"Welcome, you infamous pirates, to this Pirate Festival that has been absent for thirty years!!!"
"I'm sure everyone has already felt the joy of the carnival!"
"Now then—let's get to the main event!!!"
Whoosh!!!Boom!!!
Brilliant fireworks burst into the sky above the very center of the island—so dazzling they were clearly visible even in broad daylight. Accompanied by the host's impassioned voice booming through the loudspeakers, tens of thousands of pirates around the venue erupted into wild cheers.
The roar of their excitement was powerful enough to overturn the entire arena.
"It's really lively, huh~ Heehee~!!!"
High above the venue, the Straw Hat crew—having already caused quite a stir along the pedestrian streets—now stood along the railings of the Going Merry, looking down at the grand spectacle below.
The host continued loudly, following his script:
"I'm sure you all remember the newspaper reports about this Pirate Festival, right?!"
"On a certain day when the Great Age of Pirates was about to begin, the man who would become the legendary Pirate King, Roger, discovered this very island beneath our feet and buried an extremely precious treasure here!"
"That day, he left behind these words: In the deep and towering darkness lies buried the answer that belongs to us!"
"Hehehe~"
The host suddenly let out a sinister chuckle before spreading his arms wide and shouting to all the pirates around him:
"All right, everyone!"
"This is a challenge letter from Pirate King Roger to the next generation!"
"Today, let's unravel this mystery and claim all the treasure for ourselves!!!"
"So then—"
"The Pirate Festival officially begins!!!!"
"Waaaah—!!!!"
The moment his words fell, the entire arena once again shook with thunderous cheers.
One pirate ship after another surged forward like an unstoppable flood, rushing into the torrent-like passageways constructed using the island's natural terrain.
"Hey! Hurry up! It looks like it's starting!"
"Wait, Captain! That ship beside us is about to ram into us!"
"Damn it! They dare cut in front of me?! Boys, raise the cannons! Teach those bastards ahead of us a lesson!!!"
BOOM!!!
Within the tightly packed waterway, blazing cannon fire erupted instantly.
As if it were the signal to begin, even before reaching the official challenge grounds, the pirate ships had already started battling each other.
Treasure hunting!?
That was just a pretext!
Who knew whether the Pirate King had truly buried some priceless treasure here?
But the supplies and loot on the neighboring ships were very real!!!
Pirates who committed evil without restraint were never going to follow any rules. In the chaos, they began attacking and plundering targets of their choosing.
How could a pirate celebration ever lack cannon fire and bloodshed!?
Of course—
Not all pirates had lost interest in the Pirate King's treasure.
Many pirate crews had already begun entering the main arena prepared by the organizers, each relying on their own abilities.
Among them… whether it was the renowned Beautiful Pirates or the newly established New Giant Warrior Pirates, every crew with a certain level of fame on the seas was present.
Meanwhile—
The host's words had ignited intense curiosity within the Straw Hat crew.
"The Pirate King's treasure… could it be real!?"
Nami's eyes had somehow turned into Beli symbols as she clasped her hands together, her voice brimming with anticipation.
Usopp waved dismissively beside her.
"Think about it—it's obviously impossible! If someone really found the Pirate King's treasure, why would they call a bunch of pirates over to fight for it?!"
"Wow~ Usopp, you're so wise!"
Tony Tony Chopper, who had just been lost in dreams of the Pirate King's treasure, was instantly enlightened by Usopp's reasoning and gazed at him with admiration.
"Hmph, hmph~"
Usopp proudly rubbed his nose.
Unfortunately, not everyone could remain rational when the words "Pirate King" were involved.
Most notably—
"Hey! Luffy, being excited is one thing, but why are you drooling?!"
Seeing Monkey D. Luffy staring with shining eyes and completely ignoring the outside world, Red shook his head helplessly and grabbed Luffy's shoulder, pulling him back from the railing.
If he didn't act now, he was worried Luffy might actually jump straight into the arena below.
Dragged back to reality, Luffy finally snapped out of it and shouted excitedly:
"Hey, hey, Red!"
"You heard that, right!? The Pirate King's treasure is here!!!"
"Let's land the Going Merry and go grab it with them!!!"
"Oh, please." Red shot him a side glance. "You actually believe that guy's nonsense?"
"But…"
Red's tone suddenly shifted, and a faint smile curled at the corner of his lips.
"Knowing full well that we, one of the Four Emperors, are here—and they still dare covet the treasure… that's a bit too disrespectful, don't you think?"
The arrival of the Four Emperors—the Straw Hat Pirates—was no secret on this island.
After all, when Luffy and the others were fooling around in the shopping streets, Red had already noticed plenty of scout-like figures lurking around them.
Suddenly turning around, Red smiled at the rest of the crew.
"Everyone, don't you think the pirates below are taking our status as one of the Four Emperors a little too lightly?"
"Since we're going treasure hunting anyway…"
"How about we treat everyone down there as enemies?"
"Oh!?"
The Straw Hats' eyes lit up instantly.
Uta, whose personality was strikingly similar to Luffy's and who thrived on chaos, leapt up from her seat.
"Make enemies of everyone!?"
"That's—so cool~!!!"
"Before fighting Dracule Mihawk, warming up with these guys might not be a bad idea."
"Wait, there are thousands of ships down there! If we rob them all, that'd be a huge fortune, right?!"
"Hahaha, looks like everyone's fired up~"
Seeing his companions' enthusiasm surge, Red's expression turned sharp.
"Then… let's properly teach them what the appropriate etiquette is when encountering a Four Emperor, shall we?"
"Get ready, everyone!"
Whoosh—Boom!!!
Another dazzling firework exploded directly above the arena, signaling the official start of the Pirate King treasure hunt.
But at that very moment—
Bzzzzzz—
A dense, chaotic buzzing sound suddenly echoed above the pirates who had already entered the arena.
At the same time, a massive shadow blanketed the center of the venue, instantly blotting out the bright sunlight.
"What's going on? Is this another trick from the organizers?!"
All the pirates looked up.
In the next second, their expressions were replaced with horror.
"Wh—what is that!?"
One pirate raised a trembling hand, pointing at the sky.
Before he could get an answer, a faint voice echoed from above:
"Special Move · Ten Thousand Insects · Fodder Filter!!!"
In an instant, the swarm of insects formed into a giant hand and slapped him clean off the deck.
The swarm then spun wildly across the pirate ships like a crazed top.
Wherever it passed, any pirate it touched was sent flying straight into the sea.
In the blink of an eye, more than half the pirate crews were eliminated.
Soon, the darkened sky cleared again.
The powerful pirates who had managed to deal with the swarm looked up once more.
What they saw was a line of figures standing calmly in the sky—looking down upon them like gods.
"The Pirate King's treasure is mine!!!"
Luffy shouted excitedly, completely unaware of how different his current status was compared to the past. He still declared his ambition just as straightforwardly as ever.
He had no idea how much shock that single shout would cause below.
"What!? The Four Emperors are competing for the Pirate King's treasure too!?"
"Damn it! It's a fake treasure—was it really worth provoking a Four Emperor for this!? Does he actually believe it's real?!"
"What do we do!? If the Four Emperors are participating, we don't stand a chance!"
"Hmph! Arrogant fools. One day I'll kill you all and sit in that seat myself… but for now—"
"Men! We're retreating!!!"
No one had expected that a single shout from Luffy would cause eighty percent of the remaining pirate crews to withdraw.
In the blink of an eye, only a few dozen crews remained in the central arena.
Those who had survived Usopp's Fodder Filter were naturally no ordinary pirates.
At this moment, all eyes focused on the Straw Hat Pirates, glinting with complicated emotions.
"The Four Emperor Straw Hat Pirates…"
Cavendish gripped his rapier tightly, his refined eyes locked upward.
Leaving now and giving up the purpose of coming to this island was something he was unwilling to do.
But opposing a Four Emperor pirate crew was equally irrational.
"We…"
After hesitating for a long time, Cavendish was about to withdraw.
But then, an unpleasant voice suddenly called out beside him.
"Hey! You're the pirate prince with a 330 million Beli bounty—Cavendish, right?!"
"Hm!?" Cavendish turned his head and saw a dark-skinned, sinister-looking man with a long tongue sticking out calling to him.
Beside him stood a burly, dull-eyed man holding a shovel, with a chameleon perched on his head.
"The Caribou Brothers…?"
Cavendish frowned, clearly recognizing them.
The infamous pirate known for killing Marines, with a bounty of 220 million Beli—Caribou—and his brother, Coribou.
"Hehehehe~ Rare to be recognized!"
Caribou gave a wicked grin before suddenly inviting Cavendish:
"But tell me…"
"You're upset too, aren't you?"
"Four Emperors? They're just guys who haven't been at sea much longer than us—yet they stand above us and crush everyone's hopes!"
As he spoke, Caribou lowered his head, shadows covering his face as his grin grew more sinister.
"Interested in teaming up?"
"I've already contacted several crews—all of them have bounties over 100 million!"
"With so many of us here, there's no need to fear some Four Emperor crew!"
"This…"
Hesitation flashed across Cavendish's face.
Newborn calves fear no tigers.
Almost everyone who had made it here had succeeded smoothly thanks to survivor bias.
Never having tasted defeat, and possessing considerable strength, they had grown arrogant and overconfident.
Until they experienced true power firsthand, they could never understand—
Sometimes, the gap between people is greater than that between a person and a pig.
In their eyes, dozens of pirates with bounties over 100 million were enough to overthrow any kingdom.
"Fine!"
After careful consideration, Cavendish nodded firmly.
Though his pride made him reluctant to associate with someone like Caribou—
If they could defeat the Straw Hat Pirates and he could return to tomorrow's headlines…
"Let's do it!"
The bold feast; the timid starve. Why should they be the Four Emperors!?
"Hehehehe… I'll go gather the others."
Caribou grinned widely and signaled his men to approach other ships.
Meanwhile—
Inside a hidden tower.
"Damn the Straw Hat Pirates! How could they do this!?"
The festival's organizer, Festa, pressed his massive face against the glass, gnashing his teeth as he watched pirate crews retreat under the oppressive presence of the Four Emperors.
"Damn you pirates! Don't you have any pride at all!?"
"Don't leave! Come back!!!"
"If you all leave, who's going to start the war!?"
Festa was furious.
After a moment, accepting reality, he slammed his fist on the table and ordered his subordinate:
"Activate that device ahead of schedule!"
"We absolutely cannot let anyone else escape!"
"Yes, Chief Festa!!!"
A man seated in the control room shouted in response and immediately pressed a red button on the console.
Rumble…
Violent tremors suddenly spread across the entire island.
In the main arena, a massive whirlpool appeared on the water's surface, as though something strange was about to emerge from beneath the sea.
(End of Chapter)