Wano Country, the Flower Capital.
Inside the Shogun's residence, King was bent over his desk, reviewing recent reports on various affairs in Wano Country. Cherry blossom petals drifted in through the open window frame from time to time, landing on the mountainous pile of documents. The right-hand man of the Beasts Pirates frowned deeply, the brush in his hand leaving sharp strokes on the paper.
"Lord King, it's terrible!" Urgent footsteps accompanied by a panicked shout shattered the room's tranquility.
A pirate rushed into the room, panting, fine beads of sweat dotting his forehead.
King slowly raised his head, his sharp gaze piercing through his mask to stare at the newcomer. "What's the cause for this panic?"
"My Lord," the pirate knelt on one knee, his voice trembling slightly from the frantic run, "The Fish-Man patrol squad just sent an urgent message. A pirate ship has been spotted in Wano's outer waters and is heading toward the inner sea!"
"Did the Fish-Man unit not intercept?" King set down his brush, a clear note of displeasure in his tone.
"They tried, my Lord," the pirate swallowed, "But the other side is formidable. They easily repelled our Fish-Men. And... and..."
"Speak clearly," King's voice turned icy.
"It's the Whitebeard Pirates!" the pirate finally uttered the awe-inspiring name.
"Whitebeard?" King shot to his feet, his chair scraping harshly behind him. He strode to the window and looked toward the distant horizon, his expression beneath the mask turning grim. "Of all times..."
Currently, within the Beasts Pirates, only Kaido could face Whitebeard head-on. And now, Kaido was not in the New World. The entire responsibility for Wano's defense fell upon the shoulders of the officers left behind. King clenched his fist, his knuckles making faint cracking sounds.
"From which direction are they coming?"
"Judging by their course, they will make landfall at Port Idate in the Kuri region."
King turned, his voice regaining its usual steadiness. "Immediately summon all officers. Everyone is to assemble at Port Idate. Relay my orders: even in Lord Kaido's absence, Wano Country will not permit any pirate to set foot here!"
"Aye, aye!" The pirate accepted the command and left, his hurried footsteps fading away.
Soon, messengers scattered from the Shogun's residence, carrying this emergency order to all corners of Wano Country.
In the training grounds of Onigashima, Bullet was performing squat lifts with a several-ton custom-made barbell. Sweat streamed down the grooves of his muscles, glittering in the sunlight. Each of his breaths was as heavy as a bellows, and the ground beneath his feet had already been pressed into a noticeable depression.
"Lord Bullet!" A messenger pirate stood at the edge of the training ground, not daring to approach recklessly.
"Speak," Bullet said without turning his head, continuing his training.
"Lord King commands: the Whitebeard Pirates are attacking. You are to proceed immediately to Port Idate in Kuri!"
The barbell slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Bullet turned, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "Whitebeard? The man called the World's Strongest?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Hahaha!" Bullet threw his head back and laughed, tearing off his training gear in one motion. "A chance to test myself against him has finally come!"
Meanwhile, inside Onigashima's laboratory, the pungent smell of chemical reagents filled the air. Queen, wearing goggles, carefully dripped a certain fluorescent green liquid into a test tube. His tongue unconsciously wagged from side to side with his movements, a habitual action when he was intensely focused.
"Lord Queen!" The laboratory door was shoved open violently.
BOOM—
The sudden disturbance caused the liquid in the test tube to react violently. The explosion produced a cloud of black smoke that instantly filled the entire lab. When the smoke cleared, Queen's meticulously styled hair had become a frizzy mess, and his face was covered in soot.
"You'd better have a damn good reason!" The furious Queen grabbed the collar of the offending pirate and lifted him into the air.
"M-m-my Lord, have mercy!" The pirate paled in fright. "It's Lord King's order! The Whitebeard Pirates are here! All officers are to proceed to Port Idate immediately!"
Queen's hand suddenly released. The pirate crashed to the ground and scrambled out of the laboratory on all fours.
"Whitebeard?" Queen removed his shattered goggles, pulled a cigar from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag. "Perfect timing to test my new invention."
In Udon's quarry, Gecko Moria was directing his zombie laborers to move giant stones. He sat on a throne composed of zombies, leisurely eating grapes and emitting his signature "Kishishishi" laugh from time to time.
"Lord Moria, urgent military intelligence!" The guard chief ran over quickly. "The Whitebeard Pirates are advancing on Wano Country! Lord King orders all officers to assemble at Port Idate immediately!"
Moria's eyes gleamed with a strange light from the shadows. "Whitebeard's shadow... must be powerful indeed..." He stood up, his wide kimono flapping in the wind. "Bring my most elite zombie army. This time, I will collect satisfactory material!"
As the orders were relayed, the Beasts Pirates officers stationed all over Wano began to mobilize.
Meanwhile, in the outer waters of Wano Country.
The sea wind howled as the Moby Dick climbed the massive waterfall surrounding Wano. Furious waves crashed against the ship's hull, rocking the entire vessel violently as if it could capsize at any moment. Yet, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates on the deck appeared exceptionally calm, as if these raging waves were merely ordinary scenery.
The crew members stood or sat, each busy with their own tasks. Some carefully polished their beloved weapons, others inspected the sturdiness of the gunwales, and some leaned against the mast with their eyes closed, resting. Everyone's face bore an unflappable expression, as if the upcoming battle was just another routine voyage.
"Pops, are those fish-men coming back for more?"
The Ice Witch, Whitby, walked up to Whitebeard, her slender fingers lightly brushing the hilt of the ice blade at her waist.
A flicker of vigilance passed through her azure-blue eyes as her gaze fell upon the churning sea in the distance. The sea breeze blew through her silvery-white hair, making it glimmer faintly in the sunlight.
Not long before, during a normal voyage, the Whitebeard Pirates had suddenly encountered a group of fish-men blocking their way. Those fish-men swam in the sea, ordering them in an arrogant tone to leave these waters. It was a downright joke—they were the Whitebeard Pirates, who commanded awe throughout the New World! Even when facing the Roger Pirates or Shiki's Golden Lion Pirates, they had never changed their course.
A mere upstart like the Beasts Pirates, who had only gained some reputation after their captain Kaido escaped from the Marine Hero Garp, now dared to be so audacious.
Battle erupted instantly. Since they were on the open sea, and their opponents were fish-men, who are born experts at naval combat, the Whitebeard Pirates suffered significant setbacks at first. The fish-men nimbly darted through the water, nearly damaging the Moby Dick's hull several times.
At the critical moment, Whitebeard Edward Newgate made his move. He raised Murakumogiri and delivered one tremor. Even the fish-men hiding beneath the sea couldn't escape serious injury. The sea surface erupted with towering waves instantly; several fish-men lost consciousness on the spot, and the rest fled in panic.
***
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