NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48: Chapter-48 Two People Who Stayed Up All Night
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The unconscious Shanks felt a sharp burst of pain, groaning as if almost waking up from the agony. However, his injuries were too severe, and he remained unable to regain consciousness.
Freed from the ice dragon's grasp—and perhaps lighter without one leg—Beckman swam even faster. In just a few moments, they vanished completely into the darkness.
At that moment, Kuzan arrived at the spot where Beckman had just been. His eyes fell on the frozen left leg held in the ice dragon's jaws. Frowning, Kuzan examined the severed limb as Shanks and Beckman disappeared from view.
Kuzan pulled a transponder snail from his pocket, its cold body trembling slightly in his hand.
"BluuBluuBluuBluuClack!"
"Sakazuki, Shanks escaped again!" Kuzan reported calmly. "But I managed to get his left leg!"
He extracted the frozen leg from the ice dragon's mouth and examined it briefly. On the other side of the call, Sakazuki, awake in the Marine headquarters despite the late hour, scowled as he heard the update.
He hadn't expected Shanks to escape death yet again, but the fact that the infamous pirate had lost his left leg was still a victory.
"The Four Emperors are not easy to kill," Sakazuki responded. "Let him run for now. With his pirate crew in tatters and his body crippled, he's no longer a real threat."
"In the future, we'll seize the opportunity to corner him with a few Admirals. That's when the Four Emperors will finally fade into history!" Sakazuki declared with resolve.
Kuzan nodded silently. After losing his duel to Sakazuki, he had briefly considered leaving the Marines to infiltrate a pirate crew and destroy them from within. But Sakazuki's direct methods—defeating the pirates head-on—made that unnecessary.
Sakazuki continued issuing orders. "Now, focus on winning over 'Warrior of the Sea' Jinbei. Maintain good relations with King Neptune and gain control of the Mermaid Princess!"
"There's still a war waiting for you!"
Understanding the importance of the task, Kuzan replied confidently, "Got it. I'll head to Fishman Street now to track down Hody Jones."
Though unsure of the larger battle ahead, Kuzan trusted Sakazuki's foresight. With that, Kuzan turned his attention toward Fishman Island, his figure strong and purposeful as he strode deeper into the dim undersea streets.
Back at Marine headquarters, Sakazuki pondered the future. Shanks was no longer an immediate concern, but Luffy, the pirate he had watched grow, posed an increasing threat.
Luffy was not on The Red Force during this battle; likely, he was training elsewhere. Sakazuki knew that within a year or two, Luffy and his crew would reunite and become a force to rival the Four Emperors.
"The Nika Fruit's awakening will be trouble if left unchecked," Sakazuki muttered. While Luffy's location remained unknown, Sakazuki had tracked where Bartholomew Kuma had sent the rest of the Straw Hat crew. Most of them would be manageable—except for Zoro, who had landed on Mihawk's island. That could complicate matters.
Sakazuki resolved to deal with the Straw Hat crew decisively. "Capture those who deserve capture. Execute those who deserve execution!"
As for Blackbeard, his forces were distracted by their clashes with Marco and other remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates. Garp, still haunted by Ace's death, could be pushed to lead an assault on Blackbeard. After all, without Blackbeard's betrayal, Ace wouldn't have been captured, and the Marineford War might never have happened.
With plans for Kaido and the remaining Emperors still forming, Sakazuki began strategizing ways to exploit Law, whose actions suggested both cunning and ambition.
As dawn broke over Marine headquarters, Sakazuki glanced out his window. The silhouette of the towering headquarters loomed in the mist. Gathering his thoughts, he adjusted his uniform and marched out into the early morning light.
...
The sun rose, and a new day began.
News that Marine Fleet Admiral Sakazuki had led the Marines to defeat the Red-Haired Pirates at the Sabaody Archipelago spread like wildfire across the seas.
Those who first heard the news were stunned.
The Marines had already defeated the Whitebeard Pirates, and now the Red-Haired Pirates were crushed as well.
The balance of power on the seas seemed to be unraveling completely.
If Shanks returned to the New World, word of his lost leg and his crew's destruction would spread quickly. At that point, this news would explode further, and the chaos in the New World would only intensify.
Under Sakazuki's leadership, the Marines' authority was gradually being restored.
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
A tense atmosphere filled the room. The three figures inside stood in silence, the mood heavy with unspoken tension.
Sakazuki ignored the livid expression on Law's face, calmly puffing on his cigar.
Beside him, Hibari kept her sharp gaze fixed on Law, wary of any sudden movement. Though she trusted Sakazuki's strength to handle any situation, she preferred to deal with threats herself whenever possible.
After a moment of silence, Law finally spoke, his voice tinged with restrained anger.
"Fleet Admiral, is this what you meant by the Marines keeping their promises, as you said last night?"
Although furious, Law remained composed. He had learned the value of restraint from a man whose life had taught him that lesson.
Seeing Law quickly regain his composure, Sakazuki nodded slightly in approval.
"Not giving you the position of Shichibukai is for your own good," Sakazuki replied. "Do you want to be hunted down by Marines just days after becoming a Shichibukai?"
Law froze, momentarily at a loss.
"What... what do you mean? Isn't the Shichibukai system a partnership with the Marines? Isn't it a way to become a legal pirate recognized by the World Government?"
He recalled the terms offered by the World Government when recruiting Shichibukai. This arrangement was supposed to be legitimate.
Sakazuki sneered at the naive question, exhaling a puff of smoke. Even Hibari, standing nearby, looked at Law with a trace of disdain.
Law's confusion deepened.
What is going on?
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