Chapter 413: The Navy’s Move
Brook hadn’t managed to fully control Thalrik, but he’d planted a little gift from Vegapunk’s research inside him. If they could coexist peacefully, fine. But if Thalrik turned hostile, he’d learn what true pain and torment felt like!
Brook chuckled to himself, feeling a bit sly. No, let’s call it strategic foresight—a backup plan to handle things with minimal cost and maximum gain!
Sure, Brook would let Thalrik go... but not entirely.
Thalrik could never be Brook’s enemy again, not unless he wanted a taste of real suffering.
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford
The Navy’s Fleet Admiral, Kurotaka, received an urgent call from John Jax. The Hell Pirates were in Elbaf, and they’d taken hostages from the Giant Kingdom, strong-arming King Harald into some kind of deal with Brook!
Kurotaka immediately called an emergency meeting. The Hell Pirates plotting to control Elbaf? Unacceptable! If they gained the giants’ army, they’d become an even bigger nightmare to deal with.
But Elbaf was deep in the New World’s back half. Sending a large Navy force there risked an ambush from the Hell Pirates and the Rocks Pirates, potentially cutting off their retreat and leading to catastrophic losses.
"Fleet Admiral," said Strategist Darian, "we need to know King Harald’s stance. If he’s not ready to fight the Hell Pirates, we could end up surrounded. But if he’s willing to join us in a pincer attack, we might have a shot at victory. Otherwise, we need to plan this carefully."
Darian’s caution was warranted. If King Harald had struck a deal with Brook, it suggested he was compromising, not desperate. If the Navy rushed in and Harald played neutral to avoid picking a side, the Marines would be stranded in hostile territory, ripe for a wipeout.
"Then let’s prep the three New World Admirals for support," Kurotaka ordered. "Have John Jax confirm Harald’s intentions and keep tabs on the Rocks Pirates. We’ll send Kong, Braille, Garp, and Zephyr—our physical combat specialists—to counter Rocks. Meanwhile, Devo, Aokiba, and Sengoku, our Devil Fruit users, will take on the Hell Pirates."
Kurotaka knew Rocks’ Dark-Dark Fruit countered Devil Fruit users, so they’d need a tailored strategy. If Harald fully committed to the Navy, they might cripple the Hell Pirates!
To bolster their chances, Kurotaka requested a CP0 unit from the Five Elders to support Elbaf. If not for the God’s Knights staying glued to the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise, he’d have begged for a few of them to take on the Hell Pirates. Even a Fleet Admiral like him couldn’t sway the God’s Knights to leave their post.
The God’s Knights were the Celestial Dragons’ ultimate shield, their strongest guard, each at least Vice Admiral level. They protected the Twenty Kings in Mary Geoise and occasionally escorted family heads to the Valley of the Gods. Only the heads of Celestial Dragon families could command them; regular Celestial Dragons had no such authority.
Even when Celestial Dragons erred, only the God’s Knights could arrest and judge them—CP0 had no jurisdiction over their masters. In the original story, Donquixote Mjosgard smashed Saint Charlos for targeting Princess Shirahoshi, and CP0’s Rob Lucci couldn’t lift a finger against either. Later, Mjosgard had been arrested and judged by the God’s Knights.
To the Celestial Dragons and Five Elders, the Navy was just a tool—a dog to do their bidding. Only the God’s Knights were their true protectors. Even CP0’s status rivaled Admirals, if not the Fleet Admiral himself, and the God’s Knights were a cut above.
Kurotaka’s clout as Fleet Admiral wasn’t enough to move the God’s Knights. In the original story, even Akainu, the Fleet Admiral, was humiliated by CP0’s Rob Lucci and berated by the Five Elders as the World Government’s lapdog. Talk about a raw deal!
...
While the World Government and Navy scrambled to confirm King Harald’s stance through John Jax, Harald had already set out with Jaguar D. Saul for the Hell Giant Fortress.
John Jax couldn’t stop his king but caught a hint from Harald’s words: he wanted the Navy to send heavy hitters. Jax relayed the confirmation, and Marineford dispatched forces at once.
Admirals Devo and Aokiba, backed by a CP0 unit, ventured into the New World’s back half to join Harald in crushing the Hell Pirates!
The Navy’s bold move didn’t go unnoticed by the two dominant pirate crews. But Rocks was pinned down by Kong’s team of physical combat specialists, leaving him no chance to meddle in Brook’s affairs.
With the Navy storming into the New World, Brook didn’t care whether it was Harald’s scheme or not—he pinned the blame on the Giant King. No more playing nice!
Even if Harald was just dragging the Navy into a stalemate to balance power, his actions had put the Hell Pirates in a tight spot, costing them some control.
"Yohohoho! Solving this is too easy!" Brook laughed.
If he couldn’t get his hands on Gungnir’s divine steel, he’d melt down Kratos’ War Axe—no loss there! Brook was a master of guerrilla tactics: Enemy advances, we retreat; enemy camps, we harass; enemy tires, we strike; enemy retreats, we pursue!
With the Navy in Elbaf, Brook ordered Golden Lion Shiki to lift the Hell Giant Fortress into the sky and avoid direct confrontation. Let’s see how long the Navy could linger in the New World’s back half!
Maybe the Hell Pirates could wear them down. By stretching the battle lines and steering clear of Elbaf, Brook could deny Harald and the Navy a chance to team up. Whether facing either force, Brook could grind them down slowly.
Now it was up to Harald to pull back from the brink. He needed to learn that a distant relative isn’t as good as a close neighbor. Elbaf was surrounded by Brook’s turf, while the Navy operated from the New World’s front half. Crossing Brook was a worse move than crossing the World Government!
The Navy wouldn’t stay in Elbaf forever, lingering in the New World. Meanwhile, the Hell Pirates were on their home turf, ready to face them head-on.
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