Chapter 249: Trap

"Oh, right, Brother Snak!"

Barbaroa looked around in all directions, searching for Snak's figure.

Very quickly.

Barbaroa found Snak atop a broken mast.

"Brother Snak, you..."

Barbaroa swam to Snak's side, instinctively wanting to help him up, yet his hand froze in mid-air.

That single strike from Gao Wen had nearly sliced Snak completely in half at the waist.

At this moment, only scraps of flesh and skin connected his upper and lower body; even the best doctor would be helpless against such injuries.

He would not live long; surviving until now was already a miracle.

"Is that Barbaroa?!"

"It's me!"

Barbaroa grasped Snak's hand, his heart filled with an indescribable panic.

"This... the injuries are too severe!"

"I'll take you to find the ship's doctor."

"Don't waste your effort; I have no chance."

A glimmer of light flared in Snak's eyes, but in the next instant, it was covered by fear and unwillingness:

"There's no mistake!"

"The person who attacked us during the day wasn't any Marine; it was the current Warlord of the Sea, Knight Gao Wen."

"I remember very clearly; when that fellow's reputation first soared, Mother even mentioned in the palace wanting to try breeding offspring with him."

"Send this intelligence back!"

"Knight Gao Wen's combat power is far stronger than we, than anyone, expected; in my memory, only Mother is capable of such feats!"

"Even Brother Katakuri would not be his match."

"Ugh..."

Before finishing his sentence, Snak opened his mouth and vomited a mouthful of fresh blood, tightly gripping Barbaroa's hand, only to release it the next instant as his pupils gradually dilated.

He was dead.

Barbaroa knew this; at this moment, he felt a chill sweep through his entire body, yet he could not tell whether this coldness stemmed from the seawater or from fear.

In any case, one thing Barbaroa knew for certain was that once this news reached Totto Land, neither Katakuri nor Big Mom would be able to sit idle.

"I must send the intelligence from here back!"

Barbaroa took one last look at Snak's corpse, gritted his teeth, turned, and dove into the icy seawater, swimming toward the nearest island.

Several hours later.

The Grand Line.

Paradise.

The fleet of Totto Land had already set sail for Water Seven over half a month ago.

With Edwin as a hidden asset, the time they received news of the Pluton blueprints was far earlier than anyone else.

For this expedition to obtain the Pluton blueprints and thereby lay claim to the power of the Ancient Weapons, Totto Land had mobilized nearly its entire force.

Among the elite cultivated by Big Mom over decades, aside from Smoothie and Cracker, the two Sweet Commanders left to guard the main base, nearly everyone else was here.

At this moment.

In the center of the fleet.

On the massive ship guarded by dozens of pirate vessels.

A crowd of Sweet Ministers and Katakuri, who had joined Big Mom on this expedition, had gathered here, the atmosphere solemn and oppressive.

"Snak is dead."

"According to the intelligence sent back by Barbaroa, the attacker was a group of pirates disguised as Marines; their true identity is the current Warlord of the Sea, Knight—Gao Wen!"

Perospero sat beside Big Mom, reciting the newly received intelligence with an expressionless face.

Clack!

A trident struck the ground, emitting a crisp sound; veins bulged on Katakuri's forehead, and his complexion turned terrifyingly gloomy:

"Although Snak was impulsive and rash, eager to prove himself, he is our brother regardless; anyone who makes a move against us must pay the price!"

"Mama~ Mama~"

Big Mom set down the sweet treat in her hand, her gaze falling upon Katakuri, a hint of gratification flashing in her eyes.

Over these years, she had continuously united with members of rare races, going through over a dozen husbands, and breeding countless excellent children.

Among them were geniuses in various fields, holding important positions within the current kingdom.

But if one were to speak of the most outstanding, the one most likely to reach her current height in the future, it was none other than Katakuri.

Having awakened his Paramecia Devil Fruit, possessing all three types of Haki, and having developed his Observation Haki to a level nearing future sight.

Katakuri's talent in combat was visibly formidable; even within Totto Land, he quietly bore the reputation of being the masterpiece.

However.

Compared to the true monsters capable of commanding wind and rain upon the seas, he ultimately lacked just that little bit.

"Then I leave this matter to you to handle—"

"Please wait a moment, Mama!"

Perospero suddenly spoke up, interrupting Big Mom's subsequent words.

"Hmm?!"

Big Mom and Katakuri simultaneously turned their gaze toward Perospero; an invisible pressure made sweat break out on his back, yet he still forced himself to speak with a stiff neck:

"In my opinion, there might still be some room for maneuver in this matter."

"What do you mean?!"

"Don't you think there are simply too many pirates in Water Seven right now?!"

Perospero took a deep breath and explained:

"Moreover, as time passes, the number of powerhouses gathering in Water Seven will only increase; even if we were to face all our opponents simultaneously, it would be unrealistic."

"It would be better to first divert their attention, allowing us to seize the Pluton blueprints of Water Seven amidst the chaos."

Big Mom's eyes lit up; her bloated body slowly straightened as she lowered her head to look at Perospero:

"Drag out a scapegoat?!"

Perospero nodded:

"In any case, those two CP9 spies have most likely already fallen into the hands of the Knight Gao Wen; who could prove that they do not possess the Pluton blueprints?!"

"Feasible."

……

……

……

The Raven.

After Kaku and Blueno learned of Luqi's current predicament, while moved in their hearts, they immediately transmitted their intelligence back to the CP organization and inquired about Luqi's whereabouts.

However, there was no response whatsoever from Spandam's side.

Seeing this,

even knowing the potential risks, Gao Wen could only force himself to advance toward Water Seven.

Neither he nor anyone else on this ship could accept with a clear conscience everything gained through that guy's self-sacrifice.

Since Kaku and Blueno temporarily lacked the ability to act, they simply stayed on Gao Wen's ship to recover from their injuries.

Several days later.

The Grand Line.

As Gao Wen and his party gradually approached the waters where Water Seven was located, the number of pirate ships passing nearby steadily increased.

This was something Gao Wen had anticipated.

What lay beyond his expectations, however, were the pirate ships charging toward the Raven and launching attacks without any explanation.

"Here again?!"

"Have these pirates gone mad?!"

On the deck.

Gao Wen frowned tightly; he had seen this sort of thing many times over the past few days.

This situation was highly abnormal.

Generally speaking, any pirate with a normal brain would never choose to launch an attack against a naval warship.

The Marines possessed hundreds of years of technological accumulation from the World Government; standard warships, whether in terms of firepower or personnel configuration, were several grades superior to ordinary pirate ships.

Even when Gao Wen had originally constructed his ship at Raven Port, he had chosen to directly modify a Marine warship rather than build one from scratch.

It must be remembered that what stood before Gao Wen at that time was still an old vessel with hidden flaws, yet its comprehensive performance was still several grades superior to the ship currently under construction at Raven Port.

In these seas, it was the norm for the Marines to hammer the pirates.

But as the Raven entered the vicinity of Water Seven, pirates loitering in the surrounding area, upon merely spotting the Raven's flag, would without hesitation launch an attack.

During the first few encounters, Gao Wen had assumed they had simply encountered some madmen, thinking that displaying his deterrent power a few times should largely prevent similar incidents.

However, the situation turned out to be exactly the opposite of what he had predicted.

Not only did these pirates' offensives fail to retreat, they intensified; among the recent attackers, there were even ruthless figures with bounties exceeding one hundred million.

Xiang Keluo stood beside Gao Wen, his face equally Solemn as he gazed toward the distant pirate ships:

"This is already the third wave of pirates we've encountered today..."

"This situation is absolutely abnormal!"

Gao Wen nodded; after a brief moment of thought, he abandoned the idea of personally intervening:

"You handle this one; leave a few alive so we can ask what's going on."

"Mm."

Xiang Keluo responded with a sound, then instantly vanished from the air, rushing toward the distant pirate ships to kill.

His speed had already far surpassed that of ordinary people; after consuming the Kamaitachi Fruit, which was incredibly compatible with him, his speed had been pushed to a terrifying level, while his combat power had leaped directly into the tier of a Warlord of the Sea.

Let alone these ordinary pirates, even an ordinary Marine Vice Admiral would possess little resistance against Xiang Keluo; thus, dealing with a group of pirates at this moment naturally presented no surprises.

A few minutes later.

The distant pirate ship disintegrated with a boom, and Xiang Keluo's figure landed on the deck of the Raven in the next instant.

His expression, however, was even uglier than before.

"Someone is secretly spreading rumors that the Pluton blueprints are in our hands."

"How is that possible?!"

Gao Wen was slightly stunned and asked in confusion:

"Our ship has only just entered the waters near Water Seven not long ago; there simply hasn't been enough time to do something like this."

"Of course I know it's impossible, but these pirates don't have that kind of brain."

"Moreover..."

While speaking, Xiang Keluo glanced back at Kaku and Blueno in the cabin before continuing:

"The news that Kaku and Bruno are on our ship has leaked."

"Now it is spreading everywhere underground, saying we snatched the CP organization's spy planted in Water 7 from Snag, one of the Sweet Four Stars, and that the Pluton blueprints are in the hands of these two."

"What's more deadly is that when Snag withdrew from Water 7, all the pirates present saw it."

"Now this matter is being spread around Water 7 with all the details."

Gao Wen raised an eyebrow, a trace of coldness rising in his eyes:

"Does Whole Cake Island intend to use me to draw the fire?!"

"I'm afraid so."

Xiang Keluo nodded:

"Our identities are exposed; we expected that long ago, but the truly troublesome part is the World Government's attitude."

"If they also grow suspicious, what we will face next is probably a multi-sided siege; even with your strength, it would be hard to hold out."

"Retreat or fight?"

Gao Wen shook his head, a flash of sharpness passing through his eyes:

"Retreating now would be fulfilling the wish of that bunch of scum from Whole Cake Island; they calculated that the most rational move in this situation would be to retreat."

"Only if we draw away most of the fire will they have enough time to handle the situation in Water 7."

Xiang Keluo reminded:

"But if we continue to stay here, the risk to us is still too great."

"Can you bear to be played like this?!"

Xiang Keluo's gaze turned cold:

"That is naturally impossible."

"Wait—!"

"They have already arrived!"

Gao Wen looked up toward the distance.

Dense pirate ships slowly emerged from the distant horizon, forming a dark line.

Boom—!

Boom—!

Boom—!

Cannonballs, dense as rain, whistling sharply, shot toward the Raven.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Firelight instantly covered the Raven; flying water mist everywhere obscured everything within sight.

Gao Wen's expression also became increasingly ferocious at this moment; he felt extremely frustrated, utterly frustrated.

This move by Whole Cake Island was truly poisonous.

If he resisted, he would face most of the pirates near Water 7; if he fled, he would draw everyone's attention away.

These small fry were one thing, but the truly troublesome ones were those Great Pirates.

In any case, no matter what, Whole Cake Island could achieve its goal!

"Damn it!"

"Gao Wen... what do we do?!"

Hiss—!

After a distinct sound of inhaling, Gao Wen's gaze gradually brightened:

"However the ball was kicked to us, we kick it back!"

"Retreat first!"

"Split into two groups: you all disembark, change your appearances, and go to Water 7 to find Roubo Luqi; I will go drop a big one on Big Mom's pirate crew head, then we will regroup in Water 7!"

"On the World Government side, we can first let Miss Kalifa and Kaku hold the line!"

"Good!"

The next instant.

Amidst the flying water mist, a giant dragon, entirely crimson, grasped the Raven and slowly rose into the air, disappearing into the clouds before the stunned eyes of the pirates.

Under the deliberate stirring of Whole Cake Island,

in just a few days,

the news that the Pluton blueprints had fallen into Gao Wen's hands spread throughout the entire world via the World Economic Journal.

"Did Knight Gao Wen get hold of the Pluton blueprints?!"

"Now we cannot sit idly by."

"That's right!"

"Continuing to besiege Water 7 is meaningless; the next target is Knight Gao Wen!"

"As long as we obtain that thing, our second half of life will be secured!"

A pirate licked his lips, greed and desire unmasked in his eyes, causing those beside him to glance over; he reminded:

"That's one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

"There are even rumors that, unlike the other Warlords who were invited by the World Government, that fellow captured a former Navy Admiral and forced the World Government into a deal with him!"

"In terms of strength, he is absolutely at the monster level!"

"Heh, on this vast sea, how many monsters are there besides him?!"

"If you don't try, how will you know we have no chance?!"

To everyone, this news was like a shot of adrenaline.

The Pluton blueprints really exist!

No longer just an unconfirmed rumor like before, the entire world nearly plunged into madness in an instant.

The pirates who had originally besieged Water Seven instantly dwindled by more than half; they began searching the world for Gao Wen's pirate crew but found nothing.

At this moment.

Water Seven.

With some pirates departing, the incessant cannon fire was no longer as dense as before, and the whole city fell silent.

After nearly a month, the common people finally emerged from the shelters once again.

As sunlight bathed their bodies, they felt a long-lost warmth, and both body and mind relaxed in that instant.

(End of Chapter)