Magic Valley Town.
A small town where pirates congregated, spending money like water and indulging in reckless abandon.
However, today, Magic Valley Town was eerily silent and clean, all because of the arrival of a single ship. The pirate flag fluttering atop its mast depicted a skull with vibrant pink hair and striking red lips. There wasn't a soul on the Grand Line who didn't recognize this infamous banner.
The Four Emperors, the Big Mom Pirates!
How had a ship belonging to one of the New World's Four Emperors ended up here?!
Every inhabitant of Magic Valley Town was hushed. No matter how boisterous they were on ordinary days, a profound stillness had settled upon them.
Not long after the ship docked, figures began to disembark.
The leader's appearance made everyone's eyes widen: short, amaranth-red hair, a towering stature with slender legs, and a thick scarf wrapped around his neck and shoulders, concealing his mouth.
Charlotte Katakuri, the foremost of the Big Mom Pirates' Three Sweet Commanders, with a staggering bounty of one billion fifty-seven million Berries!
It was the first time most had ever laid eyes on a pirate with a bounty exceeding a billion, and they were utterly stunned. While they couldn't fathom what such a formidable figure was doing in Magic Valley Town, discretion was the better part of valor for survival.
Katakuri, accompanied by a small entourage, made his way to the town's bar.
The bar owner, Terry, leaned against the counter, trembling visibly, and stammered, "W-welcome, s-sir. May I... may I help you?"
Katakuri remained unfazed, directly tossing the wanted posters of all the Straw Hat Pirates onto the counter.
"Straw Hat Pirates. Have they been here before?"
"Straw Hat Pirates!!!"
Not only the bar owner Terry but also the other pirates within the tavern gasped in unison.
The Straw Hat Pirates were a name that echoed like thunder. They consistently dominated the headlines, each exploit more exaggerated than the last. More importantly, the Marines had seemingly acknowledged their notoriety, raising the Straw Hat Pirates' bounties to unprecedented heights.
Captain Straw Hat Luffy: one billion Berries!
Lightning Swordsman Carl: one billion Berries!
Such rewards were astronomical even in the New World, but in the first half of the Grand Line, they were figures that all pirates could only look up to in awe.
Now, the leader of the Big Mom Pirates' Three Sweet Commanders was searching for the Straw Hat Pirates. Could it be that these two powerful pirate crews were about to join forces? If so, this could very well be a prelude to a ten-way battle for the position of the Four Emperors!
Rumors had long been circulating, claiming that the Straw Hats possessed the power to threaten the established Four Emperors' status. And now, a representative of the Four Emperors had arrived.
Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, they were here for a confrontation!
Thinking this, many felt a mixture of fear and excitement.
Bar owner Terry shook his head vehemently. "No! The Straw Hat Pirates have never been to this town. If such prominent figures had truly come here, the whole town would know about it!"
Upon hearing this, Katakuri turned and left without another word.
His subordinates swiftly gathered the wanted posters from the table and followed him.
It wasn't until Katakuri's group was far out of sight that everyone in the bar released a collective sigh of relief, and then a lively discussion erupted.
"Hahahaha, this is going to be a great show! I never expected the Big Mom Pirates to come looking for trouble with the Straw Hat Pirates! If those two crews clash, it'll definitely be an epic battle!" Bellamy, with his yellow hair, laughed boisterously.
"Hey! Bellamy, don't talk nonsense! Be careful someone overhears you!" Boss Terry hurriedly warned.
"What are you afraid of! They're already far away; there's no way they can hear us!"
Bellamy reverted to his usual fearless demeanor, already contemplating where to go to witness the potential clash and considering reporting the matter to Doflamingo for the idol's attention.
However, a burst of unseen fluctuations suddenly rippled through the air.
Bellamy only felt a sharp concussion in his head and instantly lost consciousness, collapsing on the spot.
Not just Bellamy; the entire bar fainted, leaving no one awake.
At the port, Katakuri withdrew his gaze from the bar. Although those people were insignificant as ants to him, he would not tolerate such ants casually gossiping about the Big Mom Pirates.
This time, it was a subtle lesson, a reminder not to speak lightly of powerful figures.
"Brother Katakuri, they weren't there?" Cracker asked.
"Not here. Perhaps they've gone to other islands. Let's inquire further," Katakuri replied, his patience unwavering.
He placed great importance on the Straw Hat Pirates. His mother had personally tasked him with extending an invitation to their tea party. He had to complete this mission.
If the Straw Hats refused, then he would show the world the consequences of defying Big Mom!
"Let's go, head to the other..."
Before Katakuri could finish his sentence, he suddenly spotted a ship appearing on the distant sea horizon and abruptly cut off his words. On the sail of that ship, a skull wearing a straw hat was clearly visible.
The Straw Hat Pirates had appeared!
"Brother Katakuri, they're here!"
Cracker was visibly excited, barely able to contain himself...
They had been searching for the Straw Hats' whereabouts for an entire month, but the Straw Hats seemed to have vanished into thin air, their location unknown.
Finding a single ship on the vast ocean was an incredibly difficult task, and Cracker would have been thoroughly annoyed if not for the direct order from his mother. He likely would have given up long ago.
Katakuri also let out a small sigh of relief and immediately directed the sailors to steer their ship to intercept the approaching vessel.
They couldn't afford to wait for the Straw Hats. If the Straw Hats suddenly changed course and fled upon seeing the Big Mom Pirates' flag, Katakuri's mission would be significantly delayed.
However, Katakuri had overestimated their caution.
The Straw Hat Pirates were not afraid of the Big Mom Pirates at all!
At that moment, Luffy was sitting cross-legged on the Sunny's figurehead, a wide, excited grin plastered across his face.
Just moments ago, Nami had announced that the Log Pose was acting erratically, pointing directly upwards, indicating that Sky Island was near. The thought of finally reaching Sky Island made Luffy practically vibrate with anticipation.
The others were equally thrilled, eagerly anticipating this grand adventure.
Suddenly, Usopp came flying down from the sky on a Dial-powered contraption, shouting, "Everyone! This is bad! There's a ship heading straight for us! It's the Four Emperors, the Big Mom Pirates!"
As soon as they heard that the Four Emperors were approaching again, everyone immediately rushed to the ship's bow to see for themselves.
Nami used Moonwalk to ascend to the crow's nest and clearly saw a large ship bearing the Big Mom Pirates' flag sailing directly towards the Thousand Sunny.
On the deck of that ship, a tall figure immediately caught Nami's attention.
She recognized this man!
Due to their previous encounter with Kaido, everyone in the Straw Hats knew they might frequently clash with the Four Emperors in the future. Therefore, they had specifically gathered information about the Four Emperors' pirate crews, and the Four Emperors' wanted posters were naturally among the intelligence they had studied.
The pirates under the Four Emperors with bounties exceeding 100 million were individuals they had made sure to remember.
However, she hadn't expected a major figure with a bounty of over a billion to appear here.
Nami hurriedly shouted, "Luffy, that's Katakuri! He's the leader of the Big Mom Pirates' Three Sweet Commanders, and his bounty is over a billion!"
Hearing this, Luffy couldn't help but clench his fists, a soft, excited chuckle escaping his lips. He was clearly looking forward to this encounter. And Luffy held no fear in his heart, for he was confident that he would not lose against any of the Four Emperors now!
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse