As Lucas hung up the Den Den Mushi, everyone left amid the ruins—Marines and pirates alike—felt a chill run down their spines.
They looked at the young Marine Admiral as if they had seen a ghost.
For the sake of a 10-million-Berry performance bonus, he had not only crossed a Yonko crew...
He had actually called Kaido himself and tried to extort him.
If that wasn’t courting death, what was?
"Well then, our luck’s been pretty good."
Lucas tucked away the Den Den Mushi and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.
"We found Whitebeard’s location much more easily than expected."
"If I remember correctly, Sicily Island isn’t far from here."
"It should only take about half a day to reach."
"What are you all standing around for?"
"Let’s get moving."
"If we’re too late and they leave..."
"I might have to call Kaido again."
Call Kaido again?
Gion and the others snapped back to reality, all wearing bitter smiles.
They had absolutely no doubt—
If Whitebeard couldn’t be found...
Lucas really would "catch up" with Kaido over another phone call.
"Admiral Lucas..."
Gion couldn’t help asking,
"Is a 10-million-Berry performance bonus really worth going this far?"
Everyone instinctively looked toward Lucas.
Taking another sip of strong liquor, he smiled.
"To you?"
"Maybe not."
"But for a qualified salaryman..."
"Doing everything possible to secure your performance bonus is a basic principle."
"Anyway..."
"It’s 9:30."
"Morning tea time."
"I’ll leave the cleanup to all of you."
Watching Lucas calmly board the warship...
Everyone’s facial muscles twitched.
In their eyes...
Only matters involving salary or bonuses ever seemed capable of changing Lucas’s expression.
"Admiral Lucas..."
Koby suddenly called out.
"What about him?"
Everyone’s gaze immediately shifted toward the figure still embedded in the shattered pirate ship.
"Him?"
Lucas stopped walking.
"As a Marine Admiral..."
"I always keep my word."
"Kaido didn’t trade any information for him."
"But I already promised myself..."
"I wouldn’t make another move."
Hiding among the wreckage, Sheepshead slowly opened one eye.
Joy flashed across his face.
The two previous blows had shattered both of his arms and broken countless ribs.
He had thought he was doomed.
Never had he imagined...
That hope would appear at the very last moment.
"However..."
Lucas continued casually.
"I only promised I wouldn’t attack."
"I never said you couldn’t."
"He’s a pirate worth 180 million Berries."
"That’s a respectable amount of military merit."
"If any of you want him..."
"Just remember to buy me a drink afterward."
The lighthearted remark instantly froze Sheepshead’s expression.
The next second, he roared in fury.
"You damned Marines!"
"You dare toy with the Beasts Pirates?!"
"Boss Kaido will never let you get away with this!"
Enduring the agony of his injuries...
Sheepshead turned and tried to flee.
Chaton sighed bitterly.
"Vice Admiral Gion..."
"At this point..."
"We should just capture him."
"At least it’ll count as military merit."
"When Fleet Admiral Sengoku hears about this..."
"Maybe we’ll get scolded a little less."
Gion nodded helplessly.
As she watched Lucas leap effortlessly onto the warship...
An inexplicable feeling of unease welled up inside her.
"Chaton..."
"I just remembered something."
"For Admiral Lucas to receive that 10-million-Berry performance bonus..."
"He has to uncover the real reason behind Whitebeard’s meeting with Red-Haired Shanks."
"If we’re being honest..."
"That mission is practically impossible."
"I’ve got a bad feeling."
"For the sake of that bonus..."
"Won’t Admiral Lucas end up doing something even crazier?"
Chaton froze mid-step.
His heart skipped a beat.
His face immediately turned pale.
"...Let’s report everything that’s happened here to Fleet Admiral Sengoku first."
"I have a feeling..."
"If we do that..."
"We might end up taking a little less of the blame."
Meanwhile...
In the waters around Sicily Island.
An enormous pirate ship resembling a giant whale floated quietly upon the sea.
On the vast open deck...
Whitebeard sat majestically in a specially made chair, IV tubes attached across his body.
He tilted back a jug of sake.
"Marco."
"What’s taking Red-Haired Shanks so long?"
"If he hadn’t insisted on coming here personally..."
"I wouldn’t waste my time waiting for some youngster."
As the strongest of the Four Emperors...
And the legendary pirate who had once rivaled Gol D. Roger...
Whitebeard had never truly regarded Shanks as an equal.
No matter how powerful Shanks had become...
In Whitebeard’s eyes...
He was still just an apprentice from Roger’s ship.
If not for Roger’s sake...
Whitebeard would never have agreed to this meeting.
Standing nearby...
Marco glanced at the monitoring Den Den Mushi.
"Old Man..."
"They’re still about seventy nautical miles away."
"They should arrive within half a day."
"However..."
"Our lookouts across nearby waters have reported something."
"Ships from both the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates have appeared."
"And..."
"The Marines have also sent someone."
"It seems to be their newly appointed Fourth Admiral..."
"Admiral Glutton Lucas."
"Should we drive them off?"
"The Marines’ Fourth Admiral?"
Whitebeard raised an eyebrow before letting out a cold snort.
"So..."
"My meeting with that brat Shanks has stirred up quite a commotion."
"But if Sengoku thinks..."
"Sending some inexperienced kid will be enough to uncover what we’re discussing..."
"Then either he’s looking down on the Whitebeard Pirates..."
"Or he’s finally gone senile."
"Since they’ve all come..."
"Marco."
"Send people to intercept the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates."
"Then notify Atmos, who’s out on patrol."
"If he encounters that new Marine Admiral..."
"Drive him away."
"If necessary..."
"Use force."
"It’s time that young Admiral learns..."
"There are places..."
"That remain forbidden territory for the Marines."
His deep voice carried unquestionable authority.
Marco offered no objections.
He immediately signaled for his subordinates to relay Whitebeard’s orders.
After all...
This was Whitebeard Pirates territory.
In their eyes...
Even if Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself arrived...
He would still have to respect Whitebeard’s rules.
Otherwise...
He would face the combined might of the Whitebeard Pirates and their tens of thousands of allied forces.
As the orders were swiftly passed along...
Marco glanced at the latest issue of the World Economy News Paper lying nearby.
The massive front-page headline featured Admiral Glutton Lucas.
Smiling faintly, Marco said,
"Old Man..."
"That new Marine Admiral looks about the same age as Ace."
"If Ace were here..."
"He’d probably be the perfect one to deal with him."
"At least then..."
"The world would know..."
"That among the younger generation..."
"The strongest rising star still belongs to the Whitebeard Pirates."
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