The man called "Boss" was nearly four meters tall, wearing a dark Captain's coat. Beneath his open collar, thick chest hair and a hideous scar were visible—
He was "Sea Splitter" Barnett, a Paramecia-type Slashing Fruit user. Known for being able to cut anything, he was a Great Pirate with a bounty of 1.84 billion Berries.
Hearing this, the corners of his mouth curled into a playful smile: "Oh? That pink-haired little giantess? Tsk, she looks quite pretty in the photos, but I wonder how she is in person."
His words carried a condescending scrutiny, as if he were evaluating an interesting piece of cargo.
"Hmph." An effeminate, cold snort came from the side.
This was "Scorpion" Mate, with a bounty of 1.69 billion Berries.
He was tall and thin, wearing a dark green skin-tight suit. His eyes had a strange compound structure—a trait brought about by the Zoan-type, Ancient Species, Lung Scorpion Fruit.
His fingertip traced the rim of his wine glass, making a faint screeching sound:
"She can't compare to our target for this trip, Shakky of the Kuja Pirates. Her wild and seductive beauty is the true masterpiece. A girl like this who only has brute force and is still immature is far from it."
Barnett sneered: "Don't you just mean Shakky is a slut? True, her photos are either flirtatious or alluring, quite different from Charlotte Linlin's photos where she's wrapped up tightly and looks murderous."
"Eh? I don't think so!"
A third voice, like muffled thunder, rang out. The speaker was the Captain of the "Warhammer" Pirates—Warhammer, with a bounty of 1.72 billion Berries.
He was six meters tall, with muscles knotted like granite. He wore leather pauldrons, and his arms were as thick as a normal person's waist, yet his lower body was very small. A classic example in the pirate World of training the upper body but skipping leg day.
He was clutching a whole roasted beast leg and chewing on it, his face glistening with grease:
"I think Charlotte Linlin is the best-looking! Strong and beautiful! And big! You can tell she'd be great at childbearing! Hehe!"
He laughed naively, but the occasional glint in his eyes suggested he was far from as simple as he appeared.
"Besides, if we can take them all down, the three most beautiful female pirates in the World will be our spoils of war! By then, our pirate alliance won't just be the envy of others—it might even surpass the currently booming Rocks Pirates!"
These three were the strongest group of pirate Captains under the Rocks Pirates. Though their strength didn't reach the level of top monsters like Shiki or Newgate, they were close to the level of Maron, Gloriosa, and other future Seven Warlords of the Sea.
They were currently gathered in a small tavern on the Sabaody Archipelago. Their tens of thousands of pirates were scattered across the island, doing their best to gather the latest movements of the Kuja Pirates.
They had joined forces because the Rocks Pirates' influence was too vast, and the New World had seen a succession of emerging pirate groups like Roger's and World's, making these established powers feel threatened.
Rookie pirates were unwilling to join them, instead flocking to these newly rising pirate teams. For these old-school pirates, this was not good news at all.
After all, for pirates who lived by plundering, cannon fodder and new blood were indispensable.
To this end, they decided to form an alliance. The alliance's first goal was to take away the "World's Number One Beauty," Shakky. This would consolidate the alliance and attract newcomers.
Because most pirates were a bunch of guys who wanted to gain the title of "World's Number One" and loved fame!
The World's strongest person was out of reach, and the World's greatest treasure had yet to appear, but the World's most beautiful woman was already within grasp!
As the initiator and nominal leader of the alliance, Barnett glanced coldly at Mate and Warhammer:
"Put beauty aside for now. Don't forget our true purpose."
Mate smiled sinisterly, licking his purple lips:
"Of course I remember, Barnett. The Kuja Pirates, the Empress of Amazon Lily... and that heart-stirring first mate of hers, Shakky."
His eyes were filled with naked greed and desire.
Warhammer waved the beast leg and shouted: "That's right! Raid the Kuja! I don't want the Empress, you guys fight over her, but Shakky has to be mine! It's a deal!"
Mate snorted: "In your dreams, Shakky is mine!"
A trace of mockery flashed in Barnett's eyes—two useless fools obsessed with women. He said in a deep voice:
"The Kuja Pirates are not to be trifled with. Those women are all fierce, especially Gloriosa, who is even harder to deal with. That's why we need to join forces. As for after we succeed..."
He paused and scanned the two of them: "...we'll naturally follow the rules of the sea. Whoever grabs her, gets her. Or, the three of us can'spar' a bit to decide the final ownership. How about it?"
Mate covered his mouth and chuckled, though his gaze remained icy: "Hehe, well said. The strong own everything, while the weak... don't even get a drop of soup. Very fair."
Warhammer scratched his bald head naively: "A fight? I like that! Then let's first join forces to crush those Kuja broads, then have a match to decide the winner!"
The three of them clinked their glasses. All had smiles on their faces, but where their gazes met, there was nothing but suspicion, calculation, and chilling murderous intent.
Barnett drained his drink, set the glass down heavily, and stood up. His tall frame cast an oppressive shadow:
"Enough small talk. Intelligence shows that the Kuja Pirates have been active in the nearby waters recently. Have all the men stay sharp and send out scouts. Once the Kuja are spotted, report immediately!"
A cold light of determination flashed in his eyes:
"Ready the ships and weapons, gentlemen. The operation to hunt the World's most beautiful women—is about to begin. In the end, whoever can take the beauties home will depend on their own ability!"
The pirates in the bar suddenly erupted into a burst of excited howls and eerie laughter, as if they had already seen countless beauties and treasures beckoning to them... In the Calm Belt, on a certain deserted island.
The scorching sun hung high, and the salty sea breeze swept over the jagged rocks. Charlotte Linlin's tall figure stood at the edge of a cliff, her long pink hair swaying slightly in the wind.
Her purple eyes were lowered, and between her slender fingers, she held a tarot card drawn with an intricate star pattern.
"To the west of here, at 12:45 PM tomorrow... will the Kuja Pirates appear here?"
She looked out at the vast, endless blue sea and couldn't help but complain:
"But who would be bored enough to run to a place like this?"
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