Kaido's invitation, battle

A tavern in Nanohana.

After eating and drinking their fill, none of them left.

Luffy and Ace were still off to one side, laughing and chatting.

Meanwhile, Princess Vivi and Smoker were on a call.

During the meal, Smoker had obtained ample evidence from Vivi of Crocodile's attempt to seize the country and his use of Dance Powder to spread panic, stir up public outrage, and incite the people to rebel against their country.

After sorting through the evidence in his hands, Smoker solemnly reassured Vivi, "Princess Vivi, rest assured. I'll report the evidence of the Shichibukai Crocodile's crimes to Fleet Admiral Sengoku right now. I won't let him keep wreaking havoc in Alabasta."

With that, he took out a Den Den Mushi and placed a call.

Marineford, Marine Headquarters, the Fleet Admiral's office.

The Den Den Mushi on the desk rang. "Ji~ Ji, you're so beautiful~ Oh, oh, oh~ Ji, you're so beautiful~~" "Click~"

"Hello~ Hello~ This is Marine Headquarters. Fleet Admiral Sengoku speaking. What do you have to report?" Sengoku kept his eyes on the documents in his hand as he picked up the Den Den Mushi.

"This is Smoker. I arrived in Alabasta not long ago. I've finished gathering evidence of the Shichibukai Crocodile's crimes, and my deputy has faxed the documents over. Should I go arrest Crocodile now?" Smoker reported with a cocky expression.

Just then, someone knocked on the office door.

"Knock, knock, knock~~ Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I have a document from Captain Smoker to deliver to you."

"Come in," Sengoku said.

Then he spoke into the Den Den Mushi. "Wait a moment, Smoker. I'll read the documents before deciding."

An intelligence officer walked in, handed the documents to Sengoku, and slowly withdrew.

Sengoku picked up the documents and quickly flipped through them. The more he read, the darker his expression became. Finally, he flew into a rage and slammed the desk. "The Five Elders are a bunch of bleeping bleeps! Those bleeping bleeps! Why did they have to establish the Seven Warlords of the Sea system? They're just giving us more work!"

After venting, he picked up the Den Den Mushi. "Smoker, I'll issue an order revoking Crocodile's Shichibukai status right now. The news will spread across the seas shortly. Here's your assignment: whatever methods you have to use, arrest Crocodile and lock him up in Impel Down."

"Also, don't count on Kizaru. He needs to hold those powerhouses from the New World in check and keep them from harming ordinary people. You'll have to find a way to deal with Crocodile yourself."

"I probably can't beat him alone. I'm with the Straw Hat Pirates right now. There shouldn't be a problem with getting them to help me deal with him, right? I'm just letting you know. Even if you disagree, I won't listen. That's all." Smoker hung up as soon as he finished.

Nanohana.

Inside the tavern, Luffy and Ace had finished chatting and were listening to the Den Den Mushi conversation out of boredom.

After ending the call, Smoker looked at the Straw Hat Pirates and spoke solemnly. "Straw Hat, and you two as well, how about helping me deal with Crocodile?"

Luffy held his straw hat with one hand and grinned. "Sure~ Smoky! We came here to take him down at Vivi's invitation anyway."

Zoro said, "My three blades have been thirsting for action for ages."

Sanji said, "So have my feet."

Just as they were about to discuss how to deal with Crocodile, a powerful oppressive presence came from the direction of the capital, accompanied by a roar.

As that oppressive presence swept over them, the people of Nanohana hurriedly packed up their stalls and hid indoors, none daring to come out to see what was happening. Even the tavern owner hid beneath the counter, trembling.

Everyone got up, went out into the street, and looked toward the capital.

They saw an azure dragon appear in the sky, roughly sixty meters wide and nearly a thousand meters long, flying toward them.

In just a few breaths, the azure dragon reached the skies over Nanohana, then transformed into a human and landed in front of them.

Before them stood a man seven meters tall, his upper body bare, with a dragon-scale tattoo on his left arm and a huge X-shaped scar at his waist. A flask bearing the character for "heaven" hung at his waist, black hair draped over his shoulders, and a pair of buffalo horns crowned his head. He held an enormous spiked club, giving off an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Seeing the newcomer, Ace immediately stepped in front of Luffy and the others and said gravely, "Kaido of the Four Emperors, what are you doing here? I won't let you hurt my little brother. If anything happens to him, Pops Whitebeard won't let you get away with it."

Kaido glanced at Ace and smiled disdainfully. "Worororo~ A brat from Whitebeard's ship, huh~ You're not qualified to speak to me. Besides, Whitebeard is old. I'm really not afraid of him now."

Kaido's words made Ace blaze with fury-literally. Flames streamed skyward from his entire upper body.

Kaido ignored him. As he was now, Ace wasn't worth taking seriously. He was merely a delicate flower sheltered by Whitebeard. If he lost Whitebeard's protection, even a slightly stronger storm could cost him his life.

He lowered his gaze to Liu Qing behind Luffy and the others and extended an invitation. "Liu Qing, brat, I came here specifically for you. You're strong. Staying in a pirate crew playing children's games is just a waste of time. Leave them and join my Beasts Pirates! I'll make you vice captain. No one in the Beasts Pirates has ever been offered that treatment before."

Liu Qing stepped forward and was just about to speak when he saw a huge crowd suddenly appear behind Kaido, all of them famous figures.

The corner of Liu Qing's eye twitched, and he inwardly cursed, Motherfucker. Although he knew they were only there to watch the show, weren't there far too many of them?

"Haha~~ Don't worry about what Kaido says, young man. Do whatever you want. You're Luffy's crewmate. We Red Hair Pirates won't let Kaido do as he pleases." Red-Hair arrived first and came straight over to Luffy and the others.

Seeing the familiar figure, Luffy was overjoyed. "Shanks~ I set sail just like we promised! Just you wait. I'll stand at the pinnacle of all pirates, then return the hat to you."

"Oh~~ Luffy! Hahaha~ I'll be waiting, Luffy. These are all your crewmates, right? They really are a fine bunch." Shanks laughed goofily.

Watching Red-Hair and the Straw Hat Pirates laughing and fooling around, Kaido impatiently asked again, "Brat, stop looking elsewhere. Well? Want to join my crew? I'll make you vice captain."

"I~" He had barely uttered a word before someone interrupted him.

More voices came from behind them. "Ace~~ You bastard! Ever since you went after Blackbeard, apart from asking us to help protect your little brother, you haven't called us once. Are we even brothers anymore?" Marco flew over to Ace, with Diamond Jozu and Vista the Flower Sword following behind him.

"Ahaha~ It just slipped my mind. It won't happen again." Ace scratched his head sheepishly.

After that, everyone arrived one after another, including Crocodile.

Just as Kaido saw that everyone had arrived and no one would interrupt them again, and was about to ask once more, Smoker spoke up.

"Crocodile, you've been stripped of your Shichibukai status. The World Government now has evidence of all your crimes in Alabasta. The government's latest order is to arrest you and send you to Impel Down," Smoker said sternly.

"Hehehehe~ So you found out after all. But it doesn't matter. A mere captain like you thinks he can capture me? I'm a Logia Sand-Sand Fruit user. In a place covered in desert like this, I could put up a fight even against an Admiral. Besides, do you know Haki? You'd better leave before you die in the desert." Crocodile stroked his Golden Hook as he spoke disdainfully.

The more Smoker listened, the more familiar those words sounded. He couldn't help thinking, Isn't that what I fucking told the Straw Hat Pirates in Loguetown? You're trying that line on me too? Sorry, but I fucking learned Haki yesterday. Even if I can only coat my fists a little, I really do know Haki now.

As he thought about it, he didn't answer Crocodile, merely staring at him strangely until Crocodile's skin crawled.

"Fufufufu~ Crocodile, you're not very good at this. You stir up a little trouble and let the Marines get something on you. Want to form an alliance with me? We can grow bigger and stronger together." Doflamingo swaggered over to Crocodile.

Crocodile couldn't even be bothered to look at him and gave him one word. "Scram~~"

"Fufufufu~" Doflamingo merely laughed a few times and said nothing more.

"Enough, all of you! This isn't the place for your reunions. If you want to catch up, go somewhere else. Stop interrupting our conversation." Kaido unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, putting an immediate stop to everyone else's conversations.

"I'll ask one last time. Will you join my Beasts Pirates? You don't have a choice. Agree, and I'll make you vice captain. Refuse, and I'll have to beat you to death." Kaido had completely lost his patience, and an oppressive aura rolled from him toward Liu Qing.

As though he couldn't feel the pressure, Liu Qing waved dismissively. "What are you thinking? I'm not joining you. As for beating me to death, I doubt you can manage that~ Even if I fought you without using either hand, I'd still be afraid of beating you to death."

Kaido burst out laughing. "Wororororo~ Liu Qing, brat, you really are arrogant! I'm just afraid you don't have the strength to back it up. If you've got what it takes, then beat me to death! Worororo~~"

Seeing the tense standoff, Big News Morgans immediately told his subordinates to get good shots of the fight and not worry about running out of film.

"Then let's go to the island next door. Let me see whether you're as strong as you claim. Don't think about running. If you run, I'll attack your crew. Even if Red-Hair gets in my way, I'll still beat them to death." With that, Kaido flew toward the two cities that had been reduced to ruins.

Hearing this, Luffy and the others looked at Liu Qing with concern and spoke in unison. "Be careful, Liu Qing! We believe you can beat him!"

Liu Qing said casually, "He's only one of the Four Emperors. I should still be able to take him. Relax. I'm going ahead. You should be careful too when you help Smoker catch Crocodile later. I'll head over first."

After reminding Luffy and the others to be careful, Liu Qing also headed in Kaido's direction.