"Knock, knock."
At this moment, Vegapunk tapped the table, interrupting the two of them as they poked fun at themselves.
"If it's only about creating owls capable of delivering newspapers, I can solve that. The Bloodline Factor project has made tremendous progress, and cloning animals is already a solved problem for me."
"With sufficient funding, I can also engrave the genetic information needed to make them behave like News Coo, taking newspapers, collecting payment, and returning on their own."
Vegapunk paused.
"But I'm only a researcher. What we should publicize and how we should publicize it will be up to you to figure out."
"Also, having owls pick up newspapers and deliver them to various places still carries the risk of exposure. My suggestion is..."
Vegapunk pointed toward the sky.
Using a Sky Island would indeed provide a high degree of security.
In fact, one of the reasons Dragon had remained stationed at Baltigo all this time was so that the entire research facility could be made to float and evacuated at any moment.
After thinking for a while, Rowan spoke,
"The location of a Sky Island is fixed. Perhaps we can have the owls find their nest on their own, like returning home, while the actual distribution of the newspapers takes place above the clouds along constantly changing routes?"
Vegapunk closed his eyes and thought for a moment before opening them again.
"That should work. Now, sir, please get that giant mechanical soldier back for me as soon as possible. Otherwise, every one of these plans will require an adequate energy source."
Rowan could only nod helplessly.
So was this a common trait among scientists?
They only knew how to hold out their hands and ask for funding and equipment. Everything else was apparently none of their concern.
Then again, Rowan had agreed to all of this when he recruited Vegapunk in the first place.
Vegapunk told Rowan to come back in a week to collect the prototypes. The signal receivers could then be mass-produced.
As for the concealment and range expansion of the signal transmitter, they would have to wait until Rowan obtained the giant mechanical soldier.
After being repeatedly urged, coaxed, and practically tricked into agreeing, Rowan finally left the research facility.
Dragon, standing nearby, rubbed his tired eyes. He still had to go back and continue dealing with his work.
Rowan glanced at him before patting him on the shoulder. "You've worked hard."
Dragon smiled helplessly. "At the beginning, I simply felt that something was wrong with this world, so I wanted to do something about it. That's why I established the Freedom Army."
"Later, even after your guidance led me to transform the Freedom Army into the Revolutionary Army we have today, I still only wanted to overthrow the World Government."
"But now... I understand. This sick world can't simply return to normal just because we overthrow the World Government..."
"The intertwining of desires and the complexity of human nature mean that even after the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise are overthrown, new Celestial Dragons will eventually appear as time passes."
"Only awakened and liberated minds can truly change this world and ensure that new Celestial Dragons don't emerge in the future. Revolution requires military power, but military power alone isn't enough."
"And precisely because of that... changing all the deeply rooted ideas that have existed in this world for generations is incredibly difficult. Wano Country is an example. The collision between old and new ideas has already become increasingly intense, and bloody conflicts have begun appearing once again."
Wano Country although Rowan had been busy dealing with his own affairs, he had also been keeping an eye on the situation in Wano.
The first four-year period was about to arrive. Kozuki Oden would soon step down as shogun, while the daimyo of the various regions would also inevitably have their authority removed.
Over nearly four years, the Revolutionary Army's lecturers in Wano had done everything they could to liberate the people's minds. There had certainly been results, but they had fallen far short of the ideal outcome.
Human desire and the temptation of power were being displayed in all their ugliness at this moment.
Samurai who had once been loyal to their lords, along with some ignorant civilians, had likewise been swept up into the final resistance.
The four-year rotation and the gradual implementation of the new administrative system would not stop because of such ignorance.
The strategy had always been to push forward while the momentum was strong. No one could change that.
Compared with the other regions, the Hakumai region, where Shimotsuki Yasuie had previously been executed, could now be said to be undergoing the smoothest reforms.
Perhaps they should have abolished titles like daimyo and shogun back then.
"The situation in Wano must be pushed through in one go. As long as Kozuki Oden's ideology doesn't go astray, there shouldn't be any problems afterward."
Rowan gave his instructions before continuing, "I'll keep an eye on Punk Hazard from my side. As soon as Borsalino discovers anything, I'll take action as quickly as possible. Also..."
"Keep a close eye on the East Blue. The scene I saw before is getting close to the time when it will happen. Although Ginny has Roger there, and Uncle Kuma often goes over as well, if the one targeting her is a Celestial Dragon, they'll eventually find an opening."
Rowan gave him a reminder.
He had always been suspicious about how a Celestial Dragon could possibly abduct Ginny.
After all, Ginny was the Revolutionary Army's East Army Commander. She wasn't really just an ordinary woman.
So if it wasn't some ordinary snot-nosed Celestial Dragon, then there was only one possibility, an elite member of their ranks.
There was also the experiment Saturn had mentioned. There were simply too many things about it that didn't make sense, and this was something Rowan had been keeping an eye on from the beginning.
Hearing this, Dragon also connected it with the World Government's movements in the East Blue and nodded. "I'll keep an eye on it. Once Vegapunk finishes the signal transmitter, things like transponder snails will become obsolete for us anyway. I'll make sure the Army Commanders get them first."
Rowan nodded, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to G5.
A week later, thanks to the World Government's propaganda, the pirates throughout the New World had become completely stirred up.
For the sake of the vague title of Yonko, every pirate was eager to create some kind of major incident.
As a result, the waters under G5's jurisdiction, which had previously been regarded by pirates as a forbidden sea, became the first choice for some pirates who wanted to make a name for themselves.
The rotating training schedule had been suspended three days earlier.
Apart from some Marines remaining behind to guard the base, Units 01 through 06 had all set sail to hunt down pirates everywhere, and Rowan was no exception.
Because he held authority over three branches, whenever the other two areas under his jurisdiction required support, G5 could only send reinforcements.
Rowan stood at the bow of the ship. After judging the distance of the pursuit, he immediately launched himself into the air with Geppo.
He waved his hand and slapped several cannonballs away before landing directly on the enemy ship's deck.
However, after witnessing the power of someone batting cannonballs away with his bare hands, the pirates aboard the ship showed no fear or panic. Instead, Rowan saw a trace of excitement in their eyes.
"A Vice Admiral from G5!"
"He actually came at us alone? This is our chance!"
"Kill him! Kill him, and our name will spread throughout the entire New World! We'll become the fourth Yonko!"
"Yonko! As long as we kill this guy, we'll become the crew of a Yonko!"
"I'm going to be the man of a Yonko! Hand over your head to me, Marine!"
"Bang, bang, bang..."
A barrage of bullets came flying toward him. They were actually fairly decent, sealing off the surrounding area with Observation Haki.
However, Rowan merely shifted sideways and casually slapped the bullets away before facing the so-called man who was going to become a Yonko charging straight at him.
He reached out and grabbed him, pressing the man's head straight down.
"Crack! Boom!"
The deck shattered as Rowan planted one foot on his head.
"You want to become the man of which Emperor? Actually, that's a pretty simple dream. BIGMOM has been giving birth nonstop these past few years, so there are quite a lot of men who could become one of the Yonko's men."
With their captain easily pinned beneath his foot, the advancing crew members abruptly stopped and shouted furiously for Rowan to release their captain.
Such ridiculous requests weren't actually anything Rowan hadn't heard before.
In the middle of a battle, having the opponent demand that you release them was indeed perfectly in line with the logic of this world's cannon fodder.
"Bastard... How... how could this be the end for me?! I haven't... pff!"
Rowan increased the pressure beneath his foot, crushing the man who was still trying to make a comeback.
His head burst beneath Rowan's foot like a smashed watermelon, blood and brain matter splattering across the deck.
Rowan stepped back to avoid the filth. "No matter what kind of past you have or what kind of dream you possess, the moment you build your own pleasure upon the suffering of ordinary people, I'll inevitably want to harvest your value."
From the prison's unique perspective, the fate of everyone aboard the pirate ship had already been decided.
Just five minutes later, after the warship pulled alongside, the Marines from Unit 05 quickly moved in to clean up the battlefield. The captain's quarters in particular were turned upside down in their search.
"Following Vice Admiral Rowan really is convenient. We only need to clean up the battlefield every time."
"Hahaha! Vice Admiral Rowan is already a candidate for Admiral! That's a candidate for the Marines' highest combat power!"
"Listen up, recruits. Any extra money that belongs to us will naturally be distributed later. But if anyone dares to hide anything... so far, there hasn't been a single person at G5 who wasn't caught!"
On the deck, the adjutant took out a transponder snail, looking somewhat flustered.
"Vice Admiral, Major Tashigi is in trouble."
The transponder snail quickly transmitted a voice.
"Vice Admiral, in Area 09, we've encountered Aska, the captain of the Burning Pirates. He's currently fighting Major Tashigi, and the situation isn't looking good."
Rowan asked in confusion, "That guy is still alive?"
The transponder snail clearly froze for a moment.
"Tell Tashigi to hold on. Just stall for time. We'll need about half an hour to arrive."
After saying that, Rowan used Geppo to return to the warship. He ignored the Unit 05 Marines who were still looting the area and immediately ordered the ship to head toward Area OP.
Aska, captain of the Burning Pirates, was a Flame-Flame Fruit user.
He had some reputation in the New World, but the reason Rowan had asked whether he was still alive was because, according to his memories, this Logia Devil Fruit would eventually be eaten by Ace.
As the previous user, Aska should naturally have already died, allowing the fruit to reappear.
The World Government's plan to manipulate the struggle for the title of Yonko was to establish three confirmed positions while leaving one open. Originally, there was nothing wrong with the plan. Its purpose was to make the pirates slaughter one another.
However, after a week of fermenting, the pirates had interpreted it through their own bizarre logic as meaning that they simply weren't qualified yet, at least not because their bounties were high enough.
Once they decided they weren't qualified, these strange-minded pirates came up with their own solutions.
Some wanted to challenge the first three so-called Emperors and make a name for themselves in one fell swoop.
Others targeted the various Marine branches, hoping to create major incidents and raise their reputation enough to achieve the status of Yonko.
However, although Marine Headquarters' Vice Admirals were indeed inferior to Whitebeard and BIGMOM, and Kaido's immortality essentially gave him an overwhelming advantage over them, there was also the Revolutionary Army in the picture.
And so they had kicked a steel plate known as G5.
"Brrr... Brrr..."
The communication transponder snail aboard the warship rang again, but this time the call was coming directly from Marine Headquarters.
"Rowan!"
The transponder snail, mimicking Sengoku's voice, immediately spoke after the connection was established.
"In BIGMOM's Totto Land, Sakazuki's warship has encountered resistance from the BIGMOM Pirates. You need to head there and provide support as soon as possible."
Rowan scratched his head. "Why did that guy Sakazuki go and provoke BIGMOM for no reason? He's a Vice Admiral. Even as a candidate for Admiral, he doesn't have the authority to start a war with a Great Pirate of the New World, does he?"
Sengoku was in a hurry, but he still replied, "It's because that woman thinks she shouldn't be ranked below Whitebeard. Sakazuki happened to hit a sore spot, and after a couple of words during negotiations, a conflict broke out."
They got into a conflict after just a couple of words?
As expected, that was very Sakazuki.
Given how insane that woman BIGMOM was, combined with Sakazuki's innate attitude of not giving a damn about who anyone was, it was inevitable that the two of them would start fighting after only a few words.
However, Rowan didn't believe BIGMOM would actually kill Sakazuki.
After all, he was a candidate for Admiral and possessed a Logia like the Magma-Magma Fruit. Killing Sakazuki would mean going to war with the Marines outright, and there was no doubt about that.
She might be crazy, but she certainly wasn't stupid.
"I'm really sorry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, but I just received a distress call from my men in Area 09 of G5's jurisdiction. I need to get there as quickly as possible."
"Besides, G5 isn't exactly close to Totto Land. Even if I rush there by warship, I'm afraid I won't make it in time."
The transponder snail mimicking Sengoku's appearance had a serious expression, but Rowan had deliberately mentioned Area 09 under G5's jurisdiction. Naturally, that also made it clear that he really did need to go support his men.
"Do it as quickly as you can. Sakazuki hasn't grown to the point where he can fight BIGMOM yet. As one of the strongest female pirates from the same era as Roger, Charlotte Linlin herself is a monster."
A monster Rowan looked at his own arm. The explosive strength provided by his Steel Bone talent really did make him a monster in terms of raw physical power.
"Wouldn't Borsalino be more suitable for this? His speed makes him the ideal person for providing support, doesn't it?"
The transponder snail representing Sengoku paused.
"Borsalino was summoned by the World Government. Apparently, he has an important escort mission. Once you've dealt with your situation, head over there as quickly as possible. Although BIGMOM should not be stupid enough to actually try to kill Sakazuki, pirates who possess Conqueror's Haki can make unexpected decisions no matter what."
Rowan sighed. "Fleet Admiral, was that newspaper the decision of Marine Headquarters, or was it the World Government's masterpiece?"
Sengoku hesitated before replying, "Morgan's report had some involvement from Headquarters."
That statement was already quite clear. It wasn't merely a unilateral decision by the World Government. Marine Headquarters had also agreed to it.
And the reason naturally, it was because the pressure on the Marines was growing greater and greater.
Headquarters likewise wanted the pirates to kill each other off and reduce the pressure on the Marines.
"Heh..."
Rowan chuckled softly. "So even the Fleet Admiral didn't expect that what was originally a case of 'killing two birds with one stone' would end with the people who handed out the peaches becoming the targets themselves, did you?"
"Because of their growing ambitions, every pirate who wants to become a Yonko now has two choices. The first is to challenge Whitebeard, BIGMOM, or Kaido. The second is to attack the areas under the jurisdiction of the Marines in the New World and raise their bounty."
"Between the two, the Marines may be powerful, but the Marine branches are nowhere near the level of the three pirates currently chosen as the Yonko. Naturally, the Marines in the New World have become targets."
After Rowan finished speaking, Sengoku was left speechless.
The original plan had been a very good one, but things had not gone according to plan.
The Marine branches in the New World had become targets, something neither he nor Tsuru had anticipated.
Who could have known that pirates would have such bizarre thought processes?
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