Rosen did not, for the time being, dwell on Kaido's crew. As long as the Dawn Pirates left Fishman Island and the island remained under Big Mom's protection, the Beasts Pirates would not recklessly initiate a war without thorough preparation.
Currently, intelligence was scarce, making it impossible to track the precise movements of Kaido's punitive force. Therefore, Rosen's side could only wage a blitzkrieg—using lightning warfare to establish an early advantage.
The most critical aspect of this plan was to trap Doflamingo, with Rosen himself delivering the decisive blow. Rosen was eager to enhance his strength, and that required real combat experience.
However, Punk Hazard also had to be secured simultaneously, perhaps even before Dressrosa. Should the Dressrosa operation fail, Doflamingo's subordinates might, in a desperate act of mutual destruction, detonate Punk Hazard. That would be disastrous.
While Caesar would later serve as little more than comic relief, with a vast laboratory and chemical arsenal at his disposal, he still posed a significant threat. Then there was Monet, a Logia ability user, though her combat prowess was not high. The greatest concerns were Caesar's "Land of the Dead" weapon—whether it had already been perfected—and the need to first neutralize the self-destruct mechanism.
Rosen relayed all this intelligence to the officers assigned to the Punk Hazard mission. To prepare for a possible encounter with the Beasts Pirates en route, Rosen appointed Hathaway as the commander of the Punk Hazard strike force, with Liya accompanying her.
Indeed, they had split into two teams to launch simultaneous attacks. Information gleaned from conversations with Baron Tamago indicated that Kaido of the Beasts would not make a major fuss over the death of a single Tobi Roppo member. While it was not impossible that he might personally seek retribution, the likelihood was low.
In the deeper waters of the New World, Red-Haired Shanks and Kaido remained locked in ongoing conflict. The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were engaged in a bitter, seesaw battle with Blackbeard's forces. Reports indicated that several islands had already been devastated, with casualties on both sides, though Blackbeard's crew currently held a significant advantage.
Yet word had it that Fire Fist Ace was growing at an astonishing pace, his bounty already exceeding 800 million Berries.
Other underworld power brokers were content to watch from the sidelines, ready to profit from the chaos at any moment.
But the scattered member nations of the World Government within the New World were enduring hard times. Though Marine Headquarters continuously deployed reinforcements, and figures like Aokiji and Garp had already arrived in the New World to restore order, unrest and rebellion persisted everywhere.
Aokiji and Garp did not need to pass through Fishman Island; they had dedicated channels leading to the New World—swift and convenient. They were not pirates and had no need to traverse the Fishman Island route.
At the same time, the World Government had also made significant moves, stationing enigmatic powerhouses at Marine bases in the New World. Word was that many formidable pirates had already suffered setbacks as a result.
Moreover, Marine Headquarters had recently announced the appointment of a new Admiral, codenamed Ryokugyu, filling the vacancy left by Akainu.
Buoyed by their victory in the Summit War—albeit a pyrrhic one—Marine Headquarters had inspired numerous strong individuals to enlist. A victory, after all, remained a victory.
Thus, the global power structure was undergoing subtle shifts. No one could predict what tomorrow might bring. The original narrative, Rosen knew, had irrevocably changed; the only advantage he retained was the intelligence he possessed.
It was imperative, therefore, to maximize its utility. The two teams were led by Hathaway and Rosen, respectively.
Hathaway commanded the original Dawn and Urouge's vessel, accompanied by officers Urouge, Liya, Miggs, Mr. 5, and a contingent of regular crew members.
Rosen's team consisted of Robin, Enel, Law, Daz Bones, Valentine, and others.
Rosen and his group headed for Dressrosa, keeping Robin and Enel—his two most powerful combatants aside from Hathaway—with him.
This was because, whether pursued by Marines or targeted by the Beasts Pirates, Rosen, as captain, would be the primary target. His team faced greater danger, necessitating a relatively concentrated allocation of strong combatants to handle any contingency.
At the Fishman Island port.
King Neptune, Jinbe, and others came to see them off. Though their acquaintance had been brief, their bond was already deep. Princess Shirahoshi's eyes glistened with tears. "Master."
"Relax. It's merely a Shichibukai. Soon, you'll be able to visit the surface and have fun," Rosen declared confidently. Doflamingo was indeed powerful, and his capable subordinates were numerous, but Rosen remained confident in seizing Dressrosa.
Furthermore, once Dressrosa was secured, in this part of the New World where Marine Headquarters' influence was weaker, Rosen intended to develop it directly as his own territory. Though Dressrosa was not vast, it would suffice.
With Pluton, along with Rosen, Enel, and Robin—and soon joined by Hathaway and the others—as long as an Emperor's crew did not mobilize in full force, the territory would be nearly impregnable. That, of course, presupposed they had successfully taken Dressrosa first.
And once that happened, even Marine Headquarters would have to think twice before targeting him.
"Mm-hmm." Shirahoshi nodded emphatically. She still yearned deeply for the surface world.
"Should you require anything, we will also assist you to the best of our abilities," Neptune added, making his stance clear. His words effectively meant Jinbe was aligned with them as well.
After all, Fishman Island owed a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Dawn Pirates this time.
Rosen nodded, then once more admonished Hathaway. "Have you committed everything I told you to memory? Do not underestimate any enemy."
"I know. One user of the Snow-Snow Fruit, one user of the Gas-Gas Fruit, plus chemical poison gas and a self-destruct mechanism." Hathaway was sorely tempted to remind Rosen that this was already his third repetition. Even facing two Admirals wouldn't warrant such anxiety, let alone this situation.
Yet, oddly enough, she found herself rather enjoying his fussing.
Of course, with Hathaway's current lineup, confronting two Admirals would still be an immense struggle. Mr. 5 was strong, and Urouge was no weakling, but together they were far from matching a single Admiral. However, their target was merely a research base devoid of any Admiral-level combatants.
"Contact me via Den Den Mushi immediately if anything arises," Rosen said finally before boarding his ship. Following the new Log Pose, they prepared to set sail for Dressrosa. The first island on the route up was rather perilous—Raijin Island.
But Rosen had no need to stop at Raijin Island. He had already purchased an Eternal Pose for Punk Hazard and would bypass Raijin Island entirely.
However, upon hearing the island's name, Enel expressed considerable interest. Rosen mentioned that once matters in Dressrosa were settled, they would visit it together. After all, an island perpetually wracked by lightning sounded rather intriguing.
"I wonder if Moris has also reached Dressrosa. Last I contacted him, he said he was training on some island in the New World. I had originally intended to help him realize his ambition of becoming a Shichibukai. It seems he won't make it this time," Rosen mused to himself after boarding the ship.
Tesoro had also kept a low profile in the New World recently. Rumors, however, suggested he was intensively searching for the Magma-Magma Fruit and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Yet, so far, there had been no discoveries regarding these two Devil Fruits in the New World.
"Set sail!" Although divided into two groups, they ascended simultaneously. Once they reached the surface waters of the New World, they would part ways.
Unbeknownst to Rosen, an astonishing concentration of combat power had already assembled in Dressrosa, lying in wait for them.
Doflamingo had not anticipated an attack on Punk Hazard, his secret base and a former abandoned Marine research facility.
Even when two Admirals had clashed there later, prior evacuations had prevented any clues from being exposed.
Logically, it was exceedingly well-concealed. And while Doflamingo had considered the possibility of the Dawn Pirates targeting him, he had not expected their objective to also be the artificial Devil Fruit factory.
"Are you certain they will come, Joker?" A somewhat voluptuous, rotund man sat in a chair, toying with his brass knuckles. He sported a golden ponytail, his left arm a mechanical prosthetic. Chomping on a cigar, he blew smoke rings as he addressed the king of Dressrosa.
Standing dutifully beside him was Jack the Drought. "Big brother, what brings you here?"
(End of Chapter)