"Of course, of course. Everything is prepared inside the palace. The other two Emperors have been waiting for quite some time."
Cyrus had already met Big Mom once before, so he managed to keep his composure.
I have to be very careful. If this fat woman goes on a rampage, the whole city could be reduced to rubble!
"Two other Emperors?" Charlotte Linlin's eyes swiveled craftily. "You mean Grimm, who called this meeting, and Kaido, right? I already spotted Kaido's men as soon as I landed on the island."
---
Inside the Palace
In a very simple and plain banquet hall, everything around was humble and unadorned, except for the center of the room where a table was filled with a dazzling array of desserts, sweets, and fine wines.
This room was located on the second floor; the ground floor housed the main throne room.
When Hancock and her sisters happened to pass by, they saw King Riku and his Queen sitting downstairs. Curious, they stopped to speak.
"Your Majesty… why haven't you left yet? Lord Grimm is handling everything here. You don't need to worry or trouble yourselves anymore!"
King Riku had already sent his two daughters to safety inside the Cathedral, leaving only himself, a few ministers, and his Queen behind.
"How could I abandon my post and retreat at a time like this?" was all King Riku replied. Damn it… I started this whole mess, so I must be the one to resolve it.
Hancock glanced briefly at the guards standing beside the King, then hurried up the stairs with her sisters.
Just then, a heavy vibration made the whole building tremble. Hancock looked out from the second‑floor balcony and her expression turned serious. He's here… Kaido of the Beasts!
"Damn it… why is this door so tiny?!"
When Kaido reached the second floor, he realized that although the doorway was several meters high, it was still far too small for him.
Without hesitation, he threw a punch, smashing the top of the frame and bringing down part of the ceiling as well!
Downstairs, King Riku and his court were nearly thrown to the floor. They exchanged bitter looks. And it's only just begun… if he's making this much noise now, what will happen later?
"King Riku… please trust in the strength of the Marines!"
At that moment, one of the soldiers standing below the throne — dressed in the same gladiator‑style uniform as the Dressrosa army — spoke up.
"Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admirals Garp and Kuzan… the strongest fighting force of the entire Navy is gathered right here in Dressrosa. Absolutely nothing can go wrong!"
These men were not royal soldiers at all; they were undercover Marines.
Even the maidservants upstairs, attending to the guests, were actually secret agents of the World Government in disguise — all sent here specifically to find out exactly what the "Three Monsters" intended to discuss.
King Riku opened his mouth as if to reply, but swallowed his words instead.
Dear Marines… save me the polite speeches and reassurances… please, I beg you… do NOT start a war with these monsters…
---
Second Floor
BOOM! Kaido dropped heavily into a seat at the table, causing another violent tremor.
He grabbed a huge wine jug prepared especially for him and began pouring it straight down his throat.
His subordinates followed him in. Jack walked straight up to Grimm, who was sitting at the head of the table, and greeted him cheerfully.
"Long time no see, Brother Grimm!"
Kaido glared fiercely at Jack. "Hey you… whose side are you on anyway?!"
Jack froze in fear and dared not speak. Privately though, he knew the truth: although Kaido and Grimm fought every time they met, they were actually still allies. Fighting was just their way of communicating.
As Grimm always said: A fight is a sign of affection, insults mean love, and constant bickering is how you build a family… or something like that.
At least, that was how Jack understood it.
Just then, Hancock and her sisters hurried in. They stood silently behind Grimm, staring at the drinking monster, too intimidated to say a word.
Another vibration shook the ground — not as terrifying as Kaido's, but powerful nonetheless.
"MAMAMAMAMAMA… The last time the three of us gathered like this was right after Roger died… and I was the one who called that meeting!"
Charlotte Linlin walked over and sat between Kaido and Grimm. She swept her eyes over the desserts on the table, a flash of dissatisfaction crossing her face.
She had eaten so many sweets in her life that she could tell at a glance — these were all store‑bought, not freshly made here on the spot.
"What's the matter? Not good enough for you?" Grimm asked, crossing his legs casually.
"Don't set your expectations too high. This is the best I could manage. And it cost me a fortune to buy it all too. Besides… it's been a few years. You've gone from being a young beauty to a full‑blown old aunt. Maybe you should start eating less anyway."
Charlotte Linlin ignored his rudeness. Her gaze shifted to the maidservants in the room, narrowing slightly with a cunning glint in her eyes.
"I felt the aura of Marines the moment I arrived, Pontiff. Since this is your territory… why have you allowed dogs and spies from the Navy and the World Government to enter?"
The maids in the room instantly paled, terrified. They could tell clearly — Charlotte Linlin had just decided to kill them.
"I know they are government agents… and I don't care," Grimm replied, picking up his beer mug and taking a long sip.
"What I'm about to say… it doesn't matter if the Marines or the World Government hear it too."
Hearing this, Charlotte Linlin — who had been about to rip the souls out of these little rats — settled back into her chair.
"Very well then… since you say so, Pontiff, I'll let it slide."
"No need to wait for anyone else. Whitebeard looks down on all of us. He definitely won't be coming," Grimm stated confidently.
Charlotte Linlin narrowed her eyes and chuckled wickedly.
"MAMAMAMA… That old fool Whitebeard… always so proud and arrogant. For decades, he never even bothered to speak to me, treating me like some junior…"
"Hmph!" Kaido snorted coldly, saying nothing further, radiating pure arrogance.
"Doesn't matter if he doesn't come. It won't change what we need to discuss," Grimm said, the corners of his mouth curling upward. I knew this would happen.
He refused the invitation immediately… did anyone really expect him to change his mind?
In the original story, Whitebeard was the first of the Four Emperors to fall. It wasn't just because of his age or strength, nor simply because he went to war to save Ace.
It was because deep down, his mindset had changed — he was no longer a pirate, but a father figure.
And his "sons" had long since stopped thinking like real pirates too… except for Blackbeard, of course.
"So then, Pontiff… you called us here after two years just for this?" Charlotte Linlin asked, tossing a cream roll into her mouth.
"I want a complete stop to all conflict between the three of us. We need a period of peace," Grimm stated bluntly.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Every face — except Grimm's — changed drastically.
Essentially, what he had just said was no different from proposing… an alliance.
It took a long while before Charlotte Linlin regained her composure. She grinned mischievously.
"MAMAMAMAMAMA… That really doesn't sound like something you would say, Pontiff. Let's not forget — of the three of us… you are the one who loves stirring up trouble the most!"
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