Marine Headquarters – Marineford
"Latest intelligence report! The Hell Pirates have passed through Fish-Man Island and have now appeared in the waters of the Magaro Kingdom in the New World. They've also recruited a new crew member—Edward Newgate, an incredibly powerful pirate!
It's said that he was only allowed to leave the Lion Pirates because he completely outclassed their captain, Laine!"
Vice Admiral analyzed the report with a heavy heart. The pressure on him was immense—there had been no progress in capturing the Hell Pirates, and the Celestial Dragons were already expressing their dissatisfaction.
"Their ship can fly—that alone is a massive problem. Our control over the New World has always been weak. However, due to the Celestial Dragons' insistence, we've already dispatched Admiral to the New World.
Admiral Kong is currently focusing on purging Sabaody Archipelago. That leaves only Admiral Aokiba stationed at Marine Headquarters."
Fleet Admiral Kurotaka had already issued the orders. Admiral Shirokiri was a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user with the ability to fly—more than capable of dealing with the Hell Pirates.
Holy Land – Mary Geoise
"This batch of CP0 recruits shows great potential. Ever since the mysterious disappearance of Carmel and the escape of Charlotte Linlin—the so-called Iron Balloon—we haven't found candidates of this caliber for a long time."
A CP0 agent, clad in a white suit and mask, spoke with an air of approval.
"Sister Carmel has been confirmed dead. Her Devil Fruit ability has already manifested in Charlotte Linlin."
A black-suited agent wearing sunglasses refuted the claim of her disappearance with a cold, emotionless tone.
"This little girl's race is interesting. They say her appearance will never change after reaching adulthood. That's exactly the type of slave the Celestial Dragons love. Why would they give her up for CP0 training?"
The masked CP0 agent studied the photo of a blonde-haired girl, pleased yet puzzled. How had someone so beautiful slipped past the Celestial Dragons' grasp?
"She is exceptionally strong. The Celestial Dragons personally chose her as an infiltrator for the Hell Pirates."
Due to the Marine Headquarters' inefficiency, the Saint Rosward family had taken matters into their own hands. Knowing that Brook liked to recruit powerful and promising pirates, they deployed an elite spy—a girl with both strength and intelligence—to infiltrate his crew.
Her mission: wait for the perfect opportunity to dismantle the Hell Pirates from within.
"She doesn't stand a chance against Brook or Redfield. Even though she's far stronger than her peers and has mastered Rokushiki, raw strength alone won't cut it."
A CP0 agent made his final assessment. "She should be trained for a few more years—become an absolute trump card."
"Spies don't need to win battles head-on, do they? Even if she only provides intelligence, that alone is valuable."
"What a waste. With her beauty and abilities, I was hoping to send her to the underworld as a deep-cover operative."
The CP0 agent sighed, shaking his head as he studied her photo.
"The World Pirates have been getting too bold lately, calling themselves 'World Destroyers.' They're just another upstart crew. Let's slip a couple of agents into their ranks."
Just yesterday, a Celestial Dragon had casually expressed interest in World World's Devil Fruit. As their ever-loyal servants, the black-suited agents knew they had to prepare for his eventual capture.
If, someday, a Celestial Dragon suddenly remembered this pirate, the agents would be ready with embedded spies to pinpoint his exact location for an easy takedown.
"There's also Gol D. Roger. While we've erased the 'D' from his bounty posters, he's still actively searching for the Poneglyphs. Keep a close eye on him."
"The highest directive from the Five Elders remains: locate the Nika Fruit and ensure no one researches the Poneglyphs."
"One last matter—Rocks D. Xebec is expanding his crew at an alarming rate. He's another 'D' that must be controlled. Deploy elite CP agents, have them gain notoriety as pirates, and infiltrate his ranks. We need to monitor his every move."
At this time, the World Government and Marine Headquarters were at their peak strength—far from the weakened state they would enter after Roger kickstarted the Great Pirate Era.
"Roger, we need to get into the New World. The Marine fortresses along the Grand Line are too numerous."
The Roger Pirates had just fended off a Marine fleet led by a Rear Admiral. With Marine Headquarters prioritizing their capture, the crew had been relentlessly pursued by commanders stationed at various fortresses.
Even the likes of Rayleigh and Gaban were beginning to feel the strain. Every two days, they were chased down, every three days, they were forced into full-scale battles. Even the strongest pirate crew would eventually wear down under such pressure.
"Yeah, we don't have much of a choice. Let's head for Sabaody Archipelago and enter the New World."
Roger glanced at his crew, noting their exhaustion. His search for the Poneglyphs had clearly pushed the World Government's patience to its limit. But he couldn't ignore the strange pull he felt—something calling him to uncover the world's secrets.
"That might not work. Brook killed a Celestial Dragon recently. The Marines have deployed an Admiral to purge Sabaody. We won't be able to coat our ship and pass through."
Rayleigh sighed. He hadn't expected Brook to go that far. It only made him more curious about Brook's true identity.
From the way the News Coo delivered newspapers and the calls Roger received on his Den Den Mushi, it was clear that someone was actively helping Brook behind the scenes. Rayleigh had even noticed that Brook's speaking mannerisms were oddly similar to the mysterious figure who frequently contacted Roger through the Den Den Mushi.
There had to be a connection between Brook, the Den Den Mushi calls, and the World Economy News Paper.
"Brook really doesn't hold back. Killing a Celestial Dragon is an even greater crime than my search for the Poneglyphs!"
Roger chuckled, admiring Brook's audacity in standing against the World Government for the sake of his crew.
"We need to move! That mad-dog Rear Admiral is gaining on us again!"
Rayleigh cursed as he spotted the familiar dog-head-shaped warship in pursuit. That Rear Admiral was slightly stronger than Roger himself.
If it weren't for his quick thinking—and a deal he had made through a secretive chat group to trade a Devil Fruit for Armament Haki training—Rayleigh knew the Roger Pirates would've been overwhelmed by now.
+100 Chapters on p@treon/tambeerg