Chapter 111: Summons
ââThe Holy Land âMary Geoise.â
Inside a room in Pangaea Castle, used for high-level conferences, the leaders of one of the Three Great Powersâthe massive organization known as the âNavy Headquartersââwere gathered around a round table, deep in discussion.
âââJust the other day, âBlackbeardâ Marshall D. Teach took a vacant seat among the Seven Warlords. In an effort to prove his strength and fame, he brought a âgiftâ⌠Now, I want your thoughts on how we handle itâwhether you're for, against, or indifferent⌠It doesn't matter. Speak freely.â
Presiding over the meeting and addressing the gathered officers with a serious expression was Fleet Admiral Sengoku the Buddha.
Seated at the round table were only a few individuals, including Sengoku. Alongside him were legendary Marines active since the time of Gol D. Rogerâlike âGreat Advisorâ Tsuruâand four vice admirals. Everyone wore a grim expression.
But the reactions of the remaining three were much clearer. The first to speak was a menacing man wearing a fine red suit, the tattoo on his neck visible just above the collar.
ăAdmiral Akainu (Sakazuki)ă
âIâm in favor. Leave him be, and he becomes a threat⌠not just to the Navy, but to the world itself. Ainât no point in letting a man like that live, ya feel meâŚ!!â
He was the embodiment of âAbsolute Justice,â a hardliner and the most hawkish among the Marines. Even the vice admiralsâwho should have been used to himâgulped nervously at his words. Though he was their ally, his unwavering hostility toward pirates inspired both respect and fear.
His harsh tone, willing to target even civilians or allies when deemed necessary, was enough to silence opposition. Yet, one man did speak up.
ăAdmiral Aokiji (Kuzan)ă
âIf we go through with that⌠itâs gonna lead to war, no doubt. Iâm against it for now, Sengoku-san⌠I get that it might be necessary, but the cost will be huge. We need to be prepared for that. We should keep an eye on the New World's movements a little longer.â
ââŚYeah. No doubt there are plenty of downsides.â
With his sleep mask pushed up on his forehead, arms lazily resting on his knees, Aokiji, one of the Navyâs top powers like Akainu, voiced his opposition. His âLazy Justiceââa philosophy only he truly understoodâguided his stance.
But Akainu was quick to strike back, glaring intensely at him.
âWhat kinda soft-ass talk is thatâŚ!! KuzanâŚ!! Wiping out pirates is our damn job as MarinesâŚ!!â
âI ainât saying donât kill him, Sakazuki. Iâm saying think about what comes after. Say we go through with the execution, it leads to war, and we win. Then what? Itâs obvious thingsâll get messy.â
âYou saying we should let that evil bastard live thenâŚ!!!? You talk of âresolve,â but arenât you the only one lacking it!!?â
âThatâs not itâŚ!! Iâm saying, if weâre gonna wage a war, we need to be ready for itâŚ!! Sure, maybe we have the firepower, but Iâm talking about preparation that includes the safety of civilians and our own MarinesâŚ!! Weâve got the other Emperors to worry about too⌠If we start this thing and the casualties skyrocket, then what the hell are we doing as MarinesâŚ!!!â
âHmph!! If those sacrifices are what it takes to eliminate a great evil⌠then theyâre necessaryâŚ!!! Any Marine worth his salt knows the risk the moment he dons the uniformâŚ!!!â
âNot everyoneâs a psycho like you, you knowâŚ!!! SakazukiâŚ!!!â
âWhat was thatâŚ!!!?â
The two Admirals locked eyes, their words clashing fiercely. The nearby guards were trembling, and even the seasoned vice admirals looked pale. An ordinary soul couldnât hope to interruptâbut there were still others in the room who could.
The one who raised his voice was the third Admiral.
ăAdmiral Kizaru (Borsalino)ă
âHey, hey nowď˝ď˝ď˝ both of you⌠Letâs calm down a bit, alright?â
ââŚ!!â
Wearing a striped yellow suit and sunglasses, his voice stretched out in an almost lazy drawl. Kizaru, who stood for âUnclear Justice,â stepped in to mediate. Having watched these two opposites clash for years, he was well-used to their fire.
Hearing Kizaruâs voice, both Akainu and Aokiji dialed back their tempers just slightly. Now, all eyes turned toward Kizaru as well.
ââŚBorsalino. Whatâs your take?â
âHmmmď˝ď˝ď˝ letâs seeď˝ď˝ď˝âŚ I donât mind executing a pirate, really, but this time itâs kind of a big deal, yâknowď˝ď˝ď˝ Iâm curious what the other piratesâll doď˝ď˝ď˝ Whatâs your take on that, Sengoku-san?â
âAh. I was just about to mention that. According to a recent report⌠It seems thereâs been a scuffle brewing in the New Worldâbetween âKaidoâ and âBig Mom.ââ
ââŚ!!â
âKaido and⌠Big Mom!!?â
âTwo of the Four EmperorsâŚ!!â
The gathered vice admirals twisted their faces in shock. Conflict between two of the Four Emperorsâthe most dangerous pirate factionsâthreatened to completely alter the balance of power in the New World. It was impossible not to wonder why this had to happen now of all times.
Yet Sengoku and Tsuru, with their understanding of the governmentâs goals and the potential fallout, were also considering it⌠as a kind of opportunity. Sengoku explained why.
âOrdinarily, this would be a situation we couldnât ignore⌠But if those two are busy clashing, then we can make our move while theyâre occupied. When weâre planning something major like this, removing unpredictable factors is the best-case scenarioâŚ!!â
â! That meansâŚ!!â
âSo youâre sayinâ⌠while those pirates are fighting each other, we take down another oneâŚâŚ!!â
ââŚI seeď˝ď˝ď˝â
The vice admirals shuddered at Sengokuâs reasoning, while Kizaru nodded in understanding at Akainuâs blunt paraphrasing.
A clash between two Emperors could fracture the balance of the Three Great Powersâand when it came to the Navyâs upcoming plans, that risk was no small thing. There was always a chance others might exploit the chaos.
But if pirates were fighting among themselves, then interference became far less likely.
âOf the Emperors, the only one who might try to disrupt our war is âKaidoâ⌠But if heâs tied up with Big Mom, that worry disappears⌠And the remaining one, âRed-Haired,â is unlikely to act on his own.â
ââŚSo itâs not a bad time to start a war, huhâŚâ
At Aokijiâs sigh-laced words, Sengoku gave a quiet nod. He sympathized with Aokijiâs concern, but if the seas were going to rage anyway, now might be the best chance to contain the damage.
Even Sengoku couldnât oppose the governmentâs will. The execution was virtually decided already. What remained was to shape the path to victoryâand that was the job of the man once called the âTactician.â
Besides, Sengoku believed that even if war did break out, they held the advantage. A slim one, perhaps, and it could swing either wayâbut the odds of victory were real.
And more than anything, they had something worth risking a war forâa clear benefit on their side.
Thus, after hearing the opinions of the othersâTsuru and the vice admirals includedâand after ample discussion⌠Sengoku finally reached his conclusion.
ââŚYou understand, Kuzan?â
ââŚâŚâŚâŚYeah.â
He confirmed once more with Aokiji, who begrudgingly accepted. And then Sengoku declared the Navyâs next move.
âThen⌠the public execution of Portgas D. Ace, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, is hereby decidedâŚ!!â
That decision was one the Navy reached only after steeling themselves with great resolve.
The Whitebeard Piratesâone of the Four Emperors. Their captain, the strongest man in the world, Whitebeard, Edward Newgate... would never forgive the death of a comrade.
In other words, what this execution would bring about was a clash between the Navy Headquarters carrying it out, and the Whitebeard Pirates, who would come charging in to stop itâa war.
"Summon the Seven Warlords of the Sea immediately!!!"
"Yes, sir!!!"
The Seven Warlords of the Sea, under the command of the World Government, would also be summonedâan unprecedented, large-scale war between the Three Great Powers.
ââDonât hold it against me, Garp.
Sengoku, in the depths of his heart, offered an apology to the family of the man who would become the spark of this war. He couldn't say it aloud. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't show mercy.
His mercy as a comrade-in-arms was to not summon Garp to this meeting at all. As Fleet Admiral, Sengoku had to make the right decision.
"Notify every Marine across the world and gather our forces!! This is a turning point for us... a battle from which we cannot retreat!!!"
"Yes, sir!!!"
And the name given to the incident set into motion by the decision of the World Government and Navy Headquarters at this timeâ
would later be known as:
ââThe "Paramount War."
There exists a type of bat known as the âMessenger Bat.â
It is a communication tool used by the Government, primarily employed when notifying someone stationed outside of their domain.
And that "someone" is usually a pirate, while the "something" tends to be... an invitation to join the âSeven Warlords of the Sea.â
In other words, the Messenger Bat is the means by which the Government contacts pirates when necessary. Since even the faint possibility of a Den Den Mushi transmission being intercepted poses a risk, this method is used for critical messages.
For that reason, pirates affiliated with the Seven Warlords of the Sea receive their letters via Messenger Bats. The content this timeâregarding the public execution of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander, "Fire Fist Ace"âis a mandatory summons to join the Governmentâs military force in the impending war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy Headquarters.
"Ho... quite a bold decision for the Government."
The extraordinary contents of the letter elicited various reactions from its recipients.
Some, upon reading it, marveled and accepted the summons without resistance.
A clash between those at the very pinnacle of this worldâsuch a battle was the perfect opportunity to stave off boredom. The World's Greatest Swordsman, withholding nothing of his ultimate black blade, set off toward the heart of the Government for battle.
"This is gonna be a hell of an incident...!! Whatâll you do, Master!!"
"âŚItâs a mandatory summons under threat of losing my title, sure... but even without that threat, a war between Whitebeard, the Navy, and the Seven Warlords? That sounds fun... In war, you get corpses by the heap!!"
"Then youâre joining in!?"
"Yeah... thanks to that damn 'Straw Hat'... all the troops I worked so hard to gather got scattered!! Eventually... Iâm heading back to the New World to become Pirate King⌠and the corpses of the Navyâs elite and Whitebeardâs tough soldiers will come in handy...!! Kishishi, Kishishishishi...!!!"
Having just suffered defeat at the hands of a certain pirate, that massive man also decided to join the warâfor the corpses heâd collect.
His motive might be peculiar, but a mandatory summons that threatens revocation of Warlord status is no light matterâitâs not like the usual toothless, optional calls where absence is tolerated.
Even for free-spirited pirates, those who chose to affiliate with the Warlords are sharp when it comes to gain. The Governmentâs higher-ups predicted some resistance, but ultimately expected them all to gather.
ââHowever, there were those who didnât bend to pragmatism.
ăI object!!!ă
In the Holy Land of Mariejois, a large fish-man shouted in anger at the assembled Marines and guards.
Known publicly as a pirate who hates other pirates, that man defied expectations of being the most cooperative. Instead, he came all the way to the Holy Land only to voice fierce opposition himself.
ăIf that man were to die in this war, do you have any idea how much damage it would causeâŚ!!! A man like you canât possibly be ignorant of that!!!ă
"...It must be done. Now then, have you changed your mind?"
ăHow many times must I say it!! I object!! If you insist on executing Ace, then Iâll stop you by force!!!ă
"...! Very well⌠Seize him!!!"
"Yes sir!!!"
"OOOOOOHHHH!!!"
The man who directly petitioned Fleet Admiral Sengoku at Mariejois then rampaged against the Marines, was captured, and sent to the great prison, Impel Down.
And then, there were others who responded half-heartedly to the summons.
"Snake Princess... what shall we do?"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚSend the reply. 'I will comply with the summons.'"
"Oh my, Sister. Youâre going?"
ăââAs if I would actually goă
"I knew it."
With a faint smile, the unmatched beauty gave her sarcastic reply, causing her younger sisters to giggle.
They hated both the World Government and men. They scorned weak, unrefined men, and the World Governmentâwhom they deemed the epitome of ugliness. Not even the threat of losing their title could sway them.
Because they were warriors from birth. And the woman at the top among them never doubted her own strength. No matter how many ugly men or Government forces came crashing down on their country, theyâd crush them all. She never strayed from that arrogant stance.
ââ"Snake Princess!!"
"! âŚWhatâs with the noise?"
"I apologize!! But thereâs a messageâŚ!!"
"âŚA message?"
"Y-Yes... it's fromâ"
"âŚ!!"
The woman, who thought she was done replying to the Government, felt irritated by the sudden arrival of another messenger.
But the moment she heard who the message was from, her expression shifted completely, and her face turned slightly pale.
They had escaped the rule of the World Governmentâbut they had not escaped the curse of overwhelming âpower.â
No matter the order, disobedience would mean annihilation.
And so the woman lied to herself. Told herself it was because she owed a great debt to that person. She used that debt as her reason to obeyâand once again, she responded to the message, burdened with bitterness in her heart.
Elsewhereââ
"ââYoung Master. A mandatory summons from the Navy..."
"Yeah⌠I know⌠Fufuh, fuhfuhfuh!!"
The man laughed. Having already heard about the summons, he sensed the coming of a new age.
"Fuhfuhfuh!! Now it begins!! A world where only the strongâŚ!! Only true pirates survive!! Alongside an uncontrollable tide⌠the 'New Age' of the mighty arrives!!! Fufufufufufuhfuhfuh!!!"
The man who claimed heâd leash the monsters of the New World continued to laugh triumphantly at the dawn of the age to come.
And among them, there were those who claimed they would create the new era.
ăZehahahaha!!! Now then⌠the plan is flawlessâŚ!!! Iâll rise to the top and create itâŚ!!! In place of the Old Man⌠the next era will be mine!!!ă
ââOne of the Three Great Powers. The âSeven Warlords of the Sea,â who survive the seas through cunning, all responded to the summonsâsave for the one imprisoned.
But even those who sensed the tides of the coming era...
They didnât yet knowâ
That this war would be more than just the prologueâŚ
It would become the greatest war far beyond anything they had imagined.
ââThe New World, âWano Country.â
The âFour Emperors,â rulers of the sea, reign supreme over vast territories in the New World.
One of them, the âBeasts Pirates,â has its base in this very landâand the nation was in an uproar.
âHey, did you hear!?â
âYeah, I heard. Kaidoâs entire force is gathering, right?â
âMust be some kinda big event or something. Otherwise, thereâs no way weâd be getting this much work.â
In the Flower Capitalâthe seat of power for the shogun, Kurozumi Orochiâa group of patrolling samurai known as the âMimawarigumiâ munched on dumplings as they exchanged rumors they'd overheard.
Normally, theyâd conduct patrols and public punishments alongside members of the Beasts Pirates to maintain order in the capital. However, most of the pirate members had now gathered on Onigashima, leaving the mainland of Wano.
On top of that, even the floating UFOs in the sky had grown fewer in number. As a result, Orochiâs subordinatesâthe Mimawarigumi and the Oniwabanshuâhad been mobilized in greater numbers.
ââAnd the same was true in Udon, a district close to Onigashima and home to one of the Beasts Piratesâ key facilities.
⪠âNo workinâ all day long~⪠Three full meals is just the norm~âŞâ âŞ
âHaa... Haa...â
⪠âThree-six-five, every dayâs a holiday~⪠Number of workdays? Zero~âŞâ âŞ
âZeh... Zeh...â
In a forest slightly removed from the prisoner mines of Udon, a strange scene unfolded at a massive factory.
It wasnât the sight of broken prisoners toiling awayâthat was all too common in Wano.
What was unusual were the tiny humans directing themâsinging cheerfully while barking orders. A group of dwarves affiliated with the Beasts Pirates.
⪠âWeâll move our hands in their place~âŞâ âŞ
⪠âAll the workers love their jobs~âŞâ âŞ
⪠âNobody complains at all~âŞâ âŞ
⪠âEven if they do, itâs totally fine~âŞâ âŞ
⪠âThey definitely wonât be killed~âŞâ âŞ
⪠âItâs a workplace full of smiles~âŞâ âŞ
Once considered outcasts of the race known as the Tontatta Tribe, these dwarves now flitted lightly among the branches of peculiar plants, gleefully singing at the suffering prisoners. If they spotted anyone slacking, theyâd beat them. If anyone resisted, theyâd kill them.
This was one of the Beasts Piratesâ most critical facilities. There was no room for mercy.
The plants they cultivated, grown using water laced with special chemicals, bore fruit patterned with polka dots. These were the smile-bringing fruits used to create the Gifters.
âAnd what are all of these~~~~~?â
One of the dwarvesâa girl in traditional clothing, wearing a horned capâanswered her underlings with a flourish.
ăBeasts Pirates Headliner âSMILE Factory Chiefâ Doute â Bounty: 168 million berriesă
âââTheyâre all lies!!â
âKnew it was a lie~~~~!!!â
The artificial Devil FruitsââSMILEs.â
The one in charge of their production was none other than the Beasts Piratesâ Headliner, Doute.
And now, even she was heading outside the factory.
âAlright, Iâm off now!! Not that Iâve been invited from anywhere...â
âHuh!? Doute-sama, where are you going when no oneâs even called you!?â
âThatâs right!! You havenât finished todayâs sing-along, the prisoner discipline routine, or the SMILE quality inspection!!â
âââThatâs because it was a lie!!!â
âEhhhhh!!? A lie!!?â
âShe tricked us again!! Thatâs our Doute-sama!! So cool!!â
The dwarves were tricked by Douteâs blatant lies. Even after turning to evil, the most gullible race remained just as gullible.
Still, they were far stronger than the average soldiersâWaiters and Pleasuresâso no prisoners dared oppose them.
âAlright, letâs go!! Onigashima!!!â
âYes!! ââWait, is that another lie!?â
âEh... Ah, no, thatâs not a lie, I messed up... Weâre not goâingâtoâOnigashima!!!â
âUnderstood!! We wonât prep the ship!!â
âI said weâre not going, didnât I!? You blockheads!!!â
âEhhhhh!!? So which is it!!?â
And so, like many of the Headliners scattered throughout the territory, they too began heading for Onigashima.
An island just offshore of Udon in Wanoâthat was Onigashima, the headquarters of the Beasts Pirates.
And among the many soldiers and Headliners gathering there, six individuals stood out the most.
âWhat is the meaning of summoning all of us when itâs not even the Golden Kagura festival? Pe-tan, do you know?â
âNo idea. And stop calling me Pe-tan. Is this another weird trend? Cut it out, itâs embarrassing.â
âOh, then I shall gift Pe-tan the matching item thatâs all the rage⥠Here, let me put it on youâĄâ
âI donât want it!!â
ââŚâŚNoisy.â
âAhhhh!!? You little shit, Komurasaki!! Who the hell are you calling noisy!!! Apologize to Pe-tan!! Hey!!â
âQuit it, Sis!! She wasnât even talkinâ to me just now!! And stop trying to put that crap on me!!â
âPut it on!!!â
âUgh, every damn time with the yelling... Hey, Black Maria. Kick these damn brats out.â
ââHuh!!?ââ
âFufu, do it yourself. I find them amusing⥠No reason to kick them out.â
âHa ha ha, come on, Whoâs-Who. As long as these brats are around, the competition for promotions is easy, ainât it?â
Cutting through the center of the performance floor, the six men and women made their way toward the mansion.
They were the Beasts Piratesâ strongest HeadlinersââTobiroppo,â the Flying Six.
ăBeasts Pirates âTobiroppoâ Kozuki â Bounty: 429.1 million berriesă
"Pointless... Letâs just get this over with."
ăBeasts Pirates âTobiroppoâ Ulti â Bounty: 599 million berriesă
"Pointless!? Did you just call Pe-tan pointless!? Iâm gonna smash your skull in, Kozuki!!!"
ăBeasts Pirates âTobiroppoâ Page One â Bounty: 560 million berriesă
"She didnât necessarily mean me though..."
ăBeasts Pirates âTobiroppoâ Black Maria â Bounty: 612 million berriesă
"Still, to think all of us would be summoned like this... I wonder what this is all about?"
ăBeasts Pirates âTobiroppoâ Sasaki â Bounty: 644 million berriesă
"If itâs a family issue, we all know how that tends to go."
ăBeasts Pirates âTobiroppoâ Whoâs-Who â Bounty: 728 million berriesă
"Letâs hope itâs not that, though..."
Even among the Tobi Roppo, these six stood apart as true ability usersâfar beyond the likes of the average Gifters. Seeing them approach, the lower-ranked members instinctively made way. Their destination: the upper floors of Kaidoâs mansion, where the shrine room awaited. They soon arrivedâbut the ones they expected were nowhere to be found.
Instead, those waiting to greet them were the Beasts Pirates' top executivesâthose who stood above the Tobiroppo. The four Calamities.
ăBeasts Pirates All-Star âDrought Jackâ â Bounty: 1 billion berriesă
"Youâre late..."
ăBeasts Pirates All-Star âWar Disaster Jokerâ â Bounty: 1.49 billion berriesă
"Fufufu, donât be so harsh, Jack. They got here as quickly as they could... Isnât that right?"
ăBeasts Pirates All-Star âPlague Queenâ â Bounty: 1.52 billion berriesă
"Muhahaha!! Finally decided to show up, huh!! Iâll give you one thingâyou didnât skip the summons!!"
ăBeasts Pirates All-Star âWildfire Kingâ â Bounty: 1.83 billion berriesă
"At last... now we can finally get to business."
"My, my... all four All-Stars gathered like this... Whatâs about to begin, I wonder?"
The three imposing giantsâand one woman, not even two meters tall, yet emanating the same overwhelming pressure as the restâstood assembled. Known as the "Disasters," the Calamities carried weight unlike any other. Black Maria muttered in admiration, though few shared her sentiment.
Most of the Tobi Roppo frowned, noting the conspicuous absence of the two figures they considered truly superior. And among them, it was Whoâs-Who who broke the silence first.
"Hey King... Kaido-san and Nue-san arenât here. Donât tell me this summon came from you?"
"Hmph. Relax. It was Kaido-san and Nue-san themselves who ordered your summons."
"...If thatâs the case, fine... But then why arenât they here?"
Satisfied with the source of the summons, Whoâs-Who pressed furtherâwhy were those two absent? Joker was the first to reply.
"A fair question... We could deliver the message in their stead..."
"Then just spit it out already!! If you keep us waiting, Pe-tan gets cranky!!"
"Youâre the one getting cranky."
"Y-o-u-~~~!!!?"
"So then, someone else will be speaking on their behalf?"
"Yeah. Thatâs rightâSono, Bao Fan."
"Yes... I'm here..."
"Riiight heeere~!!"
As Ulti and Page One continued their usual antics, Kozuki sighed and tried to move things along. King nodded and called out two names. The ones who appeared were a gloomy woman with a sluggish air and a girl in traditional attire with her face hidden behind a card.
ăBeasts Pirates Shinuchi âStill Waters Sonoâ â Bounty: 364.9 million berriesă
"Sigh... Even if I was the one who heard it, I donât think I need to be the one delivering the message... King-sama could do it himself if he wanted..."
ăBeasts Pirates Shinuchi â Bao Fană
"Pull yourself together, Sono-senpai!! Come on, say it with energy!!"
"Well... you see, I have this rare condition where I can't raise my voice... So how about we just let Bao Fan handle it? Yes, letâs do that. I actually have a jujutsu practice session today, you know, so I really must go..."
"Take the day off."
"You donât even do practice⌠like, ever..."
"Page One-sama, please help. There are two creepy big men over there trying to force me to work against my will."
"Donât drag me into this!! I donât care!!"
"Just get to work, useless mermaid."
"As expected of my senpai!! Top-tier uselessness!!"
Despite her role as one of the secretaries to Kaido and Nue, Sono remained as lazy as ever, prompting exasperation from everyone. Yet, they were clearly used to it. King, cool as ever, spread his wings and simply commanded:
"Work."
With a sigh of resignation, Sono finally relented.
"Alright... Iâll say it then. Itâs simple really. Lord Kaido and Lady Nue summoned everyoneâall of you and the other forcesâbecause... weâre going to war."
"!!!"
The word war echoed through the room, casually dropped yet crashing like a wave. It was enough to send a ripple of shock through many of those present.
However, the four All-Stars showed no reactionâthey had clearly been informed ahead of time. King nodded in affirmation and elaborated calmly:
"Thatâs right. Last week, while they were away, Kaido and Nue sent orders to rally all forcesâAll-Stars, Tobi Roppo, everyone. Form up the army. We're heading into war...!!"
"...Who are we fighting?"
"Weâll explain that tooâbased on the intel Joker gathered."
"Yes. Kaido-sama will be returning soon, but until then, lend me your ears for a bit."
"Waitâwhat about Nue-sama!? Is Nue-sama not coming back too!?"
As Joker was about to go into the details about the enemy and what led to this decision, Ulti suddenly interjected, clearly more concerned about Nue than anything else. Joker gave her a soft, knowing smile.
"Nue-sama? Oh, she just left a little earlier... to scout the enemy ahead of time.âĄ"
ââThe pirates who crossed Reverse Mountain from the four seas into the Grand Line eventually encountered a massive wall halfway around the world.
Having defeated one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gecko Moria, and departed from Thriller Bark, the pirate crew known as the âStraw Hat Piratesâ had finally arrived at that very place.
"THE RED LINE!!!!!!"
Overcoming countless hardships, the nine of them found themselves reflecting on the moment they first entered the Grand Line.
"Weâll see this wall again halfway around the world⌠and when that time comesâ"
ăCaptain of the Straw Hat Pirates, âStraw Hat Luffyâ â Bounty: 300 million berriesă
"Iâm gonna be⌠the King of the Pirates!!!"
Shouting his dream once more at the colossal continent before them, he swore it to his heart. He would become the Pirate King, no matter what.
The others shared the same resolve. They would make their captain the Pirate Kingâand achieve their own dreams as well.
"We need to be extra careful. Weâre right near the Navy Headquarters and the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, under the World GovernmentâŚ!!"
Robin, the crewâs informant of sorts, spoke up. They couldnât afford to relax too much.
Being so close to both the Navy HQ and the Holy Land, it wouldnât be strange for warships to appear at any moment. They had to remain alert while figuring out how to reach Fish-Man Islandâsomething she quietly reminded herself and the others.
"Alright⌠We need to find a way to reach Fish-Man Island."
"Should we try using the awesome functions of the Shark Submerge #3 to search for clues?"
Nami, the navigator, checked the Log Pose and murmured as she saw the needle pointing straight down. Theyâd heard Fish-Man Island was 10,000 meters under the seaâbut how to get there, they didnât know.
So, they decided to launch an underwater exploration with their submarine. Everyone began preparingâwhen it happened.
"UWOOOOOOOHHHH!!!"
"UWAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
"GYYAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
"SHUT UP!!! What are you idiots playing around for!!!"
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper came tumbling down the shipâs stairs, only for Nami to snap at them in fury.
But the three of them, tangled together, pointed at the sky and began explaining.
"Hey Nami!! It was a UFO! A UFO!!!"
"A UFO! A UFO!!!"
"There was a UFO!!!"
"Huh� What the hell are you guys talking about� Did you eat something bad?"
"No, seriously!! Look, up there in the skyâwait, huh?"
"Itâs gone!!?"
Usopp pointed to where heâd seen the UFO, but there was nothing there. Just some birds flying around. Luffy and Usopp looked stunned. Nami shrugged.
"Thereâs no such thing as UFOs⌠That stuff is usually just hallucinations, mistaken sightings, natural phenomena, or someone playing tricks. In other wordsâjust illusions."
"Wait, was it a mistake?"
"Well⌠but it really did look likeâŚ"
Chopper started to agree with Nami, but Usopp scratched his chin, still groaning that it had definitely looked like a UFO. The others didnât seem to buy it and didnât take him seriously.
In that moment, Sanji suddenly chimed in, as if remembering something.
"A UFO, huh⌠Come to think of it, I heard this once: the rule is, if you see a UFO, you run away."
"Now that you mention it⌠Iâve heard that too."
"What the hell? You saying aliens are gonna show up or something?"
"Dunno about that⌠but apparently, if you donât run, youâll end up seeing something te-rri-fy-ingâŚ"
"Yohohohoho!! Yes, indeed, if I saw an alien, Iâd be so scared my eyes would pop right out!! Not that I have any!!"
"UFOs and aliens⌠What nonsense. Iâm heading back inside."
Sanji and Robin admitted to knowing that so-called ârule,â but Franky, as expected, didnât take it seriously, and Brook cracked his usual jokes to ease the mood. Things returned to normal, and Zoro, scoffing at the whole UFO talk, headed for the training room, opening the cabin doorâbut thenâ
"Heeey~ So this is what the deck looks like~⪠Hmm hmm, not a bad ship at all."
"Huh�"
"Whuh!?"
There, stepping outâthe entire crew froze in confusion.
A cute girl with black hair and red eyes. The kind of person you wouldnât think twice about if you saw her walking through townânothing strange or scary about her at all.
But it was more than enough to shock them, considering the question: Why was she here?
"Uh⌠who are you?"
"Oh, excuse me for dropping in!! Iâm Nue, a passing idol!!"
The girl who called herself Nue looked at each of the Straw Hat Pirates, flashing a sweet and cheerful smile, and thenâ
"Iâm a fan of you all!!!"
"âŚâŚâŚA fan?"
âAn idol, and their fan.
To the Straw Hat Pirates, her words only brought one thing to mind: a giant question mark.
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