Carol smiled and said, "Then I'll await your good news, Doctor."
He nodded at Vegapunk, then activated his ability.
*Whoosh*
He vanished from Egghead Island.
------------
New World, New Marineford.
In the Fleet Admiral's office.
Sakazuki sat in the Fleet Admiral's chair, resting his feet casually on the desk, eyes closed in meditation.
*Whoosh*
Carol suddenly appeared inside the room.
Sakazuki, eyes still closed, spoke, "What did Egghead Island say?"
Carol replied, "They need more time to research, after all, it's the first time conducting such an experiment."
"I watched for a while just now, and they failed several times."
"However, Doctor Vegapunk said they would succeed before the grand battle."
Sakazuki let out a soft 'hmm,' removed his legs, opened his eyes, and stretched. "In that case, there's nothing else."
He walked to the massive sand table in the room.
All the arrangements were complete; the next step was slow attrition.
The war between the Marines and pirates in the New World, in the eyes of the entire world, was a protracted war of attrition.
But there was a difference.
Sakazuki intended to mobilize the pirates of the New World, wear down the tens of thousands of pirates under each Yonko before launching the grand battle, lest there be endless repercussions.
Whether it were pirates, the government, or everyone in the world, analyzing the war situation would reveal that the Navy's combat power was superior, but there was no overwhelming advantage, only slow attrition.
One was proactive in their planning, the other passively perceived.
The reason for this was the information gap. Sakazuki had hidden it too well.
The key to this was Carol's Warp-Warp Fruit. His teleportation ability, despite its frequent use, had never been exposed to the world, except by Enel, Barret, and a few individuals on Egghead Island.
Even within the Navy, individuals like Momoo and Zeff were unaware of it.
This was also the key to overwhelming the Yonko.
The world believed it could only be a war of attrition because the Yonko of the New World were scattered and far apart.
The deployment of high-level Marine combatants would not escape the Yonko's notice, and if they prepared in advance, there would be no overwhelming advantage in combat power.
But no one knew that Sakazuki possessed something like the Warp-Warp Fruit, which could directly crush the battle situation...
Shanks' Observation Killing was indeed outrageous, but during the decisive battle, teleporting Sakazuki, Barret, and Garp to throw them over...
Let alone Observation Killing, no killing would be effective... only death would remain...
The key to overwhelming the Yonko had been secured long ago.
The Gate-Gate Fruit's ambushes and encirclement of New World pirates were also on the agenda.
Now, it was a matter of controlling time and fighting through attrition.
This was to deceive the pirates, and also the government and the Revolutionary Army, because if the war progressed too quickly, the World Government and the Revolutionary Army would find it troublesome to handle...
These two factions had now split the world in two, each controlling half of it.
The Marines, in the end, were merely an enforcement agency, an army.
If they fought too quickly and became free, no matter which side they eliminated.
The public would only acknowledge the remaining one. Defeating pirates and governing the world were two different things. They would admit your merit in eliminating pirates, but they would not believe you could govern the world.
Furthermore, Sakazuki's reputation and his brutal methods...
If the Revolutionary Army was eliminated, the government would still be the official regime, and the Navy could not shake it.
If the government was eliminated, the revolutionary policies would have the people's hearts, which the pirate-slaying Navy could not match.
This was also why Sakazuki had asked Vegapunk to provide technological support to the Revolutionary Army.
The sooner the Revolutionary Army reached the Red Line, the sooner he could finish and cleanse this disgusting world...
When the pirates disappeared, and the Revolutionary Army and the government accidentally 'perished together,' the Navy, as the world's sole official organization...
Sakazuki had long had a plan for how to manage this world...
Before the massive sand table.
Sakazuki, while observing the layout, asked Carol, "How is the Revolutionary Army doing?"
Carol sighed slightly, "They are coming on strong."
"Although they declared war only a few days ago, this fire has caught everyone off guard."
"None of the affiliated countries in the Four Seas have escaped the flames of war."
"Compared to countries not affiliated with the World Government, the oppression by the nobles and royal families in these affiliated countries is several times higher than in those countries."
"Therefore, more people have risen up in resistance."
"The Revolutionary Army is currently limited by their sailing speed."
"However, within half a year, they will likely occupy all Four Seas."
"The current situation is that wherever the Revolutionary Army arrives, they are greeted by rebellious citizens, and then the main Revolutionary Army force crushes them, and the affiliated country is destroyed."
"It's unbelievably fast..."
Sakazuki chuckled, "It's normal. After all, it's an era-spanning dominance."
"However, the progress is still too slow."
The Revolutionary Army, with several years of industrial revolution, crushing kingdoms from the agricultural era, was like playing a game...
"When they encounter setbacks in the Grand Line, we'll add fuel to the fire."
"We'll give them the technology for warships that can traverse the Calm Belt."
"The Navy cannot wait much longer..."
With the Navy's current funds, they could last for another year or two, and with salvaged goods, they could probably hold on until the end of the decisive battle...
As for why...
The Navy and the Government had essentially broken ties, but they were still going through the motions on the surface...
Previously, there were suspicions, but no open rift.
It wasn't until the Revolutionary Army declared war and began attacking and occupying affiliated countries in the Four Seas that the government realized they could no longer mobilize the Navy. Sakazuki was not acting, and all branches within the Four Seas were indifferent to the government's direct orders.
Both sides broke ties without saying a word. The government began to withdraw funds and supplies, and Sakazuki tacitly purged all government agents.
The New World was now the territory of pirates and the Navy, while the Four Seas were contested by the World Government and the Revolutionary Army...
Four major powers, four sea overlords.
In the end, there could only be one victor. Who would it be...
Sakazuki picked up the Navy flag from the sand table and threw it onto Kibido Island, where Kaido's flag was planted.
He directly knocked over the pirate flag representing Kaido, and the Navy flag stood firm. Sakazuki's voice echoed, "Filthy dogs."
"How dare you flip my table."
"Who gave them the courage..."
Two main attack directions, a great victory attacking Whole Cake Island, but the attack on Kaido was disrupted because he flipped the table. This made Sakazuki wonder if he hadn't taken action in too long.
Had these guys forgotten what fear was...
------------
Several days later.
New World, Kibido Island.
The island where Kaido had previously held his war council.
From that day on, it became even more bustling.
Kaido was stationed here, and his other top executives also remained. With troops continuously arriving, pirates were everywhere, and the momentum for a counterattack was building...
The busiest person during this period was undoubtedly the subordinate of one of the Tobi Roppo, Rundee...
Due to the death of his only relative, his younger brother, Pegevan, Rundee had gone almost mad, leading his subordinate pirates day and night to attack the Marines.
Each time, they returned covered in wounds, only to lead their troops out again the next day.
This was a苦 task for the pirates under his command, as they did not have the monstrous recovery abilities of Zoan Devil Fruit users.
However, they did not know that.
Everything was about to end, and they would no longer have to fight so hard...
Kibido Island, ten thousand meters above the clouds.
Sakazuki, the Fleet Admiral who should have been in command at headquarters, appeared here.
He stood on the clouds, the justice cloak on his back fluttering and rustling.
Sakazuki took a puff of his cigar, then removed it and tossed it downwards. He slowly exhaled the swirling smoke and leaned forward.
He plunged downwards like a falling meteor.
His body began to burn violently, turning red, emitting thick black smoke, as if a meteorite was crashing onto the island...