One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 23 The Silent Chen Ye, Under the Gaze of the Four Emperors!

The white-bearded man's questioning voice instantly made Chen Ye the focus of the entire conference room.

Everyone

Swish swish--!

All eyes turned to the corner of the conference room.

That's where the 14th Division is located.

Next to an empty captain's seat stood the boy who hadn't uttered a single word from beginning to end.

The 7th Division Captain, Rakuyo, had blood still dripping from his fist, which was wrapped in iron chains, and his bloodshot eyes were filled with impatience and irritation.

A newcomer.

A little brat who has just shown a little bit of power.

Although he's a genius!

but!

In a meeting where the fate of the entire pirate crew is decided, how could the old man ask for his opinion?

Captain Blenheim of the Ninth Division paused slightly, his massive frame momentarily frozen in confusion.

Meanwhile, Vista, the captain of the Fifth Division, unconsciously twirled his signature mustache, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

He could never forget it.

I can't forget the young man who, fresh out of school, stood at the bow of the ship, facing the barrage of cannon fire with such composure.

I can't forget the terrifying scene of him punching a hundred-meter-long warship into countless pieces from hundreds of meters away.

This newcomer is different.

But it was Marco who first noticed that Chenye was different from usual.

His perpetually sleepy eyes were now fixed intently on Chen Ye.

Not right.

Something's really wrong.

From the start of the meeting until now, Lakyo has been roaring, Blenheim has been howling, Tohsworth has been arguing, and Namuel has been making proposals.

Almost everyone was venting their anger and anxiety, which were almost burning away their reason, in their own way.

Even the old man, beneath his silence, was surging with a raging fury powerful enough to make the ocean tremble.

What about Chen Ye?

He was too quiet.

It was unusually quiet, completely out of place with everything around it.

But this wasn't fear, Marco was certain of it.

He had witnessed how this young man managed to withstand the overwhelming power of Shanks, one of the Four Emperors.

It is not indifference towards the war either.

After all, he had also witnessed how this boy, when he foresaw Ace's future, rushed to his father with heartbreaking grief and issued that desperate warning.

At this moment, he should be the most anxious and the most angry.

But he didn't.

This is completely different from Chen Ye's usual self!

Marco noticed Chen Ye at that moment!

There was only a bottomless calm.

It was a chilling calmness, as if one were detached from the situation.

It was as if, in his eyes, this war that was capable of overturning the world was nothing more than a replay of an event whose ending he already knew.

This thought sent a chill down Marco's spine.

"What's wrong?"

The white-bearded man's majestic voice rang out again, his massive body leaning slightly forward, casting a shadow that almost completely enveloped Chen Ye.

"Is my son scared out of his wits by the navy's display of force?"

Although his words carried a hint of teasing, his regal eyes gleamed with a sharp, all-seeing light.

The air in the entire conference room seemed to freeze.

All the team captains held their breath.

They are all waiting.

We await what earth-shattering words this newcomer, who has created a miracle, will utter next.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Chen Ye finally made his move.

He slowly raised his head from the shadows in the corner, his gaze calmly sweeping over the faces that were either anxious, expectant, or questioning.

Finally, his gaze met that of the white-bearded man in mid-air.

He spoke slowly and deliberately, in a clear, steady voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

"Dad."

"My brothers are all big shots who have been in the New World for many years. They are powerful and experienced."

Even my brothers couldn't come up with a perfect solution.

"I'm just a newcomer who just boarded the ship, with very little strength. What good ideas could I possibly have?"

The words fell.

The entire conference room fell into an even more eerie silence than before.

disappointment.

Utter disappointment was evident on the faces of most of the team leaders.

"cut."

Lakyo spat dismissively and turned his head away, as if looking at Chen Ye even once was a waste of time.

"After all that, I thought he had some brilliant idea."

"He's still just a kid."

"What use is it in a time like this?"

Suppressed murmurs rose like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

The faint hope that had risen within them was completely shattered by Chen Ye's humble, almost nonsensical, reply.

Yes.

How could they possibly expect anything from a newcomer?

They are the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates! They are renowned and powerful figures on the high seas!

Even they were helpless, so what could a mere kid do?

Marco, standing to the side, frowned even more deeply.

Chen Ye's words might fool others, but how could they possibly fool Marco, a shrewd man?

That's not right.

Nine out of ten points are incorrect!

This statement would be perfectly reasonable coming from any newcomer.

But when Chen Ye said it, it was full of questions!

This is definitely not a Chen Ye that Marco knows!

This is definitely not the Chen Ye who dared to use the "Domineering Influence Theory" to flatter his father!

It's not like Chen Ye, who dared to face the naval fleet alone and annihilate it with a laugh!

He must be hiding something.

Or rather, what is he waiting for?

Just when everyone was feeling disappointed and preparing to fall back into that endless argument.

The white-bearded man, who had been sitting upright in the main seat, made a reaction that no one expected.

He was neither angry nor disappointed.

He smiled.

"Gurala la la la..."

That signature laugh, deep and powerful, echoed in the oppressive conference room.

He looked at Chen Ye, and a meaningful glint flashed in his eyes, which seemed to see right through people's hearts.

"Insignificant strength?"

The white-bearded man repeated the four words, his voice tinged with amusement.

"If a kid who can shatter the Navy Headquarters Vice Admiral's flagship with a single punch is considered weak, then he is weak."

"Then there are probably not many strong people left on this vast sea."

He didn't press the matter further.

He also ignored the reactions of his other sons.

This strongest man in the world, standing at the pinnacle of the era, simply gazed at Chen Ye with his kingly eyes.

That gaze was no longer that of an elder looking at a younger person.

Rather, it is a kind of examination at the same level.

It was as if they wanted to pierce through Chen Ye's calm exterior and see what kind of turbulent secrets were hidden deep within his soul.

Under that gaze, Chen Ye kept his head down, his expression unchanged.