Chapter 2: The Four Emperors and Allied Forces
The rain poured down in sheets. The large ship Su Xiao was on tossed about like a slipper in a washing machine, at constant risk of being swallowed by the raging currents.
[Entering World: One Piece · Dressrosa Naval Battle]
World Difficulty: LV.3～?? (Large open world, difficulty varies by region).
World Source: 0%,
World Introduction: Wealth, fame, power. The vast sea is filled with Marines and pirates, clashes of Haki, battles between Devil Fruit users, games of strength among the powerful, and struggles for hegemony.
Three Types of Haki (Conqueror's, Armament, Observation): A high-level technique for developing the body.
Devil Fruits: Secret treasures of the sea. Upon consumption, they grant mystical abilities. The user fears seawater, Seastone, etc.
World Government: The largest organization in this world, having ruled for over 800 years.
Marines: The largest armed force under the World Government, responsible for maritime security.
Pirates: Adventurers of the sea, exploring the world, plundering and killing, their morality uncertain.
Dressrosa Naval Battle Details.
Participants: Donquixote Family, Beasts Pirates, BIG MOM Pirates.
Main Plot Characters: Donquixote Doflamingo, Jack, Charlotte Katakuri, Charlotte Cracker.
Main Event: BIG MOM Pirates captain Charlotte Linlin covets the waters around 'Dressrosa'. Because the Beasts Pirates have been locked in a two-month standoff with the Red Hair Pirates, their support for the Donquixote Family has been blocked. Thus, Charlotte Linlin sends her forces to attack Dressrosa.
Time: One month before the Summit War.
Promotion/Main Quest: Join a Faction.
Hunt Quest: None.
World, Begin!
...
The world introduction contained a lot of information. First, Su Xiao's location was the New World, the most dangerous area in the One Piece world. The weather was unpredictable, powerful pirates were everywhere, and the Four Emperors were the rulers of the New World. Even the Marines dared not venture here easily. It was a pirate's paradise.
The Four Emperors were:
Whitebeard · Edward Newgate: The strongest of the Four Emperors. A pirate who cared little for wealth or status, valuing his family (crew/subordinates) as his greatest treasure.
Kaido of the Beasts: Possessed an incredibly abnormal survival ability, with a hobby of attempting suicide.
Red Hair Shanks: Possessed a heart as vast as the sea, with most factions giving him some face.
Charlotte Linlin: A very prolific Empress. Her children included many strong individuals, and her own strength was not to be underestimated. She was obsessed with sweets.
Judging by the timeline, Whitebeard was still alive. The other three Emperors had friction with each other, but no one dared to provoke Whitebeard easily.
Whitebeard had his own troubles. According to intelligence from his spy within the Marines, his Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace, had been captured. This information was unconfirmed, but it still filled Whitebeard with worry.
Perhaps having caught wind of the same news, the other three Emperors were becoming noticeably restless. Among them, Charlotte Linlin and Kaido of the Beasts were the most active, already beginning to seize territory. These great pirates keenly sensed that the New World's structure was about to change.
Because of this, Charlotte Linlin had set her sights on the wealthy island of 'Dressrosa'. However, this island was the territory of the 'Joker' Donquixote Doflamingo, who was also a collaborator with Kaido of the Beasts.
Attacking Doflamingo's territory was equivalent to directly provoking Kaido. Others wouldn't dare, but Charlotte Linlin, also an Emperor, did. Although Linlin and Kaido were once members of the same pirate crew, they now each had their own faction.
Both were former members of the Rocks Pirates in their youth. The Rocks Pirates were the rulers of the sea before Roger's era. One could imagine how powerful a crew that could have young Emperors as members must have been.
Now, with their own factions, temporary fallouts over territory were common.
Charlotte Linlin sent her son, Charlotte Katakuri, to contend for Dressrosa. This greatly troubled Doflamingo. While his strength was not weak, in terms of overall combat power, he was no match for Katakuri.
Fortunately, Doflamingo's collaborator, Kaido, also sent someone. Kaido dispatched one of his Three Calamities, Jack the Drought, to assist.
Currently, in the Dressrosa sea area, it was Doflamingo and Jack versus Charlotte Katakuri. They were in the middle of a storm with high waves. All three were Devil Fruit users, who couldn't come into large-scale contact with seawater or they would temporarily lose their strength. Therefore, they were all hiding in their cabins.
Charlotte Katakuri was a formidable figure. Within the BIG MOM Pirates, besides the captain Charlotte Linlin, Katakuri was the strongest.
As for the subordinate pirates and ships, the two sides were roughly equal. If Doflamingo and Katakuri were to duel, Katakuri's win rate would be over eighty percent. This guy's strength was terrifying, and he also had a famous helper: his younger brother, Charlotte Cracker.
Having two Sweet Commanders of the BIG MOM Pirates present put immense pressure on Doflamingo and Jack. In terms of overall strength among the powerful figures on both sides, Katakuri was the strongest. Not only had he awakened his Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, but he also mastered all three types of Haki. His Observation Haki was the most abnormal, reaching the level of seeing into the future.
Fighting an enemy like this, the pressure on Doflamingo and Jack was imaginable. Although neither was a pushover, Katakuri was too strong. Moreover, he had Charlotte Cracker to assist him, another great pirate with a bounty of 860,000,000.
The two sides were already in an all-out war. Katakuri had already led his forces to the coastal waters of Dressrosa. If not for this sudden storm, he might have already landed on Dressrosa Island.
Through the world introduction, Su Xiao had a general understanding of the current situation. His task this time was somewhat special. The Promotion Quest and Main Quest had merged into one, or rather, they shared the same objective.
[Promotion/Main Quest: Join a Faction (First Ring).]
Difficulty Level Quest Info: Join any one of the following factions: Donquixote Family, Beasts Pirates, BIG MOM Pirates.
Quest Info: Promotion/Main Quest consists of four rings.
Quest Time Limit: 12 hours.
Quest Reward: 10,000 Paradise Coins.
Quest Penalty: Forced Execution.
...
From the quest info, Su Xiao's Promotion/Main Quest seemed simple. Was that really the case? Of course not.
As soon as he entered the One Piece world, he was teleported onto a broken ship that had been bombarded. The smell of the sea and burnt things constantly stimulated his sense of smell, with a faint hint of blood.
When the storm stopped, the chaotic battle would resume. In the chaos of a naval battle, joining a faction wasn't too difficult. If Su Xiao wanted to join the Big Mom faction, he just needed to kill pirates from the Donquixote Family or the Beasts Pirates. That would be his letter of fealty.
Choosing which faction to join was the key to the next step.
Donquixote Family: Stopped at nothing, ruthless and merciless.
Beasts Pirates: A large group of maniacs.
BIG MOM Pirates: A traditional pirate crew with a 'psychotic' captain, a terrifyingly obese old woman.
For most Contractors, this was a difficult choice. But Su Xiao had already decided which faction to join. Only by joining that one could he avoid entanglement with the CP organization.
The ship was very turbulent, and the heavy rain continued. Su Xiao steadied himself against the gunwale. Bubu Wang was right beside him, while Amu was on another ship.
Su Xiao looked up at the dark clouds. This storm should last for a while.
But in the next moment, the raindrops falling from the sky gradually lessened. The dark clouds dissipated at a visible rate. In less than half a minute, the sea was calm, and the sky was clear.
Bubu Wang was completely stunned. If not for the soaking wet ship beneath them, it would have thought the previous scene was an illusion.
"Lads, raise the sails!"
"Roar~"
The pirates of the Donquixote Family on the ship seemed accustomed to the unpredictable weather of the New World. They drew their cutlasses and stood by the gunwale, glaring at the several large sailing ships in the distance.
"You are?"
The pirate squad leader who had shouted earlier looked at Su Xiao. From Su Xiao's attire, he judged that Su Xiao was not a member of the Donquixote Family.
"Your allies."
The 'D·Assassinate' pistol appeared in Su Xiao's hand. He intended to test the power of this gun.