On a colossal battleship, the current admiral grumbled as he lay on a recliner. Watching him, Kong wore a helpless expression. Yet, he had to admit—the old man wasn't wrong.
White Wolf Magnus wasn't weak. Kong had heard from Admiral Rona herself that Magnus's strength was at least on par with hers. If she hadn't been concerned about the presence of the Giant King Harald during their fight, the outcome between her and Magnus might have gone either way.
Kong, now a candidate for admiral, was the chosen successor to Admiral Jōma once he retired. That meant one thing: Kong already possessed admiral-level strength.
Even if Jōma wasn't as strong as he used to be, he could still erupt with full admiral power in short bursts. With two admirals against one, Kong couldn't fathom how they could lose.
The only issue was...
They couldn't find the White Wolf Pirates!
Ever since they robbed the Tenryūbito's Heavenly Tribute, the White Wolf Pirates had vanished. They'd been wandering the sea for over a month with no sign of them.
Until suddenly, the transponder snail on the ship rang.
After receiving the message from Navy Headquarters, Kong grew solemn.
"Admiral Jōma, we've located the White Wolf Pirates! One day ago, White Wolf Magnus appeared in the non-member nation Sphinx and defeated three pirates with bounties over 100 million each!"
"HQ suspects the White Wolf Pirates plan to seize control of Sphinx and develop it as the foundation of their power!"
Sphinx had long been a fencing hub for pirates. The Navy knew this well, but attacking Sphinx outright wasn't easy. Pirates there had no loyalty to the place. When the Navy showed up, they just fled. What remained was an island of ordinary civilians, of no value to the Navy.
Back when Kong was just a Rear Admiral, he suggested a different approach: allow Sphinx to become a pirate trading hub, and send spies to gather intelligence. It worked brilliantly. They ambushed and crushed many infamous pirates based on intel from Sphinx.
That strategy helped Kong rise through the ranks to admiral candidate.
To maintain this resource, the Navy only targeted the most dangerous pirates. Minor ones were ignored.
But hearing that Magnus had taken over Sphinx—
Kong sensed something was off.
Who was it that told him not to worry about Sphinx back then?
"Hmph, a bunch of pirates gathered into a rabble. Magnus has fallen. Using other pirates to oppose us?"
Admiral Jōma snorted. For the first time in days, he stood up from his chair and away from his female slaves.
He gave his first serious order:
"All units, set course for the non-member nation Sphinx! Instruct nearby Navy branches to send reinforcements!"
Despite his age and lustful habits, Jōma wasn't stupid. Strategically, he might scoff at his enemies, but tactically, he would never underestimate Magnus.
If Magnus were truly weak, he'd have been thrown into Impel Down years ago.
Plus, if Magnus had truly reached admiral-level power and teamed up with his former crew, they might really escape.
So Jōma wanted to play it safe.
All along, he never believed Magnus would do anything but flee.
They had the strength of two admirals!
Time passed. It was now March.
The news of White Wolf Magnus appearing in Sphinx was spreading.
At first, pirates in Sphinx celebrated Magnus's audacity in robbing the Tenryūbito. But once the excitement faded, they started to realize something was off.
Why hadn't the White Wolf Pirates left yet?
They had never stayed long anywhere. Even if they raised their flag, they moved on quickly. Especially after stealing the Heavenly Tribute, they were bound to become the World Government's most wanted.
Staying in one place would bring a Navy siege.
Magnus had been asking himself that too. What was he truly after?
If he wanted to build power, then he could wait. Let Rocks and Newgate grow stronger. Then, three future emperors on one ship could stand against the world.
But how long would that take?
Would a captain who relied on his crew to stand against the Navy really deserve to be called a king?
The strength of Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) lies in the will of its owner.
If he had to lean on others to reign, how was he any different from a clown like Buggy?
"You don't want to back down anymore, do you?"
Listening to the vibrant beating of his heart, Magnus smiled.
You don't know if you can win until you fight!
"Who's coming this time? Xiang? He probably won't show. Rona? Has she recovered? Tch, don't tell me it's Jōma? If it's that old dog, I swear I'll cut him down in a few strikes. Kong? That punk probably already has admiral-level strength."
As Magnus whispered names, his aura surged. The villa they were temporarily using, a gift from Black Merchant Dukeman, began to tremble.
"Hahaha! Even if the future emperors haven't risen yet, there are always strong foes in every era!"
He had once worried about the time it would take for Rocks and Newgate to grow, not to mention the future admirals.
But now, he would soon know exactly which admiral the Navy was sending.
[Sea Calendar Year 1481, March]
You have encountered the Navy's main force led by current Admiral "Steel Bone" Kong on the outlaw island of Sphinx. As an ordinary pirate, your only task is to survive the Navy's grand offensive.
After this event, you will receive a bounty. The higher your bounty, the richer your rewards.
May your pirate journey not end here!
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