"The Void Throne of Pirates"! In the New World, two massive warships, the Conqueror's Haki and the Emperor Caesar, swiftly sail on the sea surface.
Their current destination is Punkhazard Island in the New World. They chose Punk Hazard because the island is located within a highly chaotic magnetic field, making it only possible to find it with specific methods.
In the original story, due to its unique geographical environment, Punk Hazard was once occupied by the World Government for experiments and the confinement of special prisoners like Vegapunk.
Lorox seeks Punk Hazard to turn it into an exclusive experimental base for scientists like Vegapunk and Dr. Quin.
After all, both Vegapunk and Quin, the two scientific oddities, have been conducting more and more experiments, including increasingly difficult ones.
The cabins of the Conqueror's Haki and the Emperor's Caesar are no longer sufficient for both of them.
Moreover, Quin's research focuses on potent bombs and dangerous biochemical weapons.
Lorox is also worried about unexpected accidents on the entire ship. To locate Punk Hazard amidst the chaotic magnetic fields, Lorox had Vegapunk create a navigation pointer.
On the Conqueror's Haki deck, Lorox stands at the bow, the wind blowing through his hair.
"Hey, Lorox, I've got some exciting news. Do you want to hear it?" Barbossa slowly approaches Lorox from a distance, grinning mischievously.
"Interesting news?" Lorox turns to look at Barbossa. At this moment, Barbossa's demeanor conveys excitement, disbelief, anticipation, and caution.
"Roohoo, Lorox, Golden Lion Shiki, that guy has declared war on our Lorox Pirates."
"That guy gathered all his executives under him a week ago, convening at his headquarters, Me'er Weyou, to discuss how to take us down."
Upon hearing Barbossa's words, Lorox falls silent. Honestly, this news surprises Lorox as well.
He never expected that he would face a super pirate crew like the Golden Lion Pirates shortly after entering the New World.
Though he has great confidence in his crew, the number difference is significant. The entire Golden Lion Fleet has a force of thirty thousand men.
And besides that numerous force, the Golden Lion Pirates under Shiki command twenty-three sub-captains and twelve top executives.
Each of those twelve individuals is a super pirate who commands respect in their own right.
Faced with the Golden Lion Pirates at their zenith, hardly anyone in the sea could confidently claim they could defeat them.
Shiki's vast influence and power have led some to dub him the next "Lorox" and a prime candidate for the next Pirate King.
"Golden Lion Shiki, that guy, is declaring war on us so quickly!"
"Roohoo, surprised? That guy declared war on a relatively small pirate crew like ours." Barbossa looks at Lorox, who's taken aback, with shared understanding.
"Is this information reliable? I haven't seen any reports about it in the World News."
Lorox looks at Barbossa with a severe expression.
If this intel is accurate, Lorox must prepare for the upcoming journey. "Roohoo, don't worry, Lorox. This information is quite reliable. An old friend of mine from Shiki's crew informed me."
"That guy is one of Shiki's sub-captains now. This information is very trustworthy."
Barbossa affirms his words.
"Lorox, how should we proceed from here?" Lorox looks at Barbossa.
"Since you have a plan, just say it directly, Barbossa. Between us, there's nothing that can't be said."
Hearing Lorox's words, Barbossa breaks into a smile. "Roohoo hoo, if that's the case, I'll tell you."
"Lorox, our current strength wouldn't stand much chance in direct combat with them. While there isn't a significant gap in strength between the executives, our forces are too few."
"So, we should avoid confrontation for now. Instead, release all the executives individually to dismantle their forces."
"After all, compared to Shiki, we don't have any territories we must defend, which makes us more adaptable."
After hearing Barbossa's advice, Lorox looks at him in surprise. Isn't that the strategy of guerrilla warfare? Does Barbossa understand guerrilla tactics?
"Alright, I understand. We'll follow your plan. Once we reach Punk Hazard, we'll send Moria and the others out to launch attacks on Shiki's sub-captains."
"When the gap between us becomes manageable, it'll be time for the showdown."
Lorox agrees with Barbossa's suggestion. After all, Barbossa's proposal aligns with Lorox's thoughts.
"Lorox, boss." Visa, appearing silently, stands next to Lorox. In his hand, he holds a pink Devil Fruit with peculiar patterns.
"Visa? Hm? Is that it? Has Vegapunk finished making it?" Lorox looks at Visa, perplexed. Seeing the Devil Fruit in Visa's hand, his expression turns into delight.
"Hmm, it's ready. But I'm not sure if I should eat it yet." Seeing Visa's conflicted expression, Lorox becomes curious.
"Visa, if you have something to say, go ahead and say it."
"Exhale…" Visa takes a deep breath and eventually confesses his secret to Lorox and Barbossa.
He hails from the New World, from a near-extinct tribe known as the Onimai.
He and Kaido have known each other since childhood and were once inseparable friends.
As Kaido is a few years older, Visa regarded him as an older brother. Until that day, Visa witnessed drunken Kaido, in a fit of drunken rage, destroy his village, killing all his family and fellow villagers under the blows of Kaido's kanabo.
After that day, Visa felt resentment and anger toward Kaido. Kaido, without remorse, left to join the pirate crew led by Lorox. Gilbert, Visa harbored a deep-seated desire to eliminate Kaido.
Due to their close childhood, Visa knew exactly how formidable Kaido was, which led him to pursue strength and become skilled in medicine and poisons.
He aimed to develop a drug capable of ultimately defeating Kaido. Thus, he acquired significant expertise in medicine and poison arts.
During a rescue mission, he encountered the royals of a country, and the grotesque grin on their faces reminded him of Kaido, prompting him to poison the royal family.
This led to his capture by the Navy and eventual rescue by Lorox. After listening to Visa's account, Lorox shows no surprise.
After all, Visa's appearance greatly resembles that of Kaido. The same muscular build, sharp horns, and even a club resembling Kaido's.
"Why are you hesitating to eat the Devil's Fruit? Just because it's an ability derived from Kaido's bloodline?"
"You should know that regardless of where the power comes from, as long as it becomes your strength and makes you stronger, it doesn't matter where it originated or if it's a replica." Lorox gazes at Visa, then at the Devil Fruit in his hand.
"Alright then. I understand." He is saying that Visa tosses the pink Devil Fruit into his mouth.