New World, Somewhere on the Sea.
It appeared that a fierce battle had just taken place. Countless charred shipwrecks floated on the sea, along with numerous corpses rising and falling with the waves. The air was thick with the smell of burnt debris and blood, creating a nauseating atmosphere.
On the deck of the Queen Mother Anthem, Charlotte Linlin lifted Jack into the air with her right hand, her expression cold and murderous.
"Where is Garros? Speak!"
Jack, trembling in fear, his face drained of color, stammered, "Boss Garros isn't here! He's in Dressrosa!"
"Dressrosa? Isn't that Shichibukai Doflamingo's territory? Why is he there?" Linlin demanded.
"I-I don't know…"
"And what about the research report on human enlargement? Where is it?" Linlin's voice was like ice.
"I've never heard of such a thing…"
Big Mom's fury was palpable. "Damn Stussy! You lied to me! Set course for Dressrosa!"
At that moment, Perospero rushed over, panic evident in his eyes, holding a Transponder Snail. "Mom! It's bad news!"
Linlin turned to him, her expression darkening further.
"Garros snuck into Cake Island and stole the Poneglyph! Cracker has been defeated, and the entire island is in flames!"
Silence fell over the deck as the gravity of the situation set in. The faces of Owen, Opela, and the others turned pale, a chill running down their spines.
Katakuri spoke in a deep voice, "Mom, we were tricked! This was Garros' plan all along. His true target was Cake Island!"
As the realization sank in, everyone's shock turned to rage.
"What do we do now?" someone asked in a hushed tone.
"What else can we do? We need to return immediately!" another voice urged.
"Return? What's the point? Cake Island is already destroyed, and that bastard Garros has probably vanished by now!"
"Damn it! Is there really nothing we can do?"
The crew was in turmoil. Big Mom stood still, her face frighteningly grim, and the air around her seemed to freeze.
With a voice that sent shivers down everyone's spines, she gritted her teeth and said, "Kaido, if you want war, I'll see it through to the end! We're going to Wano!"
"Mom! Something's happening!" the lookout suddenly shouted.
In the distance, ten warships bearing the Beasts Pirates' flag appeared, heading straight toward them.
Seeing the man on deck with wings and a black coat, Big Mom's anger boiled over. "King? Excellent, let's make you the appetizer before the main course! Forward! Destroy them!"
Wano Country, Onigashima.
"What? How is this possible? The fleet led by Jack was completely destroyed?" The news sent shockwaves through Onigashima and Wano, casting an unprecedented pall over the entire region. Even the most oblivious could sense that something terrible was on the horizon.
In a dimly lit room, Queen and several other top officers waited anxiously for Kaido's arrival. Fozifu sat on the sofa, quietly mulling over the situation.
According to reports, Jack's fleet was ambushed by the Big Mom Pirates. The entire fleet was annihilated, and the two billion berries they carried were lost. The support fleet suffered heavy casualties in a battle with the Big Mom Pirates, with King and Yamato barely escaping.
This was the greatest humiliation the Beasts Pirates had ever endured.
If this disaster had struck, Garros, as the supreme commander of the operation, would certainly be implicated. King had been severely injured and was bedridden, with recovery expected to take months. Jack's whereabouts were unknown, likely dead or captured.
As the officers exchanged uneasy glances, their ambitions began to stir.
"Fozifu," one asked, "Do you think we should compete for a position on the All-Star board? I'm afraid I'll be the one to win."
"Hmph, we'll see about that…" Fozifu retorted, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
Queen, however, remained silent, deep in thought.
Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud bang, and Kaido entered, his face a mask of fury.
"What's going on?" he demanded.
Queen quickly recounted the events. "According to my subordinates, the entire Big Mom Pirate crew, except for Cracker, was mobilized to ambush Jack's fleet. They overwhelmed them with sheer power."
Kaido's expression darkened further. "Damn it, how did the Big Mom Pirates get this information? Who leaked it?"
Queen, biting down on his cigar, responded coldly, "Only Commander Garros, Deputy Commander Jack, and the Navigator had access to the fleet's route. The Navigator is confirmed dead, so the suspects are the missing Jack and Garros."
Kaido pondered this for a moment before shaking his head. "Garros specifically reminded me to send reinforcements for Jack. It couldn't be him. Besides, what would he gain from it?"
Garros had only been with the Beasts Pirates for a short time, but his contributions were undeniable. He had sold off the long-stockpiled seastone weapons, established a partnership with Doflamingo, and made significant achievements. Garros' status within the Beasts Pirates had risen so much that even Queen couldn't match him. What reason would he have to betray them?
Queen exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes narrowing. "Then it must be Jack. Maybe he was resentful about losing his position as the leader and leaked the information on purpose, taking the two billion berries to join the Big Mom Pirates."
Kaido clenched his fists, his eyes burning with rage. On one hand, the possibility of Jack's betrayal and the massive losses it had inflicted on the Beasts Pirates enraged him. On the other, the image of King and Yamato, fighting desperately under the onslaught of Big Mom and her crew, fueled his anger further. If King hadn't risked everything to protect her, Yamato would have been killed.
"Charlotte Linlin," Kaido growled, "I'll make you pay for this!"
"Queen, gather everyone! We're going to war with the Big Mom Pirates!"
"Boss Kaido, please reconsider!" Queen quickly interjected. "Right now, we have less than ten thousand troops left. King is seriously injured, and Garros hasn't returned yet. If we go to war with the Big Mom Pirates now, I'm afraid…"
Queen trailed off, not daring to finish the thought. But Kaido knew the truth of it. The Beasts Pirates were at a disadvantage in terms of both numbers and strength. A full-scale war now would be a gamble with slim chances of victory.
But swallowing his pride, pretending nothing had happened? That was unthinkable. If they didn't retaliate, this kind of betrayal would happen again and again.
"Damn it…" Kaido cursed under his breath.
At that moment, a subordinate rushed in with a report. "Boss Kaido! Brother Garros has returned!"
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