Holy Land, Chamber of Authority.
The Five Elders convened once more, discussing the same matter as before.
The Beasts' grand banquet.
Not long ago, God's Knights had mobilized to make contact with Earth Calamity, but unexpectedly, Earth Calamity refused the invitation to become a god.
Even they found it hard to comprehend—becoming a god should be the dream of all mortals. No one could possibly resist such temptation.
With the recruitment plan failed, they had to consider other methods to deal with Earth Calamity.
However, Earth Calamity had recently been staying at the Beasts' headquarters. Even if they wanted to assassinate him, there was no opportunity.
"Whitebeard and Big Mom have made their move."
"Along with numerous underground factions."
"The Beasts are intimidating us!"
The Five Elders' faces darkened.
Clearly, the Beasts were hosting this grand banquet to unite various forces and pressure the World Government.
If they were to go all-out and wage full-scale war against the Beasts, other factions in the New World might take action.
This was their greatest concern.
The Beasts alone weren't that fearsome, but the World Government's enemies weren't limited to them—the Pirates of the New World were all potential adversaries.
"And the Pirate Empress!"
"That woman is dangerous. She must not fall into the Beasts' hands!"
"CP0 has already investigated the suspicious intelligence regarding the Pirate Empress. We can use this opportunity to test the waters."
"Send CP0 to handle it!"
"If we let this continue, even we might find it hard to stay uninvolved."
The Five Elders massaged their temples in frustration.
The Beasts' rapid development had left them deeply unsettled. The problem was they couldn't openly declare war, nor could they stand idly by.
Caught between a rock and a hard place.
For now, the best approach was to wait for Earth Calamity to separate from the group and eliminate him with overwhelming force, but such opportunities were rare.
They were truly vexed!
The only good news was that the Pacifista project was progressing smoothly. At most, within a year, they could be deployed for active duty.
New World, Beast Fortress.
On the main wall of the fortress's front, the characters "Hoenn" were prominently displayed, and the fortress had been named Hoenn Fortress.
This would serve as Groudon Group's headquarters.
"Finally completed."
Gurd gazed at the massive fortress, especially the artillery emplacements visible everywhere, and his firepower deficiency anxiety finally eased somewhat.
He had two of such fortresses!
Not only were they fully equipped, but they were also located within the hard-to-access Calm Belt, making their defensive capabilities second only to Wano Country.
The only flaw was the lack of manpower.
A G-Series Marine Fortress required at least ten thousand personnel, including logistics, but the Beasts currently didn't have enough forces to spare for him.
They needed to recruit more troops!
The number of warships was also insufficient—more had to be built!
Speed appeared behind him.
"Gurd, representatives from various factions have arrived at the Nation of Labor."
"Bring them over and arrange for them to dock at the Calm Belt port. They can all come together tomorrow when the banquet begins."
Currently, the outermost layer of the Beasts' headquarters was the Nation of Labor, with Wano Country at the center and Hoenn Fortress at the rear.
A three-layered defense from the outside in.
Sneaking in undetected was nearly impossible, so all factions had to remain in the Nation of Labor.
Speed whispered, "Gurd, Big Mom came in person."
"Oh?"
Gurd raised an eyebrow in surprise.
This was unexpected.
For Totto Land, sending someone like the eldest son would already be a significant gesture. For Big Mom to come personally—was she here to pick a fight?
"Does Kaido know yet?"
"Not yet."
"Inform Big Brother Kaido and have him deal with that old hag."
"Understood."
If they were going to fight, it better not be in his fortress.
Wano Country, Oni Island.
The Beasts Grand Fleet stood ready.
"Linlin is here?!"
Upon receiving the news, Kaido flew into a rage.
"Why wasn't I told?!"
"Boss Kaido, we just found out ourselves."
His subordinates trembled in fear.
When two of the Four Emperors met, who knew what might happen?
The key was that they had only just learned of it.
The Fortress of Bountiful had always been under Lord Gurd's supervision. As the Beasts Pirates' highest-level secret, only the top executives on Oni Island were privy to the details.
Before its completion, neither Boss Kaido nor the three All-Stars had visited, nor were they aware of the progress.
As per Lord Gurd's instructions—
This was a surprise!
And surprises were meant to be revealed at the very end!
"Wororororo, set sail at once!"
Kaido downed a massive gulp of liquor, his gaze growing increasingly ferocious.
It had been decades since he last saw Linlin.
The old grudges between them had to be settled!
The Beasts Grand Fleet sailed out of Wano Country, heading toward the Calm Belt. Fleets from various factions were also converging on the Calm Belt.
At the forefront sailed two ships of the Four Emperors—
Queen Anthem and the Moby Dick!
"Mamamama~!"
Big Mom stepped onto the deck, eyeing the Moby Dick beside her.
"Whitebeard didn't come!"
Though several division commanders stood on Whitebeard's ship, the man himself was nowhere to be seen—likely not aboard.
"The Beasts sure know how to make an entrance!"
Big Mom was thoroughly displeased.
This grand banquet hosted by the Beasts surpassed even the scale of her Tea Parties. Even Whitebeard had sent his commanders.
It was as if Kaido had one-upped her!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
"Mama, look ahead!"
Her eldest son, Perospero, urgently called out.
The sea ahead was shrouded in thunderclouds.
An Azure Dragon emerged from the clouds, coiling through the sky!
It was Kaido!
The ministers broke into a cold sweat.
"Finally!"
Big Mom's expression darkened.
"Zeus!"
"Yes, Mama!"
The thundercloud Zeus expanded in size, carrying Big Mom toward the Azure Dragon.
The two Emperors faced off in the sky.
"Wororororo!!!"
The Azure Dragon roared as its body shrank, transforming into its Beast Form. Flame Clouds formed beneath its feet, supporting its massive frame.
A Spiked Club was drawn!
"Long time no see, Linlin!"
"Decades, hasn't it?!"
Big Mom raised her hand, and the hat atop her head morphed into a massive blade.
Without hesitation, the two charged at each other, Spiked Club and Emperor Sword clashing with full force!
"CRACK!"
Thunder split the sky!
"Look at the heavens!"
All factions looked up in unison, nearly suffocating from shock.
The sky—had split apart!
The Beasts' warships approached.
Speed raised a megaphone.
"Boss Kaido and Big Mom's reunion will take some time. Esteemed guests, please follow me to the banquet venue first."
"Much obliged."
The faction leaders responded one after another.
Though they would have loved to stay and witness the battle between Emperors, the risks were too great. The mere shockwaves of their clash had already stirred the seas.
Best to put distance between them as soon as possible.
The Beasts Pirates also shouted, "Lord Kaido, there's an uninhabited island to the southwest—please take your fight there!"
"Wororororo!!!"
"Mamamama!!!"
The two Emperors roared as they fought, seamlessly shifting their battlefield.
The guest fleets soon arrived at the Calm Belt.
"What... is this?!"
Two towering watchtowers stood on the embankments on either side, flanking a massive waterway nearly a kilometer wide—large enough to accommodate dozens of warships sailing side by side.
At the far end of their vision, the silhouette of a Large Fortress loomed faintly.
Gazing at the enormous Sea Passage within the Calm Belt, even these distinguished figures were left utterly awestruck, their eyes wide with disbelief.
It was truly astonishing!
"Honored guests, please come ashore!"
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