After heated debate within the Revolutionary Army, its leadership finally reached a decision: they would dispatch a highly mobile team of officers to coordinate with Souta Kiryuu's crew. The emphasis was on agility—ready to retreat at any moment.
Their mission was not to wage war directly, but to gather undeniable proof of the Celestial Dragons' slaughter of innocent civilians. They would expose the ugliness of the Tenryūbito for all the world to see.
The very next day, Souta received Dragon's formal reply. The outcome left him satisfied—another force of powerful fighters would be entering the battlefield.
"Let's see what waves these Celestial Dragons think they can stir up," Souta muttered coldly. "Unless they summon Imu and all five of the Gorosei at once…"
If that unthinkable scenario occurred, even Souta would consider a strategic retreat.
But this time, his true aim was to annihilate the God Knights—the elite among the Tenryūbito.
Meanwhile, aboard the Lion-Headed Flying Ship, Golden Lion Shiki's men finally discovered the strange transponder snails ringing nonstop.
A nervous underling picked one up, realized it was linked to the Araryū Pirates, and rushed in panic to Shiki's laboratory. The crew dared not mishandle such a call—the Araryū name now carried weight equal to any of the Four Emperors.
"Damn brat! What kind of trouble are you stirring now?!" Shiki roared the instant he seized the receiver. He still remembered how Souta had forcibly taken his blood for experiments.
That little demon had no doubt used it for some foul research.
"Interested in learning where Pluton lies? Or perhaps you'd like to uncover the secret Roger left behind?" Souta's voice was calm, unbothered by Shiki's fury.
"You think I'm a fool? Even if you found it, why would you tell me?!" Shiki snarled. His contempt for the new generation burned hot.
"I've already located the Poneglyph recording Pluton's warship," Souta replied smoothly. "And Nico Robin, the Devil's Child of Ohara, happens to be one of my subordinates. Honestly, if not for the fact that moving such a colossal weapon requires your Float-Float Fruit, I wouldn't even bother approaching you."
The calm, unshakable delivery left Shiki uncertain whether to believe him.
"Jihahahaha! And when Pluton is found, how do we divide it?" Shiki demanded, still defiant.
"That will be decided once it's raised. If you're unwilling, I can always turn to Kaido or Charlotte Linlin," Souta replied bluntly, making no effort to hide his intention to use Shiki's ability—and perhaps even double-cross him afterward.
Oddly enough, that brazen tone gave Shiki more reason to believe.
"Jihahahaha! Fine. When the warship is unearthed, we'll see who claims it."
Golden Lion Shiki feared no betrayal. With his Float-Float powers, he was certain Pluton would be his prize alone. Souta could plot all he wished; Shiki would show the brat what it meant to bargain with a lion.
"Then I look forward to your arrival, old master. Watch for the permanent pointer I'll send." Souta laughed as he ended the call. Pirates were easy to manipulate—each had obsessions and weaknesses that made them predictable.
"Now then… it's Ace's turn."
Souta's lips curled into a predator's grin. Drawing out Whitebeard's pirates wouldn't be simple, but Fire Fist Ace might just be the perfect bait.
Capturing Ace wasn't the only option—seizing any of Whitebeard's division commanders could provoke a response. But most of them rarely left the Moby Dick, content to spend their days with Newgate. Ace, however, was constantly wandering, always a lone target.
"Lafitte," Souta ordered, "spread word through Morgans and Stussy about Blackbeard's whereabouts. Make sure Fire Fist Ace is drawn to a nearby island."
"Yes, Captain," Lafitte replied with a sly smile, already moving to fulfill the command.
Souta leaned back, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. His net was nearly complete. Soon, when the Celestial Dragons landed on that cursed island, he would drag them all into his trap. Perhaps he'd even slay a Gorosei.
Every "Extermination Game" held by the Tenryūbito had a Gorosei present, either as guardian or arbiter. This time would be no exception.
"I wonder what the prize will be," Souta murmured. "Will it be six top-tier Devil Fruits again?"
He thought of the legendary God Valley incident, where prizes had included the Azure Dragon Mythical Zoan and the Paw-Paw Fruit. Any fruit selected by the Celestial Dragons was never ordinary.
This year's rewards might deliver Souta the surprise he craved.
On a small island in the New World, where the Araryū Pirates had set up base, Viola used her Glare-Glare Fruit to monitor the Red Port on the Red Line, keeping constant watch on Celestial Dragon movements.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew pushed themselves through intense training.
Trafalgar Law stood apart, gazing coldly toward Dressrosa. If not for Souta's current plan against the Tenryūbito, they might already have marched against the Donquixote Family and slain Doflamingo.
"Soon… soon. After this war, Doflamingo, you're dead," Law hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes burning with hatred. He swore he would avenge Corazon.
Souta's four elite officers, and even Souta himself, spent their time sparring with the three Seraph weapons, sharpening their strength and honing new techniques.
"This is terrifying…" Moria wheezed as Souta's Deva Path crushed him under gravity waves. The Shadow-Shadow powers barely let him escape by switching places with his minions.
"So hard!" Boa Hancock cursed when even her full-strength Armament Haki kick failed to dent the Asura Path's defense.
"As long as their Lunarian flames burn, their defense and regeneration are monstrous," Capone Bege observed, envious of the towering figure's alloy arms, which could morph into massive shields to block even Hancock's attacks.
"Even shields count as part of the Weapon-Weapon Fruit's arsenal?" Jewelry Bonney asked, watching the Asura Path switch seamlessly between blades, guns, cannons, and other weapons—already more versatile than Baby 5, the fruit's original wielder.
"Shield Bash is still an attack, isn't it? So a giant shield is a weapon too," Souta explained with a grin. He watched as the Asura Path swung a hammer the size of a mountain, sending the hulking Kuma flying.
If it switched to a railgun, Moria would likely collapse instantly.