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"It must be Orrick! He must have left a hidden plan in Colkla Island, waiting for us to find the Pure Gold and make it public, drawing the attention of power-hungry individuals!"
Bald Zero roared in fury, "Notify everyone to drop their current quests and investigate this matter thoroughly!"
After being berated by the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars), Zero's anger was hard to suppress. Rob Lucci and the others struggled under the overwhelming pressure of Haoshoku Haki, with cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.
"Yes, sir!"
As Lucci and his team left, Rowen silently took a drag from his cigar and asked calmly, "This isn't the time for us to target each other, Chief Zero. Did your investigation into Orrick's movements uncover anything useful?"
"There is something… but…"
Zero hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath. Finally, he walked back to his desk, pulled out a stack of A4 papers from the drawer, and said, "Forget it, see for yourself."
"Hm?"
Rowen was puzzled by Zero's behavior. He stepped forward, took the documents, and scanned them silently.
Soon, he put the papers down and exhaled a puff of smoke.
"So that's it! Unless he has cloning technology…"
Thanks to the Gorōsei's grand mobilization, CP0 had been able to follow Orrick's trail from a piece of broken wood. Their painstaking efforts eventually revealed the complete route Orrick took to reach Colkla.
They could even trace it further back to its origin.
However, upon reaching a certain island, Orrick's single trail split into two!
Their investigation confirmed that both were genuine— two individuals with eyewitness reports, both undeniably Orrick!
As the latest intel came in during this information leak, it was revealed that the number of "true forms" had increased to four, all with valid sightings. Even the Sniff-Sniff Fruit ability users could not distinguish the real one.
"I've already sent people to follow these four trails, but if my guess is correct, we…"
"…have been deceived!!"
Rowen finished the thought for him.
No matter how effective the Sniff-Sniff Fruit was at tracking, it only led to "past positions." If there had been just one trail, finding Orrick would have been straightforward.
But now, with four separate trails, tracing them further was a waste of time.
Additionally, the Sniff-Sniff Fruit was not an infallible ability. While there weren't many ways to avoid its detection, there were enough.
"Ah, as much as I hate to admit it, you're right," Zero said, slumping into his chair with a dark expression. "Orrick played his hand brilliantly! He deliberately exposed his movements in Colkla Island to draw all our attention there, completely hiding his true self in the process."
"I strongly suspect that this entire information leak, which has plunged the world into chaos, is just a cover for his secret goals!"
The news of Pure Gold's appearance had spread across the seas, turning the greed of mankind into a visible whirlpool of chaos, dragging all involved into its depths.
At this moment, they had no time to deal with Orrick. The challenge ahead wasn't a single faction or individual but the collective ambition of the entire world!
"No wonder he's called Nibelung Orrick. It's only been a few days since I found Pure Gold, and he's already orchestrated such a grand scheme." Rowen remarked with a hint of admiration.
Only he knew that the "Pure Gold revelation" was entirely his doing. Unless Orrick could predict the future, everything else was opportunistic.
The likeliest scenario was that Orrick hadn't laid any follow-up plans at all. Leveraging the legend of Pure Gold to divert their attention had been enough.
Once Rowen found the Pure Gold, Orrick seized the moment to create chaos.
Despite the apparent calm of their voyage, Rowen could sense an invisible net of greed slowly closing in on them.
It was a web woven by ambition, one even the World Government couldn't handle effectively this time.
But…
"This works perfectly in my favor, doesn't it?"
Rowen's lips curled into a faint smile. "This is what we call the consensus of the ambitious."
Only by inciting the entire world to collectively rebel against the government could the eight-century-old authority of the World Government be shaken.
In their methods, they were no different from the Revolutionary Army.
The difference lay in their ultimate goals— three factions, diametrically opposed, irreconcilable, and destined to clash.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bang!!
Suddenly, deafening cannon fire erupted, and the battleship tilted violently. Inside the cabin, furniture toppled to the floor.
Thud…
The door was knocked open, and a soldier rushed in anxiously, exclaiming, "Bad news, Zero Sama! Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), there are many pirates outside demanding we hand over the Pure Gold!"
"Idiots!!!"
Zero rose furiously to his feet, slamming his hand down with force. "Attack ruthlessly! Kill them all!"
"Yes, sir!"
Watching the messenger stumble out in a panic, Rowen extinguished his cigar on Zero's desk and said, "Well, I'll return to the Battleship to lead the counterattack."
With that, Rowen's figure exploded into motion, disappearing in an instant.
…
New World, Red-Haired Pirates' Waters
"This doesn't look good, Shanks! How many times has this happened now— pirates breaking into our territory and heading straight toward the Marine fleet?"
Beckman, biting on a cigar and holding twin pistols, stood atop the mast of a slowly sinking pirate ship. His expression was grim as he addressed Shanks, who was on the deck of The Red Force.
Not even the name "Red Hair" could deter pirates from risking it all, a testament to the terrifying chaos sweeping across the First Half of the Grand Line and the Four Seas.
"Well, sheer numbers don't mean a thing against that monster. They'll never steal the Pure Gold," Shanks replied, placing a hand on Griffin's hilt. He chuckled, "Still, it's surprising. The legend of Pure Gold turned out to be real— and Soryu (Azure Dragon) found it."
"What worries me isn't whether they can steal the Pure Gold but…"
Bang!
As he spoke, Beckman spun his flintlock in his left hand and fired directly downward.
Clink! Clatter! Crash!
A pirate who had been sneaking up on him was shot through the heart, collapsing to the ground with a flintlock still in hand.
Without sparing him a glance, Beckman continued, "What worries me is someone using this as an excuse to turn a simple treasure hunt into a rebellion against the government."
Just the fact that so many pirates had gathered at the intersection of the Red Line was a recipe for uncontrollable chaos.
The pirates still active on the seas in this era were no pushovers. Their courage and strength were extraordinary. If someone incited them, there was no doubt it would drag the government into an enormous war— a "world war" in the truest sense!
Beckman understood Shanks' "principles" and knew he wouldn't allow such a situation to unfold.
This was also why Shanks dared to make his presence known during major events.
The outcome of handing such matters over to pirates versus the Revolutionary Army was vastly different. Pirates wouldn't just rebel against the government— they'd loot and slaughter, leaving devastation in their wake.
And then there was…
"You remember the information Rayleigh revealed years ago, don't you? Add that to what we know about Orrick now. With these two figures in play, the entire world is treading on dangerously thin ice!"
Beckman's words were heavy with implication.
"You have a point," Shanks replied with a smile. Then, unexpectedly, he grinned broadly and said, "So, Beckman, why don't we get involved too?"
"Hmm??"
Beckman's face displayed shock as he stared into Shanks' bright eyes.
"Don't tell me you're planning to…!!"
Moments later, he sighed with a wry smile.
"As you command, Captain!"
'(End of Chapter)'