One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 232: The Power of Explosive Rock!

"Gulala lala".

The white-bearded man laughed, but his laughter was very low.

"It's strange."

"This is the third volcanic eruption on our territory. Including the one you quelled today, it's the fourth."

The white-bearded man's eyes were extremely serious, and his brows were furrowed into a knot.

"If it were a regular volcano, even if it blew the island away, it wouldn't have this much power."

He paused.

"But the problem is that these volcanoes are not only ordinary volcanoes, but also extinct volcanoes that have been dormant for hundreds of years."

Vista, the foil swordsman, twirled his mustache and frowned.

"That's definitely unusual. The island we're talking about today has very stable geology; it won't erupt even in another five hundred years."

Diamond Joz crossed his arms, exuding a stiff aura, and his voice was muffled.

"Moreover, the outbreak came without any warning. There was no earthquake, no thick smoke, it was like...like someone had planted a bomb underground and it just exploded."

The white-bearded man nodded.

He reached out again and drew a huge arc on the nautical chart, encompassing the entire New World.

"It's not just us."

The white-bearded man looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Chen Ye's face.

"I received news that Kaido, that drunkard, Linlin, that crazy woman, and even Shanks' territory are all the same."

The Four Emperors.

Four monsters from the new world.

They've always been the ones messing with others. When did it become their turn to cause trouble on all four of their turf at the same time?

"Near Kaido's Onigashima, a deserted island sank. In Big Big Wolf's Whole Cake Island, a creamy island was scorched to a crisp. Shanks' side suffered the least damage, but they're still running around like crazy."

Whitebeard snorted coldly.

His disdain was tinged with wariness.

"This is no coincidence; it's aimed at all four Emperors."

He pointed to the red dots.

"The signs of the eruption indicate that it was triggered from the inside by an external force. As Joz said, someone threw a bomb directly into the volcano."

"Are there any important clues?"

Chen Ye picked up his wine glass, swirling the amber liquid inside, his voice barely rising or falling.

His calm demeanor eased the tense atmosphere slightly.

"I had Marco check it out before."

The white-bearded man looked at Marco.

Marco pushed up his glasses, revealing a serious expression in his usually languid eyes.

"I've been to several outbreak sites."

Marco spoke, his voice not loud, but very clear.

"The lava covered many traces, but I found unusual energy residue on some rocks. It was very violent, not something natural."

"Following this lead, I tracked down a very mysterious fleet. The flag wasn't that of the Navy or any pirate crew; it was an upside-down Navy emblem with a skull and sword stuck in it."

"It's said to be the NEO Navy."

Marco glanced at the white-bearded man.

"The mastermind behind this seems to be related to that old guy, the former Marine Admiral, Black Arm Zephyr."

"Zeff?!"

Both Vista and Joz were taken aback.

They had certainly heard of that name before.

An old monster from the same era as Garp and Sengoku, who has trained countless naval elites.

"Didn't that old guy retire a long time ago?"

The twin swords in Vista's hands touched lightly.

"I heard he formed some kind of pirate guerrilla group, specifically to kill pirates. But no matter how strong he is, he's just an old soldier with a missing arm."

Joz retorted in a muffled voice.

"That's right. I acknowledge Zephyr's strength; his Armament Haki is top-notch. But to detonate volcanoes in the territories of four Emperors in such a short time—that kind of destructive power can't be achieved with just fists and Haki."

"Even if it's my father's Tremor-Tremor Fruit, to achieve such a concealed, targeted detonation, he would have to be there in person."

Joz shook his head.

He looked completely incredulous.

This is a question on everyone's mind.

How could one person, even a former admiral, possibly wage war against four emperors simultaneously? And possess the ability to directly detonate volcanoes?

That's utter nonsense.

"That's right, that's what I don't understand either."

Whitebeard picked up the huge wine jug on the table and took a big gulp.

"That old guy may be stubborn, but he's not crazy. He wouldn't do something so stupid if he wasn't sure. He definitely has some trump cards up his sleeve that we don't know about."

Whitebeard's intuition is very accurate.

He sensed a conspiracy.

"It is indeed Zefaqian's."

Just as everyone was speculating, Chen Ye, who had remained calm, finally spoke.

But in an instant, everyone fell silent.

All eyes were on him.

Chen Ye put down his wine glass.

"Dad, your intuition was right."

Chen Ye looked up, his dark eyes reflecting the lamplight.

"Zeffa does indeed have an ace up his sleeve. Or rather, he has found a key that can ignite the world."

"key?"

The white-bearded man squinted and leaned forward slightly.

Chen Ye extended a finger and pointed in the air.

"He used something called explosive rock."

"Explosive rock?"

The white-bearded man frowned, searching his mind for the word.

I vaguely remember seeing it in some old nautical logbook.

But in his mind, explosives were just powder kegs, which to someone like him were no different from fireworks.

"What new weapon? Did Vegapunk make this?"

Marco asked.

"No, it's a product of ancient times."

Chen Ye shook his head.

"That thing is very fragile, like an unstable ore, which will explode as soon as it comes into contact with air."

Chen Ye's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"The Navy has been hiding the existence of the explosive rock all along."

They were afraid the pirates would use the explosive rock to plot something!

Chen Ye stood up and walked to the sea chart.

His finger landed in the center of a red circle.

But I suspect the Navy didn't expect that in the end, it would be their own people who betrayed them!

"And Zefa found the right way to use it."

Chen Ye's voice was low, with a kind of calm that sent chills down one's spine.

"This kind of explosive rock will cause a huge explosion once it comes into contact with oxygen in the air. If there are enough of them, it would be easy to blow up a volcano."

After hearing Chen Ye's words!

The white-bearded man's expression changed.

The confusion was gone, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

"That old madman..."

The white-bearded man cursed under his breath, his grip on the wine jug tightening, causing cracks to appear on the ceramic jug.

But that's not the worst part.

Chen Ye turned around, backlit, his whole body in shadow.

His tone was flat, as if he were asking whether it would rain tomorrow.

"Let me put it this way, Dad."

Chen Ye paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Joz, Vista, Marco, and finally settling on the white-bearded man's face.

"The explosive rocks that exploded simultaneously were as powerful as ancient weapons."

Those words fell.

Something exploded in the minds of everyone present.

Ancient weapons.

Taboo.

A legendary power capable of destroying the world.

The World Government is desperately trying to cover it up; pirates dream of it, yet fear it to death—a creation of God.

Pluto, Neptune, Uranus.

Every name represents absolute destruction.

Now, Chen Ye says that the stone in Zefa's hand is comparable to an ancient weapon?!

The white-bearded man's eyes, which had seen countless life and death and could remain composed in any situation, suddenly shrank to the size of a pinhead.

His large hand holding the wine jug trembled.

In the captain's cabin, the captains' faces were filled with shock.

Vista's sword nearly fell to the ground.

Joz's diamond-cut half of his face was completely stiff.

Marco's glasses slipped down to the tip of his nose, revealing a pair of wide-eyed stares.

"Chen Ye... are you serious?"

Marco's voice was dry.

"I never make jokes like that."

Chen Ye answered calmly, his eyes as still as a stagnant pool.

"If Zephyr's explosive rocks are only used to blast a few islands, then it's a waste. But what if his target isn't just islands?"

A chill ran from the soles of everyone's feet to the tops of their heads.

The term "ancient weapons" completely changed the nature of the whole thing.

This is no longer some crazy veteran causing trouble.

This is a madman holding the button to destroy the world, standing on the world's powder keg, ready to press it.

The white-bearded man stood up, his chest heaving violently.

A huge shadow loomed over the entire desktop.

"Zeffa..."

The white-bearded man uttered the name in a hoarse voice, carrying a murderous aura as sharp as a knife.

"What exactly are you trying to do, you old geezer?!"