Alliance

"What do you want me here for, Shiki?!"

Kaido's deafening roar boomed through the clouds, his blue-green dragon scales reflecting a chilling cold light under the sun.

His massive body, circling high in the sky, blotted out the sun and the moon, dragon whiskers trembling violently with his heavy breaths.

The man named Shiki didn't answer Kaido's question, instead walking into the building behind him with a clatter of his wooden sandals.

"Come down first, Kaido. The banquet is about to begin, and I've prepared some top-shelf liquor this time."

Hearing about good liquor, Kaido didn't say anything more and simply transformed back into his human form, landing on the ground.

King, who had been following him, and Burufatt, who was holding King's claw, also descended together.

"Boss Kaido, this is..."

"Let's go inside first!"

Kaido had actually guessed Shiki's intentions long ago, but he remained unfazed, swaggering into the banquet hall.

The style of the banquet hall was unique. Unlike the usual unrestrained pirate banquets where a few chairs and a long table would suffice, this hall was not only vast but also adorned with intricately carved beams and painted rafters, inlaid with gold and silver.

Giant straight logs, clearly very valuable, were distributed around the perimeter as support pillars, coated with eye-catching red lacquer.

On either side of the polished wooden floor were rows of low tables, neatly laid out with wine and food. Behind the low tables were soft cushions, and quite a few people were already seated.

At the far end of the hall were three enormous seats, and Shiki was currently standing in front of the middle seat, welcoming Kaido with open arms.

"Hahahaha! You've arrived, Kaido! Sit down, the banquet is about to start."

Kaido didn't waste any words. He merely glanced at the figure on the left seat who was feasting and drinking heartily before directly sitting on the cushion to his right, picking up the wine on the table, and gulping it down in large mouthfuls.

King and Burufatt also took their seats below him, but they didn't touch the wine on the table.

"Speak. Why did you summon me and this old hag?"

"Mmmama~ Mmmama~ Kaido! You brat have gotten so much more disrespectful over the years!"

The enormous figure on the left seat heard Kaido's voice and lifted his face from a cake dozens of stories high, speaking impolitely.

"These desserts from Fish-Man Island are truly delicious! It's a shame that Newgate got to them first!"

Without a doubt, this giant woman was Charlotte Linlin, also known as BIG MOM.

As a former member of the Rocks Pirates and the Sea Queen who occupied most of Totland's territory, she was one of the overlords of the New World.

Although she was nearing forty and had given birth to several children, she was still slender and charming. Of course, that was if you ignored her height, which was a head taller than Kaido.

After Kaido and his group were seated, and seeing that most people had arrived, Shiki also returned to the main seat.

The pirates below, who had been toasting and drinking, stopped their actions and all looked at him in unison.

Feeling everyone's gaze, Shiki grinned and laughed wildly, "First, welcome to my territory! My floating island's scenery is quite nice, isn't it! Xi hahahaha~"

The crew members of the Flying Pirates and the pirate captains affiliated with Shiki naturally echoed his words. Currently, over a dozen pirate crews were attached to the Golden Lion.

"Haha, to be able to lift such a massive island into the sky, Captain Shiki's abilities are truly amazing~"

"That's right! Truly a legend of the seas."

"In the entire New World, perhaps only Whitebeard can compare to Boss Shiki."

"Hey! Shiki, did you call me here just to put on these boring tricks? Speak quickly. If it weren't for the good desserts, I would have flipped the table long ago!"

Charlotte Linlin, having finished a table full of desserts, urged him impatiently.

"Still so impatient, Linlin!"

Shiki glanced back at the BIG MOM with a cream-covered mouth but wasn't angry.

"Well~ then let's get straight to the point. I called you all here today for one thing – to conquer Hachinosu Island!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the pirates below fell silent, followed by uncontrollable clamor.

Everyone knew what this meant. In this era when 'ONE PIECE' was not yet known to the world, the treasure left behind by Rocks was almost the most maddening thing on the seas.

And Hachinosu Island was once the main base of the Rocks Pirates!

"Mmmama~ Mmmama~ You guy are finally going to make a move on John?"

"That's right. John has been keeping that treasure for me for so long, and now it's time to get it back." Shiki's confident smile showed no hidden ambition.

"After all, conquering the world with my current strength is far from enough! Xi hahahaha!"

This man, who stood at the pinnacle of the New World, said so.

"So, you called me here to be your thug? Can't you handle it by yourself?"

"If it were just John, of course, it would be fine. But that guy managed to rope in Silver Axe and Wang Zhi with some unknown conditions.

Their ships are all on Hachinosu Island now. If I go alone, the losses would be too great." Shiki admitted frankly.

Of course, there was another reason he didn't mention: if he didn't involve these two now, they would definitely interfere after he and John weakened each other, picking up the pieces and profiting.

"What about Newgate? Isn't he coming?" Charlotte Linlin suddenly thought of another 'old acquaintance.'

"I've already spoken to him. He's still the same as always, not very interested in treasure. He spends all his time with his 'sons.' No need to worry about him."

Shiki had always scoffed at Whitebeard's ways, thinking it ridiculous that he pursued the meaningless concept of 'family' all day despite possessing such immense power.

"Does that mean we only need to deal with John and those two?" Charlotte Linlin continued to devour the newly served dessert.

"Mamoremore~ What exactly is in Rocks' treasure, I'm really looking forward to it~"

"I didn't expect us remnants of Rocks to be fighting each other again so soon. How exciting." Kaido's tone also carried a hint of eagerness.

Without a doubt, the attitudes of the two indicated their agreement with Shiki's alliance proposal.

"Shishishishi! Then, I declare the Flying Pirates and their affiliated pirate crews, along with the Beasts Pirates and the BIG MOM Pirates, to officially form a Pirate Alliance."

"Objective—Hachinosu Island! Let's go seize Rocks' Treasure!" Shiki raised the alliance wine and drank it down in one gulp.

"Ooooooh!!!!"

As soon as the words fell, deafening cheers erupted from below the stage.

"I hope it's a fight that won't bore me!"

"Mamore~ Mamore~ I hope it won't disappoint me, Rocks' Treasure."