Just by using Conqueror's Haki he had knocked out thousands of pirates who'd made names for themselves in the New World. In that light, using it to intimidate two Yonko at once didn't seem so unbelievable — especially with hundreds of other high-level fighters also stunned as a backing chorus.
If the middle-tier officers of the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates could still be dismissed as expendable fodder in the New World, there was no question the value of the high-level fighters. After all, bounties of hundreds of millions of Berries already make someone a big-name pirate in the New World; in Boros's force, where combat strength was the only metric that mattered, many wouldn't even meet the threshold for high-level fighter.
"…Does anyone still object to Lord Boros's plan?"
Katakuri had also been affected by the Conqueror's Haki and looked a little pale, but having faced Boros often he was more used to the sensation. After a beat of silence, he inhaled deeply and asked the high-level fighters — who were just coming to — the question.
It was obvious the previous battle plan had come from Boros. The pirates had feigned ignorance and vented their anger at Katakuri only because they dared not confront Boros himself. Now that Boros had demonstrated with action who really made the decisions, any further opposition would mean facing Boros's wrath directly.
The high-level fighters looked at each other, none willing to step forward. Even to mutter encouragement privately was beyond them; silence spread.
"As arranged by Lord Boros, the first wave's main forces are: the Doug Pirates, the Jet-Black Pirates, the Storm Pirates…"
Every time Katakuri read a name from the dais, one more high-level fighter's face went dark. That was especially true for captains whose crews weren't even marked on the dome's operation map — they had hoped to get lucky, but as Katakuri named one after another, even they swallowed their anger and kept quiet.
If you compared the squad lists for all four waves, you'd see that since leaving Wano the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates had assigned every major pirate crew that pledged to them into the first-wave force. That made the first wave's nominal strength the heaviest of the four: over fifty high-level fighters in command, more than a thousand mid-level fighters as the backbone, and a total manpower approaching one hundred thousand.
Aside from the lack of top-tier geniuses on the roster, the first wave's combat power could legitimately rival the two Yonko fleets that had joined forces during the Summit War.
The second and third waves would be led respectively by the BIG MOM Pirates and the Beasts Pirates — Charlotte Linlin and Kaido leading personally — supported by hundreds of smaller pirate crews that had since joined. Each of those two waves numbered over fifty thousand.
The fourth and final wave would be the smallest numerically, but Boros himself would lead it; clearly it was intended as the decisive hammer blow at the crucial moment.
If you wanted to pick holes in it, this rudimentary "battle plan" was riddled with flaws; any veteran pirate present could list a hundred problems and make valid points. But once the planner was Boros, even major flaws became minor ones — every shortcoming simply a trivial blemish.
"Boss Boros, Lady Esdeath and Lady Tornado aren't on the roster. Can we have them lead our assault?"
The pirates—already tacitly regarded as expendable cannon fodder—clearly hadn't given up yet. With their current numbers, they had more than enough manpower to attack Mary Geoise; the main issue was the lack of top-tier combat power.
If they could gain the support of the two newly arrived supreme-level fighters, Esdeath and Tatsumaki, the first assault unit alone might very well be able to capture Mary Geoise by themselves.
The thought of this ignited a fire in the hearts of many pirates. Selfishness was certainly a defining trait of pirates, but once temptation reached a certain magnitude, greed easily blinded them.
"Of course not. Lady Esdeath and Lady Tatsumaki have other tasks…"
Before Boros could speak, Katakuri rejected the pirates' proposal on his behalf.
Unlike the pirates, who simply assumed Boros wanted to use them as fodder, Katakuri—who was the one closest to Boros in the daily operations of the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates—had faintly sensed that their captain seemed to have some far more terrifying objective.
But even if Katakuri had guessed it, he would never reveal it. After all, the lives of ordinary pirates meant nothing to him. Even members of the Big Mom Pirates assigned to the second wave could be quietly shuffled into logistics or safer positions, using the authority he had been given.
Since Lord Boros had tacitly allowed his small adjustments, Katakuri naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to expose Boros' unspeakable intentions.
"Wait a moment. I'm super interested in this world's wars. Can I be the one to command this operation?"
Esdeath, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke with enthusiasm. Ever since the Paramount War, this Imperial general had been fascinated by a battlefield ruled purely by strength.
But back then, Kizaru had merely been a Marine Admiral; no matter how much he spoiled her, he could not possibly hand over command of the Paramount War to her.
Now, however, the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates were clearly being controlled from behind the scenes by Kizaru, and their nominal captain Boros hardly involved himself in command at all. If Esdeath wanted authority over the battle, it truly wasn't an issue.
"This… might be against protocol…"
Even with the scarf covering half his face, Katakuri's hesitation was obvious.
He knew Esdeath and Tatsumaki were special recruits—he just didn't know how special they were, nor whether they qualified for the privilege of altering Boros' plans.
"It's fine."
Boros, still lost in thought, answered casually. No matter how hard Katakuri tried, he would never guess that Boros didn't actually care about the future of the Cosmic Dark Matter Pirates, nor did he have any real personal ambitions. Everything was arranged by Kizaru.
Unaware of this, Katakuri naturally couldn't understand Boros' thinking. But having grown up under Big Mom, obedience was second nature to him. The moment Boros finished speaking, Katakuri immediately submitted.
"Then the First Division will be placed under Lady Esdeath's command. The corresponding supplies and equipment have already been prepared…"
Katakuri spoke with great respect as he presented the roster for the First Division with both hands.
Even without considering Esdeath's special status, the mere fact that she could stand toe-to-toe with Kaido and Big Mom was more than enough for Katakuri to show her utmost respect.
Seeing this, the pirates assigned to participate in the first wave let out a sigh of relief, then quickly became excited.
With Lady Esdeath—whose strength rivaled that of a Yonko—leading them, they might truly be able to take Mary Geoise on their own. With such an enormous military achievement as their foundation, they would surely gain the lion's share of the spoils afterward!
"Heh… you three—interested in joining my command?"
Esdeath put away the roster Katakuri handed her, then turned toward the trio standing off to the side: Xiao Yan, Xiao Mei, and Lu the Random Guy
She didn't expect them to fight anything impressive—this was simply her way of doing a favor for members of the chat group.
To rise to the rank of one of the Empire's rare female generals in just a few years, Esdeath depended on far more than sheer combat ability. Winning people over was also one of her talents—one that contrasted sharply with her appearance and personality.
Otherwise, she would never have been able to make Liver, a former Imperial general who once stood as her equal, voluntarily submit to her and follow orders so loyally that he would sacrifice his life without hesitation.
"Eh? Yes, yes! From now on, Lady Esdeath is our guiding light!"
Lu immediately threw away the last shreds of his dignity, happily grabbing onto the newly offered thigh to cling to.
Although in theory he could return to his own world through the chat group at any time, on the battlefield of Mary Geoise, having extra protection was always a good thing.
Not to mention he had long since learned that "following a powerhouse means you eat well," so he accepted Esdeath's olive branch without a second thought.
Xiao Yan and Xiao Mei didn't hesitate much either. Though both he and Lu were capable of protecting themselves in their own worlds, compared to the war for Mary Geoise, their current strength was still far from enough.
"What an annoying woman…"
Watching Esdeath steal all the spotlight, Tatsumaki—the other strongest combatant—snorted unhappily, though she had no intention of stepping forward herself.
While both women displayed overwhelmingly aggressive styles in battle, their personalities could not have been more different.
This was clear from how Esdeath volunteered to participate in the war, whereas Tatsumaki chose to stay out of it entirely.
As the world's attention gradually shifted toward the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, the Red-Haired Pirates—who had been keeping a low profile—quietly arrived on an uninhabited island somewhere in the New World.
°°°
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