Chapter 226: A New Alliance and the Great Pursuit

He wasn’t the best judge of character, but after a few rounds of heavy drinking, everyone’s true colors started to shine through. They say a man’s drinking habits reflect his nature. Relieved, he felt he’d done right by the village chief and dove headlong into the raging drinking contest.

Time slipped by. They didn’t stop drinking until dusk finally fell.

The next morning, just as Kozuki Oden woke up with a pounding head and was about to leave, Newgate strode up to him. “Oden, interested in joining us?”

Oden hesitated. He did want to join a powerful pirate crew to avenge Wano, but he wasn’t sure if the giant before him—Whitebeard—had any ties to Karl.

After thinking it over again and again, he agreed in the end. He couldn’t find anyone stronger. If he tried to take revenge on his own, it would take a lifetime.

Besides, this giant’s strength was impressive. It wouldn’t hurt to join and scope things out. If the chance presented itself, maybe he could use Whitebeard’s power for his own vengeance.

“Sure, I was just hoping for a chance to set sail,” Oden replied with a grin. Hearing the clear answer, Newgate broke into a wide smile, grabbed a cup from nearby, and toasted him. “Welcome aboard!”

Oden also grabbed a cup, lifted it high, and clinked glasses. “Looking forward to fighting alongside you guys.”

He brought along his nine loyal retainers, officially joining the Whitebeard Pirates.

Meanwhile, Linlin and her crew had returned to Cake Island. They’d already recovered from the journey by the time they landed. The very first thing Linlin did was send her fishman scouts to keep tabs on John’s forces and ordered her army to lay siege to Beehive Island.

“Mama, word just came in—Wang Zhi and Silver Axe have both vanished without a trace,”

“No sign of either of them anywhere in their territory.” Perospero handed Linlin a stack of intelligence reports.

They had informants of their own. After losing the fight yesterday, Wang Zhi and Silver Axe never returned to their base. Linlin’s people wanted revenge, but with no one to strike at, they were left empty-handed.

Linlin hadn’t expected them to be so quick to disappear. “Ma~ma~ma~ma, but where can they run?”

She reached for the Den Den Mushi nearby. “Buru buru!”

“Davis, that you?”

The call connected quickly and a voice responded, “Lady Linlin, is there something urgent?”

Davis and his crew were searching for Thunder Island in the New World when Linlin’s call came in. He felt a jolt of surprise, thinking something major must have happened back on Cake Island. He instantly asked what was going on.

“Track down Wang Zhi and Silver Axe in the New World. If you hear anything, report to me immediately.”

Linlin ended the call without another word.

Davis stared at the Den Den Mushi in confusion, then set it down, trying to puzzle out why she wanted them searching for Wang Zhi and Silver Axe.

He immediately reached out to Krell, who was on Fishman Island. After some back-and-forth, he learned that John, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe had ambushed Linlin just as she was returning from the New World Navy base.

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a new target.”

Davis grinned wickedly as he glanced at Notty and the others around him.

Honestly, they’d spent so much time running errands they’d gotten restless. A good fight would do wonders for their mood.

Notty and his crew nodded gravely, anger simmering beneath the surface. Who’d dare ambush their pirate crew? If they hadn’t skipped that last outing, would John and his buddies have escaped at all?

Dropping what they were doing, they set out from the island right away. Their goal: find Wang Zhi and Silver Axe at any cost.

As for Thunder Island, they had a few clues but nothing concrete. Figured they’d ask around while they searched.

Hunting down the island could wait a bit longer. Karl himself would probably order them to go after Silver Axe and Wang Zhi first, not chase after Thunder Island.

The only problem—they couldn’t reach Karl right now. If they could, they’d report everything to him straight away. Wang Zhi and Silver Axe couldn’t possibly stay hidden for long in the New World.

At the same time, Linlin spread the word to her other contacts and issued wanted posters for Wang Zhi and Silver Axe across all Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line. Suddenly, the two outlaws were like dogs with nowhere to hide.

The pair had hoped to lie low until things blew over, but with their faces plastered everywhere, they had no choice but to hole up together on a secret island, trading whispers back and forth.

Wang Zhi spoke in a panic. “Damn it, what do we do now? Wanted posters everywhere!”

He hadn’t expected Linlin to go this far. Now he wouldn’t dare step outside, terrified someone would betray them and sell out their location.

Reaching out for help was out of the question. If Linlin’s people tracked them down, their lives would be forfeit.

Silver Axe could only give a helpless, bitter laugh. “Well, we’re the ones who joined that fight. In the end, we’ve brought this on ourselves.”

“How can you say that now? I’m asking, what do we do—how do we get away?!”

Hearing this, Silver Axe just shook his head in hopeless defeat.

“Nobody in the New World would dare go against Karl.”

Silver Axe went on, “You know, Karl can stand toe-to-toe with Rocks. At God Valley, he changed the course of the whole battle. Without his attack, we’d never have broken into God Valley.”

“And the two of us? No way we’re escaping their grasp. Their influence covers the whole damn sea. Believe that if you want.”

He paused before continuing, “The second we step outside, word would get out within the hour. In just a few more, they’d swarm us. No way out—we’d be caught for sure.”

Wang Zhi shouted desperately, “We have to think of something! I’m not just going to sit here and wait to die like a coward!”

He paced frantically around the cave they were hiding in, sweat pouring down his face.

Just the thought of being caught by Linlin made him break out in shivers.

Wang Zhi had always been a timid pirate. Now, fear ruled his heart. He didn’t want to die—not like this.

All at once, he offered a suggestion, looking up at Silver Axe. “What if we just storm Cake Island and beg for mercy? Maybe Linlin would let us live.”

Silver Axe shook his head. “No way. That would only speed up our deaths. The moment we attacked Linlin, we burned every bridge.”

Wang Zhi shouted, “Then what do you suggest? That’s not gonna work, and nothing else will either! So, do you have a real plan or not?” Frustrated when every idea was turned down, he stomped his foot hard on the ground.

Silver Axe said, “I’ve got a secret hideout in South Blue. Why don’t we lay low there for a while?”