CHAPTER 260- Storm on the Horizon

As the heavy doors of the conference hall slowly closed behind Luoyu's departing figure, a suffocating silence lingered.

Ith's expression had darkened to an extreme.Even as the pressure in the room had just moments ago been suffocating, now it was completely gone.The mere presence—and now absence—of that man had changed everything.

This kind of personal charisma… even Ith, the highest-ranked of the Five Elders, could clearly feel the vast difference between himself and Luoyu.

"Got anything else to say, Ith?" Sengoku asked coldly, the iron in his voice unmistakable as he watched Luoyu's figure vanish."If not, then kindly take your leave. The Navy has far more urgent matters to handle, and we won't be hosting you for dinner."

Ith's gaze swept the room, his voice thick with disdain."Hmph, Sengoku… Don't be so quick to celebrate.You seem to have forgotten—this situation you're facing now is far worse than it was three days ago."

"That brat may have talked big just now, but I hope he has the strength to back it up.Because if he dies halfway through, your so-called gamble will have been for nothing."

"If you don't want our support, fine. I'll return to the Highest Palace and wait for your good news."With those parting words, Ith struck the ground with his cane.A wave of space distortion surged, transforming into a massive vortex that swallowed him whole.

Even after his departure, Sengoku's expression remained grim.

Tsuru, ever perceptive, stepped forward."Sengoku, relax. You saw it too—has that guy ever failed after asking for more money?"

"Don't forget, he's the one who defeated Kaido head-on.If he can't get in and out alive, then no one can."

She lowered her voice."And don't forget—everyone's watching. You need to keep your act together."

Sengoku exhaled. "I'm not worried about whether he can pull it off. I'm just worried…"His voice dropped."…about whether I can scrape together enough bounty money to pay him. If you've got some spare change—"

"Get lost." Tsuru's glare was instant and withering.

She'd been genuinely concerned about Sengoku losing his nerve, only to find he was stressing about paying Luoyu.

As Sengoku slunk away to beg for funds, Tsuru's expression still betrayed a hint of unease.

Wano was a den of monsters now.

To face both Charlotte Linlin and Kaido at once…Could Luoyu really make it out alive?

If not, and he were to fall into the hands of those two emperors,The Navy's situation would only worsen—dramatically.

Meanwhile, inside the Highest Palace of Mary Geoise.

Space rippled violently.

Laps and the others turned toward the fluctuation.

As Ith emerged, Laps immediately asked,"Ith, is it done? Did the power struggle over the Fleet Admiral position weaken Naval forces?"

"At the very least, did a couple of Admirals get taken out?"

As fellow members of the Five Elders and secret manipulators behind the scenes,Laps, Anthony, and Uka had hoped their "chess pieces" in the Navy would be easier to control.

But Anthony noticed Ith's stormy expression."…Something went wrong, didn't it?"

"Hmph." Ith snorted."The original plan was simple—by pushing for Sakazuki, I'd trigger discontent within the Navy,Sparking a power struggle between Akainu, Aokiji, and that brat, Luoyu. That chaos would've splintered their unity."

"But what I didn't anticipate… was how much influence that brat actually has.The number of people supporting him as Fleet Admiral vastly outnumbered both Sakazuki and Aokiji combined."

"I even tried to use Gion's disappearance as leverage to pressure them—but in the end,he flipped the whole room with just one sentence: 'Add money.'"

"Now he's planning to head into Wano alone to rescue her.Normally I'd be thrilled—but for some reason, I'm… uneasy."

"I'm starting to wonder—maybe even Linlin and Kaido together won't be enough to stop him."

The room froze.

"Even those two together can't stop him?" Anthony's face paled slightly."Ith, are you joking?"

"Kaido and Linlin are relics of the old era—if even they can't defeat a single rookie…That's insane."

Laps and Uka stared hard at Ith, the silence growing heavier.

Ith couldn't explain his unease, but his expression turned darker."Anthony. Just to be safe, send a message to Yamamoto.Tell him to be careful. I don't want us capsizing in a backwater canal."

All three men went stiff.But faced with Ith's seriousness, they moved without argument.

One day later, the seas roared once more.

Following the bombastic declarations by Charlotte Linlin and Kaido,A new and terrifying headline swept across the Grand Line.

With Kaido's miraculous return from death, and his alliance with Big Mom finalized,The once-buried legacy of the Rocks Pirates was deliberately unearthed and made public.

An empire was born overnight.And with their aggressive expansion of territorial waters,The Four Emperors Alliance quickly seized the spotlight as the dominant force on the seas.

Three days ago, the battle at Impel Down had shaken the world.Now, the standoff between the Navy and the Emperors…Was clearly just the calm before the storm.

Sphinx Island, New World.

On this remote island, former members of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Red-Haired Pirates had gathered.

They stood before the grave of Edward Newgate—Whitebeard.

All were silent, solemn.

Ace's fists trembled, clenched tight. Blood trickled from his bitten lip.

Even now, he couldn't accept Whitebeard's death.

"Hang in there, Ace," Shanks said, resting a hand on his shoulder."Whitebeard gave everything to save you.The last thing he'd want is to see you like this."

"I know it's a bad time to say this…But I have to warn you—don't think about revenge."

"I just got word: Kaido didn't die.He's formed an alliance with Charlotte Linlin."

"And Gion, the Rear Admiral in charge of monitoring the Emperors, has gone missing."

"That guy—the one who took down Kaido—has already gone off alone to rescue her."