"Haha, I didn't expect to run into you here, Mihawk."
Seeing the swordsman looking even calmer and more grounded than the last time they met, Eli Winters greeted him with genuine warmth.
Mihawk gave his typical cool response. "My wine ran out. I came to restock."
Of course, Eli knew the man too well. Mihawk wasn't the type to cross half the Grand Line just for a few jars of liquor. And as expected, the truth matched his suspicion. Mihawk had originally been heading toward the New World, but halfway through his journey he heard that the three Emperor crews were forming an alliance to hunt Eli down. Without hesitation, he turned his ship around and rushed toward Little Garden, pushing himself to the limit. He barely rested, using only a small boat to arrive ahead of the three Emperor fleets.
To be honest, Mihawk showing up here surprised Eli. They hadn't actually spent that much time together. Maybe beneath that cold exterior, the world's greatest swordsman carried a fiery and stubborn loyalty.
"For a sip of wine, you traveled all this way without rest. Coming to Little Garden at a time like this is not the wisest decision. You do realize the largest battle this island has ever seen might erupt any minute? If you get caught in it, you'll end up with trouble you don't need." Eli teased him lightly, though warmth shone in his eyes.
"Hmph. I came for wine. Everything else has nothing to do with me." Mihawk replied without even blinking. His tone was firm and absolute, as if the looming danger was of no concern.
"Haha, fine, fine. If you insist. Come on, I'll introduce you to a few new friends and throw you a welcome feast." Eli laughed, tugging Mihawk along toward the center of Little Garden.
Meanwhile, in the waters of the Sabaody Archipelago…
The sea trembled as the three legendary Emperor crews converged.
"Momomomo… Newgate, you've aged quite a bit, hm?" Big Mom sneered lightly at Whitebeard, who now bore strands of silver in his hair.
"Linlin, you're an old woman yourself," Whitebeard replied calmly.
"Momomomo… still as stubborn as ever, Newgate." Big Mom's expression didn't even twitch.
"Worororo… Big Bro Newgate, and Linlin too. It's been a long time." Kaido boomed, uncharacteristically polite. The monstrous aura that usually clung to him like a storm was strangely subdued.
Back in the Rocks era, Whitebeard held a pivotal role in the infamous crew. Kaido was just a rookie then, running missions alongside him and learning from his strength. Even now, despite rising to Emperor status, a part of Kaido still respected his former senior.
Big Mom, on the other hand, gave Kaido an entirely different kind of headache. After all, his mighty Azure Dragon Zoan fruit had originally come from her. She had only asked for one thing in return: unwavering loyalty.
But Kaido, a man who desired supremacy above all else, had betrayed that promise the moment he obtained the fruit.
Now, whenever he faced Linlin, the guilt of that betrayal always crept back up, dulling his usual arrogance.
Sure enough, Big Mom's expression darkened the moment she saw him. She had once treated him sincerely, only for him to run off the instant he got what he wanted. No wonder she wasn't giving him a good look now.
"Heh… haha…" Kaido forced out a stiff laugh, the atmosphere around them awkward and suffocating.
Whitebeard finally broke the tension. "Enough. Since everyone is here, we should set out."
The other two Emperors gave curt nods, both lost in their own thoughts, before returning to their ships to command full speed toward the ancient island of Little Garden.
With a permanent pointer, there was no need to store magnetic force. The journey took only a week.
And then, on that day, three colossal silhouettes appeared on the horizon.
The Moby Dick, its whale figurehead towering like a guardian.
Big Mom's Queen Mama Chanter, gleaming like a candy fortress.
Kaido's Onigashima Warship, jagged and monstrous, ready for war.
Little Garden's sea began to boil with their presence.
Back on Little Garden
The moment those ships stepped into the marked sea zone, Eli's spatial markers triggered.
A confident grin tugged at his lips. He turned to the group watching Big Pan and Mihawk's sparring match.
"Everyone, our uninvited guests have arrived."
The crew froze, immediately shifting from relaxed spectators to tense fighters.
Chiyo spoke first. "Captain, how many of them are coming?"
Eli folded his arms casually. "Not sure about the exact number yet. But all three Emperor crews are here."
Faces hardened. Even though they trusted Eli's strength and knew their own capabilities, the sheer scale of the incoming forces was enough to rattle anyone. The enemy didn't just have power; they had overwhelming numbers.
"Haha, weren't you all shouting about beating them up earlier? What happened to that courage?" Eli teased.
Filina rolled her eyes dramatically. "That's the Whitebeard Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and Beasts Pirates. Of course we're nervous. One-on-one we're not afraid, but they have entire armies."
"Haha, relax. With me here, nothing will happen. In fact, you might not even need to fight."
Fiona stiffened. "Eli, don't tell me you plan to teleport us away and face them alone. I swear, I refuse. I'm not running. I'm not a coward."
"Eli, you can't send us away. We're a team," Filina added.
"Captain, we can fight too." Dorte said firmly.
"Yes, Captain. Let us help." Creed tightened his grip on the Requiem Flute.
"Don't send me away."
"Captain, if you send me away, I'll poison your food later." Reiju declared with complete seriousness.
Aside from Big Pan, who remained perfectly calm, everyone spoke up at once.
Eli placed a hand on Reiju's head with an exasperated sigh. "When did I ever say I was sending you away?"
"Really? That's great!" Filina celebrated instantly.
Everyone visibly relaxed. They could accept any danger, but not the idea of abandoning their captain while he fought alone.
Fiona, though embarrassed by the misunderstanding, still stared stubbornly at Eli.
Eli continued helplessly, "Actually, none of the Emperor crew commanders died. After that incident with a prisoner killing himself, I became more careful. When the bombs went off that day, I teleported the rest into my Kamui space. Technically, we don't even have a real blood feud with the three Emperors. I just never clarified it because I wanted to lure out the one pulling the strings behind all this."
Everyone stared at him, stunned.
"Someone behind the scenes?" Filina asked.
Eli nodded. "Yes. Someone has been provoking both sides, trying to use the Emperor crews to kill us."
"Who's that shameless?" Filina huffed angrily.
"Haha, you'll find out soon. For now, let's go greet our famous visitors. Dorry, Brogy, Mihawk… coming with us?"
"Haha, Eli, how could we miss such excitement?" Dorry boomed.
"I'm curious how strong the new generation is," Brogy added.
Mihawk said nothing but remained beside them, clearly intending to follow.
"Then let's go meet the three Emperor crews." Eli grinned. A massive spatial gate opened, and he stepped inside first.
Simon gestured politely. "Mr. Mihawk, Brother Dorry, Brother Brogy, please go ahead."
It was the giants' first time seeing spatial teleportation. Brogy couldn't resist sticking his head through the portal. His head immediately appeared on the distant coastline, causing him to shout with childlike delight as he repeatedly poked his head in and out.
Dorry eventually lost patience and kicked him through the gate with a loud thud.
The rest filed in, and soon everyone stood on the coastline.
"That kick was yours!" Brogy shouted, pointing at the huge footprint on his backside.
"No it wasn't. Don't talk nonsense," Dorry replied smoothly.
"Look at the size of this footprint! Who else could it be?"
"Damn. I forgot it would leave a mark," Dorry muttered.
"Then prepare yourself. I challenge you to a duel!"
Seeing the two hotheads ready to erupt, Eli stepped in quickly. "Give me some face, both of you. Fight later."
"Fine, next time," Dorry agreed.
"I'll let it go this once," Brogy grumbled.
"Haha, thank you, both of you." Eli laughed.
His gaze shifted to the three colossal ships approaching.
Then a thunderous voice split the air.
"Eli Winters! You killed three of my sons. Today I, Edward Newgate, will take your head to honor their spirits!"