Chapter 241: Reaction

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"Erase Wano Country! Wipe it from the face of the world!"

The cold, grim, and icy voice echoed through the palace hall. The expressions of the four Elders shifted slightly before they all turned to look at Saint Topman Warcury. 

Such a decisive and ruthless statement from his mouth didn't shock them much—it was simply unexpected.

After a brief silence, one of them slowly stood up. "Wano's situation is complicated. Compared to you, it would be much safer for me to go personally."

Topman Warcury turned his gaze toward the one who spoke, his eyes narrowing. "Saint Jaygarcia Saturn! This time is different from the past."

"We may even go to war with the Marines, who were once no more than watchdogs at our gates."

Jaygarcia Saturn replied coldly, "Of course I understand that! When a dog starts disobeying commands and even bites the hand that feeds it, there's only one solution—kill the dog and eat its meat."

"But there's one part of what you said that I cannot agree with." He paused, then continued slowly. "Sacrificing yourself—that's utterly foolish."

"I'll head to Wano, eliminate Arashi, and find a way to weaken the Marines. I fail, I'll retreat and request Lord Imu to erase that closed-off nation from the world entirely."

His words settled into the minds of the other four Elders. The Five Elders—Gorōsei—fell into quiet contemplation.

Eventually, Saint Shepherd Ju Peter spoke slowly. "Jaygarcia Saturn's plan is undoubtedly the safer one. Very well—this task will be yours. But one thing!"

He cast a meaningful glance at Saturn. "You must be extremely cautious!"

Even for these five men, who sit atop the world, Wano remains a tangled and dangerous place. 

Two powerful Emperors, a rising Marine force, and the formidable samurai of Wano itself—all converge in chaos. 

Even with their status, the risks are considerable. But with the growing strength of the Marines, even they can no longer remain idle.

If left unchecked, the Marines might eventually shake the foundations of the world.

"The Holy Knights will accompany you! Jaygarcia Saturn, be careful—and come back safely!" Topman Warcury's voice was grave. 

"Understood." Saturn gave a slight smile, then turned and walked out briskly, his face becoming stern.

In an instant, all of Mary Geoise became tense.

"Emergency mission! Follow Saint Jaygarcia Saturn to Wano! Exact objectives are still unknown."

"CP agents have already been deployed, but—"

"All of you, prepare yourselves for sacrifice. This mission is unlike any before!"

A low voice echoed through a vast chamber as more than a dozen figures, radiating heavy presence, narrowed their eyes sharply, then returned to calm.

"Move out! This time, we're going all in!"

Across the world, numerous forces began to watch the New World. The World Government's actions were silent—entirely covert, without a whisper to the outside.

Meanwhile, in the New World—on Hachinosu, Pirate Island—

The air was filled with the smell of alcohol. Rough-looking pirates packed every corner of the town.

At the highest point, Marshall D. Teach grinned as he looked down on the grand scene before him, then burst into laughter.

"How about that, Sakazuki? I told you—we'd carve out territory in this sea in no time!"

"Now, thousands of pirates join us every single day! In just a short time, we've built a fleet of ten massive ships—an unstoppable force!"

Sitting quietly nearby, Sakazuki snorted in disdain but said nothing. As a Marine admiral, he once had more power and troops than he does now.

Teach chuckled, "You still seem a bit unhappy." "But no worries—give it time. Soon, we'll have even more men and even greater strength." He laughed loudly.

The streets of Hachinosu were crawling with pirates, all under Blackbeard's control now. This was once a dream, and now, it was inching ever closer to reality.

Suddenly, his expression shifted. He stood up abruptly and disappeared in a flash.

Sakazuki sneered coldly. He knew exactly what happened. During the Summit War, Arashi's final blow had utterly wrecked Teach's kidneys.

Now he suffers from frequent urination, urgency, incontinence, and complete loss of control.

The worst part? No doctor could cure it. This kidney failure would haunt Marshall D. Teach for the rest of his life.

Sakazuki watched in silence as the pirates below gorged on meat and wine, disgust rising in his chest. But he understood clearly—right now, they were his only option.

"Sakazuki! Let's toast!" Avalo Pizarro stumbled over, cheeks flushed red, holding a drink and grinning.

"Scram." That was the only word the former Admiral responded with.

"Tch! So heartless!"

Pizarro didn't seem to mind. He wobbled away, but the look in his eyes when he turned—chilling and deadly—betrayed his thoughts.

The Blackbeard Pirates were nothing more than a massive alliance of shared interests, and yet, they were strong.

Marshall D. Teach stumbled to a street corner and began relieving himself. The sputtering faucet of his broken system made his face twist in pain and rage.

"Damn you, Arashi!!!" He roared. This humiliation, this suffering—it haunted him every day. That man's face flashed through his mind again and again.

Suddenly, bits of paper floated down from the sky. Teach looked up, caught one, and glanced at it. 

The moment his eyes locked on the headline, his face twisted dramatically. A few breaths later, he crushed the newspaper in his hand.

"Arashi!!!" His voice came out dark and low, full of menace.

After a moment, he zipped up his pants. The alcohol-induced daze was gone. He strode toward the central plaza.

"Wano, huh? We'll be seeing each other again soon."

When he returned to the highest point of the island, Sakazuki noticed his change in demeanor.

"What's this? You were riding high—why the grim face now? Did something finally show up that even you find troublesome?"

Sakazuki asked flatly, with a touch of sarcasm. But to his surprise, Teach remained serious. He glanced at Sakazuki and said:

"There's something that caught my interest, and I think it'll interest you too."

He uncrumpled the newspaper and held it up. Sakazuki's pupils shrank the moment he saw it.

On the creased paper, one headline stood out: Marines Deploy to Wano!

"The Marines are challenging Kaido? The Summit War just ended—and now the hardest line Fleet Admiral in history is about to launch another global war?"

"How will the Marines win in the stronghold of the pirates? Will this battle shatter the myth of Marine supremacy?"

"Is this Arashi's madness? Or the Marines' ambition?" The whole front page revolved around the Marines, Arashi, and speculation.

Sakazuki didn't bother reading further. He snatched the paper and burned it to ash with a whoosh, letting the embers fall.

"Then what are you waiting for?" He practically growled, fury blazing in his bloodshot eyes.

"Zehahahaha! Seems like we're thinking the same thing! This is the perfect chance to take Arashi down!"

Teach's eyes gleamed as he laughed. Then he looked out toward the crowded streets and took a deep breath.

"Boys!!!" His roar echoed across the entire Hachinosu, instantly silencing the chaos.

When all eyes were on him, he let out a loud laugh. "Zehahahahaha! We've got work to do!"

The pirates looked at him with confusion.

"You won't believe it, the Marines are mobilizing their entire force to head to Wano!"

"That arrogant, insane Fleet Admiral Arashi wants to start a war that shakes the entire world! He's trying to take down Kaido—one of the Four Emperors!"

Marshall D. Teach burst into laughter. As his words ended, he saw the shock written on every face below him.

"The only difference from the Summit War is this—this time, the battlefield is Wano Country! And from what I've heard, Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors, has arrived on the island too, along with her sons and daughters."

"In other words, this is a war where the Marines are taking on two Emperors at once! A full-scale war!!!"

Teach took a deep breath, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. "How thrilling! The Marines think they can take out our kind in our territory? What a ridiculous delusion!"

The pirates' expressions subtly shifted. A different light flickered in their eyes. Teach's words had struck a chord.

To all pirates, the New World was their domain—hellish, yes, but also a paradise of freedom. For years, no Marines had dared to invade it.

"So!!!" Teach roared, his voice booming. "This time, the Marines have made a new enemy—us!!! The Blackbeard Pirates!!!"

Hachinosu fell silent. One could even hear the sound of breathing in the stillness.

 And then—like a tsunami crashing ashore—an earth-shaking roar erupted from the crowd.

"Crush the Marines!!! Head to Wano and take down the Marines! The New World belongs to us!"

"Set sail—right now! Hoist the flags!!"

Wave after wave of voices crashed into Marshall D. Teach's ears, making his face twist into a crazed smile.

This was the feeling he craved. Standing above tens of thousands, basking in their cheers, with absolute power in his hands.

This was the taste of power. Wealth, fame, authority—in that moment, Marshall D. Teach had it all.

"Zehahahahaha!! Alright, boys!!"

"Get back to your ships! We're heading to Wano!"

His laughter rang through the skies above. In the next second, countless pirates raced toward the port, scrambling onto their vessels.

War. Bloodshed. This was what they loved most.

New World. A nameless island.

The red dragon-headed ship, the Red Force, was quietly docked at the harbor.

Suddenly, the face of a rookie standing at the bow twisted in shock as he held a newspaper in his hands.

"This… this is huge!" He took a deep breath, then turned sharply toward the island.

"I must inform the captain and the officers—immediately!"

He leapt off the bow and sprinted inland. Moments later—

"Captain! We've got a situation!"

The out-of-breath pirate looked ahead at his crewmates, all gathered around a bonfire, laughing, drinking, and eating.

"Let's hear what he has to say first," said Dracule Mihawk, setting down his wine with a serious tone. "Shanks, that look on his face doesn't bode well."

Shanks looked up and grinned. "Rockstar, what's got you so worked up? 

What happened?"

Rockstar was panting hard, sweat pouring down his face. The news he carried had shocked him to the core.

"The Marines—the Marines!!" He took a deep breath, then shouted,

"They're gathering a massive fleet and heading for Wano! They're going after the Beasts Pirates!"

His voice was loud, echoing through the forest and sending birds fleeing into the sky.

The cheerful expressions on Shanks and the others faded in an instant, replaced by grave seriousness.

"You shouldn't joke about things like that, Rockstar," Shanks said, his voice low. "You're not exactly a rookie anymore."

Rockstar steadied his breath. "It's from the newspaper! The Marines may have already set out a few days ago!"

"Captain, this is 100% confirmed. The whole New World probably knows by now!" As he spoke, he handed the paper to Shanks.

Shanks took it, glanced down, and when he looked up again, his eyes were heavy with intensity. "Arashi…You are one crazy man."

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