Chapter 287: Ending Whitebeard’s Era?

As the meeting commenced, Claudius began outlining the details of the operation, including the plan to collaborate with Marshall D. Teach in capturing one of Whitebeard's division commanders.

At the same time, Claudius made it crystal clear that he had no true alliance with Teach.

"Let me emphasize this once again, Marshall D. Teach is not my subordinate.

"I am merely using him."

"At the same time, I strongly advise caution when dealing with him."

"This man is an ambitious schemer. He will never submit to our authority."

"We can make use of him, but we must never let ourselves be used by him.

He rapped his knuckles against the table for emphasis.

Despite Claudius' serious tone, Sengoku quickly noticed that neither Nusjuro nor Gis seemed to care all that much.

After all, at the end of the day, Teach was just a small-time figure.

Did the World Government really need to concern itself with someone like him?

Throughout history, every pirate who had risen to prominence had done so only after decades of struggle.

The so-called "Worst Generation" didn't even exist yet.

As far as Nusjuro and the others were concerned, even if Teach did become a threat, it wouldn't be for another ten or twenty years.

But Claudius knew better.

If Teach played his cards right, he could rise to power overnight.

Still, he had done his part. He had warned them.

If they ignored his words and regretted it later, that was their problem.

---

Kong leaned forward, his expression thoughtful.

"The preliminary preparations seem sound.

But if we want to guarantee success, this won't be easy.

We're not the only ones watching the pirate world, those pirates and the criminal underworld are also watching us.

If we concentrate too much of our forces, our enemies will take notice.

And once they do, they'll become wary of our movements."

The others nodded in agreement.

The Seven Warlords of the Sea were one thing—after all, they were just a collection of pirates, so their mobilization wouldn't attract much attention.

But Marine Headquarters?

The Marines were the undisputed rulers of the sea.

Every single one of their actions was monitored by the world.

If the Marines suddenly began massing their elite forces, people would take notice.

Even those uninvolved would grow suspicious and begin preparing defenses, something they wanted to avoid.

Kong's concerns were valid, but the question remained, how could they disguise Marine mobilization?

After a brief silence, Nusjuro turned to Gis.

"Gis, can your CP agencies assist in covering our movements?"

Gis' expression darkened slightly.

"Is he joking?"

The CP agencies were powerful, but they weren't that powerful.

Covering up the movements of a few hundred Marines? Possible.

But tens of thousands? Possibly a hundred thousand?

That was insane.

How was he supposed to hide that?

"At best… we can minimize the exposure," Gis finally said, choosing his words carefully.

Nusjuro nodded slightly, he understood the limitations.

The room fell into silence as everyone pondered the issue.

Then, Claudius cleared his throat.

The moment he did, Nusjuro's eyes brightened, and the others turned their attention toward him.

"You have an idea?" Nusjuro asked.

Claudius smiled.

"Perhaps.

It's not a perfect solution, but I think it's worth considering."

"Let's hear it," Nusjuro said.

Claudius took a slow sip of tea before speaking.

"Next year, we're hosting the Reverie, the World Summit.

Every time the Reverie is held, the Marines make major deployments.

Their presence is required for security, escorting the various royal families, and maintaining order."

The moment Claudius mentioned the Reverie, Nusjuro's eyes flashed with understanding.

Across the table, Sengoku and Kong also began to smile slightly.

Claudius continued.

"That alone serves as an excellent cover.

During the Reverie, it's normal for Marine forces to mobilize.

If we slightly exaggerate that mobilization, no one will bat an eye."

Sengoku stroked his beard.

"You're suggesting we mask our true movements under the pretense of escort duty?"

Claudius nodded.

"Exactly.

At the very least, it'll make things far more convenient for us."

Kong considered the idea for a moment before nodding.

"The strategy is solid… but it still might not be enough."

Claudius grinned.

"Then why not expand the Reverie?"

Silence filled the room.

Unlike before, this wasn't something Marine Headquarters or CP could decide.

Only the Five Elders had the authority to make such a decision.

And now, all eyes were on Nusjuro.

Nusjuro, for his part, remained deep in thought.

Expanding the Reverie would serve as an excellent cover.

With so many royal families gathered, the world's attention would be focused entirely on Mariejois.

The World Government could secretly deploy troops under the guise of "ensuring global security."

But at the same time, expanding the Reverie was no simple matter.

The more kings and queens gathered, the greater the risk of Revolutionary Army infiltration.

Even so, the idea was tempting.

And Claudius wasn't done yet.

"If we expand the Reverie, then Marine mobilization can begin immediately.

We'll have at least six months to prepare.

And before the Reverie even begins, we'll have already wiped out the Whitebeard Pirates in one swift strike.

Then, at the Reverie itself, we can announce our victory before the entire world."

Nusjuro's gaze flickered.

The past several Reveries had been boring.

There were no major developments, just the same old debates about the Revolutionary Army.

And even that was frustrating.

Despite the CP agencies' efforts, the Revolutionary Army had only grown stronger.

If they could eliminate the Whitebeard Pirates before the Reverie…

It would be the perfect political move.

For years, the world had believed that this era belonged to Whitebeard.

If they killed Whitebeard, then in a symbolic sense…

The Great Pirate Era itself could be declared over.

Even if piracy wasn't completely eradicated, the message would be clear.

"The World Government has tamed the strongest beast of the sea."

The alliance nations would finally see results.

They would see that the World Government wasn't just sitting idly by, it was actively shaping the future.

Claudius leaned back, his smirk widening.

"Whitebeard is the turning point of this era.

If we eliminate him, we end the Golden Age of Piracy itself."

Silence filled the room.

Then, slowly, Nusjuro's lips curled into a smile.

The others had already made up their minds.

It was decided.

They would crush Whitebeard's legacy before the Reverie began.

And by the time the world gathered in Mariejois…

The World Government would stand before them, triumphant.

***

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