Misty Star Island.
This island, which has been protected by the Whitebeard Pirates for many years, is now shrouded in a strange atmosphere.
The port, which was drizzling with rain, was still as busy as usual, with merchant ships coming and going, but careful people would find that the guards at each key intersection were obviously much more than usual.
Some merchants gathered in groups of three or five and whispered to each other, with more or less confusion on their faces.
At this moment, under the town, in a dark and damp dungeon.
"Whitebee, why, why is all this happening!"
Flower Sword Vista was covered in blood, his limbs were pierced, and nailed to the wall. At this moment, he looked at the woman in front of him in disbelief:
"Dad treats you like family, and we have fought side by side for decades... Why did you plot against me, why did you betray Dad! Betray the Whitebeard Pirates?!"
Across the iron fence.
A blue-haired woman wearing a purple captain's hat, a thin cigarette between her lips, glared at him with a grin.
"Hey! You're so noisy, really?... I don't need to explain to you, right? Isn't it better to just be a fool?"
"Don't worry, your death won't be in vain. Flower Sword Vista, captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Fifth Division, has a bounty of 1,023,000,000 berries. Such a prestigious head, if turned over to the Navy, would fetch a hefty reward."
Are you trying to kill me?
And you're even going to ask the Navy for my head?!
"Whitebee!"
Vista's eyes crimson, his face furious. "How could you do such a thing? When did you become this degenerate?"
"Who knows?"
Whitebee didn't bother to answer, still smoking with a smile, seemingly enjoying Vista's impotent fury.
Just then...
Ta-da-da...
A tall, thin man, looking anxious, hurried into the dungeon, approached Whitebee, and whispered something in his ear.
"Huh?"
Whitebee's face changed immediately. After glancing at Vista, she pulled the tall and thin man to the stairs and frowned, "Are you sure?"
"There's no mistake, third sister!"
The tall and thin man swallowed and said, "It's definitely that Shano himself. We'll arrive at the port in a while. The fat old man Henry is not dead. These guys are probably the reinforcements he invited!"
"A mere businessman can invite such a big shot?"
Whitebee narrowed her eyes, "Huh, I really underestimated that fat old man. If I had known, I should have killed him on the spot..."
"What should we do, third sister?"
The tall and thin man wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and looked at her eagerly, "Why don't we just take a walk? Anyway, we've made enough money these days. Fat Henry must have told that man everything he knows. If he makes trouble for us, then..."
"Let me think about it."
Whitebee paced back and forth, "When can we collect the last payment? How much money is it in total after adding it all up?"
"Two big fish won't arrive until tomorrow, so we'll have to wait until at least tomorrow night. Counting these last two billion berries and Flower Sword Vista's head, our total revenue this time will exceed ten billion."
Ten billion?
Whitebee's eyes suddenly became a little dazed. She still had a long, long life ahead of her, but with so much money, no matter how lavishly she spent, she couldn't spend it all in a lifetime...
"It seems there's no way out."
She barely suppressed her greed and licked her lips. "Ten billion berries is a threshold. I won't be willing to leave without taking this last bit of money that belongs to us..."
"But Third Sister..."
The tall and thin man opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping.
"Don't worry, second brother."
Whitebee snapped her fingers and chuckled.
"I've got a plan. Just follow my instructions and deal with that man. However, Whitebee's identity is no longer reliable. It's time for a new one."
She looked into the cell, glanced at Vista, and was about to walk over when she suddenly paused, a bold idea suddenly forming in her mind.
Compared to a lifetime of endless wealth...
what would it feel like to truly stand at the top of the world?
No longer hiding in the shadows, no longer conspiring to deceive, but truly ruling the world, basking in the awe of everyone.
The navy fears me, the pirates fear me, even those high-ranking princes and nobles wouldn't dare to provoke me!
Then...
Money?
A mere sum of money, what would it mean?
As soon as this thought arose, vines instantly sprouted from the ground, spreading wildly and proliferating, impossible to dispel or erase...
"Second brother,"
she turned back, looking at the tall, lanky man with a puzzled expression, and said softly, "I'm afraid our plan needs to be upgraded a bit..."
...
Clatter!
As the End docked, the rain intensified.
"We're here! This is Misty Star Island!"
Fat Henry was the first to jump off the ship. He turned around and looked up at the sky eagerly, saying,
"Sir, do you see that purple castle in the middle? That's where the Ice Witch, Whitebee, resides. Just follow me. All the money is with that stinky woman..."
"I'm here, no need to worry. Lead the way,"
Shano said noncommittally.
According to Xiong,
the Ice Witch, Whitebee, was a generous and magnanimous member of the Whitebeard Pirates for over thirty years. As a veteran subordinate, she was loyal to Whitebeard.
Not just anyone, but a giant spider who could be deceived by Akainu.
This woman had suddenly betrayed Whitebeard. There must be something fishy going on, and we needed to investigate it face to face.
Once the truth was revealed, it wouldn't be too late to settle the matter about the money the merchants had been defrauded of.
"Yes, everything will be done as you wish,"
Fat Henry nodded quickly.
"Ayin, don't sleep. You and Nuomici will stay here and guard the boat."
"Ouch!"
Gin lazily raised his right paw, indicating understanding.
Shano then strode toward the ship's side. Beside him, Robin smiled faintly and casually held out a black umbrella for him, then slowly descended the gangway.
Raindrops dripped down the umbrella's edge, splashing tiny drops of water on the rough stone pavement of the dock.
"Sir Shano, look over there,"
Kuina said, hurrying after him, umbrella in hand. "On the far right side of the dock, there's a small speedboat flying the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Yes, I see it, what do you mean?"
"Whitebeard must have heard about this and sent someone to investigate,"
Kuina said gravely. "Perhaps we should find him first, and then talk to that Ice Witch, Whitebee..."
"Don't bother, I've been waiting here!"
Amidst a hearty laugh, a tall figure holding an umbrella strode out of the rain.
"Everyone of the Fallen, and Lord Shano, I've heard a lot about you!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice.
The man was wearing a top hat, a black cape, white gloves, dark skin, and a slightly curly beard...
"Flower Sword Vista?"
Fat Henry widened his eyes, surprised and happy, and gave him a hug:
"Hahaha, man! The person Whitebeard sent to investigate turned out to be you, such a big shot! Where's Whitebeard? Where is that guy? How did she explain it to you?"
"Do you know Vista?" Shano asked curiously.
"Yes, I've dealt with him a few times in the past."
Fat Henry let go of Vista and laughed. "I'm relieved to have him here. Brother Vista's strength is among the best under Whitebeard's command. He's more than capable of taking down Whitebee!"
"Really?"
Shano looked at Vista, his eyebrows raised slightly.
His vision was so sharp that even though Vista was wearing a coat and a cloak, completely wrapped up,
he could still see that he seemed to have suffered serious injuries recently and hadn't fully recovered.
The joints of his limbs were particularly marked by puncture marks.
"Your Excellency noticed it,"
Vista rubbed his wrist and smiled bitterly. "I've almost finished dealing with Whitebee. The story is a bit complicated and long. Please follow me to the castle. I'll explain everything along the way."
He stepped aside and gestured to the main road leading to the castle.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Shano's face until he nodded slightly, then followed Vista towards the castle.
...
In front of the castle gate.
"Are you saying that Whitebee is in cahoots with the World Government? She's planning to defect from the Whitebeard Pirates, so she dares to use Whitebeard's banner to make a fortune?"
Fat Henry was stunned. "How\... did the World Government convince her..."
"It seems her family is threatened."
Vista shook his head and sighed.
"Anyway, she's being held in an underground prison now. I haven't finished my question yet, how about Lord Shano come with me and take a look? As for the rest of you, I've prepared a welcome banquet for you in the restaurant on the second floor of the castle. Please wait there for a while."
"Oh! A banquet!" Bonnie's eyes lit up. "Is there any meat? Is there any meat, Uncle Mustache!"
"Of course, little girl, all kinds of meat."
Vista laughed.
"What's up, brother?" Nami rubbed her stomach and looked up at Shano eagerly. "I'm hungry too."
"Just follow Vista's instructions. You guys go eat first, he and I will be here in a bit."
Shano had no objection.
Immediately.
The others followed Vista's men to the second-floor dining room, while Shano followed Vista through the dim corridors toward the dungeon.
The dungeon corridors were deeper than expected. The damp stone steps were covered with moss, and the air was filled with the faint smell of blood.
Vista, holding a torch, walked in front.
Shano lagged behind a few steps, his eyes slightly narrowed, staring at his back.
Ever since they met, he had always felt something was amiss.
His aura didn't match his expectations, lacking the sharpness that only a great swordsman could muster.
But that seemed normal. After all, he and Vista had never met before, and Vista had just fought a hard battle and was still recovering from his injuries.
"After we finish this and have lunch, shall we have a sparring match?"
Shano suddenly asked, seemingly impulsively, a casual question.
"You're joking, sir."
Vista glanced back at him, scratching his head in frustration. "You're a Sea Emperor. If you want a sparring match, you should go to Dad. How could I possibly have the qualifications?"
"That's true."
Shano smiled and fell silent.
As a world-renowned swordsman,
it was rare for him to encounter an opponent with even greater fame in swordsmanship, and yet he was willing to give up like this?
A thought flashed through his mind.
At that moment, his powerful observation Haki suddenly unleashed, sweeping through the entire dungeon like a torrent.
After a few seconds,
Shano retracted his observation Haki, his expression calm, and continued to follow Vista deeper into the dungeon.
"It's just up ahead."
When they reached a wide bend in the terrain, Vista quickened his pace and disappeared around the corner. Only his voice could be heard, "Whitebee is imprisoned here. Sir, follow me..."
Thud!
A sound like something heavy falling echoed.
Then…
Shano's vision blurred, and the surrounding scenery became hazy, as if a translucent barrier had been added.
It was as if a giant, frosted glass box, open downward, had trapped him upside down.
"Interesting ability."
He raised his eyebrows slightly, reached out his hand, and touched the barrier. Ripples immediately appeared on his fingertips, and his right hand was repelled.
"Ha! Got it, I got it!"
A triumphant laugh echoed, and a tall, thin man emerged from behind the corner, clapping his hands and laughing ecstatically.
"Hey, hey! What a bullshit Sea Emperor! I knew he'd be trapped by the powerful confinement power of my uncle Newmo's Hehe Fruit!"
He turned excitedly to the other side. "Hey! Big brother, it's your turn now!"
"Well done, second brother!"
A bald, fat man emerged from the shadows with a smirk, taking a firm stance. After taking a deep breath, he suddenly opened his mouth wide at Shano in the distance!
Buzz!
A strange yellow light emanated from his throat, and a thick wave of light instantly gushed out, heading straight for Shano, who was trapped in the transparent barrier!
The next moment, Shano felt as if he were sinking deep into a quagmire.
Every movement, even just lifting his toes or moving his fingers, became extremely difficult and slow\...
"What do you think! My abilities are pretty impressive, right?"
The bald fat man proudly pointed his thumb at himself.
"My name is Kiran, and I'm a slow person who ate the Parahuman Slow-Up Fruit! Everything hit by my slow-up light wave will become extremely slow for the next thirty seconds! Even if you're the emperor of the sea, the effect will be discounted, but it will at least last for a dozen seconds!"
"And these ten seconds are more than enough!"
The fat man and the thin man raised their right arms at the same time and shouted in unison: "Next, Third Sister, it's your turn to shine!"
Snap.
Footsteps sounded, and Vista, who had just disappeared around the corner, reappeared in front of Shano.
"I'm the third brother, Teyas."
Vista, holding a lady's cigarette in his mouth, walked over step by step, one hand on his waist, his posture charming, and a charming smile on his face that was completely inconsistent with his appearance:
"As you can see, I am a superhuman parasitic fruit user who can take over other people's bodies. Thank you so much, Lord Shano, for generously offering us such a powerful body."
"Come to think that the dignified Emperor of the Sea can be so naive that he actually followed us to such a remote place alone... Hey! I haven't finished introducing myself yet, what are you doing!"
He roared at Shano, who was bending over and vomiting.
"Sorry."
Shano straightened up and sighed softly, "It can't be helped. You are doing this with Vista's body. It's really disgusting and very annoying..."