Wano Country, 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 through the open window frame from outside, occasionally landing on the mountain of documents. The All-Star of the Beasts Pirates frowned deeply, his brush drawing sharp lines across the paper.
"Emergency, Lord King!" Hurried footsteps accompanied by panicked shouts broke the room's tranquility.
A pirate rushed into the room gasping for breath, fine beads of sweat covering his forehead.
King slowly raised his head, his sharp gaze piercing through his mask to stare at the newcomer. "What's the reason for this panic?"
"Reporting, sir," the pirate knelt on one knee, his voice trembling slightly from his frantic run. "The Fish-Man Patrol just sent an urgent message - they've spotted a pirate ship heading toward the inner sea outside Wano Country's waters!"
"Did the fish-man unit not intercept?" King set down his brush, his tone clearly displeased.
"They tried, sir." The pirate swallowed hard. "But the opponent is powerful and easily repelled our fish-man unit. And... and..."
"Speak clearly." King's voice suddenly turned cold.
"It's the Whitebeard Pirates!" The pirate finally uttered the alarming name.
"Whitebeard?" King shot to his feet, his chair scraping sharply against the floor behind him. He strode quickly to the window, looking toward the distant horizon, his expression beneath the mask turning grave. "Of all times to choose..."
Currently, Kaidou was the only one in the Beasts Pirates who could face Whitebeard directly, and now Kaidou wasn't in the New World. The entire defense of Wano Country fell on the shoulders of the remaining officers. King clenched his fist, his knuckles making faint cracking sounds.
"From which direction are they coming?"
"Based on their course, they'll make landfall at Idate Port in the Kuri region."
King turned around, his voice regaining its usual steadiness. "Immediately summon all officers, everyone assemble at Idate Port. Relay my command - even with Lord Kaidou absent, Wano Country will not tolerate any pirate intrusion!"
"As you command!" The pirate accepted the order and departed, his hurried footsteps gradually fading away.
Soon, messenger pirates scattered from the shogun's residence, spreading this emergency command throughout Wano Country.
On Oni Island's training ground, Bullet was performing squats while carrying a specially made barbell weighing several tons. Sweat streamed along the grooves of his muscles, glistening in the sunlight. Each of his breaths was as heavy as bellows, and the ground beneath his feet had already formed a noticeable depression.
"Lord Bullet!" A messenger pirate stood at the edge of the training ground, not daring to approach recklessly.
"Speak." Bullet didn't turn his head, continuing his training.
"Lord King's orders - the Whitebeard Pirates are attacking. Please proceed immediately to Idate Port in Kuri!"
The barbell slammed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Bullet turned around, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Whitebeard? The man called the world's strongest?"
"Yes, sir."
"Hahaha!" Bullet threw back his head and laughed, tearing off the weighted equipment on his body. "Finally, a chance to see what they're made of!"
Meanwhile, in the laboratory on Oni Island, the pungent smell of chemical reagents filled the air. Wearing goggles, Queen carefully dripped a fluorescent green liquid into a test tube. His tongue unconsciously swayed from side to side with his movements—a habitual action when he was extremely focused.
"Lord Queen!" The laboratory door was suddenly shoved open.
"Boom—"
The sudden disturbance caused the liquid in the test tube to react violently. Black smoke from the explosion instantly filled the entire laboratory. When the smoke cleared, Queen's meticulously styled hair had become an afro, his face covered in soot.
"You'd better have a damn good reason!" The enraged Queen grabbed the collar of the blundering pirate and lifted him into the air.
"P-please spare me, sir!" The pirate turned pale with fear. "It's Lord King's order! The Whitebeard Pirates have arrived! All officers are to report to Ida Port immediately!"
Queen's hand suddenly released, and the pirate fell heavily to the ground before scrambling out of the laboratory.
"Whitebeard?" Queen removed his shattered goggles, pulling a cigar from his pocket and lighting it. He took a deep drag. "Perfect timing to test my new invention."
In the Udon Quarry, Gecko Moria was directing zombie laborers to move massive stones. He sat on a throne composed of zombies, leisurely eating grapes while occasionally letting out his signature "Kishishishi" laugh.
"Lord Moria, urgent military report!" The head guard came running. "The Whitebeard Pirates are advancing toward Wano Country! Lord King orders all officers to assemble at Ida Port immediately!"
Moria's eyes gleamed with an eerie light in the shadows. "Whitebeard's shadow... must be incredibly powerful..." He stood up, his wide kimono flapping in the wind. "Bring my most elite Zombie Army! This time, I will collect satisfactory specimens!"
As the orders spread, officers of the Beasts Pirates across Wano Country began mobilizing.
Meanwhile, in the outer seas of Wano Country.
The sea wind howled as the Moby Dick climbed the massive waterfall surrounding Wano Country. Violent waves crashed against the ship's hull, causing the entire vessel to shake violently as if it might capsize at any moment. Yet the members of the Whitebeard Pirates on deck remained remarkably calm, treating the raging storm as nothing more than ordinary scenery.
The crew members stood or sat, each occupied with their tasks. Some carefully polished their beloved weapons, others inspected the sturdiness of the ship's rails, while some leaned against the masts with their eyes closed, resting. Every face bore an expression of unshakable composure, as if the impending battle were just another routine voyage.
"Pops, have those fish-men returned?"
The Ice Witch Whitey Bay approached Whitebeard Newgate, her slender fingers lightly brushing the Ice Blade at her waist.
A flicker of alertness passed through her deep blue eyes as she gazed toward the churning sea in the distance. The sea breeze swept through her silver-white hair, making it shimmer faintly in the sunlight.
Not long ago, while the Whitebeard Pirates were sailing normally, they suddenly encountered a group of fish-men blocking their path. These fish-men swam in the sea, arrogantly ordering them to leave these waters. It was an absolute joke—they were the Whitebeard Pirates, renowned throughout the New World! Even when facing the Roger Pirates or Golden Lion's Flying Pirates, they had never altered their course.
As for the mere Beasts Pirates, who only gained some reputation after their captain Kaidou escaped from the naval hero Garp, how dare they act so insolent now?
A battle was imminent. Since they were on the open sea and their opponents were fish-men naturally adept at aquatic combat, the Whitebeard Pirates initially suffered considerable losses. The fish-men nimbly darted through the water, nearly damaging the Moby Dick's hull several times.
At the critical moment, Whitebeard Edward Newgate took action. He raised his Ame-no-Habakiri and unleashed an Air Quake—even the fish-men hiding deep beneath the sea couldn't escape severe injury. The sea surface instantly surged with colossal waves, several fish-men lost consciousness on the spot, and the rest fled in panic.
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