บท 253: Chapter 253
East Blue, Divine Kingdom.
After the fervent promotion by tens of thousands of devout followers, the once rundown port town had grown into a substantial city.
Paved, clean stone roads, towering castle-like buildings, a well-established trade system, and a lavish central fountain garden…
Everything was peaceful and prosperous, surpassing even the World Government member nations like the Goa Kingdom!
The people living here were healthy and strong, and even seemingly fragile women would beat down any pirate attempting to harass them!
The nation's security was undoubtedly the highest in the East Blue. The only unfortunate thing was that the residents' mental state seemed to have developed in ways beyond scientific explanation.
Whether pirates or merchants passing through, they would be subjected to unavoidable methods, forcing them to sign the Axis Cult's application forms!
Considering the potential threat of this non-member nation, the Marines had set up a new East Blue branch here with a tough stance.
(The Marines stationed here before had been scared away.)
As a result, all the dispatched Marines were brainwashed and became fanatical members of the Axis Cult…
Absolutely absurd!
Over time, the Divine Kingdom became, naturally and unsurprisingly, the "illegal land" of the believers!
On this particular morning, as usual, Gin came to the port for inspection.
Although the "ferocious reputation" of the Divine Kingdom was already widely known in East Blue, there were still pirates who dared to challenge them now and then.
In the era of the Great Pirate Age, how many people had nowhere else to go?
"Strange. Pirates are one thing, but why haven't I seen a single merchant ship either?"
Looking at the vast, unusually quiet sea ahead, Gin's brows furrowed deeply.
His strong intuition told him that something significant was happening out in the surrounding waters.
Soon, a trading ship that had set sail from the Divine Kingdom in the early morning returned with a sense of defeat, bringing shocking news to Gin:
The sea within a radius of twenty nautical miles around the Divine Kingdom had been entirely blockaded by suddenly appearing Marine warships, prohibiting any vessels from entering or leaving!
Upon hearing the ship captain's conservative estimate that at least seventy warships were out there, Gin's sense of unease intensified.
Though he didn't know about the Celestial Dragons' extermination operation that occurred every three years, Gin, as a former core member of East Blue's largest pirate fleet, understood one thing.
The current Marine system in East Blue could never deploy so many warships at once.
Even more terrifying, the target of these seventy-plus Marine warships was none other than the Divine Kingdom!
In his panic, Gin hurried back to the main city of the Divine Kingdom, using all the means, contacts, and connections he had to finally gather information on the scale of the Marine deployment.
And because of that, even a man who had faced death was nearly scared to collapse on the spot.
One hundred Marine warships, thousands of elite headquarters troops, more than ten Vice Admirals…
This was several times more terrifying than the rumored Buster Call!!
What Gin didn't know was that this was merely the World Government's vanguard force.
On their way were reserve Admirals, Admirals, the Holy Knights, and the Gorosei...
"No, no, I must contact Zyhark and the others as soon as possible!"
Gin, despite his fears, stumbled out of the royal city.
However, without the means to contact the Sea Restaurant, how could he possibly break through the Marine blockade and deliver the message?
Realizing this, Gin gave up on such naïve thoughts and began mobilizing the residents of the Divine Kingdom, initiating all possible emergency evacuation measures.
Fortunately, Aqua's followers possessed an unmatched unity, and the news of the Marine invasion didn't cause widespread panic or chaos.
The residents greatly trusted Lord Gin, who had "served" the goddess, and the entire evacuation process, though rushed, proceeded in an orderly manner.
At the same time.
After a frantic journey for most of the day, the Endless Dream finally reached Amazon Lily, located deep within the Calm Belt.
To avoid exposing their whereabouts, the Endless Dream traveled through the higher-resistance sea floor, resulting in some delays.
The warriors of Amazon Lily recognized Zyhark and his group, and as soon as the ship docked, they were led to the imperial residence of Nine Snake City.
"Kehahahaha! Who would've thought I, of all people, would enter this legendary pirate-forbidden place so openly like this!"
Moria led the group, his large and peculiar frame and his eerie laughter causing the people of Amazon Lily to stop and stare.
Upon hearing about the upcoming action from Zyhark, this unruly Shichibukai showed no fear. Instead, he displayed a strong fighting spirit.
He boasted that he would make this decisive battle his grand return to glory, making the world once again recognize the terror of Gecko Moria!
These words of arrogance, in a way, boosted the morale of the entire crew.
Previously, Zyhark had thought Moria's ambition to overthrow Kaido was sheer ignorance, with no mark of a true strong man.
But seeing it firsthand, he quietly retracted that "bias."
"I knew you were tough, but at this level, all I can say is..."
"Impressive!"
Moria was still curiously examining the streets of Amazon Lily, muttering to himself.
"The Pirate Empress is also my teammate, kehahaha! I really look forward to fighting alongside that woman!"
Before he could finish his sentence, a beautiful figure approached at a speed of 30 knots.
In the last second before being forcefully kicked away, Moria barely saw a red high-heeled shoe stepping on his face.
And then he flew off.
"Where did this wild green onion come from, daring to stand in the way of Lord Zyhark?!"
In her flowing purple cheongsam, Hancock gracefully landed, brushing aside her black hair, her snake-shaped earrings jingling.
"Ahh, Lady Boa!"
The nearby residents of Amazon Lily instantly became infatuated, their eyes turning into hearts.
"Mm? Hancock," Zyhark greeted her calmly.
"M-m-marry?! Lord Zyhark, isn't this a bit too fast? No, no, please marry me right here and now~"
Hancock, who had been heartbroken just a moment ago, now brimmed with energy and vitality.
And, of course, that over-the-top imagination that even frightened Aqua.
Meowth and the others were okay, but Escanor and Uta, who were seeing Hancock for the first time, were left bewildered by the sudden change in atmosphere.
"Hey, Kanna, is this Shichibukai also a goddess?" Uta poked Kanna, whispering.
With Aqua's similarly beautiful yet eccentric personality in mind, she instinctively assumed that women with such characteristics were synonymous with being goddesses.
Though she had heard of the Pirate Empress's title during her time with Shanks, she never imagined the person would be like this…
Quirky?
"Enemy!"
Kanna didn't answer Uta's question. Instead, she glared at Hancock with hostility as the empress tried to get closer to Zyhark.
Zyhark found himself in a headache over this.
"Damn you, Hancock! Is this how you treat your seniors in the crew?!"
Moria, with a big lump on his head, angrily ran back.
Technically, he wasn't wrong—after all, based on timing, he had joined the Sea Restaurant before Hancock.
"Shut up, Moria. Who allowed your dirty feet to step onto this island?"
When facing Moria, the love in Hancock's eyes immediately disappeared.
Replaced by the icy cruelty of the Pirate Empress.
"Huh? Are you saying you want to fight me?!"
Moria raised his fist, his entire body enveloped in shadows, looking fierce.
He wasn't afraid of anyone during his downfall, and now that he was back in his prime, he saw Hancock as no threat.
Perhaps soon, "Moonlight" would need to be replaced with something even fiercer!
"This is my territory!" Hancock stepped forward, red lightning bursting around her.
The sight of two Shichibukai at odds instantly put the warriors of Amazon Lily into a combat stance, drawing their taut snake bows aimed at Moria.
As the fight was about to begin, Zyhark stepped in, pointing at Moria. "Hancock, there's no need for such hostility. This guy is now one of our comrades."
"Yes, Lord Zyhark!" Hancock immediately dispelled her Conqueror's Haki.
The surrounding warriors put away their bows.
Seeing this, Moria snorted and also withdrew his shadows.
"By the way, Lord Zyhark, I heard just a couple of days ago that you defeated Big Mom. As expected of the man I fancy~"
Mentioning this, Hancock's eyes sparkled with admiration.
Seeing her like this, Zyhark didn't need to guess—she clearly didn't know about the imminent extermination operation by the Celestial Dragons, nor did she understand the primary reason they were here.
From an intelligence standpoint, Rayleigh and Shakky definitely must have heard the news.
The reason they hadn't told him or Hancock was probably the same as Shanks'—they simply didn't believe they could win against the World Government head-on. Rather than have the Sea Restaurant go and die in vain, it would be better to wait it out.
Though their methods weren't brutal, they were seasoned pirates who had survived an entire era.
To them, risking Amazon Lily's future for a non-member country simply wasn't a prudent trade-off.
"Where are Rayleigh and Shakky? They haven't left yet, have they?" Zyhark asked.
"No, those two old-timers heard you were coming and are waiting inside."
Hancock's fury spiked as she recalled Rayleigh and Shakky's calm demeanor while drinking tea, showing no intention of coming out to greet her beloved.
Led by Hancock, the group walked into the exquisitely decorated central castle and met Rayleigh, Shakky, and Elder Nyon, who were sipping tea in the reception hall.
"Zyhark, you still came..." Rayleigh sighed heavily.
Zyhark's arrival at this critical moment explained many things.
The gears of the shifting era were turning with an unstoppable momentum.
Shakky held a lit lady's cigarette in one hand and poured Zyhark a cup of hot tea with the other, her sharp gaze lingering on the three unfamiliar faces behind him.
"You little brat, you even managed to recruit Moria and Shanks' daughter?"
Gecko Moria, one of the old-school Shichibukai, was understandable, but Uta joining the Sea Restaurant was completely unexpected.
It indicated that their relationship with the Red-Haired Pirates had become extremely solid!
Moreover...
Shakky squinted her eyes slightly, staring at Escanor with his two handsome mustaches.
It was morning, and Escanor's muscles bulged, exuding an incredibly strong aura, like a sun radiating power.
Clearly, this man, who had never made his mark on the sea, was someone with extraordinary power!
She couldn't figure out how Zyhark always managed to recruit such powerful monsters.
No wonder even Charlotte Linlin was defeated.
Shakky had suggested concealing the extermination operation of the Celestial Dragons out of safety concerns.
But now, this battle, which seemed destined to end in defeat, might have just a slight possibility of success with the Sea Restaurant's growing strength!
"I'm sorry, Rayleigh, time is tight, so let's skip the pleasantries."
Zyhark took a sip of the hot tea Shakky had poured for him and stated his purpose directly.
To convince them in the shortest time possible, he didn't hide any part of the action plan. He even mentioned the Revolutionary Army cadre Bartholomew Kuma, who was speeding toward them, and the cooperation established with Dragon.
Besides his absolute trust in Rayleigh, Shakky, and Hancock, he wanted their help in refining the plan.
After all, these people before him were legendary pirates from the old era!
"So, I ask for your help!"
After speaking, Zyhark bowed his head earnestly.
Rayleigh and Shakky were stunned into silence, and Elder Nyon's face wrinkled like a cloth in shock.
Hancock, who feared the Celestial Dragons like a monster, bit her nails, but didn't tremble with fear.
As long as it was Zyhark's request, Hancock, who was hopelessly in love, would support it unconditionally.
Even if doing so could potentially bring destruction to Amazon Lily!
"Lord Zyhark, I am willing to go with you to the Divine Kingdom!"
She was the first to break the silence, her gaze firm.
"Snake Princess, don't..."
Elder Nyon was about to speak when Hancock kicked her away with a Perfume Femur. "Old hag, what business is it of yours?!"
"Forget it, Gloriosa, you know how crazy a lovesick Nine Snake empress can be."
Seeing Elder Nyon get up again, wanting to persuade further, Shakky extinguished her cigarette expressionlessly.
This indirectly expressed her decision.
If Zyhark's plan were carried out successfully, it could deliver a serious blow to the World Government.
One that would keep them in a state of decline for a long time!
"Hahaha, the God Valley battle, huh? It's really nostalgic..."
"It's been a long time since I've seriously moved these old bones. As a continuation of our previous Haki lesson, Zyhark, Aqua, let me teach you both in actual combat!"
Rayleigh laughed heartily, standing up, and pushed his round glasses.
The clear lenses reflected the sharp, domineering eyes of the Dark King.
"Heh, nice, old man, the Vice Pope of the Axis Cult is now your title!"
Aqua patted Rayleigh's shoulder, indicating the highest recognition as a goddess.
With that, Rayleigh, Shakky, and Hancock officially joined the crew.
Adding the rapidly approaching Bartholomew Kuma with his Devil Fruit ability, the "Endless Dream" setting out for East Blue became bustling, with numbers reaching unprecedented levels.
At the same time, Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
A major incident reported from Impel Down had infuriated Fleet Admiral Kong.
The Golden Lion Shiki, recently imprisoned, along with Bullet the Demon Heir, led a mass escape from Level Six, severely injuring Director Magellan and Deputy Director Shiryu!
"Where did these madmen get the intelligence that the Marines are severely short-handed?!"
Kong slammed the report onto his desk, roaring in anger.
His adjutant across the desk trembled, lowering his head without a word.
"Use every available resource to rescue Magellan, and mobilize all idle personnel. We must determine their escape route!"
"Yes, Admiral Kong!"
After his adjutant left, the weary Kong sat back in his Fleet Admiral chair, staring out at the vast sea beyond the window in confusion.
The prison break of Shiki and Bullet would deal a severe blow to the current Marine system.
If it weren't for the Admirals and Akainu and Aokiji escorting the Celestial Dragons, how could they have allowed such a thing to happen?
Even a single Admiral's assistance would have prevented this humiliating event!
There was no need for the Marines to protect the Celestial Dragons during such a ludicrous extermination!
What bothered Kong even more was that they had lost track of the Sea Restaurant's location.
Aside from appearing at Zou yesterday, it was as if they had vanished.
At the same time, pirates across the New World were restless, while the Sea Emperors were conspicuously calm.
Such unnatural calmness seemed more like the calm before a storm.
With the Divine Kingdom extermination operation only a day away, an overwhelming sense of unease gripped Kong.
(End of Chapter)
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