Meanwhile, on Granu Island, a man sat on the chair. He was a tall, slim man with fair skin and a slightly wrinkled face. He had a pointed nose and prominent cheekbones. He wore a black tuxedo with a blue vest, a white collared shirt, a purple crossover tie, and a black top hat with a purple band. He also wore white gloves, gold cufflinks, black shoes, and a long light-blue scarf. He carried a black cane with a gold snake decoration wrapped around it. "I have made the announcement to everyone," he said.
"You have King Cello," a greyish-skinned man responded. He had a crooked smile, a thin nose, large ears, and a prominent chin. He had dark circles under his eyes, was missing a few teeth, and had short gray hair. He wore a pink scarf, brown shirt with wide white cuffs on the sleeves, a pair of black gloves, dark pants and boots with huge triangular buckles. Over his left shoulder was a thick belt with a triangular buckle, His scarf was held up by a brooch in the form of a snake's head. "They all will be going to collect the Life Gems," he added.
"Yes Cal. They will be going to collect the Life Gem for the price of 100,000 Beli," Cello replied.
"Are you intending to give the rewards out if they get us the Life Gems?" Cal questioned.
"Yes, I fully intended to give out the promised rewards to the participants," Cello replied as he sat on the chair. "They have worked to get the valuable gems and we should keep our end of the bargain," he added.
"Yes of course," Cal responded. He looked at the King Cello.
"We both know how precious the Life Gems are, they could give our Kingdom a new taste for the food industry," Cello responded.
"You are right," Cal replied. "Should we have informed the Marines beforehand?" he asked.
"They have known about our situation and we have just informed them," Cello responded.
"You are a genius," Cal remarked.
At the Marine base on Malti Island, the atmosphere was thick with cigar smoke. Inside the command center, several high-ranking officers gathered around a tactical map of the Cream Mist Archipelago.
Smoker leaned over the table and puffed on two cigars at once. Beside him stood Tashigi who put her hand on the hilt of Shichiseiken.
"The 'Treasure Wars' tournament will turn this entire sector into a magnet for filth," Smoker growled.
"Yes Captain Smoker, pirates who had heard about his radio transmission will be coming here," Tashigi said. She wondered if he would be coming as well.
"It is a disgrace," Captain T-Bone added. His skeletal face looked more grim than usual. He stood tall. "To turn an archipelago into a playground for greed, the civilians living here are in constant danger. My heart bleeds for the innocent souls who will be caught in the crossfire," he added.
Jerry cracked his knuckles. "It's a perfect opportunity, isn't it? We let them gather, and then we sweep them all up in one go. Besides, with the situation at Marineford escalating, the higher-ups want any potential threats neutralized before the 'Great Event' begins," he said.
"Marineford," Tashigi whispered. "The atmosphere there is so tense. Every Marine in the world is on edge," she added.
"That's exactly why we need to wrap this up quickly," Wanze chirped as he adjusted his strange goggles and wiped a bit of ramen dough from his sleeve. "If we catch the big names here, it's one less headache for the Admirals later," he said.
Tashigi thought there would be no reason for pirates coming here, will go there however she knew pirates would see this as a opportunity.
T-Bone slammed a fist onto the table. "We must prioritise the protection of the civilians who will have nowhere to run. I cannot allow a single drop of innocent blood to be shed," he said with passion.
Smoker looked at T-Bone. He puffed his cigarette. "I agree. There are a number of islands here, we will go and reinforce the forces there," Smoker said.
"What about the base?" Jerry asked as he stretched his long limbs. "Someone needs to stay back and coordinate with the other islands in the archipelago," he said. He smiled.
"I'll stay," Jerry decided. "I'll keep the Marine base secure and monitor the communications from King Cello's broadcast," he added.
"Fine," Smoker said. "I am going to visit this Cello," he added. He looked at Tashigi. "I have a feeling a certain 'brat' might be heading this way," he remarked.
"Yes, Captain!" Tashigi replied as she adjusted her glasses. She thought he was coming. Her heart beat fluttered.
The doors swung open, and the Marines marched out toward the various islands. Jerry gathered the monitors and smiled. "If that brat is coming, then he will not survive," he said with a sinister smile on his face.
Out on the open sea, there were several dozen ships sailing around the archipelago who had just heard the announcement. On a certain ship a group of pirates stood on the deck. A tall middle-aged man with pinkish skin and short white hair curled over the right side of his forehead. He also has a short white goatee. He wore a blue high-collar suit with yellow buttons and a red lining, black pants, brown gloves, and brown boots. "He has made the announcement, that foolish King, Helsing, why don't you go and see to the Gems," he said.
Helsing looked up. She had long red hair tied into a high ponytail, with bangs framing her face. She had yellow eyes and wore golden earrings. She had a black headband that covered her forehead, and a black choker with a golden buckle around her neck. She wore a dark brown coat and a short green strapless dress with a black V-shape around her chest. "I have been waiting for this Captain Lytton" Helsing said as she touched her blade.
"There will be many fools trying to get these gems but none will succeed," Lytton remarked. He had a smile on his face.
In another part of the Cream Mist sea, a ship with a dark, ominous presence cut through the fog. On the deck, a man with long, golden-blonde hair stood perfectly still, his cold eyes fixed on a set of tarot cards laid out before him. "Hawkins-sama," a man said. "There has been an announcement," he said.
Basil Hawkins` triangular brow markings twitched as he flipped over a card depicting a tower struck by lightning.
"The probability of our survival in this archipelago is 92%," Hawkins muttered. "However, the probability of encountering a 'major variable' has risen to 99% since the broadcast," he added.
One of his crewmates stepped forward. "Captain, the other crews are already moving toward Malti Island. Should we make our move for the first Life Gem?" he asked.
"The cards do not lie," Hawkins replied as he drew another card.
Not far away, another ship was anything but quiet. The sound of a chaotic, upbeat drum echoed across the waves. Standing on the prow was a man with an impossibly long reach, his forearms sported two elbows each. He wore a bright red set of traditional clothes with a "sound" kanji on the chest. He moved his teeth like piano keys.
"Appapa!" the man laughed as he punctuated the air with a cymbal-crash sound from his hands. "A hundred million Beli? That's a melody I can get behind," he said.
"Captain Apoo. Should we head to the first island?" one of his crew mates asked.
"The Marines are out in force, and the others are lurking in the dark," Apoo said. "But they don't have the rhythm! We're going to slide right under their noses and snatch those gems while they're busy fighting each other. Check it out! One, two... rhythm," he added.
He turned to his crew. "Set course for Sorbi Island!" he ordered.
On another pirate ship sailing through the ocean. "Looks like we are going to be rich," one pirate shouted.
"Let us go," another yelled as the pirates erupted in cheer.
Below deck, in a cramped cabin, two women sat in tense silence.
They were wrapped in heavy black cloaks and their hoods pulled low to obscure their faces.
One woman reached up with a trembling hand and pulled her hood back just enough to breathe. Her signature red-and-white hair was tucked tightly away, but a few strands escaped. She looked at the door as if expecting it to burst open at any second.
"Do you think they followed us, Carina?" she whispered.
Carina didn't answer immediately. She was peering through a tiny knothole in the wooden hull, her violet eyes looked around. She finally pulled back. "He had a notorious reputation, Uta," she replied. "They won't stop. Men like that don't let 'assets' like us just walk away," she added.
Uta gripped the fabric of her cloak. "This Treasure Wars nonsense. The archipelago will be crawling with Marines and pirates," she remarked.
Carina countered, grabbing Uta's hand and squeezing it firmly. "Maybe this is a blessing. We can use this to disappear. To hide our tracks further," she said.
Uta took a deep breath. "We don't have much choice," Uta remarked.
"We don't but there is always hope," Carina said with a smile on her face.
They sat back in the shadows.
On the choppy waters of the archipelago were cut aside by a massive, gaudy vessel that looked more like a floating fortress. The dark blue hull was encrusted with oversized, colorful gemstones that glittered. At the front, a fearsome figurehead shaped like a shark's gaping mouth. It had painted teeth. The white sails had a Jolly Roger wearing sunglasses while the lower said MAD TREASURE.
Standing on the deck, a muscular man with wild, spiky purple hair adjusted his sunglasses.
"Jararara!" his laugh rang out. "They are there, I can smell the scent of those two little birds trying to fly away," he added as chains rattled against his body. "Naomi, Psycho P they are there," he laughed.
Naomi`s puffy brown hair blowing in the wind. She leaned against the railing. Her white fur coat was draped over her shoulders. She took a slow sip from a bottle and had pink pants. "They're trying to be smart Captain Mad," Naomi remarked. "But nobody stays hidden in the Cream Mist for long. Not when you're looking for them," she added as she drank her bottle.
On the other side of the deck, Psycho P adjusted his tiny sunglasses. He stood out in his bright pink winter coat, his thick lips pulled back into a smirk. He tapped the brim of his cap, which simply read 'PSY'. "This tournament is going to make things complicated," Psycho P said.
Mad Treasure clenched his fist, and the chains on his left shoulder. "No, this is perfect for us. There will be more treasure," Mad Treasure growled. "And the Diva and the Fox, they are the rarest treasures in this sea. And I never, ever let a treasure slip through my chains. Jararara," he said.
"We have been given a job to hunt them down," Psycho P remarked.
"They are worth more than what we are getting," Mad Treasure said. "Let's go," he added. The ship surged forward.