Katakuri lay in his room, thinking over Smoothie's words. In truth, if they weren't enemies and circumstances were different, Katakuri would have been eager to join the Whitebeard Pirates.
His current situation was quite embarrassing. If only he were just a member of the Big Mom Pirates and not her son, things would have been much better for him.
Though his attachment to Big Mom wasn't strong, this identity still caused some trouble for him, making it difficult to fully accept his situation.
At that moment, there was a sudden commotion outside. It was the sound of cannonballs being fired, exploding in the water, and so forth.
"What's happening? What's going on?"
Katakuri questioned suddenly. The war had ended. Could it be that the Big Mom Pirates still have some support?
But Katakuri denied it quickly, it seemed impossible. Big Mom had already gathered all available forces before the attack.
Even if there were still some forces remaining, it wouldn't be enough to assemble such a large fleet. The dense artillery fire outside indicated a level of firepower beyond what remained of Big Mom's forces.
Katakuri doubted that those forces would seek revenge for Big Mom. They wouldn't dare to risk it. Big Mom had always ruled with an iron fist, and there weren't many who truly depended on her.
Various speculations raced through Katakuri's mind. He needed to know what was happening outside because these attacks could potentially harm his brothers and sisters. If that were the case, the situation would take a turn for the worse.
As Katakuri grew more anxious, the room was suddenly burst open with force, and a Marine uniform-clad individual strode in.
"You... who are you?"
Katakuri asked, puzzled by the Marine's presence. Yet, he surmised that the Marine was likely from the attacking ship outside.
"I'm Marine Ensign Sharo. You're Katakuri, a cadre of the Big Mom Pirates," the Marine replied.
Seeing no hostility from the Marine, Katakuri responded, "Yes, I am Katakuri."
"Alright. I want to release you now. Can you fight with us?" Sharo inquired.
"Fight? What do you mean?" Katakuri asked, still puzzled.
"Our warships have surrounded the Whitebeard Pirates, and they're attacking fiercely. You, from the inside, can engage in battle against the Whitebeard Pirates. If we attack them both internally and externally, we can wipe them out in one fell swoop,"
Sharo explained.
Sharo originally thought Katakuri would accept it immediately, but he refused: "I'm sorry, I can't do it, I can't help you."
Sharo's eyes widened in surprise. This task was assigned by a superior, and the success of the plan relied on internal and external cooperation.
Releasing the captives from the Big Mom Pirates could indeed wreak havoc on the Whitebeard Pirates ships, especially amidst the chaos of battle.
Kizaru, although planned to be involved, hadn't shown up yet. He remained in the shadows, waiting for Whitebeard to make a move so he could intervene and restrain him.
Without an Admiral present, there was a certain level of relaxation, making the plan seem flawless. However, up until now, Sharo hadn't noticed this critical flaw.
In other words, what should the prisoners of the Big Mom Pirate do if they refuse to cooperate?
When the Marines devised this plan, they assumed that the prisoners of the Big Mom Pirates would cooperate with them.
But this wasn't unexpected because, according to common sense, these individuals had just fought the Whitebeard Pirates and suffered defeat. They were likely harboring resentment.
Moreover, they hadn't surrendered to the Whitebeard Pirates, indicating their desire to resist them further. Therefore, seizing the chance to undermine the Whitebeard Pirates shouldn't be overlooked.
However, Katakuri, being the most formidable combatant among the Big Mom Pirates' captives, outright declined this opportunity.
"Why? This is a perfect chance to take down the Whitebeard Pirates. Don't you want revenge for the Big Mom Pirates?"
Sharo asked, feeling surprised.
Little did Sharo know that Katakuri had almost made up his mind to join the Whitebeard Pirates. If the Marine headquarters severely attacked the Whitebeard Pirates now, it wouldn't end well for him.
As a subordinate of one of the Four Emperors, Katakuri naturally harbors resentment towards the Marines. So, how could he possibly join forces with them to fight against the Whitebeard Pirates at this time?
Katakuri has no intention of taking action at the moment. He won't assist the Marines against the Whitebeard Pirates, nor will he aid the Whitebeard Pirates against the Marines.
Because Katakuri wanted to see how powerful the Whitebeard Pirates were against Marine, and wanted to see how well the Whitebeard Pirates could do in the face of Marine's extermination.
"I'm sorry, I have no interest in revenge. You should focus on dealing with the Whitebeard Pirates. Don't waste your time on me,"
Katakuri said calmly.
"Damn it!"
Sharo felt frustrated. He couldn't understand why this was happening. It was a golden opportunity. Even if the other prisoners might be different from Katakuri, Katakuri's value was still great.
When devising the plan, their attention was almost entirely on Katakuri. He could help divert some of the Whitebeard Pirates' strength away from Marine.
So when Katakuri refused, the plan suffered setbacks. Sharo felt he had taken a risk, but now it seemed useless, leaving him frustrated.
If it weren't for avoiding making enemies and if Sharo could match Katakuri's strength, he'd want to confront Katakuri right away and find out what he's thinking.
Now, Sharo had no choice but to leave. He had to reach out to other prisoners and see if any of them were willing to cooperate.
However, not many prisoners were willing to cooperate with the Marines. Firstly, these pirates have a deep-seated hatred towards the Marines. Secondly, they all had their own judgement of the situation.
Cooperating with the Marines would yield one of two outcomes for them. Firstly, the Whitebeard Pirate would suffer a severe blow from the Marines, reducing them from Whitebeard's captives to Marine captives.
None of the promises made by the Marines could guarantee them peace of mind. They couldn't predict how the Marines would treat them once they cooperated. So, the situation wouldn't improve much from what it is now.
In the second scenario, if the Marines were repelled by the Whitebeard Pirates, their situation wouldn't be any better either.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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