The atmosphere was tense as everyone stared at the Den Den Mushi, waiting for a response.

“Rayleigh, you old dog, still alive?” came Shaki’s voice from the other end.

“Shaki… is Kuke there?” Rayleigh’s expression was slightly awkward. Despite Kuke’s strength, in Rayleigh’s mind, he was still a junior. Now, he was asking for help from someone he once considered a rookie.

“Speak. The captain is right beside me,” Shaki replied.

Rayleigh quickly summarized the day’s events to Kuke through the Den Den Mushi.

In the New World, Kuke listened to Rayleigh’s voice with a hint of surprise.

“Shanks was captured?” Kuke muttered, slightly taken aback. This turn of events was unexpected.

He didn’t dwell on it too much. Shanks wasn’t a woman, nor was he a Devil Fruit user. There wasn’t much to gain from him.

“Yes, he’s set to be executed in a month,” Rayleigh confirmed.

At that point, Rayleigh fell silent. He trusted that Kuke would understand his intentions without him having to spell it out. It would be awkward for both of them if he did.

“Typical man,” Sanji muttered under his breath, a hint of envy in his voice. But then he thought about the few beautiful crew members he had, and his spirits lifted. He still had a chance to surpass Kuke.

Kuke pondered for a moment.

“Akainu’s inauguration ceremony, and Shanks’ execution…” A faint smile crept onto his lips. “This is good.”

The bigger the event, the more achievement points he could harvest. Finally, Red-Haired Shanks had something worth taking. A small victory.

“You all don’t need to go. I have no interest in teaming up with others,” Kuke declared.

With Rayleigh and the others involved, the achievement points would be significantly reduced.

“What?” Rayleigh was stunned. This response was not what he had anticipated.

He stared at the now-silent Den Den Mushi, confused.

“Did he just refuse? Or did he agree?” Rayleigh frowned, trying to decipher Kuke’s words.

Luffy, ever straightforward, chimed in, “It’s simple. He’s not going, and he’s telling us not to go either.”

“That’s fine. At least Nami and the others won’t be in danger,” Sanji sighed, a mix of relief and disappointment. He wouldn’t get to see Nami, but at least she’d be safe.

Sanji had come to deeply understand the terror of the Marines. In his eyes, the Sun and Moon Pirates were only on par with a single Admiral, and the Marines had more than one Admiral. Today’s events had proven that even a Yonko crew, with the legendary Rayleigh, couldn’t stand against three Admirals. Red-Haired Shanks himself had been captured.

This only reinforced the idea that a Yonko crew could only match a single Admiral.

“Good,” Zoro also breathed a sigh of relief. He believed he had already surpassed Kuina, but facing an Admiral, he was utterly powerless. If Kuina were to come, he feared she’d be in danger too.

Ben Beckman, however, saw deeper into Kuke’s words. “The Sun and Moon Pirates are truly the Sun and Moon Pirates,” he remarked. He sensed that Kuke’s crew would likely show up on the day of the execution, but they had no interest in teaming up with others.

This realization brought a sense of calm and confidence to the Red-Haired Pirates. Though they felt somewhat slighted, the thought of the Sun and Moon Pirates’ involvement gave them a sense of security they hadn’t felt before.

“Regardless of what the Sun and Moon Pirates decide, we’ll stick to our plan,” Ben Beckman said, addressing his crew. They couldn’t rely entirely on an uncertain external force.

In the New World, shortly after the conversation ended, the Sun and Moon Pirates received the latest news.

“Akainu’s reputation is soaring,” Shaki said, almost pitying the man in the photo who looked so imposing.

“Hmph,” Big Mom sneered, her eyes icy as she glared at Akainu’s image. She knew that part of Akainu’s fame had been built on the back of Kuke. The World Government had hidden many truths about the past decade but had subtly spread the narrative that Akainu had repeatedly pushed the Sun and Moon Pirates into peril. This indirectly told the world that Kuke’s crew was no match for Akainu.

“The bigger his reputation, the better,” Kuke said, pleased with the situation. He had been playing along with the World Government’s narrative, allowing them to shape the story.

“Poor Akainu. He’s about to follow in Sengoku’s footsteps,” Shaki and the others couldn’t help but think of the former Fleet Admiral, who had also fallen from grace at the height of his power.

“Let’s move. We only have a month, and there are still plenty of powerful Devil Fruits out there,” Kuke said, urgency in his voice. He ordered Hancock to steer the ship at full speed.

Once they had gathered all the powerful Devil Fruits from the pirates across the seas, Kuke was confident that he wouldn’t even need to lift a finger. His crew of powerful women would be more than enough to handle the Marines.

The capture of Red-Haired Shanks sent shockwaves across the world. The Marines’ reputation reached its peak in over a decade, and Akainu became a symbol of strength and fear for many.

“He didn’t escape?” Kid, one of the fleeing Supernovas, gritted his teeth in frustration.

“Even a Yonko like Shanks couldn’t escape. Just how strong are the Marines? How strong is that monster Akainu?” Kid’s usual arrogance was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a deep sense of caution.

“Kid, what do we do? The Red-Haired Pirates were captured trying to help us. We can’t just ignore this,” Killer said, his voice heavy.

Kid sighed, feeling powerless. “What can we do? We only have a month. Even if I’m confident in my strength, I’m not foolish enough to think I can take on an Admiral in that time.”

“Let’s wait and see. If there’s an opportunity, we’ll act. If not, we can’t just throw our lives away. We’ll avenge Shanks someday—that’ll be our way of repaying the debt.”

Meanwhile, Hawkins, another Supernova, was busy with his tarot cards.

“Success rate… zero,” he muttered, staring at the cards. Without hesitation, he put them away.

“I’ll pay my respects to Shanks when the time comes, and then head to the New World.”

Apoo, on the other hand, was far less concerned. “Lucky for us the Red-Haired Pirates showed up. Otherwise, we’d be done for. As for Shanks, that was his choice. I didn’t ask him to save me. To the New World!”

Among the Supernovas, some were determined to help, while others turned a blind eye, even mocking the situation. Most, however, simply felt powerless.

“There’s no hope if it’s just me,” Bonney whispered, biting her lip. She wanted to help but knew she lacked the strength.

“The Grand Line is too dangerous. Even a Yonko is no match for the Marines,” she thought, even considering leaving the Grand Line altogether. Maybe returning to the North Blue to live freely as a pirate queen would be better than constantly living under the Marines’ shadow.

“Even if I joined the Sun and Moon Pirates, it’d probably be the same. Facing the Marines, we’d just have to run.”

In the New World, aboard the Whitebeard Pirates’ ship, the news had also spread.

“Shanks, that brat, got captured?” Whitebeard said, clearly surprised.

“Dad, the era we’ve worked so hard to stabilize is about to be thrown into chaos again,” Marco said, his voice filled with concern.

“It’s not that easy to throw the world into chaos. It’s not like someone from the Sun and Moon Pirates was captured. This won’t shake the entire world,” Whitebeard replied calmly. In his eyes, the capture of the Red-Haired Pirates wouldn’t have a massive impact on the world.

“Still, I heard the Sun and Moon Pirates have been active recently. Do you think they’ll get involved in this?” Marco asked.

“Probably not. Kuke and Shanks don’t have any deep connection. There’s no reason for Kuke to save him,” Whitebeard said, shaking his head. “Though I do wonder what the Sun and Moon Pirates have been up to all these years. After destroying Mariejois, they’ve been so quiet, letting the World Government control the narrative. It’s strange.”

“Who knows? But if the Sun and Moon Pirates don’t show themselves soon, the Marines will only grow bolder. Life for pirates will only get harder.”

Just then, the lookout shouted, “Dad! The Sun and Moon Pirates are here!”

“The Sun and Moon Pirates?” Whitebeard stood up, surprised. “Are they here to visit me?”

——

DONT FORGET POWER STONE

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep