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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 179: Escape
On the Ice Surface, Ace was flying away on a boat, and after traveling a distance, a figure appeared in the distance.
Whoosh.
The figure suddenly appeared beside Ace, stepping onto the boat—it was Heckler.
The boat continued sailing into the distance. Although there was an additional person, with their weight reduced to one kilogram, it posed no hindrance to the vessel.
Meanwhile, Xiaqiu was thundering away into the distance, running at full speed. His pace had reached its peak.
Before he killed Blackbeard, he could run at thirty meters per second. After consuming Blackbeard's power, he could now reach about thirty-five meters per second.
His massive body surged forward, filled with awe in his heart.
Aokiji is truly strong.
As expected of an admiral, there was a significant gap between him and Ace.
In the original story, Ace and Aokiji had a clash that ended in a stalemate, but their strength difference was still considerable.
Although fire can melt ice, Aokiji's freezing ability was far too powerful; he could freeze an entire sea area, much greater than Ace's fire. Moreover, Aokiji managed to battle Akainu, who possessed a magma Devil Fruit ability stronger than Ace's flames, for nine nights before finally being defeated—his power level was not low at all.
In terms of physical combat and Haki as well, Aokiji surpassed Ace.
The gap between them was vast.
Fortunately, a formal war had not yet begun. Even if he launched a full-scale attack using Haki and Shave, it would be difficult to defeat him.
Among his subordinates, only Elken and Christmas could participate in this battle.
Elken's explosive abilities could counter some of the ice, but the effect would not be strong enough and he would likely be taken out immediately.
Christmas could attempt a sneak attack, but Aokiji possessed Observation Haki, making it hard for a surprise attack to succeed. Moreover, with Haki, if he got hold of them even for a moment, they would be eliminated instantly.
Thus, the two could only try to restrain him, risking their lives to buy time for a sudden strike against Aokiji.
However, based on their earlier performance, it was clear that this was impossible.
For him and Ace to defeat Aokiji was nothing short of a delusion.
The only possibility lay in choosing the desert within Alabasta as the battleground, using the harsh environment to counter his abilities. The high temperatures and low steam would diminish his freezing powers. Only by launching a combined assault from the entire Baroque Studio would they have a chance to defeat Aokiji.
But there were too many issues. First, if they set the location in Alabasta, Aokiji might not even come there willingly; he could gather others to surround them instead.
Secondly, even if that were the case, the battle would likely drag on for a long time, and other Navy forces might arrive.
Lastly, Vivi disagreed. When they established the stop-loss line at that time, if Aokiji found her, Xiaqiu had once suggested that their destination be the desert inside Alabasta to confront Aokiji. However, Vivi opposed this idea, believing it would pose great danger to Alabasta. Thus, they decided on Elven Island instead.
When Aokiji arrived, Vivi would inform him that they would meet at Elven Island. She planned to call him in front of Aokiji to set up a time and lead him there.
This was the agreement between Xiaqiu and Vivi.
Xiaqiu had never laid eyes on the Navy, but with his indirect control over Baroque Works, he knew that even if he remained hidden underwater, attention would eventually come his way.
Thus, Xiaqiu had long considered what to do if the Navy arrived after devouring Vice Admiral.
The Navy's investigation could take several directions.
The most obvious was Vivi; she was the only one who could connect all the dots.
What if she got captured?
After discussing it with her, Xiaqiu agreed to let her betray him to ensure her own safety, but she had to inform him of the targets being pursued.
Depending on who was in charge of the interrogation, Vivi would provide different information.
If the leader was a Vice Admiral or lower, Vivi would tell them that they needed to make a phone call in advance. She would directly request a meeting in front of them, and then Xiaqiu would inform her where to meet.
At that point, Xiaqiu would go there and confront the Vice Admiral to prove that Vivi's words were true.
If it was an Admiral, Vivi's response would vary based on who arrived, and the content of the phone call would differ as well.
For instance, if she told Aokiji that they needed to call and meet at Elven Island.
But in reality, Vivi never needed to make a call before meeting Xiaqiu; she always knew which island he was on. So why go through such unnecessary steps?
Elven Island corresponded to Aokiji. Tuyanhai Island corresponded to Akainu, Green Leaf Island corresponded to Kizaru, and Oak Island corresponded to the P Department.
The four islands, even the one belonging to the Vice Admiral, refer to the Fourth Island.
And they informed him that Heckler is the president, who has been closely monitoring Vivi. Once the cooperation is established, he will send Cecilia to reveal her identity.
This way, Vivi can ensure her own safety as much as possible while also alerting Xiaqiu.
If Aokiji is present, Xiaqiu plans to try and engage him. With Ace around, and combining his own abilities and reserves, it might even end in a draw.
However, if Akainu and Kizaru are there, Xiaqiu and Heckler will reveal themselves and then leave.
With a submarine available, Akainu and Kizaru would find it difficult to act below the Surface of the Sea. Even if Heckler were to die, Xiaqiu could still leave calmly.
But if it comes to a confrontation, Xiaqiu would directly engage in battle to rescue Vivi.
This was the agreement between Xiaqiu and Vivi.
However, Xiaqiu did not expect Aokiji to arrive so quickly and with such formidable strength.
Nevertheless, the arrangements had already taken effect.
Next, Aokiji would follow Vivi's description to eliminate Baroque Works' strongholds.
Whiskey Peak, several islands responsible for expansion: Island One, Fourth Island, and the agents on Island Five.
They would establish their headquarters on Island One, which contains a warehouse with cash amounting to five hundred million Berries and some confidential documents, including information about the Sand-Sand Fruit's weakness being water and Alabasta's drought plan.
They would dance on Island Five, and combined with the drought in Alabasta, it would be enough to make Alabasta a victim.
After all, the city of Aluma had been abandoned due to drought, and Baroque Works had assisted Alabasta in establishing Chengdu City.
This way, Alabasta could prove it was being coerced for this reason, while also exposing Baroque Works.
A group that relied on intelligence and cunning schemes, with strength coming from giant beasts and many powerful individuals with bounties ranging from one hundred million to two hundred million, had recently been collaborating with Ace.
This aligned with Baroque Works' past behavior.
They would eliminate Baroque Works and place bounties on their own heads: Heckler and Cecilia.
Meanwhile, Xiaqiu could avoid direct pursuit and take this opportunity to abandon Baroque Works.
He had long grown tired of being an assassin for Baroque Works. Before heading to hunt Blackbeard, he had already ceased operations at Whiskey Peak.
Moreover, he had started his transformation early.
Even if Baroque Works was dismantled, he still had control over Drum Kingdom through Polar Elken Christmas. The kingdom itself was not important, but the three of them still had their uses.
Vivi would take full control of the casino, with the funds still belonging to Xiaqiu and managed by Vivi.
The shops in Ailuma City, security companies, clubs, and shipping industries would continue to exist; many had already been separated long ago.
Thus, the remaining assets would turn into healthy assets.
Next, Xiaqiu and Ace would completely divert Navy's attention.
Baroque Works would vanish entirely from everyone's sight, leaving only the pursued roaming outside.
As for Vivi, she was the key figure in this situation.
Xiaqiu was not worried about what she might do, not because he trusted her loyalty—after all, they were never superior and subordinate, merely collaborators. Without loyalty, there could be no betrayal.
The main reason was that their relationship was so intertwined that it could not be severed; too many actions bore Vivi's mark.
In capturing P9, Vivi had already taken action. Once exposed, she would have no way to escape.
Then there was Drum Kingdom, which Vivi had suggested Xiaqiu assist, hoping to help its citizens. Drum Kingdom was also moving towards a better future; she would not destroy this nation with her own hands.
For instance, the location of the Vice Admiral was information provided by Vivi.
The establishment of the intelligence system and the sharing of funds also involved Vivi's participation.
Furthermore, she had already learned about the location of the Pluton and the information regarding Historical Text. If the news about Alabasta's connection to Pluton were to spread, it would spell disaster for Alabasta.
Vivi and Baroque Works had become a shared existence; their fortunes were linked together.
Thus, she would not take unnecessary risks.
After this incident, Vivi could completely sever ties with Baroque Works and ensure her own safety.
All she needed to do was 'betray' Xiaqiu for a moment.
Next, Xiaqiu would meet with Ace, divert their attention, and escape to another location, giving them a signal that she had already moved on.
Then she would quietly return, hide away, and learn the Six Styles and Life Restoration, remaining out of sight until she succeeded.
Once she mastered these skills, she could begin to plan.
One year, two years.
By that time, she would reappear before the world.
Xiaqiu thought as she ran to the edge of the frozen ocean and jumped straight into the water, swimming towards the distance.
Oh right, Vivi still had a mission.
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