Under the sky of Nine Serpent Island, there was a profound tranquility.
Cheng Xiaoyu stood at a high point of the Nine Serpent Palace, the sea breeze making his black shirt flap loudly.
His gaze was calm as he stared at the newspaper in his hand, a piece of news that was enough to shake the entire world—Fire Fist Ace was about to be publicly executed.
Behind him, Hancock walked slowly, her snake-patterned qipao outlining her proud figure like a painting.
"Ace… he's the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, isn't he?" she asked tentatively.
Cheng Xiaoyu nodded slightly, pinching the edge of the newspaper with two fingers and tearing it forcefully, the headline splitting in half and floating away with the wind.
He whispered, "This is destined to be a storm that will change the entire situation of the sea."
"You want to go?" Hancock's eyes suddenly sharpened; she had already realized she had asked a redundant question.
Indeed, Cheng Xiaoyu said indifferently, "Of course I'm going. Marineford will soon have a war. Every major war is an opportunity for the world to reshuffle."
"Should I go? A few days ago, Vice Admiral Momonga came to Nine Serpent Island, presumably to inform me to participate in this so-called 'Shichibukai convene' to assist the Marine against the Whitebeard Pirates…"
"Don't go. This war, in the end, is just part of their political show. Anyway, the Shichibukai system will be abolished sooner or later. Such a title is not worth your attention."
Hancock took a step closer, looking up at Cheng Xiaoyu's profile.
"What about Nine Serpent Island? If my Shichibukai status is gone, we here will sooner or later become the next target of the Marine and the World Government."
Cheng Xiaoyu turned to look at Hancock; her eyes could not hide her worry. Given this woman's pride, she would never say such words easily.
All this time, she had been worrying about Nine Serpent Island, fighting for her people.
Cheng Xiaoyu reached out and held Hancock's delicate hands, looking at her with certainty, "Don't worry. In the future, I will protect Nine Serpent Island with you."
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
Hancock's eyes trembled slightly, and she said nothing more.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world.
Under the cloudless sky, the Shadow was breaking through the wind.
This massive warship was like a black beast lurking in the clouds, exuding suffocating majesty and pressure.
The deck suddenly became agitated. The newspaper sold by the news bird clearly stated, word for word:
Fire Fist Ace will be publicly executed at Marineford in three days!
In his hand, a small Vivre Card continuously burned and shrank, like a countdown, indicating that Ace's life was rapidly fading.
Luffy at this moment had no mind to look for his companions, "No, there's no time! I have to rush to Impel Down to save him!"
Eneru, standing beside him with his arms crossed, looked down at Luffy and snorted coldly:
"Are you crazy? Going to that place to die! What's in your head, rubber?"
"Shut up!" Luffy roared back, staring fixedly at Eneru, "Ace is my brother! I'll save him even if it costs me my life!"
Eneru frowned impatiently, a look of disdain on his face, "The Captain made it clear, I'm just escorting you to find your companions, not your free chauffeur."
Luffy's fists clenched, and he suddenly roared, "I don't have time!"
During the standoff, Eneru sighed, took out a Den Den Mushi, and dialed Cheng Xiaoyu.
His expression was as arrogant as ever, but he said somewhat awkwardly, "Hey, Captain! This kid Luffy insists on going to Impel Down to save Ace. What do you say?"
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Cheng Xiaoyu chuckled, "Send him. First, help him clear the guards at the entrance of Impel Down, then come pick me up."
"Understood."
…
Marineford, Marineford.
Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the deep sea, so much so that one could hear the wood of the chair backs creaking faintly under tension.
"Fufufufufu… What a rare sight. Three Shichibukai seats are empty."
Doflamingo laughed exaggeratedly, his long fingers gently tapping the table, making a crisp sound that broke the suffocating silence.
The empty seats seemed to silently mock the authority of the World Government.
Empress Hancock's unexplained absence, Moriah's death, and Jinbe's refusal to fight and subsequent capture, all made the Shichibukai system precarious.
Of the original seven, three were already gone, leaving only a scattered few sitting at both ends of the conference table, each with their own thoughts.
Doflamingo lay back in his chair, his legs propped high, looking completely nonchalant, but every word of his sinister laughter seemed to hide a blade.
"Hey, Teach, you really lit a powerful powder keg!"
"I can imagine, in three days, this place will become an absolute hell!"
"Zehahahahaha…"
Blackbeard Teach sat across from him, baring his gapped teeth in his characteristic loud laugh.
"You're right, Doflamingo!"
"But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! What if it's hell? Only in chaos can a true king be born!"
At the other end of the conference room, Tyrant Kuma sat silently, the light in his eyes cold and hollow, as if he was truly indifferent to the contents of the meeting.
He only occasionally moved his gaze, looking at Teach and Doflamingo with a coldness that held an elusive meaning.
And at this moment, Dracule Mihawk sat in his seat, expressionless, with his arms crossed.
The commotion in the conference room seemed to have nothing to do with him, and even Doflamingo's triumphant glance and provocation didn't make him frown.
"Hawkeye, why don't you say something?" Doflamingo said with a grin, his voice laced with sharp mockery.
"Whitebeard is coming. You won't just stand by, will you? What will you do then?"
Mihawk merely lifted an eyelid, sweeping him with a cold, sharp gaze, like a knife cutting through flesh.
Doflamingo's smile froze for a moment but immediately reverted to his pathological arrogance.
Teach couldn't help but laugh loudly again at the sight, "Zehahahahaha! Alright, Doflamingo, you'll never be able to pry open the mouth of someone like Hawkeye."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku finally lost his patience and slammed the conference table, making a loud noise.
"All of you, shut up! Do you think this is a tea party, laughing endlessly? This is a major matter that determines world peace!"
Sengoku strode to the map, his finger pressing heavily on the location of Marineford.
"In three days, Whitebeard will surely come with the full strength of his crew. The Marine must win this battle!"
"I don't want anyone here to still be weighing right and wrong when the war begins, or else you all know what your fate will be!"
After a cold glance around, he flicked his sleeve and left.
Doflamingo chuckled softly after he left, "Fleet Admiral Sengoku's nerves have really become fragile."
Teach echoed, "Zehahahahaha! Old men, they always like to make a big deal out of nothing."
Kuma's gaze shifted from the map, his entire body still, while Mihawk remained silent, as if he had long since cast aside this so-called meeting.
Outside the conference room, Sengoku walked down the steps, his bloodshot eyes showing his exhaustion from days of sleeplessness.
To ensure nothing went wrong, he hadn't closed his eyes for days and nights.
He had roughly checked the troop deployment and repeatedly replayed the worst-case scenarios in his mind.
An unprecedented war, its success or failure, he could not predict at this moment.