Near a deserted island not far from their current base, Souta Kiryuu discovered a small uninhabited isle. He had Bartholomew Kuma fix the coordinates and even took the time to craft several permanent log poses.
This island would serve as the key beacon—an irresistible lure to draw the likes of Kaidō of the Beasts, Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, and the Golden Lion Shiki.
"Let's move. We're heading back."
Souta led Kuma and Violet away, waiting for the right moment when the Celestial Dragons would finally make their move.
The true treasures—the most prized slaves and rarest spoils—still remained in the Holy Land of Mariejois. That island itself had little of worth right now. No, the perfect strike would be when both the Dragons and their trophies gathered together.
"You two, keep eyes on the Celestial Dragons. I've got other business to handle."
After dropping Kuma and Violet off in the front half of the New World, Souta left alone, soaring straight toward the Sabaody Archipelago.
Spandam still had something he wanted. An ancient Zoan Devil Fruit was in his possession—and Souta wasn't about to let it go to waste.
Invisible, masked, Souta landed on the lawless zone of Sabaody, blending into the chaos. He had already contacted Spandam ahead of time, ordering him to bring the fruit to an auction house hidden in the underworld.
"Should I leak Ace's whereabouts to Spandam?" Souta mused to himself, stroking his chin. "If he passes that to Sengoku of the Buddha, the Marines would throw everything at Fire Fist Ace. That could spark Marineford War after all..."
But now Blackbeard Teach was already in his hands. Without that betrayal, Ace wouldn't be captured. Which meant the war would never even happen.
Still... soon enough he was planning to ignite an even greater war—a hunt against the Celestial Dragons themselves. Once that fire spread, the scale of destruction would eclipse anything the Marines had ever staged.
By then, would the Navy even have the capacity—or interest—to stage a public execution for Ace? Unlikely.
If he still wanted Impel Down to fall, he would need another route. Then again, with how lax security would eventually become, even if Shiryu of the Rain ended up imprisoned for his killings, Souta could storm the prison directly without much issue.
The greatest risk in attacking Impel Down was the Navy's overwhelming power stationed at Marineford—reinforcements could arrive within hours. But Souta had confidence. Within two hours, he could crush Magellan and liberate most of the prisoners.
Impel Down, the so-called unbreakable fortress, was really nothing more than a deterrent built on poison.
And if he could seize Ace, draw the Whitebeard Pirates to that island, and throw them into the chaos of his trap... he might even snatch Whitebeard's blood in the process.
Turn the so-called Marineford War into the "Divine-Demon Island War."
Yes. It was very possible.
After all, the real goals were simple: Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi powers, and the prisoners of Impel Down. Marineford was just a stage, never the endgame.
In the wake of the Divine-Demon Island War, countless Celestial Dragons would fall. The Navy's headquarters would be forced to shift massive forces into the New World. And then, right after the chaos, Souta could strike Impel Down with impunity—luring the tiger from its mountain.
The effect would be the same as Marineford. Without it ever happening, he could still tear the World Government and Navy to pieces.
Teach had sought war to seize the quake powers and the prison's might. Souta would do the same—but with a sharper blade. Celestial Dragons slaughtered, Whitebeard's blood obtained, Impel Down plundered.
The more Souta thought of it, the more exhilarated he became.
"The Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates are riddled with spies and traitors. I can't leak this plan to them early," Souta sneered to himself. "If word gets out, the Celestial Dragons will cancel their 'Native Purge Games.' And then the chance vanishes."
Indeed, Totto Land and Onigashima were full of government agents. To think these Yonko crews could topple the World Government was laughable.
CP0 could bypass Kaidō himself and strike deals directly with Kurozumi Orochi.
To Imu and the Gorōsei, the Yonko were little more than clowns on strings.
Soon, Spandam appeared, badly disguised, creeping through the lawless alleys of Sabaody. The former CP9 chief shook with fear—terrified that contact with the God-Slayer would be exposed, bringing the Government's wrath down on him and even his father, Spandine.
Souta spotted him instantly. A pathetic figure, trembling, yet still of some use. Souta smirked inwardly. Spandam was not worth killing yet. In time, he might yield even more valuable surprises.
After all, Souta already held his leash. If he ever chose to expose him, the World Government would butcher Spandam without hesitation.
"Hand it over. Relax," Souta said smoothly, appearing behind Spandam and clapping his shoulder.
The man nearly leapt out of his skin, almost wetting himself.
"Y-you! How did you recognize me? I-I was about to call you!"
Spandam could feel the crushing aura from the masked figure. There was no mistaking it—this was the man himself.
"Don't worry. Go home and sleep easy. I don't waste tools that still have value," Souta replied lightly, taking the parcel from his hands before fading into the crowd.
Spandam collapsed in a heap, whispering in terror: "It's over... I'll never escape this devil..." He fled the underworld quarter, pursued by the greedy eyes of scavengers.
Souta, meanwhile, carried the prize away. Time pressed on. He needed to return to Skypiea, gather his forces, and prepare for the Celestial Dragons' next move.
The [R-Class Lepus] slaves had already been shipped to that island. The games would soon begin. His setup had to be ready.
Especially if he was to draw in legends like Shiki the Golden Lion and Whitebeard Edward Newgate. Without them, the war would lose half its spectacle.
As for the Red-Haired Pirates? Souta couldn't care less.
After securing Blackbeard, Souta once more contacted Morgans and Stussy, demanding intelligence on Fire Fist Ace.
In this world, Ace was no condemned man awaiting execution. He might instead become a "Lepus slave" or a captive meant for blood extraction.
Morgans was floored by the call. Fire Fist Ace—the Second Division Commander—was no nameless traitor like Teach. To target him was to invite the fury of the entire Whitebeard Pirates.
Was Souta insane? To deliberately provoke the strongest Yonko alive?
And yet, for the right price, Morgans would sell even Whitebeard's coordinates. The greater the chaos, the greater the headlines, and the more his papers sold.
For a man like Morgans, war was profit. And Souta was about to give him the biggest story of all.
...
Hey everyone! Want to read ahead and unlock up to 100 early-access chapters? 📖Plus, enjoy even more exclusive novels! Join my Patreon now and dive into the adventure!
patreon.com/Rawink00