MTLNOVEL Chapter 181: 181: Tides of Rebellion.
The war had finally begun.
Although Zenkichi was confident in his ability to defeat the World Government, the forces under his command were still vastly inferior. The odds were against him—at least on paper. No matter how he arranged his pieces, the sheer power of the World Government was overwhelming.
But that only applied if he didn't act personally.
If Zenkichi took the battlefield himself, there would be no contest. The World Government wouldn't stand a chance.
Still, he chose not to appear immediately. He wanted to observe. The first wave was meant to test his commanders' combat ability—and weed out the weaklings pretending to be loyal.
More importantly, he needed to show the world that the Yonko under his command were not just symbols of chaos, but legitimate forces capable of going toe-to-toe with the strongest the Navy had to offer.
"Pops… why are you following Zenkichi?" Jinbei asked, puzzled, casting a troubled look toward Whitebeard. The former warlord couldn't understand why the legendary pirate would serve someone else.
"That man will defeat the World Government," Whitebeard replied calmly. "I just want to protect my family."
At the same time, he tried to convince Jinbei to switch sides.
"But I've already used Fish-Man Karate against many of the pirate alliance's forces…"
Jinbei hesitated. That was part of the reason why the Navy had allowed him to charge in alone—he wasn't trusted by either side.
"Don't worry," Whitebeard said. "Zenkichi doesn't concern himself with such trivial matters. The ones you killed are insignificant to him. Even us—the Four Emperors—are replaceable in his eyes."
"Come with us. I'll vouch for your safety."
Whitebeard's respect for Jinbei remained intact. Eventually, he succeeded in convincing the Fish-Man to join their side.
Meanwhile, another fierce battle raged.
"Shanks, what's going on with you?! Answer me! Are you even conscious?!"
Mihawk shouted, wielding his massive black blade as he faced off against the red-haired Yonko. Shanks' eyes were empty, devoid of will—yet his attacks were swift, accurate, and terrifyingly powerful.
His overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, combined with equally potent Armament Haki, forced even Mihawk—the greatest swordsman alive—onto the defensive.
"Don't bother," a calm voice interrupted.
Zenkichi stepped in, appearing beside them without warning.
"Shanks is under my control."
"What?! That's impossible!" Mihawk's eyes widened. "A man with Shanks' Haki… there's no way you could manipulate him!"
"As long as your strength is overwhelming," Zenkichi replied coolly, "nothing is impossible."
His eyes shifted.
They were the Rinnegan.
After further developing the power from Uchiha Madara's template, Zenkichi had awakened the legendary eye technique—the Rinnegan.
"Eyes like mine?" Mihawk murmured, stunned by the pattern.
"Not quite. The design may be similar, but the power is on a different level. You'll see what I mean."
The moment their eyes met, Zenkichi activated a genjutsu through his Rinnegan. Mihawk, the famed eagle-eyed swordsman, froze. His will was seized, just like Shanks.
Now, both stood proudly at Zenkichi's side.
Elsewhere, Pirate Empress Boa Hancock crept along the battlefield, using her Observation Haki to sense her surroundings.
"I'll slip away while they're distracted…"
But before she could move further, Zenkichi appeared in front of her.
"Where are you off to?" he asked with a smile.
"You're Zenkichi?" she asked, slightly flustered. "Let me leave. For the sake of my beauty, won't you honor my request?"
She flipped her hair, playing to her strengths—her overwhelming charm. Attacking Zenkichi was out of the question; she knew better than to provoke him. Instead, she attempted to seduce her way out.
Zenkichi laughed.
"If you're so beautiful, why not stay and serve me?"
"I plan to bring down the World Government. When the time comes, the Celestial Dragons will be wiped out."
"Wouldn't you like to see that?"
The Pirate Empress's heart skipped a beat.
She had once been a slave to the Celestial Dragons. The thought of them being executed—by him—struck deep.
"If you truly plan to destroy the Celestial Dragons," she said solemnly, "then this queen will do anything for you."
Zenkichi's smile widened.
"Perfect."
His attention turned to another figure.
Crocodile.
The former Warlord had long since slipped to the outskirts of the battlefield. He had no interest in this madness. Whether the Navy or pirates won, it didn't matter to him. This war was too reckless, too chaotic.
This war dwarfed even the legendary Marineford War from the original timeline. That battle involved only the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy. Here, all Four Yonko were present.
Back then, the Navy's three admirals hadn't gone all-out. Now, they had no choice.
Admiral Aokiji, Admiral Akainu, and Admiral Kizaru were all fighting with everything they had.
Even Sengoku, Garp, Kong, and other legendary powerhouses of the older generation had been dragged in.
On top of that, Magellan, Shiryu, and other deadly figures had been transferred from Impel Down to join the chaos.
Elite units clashed across the battlefield, Marines against pirates, veterans against monsters.
"The Yonko Pirates aren't bad," Zenkichi said casually. "They might not surpass the Navy in strength, but they're holding their own."
He was well aware the balance existed because of him.
Without Zenkichi present, the Navy would have wiped out the Yonko alliance. But with his overwhelming presence looming over the battlefield, the World Government had no choice but to restrain its full force.
Of course, that wouldn't help them.
"Alright, everyone," Zenkichi spoke aloud, his voice calm but cold.
"Step aside. This battle's dragged on long enough."
"It's time to end this."
---
Thank you for the support 💙
Send more Power stones tho (~￣³￣)~
My patreon link : patreon.com/Zphyr_