Dressrosa.
It hadn't even been a month since the Beasts Pirates took over here, and Big Mom's counterattack had already arrived.
Smoothie and Cracker were injured and couldn't go on an expedition, so Charlotte Linlin decided to act personally… she could no longer tolerate that brat Kaido continuing to provoke her.
Even if they had all been 'companions' on the same ship back in the day, even if they had just fought against the World Government and the Marine together.
Her temper was not one bit better than Kaido's… or rather, due to the effects of certain illnesses, Big Mom couldn't even control her own behavior when her condition was bad.
Now, the issue of Dressrosa was no longer the main problem… taking it wouldn't bring much benefit to Totto Land.
But the Big Mom Pirates were still deploying their entire force, their battle lines directly covering dozens of surrounding islands.
They were going to beat the Beasts Pirates until it hurt, scare them until they didn't dare to casually make a move against the Big Mom Pirates' forces again.
The friction between the two sides over these decades had almost never ceased, but it was truly a first to see them fight as exaggeratedly as this.
Ultimately, perhaps it was due to the contraction of the Marine's forces and the Whitebeard Pirates adopting a defensive posture.
Previously, they had to worry about whether the Marine might suddenly strike, so they couldn't go all out.
But now, they had no such concerns.
The New World was vast, but it couldn't accommodate two Emperors of the Sea.
Especially when both sides were so strong.
Becoming the Pirate King was never just about obtaining [One Piece].
Strength, or rather the size of one's fist, was the real principle.
If some unknown nobody in the sea stumbled upon [One Piece], would others willingly call him the Pirate King?
No.
Absolutely impossible.
The ones truly capable of contending for this title were only the strong ones standing on the same level as them.
Everyone else could only be temporary custodians of the [Road Poneglyphs], mere bones beneath the feet of the true king.
—Well, that guy Naruto doesn't count. After all, that kid never acknowledged himself as a pirate, so naturally, he didn't qualify to compete for the title of Pirate King.
On the sea, the giant ship [Queen Mama Chanter], which is as large as a small town, was speeding forward, accompanied by several large battleships acting as escorts.
Of course, this was a bit redundant.
After all, any opponent capable of attacking the Queen Mama Chanter was definitely not something these few battleships could stop.
"Mamama! How much longer until Dressrosa?"
Big Mom stuffed a massive cake into her mouth while impatiently asking her eldest son, Perospero.
The Candy Minister quickly learned their current position from his subordinates and then replied.
"Mama, we've entered the conflict zone. It'll probably take about another day to reach Dressrosa Island."
"Hmph, those annoying bastards Queen and King. Once I get there, I'll make sure they regret it!"
Perhaps due to the calming effect of the sweets, Big Mom didn't lose her temper on the spot. She just made a harsh remark and continued gorging herself.
Two of the Sweet Commanders had been defeated in Dressrosa, and although they unanimously said it was a white-haired woman who beat them, Big Mom was still more inclined to think it was just an excuse they made up.
Big Mom didn't know Yamato, so she naturally attributed this matter to Queen and King's heads.
—As for Jack? That guy wasn't even in Big Mom's eyes.
Just a stupid brute. If Kaido weren't so short-handed, how could he let such a guy become a so-called [All-Star]?
"Has Katakuri sent any information back?"
While eating, Big Mom finally remembered her most favored son.
"According to the last message he sent, he was fighting King and the Tobi Roppo under him, and was gaining the upper hand for a while, but…"
"Don't hesitate. Continue!"
"But Queen used some sort of virus-like weapon that infected many of our people."
"Those infected would actively attack others and infect them. Without an antidote, they'd die in less than an hour."
"QUEEN!!"
Hearing the heavy casualties on her side, Big Mom was so angry she didn't even eat her cake. With a roar, a burst of Conqueror's Haki shockwave swept across the surrounding sea surface.
"Sigh… Forget it. That's that guy's usual tactic…"
After the roar, Big Mom regained her composure.
She was just angry, but she wasn't having an episode. She could still act as a captain in this state.
"Go get Smoothie. Have her help Katakuri. Her Devil Fruit ability will be useful in this situation."
"Yes, Mama!"
Before Perospero left, Big Mom added viciously.
"Remember to tell her, this is her last chance."
"…Yes."
After Perospero left, Big Mom resumed shoving cake into her mouth.
That outburst had made her hungry again. She needed to eat a bit more.
Just then, a News Coo flew down from the sky.
Although it had been scared stiff by that terrifying roar just moments ago, considering the task its boss had assigned, it still mustered its courage and flew down.
Seeing this, a nearby attendant was about to take out Belly to put into the bird's money pouch and take a newspaper down.
This kind of trivial matter was best handled without distracting Mom.
However, the News Coo flapped its wings, evading the attendant's approach.
"Hmm?"
Big Mom paused in her eating and looked up.
With just one glance, the News Coo felt as if it were being torn apart by a bird of prey.
Trembling, it took out a folded invitation from the pouch it usually used to hold newspapers and respectfully placed it in front of Big Mom.
[To Charlotte Linlin:
I will be holding my wedding with Hancock and Stussy on April 2nd, 1521, in Amazon Lily.
Delicious food has been prepared, with plenty to eat.
—Uzumaki Naruto.]
"Hmm?! Naruto… that brat, when I wanted to marry my daughter to him he refused, and now he's…"
Big Mom flipped open the invitation with her cream-stained fingers. Her initial instinct was to slam it on the table, but after thinking for a moment, she folded it back up.
It wasn't the promise of 'plenty to eat' that attracted her.
What made Big Mom take it seriously were the names on the invitation.
"Stussy…"
As one of Big Mom's few good friends, Stussy's influence and the power of her organization were enough to earn her respect.
"Hmph… I'll do it for Stussy's sake then."
…
Similar scenes played out elsewhere.
For example, inside the combat command center in Dressrosa, at the drinking table in front of Kaido, or inside a castle on a remote island.
Regardless of status or position, as long as Naruto considered them a 'friend', even if their stances differed, these people would receive an invitation from him.
One had to admit, when it came to finding people, the News Coos were too authoritative.
No wonder Morgans had such immense influence.