The moment everyone on the Dawn realized what had just fallen from the sky, the entire ship fell into an eerie silence.
With stiff necks, they slowly looked up to see Wright, clad in his Justice coat and golden wings spread wide, descending steadily.
"'Drought' Jack has been executed! All G-5 personnel, listen up! Eliminate the enemy—leave no survivors!"
"ROAR!"
"Vice Admiral Wright!"
"Vice Admiral Wright is invincible!!"
"Charge!"
"Cut these pirates down!!"
The Marines' morale soared beyond any normal battle fervor.
Shock. Absolute shock.
How many years had it been since news this explosive shook the seas?
One of the Four Emperors, Kaido's trusted lieutenant, the infamous Calamity known as "Jack the Drought"—
Had been slain in single combat by Vice Admiral Wright.
Not just defeated. Slain. Decapitated.
What level of power and resolve did this require?
With a leader of such overwhelming strength, the G-5 branch stood unshakable.
Conversely, the enemy pirates, who had been desperately resisting while waiting for Jack's reinforcements, were now utterly broken. Despair overtook them, their will to fight vanishing in an instant.
Lord Jack—one of the All-Stars—had been beheaded!
And that final order—leave no survivors!
Were they trying to prevent word from reaching Kaido?
But… we could just be taken to Impel Down!
"So, are we really wiping them all out this time?" Smoker asked as he approached Wright. The enemy pirates' will had collapsed completely; wiping them out was only a matter of time.
"Yes," Wright nodded. "Killing Jack did involve a bit of luck."
Beside him, Jack's massive severed head added weight to his words. Luck is a part of strength, isn't it?
"This cuts off Doflamingo's support and weakens Kaido's forces. Losing an All-Star means Kaido won't be able to replace that level of power for years."
"We'll keep this under wraps for now. Wipe them all out and erase any trace of the battle. That way, by the time Kaido realizes what happened, it'll already be too late. A subordinate at Jack's level wouldn't have his Vivre Card monitored daily."
"Doflamingo will have to swallow this loss, but he'll definitely suspect me."
"Once he does, he'll inform Kaido. The moment Kaido checks Jack's Vivre Card, he'll know—and then he'll come for us. We need time to prepare."
"And… if Drake proves himself, maybe our earlier discussion will become reality."
"..." Smoker's expression was incredulous. "You want an undercover agent to rise to the rank of All-Star?"
"If the opportunity arises, it's up to him to take it. If not, and someone else takes Jack's place first, we just need to find a way to take them down, too."
"..."
Soon, the pirate forces were completely eradicated—no survivors, not even those who had fallen into the sea. Wright's orders had been carried out to the letter.
"Maintain vigilance. Set sail for G-5!"
At Wright's command, the Dawn hoisted its sails and headed back to base.
In the ship's secure chamber, Wright retrieved a white Den Den Mushi—one that blocked eavesdropping. He connected it to the Den Den Mushi line and dialed Sengoku's number.
"Brrr… brrr… click!"
"This is Sengoku."
"It's Wright."
"Oh? Kid, don't you usually just teleport back to report? What's with the call?"
"Drake's intel from last time has been confirmed—Jack, one of the All-Stars, was indeed on his way to Dressrosa."
The Den Den Mushi raised a brow, its tone turning serious. "How did the plan go?"
"Perfectly… there is no longer a 'Jack' in this world."
"...!"
The Den Den Mushi's eyes widened in shock, freezing for several seconds before speaking again, tension lacing its voice.
"You killed him?"
"That's right. His head is still on the Dawn—maybe have Kuzan freeze it for preservation? It's worth several hundred million, after all."
"..."
After a few seconds of silence, the Den Den Mushi erupted into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Good! That's excellent news! It's been too long since I've heard something this satisfying!"
Sengoku laughed so hard that he nearly teared up. Originally, the plan had been for Wright to heavily injure Jack, rendering him ineffective in Dressrosa.
But now, Jack was dead. The problem had been permanently erased.
"It should've been harder to kill him… but as luck would have it, I exploited a weakness. Leaving him alive would've been a waste."
Under normal circumstances, killing Jack wouldn't have been easy for Wright. He could've done it, but it would've taken considerable effort.
Jack was ridiculously resilient, with absurd recovery abilities—even the Three Admirals couldn't kill him in a short time.
Unless he was completely restrained and left defenseless.
Mihawk had once admitted that he couldn't withstand Wright's seventh sword technique, Judgment. But if he had Jack's endurance and healing, he could probably take twenty or thirty of those strikes.
"I see," Sengoku mused. But he didn't press for details—Jack was dead. No need to analyze weaknesses now.
Wright's success wasn't just about eliminating Jack. It signified something more.
The Navy had gained another top-tier combat force.
"Holding off Kaido's retaliation will take time. Do you need reinforcements?"
"For now, no. If we move too many forces, Kaido might back off entirely—he's not reckless."
"We need this battle to shake the seas and deter those emboldened by the Four Emperors."
The Den Den Mushi's expression grew solemn. "So, a battle with Kaido is inevitable. With the help of Lightforged Beacons, call for reinforcements if necessary."
"Old man Sengoku, have you considered just luring Kaido into a trap with the Three Admirals and Garp?"
Wright smirked at the thought—Kaido charging in, only to be blindsided by four Admiral-level forces beating him down.
"That won't work…"
The Den Den Mushi sighed. "Kaido is called the 'Strongest Creature on Land, Sea, and Air' for a reason. Unless he chooses to be caught, it's nearly impossible."
"In his dragon form, even Kuzan's freezing won't hold him. If he wants to escape, no one can stop him."
"Rather than scare him off, a hard-fought battle will serve our purposes better."
"Understood."
Wright nodded. "I'll stage the battle on a nearby deserted island and intercept Kaido. Regular G-5 Marines should evacuate beforehand."
"Agreed. I'll have G-1 send ships to transport them."
"Good. And Jack's head?"
"I'll send Kuzan."
...
"Ahh, Wright, you really did a number this time."
In the Dawn's storage chamber, Kuzan inspected the massive severed head.
"His expression… damn, he did not want to die."
"Does anyone?" Wright chuckled. "Thanks for making the trip. Once we reach G-5, G-1's ships will take you back."
Kuzan nodded and froze Jack's head. "You're almost on par with us Admirals now."
"You just need more explosive power. If you improve that, you'll truly stand as an equal."
Wright paused, then smiled. "After this fight, I have some ideas. If I can refine them in time… maybe I'll be ready before Kaido arrives."
"Oh? Can't wait to see it. Too bad I won't be here for the fight."
"If you need backup, just call."
"…Will do."
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