Charlotte Linlin's words made Sengoku think, As expected.
As old rivals, he naturally knew that Charlotte Linlin was not someone to be trifled with.
Her willingness to come along with Whitebeard and Kaido this time definitely meant she had her own motives.
"Compensation? I think you should be clear about one thing: your son wasn't killed by the Marines or the World Government. The Marines and the World Government shouldn't be held responsible for this." Sengoku stated.
Handing over the culprit was possible. After all, those bodies were discovered on World Government territory. They could simply announce that the scientist acted on his own, having bought the bodies from a mysterious person, or come up with some other excuse to shift the blame.
That wouldn't damage the reputation of the Marines or the World Government. However, compensating Charlotte Linlin and the others would change the nature of the matter entirely.
The Marines would absolutely never do such a thing. The World Government would also never allow the Marines or itself to make such a decision. So Sengoku refused without a second thought.
"If there's no compensation, then there will be war. After all, the deceased this time include not only core crew members from our three pirate crews and your Marine Vice Admirals, but also Hozuki Ranzuki. This person might have a certain connection to that person. Perhaps that person is even here right now, waiting for your decision. If he's not satisfied, the last major incident might just happen again, so you better think it over carefully," Charlotte Linlin threatened Sengoku.
The person she referred to was naturally Hui. And the "last major incident" she mentioned was, of course, the raid on Marine Headquarters.
These words left Hui, who was in the sky above, speechless.
He was currently hovering between the two fleets, overlooking everything below. He had simply used some of his abilities to completely conceal himself.
This invisibility stemmed from the spatial dimension. While Hui was above the fleets, he was actually in a separate space. Therefore, even though almost everyone below could use Observation Haki, and some even possessed special sensory abilities, no one could detect his presence.
Hearing Charlotte Linlin use him to bully others naturally rendered him speechless.
Ever since collecting the Devil Fruits last time, he had lost interest in this world.
This world could be left for the younger generation of the Sage Shinobi Nation to handle. This included collecting Devil Fruits; that task would also be theirs. Unless this world truly hid an extremely powerful final boss, Hui wouldn't intervene again.
But the people below were unaware of his thoughts.
Charlotte Linlin's threat had indeed been successful.
Sengoku and the others were on high alert.
They were making such a grand display of force, wasn't it just to prevent the god from suddenly appearing and causing trouble?
"That person is that person; you are you. If that person truly appears and declares a connection with Hozuki Ranzuki, then even if it costs them their lives, the Marines will find the true mastermind and give that person an explanation.
"But as for you, Charlotte Linlin, if you want war, then you will have a war." Sengoku declared firmly and domineeringly, not putting Charlotte Linlin in his eyes at all.
This stunned Charlotte Linlin, her face darkening. "Although we are not as strong as that person, if the three of us join forces, even if the Marines can hold us off, you will certainly pay an extremely heavy price.
"You haven't recovered from the losses of the last incident. If you suffer huge losses again this time, I believe many will be interested in completely annihilating the Marines.
"Sengoku, you need to think this through carefully. Moreover, this time, your Vice Admiral Sakazuki is also dead, his body appearing in a World Government laboratory. You say it's a frame-up, but who knows if it's true? You should know better than us what the World Government is like."
Charlotte Linlin spoke, not expecting Sengoku to refuse her compensation so readily. From her perspective, as long as war could be avoided, the Marines would surely agree to pay a small price.
"No, you're wrong, Charlotte Linlin. You speak of 'us,' but only you are demanding compensation. We are only targeting you," Sengoku said.
He wasn't foolish and could see that Whitebeard had no desire for compensation; he only wanted an explanation.
As for Kaido, Sengoku was verbally pulling him aside.
If Kaido insisted on joining Charlotte Linlin in war, then so be it. The Marines weren't afraid of just Charlotte Linlin and Kaido!
Sengoku's words made Charlotte Linlin's heart sink.
She naturally knew Whitebeard's stance. While Whitebeard didn't want war in his heart, if she fought the Marines, Charlotte Linlin knew Whitebeard would definitely help her.
After all, the three of them had come together this time, and both she and Kaido were responding to Whitebeard's call.
Coupled with Whitebeard's loyal and righteous nature, he would never stand idly by. As for Kaido, once war broke out, he would definitely choose to participate.
Therefore, Sengoku's words had no real impact on her.
However, she didn't want a war to break out! Her purpose in coming wasn't for war, but for compensation, for reputation. So, what should she do next to achieve her goal against the unyielding Sengoku...?
Just as Charlotte Linlin was pondering, a sudden change occurred.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
A series of cannon fire erupted.
Ships from Whitebeard's, Kaido's, and Charlotte Linlin's fleets launched a simultaneous attack on the Marines!
This sudden turn of events left Charlotte Linlin's mind blank.
She quickly regained her senses, her face drastically changing. "Fight back!! Fight back!!!"
A voice suddenly rang out among the Marines, snapping the taut string in their tense bodies.
As that tense string broke, they instinctively loaded and fired their cannons. In an instant, numerous cannonballs hurtled towards the opposing pirate ships.
This sudden attack made Sengoku's face change. But it wasn't over yet. A loud voice boomed: "Ice Age!"
The entire sea surface began to freeze. Thick layers of ice instantly froze the sea between the Marines and the pirates, forming a massive ice field.
"Attack! Kill them!"
People from both the pirate side and the Marines shouted.
A Marine Vice Admiral and a pirate captain, both individuals of considerable rank, issued these commands.
Following their orders, the still somewhat bewildered men instinctively obeyed, jumping off their ships and charging toward the opposing side.
"Fuck! That's not good!"
Sengoku, Whitebeard, and Charlotte Linlin all thought the same, rising to stop the erupting war.
However, those who had been preparing in secret wouldn't let them succeed...