As Li Yuan and Golden Lion sought out their former "companions" to form an alliance against the World Government, initially, they were naturally reluctant to provoke the World Government.
Because even if they overthrew the World Government's rule, the beneficiaries would be either the Flying Pirates or the Infinite Pirates, which would bring no benefit to other pirate crews, and might even bring more harm.
For them, the existence of the World Government kept the Flying Pirates and Infinite Pirates in check, preventing these two major pirate crews from recklessly devouring other pirate crews.
Once the World Government was overthrown, the ones who would dominate the world would inevitably be the Flying Pirates or the Infinite Pirates. At that point, if the remaining pirate crews did not submit, they would face death.
But they were overthinking it; the other pirate crews were all defeated foes of the Infinite Pirates and Flying Pirates. If they disagreed, the Flying Pirates and Infinite Pirates would first eliminate them.
Ultimately, under the pressure of both carrots and sticks, those pirate crews led by Wang Zhi and Silver Axe naturally agreed to join them in attacking the World Government.
"Old man, are we really going to help Li Yuan overthrow the World Government? That's the World Government that has existed for eight hundred years; their strength is not as simple as it seems," Marco said with some concern after Li Yuan left.
"Gulalala, Marco, don't worry. No matter what happens, old man will protect you all," Whitebeard replied.
"This time, I will only take five people with me. Anyway, Li Yuan said we only need to bring the elite. Once the war starts, just don't charge to the front. If anything happens, you don't need to worry about me; just run at the first opportunity!"
"Moreover, the World Government is not simple, and Li Yuan and his Infinite Pirates are even less so."
"I've known Li Yuan for decades. He would never undertake something he wasn't confident about. If he does, it means he has absolute certainty of victory."
"Over the years, the repeated victories of the Infinite Pirates and the failures and decline of the World Government have all been orchestrated by him behind the scenes!" Whitebeard sighed.
He knew he had no choice but to agree because he was acutely aware that his body was aging.
Even though he had learned Life Return, aging is aging. He didn't possess the vampire Devil Fruit like Li Yuan, nor had he taken life extension drugs like Golden Lion.
Now, his golden hair had begun to turn white, and in a few years, his strength would start to decline.
He wanted to secure a future for his children before he could no longer maintain his peak combat power, before he could awaken the powers of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, and before Golden Lion and Li Yuan became wary of him.
The current world situation was clear: either the pirates would overthrow the World Government, or the World Government would crush the pirates and continue to rule the world.
As a pirate force, neither Li Yuan nor Golden Lion would allow Whitebeard to remain uninvolved. If Whitebeard chose to stand by, the inevitable fate awaiting the Whitebeard Pirates would be annihilation at the hands of the Infinite Pirates and Flying Pirates.
"Don't worry, old man. We know what to do. We will absolutely not hold you back. If we encounter any danger, we will protect you with our lives!" Rama Arrelano said firmly.
He was now the captain of the first division of the Whitebeard Pirates. Under Whitebeard's guidance, although his Wave Fruit had not yet awakened, he had already surpassed Marco in strength, becoming the second-in-command of the Whitebeard Pirates, second only to Whitebeard himself!
He was also designated by Whitebeard as the successor of the Whitebeard Pirates!
"Gulalala, you little brats, old man doesn't need your protection!" Whitebeard looked at these determined children with great satisfaction.
When the Infinite Pirates acted rampantly, they had the cover of the Law Network, which could conceal the undercurrents of the sea.
But as Golden Lion and Li Yuan continued to contact the major pirates around the world, the constant movements of those pirate crews could no longer be hidden.
Almost all pirate forces in the world began to take action, and such a grand movement could not be concealed.
Especially for the Navy and the World Government, which were greatly feared by the pirates, they received news immediately when those pirate crews began to act.
Thus, the spies hidden among the pirates frantically sought to uncover insider information about why the previously calm pirate crews had suddenly begun to act.
Were the pirates planning another grand plundering operation like they did ten years ago? Was the target the West Sea or the East Sea? When would they start their actions? Not only the Navy and the World Government were stirred, but many allied nations began to feel restless as well.
After all, they all knew the nature of pirates. The previous occupation of the South Sea had led to the destruction of countless kingdoms during that war. Now that the pirates were on the move again, how could they not be afraid?
Many kingdoms had already begun to gather treasures in preparation for fleeing, while others started collecting backup Celestial Tributes to surrender to the pirates.
Some even began to escape to the New World, for although it was the pirates' domain, the territory belonging to the Infinite Pirates was the most peaceful. For over twenty years, it had not been affected by war, which was the reputation the Infinite Pirates had built over the years.
Now, who in the world didn't know that as long as it was territory occupied by the Infinite Pirates, under their management, those lands had become prosperous, and the people living there had hardly seen anyone starve to death. Even the homeless and beggars were very rare.
Holy Land Mariejois:
"Damn pirates, after ten years of stability, are they finally starting to stir again?"
"Has CP sent back any useful information?"
Saint Saturn, Warrior God of Science and Defense, asked.
"No, CP has not recovered after ten years of development; they have been suppressed by the Law Network every time."
"Just now, all the CP agents originally infiltrated within the Infinite Pirates lost contact, which means those CP were discovered by the Infinite Pirates early on. At the critical moment, the Infinite Pirates killed all of them, not giving them any chance to relay information!"
Saint Ju Peter, Warrior God of Agriculture, said.
"Since we can't gather information from the Infinite Pirates, let's turn our attention to the other pirate crews. I don't believe that among the Flying Pirates, Whitebeard Pirates, and Beasts Pirates, they have the ability to uproot our CP!"
Saint Nusjuro, Warrior God of Finance, stated.
"This is already in progress. Right now, our most important task is to concentrate our forces together and not give the pirates a chance to pick us off one by one."
"The Navy's external forces must also be recalled; after all, we have invested heavily in developing the Navy over the years!"
"And those trash Shichibukai, although they have been making some moves behind the scenes over the years, we still need to keep a tight grip on this force. According to what Sengoku said last time, the Shichibukai played a minimal role in the war; they were just slacking off!"
"So this time, we must formulate some strategies to ensure they can play their part!"
Saint Warcury, Warrior God of Law, declared.
"The power of the national treasure has been fully accumulated. In this war, our chances of winning are very high. If we can capture all the pirates in one fell swoop, no, even if we can eliminate two-thirds of them, we will consider it a complete victory."
"This time, the pirates have given us an opportunity to gather all their forces together, allowing us to maximize the power of the national treasure."
Saint Saturn, Warrior God of Science and Defense, said.
"Exactly, let the pirates gather their strength. This time, we strive to capture them all in one go!"
"However, based on the last situation, Li Yuan and Golden Lion both possess the ability to escape the range of the national treasure's fire. My suggestion is to let someone entangle them, even if it means sacrificing themselves."
"Otherwise, if Golden Lion and Li Yuan escape, they could rise again!"
"Especially Li Yuan; we have investigated the power of the vampire Devil Fruit, which is a longevity type. This means Li Yuan will have a very long lifespan. With his formidable strength, if he escapes, the Infinite Pirates could regain their peak in just over a decade!"
Saint Ju Peter, Warrior God of Agriculture, remarked.
"Alright, let's discuss how to hold back Golden Lion and Li Yuan, preventing them from leaving the range of the national treasure's fire."
Saint Nusjuro, Warrior God of Finance, concluded.
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