NOVEL WEB Chapter 76: Chapter 76
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"I don't know..."
Bellumebo scratched his head awkwardly as he answered Bai Yu's question, looking embarrassed.
Bai Yu shook his head slowly, slightly disappointed by the response.
"Are we really going to just let Virgo defect like this?" Kebi asked again, his tone filled with concern.
"Of course not," Bai Yu replied firmly.
"My goal isn't just Virgo."
He paused, his expression turning serious.
"It's also Doflamingo."
Kebi and Bellumebo's eyes lit up with surprise and excitement at Bai Yu's words.
Having followed Bai Yu for a while now, they had both witnessed firsthand how overwhelmingly strong he was.
Even against a figure as powerful as one of the Shichibukai, Bai Yu never showed weakness.
Not only would he take down Virgo—but if he could bring in Doflamingo too, it would cause a major shock to the entire Marine Headquarters!
Their 188th Marine Branch would be recognized across the seas!
"Yes, sir!"
"All members of the 188th Marine Branch stand ready at your command!" Kebi and Bellumebo stood up straighter, saluting with full conviction.
In their minds, Bai Yu never acted without a solid plan.
As long as they followed his lead, they believed they could overcome any challenge.
"This time," Bai Yu added after thinking for a moment, "I won't be taking a large force."
His plan was to target Caesar Clown first—the twisted scientist responsible for manufacturing the artificial Devil Fruits known as SMILE.
By capturing Caesar, he could force both Doflamingo and Virgo to reveal themselves.
According to his memory, Caesar was currently stationed at Punk Hazard.
That island was infamous—not only for being the site of Aokiji and Akainu's devastating duel—but also for the presence of the deadly poison gas Caesar had developed.
Taking too many soldiers there would be risky.
Moreover, Punk Hazard was located in the second half of the Grand Line—deep within the New World.
A large-scale naval movement from Branch 188 might be detected by Doflamingo's informants before they even arrived.
Bai Yu had no intention of reaching Punk Hazard only to find Caesar gone.
"This time, I'll take just a small strike team... the three of you."
Bai Yu looked at Kebi, Bellumebo, and another trusted subordinate.
He then explained Caesar's identity and the dangers of the SMILE project.
"Artificial Devil Fruits..."
The three of them were stunned by the revelation.
If Caesar succeeded in mass-producing these synthetic Zoan-type fruits, the entire balance of power in the world could be disrupted!
Though the artificial versions couldn't match the originals in quality, they were still enough to enhance physical strength and durability significantly.
And Caesar's goal wasn't just a few—it was mass production on an industrial scale!
If left unchecked, the New World could be flooded with an army of artificial Devil Fruit users.
The Marines would face chaos like never before.
"Brigadier General Bai Yu," Bellumebo said hesitantly, "Punk Hazard is so critical to Doflamingo... won't the place be heavily guarded?"
"With only a few of us, isn't that... kind of reckless?"
Other commanders requested backup to overwhelm the enemy.
But Bai Yu? He often preferred direct action with a small, elite squad.
Bellumebo couldn't help but admire—and slightly fear—Bai Yu's confidence.
"I've made up my mind," Bai Yu said calmly.
"You three go get ready. If nothing changes, we leave tonight."
"Yes, sir!"
Realizing Bai Yu would not be swayed, the trio left the room to prepare and inform their respective squads.
Once alone, Bai Yu used the remaining time before departure to catch up on the latest news from across the sea.
"Straw Hat Luffy and his crew have already defeated Enel on Skypiea..."
"Hmph. They'll probably head to Water 7 soon."
Scanning the paper, Bai Yu quickly caught sight of a familiar name: Enel—the self-proclaimed "God" of Skypiea.
When Bai Yu had passed Gaya Island, he had arrived earlier than Luffy's crew.
But due to his mission to secure the ancient weapon blueprints for Pluton, he hadn't lingered.
He had always wanted to test himself against the powers of Enel's Goro Goro no Mi—the Logia-type Lightning Fruit.
Back then, Armament Haki hadn't been formally introduced, and Enel was widely regarded as one of the most fearsome early bosses in the world.
But after losing to Luffy, Enel had reportedly fled to the moon.
"Tch... what a waste," Bai Yu muttered, flipping through the rest of the reports.
Most of the remaining articles were irrelevant or outdated.
Suddenly—
Knock knock...
Near noon, someone knocked on Bai Yu's door.
"Come in," Bai Yu called without looking up.
The door opened, and Kebi entered, breathing slightly heavily as if he'd rushed back.
"Kebi?" Bai Yu raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"
"Brigadier General Bai Yu, I..."
Kebi looked nervous, scratching the back of his head.
"If you've got something to say, just say it. Don't act like a kid," Bai Yu said with mock irritation.
"I want to get stronger before the operation," Kebi said, bowing slightly.
"I was hoping you could... maybe spar with me? Give me some guidance?"
After speaking, Kebi kept his head lowered, waiting nervously.
"Oh?" Bai Yu raised his brows in interest.
He immediately understood what Kebi meant.
It was a request for real combat training.
Bai Yu was inwardly pleased.
After all, Kebi was not only a trusted subordinate but also connected to Bai Yu's system.
The stronger Kebi became, the more Bai Yu would gain from it.
"It's probably because of Bellumebo..." Bai Yu thought.
Bellumebo's strength had skyrocketed after consuming the Dragon Zoan fruit.
As someone who had trained alongside him, Kebi was undoubtedly feeling the pressure.
"Sure. When do you want to start?" Bai Yu asked without hesitation.
"If Brigadier General doesn't mind... can we start now?"
Kebi lifted his head, eyes shining with determination.
"Alright."
"It's not suitable here. Let's go to the training ground," Bai Yu said, glancing around the room.
The two of them headed for one of the isolated training grounds within the 188th Branch.
Since it was nearly lunchtime, Bai Yu picked a location that was rarely used around this time.
The spacious grounds were completely empty—perfect for an intense training session.
"I won't use a weapon," Bai Yu said as they faced off.
"Just one finger."
"Show me how much stronger you've gotten lately."
Kebi nodded and took a deep breath, eyes sharpening.
"Then... here I come!"
Boom!
With a roar, Kebi launched forward.
Both feet struck the ground hard, propelling him toward Bai Yu like a cannonball.
His speed was vastly different from before!
Through Bai Yu's training and the guidance manuals, Kebi had undergone visible improvement.
He was no longer the hesitant boy he had once been—he now struck with the intent of a true Marine.
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