Chapter 436: Rallying the Troops!
Chapter 436: Rallying the Troops!
The Red Soil Continent is the first hurdle for those heading to the New World. Authorized individuals must abandon their ships and pass through Mariejoa, then buy a new ship upon reaching the New World, which requires a substantial amount of money.
A ship's price is not cheap, typically ranging from tens of millions to over a hundred million Belli. Most people who wish to enter the New World will sell their ships at Wave Island, use the money to buy a new ship in the New World.
Even so, very few people travel to the New World through official channels.
Merchants won't willingly increase their costs, and commoners can't afford it. Only the Nobility who travel to the New World for leisure don't mind these expenses.
Moreover, ships are not discarded after a single use. After buying a ship, they store and maintain it in specific locations, ensuring it remains in good condition for a long time.
Alternatively, to avoid spending any money, one could cross the Calm Belt between the West Blue and North Blue, or use a special coating to pass through the ten-thousand-meter depths beneath the Red Soil Continent, passing through Fishman Island and following the ocean currents into the New World.
The Calm Belt is a death trap, where even ordinary strong individuals dare not approach, and even the Navy's special technology can't guarantee complete safety from Sea Kings.
Only Fishman Island serves as the sole passage to the New World, despite the numerous ships that sink each year, far more than at Reverse Mountain.
The New World is the place all pirates dream of, hoping to find One Piece. However, only the Pirate King Gol D. Roger has ever conquered these waters and found Raftel, shattering the dreams and ambitions of countless pirates.
At the same time, Monkey D. Luffy, who ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi, shouts about becoming the Pirate King and challenges the New World, reaching the ten-thousand-meter deep Fishman Island, where he encounters the New Fishmen Pirates.
Upon entering, the Straw Hat Pirates face a rebellion led by Hodi Jones of the New Fishmen Pirates at the Dragon Palace Kingdom on Fishman Island. After a fierce battle, they manage to prevent the rebellion, but the Sea King drags away Noah's Ark.
After the banquet, Luffy, having eaten several large plates of food from the giant White Star, holds another large plate and leaves with Jinbei, reaching an open area outside.
"What are you guys doing here!"
Luffy grins at everyone.
Here, Zoro is asleep, Usopp is stuffed, Chopper is fanning a drunk Sanji who collapsed due to the mermaids, and Nami is nursing a hangover.
"Hehe, I ate it all myself!"
Luffy puts down the large plate, sits cross-legged on the ground, and picks up a huge sandwich to continue eating.
"Hey, Jinbei, come out to sea with us!" Luffy grins.
"I promised you, and I won't go back on my word, but the seas have changed since then. After Akainu and Aokiji's battle..."
"What? Akainu and Kuzan fought?!" Luffy exclaims.
"Such a big event, you didn't know?" Jinbei asks, surprised.
"No, I was training, and Rayleigh didn't tell me anything else."
"Rayleigh is too strict; this is a world-renowned event," Jinbei says, somewhat helplessly.
Usopp, lying down, tilts his head back, "I haven't heard of it either."
Like Luffy, he was on a small island with little information.
Chopper, however, looks excited and proud, "I know, I know!"
Jinbei nods and continues, "In summary, there are three major events in the current seas: one involving the Navy, and two involving pirates."
"Akainu and Aokiji, after Sengoku's retirement, one was nominated by the World Government, and the other was beloved within the Navy. Akainu was initially the winner, but the usually laid-back Aokiji erupted in intense resistance upon hearing Akainu would become the Fleet Admiral, leading to a battle between them."
"I don't know which island it was, but they fought for ten days and ten nights, and Akainu emerged victorious, becoming the new Fleet Admiral."
Jinbei glances at the scar on Luffy's chest and continues:
"As for the pirates, one of them is Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach."
Luffy doesn't react much, but Chopper's expression changes.
His hometown is the Magnet Drum Kingdom, and Blackbeard is the one who plundered his home.
"He was originally part of Dad's crew. After Dad's death, he used his knowledge of Dad's territory to quickly seize half of it. Now, he is considered the first among the Four Emperors, even being called the 'Fifth Pirate Emperor.'"
"He has some unknown ability to strip others of their Devil Fruit powers and use them for himself, hunting powerful Devil Fruit users and giving their abilities to his crew."
"Huh?"
"But then, won't I be in danger?" Chopper exclaimed.
"No, I don't think anyone would want the Hito Hito no Mi," Usopp quickly waved his hands.
"Luffy, especially you! Are you even listening?"
As Jinbei was about to remind him, he saw Luffy mindlessly picking up a piece of meat with a bone and devouring it.
"Hehehe, don't worry about it! I prefer to let battles unfold naturally. We'll deal with it when we encounter it!" Luffy chuckled.
Jinbei: "..."
What did he mean by letting battles unfold naturally? Shouldn't a pirate captain identify their enemies, set their goals, and work towards achieving them?
Sanji, who had just woken up, patted Jinbei's arm and lit a cigarette. "Our captain is like that. You'll understand later, Jinbei. Continue."
"Um, okay."
Jinbei scratched his head, and his voice suddenly turned serious. "There's another pirate named Norton Sage."
At these words, everyone present had a change in expression.
"Sage? Who's that?" Luffy scratched his chin, trying to recall, "I feel like I've heard the name before."
"Hey, Luffy, he's a mega-rich tycoon!" Nami's eyes lit up with the symbol of money, but her excitement quickly faded.
"Speaking of which, we still owe him two hundred million belli, and now..."
She didn't finish her sentence, and those who knew remained silent.
"The White Feather Man."
Usopp didn't know who he was, but he knew how to describe him. "Robin's brother."
"Oh! The White Feather!"
Luffy clenched his fist and then opened his palm, realizing, "So it's him. What about him?"
Jinbei explained, "He and Teach have been working together. They've been conquering Garp's territory, and compared to Blackbeard, his reputation is even greater. With his formidable ruling power, he reigns over the seas alongside Red Hair, Kaido, and Big Mom, now collectively known as the Four Emperors."
"That's indeed impressive."
Luffy bared his teeth in a grin, showing no discomfort and even seeming rather pleased.
It was unclear if he was genuinely happy or simply unaware of the significance of the Four Emperors.
"Speaking of which..."
After finishing the meat, Luffy picked up a bunch of grapes and stuffed them into his mouth. Suddenly, he looked up, and a red dot appeared in his eyes. "Are there any dangerous beasts around here?"
No beasts were in sight, but a certain slime monster had discovered one. After giving it a good beating, they rescued Shirahoshi and learned that Caribou had acquired a considerable amount of treasure. If they found it, it would all belong to them.
As for the flying Caribou...
In the Dragon Palace Kingdom, two figures approached the fallen Caribou. Gazing at the scattered treasure before him, one of them smiled.
"Lucky us, ready-made treasure."
The other figure said, "Let's find a sack and take it with us."
"Hey, what are you doing? That's our treasure!"
Just as they found a sack and began packing the gold, silver, and precious coral, Nami and the others happened to pass by and witnessed the scene, clearly seeing the two figures.
In that instant, Nami froze.
One was a majestic lion with a long mane, and the other was a leopard with long bangs.
"Tsk!"
The lion snorted and was about to take a step forward.
"Ignore them. Our target is the robbery," the leopard called out, turning around with a bag on his back.
The lion glanced at them and quickly followed behind, retreating swiftly.
"That's my treasure! Sanji! Zoro! Luffy! Go after them!"
As the figures were about to disappear, Nami's hair almost stood on end with anger. She quickly commanded her crew to give chase.
Meanwhile, in a square, an old fishman led a group of fishmen, pleading with a man in a pink suit:
"The candy factory has been destroyed by a group of rebellious fishmen. Please, can you give us some time?"
"Your internal strife has nothing to do with us."
The man in the pink suit spoke in a coarse voice, "You pay a monthly candy tribute, and Mom lends you her flag. That's our agreement. If you break it, what you'll face is..."
He pushed up his sunglasses, revealing eyes as small as mung beans, and he strained to widen them, "Destruction!"
The man in the pink suit was a species resembling a small lion, and despite his fierce demeanor, the small mung bean-sized eyes made him appear somewhat adorable.
"But we..."
The fishman elder wanted to argue, but at that moment, he heard a furious shout.
"You damn thief! Return my treasure!"
In the back streets, a group of people were chasing after someone, and the one in the lead, wearing a straw hat, was very familiar.
"Ah, it's Lord Luffy! Is the banquet over?" exclaimed a female mermaid in the crowd, her voice filled with admiration.
They had defeated the rebellious Hodi Jones and were now revered by the people of Fishman Island.
"Ah, I'm so full! The meat was delicious!"
As Luffy ran, he noticed someone and quickly smiled, "But the snacks of Fishman Island are the best!"
"What?!"
Pokomusu exclaimed, "What snacks? I thought there were no snacks left?"
He pulled out a stack of what looked like records and, after repeatedly comparing them, confirmed that there was nothing left. "The Straw Hat Kid with a bounty of four hundred million? Has he reappeared after disappearing for two years?"
As he spoke, he grabbed the elder fishman, who resembled a catfish, "Hey! Weren't the snacks destroyed? What's the deal with this Straw Hat Kid? Deceiving Mom is a huge offense!"
"I, I'm very sorry," the fishman elder raised his hand, "But, but..."
"Alright, Pokomusu, you can't force them to bring out the snacks," said a tall, slender man with legs like bamboo poles and an upper body resembling an egg, who was sitting nearby. He put down his teacup and slowly stood up. "Mom, just destroy it." Baron Egg removed his hat and gave Luffy a slight bow, speaking nonchalantly.
"What do you mean?!"
Luffy's expression changed, "Why destroy it? It's just a snack, and I ate it!"
"It's a snack to you, but it's important to Mom," Baron Egg pointed at a pirate flag hanging atop a building in the square. "Our Mom, one of the current Four Emperors, Big Mom, has given this island peace, and in return, the island must pay a certain price. Now that this price has been destroyed, those who break the rules must be destroyed, or Mom's rules will be broken."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was that important!" Luffy's expression turned serious, and he bowed deeply to Baron Egg. "I ate it, so if there's a problem, come find me!"
"I'm afraid not," Baron Egg smirked condescendingly. "You're just a pretend pirate, and you can't replace Fishman Island. Don't underestimate us; even if you lose in battle, you can't escape Mom's attacks. The Four Emperors rule over the seas, and this island's destruction is inevitable."
"Then, then we'll compensate with treasure! We'll buy your compensation with treasure, so let that Big Mom come after me!" Luffy shouted. "Although we don't have any treasure yet, we're chasing after it, and once we find it..."
"Even if you find it, it's impossible for you to have it," Baron Egg interrupted.
Before he could finish his sentence, a sound that made Pokomusu and Baron Egg's eyes widen suddenly came from above the building.
Although the former's eyes couldn't widen much.
Both of them looked up and saw the lion-like and leopard-like figures that Nami had spotted earlier, appearing abruptly.
Their appearance seemed to share some similarities with Pokomusu, as they also had a lot of fur.
"Pedro."
Baron Egg's right eye, hidden behind sunglasses, twitched. It was this eye that had been injured by that guy years ago!
"Pedro, Pedro, and Sicilian?!" Pokomusu exclaimed in surprise. "How did you..."
Pedro and Sicilian jumped down from above, landing steadily with large bags on their backs, and smiled at him, "Long time no see, Pokomusu."
"It's been a while, Brother Pedro. Strange, why are you here? Are you back at sea?" Pokomusu asked, puzzled.
"But Brother Pedro, your body..." Pokomusu trailed off, concerned.
"It's those who stole our treasure!" Nami pointed at them.
"Hey, human girl, first come, first served. What we find is ours," Pedro said.
"Don't treat us like thieves. Besides, we're pirates, and we rely on stealing. We've heard that Fishman Island's Ryugu Palace has a lot of treasure, so we came especially for it," Sicilian added, slightly annoyed.
"You're just like Pokomusu," Pedro said, turning to face Baron Egg. "We've taken up the Cataclysm's banner, while you've joined Big Mom."
Upon hearing this, Baron Egg furrowed his brows in anger, "You've come to Fishman Island to fight us? This island is under Mom's protection, and you're here to plunder and break the rules!"
Pedro turned to face Baron Egg, "We don't care about that."
The two men locked eyes, the atmosphere growing tense, and then...
They both took out their Talking Crickets and started making calls!
(End of Chapter)
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