The most courageous pirate hunter

Upon arriving at the naval garrison, the atmosphere was noticeably more stable and peaceful, unlike other places where robberies and fights frequently resulted in bloodshed.

There was also a squad of marines patrolling in front of the fortress.

"We're here to redeem the pirate bounty."

Stopped by the navy, Bagesway laughed heartily.

"Are you pirate hunters?"

Several marines observed Hermes and his companions, paying particular attention to Smoothie, since it was immediately obvious who the bounty target was.

"nonsense."

"You see that woman? She's Charlotte Smoothie, one of the Sweet Commanders under Big Mom, with a bounty of 760 million."

Burgess's nostrils were practically pointing skyward.

I believe that after today, their names will be known all over the world.

"what?"

The marines were all startled. Their first thought was that Burgess was playing a trick on them. But after observing carefully, especially those who had seen Smoothie's bounty by chance, they all twitched.

"I'll go inform Lieutenant General Gumir."

The marine, who was serving as the squad leader, looked solemn. He gave his men some instructions and then ran towards the fortress, because he not only remembered Smoothie, but also learned Hermes' identity.

He had also happened to have seen that news report from a while ago.

A few minutes later.

The office of the supreme commander of the base.

"Lieutenant General Gumir, Hermes Jormungandr, the King of Hunters, has captured Charlotte Smoothie, one of the Sweet Commanders, to claim the bounty."

open the door.

The squad leader was a little out of breath.

With a cigar in his mouth, Gumir, who was handling government affairs, almost choked on the smoke.

"What did you say?"

He suspected that he had heard wrongly.

He had just received news that the Marine Headquarters had decided to invite the King of Hunters to serve as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and was preparing to send Momonga to inform him.

It seems that the flying squirrel has already left headquarters, and judging from the looks of it, it probably didn't encounter Hermes Jormungandr.

"it is true."

The squad leader repeated it again.

"You go and greet them first, I'll make a call and come over."

Gumir, twirling a cigar, opened a drawer, picked up a Den Den Mushi, and started dialing.

"Yes!"

Bulu bulu.

"This is a crane."

"Advisor Crane, this is Gumir. I just received news that Hermes Jormungandr, the King of Hunters, has captured Charlotte Smoothie, one of the Sweet Commanders, and is currently here to redeem the bounty."

At this moment, the crane, far away in Marineford, became slightly serious.

Gumir did not disturb them, but waited.

He knew that Tsuru was thinking that if he accepted Smoothie, he might have to face the entire Big Mom Pirates, which was a huge problem.

It's almost like pulling one thread affects the whole body.

"Vice Admiral Gumir, first invite Hermes Jormungandr to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, then escort Charlotte Smoothie back to Marineford as soon as possible. I will notify Admiral Aokiji in the New World to escort her."

Crane didn't keep Gumir waiting long and quickly gave his answer.

"no problem."

"Be careful."

Gumir took a deep drag on his cigar. He knew very well what they would encounter while escorting Charlotte Smoothie; it could be an attack by the Big Mom Pirates.

Even Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors, personally intervened.

He had to hold out until Admiral Aokiji arrived with reinforcements.

Chapter 78 [This is my business card, a professional one]

Malinvando.

He hung up the phone and quickly went to the marshal's office.

She needs to discuss this matter with the Warring States.

"Warring States, I just got a call from Gumir. Hermes Jormungandr, the King of Hunters, has captured Charlotte Linlin's 14th daughter, Charlotte Smoothie."

The Warring States period scholar, who was reviewing documents, looked up.

"Is that one of the Four Sweethearts?"

"kindness."

The crane nodded.

"It seems we underestimated this King of Hunters. Not only did he cause Doflamingo a great loss, but now even the Four Sweet Commanders have fallen."

Sengoku tossed the unused documents to the goat under the table and frowned as he began to ponder.

"Give your opinion."

"I have already had Gumir escort Smoothie back to Marineford, and I have also notified Kuzan in the New World that the King of Hunters has captured the Sweet Commanders and is collecting his bounty from the Navy. We have no choice but to accept it."

The worst-case scenario is to prepare for a full-scale war with the Big Mom Pirates.

"It seems there is no other way."

Zhan Guo rubbed his forehead.

There was no other choice from the beginning. Charlotte Smoothie was not important; what mattered was that she was a trusted subordinate of one of the Four Emperors. To harm her meant offending one of the Four Emperors.

As two major powers, neither the Navy nor the Four Emperors would back down, so war was the only option.

Both sides could be said to have been forced into this situation, with no other choice.

Of course.

If one party offers enough benefits, there is room for negotiation.

By then, we'll be able to come up with not only a second option, but also a third and fourth option.

"If it were Whitebeard, Shanks, or Kaido, they would almost certainly go to war with us, but if it were Charlotte Linlin, that's not necessarily true."

Zhan Guo tapped rhythmically on his desk.

It's not him.

The Navy is not afraid of any single Yonko. Even if two Yonko allied to attack Marineford at the same time, the outcome would be uncertain if other forces did not intervene.

In the future Marineford War, the Navy faced a Whitebeard Pirates crew. The reason why the battle was so difficult and they ultimately won by a narrow margin was entirely due to the special identities of Ace and Luffy.

The network of relationships is too large and too complex.

It's fair to say that characters like Sengoku, Tsuru, Garp, Borsalino, Kuzan, Momonga, and Onigumo weren't taking it seriously or even fighting for their lives.

Only Sakazuki is pouring his heart and soul into it.

The others were basically just coasting along.

If you tried dealing with the other Four Emperors' squad leaders, the Four Sweet Commanders, the Three Disasters, or their subordinates, they wouldn't be able to crawl out of Marineford without beating the shit out of them.

"So you've made up your mind?"

The crane was still somewhat hesitant.

"We have no reason to refuse. Since the opportunity has come, let's go with the flow. Taking down one of the Four Emperors at this time will be a great blow to this so-called Four Emperors era."

The Warring States period was marked by a cold gaze.

Since he became marshal, these four emperors have been causing him a lot of trouble and trying to undermine him. If given the chance, he wouldn't mind getting rid of one of them to increase his prestige.

"I see."

"Keep a close eye on Whole Cake Island first. If Charlotte Linlin makes any big moves, then start gathering the Marines. There's no need to rush before that."

From what he said during the Warring States period, it's clear that he wasn't being overly cautious at all.

Currently, the Navy is only facing the Big Mom Pirates. However, during the Marineford War, the Navy would have to face not only the Whitebeard Pirates, but also the Revolutionary Army, the remnants of the Roger Pirates, the related Red-Haired Pirates, and most importantly, the Navy itself.

The pressure we faced at that time was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.

A storm began to brew silently, and whether it would eventually erupt was still unknown.

Here.