There are several events to enliven the Pirate Festival.
The Pirate Lady Competition is a beauty contest with a cash prize. Women confident in their appearance participate in this event.
The Groggy Ring event, a match in Davy Back Fight, serves as entertainment during the festival.
There are also many other attractions, such as Thriller Bark House, Gold Roger's Scaffold, The Pirates' Museum, A Day in Impel Down, and more.
However, the main event is the treasure hunt race!
With the lure of treasure left by the Pirate King, Gold D. Roger, rumored to grant whoever finds it the One Piece, it's no surprise that hundreds of pirates are participating in this main event.
"Hello, pirates! Are you enjoying the Pirate Festival?" The announcer called out through the microphone.
"OHHHH!!!"
Cheers echoed across Delta Island.
"I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Donald Moderate! I'll be hosting this event. And with me is the world-famous singer, Ann!" Donald said, introducing Ann, a girl with green hair and wearing a green dress.
"Hello, everyone!" Ann greeted with a sweet smile.
"If you didn't know, Ann has the power of the Vizo Vizo no Mi Devil Fruit!" Donald said while holding a picture of a dragon.
Then Ann touched the picture, and suddenly...
"Vizo Vizo Vision!" She said, creating a giant hologram of a dragon breathing fire everywhere.
"Ahhh! Fire!"
"Get some water!"
"Hurry, put out the fire! There's a fire!"
Seeing this scene, the pirates panicked. After all, most of the strong individuals had already boarded their ships to participate in the treasure race, leaving only a few powerful people behind among the audience.
Thus, the mere visual illusion frightened many spectators.
"It's okay, everyone! It's just an illusion! Ann can create illusions for a short time."
Donald smiled, satisfied with their excited reactions.
"Cool, right?" Ann waved to everyone.
"Roger was here before the Great Pirate Era began. The clue is this: 'In the deepest darkness, you will find your answer.' Exciting, right? A challenge from the Pirate King himself to solve the mystery!"
As the ships of the Worst Generation gathered, Donald gave them a clue.
"The Knockup Stream should start soon."
Sitting among the crowd of pirates, Eiji sipped fruit juice while watching. He had no intention of getting involved—his goal was simply to enjoy the spectacle.
As an observer with an almost omniscient perspective thanks to Lin Fan's memories, Eiji already knew the answer to the riddle Donald gave.
The answer was none other than the Knockup Stream.
The Knockup Stream is a powerful water current that shoots upward from the sea. It's caused by an underwater cave filled with natural gas, and the excessive pressure from the gas causes cracks in the cave's ceiling, creating a massive whirlpool that lasts about a minute before collapsing.
"Oh, I've found the Straw Hat Pirates."
After scanning hundreds of ships with his Six Eyes, Eiji located his target.
Since the Straw Hat Pirates are the protagonists, it's only natural to watch them if you want to see something interesting.
Eiji saw all the pirate ships gathered in the large pool in the middle of the island, ready to participate in the event.
"It's coming." He said with a slight smile.
*BUZZZ*
*KA-BOOM*
Suddenly, the center of the pool started to form a whirlpool, and several pirate ships got caught in the current, drawn towards the middle, causing their crews to panic as they tried to keep their ships in place.
The water began to bubble, and suddenly, a giant pillar of water shot into the sky. At the top of it was a giant bubble, and inside the bubble, to everyone's shock, was an island.
This sight left everyone in awe, as it was something rarely seen.
"Whoa! Things are getting crazy! What's happening?! Wait, could it be? 'In the deepest darkness, you will find your answer.'"
Realizing it was the Knockup Stream, Donald adopted a shocked expression, which heightened the excitement of the crowd.
"The ships are falling into the darkness, but the high part is… a water spout?" Ann asked as the giant geyser emerged.
"Alright, you see that, our answer is the Knockup Stream, and what's this, a bubble and an island?!"
"It's beautiful!" Ann was amazed by the natural wonder in front of her.
"There it is! The hidden underwater island where Gold Roger stored his treasure! The Knockup Stream has finally brought it to the surface, an event that only happens once every few years! Roger's treasure is up there, but who will claim it?"
Donald said this deliberately to stir the enthusiasm of everyone present.
And sure enough, hearing about the Pirate King's treasure, the participants began ordering their crews to sail forward.
Pirate ships began moving, navigating the spiral water path around the pillar of water.
They started attacking other contestants, and cannon fire became common as each pirate ship tried to reach the island first.
It wasn't every day you could witness hundreds of pirate ships competing. In the spectator seats, people cheered for the pirates they supported.
"The competitors have reached the final stretch, and the Straw Hats are still in the lead!" Donald shouted excitedly.
Then the ships began to fall into the island's bubble. The first one to make it was the Thousand Sunny.
One by one, pirate ships sailing on the Knockup Stream reached the island inside the bubble at the top.
But not all ships could land on the island smoothly like the Thousand Sunny. The ships passed through the bubble without popping it, but some of the less sturdy ships were damaged upon landing on the island's hard surface.
"Who will win this battle?" Donald asked.
"I think it's going to be the Straw Hats!" Ann said, grabbing Donald's microphone.
"Ehhh…"
Seeing her actions, Donald shook his head and smiled wryly.
Watching through a Den Den Mushi broadcast, Eiji munched on popcorn.
"The Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale, huh... I'm a bit curious who secretly recorded it without Roger knowing."