Chapter 263

"You mean falsify it?!"

Gao Wen instantly understood, silently thinking:

You're really sneaky, kid.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Aren't all these pirates attacking Water Seven just for the Pluton design blueprints?!

But besides Franky and Bingshan, who has ever seen that thing?!

No one.

Not a single person.

That means even if Gao Wen now just digs up any blueprint from the shipyard ruins, announces it's the Pluton design, not a single pirate can prove it's fake.

They can only go and seize it—even the Marines and the World Government must seize it.

Because they dare not gamble it's fake, they must treat it as real, and thus Water Seven's predicament is easily resolved.

Even if the Marines are smart enough, they could use this opportunity to annihilate all the pirates blockading the seas around Water Seven.

In short, by then, even if the Marines still do nothing, the conflict shifts from Water Seven versus the pirates to internal pirate rivalries.

The pressure on Water Seven will be drastically reduced.

Worst case, hand out copies to everyone and let them figure it out themselves.

Thinking this far,

Gao Wen and Xiang Keluo exchanged a glance, sharing a knowing smile:

"Hehehe~"

The next phase of the plan was settled; the two then discussed numerous details.

The best way to forge something is to build upon the real thing.

Half-true, half-fake—even a god couldn't spot the flaw.

After all, blueprints are the kind of thing where a hair's breadth off means a thousand miles wrong.

But.

Although Gao Wen knows who holds the Pluton design blueprints, he feels a twinge of unease at the thought of taking advantage of them in their current state.

He is not a proper pirate, never has been.

Besides, these past days, the other party fought alongside Xiang Keluo and others despite grievous injuries, and a bond of shared life and death has formed between them.

At this moment, Gao Wen cannot turn on them.

Yet in Gao Wen's view, the shipwrights of Water Seven are fully capable of crafting a design so convincing it's indistinguishable from the real thing.

Water Seven nearly represents the pinnacle of the world's shipbuilding technology.

Whether it was the previous Pirate King Gol D. Roger's ship or the Straw Hat crew's Thousand Sunny, both were built by Tang Mu and his apprentices from Water Seven.

This pedigree is absolutely stellar.

The foremen of the Carrela Shipyard—including Roubo Luqi and Kaku—are all disciples trained personally by Tang Mu's eldest student, Bingshan, and Franky is Tang Mu's second disciple.

If these people collaborate to draw the blueprint, Gao Wen truly doesn't believe anyone could tell the difference.

…

The next morning,

Gao Wen gathered Franky, Barrie, Deluston, and all the top shipwrights of Water Seven.

After briefly explaining his plan and Water Seven's current predicament,

Everyone nodded without hesitation and accepted the task.

"Really…"

"After yesterday's battle, I thought it was over, but turns out it was just the beginning."

Barrie flicked away his cigarette butt, his face still wearing its usual carefree expression:

"Still, forging the Pluton design blueprints is undoubtedly the best solution to Water Seven's current problem."

"But to make it most effective and guarantee it fools everyone, we must modify the real thing—it's easy and incredibly effective."

Bipli Lulu, foreman of Carrela Shipyard, shook his head:

"If that thing truly existed, we would've handed it over the moment we found it."

"Who says otherwise?!"

Zanbai of the Franky Family replied, lounging casually, one foot even propped on the conference table.

Having fought side by side these past days, everyone was familiar with each other's temperaments, so no one cared about such minor things.

Speaking, Zanbai turned to Franky beside him and asked curiously:

"Big Brother, why aren't you talking today?!"

"You used to be so lively!"

"Shut up!"

Franky crossed his arms, visibly uneasy; his gaze kept darting between Gao Wen and the others, still hesitant.

The meeting ended quickly.

All the top shipwrights gathered in the office, beginning to debate what kind of ship could truly deserve the name Pluton and fool everyone.

As time passed, the arguing grew louder.

Seeing this, Gao Wen stood up and left.

This kind of technical work belongs to the professionals; he's an outsider, and staying would be like listening to gibberish.

He also won't put on a bossy act and give useless orders—that only hinders progress.

Gao Wen knows his task: until the shipwrights of Water Seven forge the fake Pluton design blueprints, he must hold off the incoming pirates.

……

At the same time.

Behind the Capital of Seven Waters.

A Jin was leading the medical team, searching the battlefield for survivors.

Around him, cries of anguish echoed intermittently.

Just after last night's battle, several ghostly pirate ships reappeared on the distant sea.

But Gao Wen's intimidation from last night still lingered; none dared to open fire.

Doctors moved through the battlefield, administering basic first aid to survivors before lifting them onto stretchers and carrying them to the rear.

For those with wounds too severe to be saved, they could only steel themselves and end the injured's suffering.

There was no other way.

The remaining medical supplies in the Capital of Seven Waters were critically scarce; they could not be wasted on those destined to die.

Even A Jin, accustomed to death and battle, fell silent now.

The fighting at the rear battlefield was far more brutal than the front line led by Xiang Keluo.

Just Wang Zhi alone, with Gao Wen absent, was nearly unstoppable, let alone his elite troops and the tidal waves of pirates.

Even someone as strong as A Jin had suffered serious injuries, but thanks to Gao Wen's badge ability, he recovered far faster than others.

"My lord A Yin!"

"There's a situation over there!"

A soldier approached from afar, his eyes filled with urgency.

A Yin was the alias A Jin used; he had used it once before in Crow Harbor, and this time he simply reused it without bothering to think of another.

The soldier continued:

"We found a navy soldier—severely wounded, but still alive!"

"A navy soldier?!"

A Jin's brow furrowed slightly.

He followed the soldier's steps and soon spotted the navy soldier inside a beached pirate ship.

The man was bound with iron chains; his wounds were grave—a sword slash across his chest had nearly split him open.

Yet he had survived; such vitality was extraordinary.

He wore a knight's helmet, his face resembling a demon—looked more like a pirate than a sailor.

But the unmistakable navy emblem on his chest could not be faked.

This man was truly a navy soldier.

If Gao Wen were here, he would recognize this man at a glance.

Peng En.

Also known as Bone.

Colonel of the navy base surrounding the Capital of Seven Waters, he treated his subordinates well and was willing to risk his life for civilians.

Yet his ending was bitterly ironic—he died at the hands of those he had protected.

A Jin's expression grew Solemn.

Gao Wen's group's navy identity was merely a disguise; exposure would trigger countless trust issues.

But with so many soldiers present, he could not simply eliminate this navy soldier.

After a moment of silence,

A Jin said coolly:

"This man's identity is currently unclear; he may be a pirate using a self-inflicted wound to infiltrate the Capital of Seven Waters."

"Treat his wounds first. Notify me when he regains consciousness."

"Yes!"

The men swiftly removed Bone's restraints, gave him basic bandaging, and carried him to the rear camp.

A Jin scanned the area, confirmed the pirates had all withdrawn, then turned and left.

……

……

……

"Did you hear?!"

"Last night, a massive battle erupted around the design of the King of the Sea—Vinsmoke-Gatz and Wang Zhi both intervened, yet were still repelled by the Capital of Seven Waters' soldiers!"

"What soldiers? It was a navy general!"

"Really?!"

"Only a navy admiral could accomplish something like this?!"

"Of course—the navy couldn't sit idle with the King of the Sea at stake. But how long will this war last?"

Around the Capital of Seven Waters.

Inside a bar, voices roared.

Patrons, half-drunk, spoke only of recent events in the Capital of Seven Waters.

The most discussed topic was the mysterious navy general who appeared last night and repelled Wang Zhi and Vinsmoke-Gatz.

Everyone began speculating which navy admiral had acted.

After all, only an admiral, marshal, or a hero like Kapi could reliably suppress a legend like Wang Zhi.

Aokiji, in civilian clothes, sat quietly in the corner, listening.

His lips involuntarily curled into a faint smile, but it tugged at the wounds on his body, causing him to wince in pain instantly:

"That bastard Sakazuki truly left no room for courtesy."

"That's right. How could someone with a heart harder than iron and stone care about so-called comradeship?!"

"However."

"I guessed correctly after all; that fellow really went there to save people."

Aokiji raised his wine glass, gently swirling it in mid-air as if clinking glasses with someone across the distance, then downed the entire contents in one gulp.

Immediately after, he prepared to rise and leave, but the Den Den Mushi in his lap rang at that very moment.

"Kuzan!"

"Did you do this in Water Seven?!"

"How many times have I told you to prioritize the greater good, prioritize the greater good, prioritize the greater good? Why just can't you listen?!"

"How many times have I cleaned up your mess these past few years!"

"It seems you don't want to keep your position as an Admiral!"

Sengoku's voice exploded directly from the receiver.

Everyone in the bar instantly fell silent, turning their heads to look at Aokiji in the corner with expressions of utter shock.

"What did he just say?!"

"An Admiral... wait, that guy is Aokiji!"

Someone recognized Aokiji's face, stumbled to his feet, broke out in a cold sweat from sheer terror, and sobered up instantly:

"I saw him in the newspaper!"

"One of the current three Admirals of the Navy, the monster known as Aokiji!"

As if receiving some command, everyone in the bar rose with a roar, rushed out of the bar as if fleeing, and scattered rapidly in all directions.

Only the bar owner remained, cowering in the corner.

Seeing this, Aokiji couldn't help but sigh.

What difference is there between this kind of fear and that of pirates?

Ignoring Sengoku's angry scolding, he pressed one hand against the Den Den Mushi receiver, said sorry to the anxious bar owner, left a stack of banknotes, and then turned to leave amidst the latter's bewildered expression.

"My Lord Sengoku, it wasn't me who acted; I just had a long-overdue fight with that fellow Sakazuki..."

"Who did you just say you fought?!"

"Uh..."

"Sigh..."

Sengoku let out a long sigh, his tone carrying an indescribable weariness and a hint of frustration at someone's failure to improve:

"This time, the order came directly from those above; you cannot stop it."

Aokiji gritted his teeth, his heart filled with extreme unwillingness, so much so that he could no longer maintain his usual lazy demeanor, murmuring:

"Mr. Sengoku, if I am not mistaken, the one who disguised himself as a Navy member to repel Wang Zhi must be Knight Gao Wen."

"Even pirates can step forward to defend the common people of a city; are you truly determined to be an executioner? Are we really even worse than pirates?!"

Sengoku fell silent for a moment, his mind racing with countless thoughts, but ultimately reason prevailed.

He too felt reluctance in his heart and mourned the loss of those hundreds of thousands of lives.

But he knew even more clearly that once a conflict erupted between the Navy and the World Government, the number of deaths would far exceed that figure.

It would be a difference of ten times, a hundred times!

"Return to Headquarters."

"This is an order."

Aokiji did not respond, asking on his own accord:

"Mr. Sengoku, do you know why Knight Gao Wen and his group chose to disguise themselves as the Navy instead of intervening directly under their own name?!"

Sengoku answered immediately without a second thought:

"To intervene in Water Seven using the Navy's power, or to seize the plans for Pluton under the guise, or to fight for those common people."

"Yes, to use the Navy's power!"

Aokiji's eyes, rarely seen, were completely red.

He stood in the street, his body trembling continuously, and a layer of obvious frost had condensed beneath his feet, spreading outward in all directions.

His heart burned at that very moment!

"Why did he need to use the Navy's power?!"

"Because the common people of Water Seven, suffering in their plight, were waiting for the Navy's justice."

"And your justice, the World Government's justice, is to let them be completely buried beneath the sea!"

"Go to hell with your justice!"

Beep—!

The phone was rudely hung up.

Sengoku, sitting in his office, looked at the Den Den Mushi in his hand, his fist tightening more and more until finally...

Bang!

Sengoku nearly lost control, smashing his fist into the desk and shattering it, his breathing becoming incredibly heavy.

"My Lord Sengoku?!"

A worried voice came from outside the door; Sengoku forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart and replied coolly:

"Get out!"

Having said that.

Sengoku slumped into his seat, turning to gaze at the seagull flag fluttering outside the window, finding it unbearably glaring.

He felt something stifling his heart, with nowhere to vent it.

It was an indescribable sense of powerlessness, the kind born from knowing something is wrong yet being forced to continue regardless.

For he knew clearly that once he stopped, the consequences facing him—whether for himself or for this world—would be unbearable.

But...

Is it truly right?!

A long while passed.

Sengoku picked up the Den Den Mushi beside him and dialed another man who was currently also rushing toward Water Seven:

"Sakazuki, how much time can you buy on the mission over in Water Seven?!"

(End of Chapter)