Chapter 373: The World's Strongest

"Moreover..."

The pirate who spoke up couldn't help but swallow hard, his eyes filled with longing yet also an inexplicable hesitation:

"It is said that before Pirate King Luo Jie surrendered, he met with Whitebeard once; though they fought for many years, rather than enemies, they were more like close friends competing with each other."

"Perhaps before his death, Luo Jie might have told Whitebeard the news about One Piece!"

"That is..."

"The great treasure that grants one everything upon obtaining it!"

"Wealth, fame, power!"

Accompanying these words, this pirate's breathing gradually grew heavier.

Silence fell all around.

Everyone's faces bore expressions of astonishment, yet in the next instant, they erupted into bursts of raucous laughter!

"Hahahahahaha—!"

"There are actually idiots who believe such a thing exists?!"

"If it truly existed, how could the World Government, having ruled the world for eight hundred years, possibly let it be?!"

"One Piece?!"

"It's nothing more than a trick by that bastard Luo Jie before his death, urging you all to set sail and throw the world into chaos!"

The pirate who longed for One Piece lowered his head, clenching his fists tightly, only to drop them powerlessly an instant later.

Does One Piece truly exist?

Or is it truly just a lie?!

Luo Jie is dead; no one can answer his doubts, and no one can refute the mockery of these pirates.

At present, to obtain a definite answer, one must either reach the Final Island oneself and witness it with one's own eyes, or learn it from someone who knows the truth.

Whitebeard... is the last hope!

Amidst the crowd's mockery, that pirate's eyes turned red; he lifted his head and stared intently at the projected image.

On the Marine side.

All the mighty figures had appeared: elite officers gathered from branches across the world, and the extraordinarily powerful Vice Admirals of Marine Headquarters.

Even the soldiers standing on the battlefield, appearing like mere foot soldiers, were officers dispatched from branches all over the world!

"Oh my god!"

"In the ranks of the foot soldiers, I saw Captain Carl; he is an officer from the nearby Marine branch base, a existence as strong as a monster!"

"In a battlefield like this, he is actually... actually just a foot soldier?!"

A drinker couldn't help but swallow hard.

In a flash of realization, he understood what kind of military strength the Marines had prepared for this execution.

"The World's Strongest... are they truly going to such lengths?"

Such doubts filled the bar; no, they filled the hearts of everyone currently guarding the projected image.

Very soon.

Before the execution platform.

Three towering figures walked step by step to the throne facing the harbor!

They sat with legs crossed, their postures calm and composed, yet in an instant they silenced the restless scene.

An invisible sense of oppression radiated outward!

"Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru!"

"The Marine Headquarters' supreme combat power, the face of the Marines in this era, said to be monsters surpassing even the Four Emperors!"

"Any one of them acting alone could easily destroy a nation; if these three join forces, even the Whitebeard Pirates would likely go and never return!"

"Wait, is that... the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

A cry of shock rang out from within the bar.

Everyone's gazes swept one by one over the six figures standing on the high platform, looking down upon the battlefield below like eagles and hawks dwelling in the highest heavens!

Someone, with a trembling voice, spoke the names of the six:

"Empress Boa Hancock, Tang Jikede Doflamingo, Tyrant Kuma, Charlotte Katakuri, the former World's Greatest Swordsman Hawk-Eye Mihawk, and..."

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Is this for real?!"

"That guy actually appeared here too?!"

"What huge price did the Marines pay to get him to act and participate in this war?!"

A single cry of shock instantly ignited the emotions of everyone in the bar.

Following the direction pointed out by the person who cried out, what met their eyes was a young man of medium build with handsome features.

The man's figure was enveloped by a crimson cape on his shoulders; on his exposed arms, form-fitting silver armor was visible, and a head of blond hair fluttered in the wind.

Just like the God-King reigning over the world in legend.

Countless women guarding the video screen erupted in screams at this moment; they had seen this face countless times in magazines already.

"Lionheart King, Knight Gao Wen!"

"This monster who slew the Golden Lion two years ago, is he now setting his sights on another legend?!"

"Could it be that he intends to end the era of Luo Jie? Is that why he chooses to slay one legendary figure after another?"

"To dye this world in his own color?!"

"What tremendous spirit!"

……

At the same time.

Near the Red Line Continent.

Beneath the sea.

A submarine a hundred meters long moved slowly forward, gradually approaching Mary Geoia, the God City located at the world's highest point.

Inside the submarine.

Zephyr, Fujitora, and the others stood guard before the projected Den Den Mushi, watching the video screen where great figures whose names echoed throughout the New World appeared one by one.

Even they could not help but feel shocked by how thoroughly the Marines had prepared for this occasion!

"Elite forces from every branch base, more than half of the Headquarters Vice Admirals, the three Admirals, and even the uncontrollable Seven Warlords of the Sea have all been summoned."

Zephyr's mouth corners lifted slightly:

"That fellow Sengoku has wagered almost all of the Marines' assets on this war."

"My initial deduction was correct."

"For the Marines, this war is one that must be won."

"What Sengoku wants is no longer merely victory; he intends to completely crush the banner of the World's Strongest, intimidate the seas, and re-establish the Marines' prestige!"

Fujitora nodded:

"It is a pity that his schemes are destined to fail."

"According to the intelligence we have received, it is not just the Whitebeard Pirates; Silvers Rayleigh of the Luo Jie Pirates' remnants and Scavenger Gaban, these two legends, are also heading toward Marine Headquarters!"

"Even the Red-Haired Pirates and the Beasts Pirates in the New World clashed but could not defeat each other, so they withdrew separately, yet both chose to head toward Marine Headquarters at the same time."

"The execution of Luo Jie's son has affected nearly every power in the New World!"

"Ah."

Zephyr responded with a sound, slowly lifting his head.

This place was nearly a hundred meters underwater, surrounded by pitch darkness; Sea Kings occasionally swept past, yet they ignored the submarine due to the familiar aura emanating from it.

By this depth, the sunlight penetrating the water was already scarce, with the vast majority refracted by the seawater.

But with Zephyr's eyesight, he could still see the sun hanging high in the sky above the water's surface!

"It is truly blinding!"

After this sigh of emotion.

Zephyr lowered his head, reached into his robe to take out a pair of sunglasses, placed them on the bridge of his nose, and curled his lips into a smile, making his entire demeanor appear extremely gentle.

But only Fujitora knew that within this old man's heart lay a madness almost capable of burning the world to ashes!

It was not the hysterical kind displayed on the surface, but one hidden deep within the heart—a determination to charge forward without hesitation and wager everything after calculating every subsequent change!

"It is about time we went to see whether the Celestial Dragons, who stand at the world's summit and never fall, truly flow with blood different from yours and mine."

"And whether the dignity of the gods is truly irresistible!"

"Ah."

Fujitora responded with a sound, gently stroking the blade of his black-triggered sword, feeling the chill transmitted through his fingertips.

His will, which had been somewhat wavering, now solidified at this moment.

The moment Uranus appears, Mary Geoia's domination over the world will become even stronger, equivalent to re-establishing the divinity of the Celestial Dragons.