"Fleet Admiral... that Straw Hat brat clashed with Baron Tamago and Pekoms of the Big Mom Pirates. He's reckless—but personally, I admire his guts," Cavendish said, irritated.
"But then they discovered Baron Tamago and Pekoms were transporting captured fish-men and merfolk. Straw Hat snapped on the spot and swore he'd beat Big Mom's crew into next week."
"Thing is, Big Mom didn't just send a couple of nobodies this time!"
"Leading the team were her third son, Minister of Beans Charlotte Daifuku, and her fourth son, Minister of Browned Foods Charlotte Oven!"
"When I arrived with the troops, they'd already engaged the Straw Hat Pirates!"
"Did you manage to rescue the hostages?" Wright asked calmly.
"Of course. All of them were safely recovered. We came in ready to use force if necessary. It's surprising they didn't even dispatch any of the Sweet Commanders. Pretty arrogant, if you ask me."
"Well, we didn't deploy any Vice Admirals either..."
Wright's words caught Cavendish off guard. He pouted and muttered:
"You tactician types are always so..."
"Hmm?"
"Ahem… so thorough. Conflicts on this scale rarely escalate into full-blown wars, after all..."
Cavendish sulked, but continued:
"With Jinbe-san on the scene, should we go ahead and arrest Big Mom's men?"
"Hit both sides. They're pirates—don't show any favoritism for Ace or Kuina's sake… Hmph, if you can capture them, bring them all in."
Not show favoritism for Ace and Kuina? As if it's not all for your sake, Fleet Admiral…
Cavendish grumbled inwardly, a subtle smirk forming at the edge of his lips:
If I manage to capture both the Straw Hats and Big Mom's sons after this huge incident… my popularity's gonna skyrocket!
"Understood, Fleet Admiral!"
...
Fish-Man Island – Coral Hill.
Once a bustling port town, Coral Hill had quieted down due to mass migration, though it remained a prime tourist destination.
Now, the area lay in ruins—courtesy of the clash between the Straw Hat Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates. The arrival of Cavendish, Jinbe, units of the Marines, members of the Fang of the Sea Beasts, and Neptune's army under the Right Minister of the Ryugu Kingdom only escalated the battle.
"Hey, Luffy!"
Zoro had just forced back Charlotte Daifuku's genie with a powerful strike. As the Marines and Ryugu Kingdom soldiers began surrounding them, he shouted to Luffy, who was locked in combat with Charlotte Oven:
"Looks like they're targeting everyone, Luffy. We don't have time to keep brawling—we need to get off Fish-Man Island and head for the New World!"
"Luffy! The Marines already rescued the fish-men. There's no point in going all-out here—we'll settle the score once we're in the New World!" Sanji called out, having just kicked Pekoms away. He turned and saw Cavendish drawing his sword, his Justice cloak fluttering.
"If we don't move now, we won't get the chance! Cavendish is strong—and next to him is none other than Jinbe of the Seven Warlords!"
"Gomu Gomu no… Elephant Gun!"
Luffy launched a massive punch, forcing Oven back. Shaking his steaming hand, he grinned:
"Ow ow ow! Still not as hot as Ace was!"
"We're leaving! We'll settle this later, in the New World!"
He quickly called out to Brook, Chopper, and Usopp, who were still fighting Baron Tamago and other Big Mom pirates.
"Head for the Sea Forest! Robin, Nami, and Franky are already there with the Merry and the Sunny. They've probably finished reading the Poneglyph!"
"We'll set out from there—straight into the New World!"
Waving to Camie and Pappag, who were under the protection of the Neptune Army, Luffy shouted:
"Thanks for having us! We're off—go enjoy the sun up on the surface!"
"Brother Daifuku, we need to pull back. This whole operation's a bust..."
Oven watched as the Straw Hats began their retreat, frowning deeply.
"The Marines showed up with a full force. They clearly had no intention of negotiating. Pekoms may have been impulsive—but for once, he actually helped. Now it's easier for us to break away."
"Tch! That rubber brat...!"
Daifuku recalled his genie and ordered:
"Retreat! That kid dared to insult Mama to her face. Once we reach the New World, he'll learn what it means to defy a Yonko!"
But moments later...
"Damn it! Why are the Marines chasing us?!"
Daifuku and Oven shouted in frustration as they fought a running battle—hounded not only by Commodore White Horse Cavendish but also by Sea Knight Jinbe himself.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hats were only being tailed half-heartedly by the Neptune Army—with hardly any combat at all.
Cavendish and Jinbe exchanged glances, silently in agreement.
Who exactly are the Straw Hats?
Even though the Fleet Admiral had given the order to hit both sides… with their forces divided, and only two heavy hitters in play, they couldn't risk splitting up. They had to prioritize one target.
And the choice? Obvious.
"The Big Mom Pirates! You've just earned yourselves another enemy. How fortunate for us!" Cavendish shouted, slashing arcs of flying steel from his blade, Durandal.
"If you dare capture fish-men and merfolk again—His Excellency the Fleet Admiral will be furious! And next time… it won't be a small task force like this!"
"We owe you a debt… for returning our kin safely," Jinbe added coldly. "But don't trouble yourselves with such tasks in the future—Big Mom's help is no longer welcome."
With a thunderous Samegawara Seiken, Jinbe sent Oven stumbling back. The latter grit his teeth hard enough to crack molars:
"Brother Daifuku! We're at a disadvantage in these deep waters—we won't win like this!"
"It's time to use that!'"
Daifuku grunted in agreement. He ordered his genie to hold Cavendish at bay, then pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Good thing we came prepared. Brûlée—initiate the extraction!"
Back aboard their ship, a witch-like woman stood at the helm: Charlotte Brûlée, the Mirror-Mirror Fruit user. Grinning, she responded:
"Wiwwiwwiwwi… time for my grand entrance!"
She stepped onto the deck, arms wide, as her brothers and subordinates raced toward the ship—with the Marines hot on their heels.
"Mega Mirror World!"
A towering mirror materialized at the ship's bow, reflecting both pirates and Marines alike.
"Multiple Reflection!"
Whooosh!
From within the mirror sprang a torrent of doppelgängers—both Marine and pirate—rushing forward to sow chaos.
"Now! Abandon ship and enter the mirror!"
Daifuku and Oven shouted in unison. Their crew, clearly trained for this, leapt into the mirror without hesitation. The Marines, on the other hand, were caught off guard—momentarily thrown into confusion, allowing the pirates to escape.
"What kind of ability is this?!"
Cavendish exclaimed. "Another one of Big Mom's underlings has this kind of power?!"
Brûlée rarely left Whole Cake Island, where she was usually stationed in the Seducing Woods. Her infamy hadn't spread far—but her space-warping powers were no joke.
"Heat Denasshi!"
Oven hurled a blazing attack before leaping through the mirror. As the portal vanished, the Big Mom Pirates' ship was all that remained—its crew had vanished entirely.
"They got away... even with all this…"
Cavendish and Jinbe exchanged glances, sighing in unison.
"No wonder they're Yonko subordinates…"
"Well, at least we have the ship. Let's see if it's enough to cover Coral Hill's damages."
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