The ship moored quietly at the port of a small island called Kakarra, a place that seemed ordinary at first glance. But beneath the surface, it was a haven for outlaws; every soul on the island had once been a pirate.
The streets buzzed with life. Rough, scarred men strolled in groups, their laughter loud and crude, drifting toward the many bars dotting the island.
Baccarat's eyes gleamed as she looked up at a large tavern thrumming with noise. "So this is Hannabal? Hard to believe something like this could hide on such a small island."
Hannabal, the name alone carried weight across the Grand Line. It was an underground casino famous for its annual death match, a brutal tournament where pirates wagered their lives for a massive prize. The rules were simple: only pirates could enter, and the rewards were enough to drive men mad.
While Hannabal wasn't the only death arena in the seas, few matched its reputation. Every version of it, whether in Paradise or the New World, was backed by someone powerful enough to keep such carnage running smoothly.
Teach smirked. "Zehahahaha! Seems we arrived just in time. If you're curious, let's take a look."
Wearing his trademark black coat, he led the way inside. His crew followed, Gar, Pito, and the ever-poised Baccarat.
Inside the tavern, the crowd thinned out. Teach strode up to the counter, dropped four hundred Berries onto the bar, and said coolly, "Hannabal."
The bartender's expression didn't change. He took the Berries, pressed a hidden switch beneath the counter, and a loud click echoed as a massive door in the corner slowly creaked open.
"Alright," the man said. "You can go in."
Without hesitation, Teach and the others stepped through.
The corridor beyond was pitch black. Wooden planks gave way to rough dirt floors, then bare stone walls. It felt less like a bar and more like descending into a mine shaft.
When they finally reached the end, a dim oil lamp flickered weakly, revealing another huge metal door—large enough for a giant to pass through.
Teach grinned. "Let's see what kind of show they're putting on."
He pushed the door open.
A flood of light burst forth. The moment they stepped inside, the scene before them stole their breath.
It was no tavern...it was an underground city.
Countless levels spiraled upward and downward inside the hollowed-out mountain, forming a vast, circular structure that pulsed with life. Bars, gambling dens, and exotic shops filled every tier. The air reeked of liquor, sweat, and greed. Pirate flags from every sea hung proudly on the walls, and far above—suspended from iron beams—was a three-masted ship, floating like a crown above chaos.
Teach tilted his head back, grinning in disbelief. "Zehahahaha… what a mad place."
Using his Observation Haki, he swept through the mountain's interior. The entire peak had been gutted to make room for this monstrous "palace." Dozens of entrances like the one they'd used connected the surface to this underground empire. It was a marvel of ambition and profit.
With the sheer number of pirates pouring in daily, even a cheap entry fee turned into hundreds of millions of Berries a year.
Of course, this kind of operation couldn't exist without real power backing it.
Teach had heard whispers before, rumors that the syndicate behind Hannabal in the New World was tied to a shadowy group calling themselves the Celestial Dragons. Not the ones in Mariejois, the dark kind, a ruthless cabal of pirates and assassins whose leader's name had long been erased from history.
It was said that when one pirate crew with an 800-million-Berry bounty dared challenge them, their captain's head was later displayed at Hannabal's entrance, his entire crew of six thousand wiped from existence.
Teach's grin widened. "This sea… it's deeper than it looks."
He had encountered monsters before, hidden titans like Yamamoto Genryusai, but this? This was another web of power in the underworld he intended to learn from… and eventually surpass.
The crew pushed deeper through the crowd. Tens of thousands of pirates packed the vast hall, drinking, shouting, gambling away fortunes.
"Let's grab a seat," Teach said, spotting a restaurant with a good view. "Looks like the games are about to start."
They sat down just as the massive crystal screens across the hall flickered to life, displaying the jagged cliffs and stormy seas surrounding the island. The wind howled even through the feed—this was the Death Sea Race's battleground.
Hundreds of pirate ships lined the start zone, their black sails fluttering.
In Hannabal, anticipation crackled like lightning. Pirates banged mugs and stomped their boots, cheering for their favorites. Some even brawled over rival bets until the crowd forced them apart.
A booming voice filled the arena.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! The annual Sea Death Race is about to BEGIN!"
The crowd erupted like a bomb.
"ROAR!" "YEEEAAAH!!"
"LET'S GO, BLOODBEARD CREW!"
"TO HELL WITH THAT! LONG LIVE THE IRON FANGS!"
The host raised his arm dramatically. "Participants—ready yourselves!"
A hush swept through the hall. Then—
"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!"
BOOM!
A thunderous cannon blast signaled the start. Pirate ships surged forward, their sails catching the screaming wind.
"Fire, you idiots! Don't let them get ahead!"
"Hahahaha! That prize money's mine!"
The tranquil sea erupted into chaos. Cannon fire split the sky as ships exchanged volleys at point-blank range. Explosions painted the waves orange and red. Screams and laughter blended together as pirate crews leapt across ships, swords flashing under the stormy light.
Teach leaned back, grinning as he watched the carnage unfold. "Zehahaha… savage, even for pirates. Guess they can't help themselves."
Baccarat smirked. "Fighting over Berries… same as always."
The camera feed showed one ship after another torn apart by cannonballs, their crews swallowed by the raging sea. Others rammed head-on, turning the race into a brawl of fire and blood.
"Let them fight," Teach said softly, his eyes glinting. "The true nature of pirates… is always revealed in chaos."
The sea outside thundered, and inside Hannabal, tens of thousands of pirates roared in madness, swept up in the spectacle.
The Death Sea Race had begun. And somewhere among that roaring crowd, a shadow smiled—its gaze locked on Teach's table.
The hunter had entered the den.