On the vast, turbulent sea of the New World, two massive pirate ships cut through the waves. In the lead, a vessel of the Beasts Pirates carved a path through the churning water. Following close behind was the flagship of the Big Mom Pirates, the soul-infused galleon known as the Queen Mama Chanter.
The choice of ship was a clear statement of intent from Charlotte Linlin. For a meeting of this magnitude, she had sent not only her most valued son but also the very symbol of her piratical might.
On the deck of the sentient ship, Katakuri stood with a solemn expression, his arms crossed. The words his mother had spoken to him before he departed echoed in his mind. An official meeting between two of the Four Emperors was an event that could destabilize the world, sending waves of panic through every major power. But he had no choice but to come. The Beasts Pirates had acquired assets his mother had long coveted, and she was not one to be denied.
After half a day of sailing, the Queen Mama Chanter arrived in a pitch-black sea. The sky above was a permanent storm, with thunder rumbling and dark clouds gathering in a suffocating canopy. The waves churned wildly, crashing against the hull with a force that spoke of a world's end. Here, at the edge of the abyss, the guide ship came to a halt.
Seeing this, Katakuri signaled for his own Chess Soldiers to stop their vessel. After a few minutes, the Bat-Bat Fruit user flew over from the other ship, keeping a safe distance.
"I've informed Lord King," the subordinate called out nervously. "You are to wait here. Do not move. We will be watching you."
Katakuri didn't even grant the man a glance. The subordinate, knowing he was only borrowing the prestige of his superiors, quickly retreated to his own ship. Only then did Katakuri retrieve a personal Den Den Mushi.
"Boruru boruru... Click!"
"Mama, I've arrived," he reported. "I should be able to see Kaido soon."
The Den Den Mushi, which bore Linlin's distinct features, awoke with a ferocious grin. "Mamamama! So you're there? Good. Katakuri, once Kaido arrives, I'll handle the negotiations. It's been decades since I've spoken to that brat!"
Katakuri could hear the mix of excitement and nostalgia in his mother's voice. Still, as her most capable son, he felt it was his duty to try. "Mama, allow me to negotiate with Kaido first. If he refuses, then you can step in."
"No... no need for that, Katakuri," Big Mom's voice boomed. "You're not qualified to negotiate with that fellow right now, are you?"
Katakuri stiffened. Just as he was about to protest, an immense pressure descended from the heavens, making his entire body tremble. He snapped his head upward.
BOOM....
The dark clouds above, which had seemed like a permanent fixture, were now rolling back like a parted sea, blasted away by an unseen force. Coiling within the newly formed vortex was the colossal body of an Azure Dragon, its scales shimmering even in the dim light. A massive dragon's head slowly emerged from the clouds, and its enormous, golden eyes fixed on Katakuri.
A deep, rumbling voice echoed across the sea. "That's right, kid. You're not qualified to negotiate with me right now."
"!!!"
Cold sweat poured down Katakuri's face. His body tensed, and his hand instinctively gripped the trident on his back. Impossible! As a master of Observation Haki who could see moments into the future, he prided himself on his perception. Yet Kaido was right above him, and he hadn't sensed a thing until it was too late. So this was the power of Kaido of the Beasts, the man even his mother spoke of with a grudging respect.
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi in his hand came to life again, but this time with Big Mom's cackling laugh.
"Mamamama! Kaido, it's been a long time..."
The dragon's voice boomed in response, shaking the very air. "Linlin!!!"
BOOM!
In a flash of movement, the dragon vanished. Kaido, now in his human form, landed on the deck of the Queen Mama Chanter with the force of a cannonball. The ship groaned under his weight, and the homies on deck shrieked in terror. Before the stunned and trembling Katakuri could react, Kaido snatched the Den Den Mushi from his hand.
Katakuri opened his mouth to speak but then closed it. He understood. The conversation to come was between two legends, a negotiation far above his station.
Kaido paid him no mind, plopping himself down on the deck without ceremony. He spoke into the snail with gruff impatience. "Alright, get on with it, Linlin. What do you want? My time is precious."
"Mamamama! Kaido, you're becoming less and less adorable," came the voice from the other end.
That laugh... that tone. For a fleeting moment, Kaido was no longer on the sea but back in God Valley, a fifteen-year-old boy in the shadow of a twenty-four-year-old Charlotte Linlin. He remembered her taking him under her wing, the only person on that chaotic crew who had shown him something resembling camaraderie. He could almost feel the phantom weight of the fruit she had tossed to him after a battle—the Azure Dragon Fruit. A gift, given without condition. A debt.
He shook the memory away. "Stop wasting time, Linlin. State your purpose."
"Mamamama, fine! If you're going to be like that, I won't waste any more time," her voice turned sharp and demanding. "I'm here to reclaim what belongs to me."
"Your things?" Kaido scoffed. "Hey, Linlin, I wasn't aware my Beasts Pirates had anything of yours."
Charlotte Linlin's answer was simple, direct, and utterly domineering.
"The Vinsmoke family. I've had my eyes on their technology for a long time. And that scientist, Caesar. Since you already have Queen, why are you competing with me? Hand them over."
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