Stirring the Hornet's Nest, They Came One After Another

Boom!

The clash of Haki unleashed a torrent of black lightning, and the spreading storm even rocked the warship below, knocking many soldiers off their feet on the deck.

"What?"

Naito was genuinely surprised.

His illusion had been seen through?

Zephyr withdrew his right hand and said leisurely, "An illusion with a presence is indeed difficult to distinguish even with Observation Haki. But an illusion is still an illusion, and its effect on the real world differs from that of the real body."

"The air it disturbs, the vibrations it causes-for a true expert, those subtle differences are enough."

Naito fell into thought.

So I need to get every detail right?

I still haven't been thorough enough.

"Of course, the most important thing is..."

A faint red light flashed in Zephyr's eyes. "It means even less to someone who can see the future."

Damn, Teacher Zephyr, you really got to show off there.

"Teacher Zephyr, I want to see the future too!"

And it's about time for the others to show themselves.

Chapter 36: Stirring the Hornet's Nest, They Came One After Another

Pirate Island, the New World.

The island was small, with less than ten kilometers in a straight line between its two most distant shores.

Seen from above, the island was shaped roughly like a plump crescent moon, its two tips enclosing a natural harbor.

The harbor's shore was the busiest part of the island, lined with shops.

But whether they were merchants running the shops or customers coming to buy supplies, every last one of them looked vicious and menacing.

That couldn't be helped. Pirate Island was a pirate island, after all.

It lay beyond the reach of the World Government Member States and the monsters of the New World, yet was close to a popular route through the New World, so many pirates chose it as a temporary base.

More people meant more demand, and quite a few pirates who had tired of wandering simply started businesses there. As time passed, a small town gradually took shape.

Well, it was much like Mock Town on Jaya Island in the first half of the Grand Line. There were quite a few towns like it across the seas.

One day, a ship slowly sailed into the harbor.

At first, it attracted no attention, until it slowly docked and the people aboard lowered the gangplank to disembark.

"Is this the place?"

With his sword at his side, Salt stood at the rail and surveyed the town before him. "The place Lord Night King chose for the decisive battle."

"Our next opponents are the Charlotte Family, the Beasts Pirates, and the marines led by Zephyr, huh?"

Behind Salt, Anthony wore a long face. "Lord Night King really thinks highly of us. Every side has genuine monsters."

Luna, who had already stepped onto the gangplank and was about to go ashore, glanced back. "Anthony, are you questioning Master's decision?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Anthony shuddered and hurriedly lowered his head in deference.

"Let's restock our supplies while we can. The whole island might be smashed to pieces later."

Behind them, Buckingham sat on her foolish son's shoulders and said with a grin, "Weevil and I will stay here and watch the ship. And while we're at it..."

She looked back at Byrnndi World, who was snoring away on the deck. "We'll keep an eye on this fellow too."

The man Lord Night King had possessed the most times was much more normal now. He spent most of his time in the other world, and when he woke up, he could generally hold a normal conversation. But his mental state was still far from normal, and if someone carelessly touched a nerve, he would start acting crazy.

We can't leave him alone on the ship.

"Mm."

Luna nodded lightly, then led Anthony and the others off the ship.

The harbor erupted instantly.

That was because Luna had made no attempt to disguise herself.

"Th-that woman is... that Lunarian Tribe!!"

"Swift Sword Salt and Nation-Stealing General Anthony are behind her!"

"It's those escaped prisoners! They came here?"

"Does that mean Byrnndi World, the World Destroyer with a billion-Beli bounty, is on the ship too?"

It was hard for the pirates in the harbor not to get worked up.

Great pirates with bounties over five hundred million were already rare in the New World. To the pirates gathered on this island, they were the biggest of big shots!

And what about this group of escapees?

Luna's bounty was five hundred million, Salt and Anthony's were six hundred million, Weevil's was seven hundred million, and World, who was believed to be their leader, had a bounty as high as one billion!

A billion! What did that mean?

Not even Whitebeard's top officers had bounties that high!

The pirates looked at Luna and the others as though they were celebrities.

But of course, the one thing pirates never lacked was audacity.

"A Lunarian Tribe! She's mine!"

A figure suddenly shot out of the crowd and lunged straight at Luna.

The man's face was covered in a greedy grin.

This woman is a Lunarian Tribe! Just telling the government about her would earn a hundred million Beli. What if I handed her over to them myself?

I'm rich!

To hell with being a pirate! Wouldn't it be better to find a country and live as a rich man?

He was still several meters away from Luna, but he had already planned how to spend the bounty he would get for handing her over to the government.

And then.

Luna simply raised a hand, and scorching flames burst forth.

"What-"

The audacious pirate barely had time to cry out before the scorching flames swallowed him. Not only that, the surging wave of fire swept onward and smashed a row of buildings ahead to pieces as well.

The pirates, who had been so excited a moment ago, fell utterly silent.

A monster!

"Let's go."

Luna paid no attention to their fearful, awestruck gazes and continued on her way.

The surrounding pirates instantly cleared a path, terrified of angering this frightening woman.

A woman worth five hundred million was already this terrifying. What about someone worth six hundred million? Seven hundred million? Or even World, worth a billion?

That was already beyond what these pirates could imagine.

Luna led the group in restocking their supplies as though nothing had happened, while the trembling pirate shopkeepers didn't even dare take their money.

Pirate Island was a pirate island, which meant it was a true melting pot of all sorts.

And so, not long afterward.

In a stretch of sea somewhere in the New World, a ship with a smiling face on its bow was sailing slowly along, the face singing a cheerful song.

In a room aboard the ship, a tall, powerfully built man with a scarf covering the lower half of his face-Charlotte Katakuri, the second son of the Charlotte Family-looked at a sea chart.

"They should be somewhere in these waters. Have they still been sailing around without going ashore?"

He looked somewhat troubled.

The family's intelligence network had been operating at full strength, but there was still no news.

The Charlotte Family weren't the only ones looking for that group.

If someone else got to them first, Mama would go mad.

Just then.

"Katakuri!"

An extremely muscular man with flame-like hair rushed excitedly into the room. "Brother Peros just called. They've found traces of them!"

"What!"

Katakuri looked up at once. "Where?"

"On Pirate Island! They went there to restock their supplies!"

"Pirate Island?"

The Charlotte Family's greatest masterpiece narrowed his eyes. "Change course! Tell Cracker and Daifuku to prepare for battle!"

"Right!"

At the same time.

On a huge ship in another part of the sea.

"They've finally appeared!"

A man clad from head to toe in black leather clothes and a leather mask put down the Den Den Mushi. "But Pirate Island? Do we have anyone on that island?"

"Muahahahaha! Who cares about that?"

An extremely tall man, as fat and round as a ball, Queen the Plague, the number three of the Beasts Pirates, cackled. "Why don't we go and find out? Don't you want to meet one of your own kind sooner, you sadistic bastard?"

King shook his head. "Mr. Kaido wants us to show up and lend them a hand when the Charlotte Family has them cornered."

"Tch, so we still have to wait? But what if those Charlotte Family bastards can't handle them?"

"Don't be stupid. Katakuri himself has gone after them! Do you think that man's an idiot like you?"

"Huh? King, you bastard, do you have a death wish?"

The Marine Guerrilla Unit.

On the deck of the first ship.

Naito had his eyes tightly shut as Ain, Binz, and Doll attacked him one after another, while he kept dodging.

He was training his Observation Haki.

After Teacher Zephyr demonstrated the Observation Haki technique Future Sight, Naito had declared that Future Sight was great, and that he had to learn it.