Faced with so many people surrounding him, Katakuri remained calm and composed. His arms were crossed as he leaned casually against a pillar, showing not the slightest hint of fear.
"You're Katakuri, one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders?" Bass stared at him in shock.
"What's a Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates doing here? Could it be… Big Mom's crew is attacking?" The pirates who had just joined the Kingdom of Jeromeo started to panic.
"Idiots! If the Big Mom Pirates were actually attacking, do you think it'd still be this quiet right now? All of you—get out, now!"
A wave of Conqueror's Haki surged from Rossinante, pressing down on everyone present.
"Y-yes, sir!" The pirates broke out in cold sweat under the pressure of the Haki and scrambled to leave the room, leaving only Jack and the five main officers behind.
"I advise you to take your people and leave the New World as soon as possible," Katakuri said calmly. "Your ragtag bunch isn't enough to stand against Mama. Right now, chaos is sweeping the New World. Countless new challengers are emerging to take Mama's throne. She has no time to deal with things outside the New World. As long as you leave, she can't come after you for now."
"Ragtag bunch? That's quite the insult," Hermi said coldly, narrowing his eyes at Katakuri.
"I won't pretend I didn't hear that," Jack added with a sharp glint in his eyes.
Jack and the others stared darkly at Katakuri. Their expressions made it clear: if Katakuri didn't explain himself, they were ready to attack all at once.
"Calling them a ragtag bunch isn't entirely wrong," Rossinante said, raising a hand to stop them. "But your Big Mom Pirates aren't that much better, are they? Pirates are pirates—your boss isn't much different from mine."
Rossinante knew that while these pirates now followed him, they still lacked discipline and cohesion. Most of them were former pirate captains, used to doing things their own way. Changing that wouldn't happen overnight.
Still, he had a plan: the Oath Blood Guard needed proper training. They weren't pirate captains anymore—they were part of his elite royal force. If they didn't look the part, it would be a joke.
That was exactly why he'd given Binz the Devil Fruit—to give him the strength to suppress the unruly captains. Without that power, Binxi wouldn't have even been able to manage them, let alone train them.
"You have no idea how powerful Mama really is," Katakuri warned. "You can't resist her, not even with these people."
To be honest, even Katakuri hadn't expected Rossinante to have such a strong force under his command.
Relman the Martyr, Jack the Mammoth, Bass the Mad Axe, Bartley the Lone Wolf, and Hermi the Blood Sword—any one of them was a famous figure in the New World, known for their strength. Now all of them were working under Rossinante. And Rossinante himself was no slouch either.
It was clear that Rossinante now commanded real power.
"You sound pretty worried about me going to Totto Land," Rossinante said with a faint smile. "What's the matter? Planning to disobey Big Mom's orders?"
"I just don't want our younger siblings to be placed under your control," Katakuri replied honestly.
He had a feeling that Rossinante would eventually grow powerful enough to escape Big Mom's control entirely. If no method was found to counter the Silent Seal, then Rossinante could become a major threat to Totto Land.
That's why, even before coming here, Katakuri had made up his mind: he couldn't let Rossinante go to Totto Land.
"Sure, going to Totto Land is risky… but the rewards seem even greater. Everyone else treats me like dirt. You really think I'm going to slink out of the New World with my tail between my legs?" Rossinante smirked.
Katakuri frowned deeply, his face growing darker.
"How about this—we make a deal," Rossinante said. "If you don't want me to go to Totto Land, that's fine. But you'll have to join us. Otherwise, you'll have a hard time explaining things to Big Mom, right?"
He leaned forward slightly. "If you join us now, your younger siblings won't be marked with my Silent Seal. Seems like a good trade to me."
Katakuri's face darkened further, but he didn't immediately object.
Though he was the most powerful of Big Mom's children, he was still just a Sweet Commander—a subordinate. And he'd just recently been stripped of that rank. To Big Mom, even disobedient sons could have their lifespan taken away.
If he failed her again… she wouldn't hesitate.
"Well, take your time to think it over. We've still got some time," Rossinante said with a relaxed smile.
"Your Majesty, bad news—the Navy… the Navy is here!" Frost rushed in, his voice filled with panic.
"The Navy?" Rossinante raised an eyebrow, unconcerned. "Which one of them? As long as it's not an Admiral, I'm not worried."
"It's… Vice Admiral Garp," Frost stammered.
Rossinante's eyes widened instantly, and he almost jumped out of his seat. The others—Jack and the rest—were equally stunned.
"You sure you didn't mistake him for someone else? That crazy old dog—what the hell is he doing here?" Rossinante asked, visibly shaken.
"No mistake," Frost said, trembling. "Vice Admiral Garp is a Navy icon—you see his face in the papers all the time. And from the way he spoke… it sounds like he's here to arrest you, Your Majesty."
Rossinante froze.
Why?! Why is this happening? he screamed internally. First I just pissed off Big Mom, and now Garp shows up too? What did I do to deserve this?!
He was about to cry.
"That bastard… really won't let me catch a break, huh?" Rossinante grumbled bitterly.
"They're demanding we hand over the pirate Rossinante, and they're stationed at the harbor. Your Majesty, you should escape while you can!" Frost begged.
Garp was no joke. The moment Frost heard his name, he'd been terrified.
At the Kingdom of Jeromeo's harbor, three enormous Navy warships were docked. Marines poured out in formation, securing the area.
A tall, battle-hardened man stepped onto the docks, followed by a group of high-ranking officers.
"So this is the Kingdom of Jeromeo?" Garp asked with a smile. "Doesn't look like a place that was recently attacked by pirates."
"Sir, according to intel, the Jack Pirates raided this place not long ago. Then Rossinante appeared, defeated Jack, and claimed the throne of Jeromeo," Garp's adjutant replied. "Surprisingly, he didn't abuse the people. In fact, he used the treasure the nobles took when they fled to rebuild the kingdom."
"So he's in the royal palace now? And he's actually ruling the kingdom?" Garp frowned.
"Have we sent word to the palace ministers?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. But won't that tip them off and give them a chance to run?" the adjutant asked.
"That's fine," Garp replied with a grin. "If Rossinante escapes, all the better—it'll be easier to chase him down. Even if the World Government doesn't recognize him as king, the people here clearly do. We can't afford to start a war with civilians. What, are we going to start shooting at commoners now?"
"Understood, sir!" the adjutant responded crisply.