The sea was as calm as a mirror. Under the cloudless clear sky, the ships of the Beasts Pirates sailed slowly. Kaidou stood on the deck, holding a massive wine gourd in his hand. The amber liquor shimmered with an enticing luster under the sunlight.
He tilted his head back and took a large gulp of the strong alcohol. As his Adam's apple bobbed, some of the liquor spilled from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto his sturdy chest.
"Wororororo!" Kaidou suddenly set down the wine gourd, his rough laughter echoing across the sea. He narrowed his eyes and gazed at the distant horizon, his expression turning serious. "Everyone, stop training!"
Sebastian, who had been lifting massive iron weights, immediately dropped the several-ton burden onto the deck upon hearing this, creating a dull thud. "Captain, what's happening?" he asked, wiping sweat from his forehead with a puzzled expression. The burly fish-man warrior's muscles bulged, his bluish-gray skin covered in fine beads of sweat.
On the other side of the deck, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi were sparring with each other. Hearing the command, they immediately sheathed their weapons. Inuarashi's white fur shimmered with a silver glow in the sunlight as he put away his long sword, the sharp blade leaving a cold gleam in the air. Nekomamushi performed a nimble backflip, landing steadily on the mast, his golden pupils flashing with alertness.
Enel jumped down from the lookout post, his golden earrings glittering in the sunlight. "Is it an enemy attack?" he asked excitedly, rubbing his hands together as small electric sparks occasionally crackled from his fingertips.
Just then, two pirates responsible for lookout duty came running in a panic to report: "Captain! We've spotted a strange pirate ship ahead! That ship... that ship is singing!" Their voices trembled with shock, their faces pale as paper.
"Nonsense!" Inuarashi's tail stood straight up, his expression showing disbelief. "How could a pirate ship possibly sing?"
"It's true!" the pirates insisted urgently, with one even kneeling down. "We saw it with our own eyes! That ship is sailing toward us while singing a strange song!"
Kaidou walked to the bow of the ship, crossing his arms as he stared intently at the growing black dot in the distance. The sea breeze brushed through his long hair, carrying a faint scent of alcohol. "Prepare for battle," he commanded briefly, his voice low like thunder.
Enel excitedly jumped onto the ship's railing: "Captain, since that ship is so interesting, why don't we just take it for ourselves!" His golden staff spun in his hand, generating arcs of electricity.
"Fool." Kaidou sneered, slamming his wine gourd heavily onto the deck. "That's a Devil Fruit ability. Even if we took it, it would be useless." He had already guessed the identity of the approaching party - who else but that madwoman Charlotte Linlin could bring a ship to life?
Nekomamushi scratched his ear, his sharp claws producing a grating sound: "A Devil Fruit that makes ships sing? How peculiar. Could it be the legendary 'Singing Fruit'?" He licked his lips, revealing his sharp canine teeth.
Sebastian thoughtfully stroked his chin: "I recall a rumor in the New World that the ships of the Big Mom Pirates can sing and dance..." This squid giant who had returned to live on Fish-Man Island clearly still possessed some knowledge about maritime intelligence.
"Big Mom? Is she strong?" Kawamatsu tightened his grip on the sword hilt at his waist.
"Very strong. It's said their captain Charlotte Linlin is a natural-born destroyer. At just six years old, she received an initial bounty of 50 million Berries. Several years later, her bounty rose to 500 million Berries, and now it's reached a staggering 1.07 billion Berries." Sebastian spoke with a calm expression, but his clenched fists betrayed his inner tension.
"What?!" The young pirates gasped in shock. Enel's eyes widened, his golden pupils contracting sharply: "That's even higher than the captain's bounty?" His voice turned shrill from astonishment.
"Silence!" Sebastian roared, the force of his voice making several rookie pirates stagger backward. "Bounty doesn't represent strength! Captain Kaidou is the strongest!" His fins fully extended in anger, displaying the vice-captain's authority.
"That's right!" "The captain is the strongest!" The crew members chimed in agreement, though their eyes still held traces of unease. Several rookies even began trembling, their weapons becoming unsteady in their hands.
Kaidou paid no attention to his subordinates' discussions, his gaze firmly locked on the pirate ship in the distance. The vessel drew closer, its eerie singing now faintly audible. The melody shifted between cheerful and sinister, as if countless voices were singing in chorus. A cold smile curled at the corner of Kaidou's lips—he could sense a familiar and powerful presence approaching.
"All hands, battle stations!" Kaidou suddenly bellowed, his voice like thunder cracking through the air. "Roll out all the cannons!" With his command, the entire ship immediately erupted into activity.
The pirates sprang into action. Orders rang out across the deck as gunports opened one after another, revealing the dark muzzles of cannons extending from the hull. Pirates formed long chains to transport crates of ammunition to the artillery positions.
Heavy cannonballs rolled across the deck with dull thuds.
Kawamatsu directed the fish-man troops to stand ready along the railing: "Prepare to dive and sabotage the enemy ship at any moment!" Dozens of fish-man warriors stood in orderly ranks, their sharp weapons glinting coldly in the sunlight.
Enel stood eagerly at the bow: "This time, I'll make sure my name echoes across the seas!" Tiny sparks danced at his fingertips, his golden earrings jingling with his movements.
Inuarashi's tail wagged excitedly, his white fur standing on end. Nekomamushi licked his paws, his golden pupils narrowing into slits, displaying the hunting instincts characteristic of felines.
Sebastian approached Kaidou: "Captain, should we strike first? The fish-man troops could..." His fins trembled slightly from tension, showing that even this experienced warrior sensed the impending danger.
Kaidou raised a hand to cut him off: "No rush." A ferocious grin spread across his face, his blue-green hair whipping wildly in the sea breeze. "Let me see what Charlotte Linlin is planning to do."
The sea wind suddenly grew exceptionally fierce, howling as it whipped up towering waves. The once calm sea surface now boiled like a pot, with rolling waves crashing against the ship's hull, producing deafening roars.
On the distant horizon, the massive vessel of the Big Mom Pirates was now clearly visible. It was an extravagantly designed cake-shaped ship, adorned with relief sculptures of various desserts—from chocolate fountains to cream patterns—all showcasing Big Mom's unique taste. The ship's sail bore the massive emblem of the pirate crew, flapping noisily in the gale, as if announcing the arrival of the Pirate Queen to all.
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