The large-scale buildup of military forces by the powerful East Blue nation of the Flaws Kingdom quickly caught the attention of the East Blue's Affiliated Nations.
Even the World Government and Marine Headquarters had noticed the rising tensions between the Goa Empire and the Flaws Kingdom.
"Is King Ba Dodeshinai really going to stand up for the Sasba Kingdom?"
"The Flaws Kingdom truly is the East Blue's big brother! What a show of strength!"
"The ambitious Goa Empire really has disrupted the peace in our East Blue."
"I hope the Flaws Kingdom crushes the Goa Empire's ambitions. Otherwise, our peaceful East Blue will become a sea of war."
The Affiliated Nations of the East Blue all strongly supported the Flaws Kingdom's military campaign.
Their support finally brought a smile to the furious King Ba Dodeshinai's face.
He had the support of so many nations, as well as the military strength of the Germa 66 mercenaries.
With such an overwhelming advantage, how could he possibly lose?
"Wang Shi, I'll make you regret provoking me!"
"Once I kill you and defeat the Goa Empire, the Celestial Dragons will surely stop paying attention to a defeated nation."
"Then I'll earn the Celestial Dragons' favor and turn the Flaws Kingdom into the next most beautiful kingdom in the East Blue."
"I'll also bring the four kingdoms you conquered under Flaws Kingdom's rule and make it the true strongest empire in the East Blue!"
"For Vice Admiral Garp's sake, I'll leave the territory of the Goa Kingdom to that blind princess, Sally."
King Ba Dodeshinai's gaze burned with feverish ambition. He was already planning how to seize the territories of the four kingdoms after killing Wang Shi.
He would become the strongest king in Flaws Kingdom's history!
Perhaps even the great emperor of a new empire.
The more King Ba Dodeshinai thought about it, the more wildly he grinned.
It was as if everything were already within his grasp.
Aboard a Germa 66 Snail Ship,
"What do you mean by that? Do you think I, Vinsmoke Niji, am a joke?!"
Niji, clad in a blue raid suit with electricity crackling across his fists, arrogantly berated the Flaws Kingdom's Minister of the Left.
Why should a war in the mere Weakest Sea require two of their strongest modified soldiers?
"I could wipe out that so-called Goa Empire all by myself!"
"But since you're paying us twice over, don't think you can skimp on the extra fee after I kill Wang Shi!"
Niji brazenly drove the Flaws Kingdom's Minister of the Left away—and even demanded an additional fee from the kingdom.
Seeing how confident Niji was, the Minister of the Left had no choice but to return and report to King Ba Dodeshinai.
King Ba Dodeshinai believed that his Guard Army and Germa 66's mercenaries could certainly defeat the Goa Empire's fleet.
As long as Niji took care of Wang Shi, the bastard known as the King of Exile, everything would be easy.
King Ba Dodeshinai didn't believe Wang Shi could defeat Niji, the North Blue's strongest modified soldier.
After some discussion and negotiation,
the Flaws Kingdom's Guard Army and the Germa 66 mercenaries set off for the Sasba Kingdom in a grand display of force.
Meanwhile,
the bustling sea restaurant Baratie had no idea that Wang Shi had chosen it as the battlefield.
A few days earlier, Wang Shi had instructed one of his ministers to invite Baratie, in the name of the Goa Empire, to do business in the empire.
But the outcome was obvious.
Baratie's owner, Zeff, had politely declined the Goa Empire's invitation.
Just as Wang Shi had expected, a business was a business, wherever you ran it.
As it happened, Zeff thought the same way.
They were used to working in these waters and had built up a steady clientele and a reputation.
So why go to the Goa Empire?
They already had more business than they could handle. There was no need to start over and build from scratch somewhere new.
Besides, the Goa Kingdom had just annexed four kingdoms in succession, making Zeff even less willing to go somewhere so unstable.
Aboard Mackerel Head One, Baratie's flagship,
head chef Zeff and the other chefs, including Sanji, watched the approaching fleet with grave expressions.
They recognized the fleet's flag.
It belonged to the Goa Empire, which had recently been making waves.
"Old man, could they be coming after us because you turned down the Goa Empire's invitation?"
Sanji, with his blond hair and curled eyebrows, took a drag on his cigarette. He wondered whether their battle kitchen could hold its own against an empire's fleet.
"Shut up! What do you mean, I turned them down? Didn't I ask what you all thought? You didn't want to leave either!"
Zeff whacked Sanji on the head with his foot and scolded him irritably.
But his expression was indeed grave.
Baratie was the fruit of their hard work. He didn't want the restaurant, which fed people, to be destroyed in some pointless battle.
"Damn old man!"
Sanji clutched his head, grinding his teeth in anger.
"Why don't we set sail and run?"
Sanji offered a terrible suggestion. After all, he'd escaped from a Germa 66 Snail Ship once before.
If necessary, running away was nothing to be ashamed of.
"Idiot. Do you think our ship is faster than their warships?"
Zeff was so annoyed he nearly kicked Sanji again, but Sanji nimbly dodged him.
"Boss, maybe we should call the Marines. We know quite a few of them,"
Patty and Carne, two of the battle chefs, suggested.
They were confident in their own strength, but only against small-time pirates.
That fleet looked dangerous, and the legendary King of Exile might be aboard.
For Morgans, the man behind Big News, to give this King of Exile such high praise, he had to be formidable.
They didn't want to provoke an emperor.
"I heard he captured the commanders of two Marine Bases!"
Zeff stared at the two foolish chefs, speechless. He suspected even Smoker, Loguetown's strongest captain, wouldn't be able to keep Wang Shi, the Goa Empire's emperor, in check.
"They're here!!!"
Sanji's expression turned grave.
"Whoa!!"
Sanji's cry of surprise made Zeff and the other two jump.
"So many beautiful women!!"
Sanji cried out again, his eyes turning into hearts. Zeff and the other two each kicked him in anger.
His loud, frantic shouting had nearly scared them to death. They'd thought the Goa Empire's fleet was about to attack.
The flagship of the imperial fleet drew up beside Baratie and came to a stop.
At last, Zeff and the others saw the Goa Empire's emperor, the man who had appeared in the newspapers.
Wang Shi had come in person.
They couldn't tell whether that was a good thing or a bad one.
"What? You don't welcome us?"
Wang Shi led the way down, followed by a group of powerful soldiers in military uniforms.
Even ugly fellows like Eric and El Drago looked far more imposing in the German-style uniforms Wang Shi had designed, radiating an air of authority.
Zoro, Saka, and Van Augur stood out even more, handsome as the empire's own poster boys.
Even Nami and the others looked striking in their uniforms.
"Of course we do. Anyone who comes is a guest."
Seeing that Wang Shi didn't seem to be looking for trouble, Zeff breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as they weren't here to cause trouble or start a fight, that was all that mattered.
He immediately told the chefs to get ready. They would win Wang Shi over with their very best food.