It was already dusk, the sky adorned with fish-scale-like clouds of sunset.
A cold, pale moon had slowly risen.
The massive plaza of Whole Cake Island was filled with hundreds of tables, where over a thousand carefully selected maids from various regions continuously served fine wine and delicacies.
Katakuri had arrived from Sweet Island and was now standing alongside King, welcoming the arriving pirates.
The seating arrangement for the pirates was determined by a combination of factors—strength, status, influence, and bounty.
As the former Right hand of the Big Mom Pirates and the former Right hand of the Beasts Pirates, both Katakuri and King were first-rate in terms of strength, presence, and ability to handle affairs.
Adding to that was the ever-sociable Doflamingo, who had been entrenched in the underworld since the age of eight, navigating the pirate world with ease.
From the Four Emperors and the Seven Warlords of the Sea down to small-time pirates with bounties of a few million, Doflamingo had an extensive network at his disposal.
Thus, with the help of the Donquixote Family, Katakuri and the others managed to arrange the seating order for the pirates quite flawlessly.
Perhaps due to the overwhelming shock they had experienced earlier, these unruly pirates from all over the world seemed unusually subdued.
"Fufufufu, what a ridiculous sight. Since when have these people been so well-behaved? Did something happen? Hmm? Crocodile?"
Near the center stood a massive round table with several seats.
Since the host had yet to arrive, the table remained empty for now, laden only with an abundance of dishes.
At a smaller table nearby, Doflamingo sat with one leg crossed over the other beside Crocodile, his usual carefree smirk plastered across his face.
The executives of the Donquixote Family remained standing around them, alongside members of the Beast God Pirates, keeping watch to prevent any unexpected incidents.
Crocodile leisurely sliced into a piece of grilled steak, chewed it slowly, then picked up a glass of red wine, swirling it gently before taking a refined sip—his demeanor exuding elegance.
To his left, Daz Bones handed him a cigar and lit it for him.
Doflamingo grinned, resting his right hand on Crocodile's shoulder as he chuckled.
"Crocodile, you're really putting on airs these days, fufufufu. Like those damned Celestial Dragons."
Crocodile took a drag from his cigar, exhaling a slow smoke ring before replying, "You already know the reason, Doflamingo. The Beast God Pirates' strength is beyond the ordinary. These fools are simply intimidated."
Doflamingo's smirk deepened.
For some reason, hearing others praise the Beast God Pirates filled him with immense honor and joy.
"Fufufufu, what happened near Banana Island was indeed extraordinary. Although I wasn't there personally, my subordinates reported the situation. The Blackbeard Pirates battling the Red Count, Red Hair intervening in the fight against Captain Caesar—what a thrilling spectacle. Too bad Morgans was still grieving over that Straw Hat kid's business and didn't come. Fufufufu, he must be regretting it to death."
At this point, Doflamingo suddenly leaned in and whispered into Crocodile's ear.
"Did you know? Redfield has been captured. Guess whether he'll join the Beast God Pirates or not?"
Crocodile's hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly as he took a deep drag from his cigar.
"Fufufufu, enjoy the feast while it last, Crocodile. Looking forward to tomorrow's pirate conference! That will be the pivotal moment determining the future of the world!"
Doflamingo stood up with a wild laugh, his arrogant laughter drawing sidelong glances from pirates at nearby tables.
"It's the former Seven Warlord, the Heavenly demon, Donquixote Doflamingo. I heard he was released by the Marines and joined the Beast God Pirates with his entire crew."
"Hiss... That's truly a terrifying force. We might really need to consider joining this massive fleet."
"Huh? Look up at the sky! Something's flying over!"
In the plaza, pirates suddenly raised their heads, looking skyward.
"Fufufufu, that ship looks somewhat familiar," Doflamingo muttered with a grave expression as he gazed upward.
There, a large ship with spread wings, its sails billowing, slowly descended from the sky.
Crocodile stood up abruptly with a clatter, staring at the ship in shock.
"Roger's Oro Jackson!" he exclaimed.
Soon, as the ship descended lower, the legendary three-masted vessel finally came into full view before all the pirates.
In an instant, the entire Whole Cake Island erupted in uproar. Pirates gasped in astonishment, staring at the legendary pirate ship.
"It's... it's the Oro Jackson!!"
"It's real! It's really the Pirate King Roger's ship! Why is the Oro Jackson here? Has the Roger Pirates been revived?"
BOOM.
The Oro Jackson landed steadily with a deep, resonant booming sound.
"Wahahaha! Caesar! Hear that deafening cheer? That's the prestige of my Roger Pirates on this seas! Can your Beast God Pirates match that? Hahaha!"
From the high deck came Rayleigh's hearty laughter.
With a series of heavy footsteps, over a dozen towering figures with overwhelming auras slowly appeared at the ship's bow.
Thud.
One pirate, terrified by the oppressive presence, stumbled back and fell onto his rear.
"Th-those are?!"
"Dark king Silvers Rayleigh!"
"Captain of the Beast God Pirates, the Beast God Barbarossa Caesar!"
"Former Yonko, Dragon God of the Beast God Pirates, Barbarossa Kaido!"
"Former Yonko, Soul God, Charlotte Linlin!"
"Yonko, Red Hair Shanks!"
"Yonko, Marshall D. Teach!"
"The Pirate King's Left-hand, Scopper Gaban!"
...
"Fufufufu, what kind of lineup is this? It's downright chilling!" Doflamingo exclaimed excitedly, spreading his arms wide as his chest heaved dramatically.
Behind him, Crocodile was equally unsettled, the cigar in his mouth has been forgotten and left unsmoked.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
One after another, figures that seemed both demonic and divine descended from the towering deck.
Although Caesar and the others hadn't unleashed their Conqueror's Haki, the sheer oppressive aura emanating from these top-tier powerhouses was terrifying enough to make one's blood run cold!
"Zehahaha, Caesar, mind healing me too?"
Blackbeard, his chest wrapped in thick bandages, trailed behind Caesar's group.
Beside him stood Shanks, fully recovered from his injuries, brimming with vigor.
"Kekeke, don't get ahead of yourself, brat. I heard you were causing trouble earlier and was trying to disrupt this Tea Party," said an old man while holding a green gem-encrusted sword.
It was Ganzui, whose Life Force had been restored by Caesar!
"These New World brats have no eyes at all—they didn't even recognize me! Hmph! Just wait, I, Withered Sword Ganzui—no, Seven Stars Sword Ganzui—will soon make my name resound across the seas once more!"