As Big Mom's voice fell, the ministers of the Charlotte Family gathered on the deck all laughed. Mama's plan was to use hostages of sufficient weight to exchange with Sengoku for Oven and Perospero, who had been thrown into the G-1 branch by the Archangel and then quickly transported to the first half of the Grand Line.
And now, with the hostages for the exchange in hand, the next phase of the plan could proceed.
Big Mom took a Den Den Mushi from a captured Marine branch officer's office and dialed Marine Headquarters.
Click—
The call was answered, and an extrely urgent voice ca through. "This number... it's from the destroyed branch! Are you a survivor from that branch? Please hold on!! Support and rescue fleets have already departed from the G-1 branch—"
However, before the other party could finish, Big Mom impatiently interrupted. "I am BIG MOM!! Get Sengoku on the phone right now!"
Big Mom's words seed to carry the montum and killing intent accumulated over decades of bloodshed. Just two short sentences instantly made the soldier in the Marine HQ communications room turn pale, sweat pouring down like rain, feeling as if he had been plunged into an ice cave, shivering to the bone. Before he lost his mind, he tremblingly turned his head and reported this matter to a Commodore.
"..."
A few minutes later, a deep voice, full of the dignity of a superior, ca from the Den Den Mushi in front of Big Mom. "Charlotte Linlin, you destroyed that branch just to talk to ?"
"Ma~ma~mamama."
"Cut the crap, Sengoku! Let's do a hostage exchange!" Big Mom had no patience to answer and directly stated her intention.
Of course, Big Mom knew that even if she proposed a hostage exchange, a fight would be inevitable at the mont of the exchange. However, she believed that as long as the fight didn't happen at Marine Headquarters, she had already won half the battle. If a war broke out at Marine Headquarters, the Marines could mobilize their full force. No one who went there would have an easy ti; they'd be lucky to escape with missing arms and legs. But if the battlefield was changed to one she controlled, it would be much better. Although still extrely dangerous, Sengoku and another top-tier fighter stationed at Mary Geoise would not be able to be deployed.
Marineford, in the Fleet Admiral's office.
Sengoku sat quietly before his desk. Under the scrutinizing gazes of Garp, Tsuru, and Zephyr, he frowned. "A hostage exchange? Is there anyone still alive in the branch you attacked? You want to use them to exchange for Charlotte Oven and Perospero?!"
Sengoku's guess made Zephyr, who was at the side of the office, freeze for a mont. His expression instantly beca tense.
"Ma~ma~mamama." On the desk, the Den Den Mushi mimicked Big Mom's iconic smile and gave an affirmative answer. "Of course they're still alive! As long as Oven and Perospero are alive, they won't die either!"
Sengoku heard this, and his face beca even uglier. But at the very least, he replied without a change in his tone, "Give up. The Marines will not release pirates with bounties of that level!"
In the office, Garp and the others' faces changed. Their lips moved, wanting to say sothing but holding back. In the end, they said nothing. Decades of fighting with pirates had told them that a pirate's word could not be trusted, no matter how nice they sounded.
On the deck of the Queen Mama Chanter, Big Mom heard this, a look of disdain on her face, as if she had long anticipated this. The next mont, a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes, and she taunted him in an almost insulting manner, "You're really cold-blooded, Sengoku. Even a vile and cruel person like would find a way to rescue my subordinates. But you, the self-proclaid army of justice, are just going to watch them die?"
"They died heroically in a fierce battle with pirates. The people will rember their glorious sacrifice and inherit their will, using everything to continue to fight you."
Hearing this, Big Mom once again beca impatient and said coldly, "After all that talk, it's still because the newspaper has already published that you're going to hold a public execution. And to save the face of the Marines, you choose to sacrifice the soldiers in my hands, right?"
Sengoku heard this and fell silent. It wasn't that Big Mom's words had hit a sore spot, but that the Marines had never intended to hold a public execution in the first place. They had been preparing to imprison them in Impel Down. This was true even after the newspaper published the speculation of a public execution. All the high-ranking officers believed that they should continue to carry out their plan, and then, after achieving a beautiful victory, explain the newspaper's deception to the public, rather than being swayed by the news and starting a war with the Big Mom Pirates, and possibly the Archangel who might co to clean up, at Marine Headquarters.
In the office, Garp stood up, draped his Justice cape over his back, and, eting the gazes of the other two, strode toward the door.
Zephyr saw this and frowned slightly. "Where are you going, Garp?"
Outside the door, Garp's footsteps paused. He slowly turned his head to show Zephyr and Tsuru two rows of large white teeth, his face full of confidence. "I'm going to make a trip to Totto Land, rescue those captured soldiers, and then bring them to participate in your operation!"
Zephyr and the other heard him and were instantly stunned. Even the still-thinking Sengoku looked over at Garp.
Just then, seeing that Sengoku had not replied, Big Mom no longer held back and decisively dropped a bombshell. "Sengoku, if you don't want the two from the God's Knights to be killed by , then bring Oven and Perospero for an exchange!" With that, she hung up the Den Den Mushi first.
"The God's Knights?!"
As the words from the Den Den Mushi fell, Sengoku's pupils constricted, and he froze on the spot. Nearby, Zephyr and Vice Admiral Tsuru also had expressions of utter shock. Only Garp had shed his confident deanor. His whole face beca relaxed, and without any regard for being in the Fleet Admiral's office, he nonchalantly picked his nose.
Brrring~ Brrring~ Brrring~ Just then, another Den Den Mushi on Sengoku's desk rang.
Click. Sengoku frowned and answered it. The next mont, a deep, aged voice sounded, instantly making Garp's expression turn cold.
"Sengoku, this is Garling—"
Sengoku heard him, subconsciously glanced at the other Den Den Mushi, and asked with a frown, "Saint Garling, have two of your n been captured by Charlotte Linlin?"
"..."
Sengoku's words made Garling, who was far away in Mary Geoise, freeze for a mont. It took him a while to realize what had happened. "I see," he said thoughtfully. "So Charlotte Linlin is planning to use our n to exchange for her two sons? Give them to her, Sengoku! When the hostages are exchanged, make her pay the price—"
"I've heard a little about your plan. In my opinion, changing the target to Charlotte Linlin makes no difference." The old man nad Garling had, in a light and casual manner, made a decision on behalf of the Marines. This action made the faces of Sengoku and the others turn unsightly.
"This is not in accordance with the regulations, Saint Garling."
The next mont, the Den Den Mushi spoke with a blank expression, perfectly replicating the man's tone and words on the other end. "Even if you report this to the Five Elders, they will only agree with my plan. You can have Kong ask the Five Elders for instructions to verify my words." Garling's voice was extrely cold, without the slightest annoyance at being contradicted, more like a statent of fact.
With that, Garling hung up, and the entire office beca deathly silent.
Zephyr and Tsuru had various expressions. Garp frowned, his fists clenched. After a long while, a long sigh echoed in the office. Sengoku picked up the Den Den Mushi from the communications room again and, with a cold face, dialed back.
Brrring~ Brrring~ Brrring~
Click. The call was quickly answered, and Big Mom's wild laughter ca through. "Ma~ma~mamama. So, Sengoku, do you want to exchange hostages?"
"..."
Hearing Big Mom's arrogant attitude, Sengoku's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. In the end, he said with a cold face and an extrely stiff tone, "Where will the exchange take place?"
"Near Dressrosa," on the other side, Big Mom, who had already made her decision, replied aningfully.
"Dressrosa—"
Big Mom's answer once again caused a subtle change in the expressions of Sengoku and the others.
Terra, in the wilderness covered with coral and the traces of an ancient city.
Louis sat cross-legged, his sharp spear and the Seven Star Sword laid across his lap. His gaze was fixed on the churning sea in the distance. He was controlling Gaea to lift it, causing a corner of the ancient continent from eight hundred years ago to reappear in the air.
Suddenly, a pirate ship inadvertently entered the range of his Observation Haki. "Not coming to Terra for supplies, and no sign of passing by."
Louis focused his spirit, casting his attention on the pirate ship, which was many nautical miles away, to investigate the reason for its presence near Terra. No resupply, and not moving away. I don't believe they entered here by mistake. They must have a plan.
And the facts proved to be so. In his Observation Haki, Louis overheard so unusual words.
"Surveying the battlefield."
"Battlefield?" Louis's eyes gradually narrowed, a peculiar aning in them. "So, this place is going to beco a battlefield?"
Louis fell into thought. He was considering the possibilities that this discovery might imply.
"Is so unknown power coming to challenge ?"
"Or have Sengoku and the others made Terra their target? Are they going to use to make an example, to regain the trust of the World Governnt mber nations with a beautiful victory?"
"Or is it—that the rumor of Big Mom attacking that branch... she captured those Marines to trade with Sengoku, and has chosen Terra as the location?"
Gradually, Louis raised an eyebrow. He suddenly felt that if the last guess turned out to be true, then Whitebeard's decision to charge Marineford head-on and get himself and his entire pirate crew wiped out would seem a little bit stupid.
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