If it was just the tribute gold, Ian wouldn't care much. Although he wants money, the problem was that it's too dangerous to rob this gold. It's not worth it, but after hearing about the devil fruit, everything became different.

Celestial Dragons are all self-proclaimed n.o.bles. They are so arrogant and proud of themselves. They seem to think that the privilege of Celestial Dragon will last forever, so they don't even think about eating Devil Fruits. If anything was threatening them, then they will order the Marines to deal with it. They don't need to do it themselves, so Devil Fruits were just a plaything for them!

Yes, plaything! In order to have fun, they would even give devil fruits to their slaves, and then watch them gain strange abilities to feel amazed and have fun.

The tribute gold was the foundation of the Celestial Dragon, and to be precise because they have a large amount of money, they can control the World Government and maintain their privileges.

For a very simple example, the World Government's intelligence department, the CP, and the Marines, where did the funding for these two departments come from? It is funded by the Celestial Dragons!

In a sense, the bounties that Ian received for catching pirates can actually be regarded as being given by the Celestial Dragons!

If the tribute gold was plundered, the Celestial Dragons might become angry, but for these Devil Fruits, they won't necessarily be mad. For the playthings, they may not even pay attention to it.

It is ridiculous that the Devil Fruits that the whole world was scrambling for, were just toys in the eyes of these Celestial Dragons…

Thinking about this, Ian began to slowly consider going with them.

Not only Ian, but also the rest of the audience were individually thinking about something. At this time, Mr. Justice, at the other end of the Den Den Mus.h.i.+ started to talk and said: “If you are interested in partic.i.p.ating in this operation, please go to Genena Island in three days! After reaching the island, I'll contact you again and leave you the route of our target!”

After finis.h.i.+ng this sentence, the Den Den Mus.h.i.+ made a light cracking sound, then closed its eyes, indicating that Mr. Justice had hung up the call.

The thought that came to everyone was, “I shouldn't stay here any longer”, so all the people who were present got up and scattered in all directions.

Ian also left the place. After returning to the family stronghold, he locked himself in the room and began considering all the possibilities carefully.

He doesn't know how many people will go to the so-called Genena Island after three days, but it is estimated that there will probably be many of those who attended. This world has never lacked lunatics. As long as their interests are sufficient, some people are willing to take risks. What will happen after angering the Celestial Dragons? What will happen if they encounter an Admiral? For huge sums of money, these dangerous problems will be completely ignored.

Let alone those who stayed at the meeting at that time, even those who left in advance, will ask for follow-up information in the dark, and then they might arrive at the location of the attack.

Even Ian guessed that some of the bounty hunters may have other thoughts. For example, after attacking the s.h.i.+ps with the tribute gold, they would even take the devil fruit that the employer asked for!

Even if they don't want to eat it and gain its power, they could sell it. He shouldn't forget that there was a Devil Fruit that has never appeared in the Encyclopedia. This alone was enough to make this fruit price rise to the sky!

Such a big temptation was in front of them. Don't expect these people to act with morality. These people were all kinds of Hitmen. Nothing that they could do will be surprising or unexpected from them.

What Ian thought about was how to find a perfect way of stealing these two devil fruits from all these people.

However, after thinking about it, Ian felt that something was a bit strange. Although this gathering was not a Marine trap, didn't the organizer worry about his plan, being known by the Marines?

This meeting can be said to be a big gathering of the underground forces on the Sabaody Archipelago. It is impossible for the Marines not to receive any information. Let alone, there might be some double agents or coward partic.i.p.ants who would take the initiative to inform the Marines in order to prevent the upcoming fire.

Doesn't the organizer worry about the Marines crackdown?

On second thought, Ian had some faint understanding. The organizer was, for sure aware of the current manpower situation of the Marines. What if he thought that the Marines were not able to arrange the manpower needed for the back-up, so he made such a big fuss?

……………………

Ian's guess wasn't wrong. The next morning, in the Marineford, the Marine Headquarters, the current Fleet Admiral Sengoku, received information about the gathering of the Sabaody Archipelago.

Sengoku, a tall, fair-skinned, and muscular man with a long braided goatee, was wearing a marine cloak and a pair of round gla.s.ses. He was sitting in the conference room, having a headache from this news.

“Why is this happening?” Sengoku thumped the table and said, “Hasn't this man been identified yet?”

Because it was not a formal meeting, there were only a few people sitting in this conference room, one was Vice-Admiral Garp, the other was Vice-Admiral Tsuru, and the last was one of s.h.i.+chibukai, Bartholomew k.u.ma!

After hearing Sengoku's words, a general intelligence officer of the Marine Headquarters hurriedly stood up and apologized, “I'm sorry Fleet Admiral Sengoku, we have not yet been able to find out who is this man behind this operation.”

“Then check it again!” Sengoku was a little angry.

“Ah! Yes sir!” The general intelligence officer answered in a hurry and went out.

“Really, why did this happen at this time!” After the general left, Sengoku's headache became a slightly stronger and said: “Although there were many reckless pirates who wanted to rob the tribute gold whenever the Levely was about to be held, most of them didn't succeed. We were able to defeat them easily with the size of our escort fleet. But why did a hidden man organize these people this time?”

“This is the most troublesome point!” Vice-Admiral Tsuru said, while holding her hands together and putting her chin on them. “If so many underground forces unite to attack one fleet, they may succeed in defeating the escort team.”

Sengoku sighed, and when he just wanted to say something, he heard a rattling sound from the person next to him, then he couldn't help yelling at him: “Garp! You are eating snacks again! This is a meeting!”

Garp, with a cup of tea in one hand and pancakes in the other, laughed as he ate: “What's the matter? It's not a formal meeting. You've even brought k.u.ma here, so it's not a confidential meeting that matters.”

Sengoku's head was about to burst, knowing Garp's personality, plus the two were good friends, so Sengoku has no good way to suppress Garp.

“In fact, there is no need to be nervous!” Garp bit his pancakes. “Since we know their plans, can't we just increase the size of the escort fleet?”

“But where can I find such manpower to send…?” Sengoku said: “All the world's leaders have been arriving at The Holy Land Mary Geoise (Marījoa), so the three Admirals and all Vice Admirals are now on their way going to Marījoa for security measures!”

“So, you want us to do it?” Garp laughed and said, “But Tsuru and I are in a semi-retirement state! And I suspect that this organizer is for sure Doflamingo. Do you want us to arrest him again?”

“Yeah!” Vice-Admiral Tsuru also said, “I was in charge of hunting down Doflamingo back then. He really forced the World Government to invite him to join the s.h.i.+chibukai because he said that if not, then he would rob their tribute gold. Is it possible that he was also in charge of the secret operation this time?”

Sengoku shook his head and said: “It can't be him. Although that guy is a sc.u.m, he cares more about his rank as a s.h.i.+chibukai. Once he is found to be the organizer of this operation, he would be deprived of his s.h.i.+chibukai t.i.tle. So he won't do such a thing.”

Sengoku picked up a doc.u.ment bag in front of him and opened it. He pulled out a bunch of photos and put them on the table. “You can see, these are photos of people who appeared at the gathering last night, not only the local forces of Sabaody Archipelago, but also some famous criminals from the New World. Now, these people are still on the Sabaody Archipelago. I think it is necessary to weaken their strength first!”

Garp took the photos and looked them one by one, while sighing loudly with every picture.

Among these photos, Garp only knew some of them, but as Sengoku said, most of them are well-known criminals and bounty hunters.

Looking at them, Garp suddenly snorted while he picked out one of the photos.

“This kid, isn't he the young boy named Ian?” Garp curiously said: “Isn't he a Pirate hunter? Why did he appear at this gathering?”

“Huh?” Sengoku picked it up, frowned, then raised his head in confusion, glancing at Bartholomew k.u.ma, who had been reading quietly.

Although the photo was taken from the side, it can be seen that the hat worn by k.u.ma was exactly the same as the hat worn by the kid in the photo.

“No! It's not him!” Garp started talking, “I've met that kid. Maybe he's an admirer of k.u.ma! He's a funny boy. I've got in trouble with Hina because of him! “

“What are you talking about?” Sengoku asked curiously.

“Ah, it's nothing!” Garp laughed and said. “I once joked with this guy named Ian and told him that I would introduce him to Hina and she would be his partner! And unfortunately, she met him and heard about it, after that, Hina got so mad and came to me for an explanation…”

Sengoku suddenly looked helpless, knowing that these kinds of deeds could only be done by Garp, so he was too lazy to go on with this topic and said: “Since this guy named Ian is a Pirate hunter, then he should be eliminated. Before these people leave the Island, Garp, Tsuru, k.u.ma, who among you is willing to go there and deal with this?”

k.u.ma, who had never spoken, finally opened his mouth and said in a low voice: “Well then, I'll do it!”