~ Support & Read 13 Advanced Chapters on Patreon

❁❁❁❁

In reality, a man like Blackbeard had no moral compass when it came to chasing his dreams. For the sake of the fruit he had coveted for over twenty years, he would murder his own comrades, even his own "father."

Everything he did was for his dream. His pursuit was as genuine as Luffy's... but his methods were the complete opposite.

Teach respected his "father," but everything—family, friendship—was insignificant compared to his dream.

That was why, even after killing Whitebeard, he would still call him "Pops."

But recently...

Ever since he met Arthur, his heart had been pounding with anxiety. For some reason, he always felt that his dream would slip through his fingers.

Every time he heard Arthur's name, he felt a deep unease, especially when he recalled the words Arthur had spoken to him in front of Whitebeard two months ago—

"Then stay ambitionless forever! Rot on this ship until you die! As for that thing you want—I'll be taking it for myself!"

No matter how Teach thought about it, that sentence was not normal.

Because, until now, he had never revealed his inner thoughts to anyone. Where had Arthur learned of them?

Precognition? Mind-reading? It was completely incomprehensible.

"Zehahahaha! I hope I'm just overthinking it... Just as he said, Pops is already getting old. When I get the Dark-Dark Fruit, Pops's Tremor-Tremor, and Thunder Emperor Arthur's Rumble-Rumble will all be mine! Zehahahahaha!"

The Moby Dick was immersed in a joyous atmosphere. Blackbeard Teach glanced at his singing and dancing "comrades" and Whitebeard, feeling an immense sense of annoyance in his heart.

His dream required him to wait.

————————

Raijin Island.

Vegapunk piloted the [Thor], taking Byrnndi World, Naguri, Avalo Pizarro, Catarina Devon, and Vasco Shot to various parts of the world to re-gather their former subordinates.

The massive island was left with only Arthur, Shiryu, and Sanjuan Wolf.

But now, Arthur was looking at Wolf's incomparably massive body with a bit of a headache. How was he supposed to travel with a body this huge?

"Captain... why don't I carry you?" Wolf asked, sitting down on the ground with a thud, causing the entire island to tremble slightly.

"You'll carry us?" Arthur looked him up and down, having almost forgotten his epithet, the "Colossal Battleship."

When Wolf roamed the seas, he had never ridden a ship. He had always swum, and his speed was even faster than a Marine warship. That was why the Marines had given him such a title.

"Then we'll have to trouble you to take us to Totto Land."

Arthur smiled and nodded in agreement with his suggestion. He and Shiryu leaped onto Wolf's back.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!"

Wolf plunged headfirst into the sea, creating monstrous waves. He parted the sea as he charged forward, his swimming speed astonishingly fast. On his back, Arthur and Shiryu only felt the wind whistling past. There was no turbulence at all; it was incredibly stable.

————————

Half a month later.

Totto Land, an archipelago composed of thirty-four islands.

Totto Land was Big Mom's dream—an ideal nation where people of all races could live together without discrimination. Each island was named after a type of dessert.

The new Whole Cake Island had been rebuilt about two years ago, after Arthur and Big Mom's duel had shattered the original. Its shape was like a giant multi-layered cake, covered in colorful cream, incredibly ornate.

Now, on Wolf's back, Arthur looked at this whimsical island with contempt.

What was the use of an island built with the Devil Fruit abilities of Big Mom's children, aside from being pretty and delicious? It couldn't withstand the tremors of an intense battle at all.

Contempt aside, Arthur couldn't be bothered with it. After all, he was here today to "negotiate" the territories left by two legendary figures.

If it could be resolved with a few words, he was too lazy to get into a meaningless fight with Kaido and Big Mom.

If they didn't agree...

In the Grand Line, fists had always done the talking. Whoever was stronger had the right to speak. This was a truth that would never change.

————————

At this moment.

The waters around Whole Cake Island were packed with ships. Big Mom's wedding-themed Tea Party, as usual, had invited various underworld forces from the Grand Line and the various pirate crews that survived in the cracks between the emperors.

No one dared not to come, because so far, everyone who hadn't shown up had vanished from the world.

"Captain Arthur, Kaido's ship has also arrived."

Shiryu smoked his cigar, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword, always pressed firmly on the Seven Star Sword, ready to be drawn at any moment.

"Don't worry about them. If you see someone you don't like, just cut them down..." Arthur sneered, and he and Shiryu disembarked onto the soft cake island.

A rain of cotton candy fell from the sky, and even the sea breeze had a sweet, cloying smell. It was fine for a short time, but after a while, it would immediately make one feel sick.

"Wolf, you wait here for us to come back. If you get hungry, just eat the island. I'm sure Big Mom wouldn't let a guest go hungry."

The houses here were all edible. If he ate them, would Big Mom really start a war over such a trivial matter?

"I can eat it all?" Wolf asked dim-wittedly. He felt his stomach acid churn, and his stomach rumbled like thunder.

"No problem. If you want to eat, go ahead. It'll all have to be rebuilt sooner or later anyway!" A set of footsteps came from the port.

Several of Big Mom's children walked towards them. They had put on quite a show, as if to welcome Arthur's arrival.

The one in the lead was none other than Big Mom's most outstanding son—Charlotte Katakuri. Beside him were Charlotte Smoothie and Charlotte Oven.

"Thunder Emperor, Mama and Kaido have been waiting in the manor for a long time. Please come with us." Half of Katakuri's face was buried in his scarf, his voice somewhat cold.

"Katakuri? Smoothie?" Arthur walked with a powerful, commanding stride at the head of the group, and with nothing better to do, he suddenly called out. Shiryu followed closely behind him.

"The Big Mom Pirates have a tradition of accepting the surrender of pirate crews they've challenged, right?"

In fact, it wasn't just the Big Mom Pirates. As long as you hadn't made a mortal enemy of them, all the New World emperors would accept the surrender of those they had defeated. Whitebeard, the Golden Lion, and even Kaido had this habit.

"Why? Does the 'Thunder Emperor' Arthur plan to surrender to our Big Mom Pirates?" Katakuri and his siblings all stopped in their tracks and asked in return.

"If that's the case, we have no reason to refuse."

"No, you've misunderstood..."

Arthur shook his head. "What I mean is, are you interested in coming to my Thunder God Pirates?"

"Or... have you ever thought of replacing Big Mom?"

❁❁❁❁

~ 13 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)