One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 553: The Last One Left Behind!

It was Whitebeard who spoke first.

He turned his head, his gaze passing over Chen Ye and landing directly on Shanks.

"When it comes to guarding an island, someone has to be able to keep things under control." The white-bearded man grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth, his tone full of admiration. "Red-haired brat, you're fast on your feet. Once you unleash your Conqueror's Haki, who can stand against you?"

This job is perfect for you.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Shanks immediately retorted!

"Whitebeard, you're missing the point." Shanks smirked, a hint of roguishness in his eyes, and retorted without hesitation, "With your six-meter-tall frame, sitting at the back gate of Future Island, you look like a true god. Anyone who sees that from afar would be scared half to death. Who would dare to venture onto the island? If you stayed, you might not even need to use your Haki. That's what you call real authority."

The two went back and forth, praising each other as "more suitable." But their words clearly implied that they were both desperately trying to push the arduous task of staying behind onto the other.

The tense atmosphere was completely dispelled by the two of them.

Both Whitebeard and Shanks are warlike. No one wants to miss Elbaf, that battlefield destined to crush countless powerful warriors.

Vegapunk quietly took two steps back.

He knew all too well what the situation was like.

These three have just completed their power upgrade, and their current strength far surpasses their former peak. Each of them wants to test their current power!

So he could only lower his head, pretend to be staring intently at the data on the screen, and obediently wait for Chen Ye to speak.

Chen Ye was well aware of Whitebeard and Shanks's little schemes.

However, Chen Ye was not prepared to choose either of them from the beginning, because they had found more suitable candidates!

His gaze landed precisely on the dragon beside him.

Shanks and Whitebeard precisely captured Chenye's movements from the side!

Both Whitebeard and Shanks fell silent.

The dragon throne remained in place, not avoiding Chen Ye's gaze.

He simply looked at the other person quietly.

He had already guessed the answer.

The least desirable and most easily rejected spot for staying behind will most likely end up in your own hands.

Long frowned slightly, about to speak and fight for a chance to fight, but Chen Ye cut him off first.

"Stop arguing. You're the most suitable."

Chen Ye's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable decisiveness, like a heavy hammer slamming onto the control panel, completely sealing off all avenues of retreat.

He gave Long no room to refute, and immediately raised his hand to throw out the first reason.

"First, you and Vegapunk have known each other the longest, making cooperation the most convenient." Chen Ye held up a finger, his gaze cold and stern. "Where are the overall defense nodes of Future Island? How are the research areas layered? What are the backup routes for emergency evacuation? Your Revolutionary Army knows best. If it were those two, they might not even know how to figure out the outermost access code. If the enemy really attacks, they wouldn't even know how to activate the defensive shields."

The second finger then rises.

"Secondly, what is the Revolutionary Army best at? Underground communication, layered defense, and information blockade. You are used to operating in the shadows, and your organization and discipline are far superior to those of pirates. Future Island, a sophisticated and complex research island, requires tight control; it's not something that can be defended by whoever has the biggest fist. This isn't a place where you can just fight randomly."

The third finger points straight at the dragon.

"Third, and most importantly. Ivankov, Koala, Sabo, and your entire crew are the fastest to follow you. They can execute orders immediately. With you taking over the defense of Future Island, the situation will definitely not be chaotic. But if pirates were to take over, it would take several days just for them to get used to each other."

As soon as Chen Ye finished speaking, Vegapunk, who had been cowering to the side, immediately moved.

He typed rapidly on the keyboard, and the projection of the three-dimensional defense network of Future Island was instantly pulled out.

Vegapunk pushed up his glasses and spoke rapidly, like a machine gun.

"Chen Ye is absolutely right!"

"The pirate crew's officers are certainly capable fighters, I admit! But there's no way they could learn this entire process in half a day! Pressing the wrong button in this kind of situation would cause the entire defense system to collapse on the spot! This is a technical skill! A real technical skill! It's not something that can be mastered by whoever has the biggest fist!"

After he finished speaking, the control room fell silent for a moment.

The white-bearded man stroked his chin. Shanks looked up at the ceiling. Neither of them spoke.

The complex wiring and permission nodes on the projection screen were a headache to look at. They all knew in their hearts that Vegapunk was telling the truth.

They wouldn't even blink if you told them to go and chop people up.

But letting them handle these sophisticated instruments is indeed more unbearable than killing them.

Seeing that the situation had completely turned in their favor, the white-bearded man immediately seized the opportunity and burst into loud laughter, which made the lampshade above his head tremble slightly.

"Gurararara! Vegapunk is right this time." He gripped the hilt of Murakumogiri again, his tone suddenly becoming lighter. "The Revolutionary Army is indeed more reliable at guarding our base than us pirates. The guys on my ship are fine for charging into battle. But if we let them guard the machines, they'd probably be taken apart by me in no time. It's safer to leave it to the experts."

Shanks responded quickly, even letting out an exaggerated sigh and spreading his hands.

"Yes. If those guys on my ship stayed to guard the island, I guarantee they'd empty the liquor cabinet in the lab in less than half a day. After that, they'd drunkenly use the Seraphim as target practice. If we really leave them here, Future Island might not be destroyed by the enemy, but by our own people first. It's safest to leave Mr. Long here."

The two of them spoke in unison, seemingly joking around, but in reality, they were making Chen Ye's decision adamant from the very first moment.

They didn't want to give Long a chance to back out.

Otherwise, if you're not careful, this task might fall back on your shoulders.

Dragon stood there, ignoring Whitebeard and Shanks' teasing.

He remained silent for a few seconds.

The desire to fight was still there, but the bigger picture was more important.

The importance of Future Island is undeniable. If it falls, all the victories on the front lines will be meaningless.

Long looked up at Chen Ye, his gaze deep and calm, and finally said only one sentence.

"I'll stay behind with the Revolutionary Army. Future Island is mine."

The sound wasn't loud, but it gave people a sense of security.

The personnel to remain on duty have now been officially decided.

Whitebeard let out a long sigh of relief and hoisted Murakumogiri back onto his shoulder. Shanks also lowered his arms, his expression visibly more relaxed.

The weight that had been pressing on their hearts was finally lifted.

In this way, they can go to Elbaf and have a good fight without any scruples.

Ke Long didn't let the conversation end there.

He shifted his gaze from Chen Ye's face and turned to look at the holographic projection.

He looked at it for a moment.

Then, he slowly turned his head and stared intently into Chen Ye's eyes.

"I promised to stay."

Long's voice deepened, containing an undeniable force and an indescribable sense of entrustment.

"But I have one condition."

The air that had just relaxed instantly tightened again.

Whitebeard paused. Shanks' smile faded. All eyes turned back to the dragon.

Long stared at Chen Ye and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Bring Sabo along."