Chapter 24
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"Fleet Admiral! New intelligence!" cried the same Marine soldier as before. He raced toward the door, nearly stumbling over his feet. This time, he burst through the door without a hint of decorum.
Sakazuki frowned at the sight of the panting soldier who looked about to collapse. He felt the urge to scold him for lacking the composure of a professional soldier. Yet, anxious to hear the new intelligence, he commanded, "Speak!"
"Kaido! It's Kaido! He... He..." The soldier, still catching his breath, struggled to form a coherent sentence.
Seeing the soldier's distress, Sakazuki's eyes turned icy.
The soldier grew even more flustered, his face covered in sweat and his words still tangled.
Impatiently, Sakazuki slammed his fist on the table, his voice booming loud enough to echo downstairs, "Say it!"
This shock jolted the soldier into clarity. He blurted out, "The flag of Beasts Pirates is hung on Cake Island!"
"What did you say?!" Sakazuki bolted upright, and the long table that had been his companion for nearly two years collapsed beneath him. Documents scattered and tea splashed across the papers.
Ignoring the disarray, he strode over to the soldier, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded, "Say it again? Are you certain this is new intelligence and not just your imagination?"
"Yes... It's true, Fleet Admiral. Shortly after our fleet departed, Cake Island fell under the flag of Kaido."
"Bastard Kaido!"
"Worthless Charlotte! Letting another of the Four Emperors claim her territory!" Akainu tossed the soldier aside, his eyes ablaze with fury. His clenched teeth snapped his cigar in two, and a murderous aura exploded from him, elevating the room's temperature to an unbearable mix of heat and cold.
His fists tightened and magma leaked from his arm onto the floor, instantly turning into plumes of blue smoke.
He fantasized about flying to the islands right then and there to annihilate all the pirates, to travel to Wanokuni and deliver a devastating blow to Kaido's head.
"Um... What about our fleet?" the soldier inquired, a note of trepidation in his voice.
Akainu took deep breaths, trying to calm the raging storm within him. As the soldier watched his twitching face, the magma receded, and the intense emotions seemed to cool slightly.
"Go and inform the vice admirals to return," ordered Sakazuki, his anger barely contained.
"Yes!" The soldier sprinted off to relay the command.
After the soldier's departure, Sakazuki's suppressed rage continued to smolder until he could hold it no longer. He stepped out onto the balcony and unleashed a ferocious punch toward the vast sea. A gargantuan magma fist plunged into the water with meteoric force, causing a titanic splash and waves that nearly capsized a nearby ship, its crew alarmed.
Meanwhile, the World Economic Journal, the most authoritative and widely-followed news outlet, released its latest edition. Newsbirds circled the globe, delivering the sensational news far and wide.
On Hive Island, the rising Four Emperor Blackbeard and his cadre, fresh from their breakout of Impel Down, assembled. Blackbeard's face was slick with sweat, and his trembling eyes revealed a mixture of shock and disbelief as he stared at the paper delivered by the newsbird.
"Hey, hey, what's going on, why did Kaido go and take over the BIGMOM Pirates' territory?" he stammered.
Standing beside him, cigarette dangling from his lips, Shiryu's muscles tensed, equally taken aback by the news report.
He had difficulty understanding how someone could be so reckless and strong simultaneously. He then added, "And after the fight, he hung his flag right on Cake Island..." Captain No. 1 Badgers, also intimidated by Kaido's reputation for challenging the strong, found himself at a loss to think of challenging Kaido. The laughter that followed sounded a bit forced. "Waihahaha... That's what real strength looks like."
Beside him, Blackbeard's eyebrows lifted, sensing a hint of insinuation. Xuanyue Hunter Butterfly, who was drinking from a wine barrel as big as a person, jokingly said, "Oooo, just the redhead you mean!" Pizarro, the evil king who was gnawing on meat on the bone, added, "Don't be silly, meow. What's the benefit of going after the redhead? I think I should take this time to sneak up on the Big Mom Pirate Group and grab all their abilities."
Van Auger, wearing an eye patch, was busy maintaining his sniper rifle with gun oil. He joined in to counter the evil king's idea, "You're looking to grab what others are after, but planting Kaido's flag is a way to prevent that, unless you're itching to provoke the two emperor groups."
Teach cut through the debate with his boisterous laughter, eyes gleaming ambitiously as he gazed at the newspaper, "Thief, hahaha~ We'll have more opportunities as we grow stronger, but for now, let's let Kaido have his moment in the sun."
At a winter island, the Red Hair Pirates were holding a feast. Beckman, the strongest officer, strolled in with a toothpick in his mouth and tossed the newspaper to his captain. "Hahahaha~~ Come and drink, Beckman, and don't fret over those things happening outside," the red-haired Shanks, slightly flushed from drinking, took Beckman's wine glass, slung an arm around him, and said with a wide smile. "That's right, Beckman! This is a banquet not to be missed!" Yasopp and Lucky Roo leaned in close, both enjoying their drinks.
"It happens every ten days, anyway. It's hardly rare," Beckman responded, shaking off Shanks' arm from his shoulder. "Just yesterday, Kaido caused an uproar, and Big Mom was left seriously injured and nearing death. That news is more significant than any feast." "Huh?" Shanks sobered up slightly and picked up the newspaper from the ground. The other officers crowded around to read it with him. "Really."
"Isn't Big Mom supposed to be an iron balloon, untouchable and never wounded? And they say she's nearly finished because of serious injuries." "Iron balloon, indeed. And the 'invincible' Kaido is just like thin paper before our captain." "That's well said." Shanks blushed, modestly touching his head and replied, "I'm not that powerful~"
"So it's just another clash of the Four Emperors, huh?" The ship's doctor stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Don't underestimate the value of information," Beckman said, leaning coolly against the ice wall, unaffected by the chill. Shanks looked pensive for a moment but then tossed the newspaper aside. "It doesn't matter! Let's continue the banquet~~" "Eh!!" The crew raised their glasses again, with Beckman joining the revelry. However, Shanks was the only one who concealed his deep concerns, hoping Luffy would encounter Kaido much later...