Chapter 142: The Name of the Seven Warlords

The hull is damaged in multiple places; restoring navigation will take some time, we…

For a moment, all three felt deep unease within.

It was because they had once hunted small pirate crews using the name of the Seven Warlords.

And Moria's zombies, created by stealing others' shadows using the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, require their original bodies to remain alive to function properly.

This means that once they lose the protection of the Seven Warlords title, they will face the vengeance of countless pirates patrolling the Devil's Triangle Sea.

Even killing them would cause the shadows to dissipate, rendering the possessed zombies motionless and drastically reducing their combat strength.

When this realization struck.

Both Hoggback and Absalom felt their heads ache; Moria himself clearly understood the stakes.

After a moment of silence, Moria gritted his teeth and said:

"We head deeper into the Devil's Triangle Sea, evade the Marines' pursuit, and weather this period first."

"Once we obtain a shadow worthy of the demon Oars, and with the zombies' undying bodies, no one on the Grand Line will be our match."

"That's a power strong enough to seek revenge against Kaido!"

As he spoke.

Moria looked with absolute confidence toward the enormous, grotesquely oversized demon zombie at the castle's center.

Especially after recalling the devastating defeat he had suffered at Kaido's hands.

Companions were precious to him; each death brought immense pain, but zombies were immortal, so he felt no such sorrow.

"With these immortal zombies, you won't have to face battle, won't get hurt, and won't die."

"Hehehehe…"

Inside the castle.

Only Moria's piercing, shrill laughter echoed.

Yet his words tightened the hearts of Absalom and the others.

For the crushing defeat he suffered at Kaido's hands had not only shattered Moria's pirate crew, but also cost him countless companions to Kaido's blade.

That battle left a wound in this man's heart that had never healed to this day.

Absalom did not know when that wound would heal, but they knew the only true companions this man possessed were themselves and Hoggback beside him.

"Understood, Moria my lord!"

…

Thick mist swirled, nearly obscuring the entire sea, while chaotic magnetic fields rendered compasses useless for navigation.

The entire Devil's Triangle Sea was like a vast labyrinth standing in the middle of the Grand Line, with hundreds of ships vanishing within it each year alone.

At this moment.

The massive, island-like dreadnought raised its sails and gradually vanished into the depths of the sea.

By the time Kuma led the Marine forces to the scene, only thick fog remained, completely blocking all sight.

Kuma slowly sheathed his blade and said calmly:

"No wonder he's a former Warlord of the Sea!"

"This sense of smell… it's disgustingly cunning!"

…

…

…

At the same time.

Somewhere in the New World.

Doo Feld, the loan shark king, dressed in a purple suit and with a bloated belly, sat on a sofa.

His cigar smoldered slowly at his fingertip, glowing with tiny red sparks; behind his sunglasses, his eyes watched his secretary with keen interest.

"My lord Doo Feld, according to our calculations, this single event has already generated over one billion Beri in net profit for East Blue's Crow Harbor."

"If we include surrounding gambling, tourism, and other revenues brought by the influx of tourists, the figure could be several times higher."

A slender woman in professional attire stood before Doo Feld, relaying intelligence on Crow Harbor.

She was one of Doo Feld's secretaries, Elenah, primarily responsible for East Blue affairs.

Seeing Crow Harbor as a money tree, she had rushed to report it to Doo Feld, hoping to earn her boss's favor.

"And once we establish this reputation, the number will grow higher every year."

"If we can take control of it, it becomes a money tree."

As she spoke.

Elenah leaned forward, revealing a deep cleavage, and extended both hands to present a report to Doo Feld.

He glanced at it briefly, then set it aside and asked:

"The underworld isn't just ours; Crow Arena's model suits that woman, Stussy, far better than it suits us."

"Has she taken any action yet?!"

"Not yet."

The secretary shook her head and continued:

"I've confirmed it."

"Behind Crow Harbor stands a pirate known as Knight Gao Wen, with a bounty of two hundred forty-eight million Beri."

"Such strength is respectable in the Four Seas or the Grand Line, but in the New World, there are countless others just like him—or even stronger."

The secretary's expression was calm.

As if two hundred forty-eight million Beri meant nothing to her—and indeed, to them, it truly did.

Du Feld, as one of the six emperors of the underworld, was furthermore the King of Loan Sharks with the most liquid capital among them.

A mere pirate with a two-hundred-million bounty could be smashed to death just by throwing money at him!

"Not worth fearing in the least."

"And as for the Goa Kingdom, with money, everything is absolutely no problem."

"Now we only need to seize control of Raven Port, and subsequently we will have billions of Berries rolling in every year."

"The true key lies in using our channels to expand the betting pools to the entire world; that is the real money-printing machine!"

Du Feld slowly set down the cigar in his hand, the corners of his mouth gradually curving into a slight smile:

"Elena, you are even more outstanding than I imagined; this acumen places you among the top tier even within the crowd of traders I have cultivated."

"Then leave this matter to you—!"

His words had not yet finished when a hurried ringing sound came from the Den Den Mushi beside his hand.

After connecting.

A bewitching voice transmitted out from the receiver.

"Ara ara~"

"Stussy?"

Du Feld's brows knitted tightly together.

This was solely because the caller was precisely Stussy, the Queen of Pleasure Street who managed the entertainment industry and was, like himself, one of the six emperors of the underworld.

Had this woman also set her sights on Raven Port in the East Blue?

She must not beat him to it!

At the very least, for this choice piece of meat, he intended to swallow the largest chunk!

Thinking this, Du Feld instantly made his decision; he cast a glance at Elena.

The latter understood immediately, her very body trembling from excitement.

This was solely because if she handled this affair well this time and completely secured the Raven Port Martial Arts Tournament, she would be able to truly establish a firm foothold under Du Feld.

As for the original masters of those ports, Gaza and the members of the Gao Wen Pirates...

Who cared?!

Anyone blocking his path must die!

A trace of ruthlessness gradually appeared in Elena's eyes; she suppressed the excitement within her heart and slowly retreated from the room.

She had already made up her mind that this time she would inevitably handle the affairs of the East Blue cleanly and thoroughly.

Truly entering Du Feld's line of sight by virtue of her own ability, rather than being like now...

Elena tugged at the clothes over her chest and departed with quick steps.

Inside the office.

Du Feld only then opened his mouth to speak:

"What is it?"

"Has the Queen of Pleasure Festival abandoned her flesh trade to come here because you are short on money again?"

"If you are willing to come keep me company, the interest on the loan I give you might be reduced by a few points."

Stussy remained completely unmoved, simply because such words were something she had heard countless times before; indeed, her voice seemed even more bewitching at this moment:

"Ara~"

"If I personally provide service, that is a different price, oh~"

"However."

Speaking.

Stussy paused, and several parts of mockery suddenly emerged in her voice:

"I guess that long silence of yours just now was to urge your subordinates to speed up their actions, yes?"

"So you have indeed also set your sights on Raven Port!"

Du Feld's pupils constricted, and several traces of ferocity already appeared on his face:

"Daring to snatch food from my mouth?"

He had flown into a genuine rage.

Controlling massive amounts of capital and using it to open connections within the World Government, even with the Celestial Dragons, while secretly colluding with Big Mom of the Four Emperors.

Du Feld could be said to dominate both the black and white worlds.

Thus, regarding style of conduct, he was the most domineering figure in the underworld.

How could he possibly accept someone coveting the delicacy on his plate at this moment?

"It seems you no longer wish to do your flesh trade!"

"It appears you have truly misunderstood my good intentions~"

Stussy feigned helplessness and said:

"I merely wished to give you a reminder; just a few days ago, the World Government passed a resolution."

"Stripping Gecko Moria of his Warlord of the Sea title, to be replaced by the Knight Gao Wen!"

"Directly stripping an existing Warlord of the Sea of his title; this is the first time in nearly twenty-plus years, so you should understand what this signifies."

"Either Knight Gao Wen possesses a trump card that even the World Government fears, forcing them to submit."

"Or his power has already grown so great that the World Government cannot ignore it."

"And the worst-case result would be... both!"

As the voice landed.

Du·Fei'er broke out in a cold sweat on the spot.

This was solely because the Seven Warlords of the Sea represented the most powerful group of pirates in this world, excluding the Four Emperors.

Every single one invited by the World Government was a mighty force dominating their own region.

It was true that he relied on Big Mom and maintained close ties with the World Government.

But if he truly provoked such a top-tier pirate into a rage, the opponent would not care at all about the network of connections behind him.

Among these highly ambitious Seven Warlords of the Sea, how many were docile and easy to deal with?

Moreover, aside from the fact that the Seven Warlords were essentially people of the World Government, whether Totto Land would actually take action against a Seven Warlord for the sake of someone already dead remained a question.

Thinking of this,

Du·Fei'er's voice even began to tremble:

"I..."

He even began to hate that woman, Elena, for why she had seduced him, causing him to make a mistake on such a critical matter.

"So do you understand?"

Stussy's voice now carried an uncontrollable mockery:

"It is not that I want to snatch food from you. It is that you want to snatch food from a Seven Warlord of the Sea!"

"Beep—!"

The call was hung up.

Du·Fei'er sat stunned in his seat for a long while before finally coming to his senses, hurriedly ordering the subordinate beside him:

"Bring that woman, Elena, back—no, make sure she never returns!"

"Cease all activities targeting the Gao Wen Pirates and Raven Port; cooperate with them on equal terms, and ideally, get a Seven Warlord of the Sea to stand on our side!"

Two days later.

A marine warship slowly docked into Raven Port, its massive size instantly causing an uproar at the scene.

It was only when everyone saw the figure standing on the deck that they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as Captain Gao Wen is here, Raven Port stands."

"Besides, even the Marines need not be feared now, after all, Captain Gao Wen is now one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

"He is the name that brought salvation to Raven Port!"

(End of Chapter)