The Great Voyage Begins with the Celestial Dragons

The emergence of various military strategies has made naval warfare more unpredictable and treacherous.

The ocean is incredibly vast, and even in waters between two countries, finding dozens of ships can be a difficult task.

They either rely on aerial reconnaissance methods similar to those possessed by Morgans, or they have special Devil Fruit users like Violet, or they have an inside agent with a Vivre Card to guide them.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be a simple matter for the two sides to meet.

Relying on the pirates' superior individual strength, the Dressressa fleet was almost entirely dispersed, and under the Red Earl's design, it focused on small-scale naval battles, thus gaining absolute initiative on the battlefield.

The current war is no exception.

Despite having a numerical advantage, the few warships of the Kingdom of Prodens were quickly destroyed and sank to the bottom of the sea one by one.

On the ocean, only the royal flag of Dressrosa remains to flutter.

Chapter 298 Sabo Sets Sail

Dressrosa, the Royal Palace.

After the previous renovations, this place is now filled with all kinds of screens.

The throne was left empty inside the hall, with a long table placed in the center.

At the head of the long table, Luther sat prominently.

Scarlett and Hiyori sat on either side of him, watching the various screens in the hall with him.

Some of them display nearby nautical charts, others scroll through war briefings, and still others are directly connected to certain individuals, ready to issue various commands at any time.

For the first two years after Dressrosa went to war with the Kingdom of Prodens, Luther and Mazsa were still in command remotely.

However, as both sides increased their investment and the death toll continued to rise, the two tacitly left the holy site one after the other, and took charge of the two countries.

The remaining affairs of the World Government are handled by the other four members of the Five Elders.

The attitudes of the other four elders towards Luther's challenge were rather intriguing.

We neither support, oppose, nor even discuss.

It's obvious that neither side will have any objections, regardless of who wins or loses.

However, in Luther's eyes, this could be considered as supporting Mazsan.

His development period was short, only about ten years.

Anyone with eyes can see that he wields great power, but he also has many problems.

Under these circumstances, defeating a Celestial Dragon family led by one of the Five Elders would be virtually impossible.

For the Five Elders, playing against him was more like finding some amusement in their boredom of ruling the world.

Suppressing this outstanding junior among the Celestial Dragons would probably be a trivial matter for those old guys.

Originally, this was how it should have been...

Luther withdrew the strange look from his eyes and looked at one of the screens in front of him, on which was Olvia handling matters with elegance and composure.

"Olvia, is the information accurate?"

"We've had this suspicion for a long time, but now we can confirm it. There are nine kingdoms that supply manpower to the Kingdom of Prodens, three of which are member states. There are seventeen kingdoms that supply financial resources, five of which are member states."

As Olvia spoke, a list of about 20 countries appeared on the screen next to her.

The war between Dressrosa and the Kingdom of Prodin has lasted for years. Relying solely on its own population and financial resources, it is impossible to sustain this meat grinder-like war.

Taking advantage of the Great Pirate Era, Dressressa expanded its military strength through a continuous influx of pirates.

On the other hand, the Kingdom of Prodines is draining resources from its member states across the world to maintain the current scale of the war.

Both Mazsan and Luther were slowly escalating their tactics, testing each other's limits.

In just a few years, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost on this battlefield.

On one side were enemies, and on the other were pirates captured at will; Luther didn't feel the slightest bit sorry for them.

"Supplying from more than 20 countries, they really live up to their reputation as the Five Elders. It seems it will take quite a while to deplete their resources." Luther smiled.

It's perfectly normal for Maz Saint to have such formidable power behind him.

He would only feel there was a problem if it relied solely on a few top experts.

He and Maz are vying for the supreme authority of the Five Elders. Individual strength is important, but it is not everything.

The contest of underlying strength is far more convincing than the number of top experts.

After all, when it comes to the cultivation and number of top-tier experts, which entity can compare to the World Government itself?

Both Maz and he tacitly agreed not to send out any top-tier experts. Even though the Red Earl has been active on the battlefield, he has never made a move against the Kingdom of Prodens.

The top experts from the Kingdom of Prodens, including those CP0 members directly under Maz Saint, were similar. They appeared on the battlefield and even took away several commanders who were destined to die, but they never directly participated in the battle.

After all, it's a civil war, so some tacit understandings will still exist.

“Your Highness, with the Tianhe Merchant Guild’s current profits, this war could last for another ten years,” Olvia said with a confident smile.

As Robin grew up, her job became much easier. The affairs of the first half of the Grand Line were gradually handed over to Robin, while she took full charge of the Tenwa Trading Company.

Today, the Tianhe Trading Company and the Don Quixote Trading Company are located in all member and non-member countries around the world, and their daily revenue is astronomical, which can fully support the war.

Even the replenishment of troops and the transportation of new warships in the Kingdom of Prodens rely on the Tianhe Merchant Guild.

For Luther, this war was never a contest to be decided immediately.

On the contrary, now that his overt power has expanded to this point, he can only reveal his ambition through war.

Only in this way can some secrets be temporarily covered up.

"Any new developments lately?" Luther asked casually.

“There are quite a few, Your Highness, which one would you like to hear?” Olvia asked with a smile.

“The New World, I heard that some of our old acquaintances came to the New World during the war,” Luther laughed.

The "old acquaintance" he mentioned was Shanks, who had tricked some people before and whose arm had been bitten off by a Sea King controlled by Uta.

"Your Highness, what you've heard is outdated information. Shanks entered the New World six months ago, and with the support of the Revolutionary Army, he's already quite famous there," Olvia said with a smile.

However, both she and Luther knew that Shanks' current limit was just this.

With the war between Dressressa and the Kingdom of Prodin, the situation in the entire New World has become completely different.

According to Morgans's report, everyone knows that two behemoths are fighting in the New World, and even the Royal Orders don't want to get involved.

Even if the entire royal army were to be brought in, no other side would have suffered more deaths; they simply didn't have that many people to fill the gaps.

As a result, stimulated by the war, the three major royal crews tacitly entered a phase of rapid development. Apart from the war zones, they annexed almost all of the remaining territories in the New World, leaving only a few scattered islands with harsh climates for the other great pirates to station.

Having lost the initiative, Shanks, even with the help of the Revolutionary Army, could not replace any of the three emperors.

"Shanks' strength has increased rapidly over the years. Even with his arm missing, he still possesses the strength of an admiral. However, their limit is only a large fleet. Apart from the Three Emperors, no one at sea dares to provoke them, but they also dare not occupy territory and become emperors of the sea." Olivia gave a fair assessment of Shanks.

"Don't worry about him, let Uta arrange his future."

Luther shook his head slightly, not giving Shanks much thought.

Shanks' talent is undoubtedly great, but with only two crew members left and Beckman and Yasopp both crippled, he is no longer a threat.

"Alright, but I have some new information from the Revolutionary Army."

Olvia smiled and nodded, then added:

"Sabo, the brother of Luffy, the son of the Revolutionary Army leader Dragon, and also Dragon's disciple, recently set sail and formed the Plum Blossom Pirates. Your Highness, the person you chose is now on the right track."

"It's come to this..."

Luther's eyes flickered slightly when he heard that Saab had set sail.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and after a long while, a slow smile appeared on his lips.

"In that case, the plan should officially begin. Recall Ace; he's been wanting revenge for a long time. Tell him I have permission for him to act!"

"understand!"

Chapter 299 Three People Heading Down Different Paths

The waters near Mermaid Island in the early part of the Grand Line.

hum! ! !

The wooden pirate ship was cut in half, and the merman soldiers jumped into the sea to capture the pirates who had fallen into the water.

Not far away, on a pure black warship bearing both the Donquixote Family and Navy flags, the seventeen-year-old Ace slowly sheathed his twin swords.

Now grown up, he wore a well-fitting white suit, showcasing his robust physique and imposing presence. The pure white cloak of justice, symbolizing a lieutenant general, billowed in the sea breeze behind him, perfectly complementing the two swords sheathed in white at his waist. Against this white backdrop, his demeanor appeared even more noble and dignified.

Despite having freckles inherited from his mother, Ace's handsomeness was unaffected.

On the contrary, the refined temperament he was cultivated by Luther added a unique charm to him.

"Brubrub!"

The sound of the Den Den Mushi (a type of electric scoop) made him pause slightly.

Whose call was it?

"It's a call from Queen Olvia."

Kuina's voice came from behind, and then a Den Den Mushi was handed to Ace.

At 17, she had already grown into a graceful young woman with short, neat black hair that exuded a capable air. A Wado Ichimonji sword hung at her waist, radiating a chilling sword intent. Her dark blue suit paired perfectly with the Major General's Justice Cloak, making her appear both elegant and dashing.

"Aunt Olvia, is there anything you need?"

Ace answered the phone and flashed a bright smile.

He felt a mixture of affection, respect, and fear towards Olvia, the woman who had watched him grow up.

They feel a sense of familiarity with each other, respect each other's abilities, and fear each other's punishment.

"What, every time we connect on the phone you're asking for instructions. Do I look like the kind of person who would constantly give orders to you?"

Hearing Olvia's feigned displeasure, Ace quickly smiled apologetically:

"How could I dare? I just wanted to share some of your workload."