"Could it be…?"
At that moment, a thought flashed through Is's mind.
Yes—
The World Government might have paid off the news agencies to report things in favor of the Marines.
Other than that, he couldn't think of any explanation.
After all, with the strength of the Rocks Pirates, it would be extremely difficult for the Marines to gain any real advantage.
Still—
What the truth actually was didn't matter much to Is.
It had nothing to do with him directly.
He simply smiled, shook his head slightly, and placed the newspaper back on the table.
"What is it?" Madara asked, noticing his expression.
"Nothing much," Is replied calmly. "It's just that… what's written in the newspaper isn't always the truth."
Madara fell silent for a few seconds, then seemed to realize something.
"You mean… the news is fake? The Marines didn't actually weaken the Rocks Pirates?"
Is shrugged, a faint smile on his face.
"Who knows? It could be true… but it could also be fabricated by the World Government. This world is full of half-truths and illusions. The only thing we can be sure of is that something did happen—but who actually benefited from it? That's hard to say."
Madara looked at the newspaper and smiled slightly.
Just as he was about to say something—
Tatsumaki, Roz Minian, and the others entered the hall, pushing a serving cart.
"Is! I was just about to call you," Tatsumaki said proudly. "Good timing—you and Madara are both here. Come try the dessert I made myself!"
She pushed the cart forward and placed a plate on the table, lifting the lid with excitement.
What appeared before Is and Madara were four or five fist-sized… black objects.
"This is…?" Is raised an eyebrow.
"Guess what kind of dessert it is!" Tatsumaki said expectantly.
"…Chocolate?" Is guessed.
"Nope!" she shook her head.
Is leaned closer and sniffed it.
…Yeah, he had misjudged.
It wasn't chocolate.
It was just… burnt.
"This is soft, sweet, fluffy, and full of rich egg flavor!" Tatsumaki boasted, turning to Roz Minian. "Right, Minian?"
Before Minian could respond—
Crunch, crunch…
Madara had already taken a bite.
Holding half in his hand and chewing the other half, he said plainly:
"Tatsumaki… you call this soft and fluffy?"
"I don't taste egg flavor. I taste burnt charcoal."
Roz Minian covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Madara had already said everything that needed to be said.
"Tch…"
Tatsumaki puffed her cheeks, grabbed a piece, and took a bite herself.
Sure enough—
Crunchy.
Burnt.
Is was just about to grab one and tease her—
But before he could, Tatsumaki swiftly snatched the plate away, put it back on the cart, and pushed it aside in one smooth motion.
"Is, wait here. I'll remake it!"
And with that—
She disappeared down the hallway.
Madara wiped his mouth.
"Good thing you didn't eat it. The aftertaste is bitter."
Is chuckled.
"Minian… you're not a very good teacher, are you?"
Minian smiled awkwardly.
"Lady Tatsumaki was too eager. She didn't let me help much…"
"Minian! Hurry up!"
Tatsumaki's voice echoed from the corridor.
"I'm coming, Lady Tatsumaki!"
Minian turned to Is.
"Master, I'll go help."
"Go ahead. Don't let her create another 'dark cuisine'."
"Understood!"
…
…
Meanwhile—
In the New World, on a certain island—
A massive ship slowly docked.
A pirate flag fluttered in the wind.
This was no ordinary crew.
It was the infamous Rocks Pirates.
"Damn it!"
Rocks cursed loudly.
"Captain, it couldn't be helped," Golden Lion Shiki said while sitting on the railing. "We let our guard down. Fortunately, the losses weren't significant."
That's right—
The Marines did gain an advantage.
But only because they launched a surprise attack while the Rocks Pirates were drunk during a banquet.
Rocks resisted briefly—
Then chose to retreat.
Luckily, the losses were mostly expendable members.
If key fighters had been lost—
Rocks would have been far more furious.
"This humiliation… will not be tolerated," Rocks said coldly. "If the Marines like playing tricks, then we'll play along."
"What's the plan?" Charlotte Linlin asked.
"What else?" Shiki smirked. "They ambushed us—so we ambush their headquarters."
"Sounds good. Let the Marines know we're not easy targets," Streusen agreed.
"…No."
Rocks spoke again.
"That's not enough."
Everyone paused.
"Attacking Marine Headquarters alone isn't enough," Rocks continued, his expression turning sinister. "The Marines are just the World Government's dogs."
"If we strike… we strike both."
"We'll give the World Government a 'gift' as well."
The moment he said that—
The entire crew erupted in cheers.
"BUT," Rocks added, raising a hand,
"We wait first. Regain our strength."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The storm—
Was just beginning to brew.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/c/GojoSP