novelhk Chapter 25 Do you want to win?
Chapter 25 Do you want to win?
The two slowly walked up behind Chen Ye!
Marco stood beside the white-bearded man, his brows furrowed as he looked at Chen Ye's slender yet remarkably composed back.
He wanted to speak.
But he knew that only one person could speak first.
"Kid."
Finally, a voice as heavy as a mountain sounded behind Chen Ye.
"Why didn't you speak up during the meeting?"
His voice was flat, revealing no emotion.
"I don't believe you can't do it."
Just as Marco expected.
As expected, Dad figured it out too!
The boy, who remained calm and detached from the entire meeting room, was the most unusual person in the first place!
The sea breeze howled.
Chen Ye did not turn around immediately.
He continued to gaze at the distant sea, its surface bathed in moonlight, turning it silvery white.
Why aren't you saying anything?
Because he knew that in that war room filled with the flames of anger and revenge, any rational plan would be futile.
Those captains blinded by pride and anger, those heroes who value honor and dignity above all else, will not listen to any "tricks" until they have suffered a crushing defeat.
What they need is not a perfect plan.
What they need is utter despair.
They need to experience firsthand that mere enthusiasm cannot shake the steel fortress that the Navy Headquarters has been building for hundreds of years.
Only when everyone sobers up from their frenzy and is enveloped by a sense of powerlessness and despair.
Only then will his plan have a chance of being heard.
And now, the time has come.
Under the two piercing gazes behind him, Chen Ye slowly turned around.
He raised his head and met those kingly eyes that could make the world tremble.
His expression was so calm that it sent a chill down Marco's spine.
"Dad."
Chen Ye spoke, his voice clear and distinct in the sea breeze.
"Before I tell you my solution."
"I only have one question for you."
He paused, each word seeming to have been forged through countless trials, striking heavily into the hearts of Whitebeard and Marco.
"This war..."
"Do you want to win?"
boom!
win?
This single word was like a thunderclap from the heavens, exploding in the minds of Whitebeard and Marco!
Marco's expression froze instantly, his eyes, which always carried a hint of laziness, widened in shock.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
They're going to rescue Ace!
They're going to war with the navy!
They considered countless possibilities, imagined tragic sacrifices, imagined rivers of blood, and imagined doing everything in their power to bring Ace back!
But only...
The word "win" is the only one they dare not even think about!
That's the Navy Headquarters!
It is the world government's most powerful military force!
It is an absolute fortress guarded by three generals!
Even the once-renowned Golden Lion perished in Marineford!
They went to save lives! They were willing to risk their own lives! They were going to sacrifice an old era to save a family member's life!
Winning is simply a pipe dream for them!
The white-bearded man's massive body shuddered violently.
Even after decades of naval experience, he couldn't help but be shocked by Chen Ye's words!
Although he wanted to win!
I dream about it!
However, he understood the navy's true strength better than anyone else.
To save Ace!
He has made all the preparations.
He prepared to use his broken body and his aging life to carve a path home for his children.
He had long since disregarded his own life and death.
For him, victory was simply rescuing Ace.
Even if the Whitebeard Pirates were to fall apart as a result.
Even if he himself were to sleep forever in Marineford.
But now.
The boy in front of him, who had just joined the family, was a young man shrouded in mystery.
But in a matter-of-fact tone, she presented him with a possibility he never even dared to consider.
win?
Chen Ye ignored their shock.
He simply and calmly, word by word, completed his question.
"It wasn't a Pyrrhic victory."
"It's not about sacrificing countless brothers' lives."
"It's not about exchanging your life for it."
He looked directly into the white-bearded man's eyes, his voice suddenly rising in pitch, carrying an undeniable conviction.
"I'm asking you, Father!"
"Do you want to... utterly crush the Navy in front of the whole world!"
"The whole family has returned, with not a single one missing!"
Dead silence.
A deathly silence so profound you could hear a pin drop.
The sea breeze seemed to stand still at that moment.
Marco felt as if his heart was being gripped by an invisible hand, making it difficult to even breathe.
Are all family members present?
Everyone's back?
How...how is this possible?
Even the white-bearded man's chest began to heave violently.
His eyes, too, were churning with a stormy sea of emotions.
Anger, shock, doubt, and... a trace of longing that was forcibly suppressed deep within his heart, a longing that even he dared not touch!
Yes.
Who doesn't want to win?
Who wouldn't want their children to come back safe and sound?
Edward Newgate, who roamed the seas his entire life, was never afraid.
But time waits for no man; he grew old and fell ill.
He lost confidence.
So he chose the most tragic path, which he saw as the only viable one.
She would give her own life to save her son's.
But Chen Ye's words were like a key, forcefully piercing into the deepest part of his heart and prying open the shackles called "acceptance of fate"!
for a long time.
for a long time.
The imposing aura emanating from the white-bearded man, which had suffocated Marco, slowly subsided.
He loosened his grip on the "Murakumo-giri" and let out a long, complex sigh.
In that sigh, there was relief, and also resolve.
He refocused his gaze on Chen Ye's face, his eyes no longer holding the scrutiny and suspicion they had shown before.
Instead, there was an unprecedented sense of solemnity and anticipation.
"Gurala la la..."
A low, suppressed laugh escaped from his throat.
He looked at Chen Ye as if he were looking at someone who was his equal.
"Speak."
"What's your plan?"