Sunlight scattered across the sparkling sea, golden light dancing upon the rolling waves. Occasionally, fish leaped from the water, tracing silver arcs through the air, the fine spray glittering like crystals in the sun.
The salty sea breeze swept across the decks of the Beasts Pirates fleet, scattering the cigar smoke from Queen's mouth into the air, mingling the scents of the ocean with the bitterness of tobacco.
Queen puffed on his cigar, squinting at Perospero across from him as he slowly spoke. "Alright then, let's talk about our opponent this time." His voice was low and raspy, carrying a touch of lazy indifference.
"Pero pero, of course," Perospero replied languidly, licking his candy cane. His syrupy voice held a hint of amusement. "This time, we're dealing with the Golden Lion Pirates' Second Fleet, composed of four elite divisions." He paused before continuing. "Second Division Commander Albert, user of the Paramecia Type Metal-Metal Fruit, bounty 850 million Berries. Fifth Division Commander Sack, user of the Paramecia Type Atsu Atsu no Mi (Heat-Heat Fruit), bounty 600 million Berries. Ninth Division Commander, 'Swordsmaster' Edwin, bounty 340 million Berries. Thirteenth Division Commander, the Fish-Man Houston, bounty 210 million Berries. There are also some members with bounties below a hundred million, but I won't list them all."
"Mmmhahaha!" Queen laughed, shaking the ash from his cigar. His corpulent frame quivered slightly with his mirth. "So, even though we're not facing the entire Golden Lion Pirates, we're still up against a fleet with a combined bounty exceeding twenty billion Berries?" A glint of excitement flashed in his eyes; he was clearly interested in the numbers.
"That's correct," Katakuri, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. His voice was deep and resonant, carrying an air of unquestionable authority. "If the situation weren't troublesome, Mama wouldn't have sought an alliance with the Beasts Pirates." His tall figure stood on the deck, his red scarf snapping in the sea breeze.
Queen took a deep drag from his cigar and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. The smoke took on a faint blue hue in the sunlight. "Listen," he said thoughtfully. "This is your Big Mom Pirates' business. We're just here to help. We can assist in dealing with the Golden Lion Pirates, but you have to bear the brunt of the fighting." His tone carried a hint of evasiveness; he clearly didn't want the Beasts Pirates taking on too much risk.
"That won't do," Perospero immediately countered, his candy cane spinning lightly in his hand with a crisp sound. "We have no problem handling the Second Division's Albert, but you'll have to take care of the Fifth Division's Sack. We'll each be responsible for one of the remaining two divisions." His tone turned serious. "Don't forget, we're allies now. And the fact that Mr. Kaido sent you and Kuzan, two All-Stars, clearly means he didn't send you here just to watch."
Queen's eyes shifted as he quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind. This was the first time the Beasts Pirates were openly expanding their influence in the New World. Moreover, Big Brother Kaido had sent them out to make a name for the Beasts Pirates. Thinking of this, a sly smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Mmmhahaha, that's fine too," Queen finally relented, but then changed tack. "However, after we take Caister Kingdom, its treasury belongs to the Beasts Pirates." His tone brooked no argument; this was clearly his bottom line.
"Agreed." Perospero agreed after a moment's thought. After all, for them, the strategic significance of controlling Caister Kingdom far outweighed its treasures.
"Mmmhahaha! In that case, listen up, you lot!" Queen stood up with a booming laugh, his massive frame casting a long shadow across the deck.
"Aye, sir!" the Beasts Pirates crewmen responded in unison, their voices loud and strong, displaying their absolute obedience to Queen.
"Set sail! Destination: Caister Kingdom!" Queen shouted the order from the bow, his rough voice echoing across the waves.
"Aye, aye!" The pirates chorused before scattering. The deck immediately filled with a cacophony of shouted commands. Sailors expertly adjusted the sail angles, and helmsmen strained to turn the heavy wheels.
The massive fleet traced a graceful arc across the sea as it sailed towards the distant Caister Kingdom.
A strong sea wind howled past, filling the sails with a loud snapping sound, as if playing a stirring prelude to the battle to come.
Not long after, the combined fleet of the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates sailed into the inland sea of Caister Kingdom. However, the sight before them made everyone gasp—the Golden Lion Pirates' fleet was already waiting in battle formation. Dozens of warships were lined up across the water, their dark cannon muzzles uniformly trained on the approaching enemies.
"What's going on? How are they already prepared?" Queen narrowed his eyes, his thick fingers unconsciously stroking his chin.
"It's the Sea Slugs!" Perospero said, his expression darkening. His slender tongue instinctively flicked across his lips.
"Sea Slugs?" Queen turned his head, looking puzzled.
"They're the latest biological weapons developed by the Volz Kingdom, a variant of Den Den Mushi," Perospero explained. "They can detect movement across the sea through sound waves—the perfect early warning system. Mama originally planned to take over Volz Kingdom to cultivate these creatures, but the Golden Lion Pirates beat us to it. The current breeding numbers are still very low, so it's normal you haven't heard of them. I didn't expect them to have deployed these things in Caister Kingdom's waters."
"So there are things like that, huh," Queen mused, stroking his chin, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"What do we do now?" The younger Perospero seemed somewhat flustered. Although this operation was led by the Big Mom Pirates, this unforeseen circumstance had completely disrupted his plans.
"Mmmhahaha!" Queen suddenly erupted in wild laughter, striding to the bow. "What else can we do? Ram the damn ships right into them!"
"Understood!" The pirates sprang into action. Gunners hurried to calibrate their cannons, loaders scurried back and forth delivering ammunition, and the once-spacious deck quickly became cramped and crowded.
"In that case..." Perospero gritted his teeth and gestured. "All ships, prepare for battle!" The ships of the Big Mom Pirates also entered combat readiness, their gun ports opening one after another to reveal formidable cannon barrels.
The two massive fleets faced off across the water, the tension almost palpable. The sea wind whipped up fine spray, splattering against the taut sails with a faint pattering sound. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the first cannon blast to shatter the calm before the storm.