The balance of power had shifted because of Kaido's defeat.
Pirates throughout the second half of the Grand Line went wild with bloodlust.
They saw an opportunity, a chance to take another step forward.
Now that the myth of the Four Emperors' invincibility had been shattered, why couldn't they be next?
But reality was utterly cruel.
In the latter half of Sea Circle Calendar year 1515, the Marines enjoyed a rare period of peace.
Most pirates had gone to challenge the remaining Four Emperors.
The result was a massive purge of pirates in the second half of the Grand Line.
No one profited from it. Instead, a great many powerful pirates with bounties of over a billion were wiped out.
Big Mom's forces could be considered the pirate faction that benefited most from this incident.
As a result, her ambitions swelled even further.
However, dealing with the recent unrest across her territories left Big Mom with no time to take the next step.
"Katakuri, have all those bastards across our territories been killed off?"
This perfect man had devoted his life to protecting the "overgrown child" Big Mom, his siblings, and the crew.
Now, for once, he showed signs of exhaustion.
"Yes, Mama."
Lately, he had been fighting long, grueling battles almost every day.
And he wasn't the only one. From the Four Sweet Commanders to the rest of the Big Mom Pirates, everyone had been fighting.
Every one of them was already covered in wounds and utterly exhausted.
Of the Four Emperors, the Big Mom Pirates now held the most territory.
The effort expended and the losses suffered were therefore enormous.
"Then let's move on to the next stage! Mamamama!"
"But, Mama, we need time to regroup. Right now, we really..."
Before Katakuri could finish, Big Mom cut him