Pirates on Rocks' Ship 996

But shortly after Marco left, Frank received another Den Den Mushi from Kuki, and his expression immediately changed.

Chapter 1104 Reina's Proposal

"What did you say? There are a large number of naval warships near the signal flare? The Straw Hat crew is fighting the Navy?" Frank asked in shock as he listened to the message from Kuki on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

“Yes, Chief Frank, according to the news from over there, there are no fewer than ten naval warships, and several World Government warships as well. That sea area has become a battlefield, and my men dare not approach it at all!” Kuki swallowed hard and said.

"Damn it! Have your men keep an eye on things. I'll contact Dad right now! Also, Captain Marco has already headed that way. If he stays with you, be sure to tell him the information!" Frank said, somewhat exasperated.

"Yes, I understand!" the laborer nodded and replied.

After hanging up the Den Den Mushi to Kuki, Frank immediately started contacting Whitebeard, who was far away at the front lines.

"Dad!" Frank immediately reported the information after Whitebeard connected to the Den Den Mushi.

"You mean the Navy attacked the Straw Hat crew?" Whitebeard asked, frowning.

“Yes, that’s the news from over there! Captain Marco has already gone there alone, and I can’t get in touch with him!” Frank replied in a deep voice.

After thinking for a moment, Whitebeard said, "Try to contact Marco first and tell him not to act rashly for the time being. I'll contact the Navy first to see what's going on. If they really intend to tear up the treaty in public, I'll contact the other forces to clear the Navy out of the North Blue first!"

“Yes, Dad!” Frank nodded in response.

After putting down the Den Den Mushi, Whitebeard immediately sent someone to fetch Reyner. He was currently training with the captains and commanders, partly to digest the power of luck he had acquired last time, and partly to prepare for the upcoming battle.

"Brother, what's the matter that you called me over here?" Reina pushed open the door and entered, only to find that Whitebeard seemed to be thinking about something and didn't even notice him coming in.

Upon hearing Reyna's voice, Whitebeard then recounted the whole story to Reyna.

“This is a bit strange!” Reina frowned and said, “Logically speaking, the Navy should be actively preparing for war, just like us, to deal with the extraterrestrial visitors. Although Uta’s abilities are indeed quite powerful, they are not a big threat to the Navy. This approach is somewhat like the work of the World Government!”

"You suspect that it wasn't Sengoku who made the move, but Sakazuki? And that he was also sent by the World Government?" Whitebeard immediately seized on the key point and asked.

“Very likely!” Reina stroked his chin, his eyes lighting up. “Perhaps… this is a good opportunity to separate the North Sea Navy from the Navy Headquarters!”

"You mean...?" Whitebeard looked at Reiner and asked.

"Brother, first contact Sengoku to confirm if the people on our territory are his people. Regardless of whether they are his people or not, we'll treat them as their people. Then, using the North Sea Treaty as an excuse, we'll accuse them of breaking the treaty. At that point, they'll either immediately send someone to stop Sakazuki's actions, or... they'll withdraw from the North Sea!" Reina said with a sly laugh. "Judging from the current situation in the North Sea, it's practically like picking up the winds of fate. The powerful extraterrestrial visitors can't appear, so they definitely won't let go of this opportunity. Therefore, there's a high probability that they'll make Sakazuki stop!"

"But Sakazuki is the marshal, and he won't take orders from Sengoku. That's when... that's when their differences will arise!"

After Reiner finished speaking, Whitebeard fell into deep thought.

"So what are you planning to do about the Straw Hats?" Whitebeard asked after thinking for a moment.

“Given Luffy and his crew’s strength, the fact that they were forced to use the signal flare left by Marco means the Navy has definitely deployed an Admiral-level powerhouse. Right now, Sakazuki’s side only has Kizaru and Green Bull at their disposal! So at most, one Admiral will arrive. However, the Navy has a numerical advantage, which is why Luffy and his crew can’t break through and chose to ask for help!” Reina analyzed after thinking for a moment. “But our forces on Crescent Moon Island aren’t many either, so it’s best to put pressure on Sengoku’s side! With Marco going to help, their safety should be guaranteed!”

This was indeed the best solution at the moment, so after listening to Reiner's suggestion, Whitebeard immediately contacted Sengoku and told him about the Straw Hat crew's attack by the Navy.

"If your navy intends to tear up the treaty, I wouldn't mind eliminating you first!" Whitebeard said in a deep voice.

Sengoku was still a bit confused at this point, because he had never given such an order. Moreover, the Straw Hat crew was no longer the same pirate group as before; they now represented a powerful conglomerate.

Because he was unclear about the specifics, Sengoku didn't say much, only asking Whitebeard for some time before giving him an explanation.

"Your people are currently fighting the Straw Hat crew on my territory. If you don't act quickly, don't blame me for taking action. Reina has already led his men there. If your people don't leave before he arrives, you'll face the consequences!" Whitebeard said, then hung up the Den Den Mushi.

After looking at the Den Den Mushi that had been disconnected, Sengoku thought for a moment and then immediately ordered a messenger to summon Tsuru, Garp, Aokiji, and the others.

After everyone had arrived, Sengoku recounted the events.

"That's impossible, we haven't deployed any troops against the Straw Hat crew yet!" Aokiji said, frowning.

“Perhaps…it wasn’t someone we sent!” Staff Officer He said softly.

"You think so too?" Sengoku asked, looking at Advisor Tsuru.

Garp looked completely confused, not understanding their conversation at all, and asked, "You mean someone impersonated us and attacked Luffy and his crew?"

“No need for disguise, because they are the navy!” Sengoku shook his head and said.

"Huh?" Garp was even more surprised; he didn't understand Sengoku's meaning.

Aokiji looked at the two hesitantly and asked, "You mean... people from headquarters?"

"Headquarters?" Garp suddenly stood up and asked, "What are they doing sending people to the North Sea?"

"Perhaps...it's because of Uta?" Staff Officer He speculated.

They already knew about the North Sea incident. They were aware of the World Government's and the Navy Headquarters' attitudes toward the matter, and had even received orders from the Headquarters to capture Uta whenever they had the chance.

Neither Sengoku nor Strategist Tsuru took the order to heart. In their eyes, it was just a Devil Fruit, nothing to do with the power of destiny.

I never expected things to turn out this way.

Chapter 1105 The Helplessness of the Warring States Period

After making the guess, Staff Officer Tsuru's idea was to immediately send someone to investigate and see if it was actually the Navy at headquarters that was in conflict with the Straw Hat crew.

But Sengoku shook his head and said, "There's no point in doing this. Whitebeard has already said that he has sent people over. If we can't resolve this before they arrive, they will declare war on us, since we started this whole thing!"

“But this has nothing to do with us! It was Sakazuki who gave the order to go find Sakazuki!” Garp said with a dissatisfied look.

“We are all navy!” Sengoku sighed softly and said.

Everyone remained silent.

They already knew in their hearts that it was definitely the Marines at headquarters who attacked the Straw Hat crew.

"Why don't you contact Sakazuki and tell him what happened? As for how to decide, let him, the marshal, decide!" Staff Officer He closed his eyes, sighed, and said.

“But our troops have already assembled and are about to launch a counterattack against the extraterrestrials. At this critical moment…” Garp stopped speaking before he could finish his sentence.

Because once the Whitebeard Pirates declare war on them, they will be unable to launch an attack on the extraterrestrial visitors.

So all Sengoku needs to do now is tell Sakazuki about the situation here.

Soon, Sengoku dialed Sakazuki's Den Den Mushi and told him about Whitebeard's decision. In his opinion, the action against the Straw Hat crew must have been Sakazuki's doing, so he only needed to explain the seriousness of the matter.

But after listening to Sengoku's report, Sakazuki remained silent for a moment, then said, "This operation... was not ordered by me!"

"What do you mean?" Zhan Guo was taken aback and asked in surprise.

"This is an operation led by the World Government. Our Navy is just cooperating. So even if we declare war on the Whitebeard Pirates, I have no right to stop the operation!" Sakazuki, with a cigar in his mouth, said with considerable helplessness, "Sengoku... get ready! This world... is about to descend into chaos!"

Sengoku trembled slightly as he asked, "What do they want to do? Start a world war? Have you really thought this through? We still have external enemies. Are you really going to start a world war at this time because of a Devil Fruit?"

He could hardly believe what he was hearing. Although the world government had gone too far in the past, it had generally been working to balance the world and contributing to world peace.

But he really couldn't understand why they would let the promising situation in the North Blue be ruined for the sake of a mere Devil Fruit.

“Although I don’t know what those guys are trying to do, I know this is definitely not about Devil Fruits!” Sakazuki said calmly to the furious Sengoku.

"I understand. The Whitebeard Pirates are preparing to move. Once they arrive on the battlefield, even if you wipe out the Straw Hat crew, the people you sent out probably won't come back!" Sengoku sighed and replied.

"No, even if the Whitebeard Pirates join the battle, it won't change anything! In addition to sending the Navy, the World Government has also mobilized... the Five Elders!" Sakazuki said in a deep voice.

Sengoku's eyes widened, and he asked somewhat blankly, "What did you just say?"

"Hoo~" Sakazuki exhaled a smoke ring and said again, "I said this operation is being personally commanded by the Five Elders, and some of them are involved!"

"Things are about to change!" Sengoku muttered to himself as he hung up the Den Den Mushi, somewhat lost in thought.

He knew that if the Five Elders were to be mobilized, their protective forces would be indispensable, and the Straw Hat crew, who were currently fighting the World Government, would definitely not be able to escape unscathed.

If something happens to the Straw Hat crew, the situation in the North Blue will inevitably change, because apart from their own navy, and even the various forces in the North Blue, including their North Blue branch, are all connected to the Straw Hat crew to some extent.

Garp is the Straw Hat Pirates' grandfather. If this were in the New World, even if the Navy captured and killed the Straw Hat crew, Garp would be unhappy and sad, but he wouldn't take any further action because their positions determined their relationship.

However, this is the North Blue. With an alliance treaty in place, the World Government readily broke the treaty and attacked and killed the Straw Hat crew. Sengoku couldn't guarantee that Garp wouldn't rebel after learning this news.

Moreover, the Whitebeard Pirates, the Red-Haired Pirates, and the Revolutionary Army, whether out of concern for their own interests or their relationship with the Straw Hat crew, will certainly not let them go.

"Sengoku, what did that old bastard Sakazuki say? Did he refuse?" Garp, still unaware of the conversation, asked with a smile.

“He did refuse. This matter is led by the World Government, so he has no right to stop it!” Sengoku steadied himself and replied with difficulty.

"Huh? What do we do now? We have an alliance treaty. Openly attacking our ally in the North Blue would be impossible for us to explain!" Garp said with a surprised look. "How about... we pin the blame on the Celestial Dragons? I reckon they were the ones who started this in the first place!"

Sengoku didn't speak, but remained silent for a while before saying, "The situation is a bit special now. Since there's nothing we can do with Sakazuki, I plan to contact Mary Geoise again. We still have to try! Garp, you and Aokiji go and gather the troops first. If we really can't stop it in the end, we may have to withdraw from the North Blue Sea!"

Garp frowned and said, "Sengoku, we sacrificed so many comrades to gain a foothold in the North Sea. Are we just going to give up now?"

Clearly, Garp didn't want to clean up the mess for the World Government. In his view, as long as other forces went to cause trouble for the World Government, they could just pretend they didn't know anything. He figured Whitebeard and the others probably didn't want to be enemies with them either.

Knowing the inside story, Sengoku didn't know how to explain, so he could only say, "I know, but the situation is a bit complicated right now. Sakazuki's side isn't explaining things clearly either, so I need to contact Mary Geoise. You should leave first!"

Seeing that Sengoku looked genuinely troubled, Garp and Aokiji had no choice but to get up and leave. As for whether they were going to gather the soldiers, Sengoku, being a sister-complex, didn't care.

After the two left, Staff Officer He spoke up, "Tell me, what's the situation now?"

She didn't believe Sengoku's words at all. He must have known something and deliberately sent Garp and Aokiji away.

Sengoku told Staff Officer Tsuru what Sakazuki had just said with a wry smile. Even Staff Officer Tsuru, who was used to seeing all kinds of storms, couldn't help but open his mouth in surprise after hearing it.

"You mean... the Five Elders personally went out?" Advisor Tsuru asked slowly after digesting the information provided by Sengoku.

“That’s right. Based on Sakazuki’s guess, their main target is probably not Uta and the Straw Hat crew. They just happened to be there to deal with them!” Sengoku replied softly from his seat.

"What exactly is it that requires the Five Elders to personally intervene?" Staff Officer He frowned and said, "If we don't figure this out, we will be in a very passive position, and losing the North Sea might be the least of our worries!"

Chapter 1106 Decision

While Sengoku was still speculating about the World Government's intentions, Marco had already departed from Gengetsu Island and arrived at Kaka Island.

The moment Kuki saw Marco, he stopped Marco and immediately contacted Frank.

"You mean the ones who attacked the Straw Hat crew... were the Navy and the World Government?" Marco asked, frowning immediately after hearing Kuki's report.

"Yes, Captain Marco, my men are still in that area. The Navy and the World Government have completely surrounded the Straw Hat crew, and it seems a pirate ship has escaped from another direction!" Kuki nodded and said, "I've already contacted Chief Inspector Frank. Please have Captain Marco communicate with Chief Inspector Frank before taking any further action!"

Marco nodded and followed behind Kuki, saying, "Let's go, take me to the liaison room!"

After the two arrived at the communications room, Marco immediately picked up the already connected Den Den Mushi and said, "Frank? This is Marco!"

"Captain Marco, this is Frank! I've already contacted Daddy. He told you to prioritize the safety of the Straw Hat crew. There must be an Admiral-level expert present, so you can try to talk to the Navy and get them to stop. Otherwise, our major powers will join forces to eliminate the Navy's forces!" Frank relayed Reyna's decision to Marco.

“I understand. Does Father have any plans to send reinforcements?” Marco asked after thinking for a moment.

“We don’t know the exact situation over there yet, but the vice-captain has already started assembling the captains. If your negotiations fail, contact Kuki immediately and have him send me a message. I’ll then report to Dad, and he’ll probably only send reinforcements around that time! So if the negotiations break down, you’ll need to ensure the safety of the Straw Hat crew’s core members!” Frank said in a deep voice.

"Hoo~" Marco took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "If we teleport from the front lines, we can only reach Xuan Yue Island, so my support will take at least half a day, right?"