Chapter 562: Causes and Consequences (Part 2)
Seeing the Old Man injured, Marco and Ace immediately panicked. The entire Whitebeard Pirates fell into chaos, with some rushing to support the Old Man and others calling for doctors.
It was precisely because of this commotion that they failed to immediately realize Teach was the culprit and didn't set out to pursue Teach and his crew right away.
By the time they learned from the Old Man that it was Teach who had stabbed him, everyone in the Whitebeard Pirates was burning with rage!
Worried about the Old Man's condition, Marco and the others discussed and dispatched several Division Commanders to hunt down Teach and his group.
Yes, hunt them down! Filled with regret, Marco and the others no longer intended to capture Teach alive this time; they planned to kill Teach and his men on the spot.
They thought that sending several commanders with hundreds of Whitebeard Pirates members to chase down Teach's five-man group would be no problem. However, they didn't know that Teach had already reached an agreement with the Marines this time.
Teach was to find an opportunity to assassinate Whitebeard himself, while Marine Admiral Akainu waited offshore with his fleet to support him.
If Teach's assassination failed, Akainu would withdraw without a second thought. But if Teach succeeded and escaped, Akainu would be responsible for rescuing him and executing the second phase of the plan.
Teach and his five men rowed a small boat, and by the time they neared the Edd War sea area, the Whitebeard Pirates commanders pursuing them had also drawn close.
The Whitebeard Pirates' ships furiously opened fire on Teach's group. Cannonballs landed on the sea surface around them, sending up towering splashes. Teach's small boat seemed on the verge of being hit and sunk at any moment.
But just then, Akainu's Marine fleet suddenly appeared and attacked the commanders.
Caught off guard by the Marines' presence, especially with Akainu, a Marine Admiral, leading them, the commanders were in trouble. Their ships were sunk, and most of their crew fell into the sea.
Forced to retreat, they swam toward the Edd War reef cluster, knowing that the area was full of hidden reefs where Marine warships couldn't follow.
Their reasoning was correct, but this was exactly what Akainu had hoped for. Seeing the survivors swimming toward the reefs, Akainu didn't bother to pursue. He simply rescued Teach and his crew onto his ship and then had the Marine fleet circle the reef cluster, as if to trap the commanders.
After Akainu reported the situation to Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sengoku made a decisive move. He recalled Kizaru and Aokiji, who had been fighting Ian on Sabaody Archipelago, and ordered them to lead forces to the New World to support Akainu.
Meanwhile, upon learning of the Marines' appearance, Marco and the others were furious. They finally realized that Teach had colluded with the Marines.
Their comrades trapped in the Edd War reef cluster had to be rescued, but the Old Man was still being treated. Marco ultimately decided to leave Ace to watch over the Old Man while he led the remaining commanders to confront Akainu.
Admittedly, this was a poor move. Perhaps the Old Man's injury had clouded the commanders' judgment, leading them to send reinforcements piecemeal, like adding fuel to a fire.
At this point, they should have committed all their forces, bringing the Moby Dick along, to keep Akainu guessing about the Old Man's true condition. With only Akainu present, they could have forced him back and rescued their trapped comrades, avoiding further passivity.
But Marco and the others didn't realize this was a trap set by the Marines. When they led their forces to confront Akainu, he saw through their weakness.
Since Whitebeard didn't appear, it confirmed Teach's claim that his injuries were severe...
With no more concerns, Akainu unleashed a Meteor Volcano, raining down massive magma fists from the sky, engulfing Marco's fleet!
This was the power of Logia Haki. Such a large-scale attack was impossible for Marco and the others to block in their haste. Though they tried desperately to protect their ships, Akainu still destroyed them.
Now Marco and his group also fell into the water and had to swim toward the reef cluster.
This time, Akainu ordered the Marine fleet to fire indiscriminately at the reefs, as if determined to eliminate Marco and the others on the island.
Bad news came one after another, leaving the Whitebeard Pirates stunned. Ace, in a fit of impulse, wanted to go rescue Marco and the others again.
But just then, the Old Man woke up after treatment and stopped Ace's reckless move.
The Old Man's body was already in poor condition. Teach's stab to his chest had taken half his life. But who was he? He was Whitebeard!
Struggling, he stood up resolutely before his sons. He immediately gathered all the crew members from the base and set out in full force to confront Akainu, that mad dog.
However, when the Old Man's towering figure appeared on the Moby Dick's deck, Akainu inexplicably backed off. He led his fleet as if to return, leaving the Edd War reef cluster open.
The Old Man didn't think much of it. He brought the ship as close to the reefs as possible and sent people to find Marco and the others.
But just as they found Marco and were about to return to base, Aokiji and Kizaru's fleets suddenly appeared!
With three Marine Admirals joining forces and over a hundred warships, they opened fire on the Whitebeard Pirates.
Only then did the Old Man realize that the Marines had planned this all along. One Admiral appearing might have been a coincidence, but three Admirals meant the Marines intended to formally attack the Whitebeard Pirates.
And the Marines' accomplice was none other than his former son...
Heartbroken! The thought of Teach sent a sharp pain through the Old Man's wound. Teach's stab had partially damaged his heart. Such an injury would have killed an ordinary person, but Whitebeard held on.
But at this moment, the Old Man could no longer endure. His vision went dark, and he collapsed on the Moby Dick's deck.
Ace and the others were horrified. They quickly supported the Old Man and, finding him unconscious, had no choice but to retreat back into the reef cluster.
Thus, the Marines successfully completed their trap, trapping the entire Whitebeard Pirates base in the Edd War reef cluster.
Next, the Marine Headquarters fleet set out in full force, heading majestically toward the Edd War sea area.
The Marines' main goal in attacking the Whitebeard Pirates was to kill Whitebeard Edward Newgate. Whitebeard was too famous; as long as he lived, even if the Whitebeard Pirates were completely destroyed, they would quickly reemerge. Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru initially wanted to bombard the reefs, but considering the numerous reefs and not knowing where the Whitebeard Pirates were hiding, they feared the pirates might escape from another side during the attack. So Akainu ordered no attack for now, having the warships patrol around the reefs to prevent escape. Only when the Marine Headquarters' main force arrived and completely surrounded the reef cluster, leaving no gaps, did they prepare to strike.
This was the scene people around the world saw through the live broadcast: hundreds of warships besieging the Edd War reef cluster...
However, the time the Marines spent assembling also gave the Whitebeard Pirates time to react. Others might not escape, but the Eighth Division Commander Namur was a Fish-Man. Only he could swim long distances underwater. During Akainu's patrols, Namur escaped from beneath the surface, returned to the base, and contacted all the fleets under the Whitebeard Pirates!
The Marines likely anticipated this, knowing that those pirate crews would come to rescue Whitebeard Edward Newgate, so they made corresponding preparations.
Not long after the live broadcast began, people saw countless ships suddenly appear in the sea fog.
"Hmph, putting on such a fierce show, who are they trying to scare?" On a Marine flagship, Fleet Admiral Sengoku raised his telescope and saw the ships in the fog. He snorted coldly and ordered through a Den Den Mushi: "All fleets, attention! Enemy to the southeast! First, Second, and Third Fleets, take the T-position. Fourth and Fifth Fleets, turn to port. Sixth and Seventh Fleets, turn to starboard. Turn broadside and prepare to engage!"
At his command, the Marine fleet immediately moved. Numerous warships left the encirclement and headed toward the approaching pirate ships. Upon reaching their designated positions, they turned broadside, opened the gunport covers, and revealed rows of black cannon muzzles aimed at the pirate ships.
Inside the warships' cabins, Marine soldiers, drenched in sweat, carried shells and loaded them into the cannons, nervously holding the firing mechanisms, waiting for the order to unleash a volley.
But just as the Marines prepared for battle, the pirate ships in the fog suddenly stopped!
They all furled their sails, slowed down, and stopped at an awkward position for the Marines—just outside the range of the naval guns...
"What's going on?" Sengoku watched through his telescope, frowning in confusion. He muttered to himself, "Could they be scared?"
Just as he was puzzled, he felt something was off. He licked his finger and held it up.
Checking this, his expression changed. The wind direction seemed to be shifting...