding Elder said, “Don’t worry. We’ll be back in a few days. Even if the Sun and Moon Pirates try anything, they couldn’t possibly return to Mariejois faster than we can.”

Des and Reis sighed in relief.

That was enough to settle their nerves for now.

“Alright then… We’ll end the call here.”

The three traveling Elders were eager to hang up, unable to endure the atmosphere any longer.

“Goodbye.”

Just as the call was about to end, shouting erupted from the other end.

“Idiots! What did you just say? The Sun and Moon Pirates won’t come to Mariejois?”

“You fools! The Sun and Moon Pirates are here! They’ve arrived!”

Des and Reis were yelling in outrage, their earlier calm shattered.

In their fury, they forgot all pretense of respect and unleashed a torrent of curses at their fellow Elders.

The three Elders on the ship were stunned, completely dumbfounded.

——

DONT FORGET POWER STONE

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep