Seeing Imu's reaction, Orion couldn't help but chuckle and say aloud.
"Like a mother hen protecting her chicks. What, afraid I'll take your last trump card and kick you out of the Chamber of Flowers?"
Surprisingly, Imu didn't evade the question and answered bluntly, "Yes."
Before Orion could respond, Imu quickly changed the subject.
"What do you think about Shiki reappearing in the New World and now having met with Newgate? According to my intel, he's caused quite a stir in the East Blue!"
"Shiki's return isn't entirely a bad thing at this moment!"
Orion smiled faintly. "Every era needs stories of youthful ambition, but it also needs someone to play the anthem of the undying old soldier. If he wants to make a comeback and take revenge on the world, then I'll give him time to grow stronger."
Imu understood. "You want to use Shiki to gather all the pirates on the sea and eliminate them in one sweep?"
Orion nodded. "Let's hope he doesn't disappoint me."
With that, Orion stood up decisively. "The matter of the box can wait—it won't affect us in the short term. I'm leaving."
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Orion had already turned and walked out of the pavilion.
"Didn't the recruitment end already?"
Caught off guard by Orion's abrupt departure, Imu looked up at his retreating figure and called out.
"Since the recruitment is over, why not rest in the Holy Land for a few more days? There are matters regarding the Reverie that I need to discuss with you."
Orion waved a hand without stopping. "It's just a meeting—no need to take it so seriously!"
Upon hearing this, Imu blinked, her lips beneath the veil twitching slightly as if wanting to say something, but too embarrassed to speak up again as Orion had already walked away decisively.
Just then, Orion's voice suddenly echoed back from afar.
"Gunko, tidy up my quarters!"
Gunko, who had been feeling a little downcast from Orion's abrupt departure, widened her eyes in surprise, unable to hide the delight in them.
Imu stiffened completely, remaining frozen for several seconds before snapping back to reality.
She then turned her head towards Gunko and asked.
"Is he... playing hard to get?"
*****
The New World, a certain sea.
Hundreds of pirate ships advanced in a grand formation towards Wano Country.
These were pirate crews that had been active in the New World over the past decade.
Of course, their so-called "activity" had merely been surviving in the narrow gaps between the Four Emperors who once ruled the New World.
Just when they thought their chance had finally come after two of the Emperors, Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, were taken down by the Marines, they were instead met with the return of a legend who had vanished over a decade ago.
Under the overwhelming power of Golden Lion Shiki's Float-Float Fruit, all they could do was bow before this legendary figure.
Shiki's massive Island Ship floated high in the sky.
Standing alone at its bow, Shiki looked down upon the vast fleet below and couldn't help but let out a sinister yet bold laugh.
"Jihahaha! All of you, pick up the speed!"
"While the Marine Headquarters is distracted by the chaos in the East Blue, we'll seize Wano Country in one fell swoop!"
As Shiki's voice boomed from above, the pirates aboard every ship erupted into excited roars.
In the past, even though they had been active in the New World, they wouldn't have dared to enter Wano Country—let alone approach its outer waters.
The real reason they had avoided Wano wasn't just because of Kaido, but because of the natural barriers that made the country seem impregnable.
Now, however, those barriers meant nothing before the power of the Float-Float Fruit.
With hundreds of warships entering Wano's inner sea, even if Admiral Sakazuki and Crocodile were stationed there, they were confident they could stand their ground.
Most importantly, leading them was none other than Golden Lion Shiki—a man once spoken of in the same breath as Whitebeard and Roger.
Unlike the pirate crews who had willingly submitted to Shiki, the members of the seven ships forcibly swept along by the massive fleet remained silent, their faces grim as if already foreseeing their fate.
These crews had not surrendered to Shiki—they were forces under the Red-Haired Pirates.
They weren't joining this assault on Wano by choice but were being coerced by Shiki.
"Captain Fugar, will Shanks make it back in time? If he doesn't, we'll definitely be forced to spearhead the attack under Shiki's command!"
On one of these ships, a member of the Social Club Pirates stood at the bow, trembling uncontrollably as he watched the surrounding pirates roar with excitement at the prospect of storming Wano under Shiki's leadership.
"Trust in Shanks!"
Fugar gazed ahead with unwavering determination and said.
"Shanks never abandons his comrades. He will definitely arrive before we reach Wano Country!"
*****
Meanwhile.
With no Marine interference, Shanks and his crew successfully entered the New World.
The Red Force, charging across the vast seas of the New World, ignored the towering waves ahead and accelerated to its maximum speed.
On the deck, Shanks gripped the hilt of his saber with one hand and held a Den Den Mushi in the other, his eyes dark as he stared at the surging waves ahead.
"Boss, don't worry!"
At that moment, Lucky Roux quickly approached Shanks and spoke up.
"Shiki's target is Wano Country. As long as we haven't entered Wano yet, he won't kill our people! After all, his real goal is to take our crew hostage to Wano and force us into the war!"
"At this speed, we won't make it in time!"
Shanks glanced at the Den Den Mushi in his hand and decisively dialed a number.
Soon, the call connected.
A startled voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Shanks!"
"Fugar!"
Shanks wasted no time and got straight to the point, "Tell me your current location!"
"We're currently—"
On the pirate ship being swept along by the massive fleet, Fugar who had received Shanks' call again, excitedly scanned his surroundings.
Seeing his view blocked by other pirate ships, he instinctively looked up at the sky.
The moment he did, his eyes lit up, "I don't know exactly where we are, but I think I see Zunesha!"
"Zunesha?"
Shanks paused, then looked up.
In the distance, a towering, overwhelming figure loomed into view.
"We're just in time!"
The moment he saw Zunesha's massive silhouette, a cold glint flashed in Shanks' eyes.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword and pointed it towards Zunesha, shouting to the navigator Building Snake.
"Snake, full speed ahead—towards Zunesha!"