NOVEL WEB Chapter 50 – Preparations
"I-I-I don't want to!"
Dragon let out a weary sigh as the voice came from the Den Den Mushi. "Is it unavoidable?"
"It is! Why do I have to work with pirates!?" Garp exclaimed in annoyance.
"We've repeatedly told you, we're not pirates. We never claimed to be pirates," Dragon retorted calmly.
"Well, you might not be calling yourselves pirates, but the government considers anyone who defies them as such. So, you're a pirate, alright."
Dragon found Garp's definition of a pirate incredibly loose. It seemed the World Government simply labeled anyone who refused to bow to their authority as a "pirate" or "bandit," regardless of their actions. In that sense, Kanata and her crew could be considered pirates, Dragon thought with a dry smile.
"The Golden Lion is a thorn in the Marines' side, too. You're probably leaking information to us because you hope we'll clash and wipe each other out," said Dragon.
"I'm just following orders from above. I hate having to work with pirates," Garp grumbled.
"But I heard you used to be friends with Roger...," Dragon started, hoping to appeal to Garp's sense of camaraderie.
"Enough! I can't hear you!"
It was unclear who was older, but with Garp stubbornly refusing to cooperate, any further discussion would be futile. However, Dragon had learned that someone higher up had ordered Garp to leak information to them. Given his rank, it had to be either a Marine Admiral or someone from the World Government's upper echelon.
"Honestly, there's little benefit for me in fighting the 'Golden Lion'," Kanata spoke.
They could have avoided this whole situation by simply heading straight to the Sabaody Archipelago from Water Seven, the ideal spot for coating their ship. Tiger could even guide them through the area near the Red Line, reaching Fishman Island. There was no reason to confront a man of Shiki's caliber directly.
Even if Shiki would continue to target Kanata, it was more detrimental to fight him head-on.
Kanata was subtly suggesting that Garp should cooperate.
"Do you not think it's a bit selfish to try and eliminate a threat without any consequences for yourselves?"
"Grrr...," Garp was unable to argue with her logic.
Garp didn't want to work with pirates, but his superiors were forcing him to use them to eliminate another pirate. Kanata was implying that if he wanted something in return, he had to cooperate.
"Even if I don't fight him, Garp...," Dragon started.
"You're thinking of using us because you can't defeat him yourself, aren't you?" Kanata interrupted.
Garp was probably more powerful than Shiki, but Shiki's ability to make anything he touched float made him a formidable escape artist. No matter how hard he tried, Garp wouldn't be able to catch him.
Shiki himself was no pushover. He was a cunning strategist, a formidable opponent who couldn't be captured through ordinary means.
But this time was different. Shiki, the cunning strategist, was acting irrationally, fueled by his emotions. This was a golden opportunity for both Kanata and the Marines.
"If we prevent him from trading in Water Seven, the first to suffer will be the civilians. Judging from his actions at his other bases, he doesn't show any mercy to ordinary people," Kanata pointed out.
While some trade ships still passed through the area, it was essentially a pirate-controlled town. The civilians were suffering the most, and the Marines were supposed to protect them. There was no reason to stay idle.
Kanata's logical explanation rendered Garp speechless.
"Grrrr...!"
"What do you say, Garp?" Kanata asked.
"...I'll report this to my superiors... that's alright, right?"
"For now. I'll handle Shiki myself. You deal with the civilians and his subordinates," Kanata instructed.
"Alright! Damn, you're the worst!," Garp growled.
"Just like my mother, who you hate so much, right?"
"Yes! Your mother was the worst! Both of you are so... g-gr-gr...,"
"...Garp?"
Garp's clear voice, which had been perfectly audible just moments ago, suddenly became a jumble of static. Dragon and Kanata frowned, trying to call out to him, but their calls were met with silence.
They were about to hang up when a different voice emerged from the Den Den Mushi.
"G-gr-gr... Shiki has the 'Fuwa Fuwa no Mi'... g-gr... His ability lets him levitate anything he touches... g-gr... Non-living objects... and he can even make seawater float... g-gr," the voice whispered, the static growing louder.
"...Who is this?" Kanata asked.
It was a woman's voice, unfamiliar to Kanata. She looked at Dragon, but he shook his head, signifying he didn't recognize it either. They focused on the voice, determined to understand what it was saying.
"He... has two swords... 'Oto' and 'Kogarashi'... g-gr...," the voice whispered, the static interfering with its words.
Kanata gestured to Dragon, who grabbed a piece of paper and started scribbling down the information.
"He's quite strong... g-gr... But if you're fighting him, choose a storm...."
"Choose a storm...?" Kanata repeated.
"His ability is weakened in a storm... It's up to you... My... daughter...," the voice then faded into complete silence.
The connection was cut. It was unclear if Garp had even heard the conversation. However, considering the information being relayed, it was likely...
"...My daughter?" Kanata repeated.
How did this person even manage to interrupt their conversation? And how did they obtain information about Shiki's weakness? There were too many questions. The most pressing one was: was this information accurate?
She couldn't trust the source, but the speaker had been part of the same crew as Shiki. They had even fought to the death. This meant that they had a motive to provide information, perhaps to ensure Shiki's demise.
"Contact Garp again. He might know something," Kanata instructed Dragon.
If this information could change the situation, it was worth exploring.
***
"Octavia, were you talking to someone?" a young girl asked.
"Yes, I was," Octavia replied with a casual smile.
"But there's no Den Den Mushi here," the girl pointed out.
"I can read and manipulate the electromagnetic waves with my ability. It's nothing special,"
"Wow... That's fascinating. Can you teach me the principles behind it sometime?"
"Sure, I'm not busy. Besides, it seems this girl has a remarkable destiny."
***
In the Marine Headquarters, Kong was sifting through a mountain of paperwork, efficiently handling each document. Suddenly, the door burst open.
"What's all the noise!?"
"It's completely infuriating!"
"What's wrong, Garp? You seem a little agitated today," Kong said.
Garp stormed towards Kong, slamming his fist on the table. Papers scattered from the desk, but neither man seemed to notice.
"Cipher Pol came to me with a direct order from the Five Elders: leak information to the 'Witch' and provoke a confrontation with the 'Golden Lion'. They want those two to destroy each other," Garp explained.
"Oh, I received a similar message. It seems they want to use those two against each other, letting them fight it out.”
"The 'Witch' seems willing to fight the 'Golden Lion', but she said she doesn't have enough manpower," Garp continued.
"...And?" Kong asked, his gaze focused on Garp.
"They want us to protect the civilians and deal with the Golden Lion's subordinates."
Kong leaned back in his chair, pondering Garp's report. Protecting civilians was a natural responsibility for the Marines. He had assumed they would be tasked with dealing with the situation. He also knew about the Golden Lion's subordinates. They had been brought in from the New World, but they weren't particularly strong. Plus, the Golden Lion's main crew wasn't present.
"Is that her only request?" Kong asked.
"For now, yes," Garp confirmed.
"Those are rather tame demands. If she understood our intentions, I thought she would make more outrageous requests."
Perhaps she had no intention of gaining anything from them. Kong wasn't sure what her motives were. Why would she accept anything from an organization that had placed a bounty on her head?
Realistically, there was no way for the World Government to revoke her bounty. She had committed a crime, and she had become infamous, her bounty rivaling those of powerful pirates in the New World.
(...Perhaps she doesn't care about money or fame. She doesn't want anything from us.)
Kong had heard that she was aiming to conquer the Grand Line. Her ultimate goal was probably to secure a guarantee of non-interference from the World Government, but she knew that was impossible.
This explained her limited requests from Garp: minimal support for her own forces and protection for innocent civilians.
She seemed more like a peacekeeper than a pirate.
"Hmm. I suppose it's alright. We'll use the chaos of the 'Witch' and 'Golden Lion's' battle to protect civilians and deal with the pirates under his command," Kong said.
"She also asked about storm-prone areas near Water Seven. I've ordered my subordinates to gather information," Garp added.
"Storm-prone areas near Water Seven? What does she need that for?"
"It's part of her preparations for fighting Shiki," Garp replied.
After their interrupted conversation, Kanata had asked Garp several questions, seeking information about Shiki. Garp, who knew Shiki's ability well, couldn't answer her questions about his weaknesses. He had tried to get her to reveal her source, but she refused to disclose any details.
"She's serious about fighting the 'Golden Lion'."
The 'Witch,' despite being a relative newcomer to the world of pirates, had already amassed a staggering list of accomplishments. And now she was planning to face off against the 'Golden Lion' and possibly 'Big Mom'. She was far beyond the definition of a rookie.
It was unclear what made her so determined, a combination of bloodline and innate personality perhaps.
"As a Marine, working with pirates is infuriating," Garp grumbled.
"You have to endure it. As long as the civilians and Marines aren't harmed, it's a win-win situation."
"Still... I don't like that woman one bit."
"I agree, she's definitely not someone you want to argue with.”
Kong finished his lukewarm tea and called for a fresh cup.
"I've put Tsuru in charge of dealing with the 'Golden Lion'. The Celestial Dragons have been complaining about Big Mom, who's been staying in Sabaody Archipelago. Zephyr has been deployed to handle that situation," Kong explained.
"What about the 'Witch'? What will you do with her after the battle with the 'Golden Lion'?"
"We'll leave her alone for now. The 'Golden Lion' is our top priority. The 'Witch' shouldn't cause any major trouble on her own."
Except when the Celestial Dragons get involved, of course. Kong mentally added a note to the file: when Kanata and her crew head to Sabaody Archipelago, request that all Celestial Dragons be recalled to Mariejois.
There was no point in creating unnecessary friction. The Five Elders would probably agree. She was a dangerous woman with a history of causing chaos.
"Sengoku is out of commission for now. You'll have to handle things on your end," Kong said.
"I can handle it... but what about the New World?"
With two of the four great pirates now in Paradise, the New World was in a state of turmoil. Territories were being contested, and the black market was thriving.
While Roger and Whitebeard had no ambitions to rule the seas, the remaining pirates were different. They were raiding the territories of those who had lost their captains, leading to various conflicts.
"That's a headache in itself. Things are stable now, but if the 'Golden Lion' is defeated, the chaos will escalate."
"What do we do?"
"There's nothing much we can do. We'll have to prioritize the World Government affiliated nations."
Garp sighed, his expression mirroring Kong's frustration. They both knew that this wasn't the ideal solution.
"For now, things seem to be under control, but we're reacting to events rather than proactively shaping the situation."
The 'Witch' was the center of this storm. It was both fascinating and troublesome. She was a walking disaster, a troublemaker in the vein of her mother. But, with the power she possessed, even a Buster Call wouldn't be enough to take her down. They were stuck in a stalemate, unable to act decisively.
Perhaps he could manipulate her to his advantage, Kong thought. Based on what he had learned from the reports, it seemed possible to establish a mutually beneficial relationship.
However, given the current system, it was impossible to put that plan into action.
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