Chapter 207: Proxy War
"That's right, just like that. Let your Haki penetrate the enemy's defenses. Use Observation Haki to capture more information. If you can do these two things, the gap between you and me will be very small."
South Blue, Oss Island.
Kong blocked Garp and Sengoku's attacks while instructing both of them. Only during these leisurely mission executions did he have opportunities to mentor these two disciples.
"Ah, damn it!"
After being sent flying by Kong's punch, Garp and Sengoku lay on the ground gasping for breath.
The two of them together could only barely match Kong, and obviously, when facing them, Kong hadn't even used his full strength.
"At your age, being able to reach this level is already impressive." Kong sat on a nearby rock, offering comfort. "When I was your age, I was just an ordinary Marine soldier."
Previously, the World Government had been extremely strict about promoting common Marines. Without background, talent, and a bit of luck, ordinary Marines could at most reach field officer rank after a lifetime. In the Marines, field officers were just the starting point.
Now, because of the pressure from the White Wolf Pirates, the World Government had lowered promotion requirements for ordinary Marine soldiers. They'd changed from requiring sufficient merit for promotion to now allowing talented individuals to participate in promotion training even without sufficient merit.
After completing training and gaining strength, earning merit became easy, right?
So Sengoku and Garp had caught the era's dividend.
But in this era, with war between the World Government and White Wolf Pirates potentially erupting at any moment, was gaining power truly a good thing?
"By the way, Uncle Kong." Lying on the ground, Garp suddenly turned his head toward Kong. "Do you still remember Crane?"
At Garp's mention, Sengoku also sat up from the ground, looking at Kong, seemingly wanting an explanation from him.
They were no longer children. Having joined the Marines five years ago and rising from third-class privates to Marine rear admirals now, they'd only taken five years.
Moreover, due to their merit in repelling the Rocks Pirates half a month ago, they might soon receive nominations for vice admiral promotions.
Even the blind could see it. At just over twenty years old with elite vice admiral-level strength, whether Garp or Sengoku, both had limitless futures.
Becoming Marine Admirals was only a matter of time.
Kong fell silent at Garp's question. He raised his head, first looking at Sengoku, then at Garp.
Garp was a reckless type who couldn't hide things, but these past two years, Garp had been targeting that new pirate Roger, not knowing much about the White Wolf Pirates' recent situation.
Why suddenly ask about Crane? Probably because of Sengoku.
All three had once been Marine Academy cadets who vowed to capture Silas. Now, Garp and Sengoku had become Marine rear admirals, while Crane had a completely different identity.
Three years ago, Sengoku had seen the wanted poster. A former Marine Academy companion had transformed into a pirate, an intern of the White Wolf Pirates no less.
Sengoku had held it in for three years, finally unable to contain himself today. He felt that with his and Garp's current strength, they deserved to know the truth.
Kong remained silent for a long time.
Just as Garp was growing impatient, Kong finally spoke slowly. "I know her. This is intelligence that only a very few people know. If you want to know the truth, you must promise not to reveal a word of what I'm about to say."
At these words, Sengoku's expression immediately became serious.
Though Garp found it troublesome, because this involved a companion he'd once recognized, even feeling troubled, he still patiently sat in place.
"Crane is our mole planted in the White Wolf Pirates."
Kong opened with bombshell news. "Six years ago, former Chief of Staff Portman Nissen realized the White Wolf Pirates' rise was difficult to contain, so he secretly assembled and trained a batch of new Marines to infiltrate the White Wolf Pirates."
"And Crane is the most successful one."
Though Zephyr, like Crane, had become a White Wolf Pirates member, according to current intelligence analysis, Zephyr wasn't valued within the White Wolf Pirates. Despite being a member, calling him a marginal figure wasn't excessive.
However, even marginal figures could play unexpected roles if they seized opportunities.
But revealing Crane's information today was already breaking protocol. After all, Sengoku and Garp knew Crane originally, plus their outstanding strength genuinely qualified them to know more.
But as a qualified Marine Admiral, Kong couldn't tell his subordinates everything.
So revealing Crane's information was sufficient.
"The White Wolf Pirates have now become the government's greatest threat. After multiple major battles, you should understand that even Marine Admirals, even I, am no match for that man."
Admitting one's weakness required courage, but for Kong, it was more about powerlessness over his weakness, because these ten years, he'd personally witnessed Silas climb step by step to the pinnacle.
And he was just a stepping stone beneath Silas's feet.
So, facing Silas, he'd lost even the courage for direct confrontation, only able to pick up his predecessors' legacy.
"So Crane went undercover? I thought that guy had become a pirate!" Garp didn't care about much else. He just needed to know Crane hadn't betrayed their former "promise" and was still a Marine member.
"Just undercover?" Hearing Kong's answer, Sengoku breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Though he felt Kong hadn't revealed all the information, he could understand Kong. After all, Crane becoming a White Wolf Pirates member was a major secret that could overturn the entire crew at a critical moment.
If not for their current strength, Kong definitely wouldn't have revealed this information.
Only Kong knew why he didn't reveal more. He didn't want to see these two disciples' disappointed expressions, didn't want them to know he'd made Crane sell her body to gain Silas's trust.
Crane had succeeded. Being able to intercept the attacking Rocks Pirates this time was thanks to Crane's intelligence.
Kong could only console himself that Crane's sacrifice was worth it.
If the White Wolf Pirates were ever destroyed, Crane would definitely be the greatest contributor.
He just felt he'd failed his two disciples. Garp was a hothead, but Sengoku probably had some feelings for Crane.
Kong didn't know that the intelligence he wanted to know was deliberately leaked by Silas through Crane. If Imu valued Oss Island sufficiently, even without Crane revealing intelligence about the Rocks Pirates attacking, Imu would have immediately sent Marines to help.
As for whether Rocks would fall at Oss Island, Silas could only say the World Government's main forces were all pinned down by him. With only the Marines' few stragglers remaining, if Rocks capsized, he'd be unworthy of his strength.
Though he hadn't capsized, being repelled was a fact.
So Silas had to personally appear at Mary Geoise to clean up after him.
"Silas!!!"
With Imu's low shout, a giant demonic shadow rose behind her. Black-red Conqueror's Haki clashed within Pangaea Castle. Next, a demon-like giant head crashed through half of Pangaea Castle, opening its jaws to bite toward Silas.
"Haha, getting anxious!" Sensing powerful presences rapidly approaching from all directions, Silas had no intention of prolonging the fight. His long blade was wrapped in Conqueror's Haki.
One slash.
"BOOM!"
The Conqueror's Haki slash collided with the giant demon Imu summoned. Borrowing the collision's recoil, Silas rapidly retreated from Mary Geoise.
Through thick smoke, four of the Five Elders and the Figarland family's father and son finally arrived belatedly, lowering their heads in apology.
"Lord Imu!" "Lord Imu, are you alright?" "That damned White Wolf!"
The group hadn't expected Silas would dare single-handedly break into Pangaea Castle to face Imu directly.
After all, Silas had been at Sabaody Archipelago quite a while. Even after reaching Mary Geoise, he'd only lingered at the edges.
So everyone thought Silas would at most look for opportunities at the periphery. If they didn't support Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, Silas definitely wouldn't easily break into Pangaea Castle and risk himself.
Yet Silas's current actions severely slapped their faces. Unless they ate, slept, and stayed together, once they separated, Silas might not kill any of them in a short time, but strolling around and showing his face before them posed no problem.
But this was also Silas's limit.
"Rocks, if you still can't handle Oss Island on the second attempt, don't talk about challenging me anymore."
Silas sent a message to Newgate.
After confirming the scientists on Oss Island were assembled by Imu to replenish Uranus's energy, Silas's attention to Oss Island increased another level.
Though his disturbance pinned down the World Government's main forces, it also told Imu he already knew what they were doing.
If Imu wasn't foolish, after being unable to mobilize the God's Knights and Five Elders' power, they'd mobilize Marines and CP organization forces.
These powerhouses weren't at Mary Geoise originally, so Silas naturally couldn't restrict them.
Rocks wanted to become stronger, so he needed battle.
And what Silas did was help minimize variables in that battle.
The White Wolf Pirates and World Government had already gone to war, but this time they fought a proxy war. Neither Silas nor Imu personally entered the field, which was also Imu's headache.
The World Government had many trump cards. Revealing each one would force Silas into direct confrontation with them.
Like this time with Uranus's energy. If Silas personally acted, the World Government could seize the opportunity to start a major war. Because Silas lacked intelligence, he couldn't pre-plan and publicize like at Acropolis Port.
In this situation, if Silas rashly started warfare, not only the Five Elders but even Imu might personally enter the field.
But Silas only sent Rocks to probe.
After probing that Imu was indeed preparing to replenish Uranus's energy, Silas began deploying forces.
He actively confronted Imu at Mary Geoise, bringing Linlin and Ripley. As long as Mary Geoise's top-tier fighter numbers decreased, Silas would actively start a war, directly facing Joy Boy.
Rocks, thrown out as a testing stone, might be swallowed whole by reinforcements Imu dispatched, but Imu also faced the possibility of being solo-killed by Silas.
Rocks wanted to become stronger. Silas gave him the battles he wanted.
Silas shouldered part of the risk for him, but couldn't completely predict Imu's actions.
The gamble was whether Imu dared.
Sending too few supporters might not keep Rocks and others there. Sending too many supporters, and Silas would actively attack.
Previously, Silas had to place himself on the board to confront the World Government, but as Rocks and others grew, Silas finally transformed from a chess piece to a chess player.
He sent Rocks to Oss Island, but Rocks made his own choice.
Silas had gambled with Marines and the World Government his whole life. Now he didn't need to gamble anymore.
Now it was Rocks's turn to gamble.
Win the gamble, grow, and become one of the sea's pinnacle existences. Lose the gamble, turn to dust.
"The World Government's remaining deployable top-tier fighters are Ortega, Hines Oran, Kong, Glyndwr, and Stevens."
"Plus, the Five Elder already at Oss Island makes six top-tier fighters."
"Rocks alone definitely can't handle it."
After leaving Mary Geoise, Imu and the other Five Elders didn't dare pursue. Despite possessing the world's strongest power, Imu, who'd always lived at Mary Geoise, didn't even dare expose her existence.
"Hmph, woman!" Silas snorted disdainfully, continuing to analyze the current situation with Crane.
"I've already sent Newgate and Shiki to support him. The question is whether they can arrive in time."
Though phone snails existed, Silas didn't have Imu's magical teleportation ability. His crew members needed time to travel.
After Silas encountered Imu at Mary Geoise, upon realizing Silas already knew about Uranus's existence, Imu hadn't done anything.
She first had Ortega, the current Marine Fleet Admiral, and Marine Admiral Hines Oran come to Mary Geoise. Then instantly teleported the God's Knights to Oss Island.
Mary Geoise's defensive strength remained unchanged, but Oss Island's defensive strength more than doubled.
So Imu had seized the initiative.
On Silas's side, besides Shiki possessing the power to directly fly over the Red Line and reach Oss Island in a short time, both Newgate and Harald needed travel time.
Silas simply didn't contact Harald because sailing from Elbaf to Oss Island required half a year. Even using the giant who had eaten the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Eagle, as transport couldn't get them there quickly.
Silas didn't know how much time remained for Rocks.
But probably, not much remained.