Soon, after some discussion, Moria, like a pawn to be manipulated, officially became a trump card in the hands of Luna and Rocks; his territory and Pirate Crew were also controlled.
Afterward, Lola resolutely decided to stay. Not only had her shadow not yet been liberated like Brook's, but she had also developed some feelings for Moria after serving him for so long. Furthermore, the outside world was in chaos, so she ultimately decided to remain.
As for Brook, after Core Wolf and the others' earnest persuasion, he, like a wild horse unbridled, left joyfully and boisterously, clutching a letter.
Undoubtedly, that letter was written by Luna. Just a short while ago, another drone flew in like a dancing butterfly, delivering a letter from Luna. It was a case of mending the fold after the sheep were lost, as even a tiny ant's nest, once a leak was discovered, would be immediately patched.
The content of the letter was as follows:
"Luffy, I am Luna. This skeleton before you, I presume he has introduced himself to you, and what he says is true. Of course, there's also the most crucial point: he is the sole survivor of the Rumbar Pirates from many years ago. Perhaps you have no impression of him, but you should still remember the island whale Laboon, right? He is the one Laboon has been waiting for so long, and he has always yearned to meet Laboon. However, there have been some twists and turns along the way. Also, do you desire to have a musician? Brook was once a musician, performer, and singer proficient in various instruments; you might consider him. Personally written by Luna."
Brook, now holding this letter, would leave this place immediately like an arrow shot from a bow, to search for Luffy and the others.
Brook could glide across the sea like a dragonfly, and he was familiar with the path to Water Seven, so it was believed he would arrive in a few days.
Regarding Perona, upon learning that Luna wanted to take Perona and favored her to become an official crew member, Core Wolf and the others initially thought Moria would obstruct them fiercely, like an old cow protecting its calf, as Perona was his little daughter whom he had painstakingly raised and treated as his own.
However, to their surprise, Moria immediately agreed. He even stated clearly and emphatically that Perona had always longed for the outside world and should have been allowed to see it long ago. Moreover, with Luna's strength, she could indeed protect Perona better, allowing her to safely see the world.
Of course, Moria also had some selfish motives, as he had already gathered some intelligence: it seemed Luna had many good things in her possession, and many of her current crew members were previously ordinary girls.
To put it this way, Luna was excellent at nurturing talent. Many Pirate Crews or other forces would seek out talent, but she cultivated talent.
And this was his selfish desire: he even hoped that Perona would have the opportunity to become a core crew member. Thus, he yearned for Luna to meticulously train Perona, making her a top-tier expert, at least capable of self-preservation, and even potentially achieving fame in the future.
As for whether she could establish good relationships within the Pink Hat Pirates, he had no worries about Perona, as he firmly believed this little girl possessed that ability and could handle it properly.
Just like that, the matter was settled. Perona once again shed tears of emotion. Immediately afterward, she packed her suitcase, filled with changes of clothes and some dolls, and bid farewell to the place she had lived for nearly 20 years.
Perona embarked on a new journey ahead of schedule.
However, this time, in this world, she might not have to go live with Mihawk; perhaps... probably so... Yet, at this very moment, some forces and powerful individuals had already fallen into a deep sleep, while others were secretly making their moves.
But just then, at Marineford, Garp finally returned. Well, to put it less politely, he had just come back.
As soon as they returned, Sengoku immediately convened a grand Marine meeting to discuss two major events: first, to conduct a thorough self-assessment regarding the defeat in the battle with the Pink Hat Pirates.
Then, there was the matter of punishing those who ambushed Garp, which was equally crucial.
Soon, the Marine meeting was held as scheduled, attended by many high-ranking Marine officials, including Garp, who had recovered well, even fully, as well as Sengoku and the returned Zephyr.
At the same time, all the Vice Admirals from Marineford, along with some important branch Vice Admirals, were present. This was undoubtedly a true top-tier Marine conference.
"Alright, since everyone is here, let's first discuss the matter of Garp being attacked, almost even killed. What are your thoughts?" Sengoku immediately said.
Finally, after much debate and bickering among the Vice Admirals and other high-ranking officials, since the names of the culprits were still unknown, the issue of bounties had to be temporarily put aside. However, the Marines would intensify their search for these four individuals, and their arrival was opportune, as they had walked right into the Marines' trap.
The Marines truly could not afford to be enemies with the Pink Hat Pirates right now. Their morale, from top to bottom, was extremely low and needed other victories to boost the Marines' spirits and resolve.
And these four individuals were their easy targets. Although they were four Emperor-level powerhouses, they were still much, much easier to deal with than the Pink Hat Pirates.
What the Marines needed to do now was to continue investigating intelligence on the Pink Hat Pirates while also continuing their original tasks. As soon as the intelligence department discovered the whereabouts of these four, the Marines would immediately dispatch numerous powerhouses to encircle and annihilate them.
This was the Marines' current approach to the second matter.
Then came the first matter, and the most important one, Sengoku immediately began.
"Through this war, the World Government, even the Five Elders, have recognized the formidable strength of the Pink Hat Pirates and the threat they pose. It is said they have already begun to take action, which is good news for us, and our pressure has significantly reduced. But at the same time, the Five Elders have personally set the new batch of bounties for the Pink Hat Pirates; please take a look."
After Sengoku finished speaking, two Marine Soldiers immediately passed down papers detailing the current ten members of the Pink Hat Pirates. Everyone quickly guessed the meaning of each line.
"Storm Tiger Lady Shana, bounty 1,517,000,000 Berries"
"Mad Chef Carmen, bounty 1,530,000,000 Berries."
"Angel Princess Kaya, bounty 1,544,000,000 Berries."
"Ice Snow Goddess Nojiko, bounty 1,548,000,000 Berries."
"Winged Lightning Sniper Shino Asada, bounty 1,853,000,000 Berries."
"Spatial Spirit Fox Dia, bounty 2,260,000,000 Berries."
"Psychic Queen Tatsumaki, bounty 2,571,000,000 Berries."
"Gold and Silver Dragon Armor Bai Jin Longlong, bounty 3,083,000,000 Berries."
"Demon Blade Princess Kuina, bounty 3,085,000,000 Berries."
"Void Demon God Rocks D. Lu Yue, bounty 6,099,000,000 Berries."
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