Chapter 1065: Secret Meeting Beneath the Red Line

Chapter 1065: Chapter 1065: Secret Meeting Beneath the Red Line

Beneath the Red Line...

A luxurious mega-ship, a hundred and fifty meters in length, rode the ocean swells like a colossal Sea King prowling the depths. At its towering mainmast fluttered the flag of the World Government, a symbol of the mightiest superpower in the world.

Surrounding it were four hundred-meter-long Marine warships, forming a protective perimeter around the central vessel as they drifted quietly in the shadow of the Red Line.

On the spacious deck, which resembled an open-air plaza, stood dozens of CP agents in sleek black suits, accompanied by more than a dozen Marine officers draped in coats of absolute justice.

Right in their midst sat a bald, spectacled elder dressed in traditional white robes and wooden clogs. He rested a katana across his lap, his eyes closed as he meditated cross-legged upon a grey rush mat.

Not far away, Admiral Borsalino sat cross-legged on his own mat, casually paring his slightly long fingernails with a small nail file, making a soft clack-clack-clack sound.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Borsalino’s movements paused. He lifted his head and looked forward as a subtle ripple, like a tiny bubble popping, shivered through the air before him, and a figure materialized out of thin air onto the deck.

"Who goes there?!"

"Protect the Gorosei!"

Instantly, the sudden arrival threw the deck into a flurry of panic. Everyone whipped out their weapons, locking their sights on the intruder.

"Stand down!"

The bald Gorosei opened his eyes, glaring at the newcomer as he issued a sharp command to halt the charging guards.

"The Yonko, Aeridar!"

As the crowd caught a clear look at the newcomer, they saw a man adorned with golden earrings, possessing ordinary features yet wearing a bright, sunny smile.

It was none other than the newly crowned Yonko, Golden Ring Chris T. Aeridar!

"I thought it was going to be that old codger Kong. To think a Gorosei would show up in person! I’m genuinely flattered."

Ignoring the surrounding CP agents and Marine officers, Aeridar kept his gaze locked entirely on the bald Gorosei. His relaxed tone carried the casual ease of a man who didn’t view an Admiral, the Cipher Pol apparatus, or the dozens of elite fighters present as any kind of threat.

After all, he could sense that beneath the seemingly frail physique of the Gorosei before him lay a terrifying, formidable power that could not be underestimated.

Shodai Kitetsu... A supreme-grade swordsman, huh? Aeridar stared intently at his opponent, muttering inwardly to himself.

"Tch-tch~ You’re getting bolder by the day. How terrifying~"

Borsalino puckered his lips, leisurely putting away his nail file as he raised an eyebrow and gazed at Aeridar.

With a wave of his hand, he addressed the surrounding agents and officers. "You lot, head below first. I’ve got things handled here!"

Seeing that the bald Gorosei offered no objection, the people on deck obediently turned and withdrew.

The highest authority of the World Government, alongside a Marine Admiral, holding a clandestine meeting with the peak existence of piracy, a Yonko, could only mean they were discussing matters of the utmost secrecy.

Yet regardless of the content, whether good or bad, it was not information meant for ordinary subordinates. Even the mere fact that the Gorosei had met with Golden Ring Aeridar would likely have to be buried deep within their minds, never to see the light of day.

After all, once word of such a meeting leaked to the outside world, it would trigger a massive tidal wave, and the World Government and Marines would undoubtedly silence anyone who knew too much.

Noticing that the vast, open deck now contained only the three of them, Aeridar asked with an amused smirk, "Spit it out, then. What do you want with me? Let’s not forget, I’ve already resigned from the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

"My, my~ I really underestimated you. To think you actually managed to kill that monster of a woman, Big Mom. How terrifying!" Borsalino patted his chest, deliberately putting on an exaggerated look of shock.

"Can’t be helped. I didn’t want to make an enemy of that old hag either, but who told her appetite was so insatiable?" Aeridar shrugged, wearing a helpless expression.

At that moment, the bald Gorosei raised his head. A piercing, bone-chilling glint flashed through his eyes as he spoke in a deep voice, "Aeridar, you’ve gone too far this time. Don’t underestimate the resolve of the World Government!"

"Are you threatening me?" Aeridar raised an eyebrow, meeting the Gorosei’s gaze head-on.

"To drive out and slaughter every single CP agent within the Clifford Kingdom, and banish the Marines from making landfall, you are playing with fire!" the bald Gorosei rebuked sternly.

Ever since Aeridar announced his departure from the Seven Warlords and ascended to the rank of Yonko, his forces had systematically hunted down every CP operative within the kingdom, wiping them out almost entirely. Fewer than a tenth of the agents had managed to escape with their lives. For all intents and purposes, the Cipher Pol network in the Clifford Kingdom had been completely eradicated, dealing a massive blow to the organization!

On top of that, Marine fleets were no longer permitted to approach the Clifford Kingdom for resupply. In short, the World Government and the Marines had lost a vital foothold in the region.

"So what if I did?!"

Aeridar fired back unyieldingly, his voice sharp as he demanded, "You World Government bastards actually dared to stab me in the back while I was fighting Big Mom! If I hadn’t made preparations in advance, your little scheme might have actually succeeded!"

The bald Gorosei fell silent. After a long moment, he muttered darkly, "Do not forget, the position you hold today was entirely built on our support. Do not think that just because you killed Big Mom, you have the right to make an enemy of the World Government!"

"Heh-heh-heh-heh... Support me? What a joke! Our arrangement was nothing more than a transaction of mutual benefits!" Aeridar sneered with utter disdain. "Besides, just how much of my true hand do you think you know? At worst, we can just smash this world to pieces and go down together!"

The expression of the bald Gorosei turned grim, while Borsalino’s face lost its earlier carefree demeanor...

Judging by the military strength the Chris Pirates had displayed this time, even if the Marines and the World Government joined forces, taking them down wouldn’t be an easy task. That was especially true given Aeridar’s Float-Float Fruit abilities, which meant he could easily lead his entire crew in a protracted guerrilla war against the World Government.

Once a conflict dragged into a stalemate, the World Government and Marines wouldn’t just be dealing with the Chris Pirates anymore. The Beasts Pirates, the Blackbeard Pirates, the Revolutionary Army... a whole pack of wild factions would inevitably swarm out like rabid dogs to tear chunks out of the World Government, turning the entire geopolitical landscape upside down.

If things reached that point and provoked the wrath of Imu-sama, even the Gorosei would find the consequences unbearable.

"We cannot control the actions of the Celestial Dragons and CP0, but we will do our utmost to keep them in check," the bald Gorosei stated in a solemn tone. "Our cooperation can continue. We still recognize the neutral status of Brady Island."

The World Government needed Brady Island as a foothold! The Marines needed that foothold just as much!

Furthermore, cooperating with a Yonko meant the pressure bearing down on the Marines in the New World would ease day by day.

"You really do know how to play all sides, don’t you?" Derision painted Aeridar’s features as he effortlessly saw right through their intentions.

Originally, the Marines in the New World were nearly suffocated by the overwhelming pressure exerted by the four Emperors who ruled the seas. It was only by utilizing Aeridar’s territory as a strategic outpost that they managed to carve out a sliver of breathing room.

Now, if a partnership could be established with Aeridar, the pressure from four Emperors would effectively be reduced to three. The Marines’ burden would lighten considerably, and the World Government would be able to cement its grip on the turbulent waters of the New World far more stably.

Even so, Aeridar still needed to keep pulling wool over the World Government’s eyes for the time being.

"Then, it’s a pleasure doing business with you!"

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