Chapter 1510 Artoria's Reminiscences 2
Inside the magnificent palace on Whole Cake Island, a giant broadcast screen is transmitting every thrilling moment of the Marineford battlefield in real time.
The aroma of desserts and black tea filled the air, but it did nothing to alleviate the shock and tension in the hearts of the viewers.
"Wow, that old man with the white beard is terrifying!"
One of the younger children hid behind his older brother in fright, while on the screen, Edward Newgate, the white-bearded man, awakened his Devil Fruit.
The resulting high-frequency vibrations caused swathes of naval forces to fall like wheat being harvested; the devastating power was chilling even through a screen.
From the direction of the execution platform, golden light shot into the sky, and Artoria Pendragon appeared like a war goddess descended to earth, her holy light enveloping the battlefield.
The previously defeated navy seemed to be infused with an indomitable military spirit. Their injuries improved, their morale soared, and they managed to withstand the pirates' fierce attack and even launched a counterattack.
"The situation changed too quickly..."
The eldest son, Perospero, said solemnly, "Fortunately, Mother was wise; we were not drawn into this terrible war."
The brothers and sisters around him nodded, their faces filled with relief as they watched the Whitebeard Pirates struggle against the Navy's endless stream of hidden trump cards.
They all understood that if Whole Cake Island rashly joined the war, they would likely be the ones stuck in the quagmire, caught in a dilemma.
Charlotte Linlin, sitting upright in the main seat, was stuffing a small cream cake decorated with strawberries into her mouth.
When she saw the naval soldiers on the screen, bathed in golden light, their eyes resolute, charging fearlessly towards the pirates, her hand suddenly stopped.
That scene was so familiar!
A chill, mixed with extreme disgust, suddenly surged up from the depths of his memory—the Battle of God Valley.
They are those humans who have been corrupted by a strange power, whose eyes are bloodshot, who have lost their minds, and who are left only with a crazy instinct to kill.
Although one is righteous and the other is evil, one brings faith and courage and the other brings madness and destruction, their essence is remarkably similar: large-scale, forced alteration of individual states, turning ordinary people into weapons of war.
"Ugh..." Lingling felt a strong wave of nausea. The delicious little cake she had just eaten seemed to have turned into rotten mud. She suddenly spat out the cake she hadn't swallowed yet, and her face turned extremely pale.
The unpleasant memories instantly robbed her of her appetite, and her anger towards a certain person also flared up.
"That damned bastard Kaido stole my Azure Dragon Fruit! I'll settle this score with him sooner or later!" Her massive body trembled slightly with rage.
Just then, Katakuri, the usually calm and reliable second son, spoke up in his distinctive deep voice, "Mother, I have a concern."
"Say it," Lingling said, looking at him irritably.
"You should use your soul incantation with caution in the future."
Katakuri calmly analyzed that his mother's soul spell ability was to induce fear in the other person's heart through questioning, and even if it was only a trace, it could instantly extract their soul.
But if he were facing a navy whose leadership qualities had been enhanced, Katakuri would point to the navy soldiers on the screen with fanatical eyes, who seemed to disregard life and death.
"If they face a maritime emperor like you, and their hearts are filled only with a fervent pursuit of justice, without the slightest fear, will your abilities become ineffective?"
Upon hearing this, the entire cake hall fell silent instantly. The Charlotte family's children exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with shock.
Mother's soul spell is one of her most terrifying abilities and one of the cornerstones of Whole Cake Island's rule over the world.
If this capability were to fail on a large scale for the navy, the consequences would be unimaginable. One day, the navy might actually be able to mobilize a large force and use various warships to block the entrance to Whole Cake Island.
After hearing this, Lingling's ferocious expression froze for a moment, then turned extremely gloomy. She carefully pondered Katakuri's words and found them to make more and more sense.
“My good son, your analysis is spot on. That little girl named Artoria is far more threatening than she appears. Her power is simply my nemesis.”
However, the next moment, Lingling's anger suddenly dissipated. She grabbed another huge cake next to her, took a big bite, and even showed a gloating smile on her face.
"However, would the old monster behind the World Government tolerate the existence of a human who could inspire people on a large scale and even shake the foundation of the Celestial Dragons' rule?"
As she chewed on the cake, she mumbled, "Can the Navy... protect her?"
"Hehehe, maybe soon we'll see the Marine Headquarters and the World Government they're loyal to start fighting amongst themselves. That would be quite a sight!"
Just as Lingling had guessed, the deepest part of the Holy Land Mary Geoise, Pangaea, was now filled with a deathly silence and oppressive atmosphere.
The Five Elders, these five elderly men who stood at the pinnacle of power in the World Government, were now completely devoid of their usual majesty and composure.
They stood respectfully with their heads bowed, not daring to even raise their eyes, and fine beads of cold sweat could be seen on their foreheads.
Those who normally have the power to decide the fate of a nation and issue a sedition are now like children who have made a mistake and are waiting to be scolded, not daring to breathe loudly.
On the Void Throne, a wide black robe completely enveloped Im's figure, revealing only his eyes.
Im was staring intently at the huge broadcast screen in front of him, his gaze fixed on the blonde, blue-eyed female knight on the screen, who held the Sword of Excalibur aloft and radiated a warm yet resolute golden light—Artoria Pendragon, the future female marshal.
In those exposed eyes, there was no trace of emotion at the fierce fighting on the battlefield, nor any satisfaction at the reversal of the naval situation; only a pure and extreme disgust and killing intent!
It was an instinctive repulsion, as if from the abyss, from eternal darkness, emanating from Artoria—a light of justice that could unite people, inspire courage, and symbolize hope and glory.
To Im, it was like the most jarring noise, the most scorching flame, the most filthy blasphemy.
It's like a rat that has lived in a dark, damp, and sunless ditch for years, suddenly being directly exposed to the most intense midday sun.
What I felt was not warmth, but intense pain and discomfort, and a crazy urge to destroy the light source.
Im's fingertips curled slightly beneath his wide black robe, as if suppressing the urge to crush the screen and the girl on it.
"Sengoku is even harder to control than Kong. We absolutely cannot let someone like him become the next Fleet Admiral."
"Artoria, get rid of her, no matter the cost..."
Im finally felt threatened beyond Nika. Artoria must not be allowed to take over. If she succeeds Sengoku as the Fleet Admiral, the Navy and the World Government will have completely parted ways.
The knight girl's ability to unite people is truly terrifying; no wonder the future navy will unite under her banner of justice.
The Celestial Dragons absolutely cannot tolerate this happening. They have raised and fattened their loyal dogs with great care, and they absolutely cannot let the knight girl take them away at will.
The Celestial Dragons are temporarily pinning their hopes of eliminating the future Fleet Admiral on Whitebeard and Shiki, and the agreement Shamrock made with them is still in effect.
If the great pirates of the old era can't do this, after the Five Elders deal with Nika, they should send them to Marineford.
