Chapter 32: The Most Miserable Warlord in History is Born

Marineford, the headquarters of the Navy, boasted the elite strength of the entire Navy high command, including the Fleet Admiral, three Admirals, and numerous Vice Admirals. Lin Yan, as the Seventeenth Division Captain of Whitebeard's pirate crew, knew charging into Marineford would create a storm on the high seas. But he loved challenging difficult tasks.

"How much for the information, madam?" Lin Yan asked Shakky.

"Talking about money hurts feelings. It was free before, why not free again?" Shakky responded.

"You're so generous, madam. I'll visit often," Lin Yan said as he left Shakky's bar.

"You'd better not come," Shakky murmured, holding her forehead with one hand.

Marineford was solidly defended and heavily fortified, with watchtowers covering every position, ready to relay any disturbances immediately. Lin Yan surveyed the scene and nodded approvingly. Given that it was the most important Marine base, the defenses were rigorous. Nonetheless, this did not trouble him. He quickly landed at Marineford.

Marineford was a mix of Marine installations and civilian settlements, making it a semi-military, semi-civilian area. In the civilian town, Lin Yan inquired around for Whitebeard Jr., who was now a candidate for the Seven Warlords of the Sea and had settled in Marineford.

Whitebeard Jr., rumored to be Whitebeard's biological son, shared the surname "Edward." To verify this, Lin Yan contacted Whitebeard through a Den Den Mushi and confirmed that Whitebeard had no biological son. Lin Yan knew what he had to do. Meanwhile, the Holy Land of Mariejois confirmed Whitebeard Jr. as the newest of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Just as everything was proceeding smoothly, a calamity struck overnight at Marineford: Whitebeard Jr. was dead! As Whitebeard Jr. reveled in his new title, he was unaware of the approaching danger. Lin Yan approached Whitebeard Jr. and asked, "Are you Edward Weevil?"

Edward Weevil, puzzled, responded, "I am. Who are you?"

Lin Yan's pupils flashed with tomoe, activating his Mangekyō Sharingan, and Weevil was caught in an illusion. Lin Yan's hand sparked with electricity as a long blade, formed from the Goro Goro no Mi's lightning, appeared. He slashed, and with a "slash," a splash of blood filled the night sky.

Edward Weevil, who could defeat a former Marine admiral, was strong, but the near-unbreakable Mangekyō Sharingan ensured his demise. Edward Weevil fell to Lin Yan's blade, dying as a Warlord of the Sea.

The next day, when Edward Weevil's body was discovered, the news caused a stir throughout Marineford.

"Smack!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku slapped the table and stood up in fury. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"We... we don't know, sir," a lieutenant, sweating profusely, replied. Edward Weevil had been announced as the new Warlord, and now he was dead in Marineford, the most heavily guarded place on the Grand Line!

"Can we suppress the news?" Sengoku asked grimly.

"It's already out of control," the lieutenant replied. As soon as Edward Weevil died, the media swarmed into Marineford.

"Investigate! We must get to the bottom of this!" Sengoku commanded sternly. Losing one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was not a significant loss for the Navy. The problem was that Edward Weevil had died at their headquarters.

"I'll get right on it!" the lieutenant responded hastily and left. Marineford went into lockdown. Despite their efforts, the investigation yielded no substantial results. As the news spread, it caused waves across the sea. Mariejois had just announced Whitebeard Jr. as a Warlord, and now he was dead!

After several days of investigation, although the Navy didn't identify the culprit, they did find a clue. The day before Edward Weevil died, someone saw members of the Whitebeard Pirates in Marineford.

"Members of the Whitebeard Pirates?" Hearing this, even Sengoku frowned deeply. If it were anyone else, Sengoku would have thoroughly investigated. But when the Whitebeard Pirates were involved, Sengoku knew he had to stop.

"Tell them to cease the investigation," Sengoku ordered. He knew that pursuing this would involve the Whitebeard Pirates, something he didn't want. Just recently, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace, had been secretly delivered to Marineford by the Blackbeard Pirates. Sengoku was already plotting against Whitebeard to reestablish the Navy as the dominant force on the Grand Line. With Ace in their hands, Sengoku saw this as a golden opportunity to crush the Whitebeard Pirates.

The entire Marineford was preparing for the upcoming war. In such critical times, Sengoku didn't want any complications.

"Sir, why?" the lieutenant asked, puzzled.

"You don't need to know," Sengoku replied. "As for the Warlord position, hand it over to Blackbeard."

"Understood," the lieutenant said and left.

The meeting room fell silent. As Fleet Admiral, Sengoku stood up and walked to the balcony. The sea breeze blew, and his cloak fluttered, with "Justice" emblazoned boldly on it. Staring at the sea, his expression was complex and weathered. "At last... the reckoning of the old era begins."