The Hype
The frenzy surrounding the Swordsmanship Tournament spread throughout the world, and many stories also emerged: a retired Great Swordmaster, a long-established swordsman, or an unknown swordsman who, upon his emergence, defeated many powerful swordsmen in succession.
It was only then that many people realized there were so many swordsmen in this world.
If so many swordsmen were to gather together, they would undoubtedly form a terrifying force.
Not long after, the Expo officially ended, and many pirates left Sicily Island and returned to their own territories.
However, many pirates still remain on Sicily Island, continuing their trade and transactions, although the scale and number of pirates are not comparable to those during the Expo.
However, it is foreseeable that in the future, Sicily Island will become a trading island, and the scale of trade will grow larger and larger over time.
The Night Pirates also have the idea of turning Sicily Island into a trading island and are secretly pushing for it. Sicily Island still has a lot of advantages: its beautiful environment, coupled with the Expo, undoubtedly makes Sicily Island famous all over the world.
"One thing leads to another, it just never stops," Beckman remarked in the Calm Belt.
He saw through the Night Pirates's purpose, and so did many others. The huge prize money and the effort put into organizing the Swordsmanship Tournament were mainly to promote the "Combat Pyramid."
"But isn't this kind of Swordsmanship Tournament great?" Shanks said excitedly, a hint of excitement in his eyes. As a swordsman himself, how could he possibly miss such Swordsmanship Tournament?
Now, his swordsmanship has reached the peak of the Swordmaster level, and he is only one opportunity away from becoming Great Swordmaster. This step has blocked countless Swordmaster.
This Swordsmanship Tournament, a competition where he could spar with numerous swordsmen, was undoubtedly an opportunity for him.
"Shanks, go if you want to." Rayleigh smiled at Shanks. If he were younger, he wouldn't have missed such a competition, this opportunity to spar with the world's best swordsmen.
Teach certainly had the same idea of inviting Rayleigh, but it was just a thought. Putting aside whether Rayleigh would be willing, the World Government and the Navy would not let him go if he dared to show up.
As a member of the Roger Pirates, he landed on the Laugh Tale together. As someone who knew everything, he was also someone the World Government had to eliminate.
Over the years, the World Government has never given up searching for the members of the Roger Pirates who have gone into hiding.
"However, there are still three months left. Let's go back in two months and try to increase our strength in these two months." It's no surprise that the battles in this Swordsmanship Tournament will be extremely fierce. I wonder how many sword masters will appear. Great Swordmaster who are rarely seen on ordinary days will also appear in droves.
Shanks wants to stand out among the many Great Swordmaster, but his current strength is not enough. Therefore, he needs to improve as much as possible, and it would be even better if he could break through to become Great Swordmaster before that.
"Hmm, it seems we can't let our guard down yet. It wouldn't be good if we couldn't make it to the end and were eliminated early." Shanks nodded seriously.
"Hahahaha! Swordsmanship Tournament? How interesting!" Golden Lion Shiki laughed loudly. There were few things that mattered to him these days; even the war between the Night Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates didn't garner much attention from him.
He has his own plans and has been working towards them.
"That brat really knows how to stir things up, but this also excites me." In Golden Lion's eyes, Teach was just a kid, and even Kaido was just a junior. Having roamed the seas for so many years, he undoubtedly had the right to be called a kid.
A surge of Sword Intent, mixed with Conqueror's Haki, erupted, silencing the entire sky. It should be noted that his greatest strength on the high seas lay in his swordsmanship.
Golden Lion Shiki is also a world-class Great Swordmaster. In fact, because he perfectly combines the power of his Float-Float Fruit with his swordsmanship, his swordsmanship is terrifyingly strong and possesses earth-shattering power, which is no less than Pluto Rayleigh's Heavenly Heart Style swordsmanship.
Teach naturally wouldn't invite Shiki, the Golden Lion Shiki, who was already Sea Emperor and controlled the World's Strongest pirate force.
This is something neither the Whitebeard Pirates nor the Night Pirates can compare to.
The Flying Pirates undoubtedly possess the ability to fight two Yonko-level pirate crews.
With two lieutenants working together, they could take on a Sea Emperor. The ten powerful fleet captains sheltered countless strong individuals, and the number of affiliated pirate crews exceeded one hundred.
Their combined strength is twice that of the Whitebeard Pirates.
However, things don't always go as planned. Golden Lion Shiki, who has been inactive for a long time and rarely heard from, has developed a strong interest in this Swordsmanship Tournament.
This vast ocean has very few things that can limit it.
Not only Golden Lion Shiki, but also Kaido of the Beasts, Whitebeard, and Big Mom Charlotte Linlin —the four Sea Emperor —have all become interested in the kendo tournament.
Aside from Golden Lion Shiki, who is a swordsman himself, the Whitebeard Pirates had several powerful swordsmen under their command. Vista, the Captain of the Fifth Division, was the strongest of them all. Now at the age of twenty-eight, he was already a Great Swordmaster, although he had only broken through to the next level in less than two years.
These swordsmen all plan to participate in this Swordsmanship Tournament. As their Pops, Whitebeard will naturally go to protect them. Moreover, the former Captain of the Second Division, Kozuki Oden, will also be present. They haven't seen each other for many years, so this is a good opportunity for them to catch up.
Kaido of the Beasts is a troublemaker. Although he doesn't understand swordsmanship, he immediately decided to come and watch the swordsmanship tournament after learning that Golden Lion Shiki and Whitebeard Newgate the Newgate would be there.
Big Mom felt the same way; the other three emperors were all coming, and it felt a bit strange that she was the only one not to come.
Moreover, and most importantly, she wanted to try the desserts from Fish-Man Island.
The desserts made by pastry chefs on Fish-Man Island in Sicily Island were preserved and then transported back to Whole Cake Island, where Big Mom tasted them and loved them.
However, Fish-Man Island protected by the Whitebeard Pirates, so she dared not attack it.
So, after hearing that there were desserts made by a pastry chef from Fish-Man Island in the Battle Pyramid, I immediately decided to come and watch the Kendo tournament.
Furthermore, the dining hall and food area of the Battle Pyramid offer cuisine from all over the world, with chefs and pastry chefs recruited from around the globe.
This was also a feast for the senses, with all sorts of desserts that held a fatal attraction for Big Mom.
The news that the Four Emperors would come to Pagila Island to watch the kendo tournament shocked the world and brought the tournament's popularity to a new peak.
Furthermore, the impact of this kendo tournament far surpassed that of the Expo, attracting even more attention.
Furthermore, this is the first time since the emergence of the Four Emperors that they have gathered together. At that time, the world's top powerhouses will all gather on Pagila Island, the territory of the Night Pirates. This can be said to be unprecedented.
Their combined strength is enough to easily move the entire world.
Since the Expo, the territory of the Night Pirates has once again become the focus of the world.
This news caught the Night Pirates completely off guard.
"The current situation has far exceeded our expectations." Mostima's expression was solemn. This was as they had planned, but the arrival of the Four Emperors was something they had not anticipated.
This is a swordsmen's tournament, what are you Sea Emperor doing here? If you want to watch the battle, can't you just watch the live broadcast?
This undoubtedly puts immense pressure on the Night Pirates.
"The arrival of the Four Emperors will undoubtedly attract a large number of forces besides swordsmen. In addition, the Navy will certainly not let this opportunity pass. There are quite a few swordsmen in the Navy, and it is very likely that several powerful individuals with the strength of Admiral will arrive."
"Such a massive force, if it gets out of control, the consequences would be unimaginable." Just thinking about it gives me a headache.
If a major war were to break out, it would be easy for Pagila Island to be torn to pieces. But the Combat Pyramid was built at great cost, costing so many Beli. Once it's destroyed, it's virtually impossible to build a second one, because there won't be another opportunity to make it famous.
"Teach, what should we do?" Mobius asked, looking at Teach, who sat high on the throne, as did the other members.
Teach frowned slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, making a crisp sound, as if he were pondering the matter.
The other members waited quietly as well.
"Summon all the officers guarding the other islands back. In the meantime, not many people should dare to cause trouble. Also, call Ares and Sarika back," Teach said. The Night Pirates' strength must be gathered together; if something really happens, they will have enough power to deal with it.
Being careful is never a bad thing.
"Don't be too nervous. This is a kendo tournament. They're just watching. The probability of a major battle is low. The more factions there are, the easier it is to maintain a balance." Seeing the other members' nervous expressions, Teach smiled.
"Besides, the kendo tournament is the main event, and no one wants problems to arise during it. 'Kozuki Oden Kozuki Oden, the Lone Red' will all be there, along with our Night Pirates. No one will dare to disrespect us." As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Teach's eyes. "However, minor skirmishes are inevitable. Some can be ignored, but if they dare to cause trouble, then it'll be up to you to handle them."
"With me backing you up, you don't need to fear anyone, not even the Sea Emperor!" Teach said Haki, exuding a powerful aura that made everyone want to submit.
Teach was very confident about this. There was a gap, but Teach was now a force to be reckoned with, and besides, he wasn't alone; he had Rediat and Ares.
During this period, their strength has also greatly improved.
Teach's words greatly boosted the members' confidence; he was truly their king!
So what if they're the Four Emperors? They're the Night Pirates; we're not afraid of them at all.
"Now, continue the construction work on Pagila Island. At the same time, strengthen the defenses. Starting tomorrow, everyone will be stationed in the Night Sea Domain. We must keep track of everything in the Night Sea Domain. I need to know which force or which pirate crew has entered our territory."
"We'll focus our efforts on Pagila Island before the kendo tournament begins."
Thus, Teach made the decision on the spot.
Pagila Island was originally a large island with a good foundation. Under Mostima's management, Pagila Island has been expanding since the start of the Combat Pyramid construction project.
We now have the foundation of a megacity; the only thing missing is people.
There will be no shortage of people. A large population will gather on Pagila Island, and the huge consumption will drive economic development. As for the industries on Pagila Island, more than 90% will Night Pirates.
It's easy to foresee that, with the allure of the Combat Pyramid, this Paraji Island will be enough to make the Night Pirates a fortune.
The situation was unpredictable, and the kendo tournament was destined to be anything but peaceful. At the same time, Teach was also quite excited, his heart pounding with excitement.
The arrival of Golden Lion Shiki, Whitebeard, Kaido of the Beasts, and Big Mom was unexpected for Teach, as Teach hadn't planned to face them so soon.
In his mind, it would be at least a few years later, by which time he would definitely have the power to truly stand at the royal level, and he would not be at a disadvantage against any of them.
Absolute defense, the nemesis of ability users, and the ability to absorb all power. All four of them are ability users, Teach already had the advantage.
If the Dark-Dark Fruit could Awakening, his power would increase dramatically.
An infinite dark gravity, a dark force that absorbs all matter and energy, a power that devours everything.
However, Awakening Devil Fruit requires a specific trigger, which is extremely difficult, especially for Logia.
The Awakening of Devil Fruit is extremely rare. It's not something that can be achieved through continuous development. Breaking through that bottleneck requires opportunity and is related to the user themselves.
It's very likely about compatibility, and it's also related to one's soul.
Teach has absolute confidence in Awakening his powers. As he develops his Dark-Dark Fruit, he has already reached this bottleneck. However, Awakening is not something that can be achieved in a single battle. Unlike the Awakening of Paramecia Fruits, Teach predicts that it will take at least ten years.
Although facing it earlier than expected, just as Teach said, Teach wasn't afraid at all.
It would be great if we could have a real competition and see how we compare to them. Of course, we can't actually fight.
Big Mom Teach has never met, but Teach possesses the Super Soldier Serum, a potion that can make people grow to enormous sizes. This is something Big Mom covets, even more so than her desserts.
With this, there will naturally be contact and even cooperation in the future, and the initiative is still in Teach's hands.
Kaido was given a great nation by Teach. If it weren't for Teach, the rise of the Beasts Pirates wouldn't have been so fast; it would have taken at least three or four years longer.
I watched his battle from afar at the time.
As for Golden Lion Shiki, Teach had never met him. The closest they had ever met was during the Battle of Eddard. If Teach knew his original trajectory, Golden Lion Shiki would definitely owe Teach a huge favor, you could say he saved his life.
The same thing happened today; Teach told Skiller the real information that he had a terminal illness, was dying, and then surrendered.
This dissuaded Shiki from his plan to storm Marine Headquarters.
Although they had never actually met, given Shiki's abilities, he was naturally able to find out information about Teach, so the two of them could be considered to have had some contact.
I wonder what it will be like when we meet.
As for Whitebeard, his former Pops, it had been almost five years since they last met.
Based on his understanding of Whitebeard, he knew there would be a clash when they met, since the Whitebeard Pirates and the Night Pirates were fighting so fiercely, and Whitebeard Pirates had suffered heavy casualties in climbing to the top.
He was mentally prepared for this.