At this moment, on Onigashima in the New World—Wano Country—Kaido was discussing some matters with his subordinates.
To be honest, the emergence of Claudius had subtly influenced the course of many major figures in the world.
Take Charlotte Linlin, for example—her Big Mom Pirates had been torn apart once, and even though they had reassembled, they were nowhere near as powerful as before. The reputation of Totto Land wasn't as fearsome as it used to be.
As for Kaido's Beasts Pirates, due to Doflamingo being closely tied to Claudius and Caesar being sent to Alabasta to work on military technology, the research into artificial Devil Fruits had never even begun.
A pirate crew like Kaido's naturally lacked the means to handle such technical work, and he had never even considered it.
As a result, the Beasts Pirates didn't develop the artificial Devil Fruits that would have bolstered their forces. Overall, their strength had taken a considerable hit.
Shanks' Red Hair Pirates, on the other hand, remained just as strong. However, since Shanks had failed to leverage his influence during the Summit War at Marineford, his prestige had taken a hit.
Then there was Shiki, who seemed like a dark horse making a resurgence, while Teach's grave was already covered in flowers.
The remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates who had survived, along with any stragglers from the battle, had been wiped out at Marineford. Big names like Marco were now locked away in Impel Down, unable to stir up any more trouble in the New World.
In this way, the overall strength of pirate forces in the New World had significantly weakened.
Now, looking at the Marines—after suffering heavy losses in the Summit War, they had launched a global conscription to reinforce their forces. Though this method forcibly increased their combat power, it also carried hidden risks.
Yet, today's Marine Headquarters was more united, stronger, and filled with talent.
Backing them was the World Government, now led by Claudius, which was fully supporting Marine development. These were indisputable facts—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the dominant power at sea.
In a one-on-one fight, any of the Four Emperors would be crushed. In a two-on-one scenario, the Marines could still hold an advantage. If they were up against three, then they might be at a disadvantage—but only slightly.
Under such immense pressure, it was no surprise that a restless figure like Shiki was getting anxious. Even an immortal monster like Kaido couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation.
Especially after Marine Headquarters made its bold entry into the New World, the pressure only intensified.
"The new Fleet Admiral, the World Government, Claudius… they all want to make their move on the New World," Kaido muttered, holding a sake bottle in one hand. His voice was thick with the scent of alcohol.
However, his eyes were sharp and focused, not the wandering gaze of a drunken man. He was clearly sober and aware.
Queen, chewing on a cigar, was busy assembling some machinery from a pile of scattered parts on the table in front of him.
Hearing Kaido's words, Queen naturally responded, "With their own strength, plus the Seven Warlords of the Sea as backup, it's inevitable that those Marine bastards will secure their footing in the New World. I bet they're already plotting how to deal with us."
King stood by the doorway with his arms crossed, leaning against a pillar. After hearing Quinn's words, he spoke in a heavy tone, "Even if we're proud, we have to admit one thing.
Whether it's us, the Big Mom Pirates, or that damn golden lion, when faced with Marine Headquarters alone, we don't stand much of a chance. Whitebeard already proved that for us."
King didn't bother mentioning Shanks' Red Hair Pirates because he knew they operated differently. Shanks' crew followed an elite approach, meaning if they ever fell, they would fall hard.
Back in the old New World, the consensus was that the two strongest pirate crews were the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beasts Pirates. The Big Mom Pirates were powerful too, but they ranked below them.
This wasn't just speculation, it was a fact proven through multiple battles between Kaido's Beasts Pirates and Whitebeard's crew.
Maybe in a one-on-one fight, Kaido was stronger. But if it were a full-scale war, the Whitebeard Pirates could have taken him down.
But now, Whitebeard had gone head-to-head with Marine Headquarters in the Summit War, and by the time the battle ended, his entire crew had been wiped out—without a single trace left behind.
And what about Marine Headquarters?
They had emerged from the war stronger than ever, continuing to grow in power.
Over the past two years, Kaido hadn't even been able to restore his crew's strength to match what Whitebeard's was back then, let alone surpass it. Meanwhile, Charlotte Linlin's resurgence had cost him a large number of powerful "cannon fodder" as well.
All things considered, the Beasts Pirates hadn't grown stronger over the last two years. If anything, it was impressive that they hadn't lost more ground.
Even though the world now recognized the Beasts Pirates as the strongest pirate crew, with Golden Lion Shiki as the second, Kaido knew that against an overwhelming force like the Marines, if they fought head-on, they would meet the same fate as Whitebeard.
The same fate as the Whitebeard Pirates.
As the top figures discussed their concerns, Jack, the third of the Calamities, had no room to speak.
To be fair, it wasn't like Jack had any bright ideas. The guy was just a brute—you couldn't expect him to come up with anything clever.
Kaido didn't expect him to contribute anything either.
After King finished speaking, Kaido furrowed his brows and said, "If nothing else, I expect that within the year, the Marines will launch a major military campaign in the New World."
"I think so too," King responded.
Queen added, "Forget Sakazuki—just look at Claudius.
Now that he's the 'King of the World,' there's no way he's leaving the New World alone.
A guy like him will definitely want to end the Great Pirate Era once and for all.
And we… we're the last obstacle standing in his way."
Kaido nodded, his expression complicated as he murmured, "From my perspective, the first one they'll deal with will probably be that old bastard Shiki."
Right now, Kaido was torn. He didn't trust Shiki at all—he didn't believe Shiki could handle the pressure from the Marines. If Shiki fought alone, he would definitely be taken down.
But should he help Shiki? Form some kind of pirate alliance?
Kaido wasn't the type to accept such things easily, and pirate alliances had always been a joke.
But if he didn't do something, the pressure would be too much. They would all be taken down one by one.
Even if an alliance was possible, who would lead it? With so many top figures involved, the power struggle would be inevitable.
And it wasn't like all the Four Emperors would be on board.
Charlotte Linlin and Shiki might be considerations, but Shanks? No way.
That guy might not even participate in this battle, he'd likely just sit back, avoid the storm, and then resurface once the dust had settled.
After thinking about it for a long time, Kaido grew irritable. He slammed his fist on the table, causing the sake cups to rattle and spill.
"This is such a pain in the ass!" Kaido cursed.
Queen exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Boss Kaido, are you considering an alliance?
That's the first thing we need to clarify before we can make any further plans."
Whether they should reach out to others first, or wait for them to come knocking, it all depended on Kaido's decision.
If Kaido had no intention of forming an alliance, then there was no point in discussing it. They would just focus on dealing with the situation on their own.
If he was considering it, then they needed to start planning now.
Kaido remained silent for a while. Though he was reckless, he wasn't stupid. After a moment of hesitation and frustration, he finally nodded.
Seeing this, Queen sighed. The World Government was strong, and the Marines were stronger.
(To be continued.)
***
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