"There was a riot in Water 7 some time ago. It was related to the Straw Hat Pirates. Maybe CP9 shifted their target around then?"
Nico Robin had found some intel on Water 7.
Many of the shipyards there had partnerships with the Kain Chamber of Commerce, so there were intelligence agents stationed in the area. But since Water 7 wasn't considered strategically important, those agents had stayed undercover and didn't gather much on the riot.
Kain wiped his hands and said, "Those bastards tried to steal the blueprints for Pluton, but they ended up getting burned by the Straw Hats. After that, they must've been assigned to deal with us. While they're digging up everything they can, they've also been told to keep an eye out for you, Devil Child Robin. The World Government's got its eye on you.
Robin, how many times have you forgotten to wear your mask in public?"
Robin looked slightly embarrassed. "There was one time… I misjudged the timing on the compound potion. My real face was exposed for a few minutes. I think there were some World Government people around at the time. I'm sorry, boss…"
"What are you apologizing for? It's those World Government bastards who are asking for trouble—not your fault."
Kain had a habit of wiping his hands after every experiment. Even though he could clean them with magic, he preferred the ritual. Some habits die hard.
"I'm going to hang their corpses at the gates of Rainbase for ten days," Kain growled. "The Kain Chamber of Commerce isn't spineless. Start recruiting, Robin. Since we can't expose the biomechanical warriors, we'll need to expand our visible forces."
Hearing Kain's words, Robin felt a warmth in her chest. The boss might've turned into more of a scoundrel lately, but his instinct to protect her hadn't changed.
If he'd blamed her just now, she would've felt guilty. But now she was at ease, fully stepping into her role as vice president.
"I'll screen all new recruits thoroughly," she said meaningfully. "If another CP9 spy slips through… that'll be my failure."
Kain understood her implication and quickly raised a hand. "Alright, I'll leave you some more Veritaserum. I don't have much of it right now—it's rarely used—but I'll bring you more next time."
Still, the fact that the World Government dared to target him now, even after all he'd done, pissed Kain off. He'd been busy before—but if he let it go this time, the Five Elders would walk all over him next.
Taking down the Zoan users—like Rob Lucci—and hanging their bodies at the city gate was only step one. Step two involved Lucci's nanobots... and the nuclear surprise Kain had prepared for Mary Geoise.
The bomb Wapol had used in Sabaody had a 100-meter blast radius. But the magnetic storm bomb Kain had built now? It was hundreds of times more powerful.
He turned to Robin. "Robin, we may need to move our forces. You need to get stronger. When I get back, I'll set up a full enhancement plan for you."
For once, Robin didn't call him a pervert. Instead, she smiled and said, "Then I'll count on you, boss."
"Do you have a fever?" Kain blinked, confused by her reaction. He reached out to feel her forehead—
Only for her to swat his hand away with a smirk. "Pervert. Don't touch a lady's head so casually."
Kain laughed. "There's the Robin I know. Alright, I'm heading back to Mariejois. I'm leaving everything here to you. You have command over the biomechanical warriors now. If things get dangerous, let them all loose."
There were now 185 biomechanical warriors. Pirates like Don Krieg had been enhanced by Kain using nano energy-absorbing alloys, and were heavily armed.
The strongest eleven of them could easily match a Vice Admiral from Navy HQ.
Kain was confident—his biomechanical warriors were at least as powerful as the World Government's Pacifistas.
This was the force he'd left behind to protect Nico Robin.
With these biomechanical warriors, the Red Queen, and their other assets, even a Buster Call would be completely wiped out.
Rob Lucci's return to the Holy Land, Mariejois, should be after the Summit War. Kain will gain many benefits from the Summit War: the Shock Fruit, the corpse of a powerful pirate, Blackbeard, and Shiryu of the Rain should have no trouble dealing with Magellan. He will surely release the great pirate from Impel Down.
Kain's target is them. If they survive in Eternal Hell, their bodies must be formidable, and they are perfect candidates for making biomechanical warriors.
Time passed, day by day.
The execution of Ace was approaching, but the Marines still couldn't track down the whereabouts of the Whitebeard pirate ship. Although the war hadn't started yet, this was the first confrontation between Sengoku and Whitebeard.
The Guardian of the Sea versus the Children of the Sea— it seemed the latter was the harder foe. Sengoku had sent almost every surveillance warship in the New World, but still, no sign of the Whitebeard pirates.
The Whitebeard pirate group, with more than 40 large ships, should've been easier to locate, especially if they stayed on the main routes. Yet, Sengoku had no leads.
Meanwhile, in Marineford, all preparations against Whitebeard were in place.
On the last day, with only seven hours left before the battle began, the Marines invited Kain and the other five Shichibukai to the execution platform.
As far as the eye could see, the crescent-shaped port of Marineford was filled with elite Marines from all over the world. Each Marine carried heavy weapons like Gatling guns and had bullets strapped to their backs— essentially, terminators in Marine uniforms.
Those less skilled with firearms drew their swords, ready to fight up close when the Whitebeard pirates appeared.
The execution platform stood at the top, and Ace, the Fire Fist, was brought out. Below it, the three Admirals from Marine Headquarters— the pinnacle of Marine strength— stood ready.
Kain and the other Shichibukai were stationed at the front of the port. If Whitebeard's Moby Dick charged in, they would be the first line of defense. But this was to be expected.
The Shichibukai were the World Government's chosen force to deal with pirates. They had received many benefits, and now it was time to pay back.
Kain, however, was an exception. If this had been before, he might have sided with Marine Headquarters. After all, the Kain Chamber of Commerce had gathered intel that suggested there were some good pirates among Whitebeard's crew, and killing a few wouldn't have been a problem.
But what the World Government had done made Kain change his mind. In this war, his goals were twofold: gain benefits and show his strength.
He wanted to make sure the Marine Government realized just how powerful he was, so that in the future, when they made small moves, they would think twice about crossing him.
With all the preparations in place, only four hours remained until Ace's execution.
The monitors were linked to the Sabaody Archipelago, and reporters from all over the world flocked there. Pirates who had escaped Kizaru's clutches last time also returned to the Sabaody Archipelago, eager to witness the event that would change the course of history.
As the time grew closer, Sengoku walked up to the execution platform and stood beside Ace.
Then, he revealed Ace's true parentage: Fire Fist Ace was not Whitebeard's son, but the son of Roger, the Pirate King.
"Nonsense! I only have one father, and that's Whitebeard!" Ace shouted in defiance.
"You're lying," Sengoku retorted. "If it weren't for Whitebeard's protection, the Marines would have executed you long ago. But with your talent, you would've eventually reached the pinnacle of piracy. So, today's execution carries great significance. Even if it leads to a full-scale war with the Four Emperors and the Whitebeard pirates, the Marines won't hesitate!"
Sengoku's words heightened the tension, and many were shocked by the revelation.
That One Piece Roger, the man who sparked the Great Pirate Era, had left behind blood— and it was now revealed that Whitebeard was his son!
"Shocking news! Truly shocking news!"
"Contact the president and tell him that Roger still has blood left, and now, he's Whitebeard's son!"
Everyone in the Sabaody Archipelago was shocked when they heard the news, and some reporters trembled while recording.
One Piece Roger's reputation was far greater than Whitebeard's. For the common people, he was the man who stood at the top of the pirate world, the most notorious of his generation.
To learn that he had blood descendants left behind was truly extraordinary, and many uninformed Marines struggled to understand the significance of this war. As a result, their morale became even more passionate.
"You seem to have a different opinion, Mage."
Hancock had been paying attention to Kain and noticed him chuckling after hearing what Sengoku said. She asked involuntarily, but after asking, Hancock secretly cursed herself for paying too much attention to this damn guy.
"Perhaps this crime is a bit unclear, so he must die because of his birth."
Kain didn't care whether others were listening. He continued speaking to Hancock: "Fire Fist Ace has committed many crimes, such as taking the 'overlord meal,' sneaking into Marine to steal secrets, attacking Marine fleets, and more. Yet, Marine chose the most ridiculous one to condemn him for. By choosing this crime, Marine has already lost to Roger. Otherwise, why would they be afraid?"
Aside from the criminals, Kain felt that no one should be condemned for their origins. He would find some death row prisoners—people who had committed murder and done experiments. No matter how lame the excuses were, at least they could stand up in some way.
Hancock snorted coldly and said, "I didn't expect someone like you to care about such things."
She didn't finish her sentence. Over the past century in Marineford, many pirate ships had arrived, all belonging to the famous captains of the Whitebeard Pirates in the New World.
"Here they come, the Whitebeard Pirates!"
When the Marines saw these pirate ships, they immediately gripped their weapons. The killing intent in the air grew stronger, filling every corner of the battlefield.
Marine soon noticed something strange. Among these pirate ships, there was no Moby Dick.
But it didn't take long before Hancock suddenly heard a small sound, and besides her, other powerful individuals with knowledge of colors also noticed it.
Sengoku muttered to himself with a slightly strange look on his face, "No way…"
Crash!
A huge sound of water crashing filled the air in the half-moon bay. Then, all the Marines saw a massive pirate ship suddenly appear in the inner waters— it was Whitebeard's Moby Dick!
Standing on the bow was the man who held the title of the strongest man in the world, the Four Emperors Whitebeard.
"Kuhahaha! My beloved son, are you okay!?"
…
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