บท 93: 93. Kaido, Defeated? The Golden Lion Shiki Appears
"Um, Katakuri, big brother."
Charlotte Gala and Cabaletta hesitated.
If the Straw Hat Boys were allowed to go like this, then our reputation as the Four Emperor's Pirates would be completely ruined.
Moreover, even though the straw hat boy beat his mom, he's really hurt now.
We still have lots of ships and lots of soldiers, so even if the Straw Hat Pirates have a ton of people, we could still beat them.
Anyway, they're just some newcomers. They'll be toast.
"Let them go," Katakuri said loudly. "The Straw Hat Pirates beat us fair and square. Are we too scared to admit defeat?"
"Remember how many times we failed before we became top dogs of the sea? Now, as Four Emperor's pirates, are we too afraid to admit defeat?"
"In this big, free sea, isn't it normal for the strong to keep facing challenges from newcomers? Didn't we get where we are by always accepting challenges?"
"Are you saying that the Charlotte family, at the top of the sea, can be totally beaten by one loss?"
"Tell me, Gala, Cabaletta, do you want to bring shame to our family?"
Katakuri scolded loudly.
"No, Katakuri, big brother," Gala and Cabaletta said, hanging their heads in shame.
They might not buy it if it was someone else, even the eldest son Perospero, but they couldn't argue with Katakuri, the family legend who looked after them all.
In the BIGMOM Pirates, if the mother uses her devil fruit powers to control everyone with fear and pressure, Katakuri is respected for his strength, bravery, and reputation.
Under Katakuri's scolding, Gala and Cabaletta quickly made way for the Straw Hat Pirates, creating a path through the fleet.
"That guy's something else," Luffy said, sitting on the ground with a smile.
His Observation Haki lets him sense emotions so he can feel Katakuri's sincerity.
Katakuri's heart isn't like the other BIGMOM Pirates, full of fear and twistedness. He just exudes a dignified, majestic vibe.
"This is BIGMOM's second son, Katakuri. He's also one of the Sweet Commanders and the strongest person after BIGMOM. He's a real tough guy," Jinbei explained to Luffy.
Most of BIGMOM's crew might look down on Jinbei, but even they can't help but admire Katakuri's will and righteousness.
Jinbei shared his father's high praise for Katakuri, given after a fight with BIGMOM. Even Marco, another powerful pirate, never got that kind of praise.
"I've decided I want him to join us," Luffy declared, looking at Katakuri with a grin.
"Wait, Luffy, are you serious?" Nami asked, surprised. "He's our enemy."
"What's the problem?" Luffy asked, looking confused. It's like they don't get why recruiting enemies is fine.
Nami sighed, feeling defeated. "Just forget it, Miss Nami. This is how Luffy does things."
Sanji lit a cigarette and offered some weak comfort.
Zoro and the others had a typical reaction. They were a bit surprised at first, but they quickly got over it. After all, it's Luffy we're talking about. He says all sorts of things.
Besides, everyone who joined this crew had their own lives and dreams before Luffy roped them in. They never thought they'd become pirates.
But here they are, all on the same ship.
Remember Robin and Vivi? They started as enemies but became allies.
Now, it's just about winning over the second son of the Four Emperors.
"Luffy's always full of surprises," Jinbei said with a smile. He's got a big heart and can accept even the craziest things, which is why he fits in with the Straw Hats so quickly.
"Hey, scarf guy, want to join us?" Luffy asked Katakuri, who was leaning against a tree for support.
"Wow, that's a direct invitation!" Chopper exclaimed, eyes wide.
"If you're going to invite him, at least say his name properly," Nami scolded, hitting Luffy on the head with a fan.
Watching these quirky guys in front of him, Katakuri was at first stunned. He couldn't believe they beat him. But when he saw Luffy's genuine smile, he realized the offer was sincere.
Katakuri admired Luffy's courage. "Is great wisdom as foolish as it seems?" he wondered.
Then he told Luffy, "I don't dislike you or your crew. But I have my own people to protect—the eighty-three brothers and sisters of the BIGMOM Pirates. So, thanks for the invite, Straw Hat Boy. And if we meet again, we won't lose."
He extended his hand to Luffy, who grinned and shook it. "Scarf guy, you're interesting. I'd like you to join us," Luffy said.
But he didn't push it. Some people, like Jinbei, Franky, and Robin, joined the crew under different circumstances. But Katakuri had his own reasons for staying with the BIGMOM Pirates.
Still, he felt like this wasn't the last time they'd cross paths. "I'll guide you out of the Thousand Sunny later, and I'll give you a copy of the Poneglyph rubbings," Katakuri offered. "And if you want anything else, treasure or otherwise, I can get it for you on behalf of the BIGMOM Pirates."
Katakuri accepted his defeat gracefully. In this sea, winners take all. And because the Straw Hats didn't go for the kill in their battles, Katakuri didn't fight to the death now.
"Treasure?"
Nami's eyes gleamed like gold coins.
"A history of road signs? What's that?" Luffy asked, looking puzzled.
"Wait, Luffy, don't you know about the Road Poneglyphs?" Jinbei asked in surprise.
"Isn't that the big stones?" Luffy replied.
"Miss Robin should know that there are two types of historical texts," Jinbei said, turning to Robin.
Robin nodded. "Yes, historical texts are divided into intelligence and signpost texts."
"Exactly," Jinbei continued. "There are around thirty historical texts in the world. Twenty-six of them contain real history. When all twenty-six texts are combined, they reveal a hundred years of history."
"The scholars of Ohara were studying this," Robin added.
"Pirates, on the other hand, focus on the signpost texts, which are the key to finding Raftel," Jinbei explained. "Raftel is where the legendary treasure One Piece is said to be hidden."
"One Piece!" Luffy's eyes lit up. It's his ultimate dream and the reason he's been sailing all this time.
"That's why every year, many newcomers challenge the Four Emperors in the New World. To find One Piece, you need the Road Poneglyphs held by the Emperors," Jinbei continued.
"Does anyone in the Four Emperors have the Road Poneglyphs? What about Whitebeard and Shanks?" Luffy asked eagerly.
"I'm not sure about Shanks, but as Emperors, they likely have them. Unfortunately, Whitebeard didn't pursue One Piece like the others. He only relied on information from Roger," Jinbei explained.
"I do have some information about the Road Poneglyphs," Katakuri chimed in. "Kaido of the Beasts has a copy, and my mother has wanted to trade for it, but she's wary it might be fake."
"Kaido? That ambitious man probably has it," Jinbei confirmed.
"Alright, let's go take him on!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly, pumping his fists.
Knowing about the Road Poneglyphs reignited Luffy's fighting spirit despite his exhaustion.
After a while, they boarded the Thousand Sunny, and Katakuri's fleet escorted them out of the area.
Meanwhile, in the outer seas...
"Admiral Kizaru, the Straw Hat Pirates are here," a Marine soldier shouted, pointing through binoculars.
Kizaru appeared beside him, examining the scene.
"Is that the Straw Hat Pirates?" he wondered.
Upon closer inspection with Vegapunk's advanced telescope, Kizaru realized it wasn't a simple departure but a confrontation between the Straw Hats and the Big Mom Pirates.
"No, it seems they're still wary of each other," Kizaru observed.
Ultimately, he didn't intervene; instead, he chose to escort the Straw Hat Pirates out of the area.
"Could it be Katakuri? If he's in control of the Big Mom Pirates right now, it's possible he made that call," Kizaru pondered.
From Kizaru's perspective, Katakuri was clearly badly injured, with blood coming from his mouth and nose and serious wounds on his upper body. Comparing that to the Straw Hat Pirates, who, aside from Luffy and Sanji, looked relatively unscathed, the difference was stark.
Notably, aside from Katakuri, the other high-ranking members of the Big Mom Pirates were nowhere to be seen.
"Could it be that in such a short time, the Straw Hat Pirates suffered minimal losses and defeated all the Big Mom Pirates, including Big Mom herself?" Kizaru speculated, his sharp mind piecing together the puzzle before him.
It seemed the Straw Hat Pirates bypassed the thirty-four islands outside of Whole Cake Island and went straight to Egg Island, where the battle ensued. Despite the initial involvement of Big Mom and her powerful crew, they were swiftly defeated, likely leaving Luffy injured from his battle with Big Mom and Sanji's marks on Katakuri, which is evident from their clash.
"The Straw Hat Pirates have grown immensely powerful," Kizaru mused, impressed and somewhat horrified by their strength.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Kizaru knew he had to report this to Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
However, before he could act on this, a Marine soldier approached him with a phone bug bearing Sengoku's insignia.
"Return to Naval Headquarters immediately, Kizaru," Sengoku's voice commanded from the other end. "We've just received word that Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, has been defeated. The New World is in chaos, and our focus will shift from there to the first half of the Grand Line."
As Kizaru processed this shocking news, another urgent message came through the phone bug.
"Admiral Sengoku, the Golden Lion Shiki has struck Marineford," the voice announced, signalling yet another crisis unfolding in the world of piracy.
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