Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Setting Sail for the Grand Line
Marine Headquarters, Marineford
Fleet Admiral Kurotaka was growing restless. The head of the Rosward family, one of the Celestial Dragons, had suddenly shifted gears, hounding the Marines daily to launch an all-out assault on the Hell Pirates.
Their prized spy had gone rogue. Not only had she cut off contact, but she was now fighting for the Hell Pirates—and was wanted by the Marines to boot. The CP organization unanimously suspected Stussy had been turned.
It was a bitter pill for the Celestial Dragons and CP leaders to swallow. How could a top agent, meticulously trained for over a decade, flip sides so easily?
At first, they thought Stussy might have lost her Den Den Mushi or was too intimidated by Brook and his crew’s strength to send messages. But after more than half a year with no word—no coded notes, no secret symbols, not even a trace on Elan Island—it was clear something was off. This wasn’t the behavior of a loyal spy.
The Celestial Dragons and CP brass were now certain: Stussy had defected to Brook’s side.
This sparked the Rosward patriarch’s relentless pressure on Fleet Admiral Kurotaka. But the Hell Pirates were no small fry—they were one of the New World’s four dominant crews. How do you capture a force like that?
A single Marine Admiral wasn’t enough to take them down, especially with Golden Lion Shiki’s Float-Float Fruit making their golden airship a nightmare to pin down.
The three Admirals were spread thin: one always guarded Marineford and protected the Celestial Dragons in the Sabaody Archipelago, another held the fort in the New World, and the third patrolled the Grand Line or handled special missions on rotation.
Send another Admiral to team up with Admiral Devo in the New World to hunt the Hell Pirates? That was tempting, but risky. The New World was a powder keg. The Vesper Pirates and Rocks Pirates posed serious threats to Admirals, even if they rarely allied. Two Admirals deep in the New World could spell trouble if things went south.
Fleet Admiral Kurotaka couldn’t afford to take that chance. It was too dangerous, and the Hell Pirates’ ability to fly made it a potential waste of time.
"Fleet Admiral, sending another Admiral into the New World isn’t wise," Chief Strategist said, breaking the silence. "But waiting for the Hell Pirates to leave the New World is unrealistic, and it won’t satisfy the Celestial Dragons either.
Our best shot is to lure them out. Problem is, we don’t know what Brook’s crew wants most. They’ve already found some massive treasure or gold mine—their Golden Island and airship are practically a walking fortune, dubbed ’the treasure you can see.’ Money’s not their weakness.
Looking at their crew, they’re drawn to potential or power—pirates with promise or things that can boost their strength. A rare, powerful Devil Fruit or a high-profile pirate might tempt them out.
Here’s my plan: request a top-tier Devil Fruit from the Celestial Dragons and plant it on Beast Island. Then, send spies to Elan Island to spread rumors and draw the Hell Pirates out of the New World."
Strategist handed over a dossier on Beast Island, a perilous Grand Line locale. He outlined a scheme: a "pirate" would "accidentally" discover the Devil Fruit but be too weak to defeat the island’s ferocious beasts. These pirates would then head to Elan Island, stage a brawl, and "reluctantly" spill the secret to make a scene.
Beast Island was so dangerous that even Vice Admirals steered clear. Only an Admiral or a Yonko-level figure could claim the fruit, making it the perfect bait for the Hell Pirates.
To sell the ruse, Strategist proposed a backstory: a persecuted journalist turned pirate who "captured" an image of the fruit, only to "carelessly" reveal it on Elan Island.
Strategist had pulled out all the stops to appease the Celestial Dragons, sparing no expense to bring down the pirates who dared kill one of their own.
"It’s worth a shot," Fleet Admiral Kurotaka said, resigned. "Get Admiral Aokiba to assist. Beast Island’s no joke—even the Science Division often needs an Admiral to collect specimens there."
Kurotaka had little choice but to greenlight the plan. At worst, it’d cost Aokiba a photo op. At best, it’d lure Brook out. Either way, the Marines wouldn’t lose much.
...
While Marineford schemed to draw the Hell Pirates out, Brook and his crew were already gearing up to leave the New World for the Grand Line.
Mortomas had come through, digging up intel on Vegapunk and Kaido. With Brook providing the locations and targets, it was a straightforward job. If Mortomas’ World Economic News reporters couldn’t handle that, they might as well trade their pens for plows!
A map and a Log Pose arrived via a News Coo gull. Brook didn’t waste time. From Baron Island, he ordered the crew to set course for the Grand Line.
Vegapunk, now 13, was making waves on Karakuri Island, the Future Kingdom of Baldimore in the Grand Line. The kid was already a prodigy, tinkering with semi-mechanized animals.
Kaido, just 8, was a boy soldier in the Vodka Kingdom. His job? Leading charges or clearing paths with explosives on the battlefield, much like Bullet’s grim past. These kids were cannon fodder, and those who survived were hailed as "heroes."
The Vodka Kingdom was a war-torn Grand Line nation, fighting to amass enough wealth for the Celestial Dragons’ "Heavenly Tribute" to secure World Government membership and "human rights." Non-member nations were playgrounds for slavers and pirates, some even backed by Celestial Dragons who ran elite slave-hunting crews targeting rare races.
"No wonder Kaido’s first bounty was 70 million Belly," Brook murmured, flipping through the dossier. "That kind of start doesn’t happen in the Four Seas. The Grand Line’s a different beast."
Vegapunk’s age made things easier. Brook chuckled, recalling Oda’s love for nine-year gaps: Linlin was nine years older than Kaido, so Vegapunk being nine years older than Queen and Judge felt right.
Under Brook’s command, Golden Island vanished into the night sky. They’d chosen a nocturnal departure for stealth. Even at 10,000 meters, a massive island could draw eyes, but Zeus the Thundercloud, bolstered by Charlotte Linlin’s enhancements, cloaked them in stormy cover.
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