In the New World, on a certain island.
Snowflakes drifted across the small island and its surrounding waters. A biting cold wind blew, and an icy current swept from south to north, blanketing the entire island in cold.
In a valley at the island's center, a dozen campfires and a few larger bonfires burned brightly. Golden roasted meat, dripping with fat, cooked on the spits, its aroma filling the air.
"Hey, hey, what's going on? What is that old geezer Whitebeard up to?"
A red-haired man with three scars over his left eye was holding a newspaper, a bottle of top-shelf rum on the table in front of him. A puzzled look was on his face as he read. "Kaido and Big Mom... fine, but why are Whitebeard and the Marines getting involved? Even the World Government? What in the world is happening?"
This was one of the Yonko, the captain of the Red Hair Pirates, "Red-Haired" Shanks!
For a moment, even the usually easygoing, unrestrained, and good-tempered Shanks felt as if the whole world had abandoned him, as if everyone had colluded behind his back. It seemed that besides the revolutionary army, his Red Hair Pirates were the only ones who hadn't made a move.
After racking his brain for a long time, Shanks still couldn't figure out the reason. He looked at his crewmates, exasperated. "Beckman, give me a hand here."
"The Chris Pirates definitely have a secret agreement with the Whitebeard Pirates, the Beast Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, the Marines, and the World Government," said Beckman, glancing at Shanks. He frowned, took a drag from his cigarette, exhaled, and then said, with uncertainty, "I don't know the specifics of the agreement, but it's probably about a huge mutual benefit. The Clifford Kingdom becoming a neutral zone for them must be one of the conditions. The only thing I don't know is what kind of benefit the Chris Pirates, no, that man, offered to get so many major powers to jump on his bandwagon."
"Beckman, is there something you can't figure out?" Shanks asked, surprised, looking at his first mate.
Benn Beckman was the Red Hair Pirates' first mate and strategist, a man of incredible intellect for whom little was ever beyond his comprehension.
Ignoring Shanks, Beckman threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out with his boot. He frowned in thought for a while. Then, a name suddenly flashed in his mind like a bolt of lightning. He looked up abruptly. "SS drug!!!"
"The SS drug?" Shanks was confused.
"Isn't that the drug that can make a regular person really strong?!" The big, fat man in a green-and-white striped shirt, Lucky Roux, asked, his mouth full of roasted meat.
"That's right. The SS drug that has appeared on the black market for the last two years. If an ordinary Marine with a gun has a strength of ten doriki, the SS drug can turn a helpless civilian into a fighter with over a hundred doriki. It's incredibly popular on the black market. It sells out instantly every time it appears, and a single dose can go for over three million Berries," Beckman explained, briefly outlining the SS drug's effects and value.
"Over three million Berries a dose?!" The other Red Hair Pirates' captains nearby were all shocked.
The Red Hair Pirates had always been a small elite crew, with even their weakest member having a strength of over one hundred and fifty doriki. They also didn't need to build a large army or use the drug to revitalize their cells like Whitebeard, so they had never paid much attention to the SS drug.
"Does that have anything to do with this?" Yassop, with his curly hair and thick lips, asked, confused.
"Of course. I'm not sure about the Whitebeard Pirates, but the Beasts Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, the Marines, and the World Government all have countless members under their command... especially weak ones!" Beckman slowly took out another cigarette and lit it nonchalantly.
And at this moment...
Everyone from Donquixote Doflamingo in Dressrosa to Jinbe and King Neptune on Fish-Man Island, Crocodile in Alabasta, even the Pirate Empress on Amazon Lily, Dracule Mihawk wandering the seas, and Bartholomew Kuma at a Marine research base... everyone's expressions were a mixture of shock, envy, jealousy, and admiration.
Every major power, be it kingdoms, Germa 66, the Revolutionary Army, or the other Yonko, had different thoughts on the matter.
....
The first half of the Grand Line, Calm Belt.
A huge black wolf-headed warship sailed across a calm, waveless sea. A feast was in full swing on the giant ship. Hundreds of people sang and danced on the deck, and a constant stream of delicious food and drinks flowed: fresh vegetables and fruits from the shore, top-quality meat, and fresh sea kings caught from the sea.
Aeridar, holding a bottle of rum that was more than half-empty, weaved through the crowd, occasionally toasting with his crewmates.
"Captain, I'll drink to you!"
"To His Majesty's infinite capacity!"
"The Chris Pirates are invincible!"
"..."
When the news that the Clifford Kingdom had become a neutral zone for the Marines and the World Government arrived, everyone on the ship was plunged into an ocean of joy. The power of the Clifford Kingdom represented the power of the Chris Pirates, and the power of the Chris Pirates meant that they, the crew, had become members of a world-class powerhouse, almost at the peak of their lives.
"Captain, what are your thoughts on this moment?" Oliver walked up to Aeridar, his hand held a half-eaten meat to his lips.
"My thoughts?" a flushed Aeridar asked, feigning a cough. "I'd like to thank my brothers, my rivals, and everyone else..." In the end, he shamelessly added, "Of course, I have to thank myself most of all. Without my strength and my mind, how could I have possibly—"
"Go to hell! Have you no shame?!" Oliver couldn't listen anymore and shoved Aeridar, cutting him off.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha...
Everyone pounded the tables, laughing until their sides hurt. The celebration lasted all night, with everyone finally turning in around two or three in the morning.
The next day, around noon.
Most of the partygoers from the night before had woken up. Order had been restored, and everyone had returned to their respective duties. In the distance, three black dots appeared on the horizon.
"It's an island!" Aeridar, wearing his dalmatian-spotted pajamas, was instantly revitalized.
Before long, the Chris drew closer to the black dots. It was indeed an island. Looking through a telescope, the massive snake-head statue was incredibly eye-catching. Below the snake-head statue, two giant kanji characters for "Kuja" (九蛇) stood out, confirming to Aeridar and the others that they had arrived at their destination.
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