On the moon, the researchers were working under intense pressure. The heaviest burden fell on Dr. Vegapunk—modifying Bartholomew Kuma, developing the lightning-based weapon system, and researching the Lightforged Beacon.
However, most of these tasks could be carried out at the Marine Science Laboratory. Vegapunk now had time off to study Enel on the moon...
In Enel's despair-filled gaze, Wright left behind a cryptic phrase that no one could understand—"Fate will assign great responsibilities to those who endure..."—before vanishing, returning to Marineford.
"So much has been happening lately..."
Wright picked up the latest war report and examined it carefully. With the recent activity of the Whitebeard Pirates, the Marine G-5 and G-10 branch bases were bearing tremendous pressure.
Or rather, the establishment of the G-10 branch played a significant role in holding back the pressure from the New World.
"At this stage, the Marine Headquarters' military strength has developed enough..."
Tapping his fingers on the desk, Wright stood up and headed to Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office.
"Sengoku-ossan, although there's no concrete evidence, I have every reason to believe that Whitebeard's body has returned to peak condition."
In Sengoku's office, Wright sipped tea, gazing at the deeply contemplative Fleet Admiral.
"Though I've modified the Lightforged Crystal to prevent its healing effects from stacking, Whitebeard clearly hasn't spread this information. Most pirates still don't know the crystal's restorative properties."
"Indeed. Aside from that one operation by the Whitebeard Pirates, there have been no reports of pirate attacks on Marine ships targeting the crystals."
Sengoku nodded slowly.
"A power capable of changing the fate of an entire faction... Whitebeard's division commanders would never allow such information to leak."
"The other pirate crews—even the other Emperors—probably don't know about Whitebeard's condition. They likely attribute the Whitebeard Pirates' recent activity to our new branch bases."
"That's partly true... but Whitebeard's threat level has clearly risen."
Wright furrowed his brow. With Ace now part of the Marines, the Summit War was unlikely to happen. If they wanted to dismantle the Emperors one by one, they needed to devise a comprehensive strategy.
Among the Four Emperors, Kaido and Big Mom—who both had fixed territories—would be the most troublesome to deal with.
Taking them down would require pushing through layers of defenses, dismantling their forces in a war of attrition, before finally facing them directly. Such an expedition from Marine Headquarters would be costly, especially considering the treacherous seas of the New World.
The other two Emperors, Whitebeard and Shanks, had no fixed territories. Shanks was too enigmatic—his crew boasted too many evenly-matched powerhouses, making conventional military tactics ineffective.
Even his first mate, Benn Beckman—just a shade weaker than Shanks—would pose greater pressure than most other Emperors' commanders.
However, Shanks was a potential ally, depending on how events unfolded.
That left Whitebeard—the best target. His structure resembled that of the Marines: one supreme leader and a hierarchy beneath him.
Aside from the "World's Strongest Man" himself, only Marco, the "Phoenix," could stall an Admiral-level opponent for any length of time. The rest of the division commanders, though formidable, were weaker and not much stronger than Marine Vice Admirals.
More importantly, the Whitebeard Pirates relied too heavily on Whitebeard. If he were incapacitated, the entire crew would likely collapse.
In other words, as long as they suppressed Whitebeard and contained Marco, the rest of the pirate crew—over ten thousand strong—could be eliminated by conventional forces.
But the biggest challenge was how to lure Whitebeard into a decisive battlefield.
If they fought at sea, the Whitebeard Pirates could come and go as they pleased. With the power of the Gura Gura no Mi, Whitebeard alone could annihilate most of the Marine fleet.
Only by defending a Marine base could they maximize their odds of killing Whitebeard.
However, even at less than peak strength, Whitebeard could still unleash 90% of his former power.
With Wright and Fujitora joining the Admirals, along with Garp, Kuzan, Borsalino, and a restored Zephyr—even without Zephyr in combat—could five Admirals, one Marine hero, and one Fleet Admiral defeat Whitebeard and his crew?
There was no doubt.
Without holding back, not even Whitebeard could withstand two Admirals working together—let alone five.
The question was... how to lure Whitebeard to a Marine base, such as G-10?
"Whitebeard cherishes his 'sons' above all else. If we want to draw him out, the best way is to capture one of his division commanders—preferably one of his 'sons'—and schedule an execution."
Sengoku rested his elbows on the desk, his round glasses reflecting a white glint.
"He won't sit idly by. He might even rally ten thousand men to storm the execution site."
Decades of battling Whitebeard had made Sengoku intimately familiar with his old rival's character.
"But we've never managed to capture one of his commanders. The vast seas offer them too much freedom."
"Moreover, if we use this tactic, Whitebeard might simply destroy the entire base from afar."
Sengoku gritted his teeth.
"He can do it... none of our bases—G-1, G-5, or G-10—can withstand the fury of a near-peak Whitebeard. Not even with an Admiral guarding them."
"Even with an Admiral?"
Wright had never faced Whitebeard at his peak, but having fought Kaido and Shanks, he understood Emperor-level strength.
"Very difficult. Base defenses simply aren't designed to withstand that level of destruction. Could you destroy G-10 yourself?"
"...Yeah, I could."
Wright admitted after a moment of thought. Four Admirals, or Fujitora alone, could flatten G-10.
"So... the only option is to lure Whitebeard to Marineford itself?"
"Exactly."
Sengoku's voice was heavy.
"I've thought about this plan for a long time... but there's never been a suitable opportunity."
"If Admirals personally capture a commander, it would break the delicate balance—potentially provoking a united assault by the Emperors."
"This requires a flawless plan..."
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