Shiraishi received news of the incident on Gaburo Island in the New World almost immediately.
As one of his primary foothold bases in the New World, Gaburo Island's defensive forces were not something an ordinary pirate crew could easily overcome.
Recognizing this as an overt provocation from a rival pirate force, the entire Sky Island went on full combat alert.
As the deep echo of a giant bell resounded across the sky, the Nekomata—the Sunagakure Pirates' second flagship, docked inside Weatheria Base No. 3's shipyard—slowly glided out onto the open ocean.
Aside from the figurehead changing from a Shukaku to a stylized, chibi-style Nekomata, the ship matched the Shukaku in nearly every aspect.
It shared the same elite specifications, engineered around a core keel crafted from the timber of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path (Gedo Mazo). Its hull sat slightly shallower in the water, yet the sheer volume of heavy cannon ports along its flanks gave it an even more overwhelming broadside output.
Although the Sunagakure Pirates possessed other standard warships besides the Shukaku, their specifications and firepower were relatively ordinary.
To intimidate the rising pirate factions of the New World, Shiraishi chose to deploy the Nekomata onto the Blue Sea.
As the giant elevation lift system activated, the Nekomata descended smoothly onto the ocean surface.
The navigator aboard was not Moyade, but another veteran crewmate who had followed Shiraishi since the early days—years of navigating these waters had turned him into an exceptionally capable sailor in his own right.
At present, Sky Island operated three artificial drop-down bases: Weatheria Base No. 3 located in the New World, Weatheria Base No. 2 in the first half of the Grand Line, and Weatheria Base No. 1 near Reverse Mountain.
Developing these floating artificial islands had taken over two years of engineering, ultimately establishing the Sunagakure Pirates' formidable Sky Corridor advantage.
"Captain, Gaburo Island is just ahead."
Shrouded in towering plumes of black smoke and fire, Gaburo Island came into clear view before the Sunagakure Pirates.
Although Shiraishi had not aggressively expanded his territorial footprint in the New World, Gaburo Island sat at a strategic central nexus, intersecting with various spheres of influence.
That it had fallen under a sudden, devastating assault from a mysterious pirate fleet meant an overly ambitious faction had finally decided to throw down the gauntlet to challenge Shiraishi.
Stepping onto the scorched, blackened earth of Gaburo Island, Shiraishi's expression darkened. The subordinates stationed here—though rookies who had joined the Sunagakure Pirates relatively recently—were formidable Supernovas in their own right.
For them to be overcome so effortlessly meant the attacker was certainly no ordinary player.
"Where are the bodies?"
"Right here..."
Gazing at the shriveled, desiccated corpses lying before him, Shiraishi's eyes turned razor-sharp in an instant: "Charlotte Linlin!"
These victims had clearly died from having their very soul-lifespan forcefully drained. In this world, only one person possessed such a power: the future Emperor of the Sea, "BIG MOM" Charlotte Linlin!
BIG MOM and her Big Mom Pirates were no fledgling rookies; they were a veteran titan crew entrenched in the second half of the Grand Line. As a future Emperor, the Big Mom Pirates already possessed all the foundational qualifications to claim a crown.
The only thing they lacked was sufficient territory and expanded influence...
And that was precisely the root cause of the friction between Shiraishi and Charlotte Linlin.
Gaburo Island sat very close to Totto Land. As the most critical drop-down hub for the Sunagakure Pirates' sky operations into the New World, it had long been a thorn in Charlotte Linlin's side.
Yet Shiraishi had not anticipated that she would launch a direct, unprovoked assault—wiping out the entire island in a fit of terrifying, violent rage.
"It might be related to the Captain rejecting her marriage proposal a while ago," a crew member murmured carefully.
At the mention of that incident, Shiraishi's face darkened further. BIG MOM had previously sent an envoy bearing lavish gifts, proposing a political marriage with Shiraishi and extending a formal wedding invitation.
Faced with a marriage fanatic like BIG MOM, Shiraishi had rejected the proposal without a second thought. He assumed she would drop the matter, never expecting her to march straight onto his doorstep and raze his territory to the ground instead.
"Regardless of her excuse, this is an explicit declaration of war."
To stand firm upon these seas, one had to protect their own dignity. Having Charlotte Linlin slap him in the face like this meant that if the Sunagakure Pirates failed to retaliate, their followers and allied island territories would break apart in disillusionment.
With that thought, Shiraishi pulled out a specialized Den Den Mushi. Stored among its contact frequencies was Charlotte Linlin's personal line. After operating in the New World for several years, Shiraishi possessed direct contacts for many high-profile figures.
Bolu-bolu-bolu...
Aboard Charlotte Linlin's personal flagship, the Queen Mama Chanter, the Den Den Mushi rang out. Standing on the deck, BIG MOM let out a sinister, cackling laugh as she picked up the receiver: "Mamama... Is that little brother Shiraishi? Calling me directly today—have you decided to accept my marriage proposal?"
Shiraishi skipped all pleasantries, his tone ice-cold: "BIG MOM... Gaburo Island. That was your handiwork, wasn't it?"
"Ghahahaha!"
Faced with Shiraishi's interrogation, Charlotte Linlin let out a manic, booming laugh: "Mamama! Of course it was me!
The puddings produced on Gaburo Island used to be one of my absolute favorite sweets! But because of you, I could no longer enjoy such delicacies. Once my Craving Illness flared up, I simply couldn't control myself!"
While Gaburo Island did produce exquisite puddings, its output was far too meager to satisfy BIG MOM's insatiable demands. To escape her oppression, the islanders had proactively reached out to the Sunagakure Pirates, seeking status as a protected territory.
With BIG MOM initiating a direct strike, the Sunagakure Pirates had no choice but to strike back. This call was merely a formality before real war erupted.
Hearing the blatant dishonesty in her words, Shiraishi let out a cold, mocking sneer: "To think you'd actually come up with such a flimsy excuse."
"Mamama! I really didn't mean to, little brother Shiraishi! Why not reconsider my previous offer? If you partner with me, combining Totto Land with your Sky Corridor, this entire world will fall into our hands!"
As a legendary pirate of the high seas, Charlotte Linlin's ultimate goal was also the throne of the Pirate King. But Shiraishi wasn't buying it for a second: "I have zero interest in your grand delusion, nor will I ever bow beneath a crazy hag like you."
Reaching for a pile of sweets and shoveling them into her mouth with ravenous bites, Charlotte Linlin let out a bizarre, cackling laugh: "In that case... who's to say my Craving Illness won't flare up again very soon?"
Shiraishi's eyes turned lethal. A wave of intense, sub-zero frost erupted from his body, causing the surrounding crew members to shiver in terror.
"BIG MOM... I will tear off your head with my own hands."
"Mamama! That joke isn't funny at all!"
In response to Shiraishi's suffocating killing intent, Charlotte Linlin released a terrifying, spine-chilling aura of her own. Her children gathered on deck looked on in fear, cold sweat pouring down their necks.
Among her children, there were those who had opposed provoking the Sunagakure Pirates in the first place. Yet, goaded on by a mysterious outsider, they had presented the marriage proposal to Shiraishi—only for his rejection to ignite their mother's deep-seated resentment.
That same manipulator had then used Gaburo Island's famous pudding to deliberately trigger Mama's Craving Illness, driving the situation into an irreversible, full-scale war.
As BIG MOM's children, they now had no choice but to stand beside their mother and fight.
"Since war has begun," Perospero declared grimly, "then prepare for all-out battle!"
"Yes, Brother...!"