New World, a certain uninhabited desolate island.
The Red Hair Pirates and a group of surviving Whitebeard Pirates were temporarily resting.
Countless Whitebeard Pirates Members had downcast eyes and forlorn expressions.
Sadness and grief enveloped everyone's hearts.
After a great battle, the Whitebeard Pirates suffered a crushing defeat.
Not only was Ace not rescued, but even their old man Whitebeard was lost.
"That scoundrel Reynold actually attacked the old man at the last moment, how detestable!!" Diamond Jozu's face was contorted, his molars grinding audibly.
The Whitebeard Pirates and Reynold had no previous interactions, their paths never crossing.
Even now, he couldn't understand why Reynold suddenly launched a fatal blow at their old man.
"Teach, the Marine, and Reynold, we absolutely cannot let them get away with this!!" Flower Sword Vista's face was grim, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes.
Teach was the instigator and mastermind of the entire affair.
Without his initial betrayal of Thatch, none of the subsequent events would have happened.
The Marine caused the Whitebeard Pirates heavy losses, and Admiral Akainu sowed discord, gravely injuring their old man.
Reynold was even the culprit who killed their old man!
"Reynold's strength is too great, we should not act rashly for now." On a large rock, Marco, wrapped in bandages, shook his head in warning.
Reynold's strength during the Marineford War was evident to all.
Their rashly confronting the other party would be no different from delivering themselves to death.
"Marco is right."
Just then, Shanks walked over with his group of officers.
Everyone looked up and gazed at them.
Shanks looked at the battle-scarred Whitebeard Pirates Members and sighed, "Ace and Whitebeard are already dead. You should recuperate first. Revenge can wait for later."
Although he didn't know why Reyno had attacked Whitebeard.
But since the person was already dead, there was no need to investigate the reason.
"You don't need to worry too much either."
Benn Beckman calmly exhaled a smoke ring, looking at everyone with a serene and profound gaze.
"This time, Reyno not only caused the Marine to suffer heavy losses, but more importantly, after this battle, the Marine's prestige in the hearts of the public will plummet, severely threatening the World Government's rule."
"So now, the Marine and the World Government want to kill Reyno more than you do."
"So, we can only sit back and do nothing?!" Diamond Jozu, still fuming, clenched his fists and said with hatred.
Benn Beckman glanced at him indifferently and advised, "With your current strength, seeking revenge against Reyno would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens. It's better to wait and see."
"You should go back first, and after you've properly laid Ace and Whitebeard's bodies to rest, then we can talk."
"However..."
At this point, Benn Beckman suddenly changed the subject, "If you still want revenge in the future, you can go to the Revolutionary Army."
Revolutionary Army?!
Blamenco, Rakuyo, and other Whitebeard Pirates Division Commanders frowned slightly.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Dragon will not refuse you," Lucky Roux said, munching on a chicken leg, his words unclear.
It was well known that Revolutionary Army Leader Dragon was the son of Marine Vice Admiral Garp.
Furthermore, Straw Hat Luffy was Dragon's son.
Both the grandfather and grandson had died at Reyno's hands.
Even if Dragon had his principles, he wouldn't be indifferent.
"Luffy..."
In Shanks' mind, a young boy with a straw hat, a wide, silly grin showing two rows of white teeth, suddenly appeared.
He had even bet his own arm on Luffy back then.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and Luffy ultimately died tragically at Reyno's hands.
Could it be that Reyno was the person Captain Roger spoke of?!
Shanks was momentarily lost in thought.
"We will consider your suggestion." Marco and the others cast grateful glances at Benn Beckman.
Benn Beckman nodded slightly, saying no more.
Given Shanks' relationship with Whitebeard, he had already said everything he needed to say.
What to do next was the Whitebeard Pirates' own business.
In the first half of the Grand Line, ten thousand meters in the sky, within a certain area.
Over a dozen giant islands were arranged in an orderly fashion, guarding each other.
At the center of the largest island, a magnificent palace stood.
"Gyahahahahaha... Indigo, what stage has the IQ experiment reached?"
Accompanied by a powerful laugh, a majestic blonde figure, with two famous swords strapped to his feet, walked into view.
This man was none other than Golden Lion Shiki, the Flying Governor, who once stood shoulder to shoulder with Pirate King Roger and the World's Strongest Man, Whitebeard.
He was also, to this day, the only man to have escaped Impel Down by himself.
His legend continued to circulate throughout the seas.
Golden Lion Shiki had countless impressive titles.
Of course, there was also a disgrace he could never wash away in his life: the ship's rudder stuck on his head.
Twenty-five years ago, during the famous Battle of Edd War.
The Golden Lion Shiki Pirate Crew and the Roger Pirates engaged in an all-out war, and Roger was driven to a dead end by Golden Lion Shiki.
At the critical moment, a torrential downpour descended, and the Golden Lion Shiki Pirate Crew suffered a great defeat. A rudder, seemingly flying from nowhere, directly pierced Golden Lion Shiki's head.
Because pulling out the rudder would be life-threatening, to this day, that rudder remains embedded in Golden Lion Shiki's head.
"Captain, the IQ research has already shown initial results. Give me some more time, and I can start mass-producing various ferocious beasts using IQ."
Indigo, wearing a white lab coat, looked at the newspaper in his hand and answered nonchalantly.
"Gyahahahahaha! Well done."
Golden Lion Shiki nodded in satisfaction, a dangerous glint flashing in his narrow eyes.
Once the IQ experiment succeeded, he would lead his army of ferocious beasts to destroy the East Blue.
He would make everyone aware of Golden Lion Shiki's might.
"Indigo, what are you looking at?!"
After fantasizing about the destruction of the East Blue in his mind, Golden Lion Shiki walked towards Indigo, treading on Sakura Ten and Kogarasu.
"Captain, we should pay more attention to the outside world from now on. So many major events have happened recently!"
Indigo, in a shocked tone, handed the newspaper to Golden Lion Shiki, his face filled with awe.
"What is it?!"
Golden Lion Shiki raised his eyebrows, took the newspaper, and began to read.
The next second, he suddenly widened his eyes, not even noticing that the cigar in his mouth had fallen to the ground.
"Ace is Roger's son?!"
"Garp was slain by Reyno, and Whitebeard was also slain by Reyno?!"
"Wait... who is Reyno?!"
"..."
After reading all the news in the newspaper, Golden Lion Shiki stood frozen like a statue, his face filled with an expression of disbelief.
Ever since Golden Lion Shiki escaped Impel Down and unexpectedly discovered IQ, he had been engrossed in researching IQ with Indigo, ignoring external affairs.
If it weren't for the need to resupply and descend from high altitude this time, they probably wouldn't have seen this newspaper.
Golden Lion Shiki's face was constantly changing, slowly processing the shocking news one piece at a time.
"Reyno..."
After a long pause, Golden Lion Shiki softly murmured Reyno's name.
Although what moved him the most was that Roger actually had a son.
However, with Ace already dead, there was no need to dwell on past rights and wrongs.
On the contrary, Reyno...
He was actually able to kill Garp and Whitebeard one after another at Naval Headquarters, in front of all the Marine higher-ups and the entire Whitebeard Pirates.
This was not something an ordinary person could do.
Golden Lion Shiki scratched his head, staring at Reyno's photo with great interest, his eyes burning.
"Gyahahahahaha... To be able to kill those two old farts, well done."
"Captain, you don't have any ideas about Reyno, do you?!"
Indigo thought Golden Lion Shiki had taken a liking to Reyno's talent and his heart skipped a beat.
He desperately wanted to remind him that he was no longer the Golden Lion Shiki of yesteryear.
But he didn't dare.
Golden Lion Shiki waved his hand and snorted coldly, "Do you really think I'm stupid?!"
"Others might not know Garp and Whitebeard's strength, but how could I not?!"
As an old timer from the same era, Golden Lion Shiki was well aware of their strength.
Especially since he and Whitebeard were once Division Commanders in the Rocks Pirates.
In his youth, he had also dealt with Garp, who was a Marine, quite a bit.
"That's for the best..."
Indigo patted his chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
"These youngsters nowadays, each one is more impressive than the last."
"Once the IQ research is successful, and I've destroyed the East Blue, I'll retire immediately."
"The current era is no longer my era."
Golden Lion Shiki looked at the newspaper and spat out a curse with great displeasure.
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Inside the Council Hall.
The Five Elders, Fleet Admiral Kong, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Admiral Akainu, and Admiral Aokiji, nine people in total, sat around a large round table.
The expression on everyone's face was extremely grim, and the entire hall was enveloped in a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.
"Sengoku, have the Marine's losses been tallied?!" The Sword-Wielding Five Elder spoke first, breaking the silence.
Sengoku slightly raised his eyebrows and said in a deep voice, "Nearly forty thousand Marine Soldiers were killed or injured, over a hundred Marine Generals were killed or injured, and Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Kizaru were killed in action."
"Bastards!!!"
Bang!!
No sooner had Sengoku finished speaking than the most hot-headed Blonde Five Elder slammed his fist on the round table in front of him.
He could accept the first two points, but hearing that Garp and Kizaru had died, his heart bled.
As a Celestial Dragon, he didn't genuinely care about the lives of Garp and Kizaru.
However, the Marine was the face of the World Government, a tool to help the Celestial Dragons solidify their rule.
With Garp and Kizaru dead, the seas were bound to fall into chaos, and at that point, it would directly affect their rule.
This was the reason for his anger.
"There's... there's one more thing." Sengoku looked at the Five Elders with a troubled expression.
"Just say what it is, don't stammer." The Long-Bearded Five Elder looked displeased.
Garp and Kizaru were both dead, what else could they not accept?!
Sengoku straightened himself and hesitated, "While the Marine and the Whitebeard Pirates were engaged in battle, Reyno went to Impel Down."
"The entire Impel Down, including Warden Magellan and all the Marine, were killed."
Sengoku's voice grew softer and softer.
"What did you say?!" The Blonde Five Elder sprang to his feet, enraged, "Sengoku, what exactly is the World Government feeding you Marine for?!"
"Time and again, you disappoint us! You're truly a bunch of useless good-for-nothings!!"
"How can you good-for-nothing protect the Holy Land, protect the Celestial Dragons?!"
"Such an important matter, and you're only reporting it now?!"
The Blonde Five Elder's face flushed with anger, and he pointed at Sengoku, cursing loudly, spittle flying everywhere.
Being publicly reprimanded, Sengoku, as the Fleet Admiral, turned ashen.
"Enough!"
A cold shout rang out.
A powerful aura suddenly erupted from the Sword-Wielding Five Elder, sweeping through the entire council hall.
The Blonde Five Elder snorted coldly, suppressed the anger in his heart, and said no more.
"Sengoku, what about those prisoners in Impel Down?!" the Sword-Wielding Five Elder stared at Sengoku, his eyes emitting a chilling glint.
Sengoku immediately replied, "Of the thousands of criminals imprisoned in Impel Down, only a hundred remain."
"According to the surviving prisoners, after Reno entered, he killed everyone who wasn't a Devil Fruit User."
Upon hearing this, the Sword-Wielding Five Elder slightly relaxed.
It was better for them to be dead than to have escaped.
If those thousands of criminals had escaped Impel Down and flooded into the sea, that would have been a huge problem.
"Sengoku, you don't need to worry about Impel Down; we will arrange it," the Sword-Wielding Five Elder waved his hand, speaking in an unquestionable tone.
"Ace and Whitebeard are dead, and the Whitebeard Pirates are no longer a threat. The top priority is still to deal with this fellow, Reno," Kong said coldly, with his arms crossed.
Reno had only been at sea for a few months and was already so troublesome.
If he was allowed to continue growing, in a while, he might even overturn the Holy Land.
Upon hearing that infuriating name, everyone's faces instantly dropped with infinite dark lines.
"First, increase the bounties of Reno and Hancock," the Long-Bearded Five Elder commanded after a moment of contemplation.
Given Reno's current threat level to the World Government, a mere 4 billion Berries was far from enough.
Everyone nodded slightly, indicating their agreement.
There was nothing to discuss on this point.
"Ara la la, everyone, if the Marines encounter Reno again, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Admiral Aokiji returned to his usual lazy demeanor, expressing his concerns.
No one could defeat Reno in a one-on-one fight.
If they were to be held back by Hancock and the others again, and Reno defeated them one by one, the Marines would truly be doomed.
Akainu, standing nearby, snorted coldly but did not refute.
To be honest, he also wasn't confident of a sure victory when facing Reno alone.
"You don't need to worry about that," the Long-Bearded Five Elder waved his hand, full of confidence.
Everyone stared at him, awaiting further explanation.
The Five Elders said indifferently, "I've already received news that Yonko Kaido and Big Mom are searching the world for Reno's whereabouts, especially Kaido, who is coming with ill intentions."
"And the most important point..."
The Long-Bearded Five Elder paused, looked at everyone, and said seriously, "Garp and Straw Hat both died at Reno's hands. I don't believe Dragon can ignore that."
"That damned Dragon, leading a bunch of commoners to oppose us everywhere. This is a perfect opportunity to divert the trouble and provoke a conflict between him and Reno."
"Let Reno and Dragon fight until both are heavily wounded. Then, no matter who wins or loses, we will be the ones to profit."
Everyone suddenly understood, and their eyes lit up.
"It is indeed a win-win plan," the Blonde Five Elder nodded slightly in agreement.
Both Dragon and Reno were grave threats to the World Government.
Eliminating either one would be beneficial to them.
They were certain that Dragon would inevitably move against Reno.
His father and son had both died at Reno's hands; as long as Dragon was still a person, he wouldn't just sit idly by.
"Sengoku, after you return, immediately send someone to write a newspaper. You know what content to write, right?!" the Blonde Five Elder glared at Sengoku.
Sengoku immediately nodded vigorously.
"The Marines suffered heavy losses this time. Besides dealing with Reno, the most urgent task is to assemble forces and find suitable candidates to fill the Admiral positions."
Two Admirals were simply not enough to maintain peace in the sea.
"Let's initiate a worldwide conscription. Only then can we recruit enough personnel in a short time to replenish the lost troops."
"Kong, you handle this matter," the Sword-Wielding Five Elder looked at Kong.
"I understand," Kong nodded in response.
"Do you have anything else to report?!" the Blonde Five Elder looked coldly at Sengoku and the others, asking in a deep voice.
Sengoku showed hesitation, opening his mouth.
But in the end, he said nothing.
Before this, he had thought about resigning as Fleet Admiral and retreating behind the scenes.
But then he reconsidered. Garp and Kizaru were dead, and the Marine's high command was already insufficient.
If he left, the entire Naval Headquarters would only have Admiral Akainu and Aokiji left.
At that time, no matter who was promoted to Fleet Admiral, he would just be a figurehead with no one to command.
After a fierce ideological struggle, Sengoku still abandoned the idea.
"I have one thing to say, it's about the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
Admiral Akainu suddenly stood up, his voice low.
"I think it's time to abolish the Seven Warlords of the Sea system!"
Akainu looked around at everyone, speaking with conviction.
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