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Chapter 326: Let's Start with a Greeting!
Chapter 326: Let's Start with a Greeting!
As islands go, Skopp Island wasn't particularly large. A third of its perimeter was beach, making it a typical all-landing-points island.
At the center of the island was a town with a few neighboring villages—that was the extent of this island's expanse.
As for its specialty products...
At the junction where the beach met the jungle, Ulqi, wrapped in the Supreme Bandage, sat on a large rock, tearing apart a lobster-like creature with scissor-like pincers and an exceedingly long, scorpion-like tail. He ripped out the lobster meat and tore into it with his teeth.
"This is really..."
Ulqi cackled, "To think it would create such a huge ruckus? I was just rejoicing in my victory over Snag, and now things have taken a perilous turn."
He had brought over three hundred men, which should have been more than enough for an island like this. Although his battle with Snag had resulted in heavy casualties, leaving only a handful of survivors, he had still emerged victorious.
And as he had wished, he had encountered a Yonko.
But it wasn't quite what he had expected.
This time, all four Yonko had shown up!
"Monk, do you think the Captain will win?" asked a subordinate, dressed as a holy pirate.
Most of Ulqi's crew were his old comrades, a group of pirates with a holy vocation—priests, monks, shamans, and clerics, with Ulqi, the 'monk', at their head.
"With things like this, how can we know the outcome without fighting?" Ulqi replied after a moment's thought. "Sagg isn't one to lose easily."
Although they had entered the Grand Line at the same time, Sagg's strength was more akin to that of a formidable pirate who had already made his mark in the New World.
After Ulqi's phone call reporting the situation, he received news that war had broken out.
Like the others, Ulqi was concerned about Sagg, but once the decision was made, there was no point in fearing the consequences.
What was the point of being a pirate if you were afraid to die? Even if he didn't join the Calamity Pirates, his original intention in entering the New World was to defeat a Yonko and prove himself.
He was still fit to fight; his battle with Snag hadn't left him with any severe injuries.
The Captain had given his orders, and as a subordinate, he would simply follow through.
"If he wins, Sagg's position will be secure."
Ulqi's eerie smile returned. "At that time, the Calamity Pirates will quickly rise to become a Yonko themselves."
"Monk!"
Just then, one of his men stuttered, "Th-they're here!"
The man held a telescope, his entire body trembling as he scanned the sea.
Ulqi followed his gaze, and in the distance, he could make out the faint outline of a large fleet.
The sky suddenly darkened.
Ulqi snatched the telescope and peered through it carefully.
He saw a group of pirate ships, most of them resembling cakes and tarts, with two layers, topped with cream and fruit. Above, pink canvas sails bore the mark of the Big Mom Pirates.
Among them were a few vessels of different styles.
There was a ship with a yellow spherical head and purple hair at the prow, as well as one resembling a chestnut cake, its prow adorned with a fiery-maned lion symbol.
Leading the fleet was an enormous ship, a colossal cake-like vessel laden with candies, cookies, and sweets of all kinds.
At the ship's prow was a crowned, grinning face, its head tilted to the side. The massive sailcloth hanging from the mast displayed the familiar skull-and-crossbones, now with red lips and a spoon-shaped jaw.
Big Mom!
The ship was known as the Holy Song Queen, or more formally, the Queen Mama Chanter.
As the fleet drew nearer, the once clear sky grew darker, layer by layer, as if the very presence of this fleet was suffusing the atmosphere with gloom.
But the sky wasn't only darkening in one area.
In the three o'clock direction from the gloomy sky, a mass of dark clouds gathered, and both the Big Mom fleet and this storm were heading their way.
"Looks like everyone's here."
Ulqi shifted the telescope and spotted a very familiar ship.
BOOM!
Thunder rumbled in the cloudy sky, illuminating the already dimming space with a flash of lightning.
Under the glow of the ship's lights stood several figures observing the distant fleet with telescopes.
Lily held a telescope as she gazed at the outline of the fleet approaching Skopp Island from an oblique angle. She pursed her lips slightly.
Even at this distance, she could hear the distant singing.
It wasn't coming from the opposing fleet but from the ship belonging to Big Mom, whose figurehead seemed to come alive, joining the candies and cookies on the deck in a harmonious chorus!
A singing ship appearing on the high seas was no less eerie than a ghost ship in a storm, perhaps even more so.
Marika, peering through her telescope, wore an expression of surprise. "Oh my, is that Big Mom's flagship? The singing is beautiful."
"After all, she's a Yonko," Lily remarked.
Scanning the ship, Lily noticed the absence of Big Mom but spotted a long-tongued, long-nosed fellow observing them through a telescope as well.
It was clear that he had his eyes on them.
"Katakuri?" Lily furrowed her brows, noticing the figure with the lower half of his face wrapped in a scarf, who seemed to sense their observation even without the use of a telescope.
...
"Kukuku, there they are! I see them!"
Onboard the Holy Song Queen, Perospero dangled his long tongue as he spoke, "The 'Sword Princess' Bindentata Lily, a notable member of the Calamity Pirates and Sagg's right-hand. She's the one managing Sagg's territories, and she seems like a capable and shrewd woman. Her bounty is 730,000,000 berries."
When it comes to pirates, you never truly know who's stronger unless they fight. Even those recognized as powerful might face a daring challenger.
So, for the most part, bounty amounts are used as a measure of strength.
To these pirates, a bounty issued by the Navy is a badge of honor.
The higher the bounty, the greater the danger.
A bounty of seven hundred million was certainly not a small sum.
"And there's 'Wet Crow' Marika and 'Blast Hammer' Reneetia. According to our intelligence, these three are the core of the Calamity Pirates, the pillars that hold the crew together. I wonder what Sagg's expression will be when we take them out."
As he spoke, Perospero shifted his telescope to the two ships behind the Grim Reaper's Shadow.
"'Magician' Basil Hawkins possesses the ability to substitute his life for another's. He'll be a tricky one, but if we don't engage him, his ability won't activate."
"As for that fellow..."
Perospero moved his telescope to the miniature version of the Terror Tripole on the right.
"It's Moria! Kukuku, even if a Shichibukai were to surrender, they'd choose Mom, right? How dare he choose a newcomer instead. Hey, Katakuri, that one's for you."
Perospero cackled, "The rest are insignificant. How could this handful of people possibly be a match for Mom!"
Katakuri stood there, his gaze fixed on the distant fleet, only a faint outline visible from his perspective. But even that faint outline was enough for him to sense their presence.
As the fleet drew closer, the outline becoming more distinct, Katakuri declared, "I sense no killing intent from Moria, but there's a sharp aura coming from the one you mentioned, Bindentata Lily. I believe she intends to challenge me. Bring it on!"
He suddenly paused, his eyes narrowing further as his brows furrowed.
"Sagg, they've changed course and are heading toward us!"
On the Deadman's Star, Sagg stepped out of the captain's room and heard Lily's voice.
With a smirk, he declared, "Oh? Instead of approaching the island, they're coming for us? Bring us closer! Get the main cannon ready, Retty!"
He stretched his body and extended his hand, "Let's start with a greeting!"
(End of Chapter)
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