Chapter 1326 - 37: A Mad Plan

Chapter 1326: Chapter 37: A Mad Plan

After the Big Mom Pirate Group’s near-encirclement assault on the island had gone on for six hours, they still hadn’t broken through the Giant Rock Region. After six hours of high-intensity slaughter, both sides were inevitably exhausted, mentally and physically, so the Big Mom Pirate Group chose to pull back from the Giant Rock Region and return to their ships.

Behind the Giant Rock Region, all kinds of junk were piled under chunks of rock, so Donquixote Family members could rush up the giant rocks more easily. This was the defender’s advantage: they didn’t have to pay too many lives to get on top of the rocks, whereas climbing up from the outside meant facing a hail of lead bullets and blades chopping down at their heads.

A few pirates sat in a circle, their eyes slightly vacant, mechanically chewing their food.

"Let’s... run?"

A Donquixote Family member spoke, his breathing hurried, a hint of life returning to his dull gaze. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

The nearby pirates trembled. They warily scanned their surroundings.

"If this keeps up, we’re dead sooner or later. I didn’t join the Donquixote Family to be cannon fodder. I’m gonna become..."

This pirate’s nerves were clearly shot, right on the verge of snapping.

"But..."

Another pirate had just opened his mouth when terror flashed in his eyes.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed across the shore. The pirate who’d suggested running stood with his mouth slightly open, a bloody hole blossoming in his forehead.

With a thump, the pirate who’d proposed running collapsed.

"My life belongs to the Young Master. Whoever runs, dies."

A scar-faced pirate shoved the short spear back into his belt, chewing on his long-preserved dry rations as he spoke.

"O-of course, our lives all belong to the Young Master. This bastard deserved it, actually... actually trying to run, ha... hahaha."

A pirate whose whole body was shaking hurried to chime in. Scarface glanced at him once, then lost interest.

"Yeah, we absolutely can’t betray the Young Master."

"We’ll definitely hold out to the end."

One pirate after another stood up to pledge loyalty. No one dared mention running again. No one knew who around them might be one of Doflamingo’s diehard fanatics.

"They’re coming again!!"

A roar came from afar. The scar-faced pirate tossed aside the dry food in his hand, grabbed his bloodstained blade, and charged up the giant rock.

On the fourth floor of the villa, Su Xiao’s brows were knit tight. Although a prolonged war was good news for him, from the current situation, if Katakuri broke into Dressrosa, his Main Task would fail. Not only that, given the grudge between Su Xiao and Katakuri, Katakuri would definitely lead a fleet to hunt Su Xiao across the world, fighting until one of them was Undead.

After thinking for a moment, Su Xiao rose and left the room. Ten minutes later, Su Xiao found Doflamingo at the edge of the Giant Rock Region.

"We can’t hold much longer."

Doflamingo was laughing. Ever since he’d set foot in the New World, he hadn’t clashed directly with any of the Four Emperors. This time, the conflict with the Big Mom Pirate Group was actually a kind of test for him.

As long as he survived this ordeal, he would become the Overlord of the waters around Dressrosa. No pirates would dare invade lightly again.

"Jack pulled out in a real hurry."

Su Xiao also knew Dressrosa wouldn’t hold for long. Jack had stormed off spouting some half-assed excuse, but both Su Xiao and Doflamingo could tell something was off.

No matter how you sliced it, the Beast Pirates and the Donquixote Family were allies. If they suddenly retreated now and Doflamingo flipped to Red Hair or Whitebeard at the last minute, Kaido and Big Mom could only stare, helpless.

Artificial Devil Fruit had all kinds of defects, but pirates worshiped Power. Even dreamers like Whitebeard and Red Hair wouldn’t refuse Artificial Devil Fruit; they’d just use them in a relatively gentler way.

But Kaido had still ordered the withdrawal. That made no sense, emotionally or logically.

"I’ve investigated things through the underground channels. Charlotte Lingling’s and Kaido’s territories have both been attacked. The attackers’ identities are still unknown. They don’t look like World Government or Revolutionary army people."

Doflamingo could remain this calm precisely because he knew Big Mom’s and Kaido’s turf weren’t peaceful either.

The Donquixote Family’s situation was dire, but the Big Mom Pirate Group wasn’t doing much better. They had to send forces to Dressrosa while still holding their own territory. The pressure was obvious.

Right now it wasn’t about who crushed whom first, but who broke down first.

"If we..."

Su Xiao’s voice grew quieter. Doflamingo’s mouth slowly fell open.

"You’re... insane?"

After hearing Su Xiao lay out the plan, even Doflamingo was a bit stunned.

"I don’t want another fight to the death with Katakuri. Without a heavily injured Cracker to stall him, that guy will be even harder to deal with. The only reason he hasn’t moved is because he’s guarding against Jack still being on the island. The moment Jack shows up on Kaido’s turf, Katakuri will move."

"This..."

Doflamingo hesitated—hesitated over whether to cooperate with Su Xiao’s mad plan.

"If all goes well, we can set out tonight."

Su Xiao turned and headed back toward the King’s Highland.

"Fufufufufufu, you’d better move fast."

"We let fate decide."

Su Xiao waved a hand behind his back at Doflamingo and walked off into the distance.

After returning to the fourth floor of the villa, Su Xiao locked the door tight, forbidding any Donquixote Family members from entering.

On the shore, pirates were still locked in a stalemate of slaughter. The civilians on Dressrosa Island trembled in fear, while Su Xiao was unusually relaxed. However, that relaxation wouldn’t last long.

At seven that night, the pirates along the coastline stopped fighting. Donquixote Family members held the inner side of the giant rock line, while the Big Mom Pirate Group held the outer side. You could say the Big Mom Pirate Group had already forced their way onto Dressrosa.

Around eight, after both sides had clashed in dozens of small skirmishes, the War finally began to die down. Of course, they were only stopping for tonight. Come tomorrow morning, the War between the two forces would continue. At this rate, the Donquixote Family would be slaughtered sooner or later. The Big Mom Pirate Group simply had too many people. Once the terrain advantage was gone, the War would end in a short time.

Around ten that night, at the King’s Highland, in the villa’s living room.

The living room was pitch black. Three men, one dog, and one bull sat on the sofas.

"Y-Young Master, is this really okay?"

A slightly simple, honest-sounding voice came from the Darkness.

"You might die. Still dare to go?"

Doflamingo’s voice was low.

"Of course I dare!"

Though the honest voice was trembling, the answer was firm.

"Then let’s begin. By tomorrow morning, if Charlotte Lingling doesn’t make a statement, Dressrosa is definitely going to fall."

Su Xiao’s voice came from the Darkness.

"That’s right. In the end it all depends on her choice—whether she’s willing to risk falling from the Four Emperors’ throne to wipe us out, or..."

This time it was Doflamingo. His sunglasses reflected a faint glint in the Darkness. The room sank into Deathly Silence as two figures stood and walked out.

A moment later, the sound of rotor blades came from outside the villa. In the Darkness, Su Xiao pulled out a Communication Device. This job would be done by Bubu Wang; he himself couldn’t leave Dressrosa, or Katakuri would move.

There was no need to worry about Bubu Wang’s safety. In a true emergency it could always dive into the sea to escape. Su Xiao had strapped five trackers and an emergency escape device to it. Coupled with Bubu Wang’s You Can’t See Me Ability, if it took an oxygen tank and slipped under the waves, even a Four Emperor wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing to it.