Because some time ago, the Starry Sky Pirates had made a high-profile appearance in Marineford, displaying themselves recklessly in front of countless pirates and Marine elites.
Add to that their effortless takedown of Whitebeard and the unpredictable, mysterious Koby…
Across this sea, there was no one who didn't know about the Starry Sky Pirates—the newly ascended emperors!
Only, since Luffy and his crew had gone into hiding aboard Moria's Thriller Bark, killing zombies and farming coins, they hadn't reappeared on the open sea.
So until now, no one truly knew what the Starry Sky Pirates were planning.
Don't think that knocking down Whitebeard was some small feat.
To ordinary people, sure—it might not seem impressive.
But at their level, every action represents the face and prestige of the forces backing them.
Especially when it comes to Whitebeard, the man hailed as "the strongest man in the world."
He would never pretend to lose to anyone.
For the past few months, almost every major power in the pirate world had studied the Starry Sky Pirates' true strength and recorded it as part of their strategy.
Big Mom's crew, as one of the Four Emperors, was no exception.
Don't be fooled by how some of these old pirates looked—though they may seem foolish, their minds were sharp as ever.
Even with Big Mom's brash personality, she hadn't paid much attention to the teenage Koby and Luffy.
But secretly, she had already begun planning a union with the Starry Sky Pirates.
It just so happened that the Vinsmoke family had agreed to her marriage proposal recently, so the Big Mom Pirates had been preoccupied with preparations for the tea party and had little time to think about anything else.
Upon realizing that the Vinsmoke family wasn't as strong as expected, particularly their lack of top-tier fighters, Big Mom had immediately taken her children and imprisoned the Vinsmokes, planning to transform the relationship from allies into one of king and subjects through force.
This had only happened a few days ago, but Donquixote Doflamingo, the underground king, had already obtained the information through his channels.
Not knowing the full relationship between the Vinsmokes and the Starry Sky Pirates, and considering it not a major incident, he hadn't paid it much attention—until Luffy decided to make a move against the Emperors.
Then Doflamingo compiled Big Mom's information and delivered it to Luffy.
When Luffy learned of the Vinsmoke situation, he immediately ordered Zoro and Sanji to lead a team to Whole Cake Island.
With Sanji's agreement, he explained the mission to the others, setting all these events into motion.
…
At the gates of the Whole Cake Chateau, Baron Tamago glared coldly at the approaching Starry Sky Pirates.
Though there were six of them, he raised his voice, refusing to yield:
"Starry Sky Pirates! What is your purpose in breaking into Whole Cake Island!?"
With his shout, a large number of Homies surged out from behind him, raising their small weapons in a serious formation.
Today wasn't a tea party day, so Whole Cake Island's defenses weren't at full strength.
After all…
Around Whole Cake Island were 34 islands belonging to the Big Mom Pirates.
These islands, together with Whole Cake Island itself, formed the massive territory of Big Mom's empire.
Each island had at least one minister of power comparable to Baron Tamago stationed there.
The entire archipelago was patrolled by countless Biscuit Soldiers.
Any ship intruding into these waters almost certainly faced a grim fate.
Yet Baron Tamago, a mid-level officer of Big Mom's crew, had heard no news of any intrusion…
Thinking of the strange rumors about the Starry Sky Pirates, he roughly guessed what was happening.
In that instant, his heart pounded with panic.
Though his strange life-saving ability made him confident he wouldn't die here, stopping Zoro and the others? He had little hope.
The only comfort was that the two strongest members of the Starry Sky Pirates were not present.
He knew Zoro's bounty and believed these pirates were just slightly stronger than ordinary ones—minor characters in the eyes of an Emperor's officer.
What truly worried him was the hidden power behind these pirates—the Starry Sky Pirates, who had stunned the world at will.
If they truly intended to challenge Big Mom's status as an Emperor, they wouldn't have come with just six people.
The rest were likely hiding, making a direct strike at Big Mom herself…
Or perhaps they carried other, unspeakable secrets.
This is historical truth!
Baron Tamago's mind raced, imagining countless scenarios, even drafting a perfect plan for Zoro and the crew to infiltrate the heart of the territories and steal Big Mom's most treasured possessions.
"Hey!"
Before he could continue his imagination, a proud, solid voice interrupted.
Standing with his sword drawn, Zoro regarded Baron Tamago with disdain:
"Is that Whole Cake Chateau behind you!?"
"And what if it is…"
Tamago replied coldly, raising his cane slightly, ready to fight.
"Oh…"
Zoro said calmly:
"If it is, then this will be easy."
Shiiing!!!
Silently, a pale-blue flash streaked across the world.
Simple yet terrifyingly powerful.
Fluid and clear.
But the power contained within that light wasn't as pure as it seemed…
A thin black line appeared on Baron Tamago's body without warning, as if it had always been there.
It all happened too fast.
So fast that even Baron Tamago couldn't fully comprehend it…
He only saw Zoro say something, and then…
The world fell completely silent.
Utter silence.
Even vision seemed to darken, as if manifesting the meaning of the word "quiet."
In his final awareness, he saw Zoro sheathe his gleaming blade and split into two forms.
Everything was over.
Pfft!
Baron Tamago's body split neatly down the middle, as if cut with a precise instrument.
Forget about second or third evolutions of the Egg Fruit…
Zoro, in a rush, struck with full force. The spectral edge of his blade instantly cleaved Baron Tamago's body in two.
In the face of absolute power, all defenses were meaningless.
Because the strong…
Never give you a chance.
Shiiing!
Behind Baron Tamago, the massive gate to Whole Cake Chateau cracked under the strike, a thumb-wide fissure forming.
"Let's go…"
Zoro, having sheathed his blade, walked without hesitation toward the gate.
As soon as he stepped forward, the enormous doors split and fell back, leaving a wide-open passage.
Nami and the others quickly followed.
The Homies nearby, as if their souls had been drained, reverted to ordinary objects, frozen in place, unable to move a muscle.
….
Completed version available on [P]atreon.[c]om/Veltoria [remove brackets]