New World — Whitebeard's Territory, a Large Island
This island was one of the major rum‑producing regions in the New World. More than half of its landmass — five times the size of Dressrosa — was covered in sugarcane fields.
Right on the beach at the edge of the vast plantation, a massive party was in full swing.
CRASH!
An empty wine bottle was slammed hard against a nearby rock. Tagu, the Deputy Captain of the Dressrosa Royal Guard, and his men standing before Whitebeard nearly jumped out of their skins.
They had read the newspapers and heard the legends, but meeting him face‑to‑face, they truly understood what it meant to stand before the World's Strongest Man.
BURP…
Half his blond hair now turned white beneath his hat, Whitebeard squinted his eyes and spoke with clear disdain.
"Go back and tell that brat Grimm… I don't know what he wants with me. Whether he wants a fight or a chat — if he needs me, he can come here himself!"
He glanced at the group of messengers and added, sounding half like a sigh and half like a threat. "What? Do you boys want to stay and have a drink?"
"N‑no! No thank you! We shall take our leave immediately!"
Tagu and his men were trembling in pure terror. They had no desire whatsoever to stay for a drink. They scrambled away as fast as they could.
Only when their ship had vanished over the horizon did Marco approach.
"Pops… Grimm is gathering the most powerful pirates in the New World. There might be something big going down. Are you really not going to pay it any mind?"
KUHAHAHAHAHA!
Whitebeard threw his head back and laughed. "Why should I care? Let them do as they please! I never feared Roger or Shiki when they were in their prime… what do I have to fear from those three brats joining forces?"
He tilted his head back and downed at least ten liters of wine in one go, shouting his signature line.
"After all… I AM WHITEBEARD!!!"
"THAT'S OUR POPS!"
"I'LL FOLLOW YOU FOREVER!"
"Who cares about those other three? They can't compare to you! Calling themselves Four Emperors alongside you is a joke!"
The Whitebeard Pirates and their subordinate crews cheered wildly. Whitebeard basked in the admiration of his "sons."
In a quiet corner a short distance away, the future Blackbeard — Marshall D. Teach — was munching happily on a cherry pie.
He grinned, revealing his jagged, uneven teeth, and muttered in a voice only he could hear.
"Ze‑ha‑ha‑ha… Marco, Ace… you boys rely on Pops way too much. That's not what a real pirate is supposed to be…"
---
New World — Totto Land, Island of Sugar
"Ehehehehe… is that so? A summons from Grimm — one of the Four Emperors himself? I see, I see! You should've said so sooner! We almost wiped you out just now thinking you were ordinary intruders! But you can't blame us, can you? These days there are so many people disrupting the peace… and in Totto Land, we value harmony above all…"
Perospero — the eldest son of Charlotte Linlin — rambled on cheerfully at the dock. The soldiers he had welcomed to the island were from the Kingdom of Dressrosa, led by none other than Cyrus.
They had been attacked the moment they entered Totto Land waters. Over fifty of their two hundred men had already been slaughtered.
If Cyrus hadn't shouted out "Lord Grimm sent us!", the entire crew would have been dead within a minute.
Cyrus had to endure Perospero's insincere excuses. There was no choice — the gap in power was terrifying, and Grimm wasn't here to protect them.
Why do I call him 'Lord Grimm' now?
Because just before setting sail, he had witnessed Grimm bring the dead villagers back to life. He was now a devoted believer of the Holy Light.
But devotion aside… he was still weak. His famous title — "The Strongest Swordsman with 3,000 Consecutive Victories" — meant absolutely nothing here; his skills were like a child's play compared to these monsters.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a massive tremor shook the island, accompanied by the terrified screams of citizens from the town center.
"Hey! What's happening now?!" Perospero asked, licking his lollipop, as his subordinates ran past toward the city gates.
"MOM IS RAGING AGAIN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" they yelled in panic.
Perospero scratched his head helplessly and turned to Cyrus. "This happens from time to time. Let's just wait here for a bit, shall we?"
Cold sweat poured down Cyrus's back, but he dared not disobey.
He knew the only reason they were being treated with a shred of courtesy was Grimm's name. Without that protection, they would be dead instantly.
---
Half an hour later, Cyrus and his men were finally brought before Charlotte Linlin — inside the heavily damaged Sugar Castle.
"MAMAMAMAMAMA…! A gathering of the Four Emperors… summoned by the Pontiff who vanished for half a year?"
She laughed boisterously, then suddenly asked — while Cyrus held his breath in extreme tension.
"By the way… does Dressrosa have delicious desserts?"
"Uh…"
Cyrus froze, lost for words. Then he remembered what Perospero had warned him earlier: 'Whenever Mom asks about sweets, always tell her exactly what she wants to hear!'
He nodded frantically. "Y‑YES! Of course! Lord Grimm has assured me that he will prepare the finest treats especially for you!"
"Very well then. He is worthy enough to summon me, I suppose. I want to see exactly what he is planning. But tell him… he had better have delicious sweets ready!"
She shook her massive, obese body with laughter, looking every bit like a witch out of a fairy tale.
"I'll have to inform King Riku via Den Den Mushi to start preparations immediately…" Cyrus thought to himself.
---
New World — Onigashima, Territory of Kaido the Beast
Jack — Kaido's top subordinate, famous for his immense endurance — looked at the bodies of soldiers lying on the ground.
He swallowed hard and turned to look at Kaido, who was gripping his blood‑stained spiked club.
"Boss… wasn't that a bit much? I mean… Grimm was our ally before, right? Killing his envoys… what if he uses that infinite‑stun ability of his on you again…?"
"Jack… stop yapping!" Kaido roared. "Ever since that mess at Marineford, you've been running your mouth non‑stop. It's annoying me so much I want to beat you up myself! Here's the deal: I'm going to this meeting. You're coming with me. If he knocks me out again… you wake me up with a good beating, got it?!"
Kaido swung his massive club violently, shattering a distant mountain peak into dust. His crew watched in terror.
"That bastard! First he came here with Shiki and killed dozens of my men… then he tricked me into going to Marineford with him, and he ran off to Mary Geoise to cause trouble! This time I'm gonna teach him a lesson! I won't be satisfied until I've beaten him to death ten thousand times!"
Without waiting for anyone else, Kaido transformed instantly into a colossal Azure Dragon — terrifying and majestic — and shot straight up into the sky.
"Hey — wait! Boss Kaido! It's too far to fly! We have to take the ships!!"
Jack and the rest of the crew scrambled to board their vessels and chase after him.
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