"Your analysis was right. The Heavenly Tribute really was just a cover for the Kuja Pirates."
"Mm-hm, and then? Is it some other treasure?" Ron asked with great anticipation.
"Their... real target is rescuing a 'comrade.'"
"..." Hearing that, Ron's eyes immediately dimmed a little. After two seconds of silence, he turned expressionlessly to look at Kaido. "No, seriously. This has nothing to do with you. What the hell are you happy about?"
"You can't say that," Kaido explained with righteous confidence. "Don't you feel that sudden sense of enlightenment?"
Ron released his shoulder and walked forward on his own, saying without looking back, "I hereby declare the Apprentice Alliance dissolved."
"What are you saying, Ron? You can't say things that hurt unity!" Kaido hurriedly followed, shouting in dissatisfaction.
...
Yes. The Kuja Pirates' goal was exactly as Kaido said: rescuing a comrade.
According to the information they had gathered, the ones responsible for escorting this shipment were Marine Fleet Admiral "Steel Bone" Kong and Marine Admiral Sengoku the Buddha.
With their current strength, they had no way to shake such a lineup, so they had no choice but to seek outside cooperation.
Their original planned partner had been the Roger Pirates. The Rocks Pirates were only a last resort.
But as time grew tighter, the Kuja Pirates happened to run into the Rocks Pirates while heading to meet the Roger Pirates. Thus, the plan changed.
The terms of cooperation between the two sides were not complicated. The Kuja Pirates would only provide the route. Whatever Heavenly Tribute was stolen would all belong to the Rocks Pirates.
Their only condition was that if the Kuja Pirates encountered danger they could not withstand, the Rocks Pirates had to help.
-------------------------------------
At the same time, somewhere in the New World.
Three enormous World Government warships sailed side by side at a steady, unhurried speed. Their hulls split the waves and left three long white trails on the sea.
Aboard them were the Heavenly Tribute they had recently collected from various nations, some precious item used as "collateral" for the Heavenly Tribute, and... slaves meant for the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons, to play with.
Inside the hall of one warship, the fragrance of tea drifted.
"Hoo." Steel Bone Kong lightly blew on the tea in his cup, leaning back comfortably as he looked through the porthole at the calm sea. "It's been a long time since we sat down to drink tea together, hasn't it, Sengoku?"
"Hahaha... Thanks to you, I finally get to drink some good tea," Sengoku said with a soft laugh, lifting his cup and taking a sip.
Kong waved his hand. "Not thanks to me. We all owe thanks to the World Government. Everything we've achieved today was granted by the World Government. At critical moments, we cannot disappoint them."
Sengoku nodded slightly. Although the words did not sound pleasant, what Kong said was indeed true.
"Hahahaha! Justice will prevail!" Kong said with a laugh. Before his voice fell, a young man in a Marine uniform hurried in holding a Den Den Mushi.
"Report! Admiral Sengoku, your personal Den Den Mushi is ringing."
After speaking, the young Marine naturally handed the Den Den Mushi to Sengoku, then tactfully turned and left.
Kong watched the entire time without speaking.
Sengoku connected the call.
Soon, a low voice came from the other end.
"Mr. Sengoku, does what you said before still count?"
"Of course." Sengoku nodded firmly. "However, how much you obtain depends on the value of the information you provide."
"Their target is the Heavenly Tribute. They're preparing to ambush you along your route."
"Mm. Very valuable." Sengoku's gaze sank slightly.
"Hehehe... I hope you keep your promise."
"Naturally. Our cooperation will not stop at this one time."
The call ended. The cabin was silent for a moment.
Kong, who had not spoken earlier, finally said in an indifferent tone, "Looks like... a mole has appeared among us as well."
Sengoku put down the Den Den Mushi and frowned. "What do you plan to do, Kong? The Rocks Pirates are not easy to deal with. If the Heavenly Tribute is stolen, we won't be able to explain it to the World Government."
As Sengoku analyzed the situation, he calculated various responses in his mind.
Kong remained silent for a long while. The tea in his cup had already cooled slightly. Suddenly, a smile squeezed onto his face.
"In that case, we'll use their plan against them."
Sengoku paused, then quickly understood Kong's intention. His tightly furrowed brows relaxed. "That is indeed a very good plan."
Kong slowly stood and walked to the window, looking at the endless sea outside. "Sengoku, go arrange it. Let us give those Rocks bastards a big surprise."
-------------------------------------
A long while later.
A speedboat raced across the sea, dragging a white wake behind it.
"The World Government sure is cunning," Ochoku muttered vaguely while sitting at the front of the speedboat and eating pizza with relish.
The situation was this.
When the Rocks Pirates advanced at full speed according to the route provided by the Kuja Pirates, they suddenly received new information. To prevent an attack, the Marines had split the fleet into three groups and sent them along three different routes.
As a result, the Rocks Pirates had no choice but to split into three teams and set up ambushes separately.
One team consisted of Rocks and the Kuja Pirates.
One consisted of Ron, Whitebeard, Stussy, Kaido, and Ochoku.
The remaining Rocks Pirates formed the third team.
"Compared to that," Whitebeard sat in the middle of the speedboat, back against the side, one hand holding Murakumogiri as he glanced sideways at Ochoku, "it's stranger that you were willing to travel with me."
The team originally decided upon had been Ron, Whitebeard, Stussy, and Kaido, who would ambush the World Government warship described in the intelligence as the weakest route.
Unexpectedly, Ochoku had taken the initiative to travel with Whitebeard.
"Hehehehe." Ochoku sneered a few times, bit into his pizza, and said slowly, "If I follow those lunatics, I won't get any benefits. But if I follow you... you understand."
He did not say it outright, but his meaning was obvious. Whitebeard had no interest in treasure, while Ron and Kaido were apprentices who could be casually brushed off.
The only person he would need to split anything with was Stussy.
Even if they ended up finding nothing, Ochoku felt it did not matter. He had not put in much effort anyway. At most, he wasted the time it took to eat a few bites of pizza.