~ Support & Read 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!
❁❁❁❁
The "Battle for Supremacy" sweeping across every corner of the New World had reached its most brutal climax.
Be it Whitebeard, Kaido of the Beasts, or Big Mom—none could escape the flames of war ignited by the fanatical challenges of this new era of pirates.
The fuse had burned down, and the ambitions of every pirate on the seas exploded!
Driven by a thirst for power, wealth, and fame, they were all sucked into the most terrifying vortex of war since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era.
The Thunder God Sea was the epicenter, the place where the fires of war burned fiercest.
They faced ruthless rebellion from within and endless invasions from without.
Wave after wave of pirates rolled in like the tide, relentlessly landing on the peripheral islands, clashing with the 6,000 Thunder God Pirates that Shiryu had left behind.
Any pirate capable of surviving in the New World had been baptized by cruelty. But even 6,000 hardened veterans couldn't hold back an infinite onslaught forever.
Zombie armies, Fish-Men, pirates—everyone killed until their vision was stained red.
Blood flowed like rivers...
Meanwhile, just outside the territories ruled by the four overlords, Navy warships docked silently on the sea, fully geared and waiting. They were "sitting on the mountain watching the tigers fight," waiting to swoop in and arrest the weakened survivors once the dust settled.
In a way, this war was both accidental and inevitable!
The disappearance of the Thunder Emperor was merely the spark. The pirate forces accumulating over the years were bound to flood into the New World sooner or later. When they realized there was no space left for them, attacking the established overlords became a necessity.
————————————
First Half of the Grand Line, Sabaody Archipelago, The Lawless Zone.
The Donquixote Family Auction House!
"Doffy, Doffy! Another weapons order just came down!!" Trebol, guarding the underground trading port, shouted with excitement.
"Fuffuffuffuffu, quiet down, quiet down!" Doflamingo was in high spirits. Ever since the Battle of the Four Emperors began, he was laughing even in his sleep.
The Donquixote Family's business was booming due to the war. He was expanding the family's power while simultaneously stoking the fires of conflict—it aligned perfectly with his ambition to destroy the world.
There was no better trade in the world. The Family's only wish was for the war to last forever.
However, the sheer terror of the chaos in the New World was beyond what Doflamingo could currently handle. If the Family tried to force their way into the New World now, they would be ruthlessly crushed.
So, the moment he saw the sparks of conflict, Doflamingo made a decisive choice to flee the New World. Using business as a pretext, he retreated to the Sabaody Archipelago. He planned to finish one last job and return to the North Blue to lay low until the war ended.
Without exception, every member of the Family followed him.
Doflamingo sat with his legs crossed, making no attempt to hide his grin. He studied the map in his hand, thinking deeply.
If they took the first half of the Grand Line to Reverse Mountain and then to the North Blue, it would take at least two months. But... the other side of the Calm Belt near the New World was the North Blue. If they passed Fish-Man Island from Sabaody and then crossed the Calm Belt from the New World side, it would only take ten days!
"Everyone, get on the ship! We're heading back to the New World to cross the Calm Belt. Just make sure we don't get sucked into the chaos! Fuffuffuffuffu!!"
————————————
The sky was dim, and the sea was dead calm.
The Red Force moved slowly across the water. In stark contrast to the gloomy weather, the atmosphere on board was cheerful. The Red Hair Pirates were never short on joy and freedom.
Though they were pirates, they acted as if they were on a sightseeing tour of the New World. Perhaps it was their overwhelming strength that left them fearless; the entire crew was brimming with supreme confidence.
Some were drinking, some were eating meat, and others were singing the pirate anthem, Binks' Sake!
Shanks, completely plastered, had his arms around his crewmates, making the most noise like a drunken fool.
"Shanks, hurry up and decide! Who are we going to challenge?" Benn Beckman asked, a toothpick in his mouth and a headache brewing.
Shanks left everything for him to manage, but as the Vice Captain, he still had to respect the Captain's opinion.
It wasn't a rule they had to follow, but a principle they chose to uphold!
"Eh? This Battle for the Four Emperors... we really should prepare early... Don't want the war to end before we even get there!" Yasopp, also drunk, was polishing his custom flintlock.
"Going to see Whitebeard first isn't a bad idea. We can pass through the Thunder God Sea on the way and see if the Thunder God Pirates can hold their ground. If not..." Shanks walked to the bow, letting the sea breeze sober him up. It was unclear what he was thinking.
"The Thunder God Pirates... do you still remember the promise you made with Arthur back on the Pirate King Roger's ship?" Lucky Roux bit into a massive chicken leg, leaning his large head forward.
"A man's promise is carved deep into his soul!" Shanks chuckled softly.
"It's a shame. The Thunder God Sea is being attacked by at least a third of the pirates in the New World. We're talking tens of thousands of men. Plus, there's an internal rebellion. That Shiryu and the other captains can only fight for survival; a counterattack is impossible!" Beckman analyzed the situation calmly.
"Shanks, you aren't thinking of being sneaky and adding fuel to the fire, are you?" Lucky Roux asked.
"Hahahahaha! Mere difficulties and obstacles can't crush a man's iron will!" Shanks grinned broadly, his thoughts drifting to Roger...
"Set sail! To the Thunder God Sea!!"
"YEAHHH!!!" The crew roared in unison.
"Eh? There's a ship heading this way. Towards the Calm Belt... looks like they have the same route as us!" The sniper, Yasopp, suddenly turned his head, looking into the distance with interest.
————————————
The Flamingo Ship.
Giolla was in the crow's nest, working on her "art" while keeping a lookout for pirate ships.
The Donquixote Family had no intention of getting involved in this terrifying storm; they just wanted to do business in peace.
Through her telescope, she saw the Jolly Roger of the Red Force fluttering in the wind, directly in the path of their ship.
"Hmm? No intel on this pirate crew. Probably some nameless small-fry trying to scavenge for scraps? Ohohohohoho, how annoying!" Giolla thought for a moment, then suddenly covered her face in mock shyness.
"Young Master, there's an unrecognized pirate ship ahead!" She twisted her barrel-like waist as she climbed down from the crow's nest.
"Hmm?" More than ten members of the Donquixote Family looked toward the distant Red Hair Pirates.
"It seems vaguely familiar... I think they're called the Red Hair Pirates..." Doflamingo thought for a moment but still didn't recognize who the owner of the ship was.
After all, Shanks and his crew had been traveling the Four Blues, and their reputation hadn't yet spread widely.
"Wait!! Don't get close to them!"
As they got closer to the Red Force, just as he was about to face another Conqueror, cold sweat suddenly poured down Doflamingo's forehead. He felt his own Conqueror's Haki spiraling out of control.
"How can there be such terrifying Haki?! Is it the Thunder Emperor? Whitebeard? Or Big Mom?! Has the chaos of the New World drawn out another monster?!"
Doflamingo felt a deep unwillingness in his heart, but he barked out the order as fast as he could.
"Change course! That monster's target isn't us—it's the Thunder God Pirates!"
❁❁❁❁
~ 15 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)