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As time marched on, the loyalists of the Thunder God Pirates waited in agony for the return of the Thunder Emperor, Arthur. Yet, he never appeared, as if—just as the Navy's reports claimed—he had truly perished under the combined assault of the Navy's highest combat forces.
Half a year slipped away quietly.
In the year 1509 of the Sea Circle Calendar, several shocking events rocked the seas!
At the age of 18, Boa Hancock ascended to become the ruler of Amazon Lily and the Captain of the Kuja Pirates. On her very first expedition, she was slapped with a bounty of 80 million Beli, shaking the world!
At the same time, her bounty poster circulated across the oceans. Her face, beautiful to the point of perfection, earned her the title of "World's Most Beautiful Woman"!
This title was universally acknowledged; even Stussy had never received such high praise.
A month later, Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army who had been waging guerrilla warfare in the shadows, finally stepped into the light. Starting from the Four Blues, he began a campaign for global revolution, preaching the ideology of freedom and equality for all!
However, what truly forced the world to shift its gaze was the rebellion within the world's strongest pirate crew, the Thunder God Pirates!
Unexpected, yet entirely logical! Everyone could foresee that once such a powerful pirate crew lost the voice that suppressed everything, the dissatisfied elements were bound to jump out!
A man's ambition cannot be contained!
The longer it is suppressed, the more violent the rebound!
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Thunder God Sea, Second Ring. An island guarded by the World Pirates.
The news of Arthur's death had finally convinced the rebel alliance—led by Redfield, Byrnndi World, Morgans, and Bill—that something had indeed happened. Given the Thunder Emperor's personality, his failure to show his face for so long meant he was gone.
Redfield stood alone, while World, Morgans, and Bill brought their respective subordinates to gather on the island. A fleet of twenty ships, totaling nearly two thousand men!
The four leaders met in a spacious hall and formally drank the wine of alliance!
"Shiryu, Chinjao, Wolf, Pizarro... those stubborn fools insist on waiting for the Thunder Emperor's return... This time, it's all up to you, Redfield!" Morgans' grating, duck-like voice echoed as he offered humble flattery.
Once this wine was drunk, the war would begin. The mighty Thunder God Pirates would fracture!
Redfield adjusted his blood-red cloak, looking as noble and elegant as ever. He revealed a sinister smile. "Heh heh heh heh... After suppressing them, the Thunder God Pirates can be formally renamed the Vampire Pirates!"
The drawbacks of wandering the ocean alone had been made painfully clear to him nine years ago. His three years in Impel Down had taught him that to reach the summit, he needed the help of partners. That was why he had accepted Arthur's invitation to become the Vice Captain of the Thunder God Pirates!
But now, the Thunder Emperor was dead. He had left behind such a powerful crew without a leader. wasn't this a god-given opportunity for Redfield?
"No!" Byrnndi World suppressed his rage and rejected the idea instantly. "Redfield, you're strong, but you don't have a single man under you. Everyone here was brought by me, Morgans, and Bill. What gives you the right to take the Captain's seat?"
Bill, the Smelt-Smelt Fruit user and leader of the Silver Pirate Alliance, was the weakest among them, but he nodded in agreement. A single person could hardly convince the masses to follow him. Did Redfield think he was the Thunder Emperor?
Even the Thunder Emperor hadn't conquered the entire crew purely through brute force!
Shiryu's acknowledgment, Chinjao's debt of gratitude, and the others being subdued by Arthur's invincible dominance, coupled with the grace of freedom granted at Impel Down—that was what held them together!
Redfield was just one man. While his strength was at the apex of the ocean, the loyalist Shiryu wasn't weak either; he could hold his ground for a long time. Plus, Shiryu would need to be dealt with personally by World later.
"What? You have a problem with that?" Redfield narrowed his long, slender eyes, adding a touch of gloom to his expression. He licked his sharp fangs that protruded over his lip, his killing intent palpable.
Redfield hated being compared to the Thunder Emperor, yet he often compared himself in secret. If the Thunder Emperor could suppress the entire crew alone, why couldn't he? In his mind, Big Mom and Kaido resolved internal conflicts through brute force just the same.
"Aside from Shiryu, all the other captains will have to be defeated by me. Or do you think the trash under your command can crush seven Division Captains?"
BANG!!
World slammed his hand heavily on the table, unable to contain his anger any longer. "There's a limit to your jokes, Redfield..."
"Enough, enough! We can discuss the captain's seat after we deal with them!" Morgans intervened, playing the peacemaker.
"If we don't unify the crew soon, those brats who just entered the New World will be knocking on our door!"
Morgans practically controlled the news in the New World. Before the rebellion, he had already leaked the internal strife of the Thunder God Pirates. This was to lure ambitious pirate crews to join the chaos and share the pressure of facing the seven loyalist captains!
Otherwise, with just the four of them, taking down Shiryu and his group would be incredibly difficult!
"Hmph! I just hope you haven't gotten too old to kill, Redfield!"
World was the first to storm out of the hall. Redfield, Morgans, and Bill didn't linger either.
The four leaders boarded the massive ships docked at the port, facing two thousand pirates sharpening their blades.
"Move out!!"
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Thunder God Island!
The atmosphere was heavy. The captains commanding the major divisions of the Thunder God Pirates remained silent. The dim-witted San Juan Wolf played with the waves just off the coast, ignoring the helpless looks from the giants of the New Giant Warrior Pirates.
"They're here!" Shiryu's killing intent grew heavier by the second, filling the entire hall with the foul scent of blood.
The murderous nature he had suppressed for years was about to be fully unleashed.
"Vegapunk, Jessica. Your combat power is too low. Go hide in the laboratory beneath the main hall for now!"
"Chinjao, Avalo Pizarro, Catarina Devon, Vasco Shot, Foxy... follow me. When the Captain returns, he will see a complete Thunder God Pirates!"
Shiryu's eyes were bloodshot. He gripped Raiu tightly, leading the five captains, all radiating murderous intent, toward the port.
"This time... we kill to our heart's content!"
"Muuruhuhuhuhu! To our heart's content!"
The Captain had once told him that no matter how heavy his bloodlust, he could not kill his own crewmates indiscriminately. But today... he had no choice but to disobey that order once.
Originally, the crew had a Captain, a Vice Captain, and ten Division Commanders. Now, the Vice Captain, Byrnndi World, Bill, and Morgans (Intelligence) had rebelled. Another captain, Naguri, had taken advantage of the chaos to flee the New World entirely.
At the port, there were only 10 ships and a total of 1,000 men, including the dozen giants of the New Giant Warrior Pirates. But all of them were elites!
The Thunder God Grand Fleet, numbering over ten thousand, had been split. World and his allies took 2,000 men. The loyalists had a full 7,000 men dedicated to the Thunder Emperor.
However, Shiryu only brought 1,000 elites to intercept World and the rebels. He left the remaining 6,000 to guard the surrounding islands and fend off the countless pirates swarming in to challenge the Thunder God Pirates!
Internal strife unresolved; external threats unrelenting!
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