Wano Country, Onigashima.
Ian gathered all the high-ranking officers who were stationed in Wano.
It was time for a pre-war mobilization.
"Vegapunk told the World Government that he still needs four or five months."
On the top floor of the main tower of Onigashima, Ian sat cross-legged at the head seat. His right elbow rested on his knee, his hand propping up his chin as he spoke with a light chuckle. "But the time he told me is—"
He raised a single finger.
In an instant, the eyes of all the officers below lit up.
Law guessed, "One week?"
Their eyes shone even brighter.
Ian rolled his eyes. "Not that fast. One month."
"One month?"
Kaido nodded lightly. "That's already fast enough."
Without comparison, there would be no contrast. That useless Queen had spent so many years and still hadn't produced anything worthwhile.
One month was indeed fast enough. When Ian first received the news, he couldn't help but sigh—he really shouldn't underestimate the strength of the world's greatest scientist.
After obtaining the detailed data, for Vegapunk, producing the final product was nothing more than following established procedures step by step.
Jack couldn't hold back anymore. "So that means, at the earliest, in one month, we'll begin the final decisive battle with the World Government?"
"So," Ian slapped his thigh. "In this one month, we need to make full preparations for war."
"Do we need to gather all the troops?"
Bullet asked.
After all, the Beasts Pirates had ruled the New World for six years. Their forces had already expanded to a staggering scale.
Just the act of assembling all of their troops would not be a troublesome matter at all.
"No need," Ian said casually. "With the participation of Ancient Weapons, ordinary soldiers entering that battlefield will have only one fate—cannon fodder."
"We just need the elites of the Charlotte Family, Cross Guild, and the Red-Haired Pirates to move closer."
"What we need isn't a massive war like Joy Boy's back then, fought across the entire world."
Ian continued, "What we need is a decapitation operation—gather all the elites, launch a direct assault on the World Government's stronghold, and wipe out all the Celestial Dragons and the ruling class of the World Government in one sweep."
"Wororororo! That's really too bad!"
Kaido burst into loud laughter.
He had always yearned for a world-class war, the highest level of conflict, with the entire world as the stake.
"What's the point of trash fighting trash?"
Ian said with a smile. "Isn't it far more interesting when the strong clash with the strong?"
"Well said!"
Kaido's laughter grew even louder.
"Hmph, what's there even left to say with the World Government?"
Bullet sneered coldly. "Their greatest support is nothing more than those five unkillable old men. As long as they can't charge the Ancient Weapon in their hands, what's there to be afraid of?"
By now, the fact that the Ancient Weapon controlled by the World Government required charging was no longer a secret.
After all, if the World Government could freely use that Ancient Weapon, they wouldn't have endured these six years in silence, nor would they have allowed Vegapunk to research new forms of energy.
If that was the case, then what was there left to fear?
"That may not necessarily be true."
Ian chuckled softly.
The others still didn't know that Imu had been alive from eight hundred years ago all the way to the present.
Come to think of it, even Joy Boy himself probably never imagined such a thing. Who could have?
A person from eight hundred years ago still living to this day, hiding on the reverse side of the world, manipulating everything from the shadows.
"Ian, what do you mean by that?"
Kaido frowned immediately. "Are you saying the World Government still has something we don't know about?"
Ian replied casually, "The ultimate secret of the Ope Ope no Mi, the legendary Immortality Surgery. Where did that rumor originate? And who was the first person to receive that surgery?"
"Immortality Surgery!"
Law, the user of the Ope Ope no Mi, instantly looked up. This had struck directly at his field of expertise.
After awakening his Devil Fruit ability, to be honest, he was already very close to understanding that realm.
"Ian…"
Shock appeared on Hancock's breathtakingly beautiful face. "Are you saying that within the World Government, or rather among the Celestial Dragons, there exists someone who received Immortality Surgery and has lived from the distant past until now?"
"Don't forget what Im's ability is," Ian said. "The immortality displayed by the Five Elders may differ in form, but isn't it very similar to the power Joy Boy described Imu possessing back then?"
"What you're saying is…"
Mihawk was utterly stunned. "That guy called Imu—the mastermind who led the World Government eight hundred years ago, crushed the Great Kingdom, defeated Joy Boy, and claimed ultimate victory—has been alive from eight hundred years ago until now?"
"It never hurts to prepare for the worst."
Ian said this.
"Hiss… a guy who's been alive since eight hundred years ago?"
Black Maria felt a chill of fear.
"Eight hundred years of accumulation… just how terrifyingly strong would someone like that be?"
"Wororororo! I actually hope that bastard really did live until now!"
Kaido clenched his massive fists. "Isn't it only fun if you get to fight someone like that!"
"That's right!"
Yamato completely agreed with her old man's philosophy. "Victory only feels truly exhilarating when you defeat someone powerful!"
"Well, I think that since a win is a win anyway, an easy victory is obviously better."
Sanji scratched his head and spoke softly.
After all, only when the enemy is weak enough can victory be absolutely guaranteed.
"There's no need to worry."
Ian shrugged. "Even if he really has lived from eight hundred years ago until now, it doesn't matter. I'll burn him to ashes myself."
"Ian!"
Two heart-shaped sparkles instantly leapt into Hancock's eyes.
A confident man is the most handsome of all!
Yamato's eyes also lit up. "Ian, will you win?"
Ian couldn't help glancing at her, then smiled.
"I will."
"In any case, the next step is to have Aunt Linlin and the others gather all of their elite forces."
He continued, "Our own commanders should also be coming back."
All powerful combat forces should be assembled together, and then they would crush the World Government in one decisive blow.
"Understood!"
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