"Lord El is not that kind of person," Jinbe added from the side.
"Our captain is open, honorable, and aboveboard—definitely not the despicable sort you seem to imagine."
The four women could only apologize profusely again.
Their imposing aura gradually faded away once more.
The waiting time passed quickly.
Most of the pirate crews had remained anchored near Marine Headquarters.
Every day, they watched as countless workers tried to rebuild the massive base.
But even with the help of several Devil Fruit users with useful abilities...
restoring such an impregnable fortress was no simple task.
After several days, they hadn't even finished putting up the scaffolding yet.
The pirates were thoroughly entertained watching the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral themselves wearing safety helmets and directing the construction work.
"Have they made any suspicious moves?" El asked Crocodile.
Crocodile was currently holding a telescope, thoroughly enjoying the show.
At El's question, he immediately replied, "None at all!"
"From what I can see, all the high-ranking officers are right there working on the reconstruction. Nothing out of the ordinary is happening."
El shook his head.
"That is the most unusual part."
"Rebuilding a fortress... do they really need that many high-ranking officers to be there personally supervising or working?"
Hearing this, Crocodile frowned in realization.
"Now that you mention it... you're absolutely right!"
Crocodile felt as though he had been distracted and fooled by the Marines while he was busy enjoying the spectacle.
"Those guys... they are truly cunning!" he said with annoyance.
"Making it look like they are all hard at work building... but who knows what preparations they are actually making behind our backs!"
He spoke while keeping a close watch.
El replied calmly, "It's perfectly normal. After all, how else would they have managed to climb so high in the ranks?"
"Tell me... who exactly has been present at the reconstruction site the whole time?"
Crocodile began counting the people he had seen.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Admirals Kizaru and Aokiji."
He continued, "At first, I thought they had sent out their entire leadership to help rebuild."
"The only top figure who hasn't shown his face is Akainu."
El nodded thoughtfully.
Crocodile went on, "At first I thought it was normal for Akainu to stay away!"
"After all, during the Summit War... you beat him so badly, Boss!"
Back then, Akainu had been severely wounded and defeated by El with almost effortless ease.
Logically, he should still be in recovery.
El looked toward the distant ruins of the fortress.
"I just wonder... what kind of reinforcements these people have managed to find to help them."
At that moment, Dracule Mihawk also walked over.
"It doesn't make sense. The Marines don't exactly have an abundance of powerful talents left anymore, do they?" he remarked.
Mihawk was formerly known as the Marine Hunter.
He understood the ins and outs of the Marine organization very well.
"Could it be forces sent by the Celestial Dragons?" suggested Crocodile.
Mihawk shook his head.
"Those guys can barely take care of themselves."
"Whenever trouble arises, they have to call on Marine Admirals to solve their problems. There is no way they are the ones helping now."
Everyone pondered the situation.
"Perhaps... the most likely answer is also the most impossible one," El said suddenly.
"It's pirates."
His statement shocked everyone present.
"Pirates?"
"Do you mean... one of the Four Emperors?"
"No way! That's way too far-fetched!"
They simply couldn't believe it.
After all, Marines and Pirates were traditionally sworn enemies.
And Akainu, in particular, was famous as one of the men who hated pirates more than anyone else in the world.
To imagine him going begging to pirates for aid?
It just didn't add up.
At this time, there were generally considered to be six figures worthy of the title Emperor of the Sea:
- El: The strongest man in the world.
- Whitebeard: A veteran legend from the same era as Roger the Pirate King.
- Shiki the Golden Lion: An old friend and rival of El.
- Charlotte Linlin: Queen of Whole Cake Island and Totto Land.
- Kaido of the Beasts: A creature who simply refused to die, no matter what.
- Red-Haired Shanks: The man who had arrived to mediate the Summit War, and wielder of the "Power of Fame."
All six of them had notoriously terrible relationships with the Marines.
Aside from El, Whitebeard, and Shanks, who were currently near Marine Headquarters...
the rest seemed highly unlikely to ever cooperate with the World Government.
Shiki, needless to say, had once stormed Marine Headquarters himself.
He harbored deep, blood-feud level hatred toward them.
Kaido was obsessed with building his own warring nation.
He wouldn't care for any proposals from the Marines.
The only one who seemed remotely possible was Big Mom Charlotte Linlin.
If the Marines could provide her with enough sweets and delicacies...
she might actually be persuaded to come.
Just as El and his subordinates were analyzing the situation...
the figure of Marco the Phoenix suddenly descended onto their deck.
He shifted from his hybrid bird form back into a human.
Breathless and anxious, he called out, "Lord El! Something terrible has happened!"
"Charlotte Linlin... she has allied herself with the Marines!"
Marco's words stunned everyone.
Crocodile stood up abruptly in shock.
"Why?" he muttered. "Why would she do such a thing..."
El, however, had already anticipated this possibility to some degree.
He wasn't particularly surprised.
"Hmph... that woman Charlotte Linlin..." he said slowly.
Jinbe spoke from the side, "Does she not remember that during the Summit War, we and the Whitebeard Pirates fought side-by-side as allies?!"
Under normal circumstances... who in their right mind would join forces with the Marines at a time like this?
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