The Royal Palace of Dressrosa was filled with a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. Three powerful men sat together, their combined Haki creating an aura that would have terrified any normal person. They were being entertained as guests of the palace, but their focus was far from the food and drink.
Jesus Burgess laughed loudly, his massive muscles bulging as he gestured wildly. He let out a strange laugh that echoed through the room. He noted that Doflamingo had made a very clever move. By putting a rare prize on the line, he had immediately intimidated all the weaklings who were trying to interfere. Burgess seemed impressed by the chaos Doflamingo was stirring up.
Shiryu sat nearby, puffing on a cigar while wearing his old Marine coat. He looked bored by the conversation. He stated that his only goal was to obtain the Moa Moa no Mi, and nothing else mattered to him. He didn't care about Doflamingo's games or the politics of the island.
Van Augur, who wore his signature monocular and a strange hat, looked at Shiryu with a sharp gaze. He warned Shiryu that the fruit belonged to him. The sniper's voice was calm but held a clear threat.
Shiryu didn't seem to care about the warning at all. He silently drew his famous sword, Raiu, and began to wipe the blade with a cloth. His movements were slow and deliberate, which served as a silent counter-threat to the sniper. In response, Van Augur adjusted his long sniper rifle. He moved the muzzle until it was pointed directly at Shiryu's head.
Burgess looked at his two crewmates and sighed with frustration. He asked them to stop fighting with each other for now. He suggested that when the time came, they should each rely on their own abilities. Whoever was fast enough to grab the fruit would keep it, and the loser shouldn't complain.
Neither Shiryu nor Van Augur spoke, but neither of them lowered their weapons. The tension remained thick in the air. Burgess then changed the subject, and his tone became much more serious. He mentioned that he had heard the Straw Hat Pirates were coming to the island. He looked down and silently covered his left wrist.
Back in Water 7, the Straw Hats' swordsman, Carl, had cut off Burgess's left hand. The memory of that pain still haunted him. Every time he thought about Carl, he felt a wave of genuine fear. He admitted that the guy was truly terrifying.
As soon as the Straw Hat Pirates were mentioned, the expressions on the faces of Shiryu and Van Augur changed. They both became very serious and finally put their weapons away. They didn't want to admit it, but they feared the Straw Hats. Even their leader, Blackbeard, would likely choose to run away if he encountered them. The Straw Hats were a rare group that possessed power equivalent to two Emperors. Only the legendary Roger Pirates had ever shown that kind of strength before. It was something that even a man like Blackbeard had to respect and fear.
While Shiryu was afraid, there was also a small part of him that felt excited. As a master swordsman, he couldn't help but feel a pull toward Carl, the Great Lightning Swordsman. Every swordsman in the world, including Dracule Mihawk, wanted a chance to fight Carl. Shiryu was no different. Deep down, he wanted to see if he had what it took to defeat the Lightning Swordsman.
In a different room of the palace, another group of three men was being entertained. One man had an incredibly long tongue and held a cane that looked like a large lollipop. This was Charlotte Perospero, the eldest son of Big Mom. Sitting with him were two familiar faces: Charlotte Katakuri and Charlotte Cracker.
The Big Mom Pirates had sent these three to Dressrosa for the exact same reason as the Blackbeard Pirates. They wanted the Moa Moa no Mi. Most of the high-ranking members of their crew were Paramecia-type Devil Fruit users, so they understood how valuable the multiplication power could be. Furthermore, the Straw Hats had humiliated the Big Mom Pirates in the past. They were desperate to find any way to increase their strength so they could get revenge. Even if the previous user, Byrnndi World, hadn't used the fruit to its full potential, the power itself was undeniable.
Perospero licked his candy and laughed. He mentioned that the Straw Hats were reportedly heading to Dressrosa to deal with Doflamingo. He suggested that they should probably help Doflamingo since he was having such bad luck.
Katakuri looked very solemn as he spoke. He agreed that they shouldn't let the Straw Hats do as they pleased. He noted that anyone the Straw Hats wanted to fight should be considered a friend of theirs. Cracker punched his palms together, looking eager for a fight. He shouted that he wanted to avenge his previous loss.
Despite their brave words, none of the three looked particularly confident. They all knew how dangerous the Straw Hats had become. Their mother, who they once thought was invincible, had been knocked into the sea by Monkey D. Luffy back in Water 7. If she hadn't been lucky, she would have died right then. Katakuri and Cracker had also been personally defeated by members of the crew.
The rise of the Straw Hat Pirates was unstoppable. They had cast a dark shadow over the Big Mom Pirates. Now that the Straw Hats were entering the New World, the three brothers were nervous. They talked about helping Doflamingo, but they had no real plan. They knew the Straw Hats were too difficult to handle.
Katakuri cleared his throat to break the tension. He told his brothers that they had an important task to focus on first. He insisted they get the Moa Moa no Mi before worrying about anything else. Perospero and Cracker quickly agreed. They decided to put the Straw Hat problem aside for the moment.
Even though the Straw Hat Pirates hadn't even arrived at the island yet, their reputation was already causing a stir. It was incredible that a crew of new pirates could make the Blackbeard Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates feel so much pressure. Doflamingo likely didn't realize just how much chaos he had invited to his kingdom.
The Beasts Pirates were also staying at the palace. Among them was Jack the Drought, who became visibly agitated when he heard the Straw Hats were near. He reached up and stroked his left shoulder. His eyes were filled with a mixture of intense hatred and deep-seated fear.
Carl had cut off Jack's entire left arm. Now, Jack had to use a mechanical replacement. Because he was a user of the Ancient Zoan Mammoth fruit, losing a limb was a massive blow. He couldn't regenerate the arm, and his overall strength had dropped significantly. A mammoth with only three working legs was no longer the unstoppable force it used to be.
He hated Carl and the rest of the crew with every fiber of his being. However, the thought of actually fighting Carl again made him tremble. Carl's power reminded him of his own leader, Kaido. That level of strength was something Jack couldn't overcome, and the fear lingered in his heart like a poison.
Jack roared in anger, screaming that he was one of the three Lead Performers of the Beasts Pirates. He vowed that he wouldn't be afraid and promised to kill every single one of them. To anyone watching, however, it just looked like he was throwing a tantrum because he knew he was outmatched. If he faced the Lightning Swordsman again, he would likely lose more than just an arm. He would lose his life.
The problem was that Kaido had sent Jack specifically to help Doflamingo. Doflamingo was an important business partner for the Beasts Pirates, and Kaido didn't want to lose him. This meant Jack was forced to face the Straw Hats whether he wanted to or not. It felt like he was being sent to his death.
Fortunately, Kaido had given Jack some reassurance before he left. Kaido himself was planning to come to Dressrosa to settle the score with Luffy's crew. This meant a massive war between two powerful forces was about to begin.
Two days later, a large ship carrying a black flag with a skull wearing a straw hat appeared in the waters near Dressrosa. A woman named Violet, who possessed the powers of the Giro Giro no Mi, spotted the ship from a distance. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should keep the information to herself.
Ultimately, she knew she had to report it to Doflamingo. The Straw Hats would be noticed as soon as they stepped onto the shore anyway. If Doflamingo found out she had hidden the news, her father's life would be in danger. She couldn't afford to take that risk. She turned away from the balcony and went to find the King of Dressrosa.
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