The Dark Festival
The Pirate Expo has brought excitement to the entire New World. While many wars have not subsided, the situation has calmed down somewhat.
Meanwhile, the beautiful Sicily Island gradually became lively. Although the Expo officially started a month later, this did not prevent them from setting off and arriving early.
Sicily Island already had inhabitants, so most of the buildings only needed minor modifications; the core area was the only part that required construction.
The members of the Night Pirates were also on the Sicily Island early on maintaining order for the Expo.
More and more pirates are arriving in Sicily Island.
At Marine Headquarters, several people left the conference room, including Garp, Tsuru, Gion, and Kake.
The Marine Headquarters has already planned to send people to infiltrate the Pirate Expo, and it's these four.
Their real purpose was to find out specific details about the Expo, even though they already knew that Morgans would be broadcasting the Expo live.
Although it's unclear how Morgans managed to persuade the Night Pirates to agree, it's evident that Morgans has some form of cooperation with Night Pirates, but they can't do anything about Morgans.
However, the information obtained through live broadcasts is far less clear than the information obtained on-site.
The task of gathering intelligence was naturally assigned to the strategist Tsuru, while Garp's role was to act as a bodyguard. The Sea Emperor would not be present, and Garp's strength was more than enough to ensure Tsuru and the others' safety.
As the Expo an event hosted by the Night Pirates, leaders of other major powers will send representatives to participate, but they will not come in person to avoid usurping the throne and potentially triggering a war.
As for Kake and Gion, they were simply broadening their horizons, but their strength was not bad either. As the core seeds of the Navy, their current combat power was no weaker than that of an ordinary Marine Vice Admiral.
"Besides us, could there be other forces infiltrating us?" Kake some doubt.
"Yes, of course, no one would miss out on something like this. Pirate forces, underground forces, and even some hidden, unknown forces—some want to make a name for themselves, while others simply see the Dark Festival as a trading market. There might even be people who want to cause trouble at the Expo," Tsuru said softly.
"Ah! The Night Pirates are so powerful now, yet someone would still do this." Gion's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Although the chances are low, it's not impossible. If one has enough strength, it's not out of the question to rise to power by stepping on the reputation of the Night Pirates." Tsuru shook her head. "Besides, there are many ways to cause trouble."
"But that's only if they can withstand the wrath of the Night Pirates." Now that the Sea Emperor is not around, Gion doesn't believe there are any other forces in the New World with the power of the Night Pirates.
"That's true." Kake, his expression grave. The Night Pirates had demonstrated astonishing strength in the past six months, rising rapidly. Years ago, they had almost been killed by the Night Pirates ' "Chercaranda" Mostima.
He couldn't figure out who would dare cause trouble on the Night Pirates' territory if the Sea Emperor didn't appear, not even the Navy.
Crane remained silent. As a strategist, she had to consider all the possibilities, including everything that needed to be taken into account.
For this mission, she also needs to observe what hidden or threatening forces exist in this sea.
A future World Military Draft will be able to select two of the world's top combatants.
It is clear that the world is still very complex, and even cranes have much information they do not know, as well as some ambitious people hiding in the shadows.
Even seemingly weak kingdoms have phenomenal powers like Elbaf and Wano Country.
Moreover, there are some powerful kingdoms with hidden strengths, such as the Tiresfa Kingdom, which possess terrifying power unknown to most.
The power of some strong nations is something even the Great Pirate dare not underestimate, let alone provoke.
Races different from humans, such as the Long Arm Tribe, the Long Leg Tribe, and the Snake-Head Tribe, also spontaneously formed kingdoms.
Their overall strength is formidable; their kingdom is even more powerful than the Mink Kingdom. They also have some powerful figures whom even the Great Pirate dare not easily provoke.
Big Mom also wants to form marriage alliances with these races, not only to expand the number of races in the Whole Cake Island, but also because she covets their power.
Somewhere in the New World.
"You bastard, why won't you let us go?" A pirate shouted in despair, his heart filled with fear, as he looked at the small boat behind him.
"Just killing time," the swordsman standing on the small boat said calmly, and amidst the astonished gazes of the pirates, he swung his Black Blade.
They never imagined that such a reason would lead them through this nightmare.
With a casual wave of his hand, he unleashed a slash hundreds of meters high, engulfing the pirates and their ships, splitting the sea in two.
The surrounding sea quickly fell silent.
"It's really not easy to catch the Expo. Looks like we need to speed things up." The man, with eyes as sharp as an eagle, slashed his sword behind him. The powerful recoil propelled the small boat forward like a sharp sword.
The Calm Belt, the Beast Island near Amazon Lily, is where the Red-Haired Pirates and the Clown Pirates train.
Now, they have been on this island for almost a year. On this dangerous island, everyone has undergone a transformation, becoming even stronger.
Although they live in the Calm Belt, it doesn't mean they are unaware of what's happening outside. Shakky delivers newspapers and intelligence regularly, and they can also learn a lot through Transponder Snail.
Two pirate crews, along with Rayleigh, gathered together.
"Haha, the Pirate Expo?" Shanks looked at the newspaper in his hand, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes, and laughed, "I remember it vividly. Back then, Buggy and I performed circus acrobatics at the Expo, and we almost got beaten to death by our senior."
"You Shanks, how could you tell everyone this?" Buggy stood up, his face flushed, and yelled at Shanks.
This is a dark chapter in his past, and it will seriously damage his shining image in the eyes of the crew.
At this moment, he noticed the surprised looks on his crew's faces. Was he trying to be funny by performing acrobatics in front of pirates?
"Can't you recall something normal?" Beckman complained helplessly, while the Red-Haired Pirates next to him burst into laughter.
"A normal thing? Does challenging the Golden Lion with Buggy count?" Shanks asked, stroking his chin.
This is even more abnormal! This is what everyone else was thinking. Buggy's eyes widened. Shanks really can't control his mouth. This is an even darker part of his history.
Was he courting death by challenging the Golden Lion at such a young age?
"Did you succeed in the challenge?" Raki Ru asked curiously, taking a big bite of grilled meat.
"Haha, before it even started, Uncle Gaban beat me up and dragged me away." Shanks scratched the back of his head and laughed carefree.
"It's a pity we can't attend such a celebration," Shanks lamented. "Even if we wanted to, we wouldn't have enough time."
"How beautiful! Especially when that beautiful face is used to cry and wail, it's even more wonderful." An old woman with a long, pointed nose and bright red lipstick, looking like a witch, was holding the head of a beautiful woman and laughing with a perverse grin.
Even his men were too cowardly to step forward, standing trembling on the sidelines.
"Such a beautiful body should be made into a specimen and kept as part of my collection." A look of excitement and danger flashed in Catarina's eyes.
"Yes, only Lady Catarina possesses such beauty."
"Oh ho ho ho ho, my little darling, you're so cute I want to turn you into a specimen."
The subordinate, startled by the word "cute," broke out in a cold sweat and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Lady Catarina, let's go hunting after the Expo. According to current intelligence, the pirates who have started their operation there have a total bounty exceeding 30 billion."
"Wouldn't this kind of hunt be even more exciting?" Catarina's body trembled with excitement. "A truly clever hunter doesn't necessarily have to be stronger than those beasts. And I'll take the bounties from those pirates too."
"Crescent Hunter" Catarina a terrifying pirate who has risen to prominence in the last two years. She is ruthless, enjoys hunting pirates, and even more so, enjoys cutting off the heads of beautiful women. She is also very powerful and is Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit User.
Soon, a month passed, and at the port on the shore of Sicily Island, there were at least a thousand pirate ships of all shapes and sizes.
A large number of pirates gathered in Sicily Island, numbering over 100,000, forming a very powerful force.
Large and small forces arrived in Sicily Island one after another, each arrival causing a great uproar.
At the same time, they also brought their own goods to trade and sell in the exhibition area.
The entire Expo was bustling with activity, teeming with pirates, like a supermarket.
Although the Expo has not officially started yet, what is meant by "officially" is actually the large-scale auction event within the Expo.
These trade transactions began very early on.
Such a celebration would naturally not last only one day; it would continue for at least half a month after it officially begins.
Within a month, the magnificent palace in the center of Sicily Island was completed; this was the core area and the final auction venue.
On the warship sailing in the New World, Kake's mentality was somewhat explosive.
Garp was eating donuts, Gion was chatting with Tsuru, and a leisurely atmosphere filled the warship, making him wonder if he had time disordered and was thinking of the return journey as the departure?
Feeling somewhat out of Kake, Jiaji finally couldn't help but ask, "Wouldn't it be too arrogant for us to appear at the Expo sitting on a warship, dressed in the Justice Coat?"
He was still a little confused. Wasn't their mission to infiltrate secretly?
Gion didn't speak. She had confidence in Tsuru and Garp's abilities, and since Tsuru was like this, there must be no problem.
After a long while, Kake stood there dumbfounded. Why are you all so calm? That's the Expo! The pirates gathered there have bounties exceeding 30 billion!
Just when Kaji Kake despair, Tsuru took a sip of tea and said, "Do you think we won't be recognized if we change our clothes and wear masks?"
"But perhaps doing it that way wouldn't be as aggressive as it is now?"
"You're not seeing things from a pirate's perspective. Pirates are all about the survival of the fittest. Disguising yourself will only make you seem easy to bully. Being tough enough will actually reduce some trouble for us. Besides, since we'll be discovered sooner or later, it's better not to hide our identities in the first place."
"Don't be nervous, we're just here to gather intelligence. Just treat it like a vacation," Vice Admiral Tsuru said calmly.
"Is that how it is?" Kake somewhat dejected, thinking about how flustered he had just been. "No wonder you guys weren't nervous at all. I guess I dragged down the team's average level."
Garp suddenly Satori, "No wonder I got in so easily back then, I think I forgot to take off my Justice Coat, hahaha!"
Boom boom boom!
The cannonballs, raining down like raindrops, were easily deflected by an invisible, Haki, landing on the surrounding sea and creating waves tens of meters high. Even the warships swayed and rocked in the waves.
"How many waves of pirates are we talking about now?" Gion sighed, somewhat helplessly.
"It's probably the seventh wave, or the eighth wave, I'm not sure," Kake said uncertainly.
Along the way, they encountered many pirates.
"Are pirates these days so eager to die? There are just too many pirates! I've encountered so many in such a short time."
"In the past, when the navy appeared in the New World, it was always in groups of a dozen or so large warships. This time, they've encountered someone as easy to bully as us. They must be having a lot of fun."
"Besides, a large number of pirates are heading to Sicily Island now, so it's normal for the number of pirates to increase."
"You guys better not fight, it'll hurt you. Let this old man have some fun." With Sengoku not around, he was too lazy to change his tune and say it was about catching pirates. A playful attitude is what keeps him motivated!
On the other side, a pirate fleet consisting of more than a dozen pirate crews was filled with the pirates laughing wildly.
"Haha, Captain, you really know how to play games! Deliberately letting the shells miss, are you trying to give those poor little sailors their last hope?"
"Hurry up and get closer to them, I can't wait to see the despair on those poor little faces."
"Don't rush, life at sea is so boring. It's rare to find something so interesting to change things up. It would be a waste not to have some fun."
The pirate captain, who was nearly six meters tall, looked somewhat bewildered. Did I order them to deliberately miss?
And so, like a cat Nezumi, these pirate ships slowly approached.
Finally, they were close enough to see each other's facial expressions clearly.
"Let me see these little cuties..." The pirate captain was laughing when his smile suddenly froze, as if he had lost his soul, and his eyes became numb and empty.
What did he see? On the warship were Marine Vice Admiral Garp, Marine Chief of Staff Tsuru, and two young pirates he didn't recognize.
Any pirate who manages to enter the New World must have heard of these two names. Although they are both Marine Vice Admiral, their strength surpasses that of Vice Admiral. You might not be familiar with Tsuru, but the Garp the Hero, is legendary.
"Wait, Garp, we're surrounded by the Marine Garp the Hero! No, wait, I'm the one who surrounded the Marine Garp the Hero?" Thinking of this, the pirate captain felt a lump in his throat. Even he himself felt that he was a real man, actually surrounding the Marine Garp the Hero who had driven the pirates into a corner.
Of course, this passive courage didn't last long. The pirate captain soon cried out in a shrill voice, "Retreat!"
Seeing that these people were about to run away, Garp no longer cared about his composure and tore off a large piece of the ship's plank, throwing it towards the pirate ship. "Don't run away! Stay and chat with this old man!"
Boom!
The ship's planks, enhanced by Armament Haki, tore a pirate ship apart with terrifying force, splitting the pirate ship in two before it sank into the sea.
The other pirate ships had already scattered in fear; Garp's reputation was too great.
"This is a warship borrowed from the Sengoku. The warship is damaged, Garp, you need to claim reimbursement," Tsuru said calmly.
Garp then realized that there were strict rules in the Navy that even Sengoku could not violate.
Garp's expression turned serious as he calmly stated, "Just say it was destroyed during battle."
Gion's lips curled slightly upwards. "With just a few of us, how could the warship possibly be damaged? Fleet Admiral Sengoku probably doesn't believe that, does he?"
Garp's expression stiffened again, then he said seriously, "I understand, I need evidence."
After saying that, Garp used Geppo to rush towards the fleeing pirate crew, shouting, "All of you, get back here! You damaged our warship and you think you can escape?"
After a week of effort, several waves of pirates were eliminated. News of Garp's arrival in the New World soon followed. After all, Garp couldn't possibly eliminate them all; many pirates escaped.
The scenery of Sicily Island then unfolded before them.
"Wow, what a beautiful view!" Gion exclaimed upon seeing the island's stunning scenery.
"This used to be the territory of the Scorpion Pirates, but after being defeated by 'Iron' Wallace, a senior member of the Night Pirates, it became the territory of the Night Pirates," Tsuru said, recalling the information in her mind.
"The Scorpion Pirates were also incorporated into the Night Pirates, becoming one of the Night Pirates' affiliated pirate crews."
"Hmm? I remember the captain of the Scorpion Pirates had a bounty of 400 million Beli, right? To be able to occupy such an island, their strength must be considerable. It's surprising that they would submit to the Night Pirates after being defeated." Gion somewhat surprised.
"Because Wallace defeated Scorpion with absolute strength; their strengths were on completely different levels." At this point, Crane frowned. Wallace was extremely powerful, and she had seen the footage of that battle. Scorpion was completely suppressed and couldn't even injure Wallace.
"But there are so many pirate ships here. Is it really okay to just go in like this?" Kake at the thousands of pirate ships, Kaji felt a little uneasy. This gathering place of pirates made him somewhat afraid.
"It's alright, what's there to be afraid of? Just follow me." Garp laughed, found a place to stop the warship, and strode towards the island.
"Has the Navy arrived already?" In the palace in the center of Sicily Island, Teach listened to the news coming from below with a smile. In fact, he had also sensed it with his Observation Haki.
"Hmm, Garp the Hero, Vice Admiral Gion and Kake, what measures should we take against them? Their arrival is likely to cause quite a bit of trouble." Mostima frowned. Such power was making things difficult for him. Garp alone could throw the Expo into chaos.
Other factions might even be happy to see this situation, as it would damage the reputation of the rapidly growing Night Pirates.
"Hehe, what are we going to do?" Teach thought for a moment, then turned his gaze to the other cadres. "Since they've come in such a small group, they won't do anything intentionally, so we don't need to worry too much. But we can't just ignore it either. If they want to play, you can play along."
The outermost layer of the island is a beautiful scenic area with very few people; the further you go in, the more people you'll see.
"The auction is so boring, it's pointless. Let's go to the exhibition area instead, there are so many more fun things there." Garp said excitedly as he listened to Gion's introduction to the Expo.
"Vice Admiral Garp, we're not here to play around," Kake sighed deeply.
"I have a wealth of life experience in this area. When you look at things from a different perspective, such as approaching a mission with a playful mindset, you'll definitely gain something different," Garp said proudly. "That's what I did back then; I completed the mission while just playing around!"
"Huh? Is it true?" Kake somewhat tempted. He also liked to gamble, but the casinos and clubs in the Sabaody Archipelago were proper VIP establishments.
"Let's go to the exhibition area first; the auction doesn't officially start until tonight," He said calmly. There were many people there, and it was a good place to gather information.
The five of them wandered through the forest. When they encountered a few lone pirates, most of them shed tears of emotion, and many even fainted from excitement.
If this island is divided into three layers, the outermost layer is the scenic area, the middle layer is the exhibition area allocated to various forces, and the huge palace in the center is the final auction area.
The five of them walked out of the forest and arrived at the exhibition area where pirates gathered.
"It's really lively," Kake and Gion exclaimed, their eyes widening in amazement.
Pirates were everywhere, creating a constant commotion, and they could also sense many powerful auras.
"Wow! Which pirate crew are those five guys from? They're really something else, pretending to be Marines at the Pirate Expo!" One pirate exclaimed with great interest, staring at the group's backs as if he had discovered something amazing.
"You know what, apart from that old guy, the others actually walk with a respectable gait," the pirate standing next to him nodded and said.
However, as they talked, they realized something was amiss; the pirates in the exhibition area opposite the five of them seemed to be petrified.
It's not that the pirates on the other side were too cowardly; it's just that Marine Garp's reputation was so great that even the Expo, full of pirates, couldn't give them much of a sense of security.
Vice Admiral Tsuru and the others were fine, as they had anticipated this situation, and with Garp present, they weren't worried about any danger.
But Garp was a little annoyed. Why did you guys stop playing as soon as I arrived? Were you looking down on me?
So, Garp walked straight to an exhibition area, kicked one of the people arm wrestling aside, sat down casually, and stared intently at the other person. "Big guy, how about we have a game?"
The five-meter-tall pirate, looking at the old face grinning like a chrysanthemum and that dangerous-looking right hand, felt cold sweat trickle down his forehead. "The Garp the Hero, who has cornered the Pirate King several times, wants to arm wrestle with me? Does he know my potential and want to kill me off here?"
"Why haven't you made a move yet? Are you disrespecting me?"
Garp's eyes widened, and the pirate opposite him, his mentality collapsing, turned and fled, shouting, "Run! The Marines are going to kill us!"
Like a chain reaction, the petrified pirates around them finally broke free and fled in all directions in a panic, turning the once stable and orderly venue into chaos in an instant.
Just then, someone shouted, "The Night Pirates' executives are here! It's Emperor Crocodile Slada!"
"Emperor Crocodile" Slada, a member of the Night Pirates, is the man who defeated Diamond Jozu of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The sound brought order to the previously chaotic situation in the exhibition area.
As the organizer, the Night Pirates naturally wouldn't let the Navy continue to be so arrogant.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense, Gion and Kake involuntarily gripped their weapons, their hearts pounding.
Slada's tall figure appeared, clutching a huge anchor, and slowly walked towards Garp.
Among the crowd, some people, including members of major factions, were excited and wanted to see what Slada would do and whether he would fight the Navy.
These pirates all thrive on chaos.
Slada approached Garp, gently lowering the anchor in his hand. The heavy anchor slammed directly onto the ground, causing cracks to appear in the solid ground and creating a deep sinkhole.
This shows the weight of the anchor.
"Arm wrestling? I'll play with you, Vice Admiral Garp." Slada smiled, sat opposite Garp, and extended his hand, staring at Garp as he spoke.
"Haha, let's go then." Garp laughed loudly, extending his hand as well, and the two hands clasped tightly.
Slada gestured to the side, and the referee, realizing what he meant, nodded, suppressed his nervousness, and came to the side of the two.
"Would you like to place a bet?" the referee asked cautiously, as betting between competitors was quite normal in such matches.
"Hmm?" Garp didn't know what he could offer, as he was penniless and hadn't brought any money with him.
"Haha, can I place a bet on my Justice Cloak?" Garp chuckled, taking the cloak off his shoulder and placing it on a chair beside him.
"Uh!" The referee was somewhat taken aback. Who would want the Navy's cloak of justice? Noticing Slada's gaze, he was a smart man and understood what Slada meant.
"Of course, Vice Admiral Garp, your Justice Cloak is worth five million Beli."
Seeing this, the Night Pirates following behind Slada also took out five million Beli and put them aside.
This situation surprised many people, while others breathed a sigh of relief. With Gion, and other pirates Kake, they would definitely be affected if a real battle broke out. Unexpectedly, a potential battle was resolved in this way.
This has left some people feeling somewhat disappointed.
However, the arm-wrestling match between Garp and Slada attracted a lot of attention, and many people gathered around, but they still kept a distance of several meters from Garp.
"Then let's count down to three seconds, and it will officially begin in three seconds!"
Seeing that both players were ready, the referee said, "3, 2, 1, start!"
As soon as they finished speaking, both Slada and Garp unleashed their power.
A contest of strength between powerful individuals is far more exciting than a match between ordinary pirates.
As their power continued to increase, many pirates became engrossed in it, some even starting to cheer for Slada.
As a pirate, he naturally wouldn't speak up for Garp.
The live video broadcast from the World Economic News automatically switched to this location, immediately attracting a lot of attention.
"Garp, you bastard! I sent him to gather intelligence, not to play around!" Sengoku roared angrily from Sengoku Marine Headquarters. "He actually used the Justice Cloak as a bargaining chip! We'll teach him a lesson when we get back!"
"It's really lively there, making me want to go over there too... to gather intelligence." Borsalino couldn't help but reveal his true thoughts, but noticing Sengoku's sharp gaze, he immediately changed his tune.
Slada and Garp's battle continued, and Slada also began to have his own thoughts of competing with this world's top powerhouse.
Slada was quite confident in his own strength, but he dared not underestimate Garp in the slightest.
As the two intensified their power, a powerful aura emanated from them, forcing the surrounding pirates to take two steps back, feeling immense pressure.
The sturdy table, made of a special material, began to tremble under the weight of the two people; more accurately, the ground itself was shaking.
Garp was somewhat surprised; Slada's power was immense, yet it was still difficult to shake him.
In the end, without a doubt, Garp won. Slada had used all his strength, although he did not transform into his Human-Beast Form. After all, the Navy's goal was to gather intelligence, and they always had to hold back. Slada could not possibly show his full strength.
Even if it gets known, it's fine. His strength isn't static, and the battle footage has already revealed his abilities and approximate strength.
His job was simply to play along with Garp and the others.
Garp happily retrieved his Justice Cloak and the enormous sum of five million Beli he had earned.
After waiting a while and seeing that no one dared to challenge him, he went to other exhibits to play with other things.
Garp's departure brought a sigh of relief to everyone present. Who would dare challenge Garp? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?
Seeing that Garp was having a great time, Kake couldn't resist his inner excitement and, following a map and his instincts, arrived at a large casino on the Sicily Island.
Standing at the casino's entrance, Kake his chest and whispered, "I'm just here to gather intelligence." He was trying to reassure himself.
Little did he know that his appearance was being observed by a Den Den Mushi, and by many other people as well.
This caused the faces of the high-ranking naval officers at Marine Headquarters who were paying close attention to the Kake to darken. Didn't they know what kind of character Jia Ji had?
Kake entered the casino, a sexy woman with long, wine-red hair walked towards him. Seeing Kake, she said with a smile, "Welcome, Mr. Navy. What would you like to play?" Baccarat gently leaned closer to Kake to involuntarily swallow.
But he was unaware that an unseen force was drawing away something important from him.
"Uh!" At this moment, Kake realized that things were different now than usual; he didn't have much money on him.
Seemingly sensing Kake's predicament, the beautiful woman smiled and said, "If you don't have enough money, we offer loan services."
"Oh, how much can I borrow?" Kake's eyes lit up.
"With your status, you can borrow 20 million Beli. The other female Marine can borrow 50 million Beli if she borrows under Vice Admiral Tsuru's name, and 100 million Beli if she borrows under Vice Admiral Garp," Baccarat said with a smile.
"Then let's start with twenty million." Kake had no idea that he had fallen into a trap.
Meanwhile Gion and Tsuru followed Garp as he wandered around.
Soon, news of the navy's arrival spread throughout Sicily Island.
However, seeing that the Navy didn't cause any trouble and the Night Pirates didn't interfere much, but instead cooperated with Garp and the others, these pirates stopped caring and basically ignored or gave way when they saw them.
Even though some people were unhappy, no one actively started trouble; after all, only a minority of people couldn't see the situation clearly.