(This is a bit of the story from the original - the New World arc. There may be some deviations, but I hope you can understand that this is roughly how the story will progress. )
The sky was clear, a gentle breeze swept across the land, and the tranquil air was perfect for healing a wounded body.
His only complaint was the lack of rooms that could accommodate his size, but he wasn't going to be picky. As long as he had shelter from the elements, it was fine. And with the pleasant weather, being outside wasn't so bad.
His wounds ached.
Old scars, new wounds from recent battles… They were a warrior's badge of honor, but for him, Charlotte Katakuri, they were also a constant reminder of his regrets, of the siblings he had failed to protect.
"Hey, how are you feeling?"
"I'm… alright."
His short, azuki-bean colored hair swayed gently.
Katakuri, covered in bandages, gave a curt reply to Chopper, the ship's doctor, who was approaching him.
Above them flew a pirate flag – a skull wearing a straw hat. Their captain, a man with a straw hat perched on his head, was lounging on the ship's figurehead, seemingly bored.
"Let's change your bandages. The wounds are… looking good. Healing nicely," Chopper said with a smile.
"…I'm a Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates. We might be temporarily cooperating, but we're enemies, you know."
"It's fine. You saved us, and Luffy said it was okay! Besides, you helped me too."
"…I see."
It was a conversation they had repeated several times since Katakuri had boarded their ship.
Chopper, unfazed, continued changing his bandages with a cheerful smile. Katakuri simply accepted the treatment.
Their captain Luffy approached them, arms crossed.
"What's wrong? You still worried about that? We're friends now, don't sweat it!"
"Friends…?"
"Don't worry about the details."
Luffy's carefree laughter made Katakuri's worries seem trivial. He couldn't help but smile.
Chopper finished changing his bandages and returned to the infirmary. Zoro and Usopp emerged from the deck, taking his place.
"You're looking better… We haven't properly thanked you yet. We wouldn't have escaped if it wasn't for you and your siblings. Thank you," Zoro said.
"Yeah, we would have been wiped out without you!" Usopp added.
They sat down next to Katakuri, expressing their gratitude. They wouldn't have escaped the previous battle without the help of Katakuri and his siblings.
"Ah… I'm proud of my siblings. I hope they're alive…"
They hadn't been able to escape together. They had focused solely on creating an opening for Katakuri and his siblings to flee, buying them time to escape the Twilight Pirates. If they had stayed, they would have been annihilated.
"This ship is heading for Wano, right? The Twilight Pirates' next target is the Beasts Pirates. We're bound to clash if we go there… What are you going to do?" Zoro asked.
"We're not changing course." Luffy's answer was firm.
"We'll reach Wano first. We just have to defeat Kaido before they get there."
"You… You make it sound so easy! We're talking about a Yonko!" Zoro exclaimed, exasperated by Luffy's optimism.
They had barely survived their encounter with the Twilight Pirates, and now they were planning to take on the Beasts Pirates, who were equally powerful? It was absurd. But that was Luffy. Katakuri stood up, radiating an aura of power, though he wasn't using Haki.
"Mama should be there as well. Are you still going?"
"Yeah. I'm going to become the Pirate King! I can't run from a Yonko!"
"–Fufu… You're quite confident."
Luffy's unwavering determination made Katakuri laugh. He had never seen anyone so fixated on becoming the Pirate King. It was a refreshing change. Katakuri leaned against the railing in a thoughtful expression.
"But… the Beasts Pirates also have giants, right? Bigger than Oars who was on Hachinosu. And those strong women – the Snake Woman, the Shadow Woman… We need a plan, or we'll be in trouble."
"Giant Shadow and Demonic Glance… I don't know about a Shadow Woman. She's not one of the Six Sisters, at least."
"Is Komurasaki also one of the Six Sisters?"
"She should be… She's with the Beasts Pirates. Along with the Three Disasters."
Katakuri considered himself to be closer in strength to the Three Disasters – officially known as the Three Calamities – than to the Flying Six.
He had faced them personally and knew their power. They were all formidable fighters, capable of rivaling even him. He had a feeling the Twilight Pirates would one day rule the seas.
Usopp shuddered. "There are more like them…?!"
"Jinbe's with us now. We'll leave the strong ones to Luffy and Jinbe!"
"Yeah, leave it to me! I'll fight with all my might for Luffy!"
"I'm counting on you, Boss Jinbe! I'll cover you!"
Jinbe, manning the helm, laughed and flexed his arm. Usopp whistled excitedly.
"Giant Shadow and Demonic Glance have been around for a while. We've clashed with them before… The other four don't appear in public often, so there's not much information about them."
The Six Sisters, a group formed only recently, were Kanata's personal guard. They were chosen from among the strongest members of the Valkyries, her elite force.
At least six women, each capable of rivaling a Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates or a Calamity of the Beasts Pirates.
In addition, there were several men, also of equal strength, known as the Knights.
And then there were Kanata's two vice-captains… In terms of sheer numbers of powerful fighters, they surpassed even the other Yonko.
"There are rumors that one of them fought 'Fire Fist' from the Whitebeard Pirates to a draw. We don't know which one it was, but it's safe to assume they're all equally strong."
"Ace? That's amazing…" Luffy's eyes widened in surprise.
Being able to fight Ace, a Whitebeard Pirates division commander, to a draw was a testament to their strength. Ace, as far as Luffy knew, had never lost a fight. The fact that there was a woman capable of matching him was astonishing.
"We only escaped this time because most of the Twilight Pirates' executives were absent. Both of the Witch's vice-captains weren't there… And the one who defeated me wasn't present either." Katakuri unconsciously traced the three scars on his left eye.
Zoro noticed his gesture. "Was it the one who gave you those scars?"
"No, that was someone else. Blackbeard… He gave me these a long time ago."
It had been over twenty years ago, during the greatest conflict before the Great Pirate Era began. The one who had defeated him was someone else entirely.
He hadn't been careless. He had fought with the intention of winning, regardless of the opponent.
But Teach's strength had surpassed his expectations – even as a child, he had been a terrifying force.
***
New World – Pirate Island Hachinosu.
The Twilight Pirates' base was currently surrounded by a fleet of ships – the Big Mom Pirates.
Dozens of pirate vessels, carrying Big Mom's children and subordinate crews, formed an imposing blockade.
The crew members, facing one of the world's most powerful pirate crews, were understandably tense, but Kanata and her executives were unfazed, exchanging lighthearted banter as usual.
"Inform the giants in Elbaf. They might get upset if they find out we didn't tell them about this opportunity to fight Big Mom."
"Wahahaha! That would be a problem!"
"They have a lot of ships, but we're ready. We can fight anytime."
A fortress had been constructed on the outer perimeter of Hachinosu.
They had amassed a considerable number of cannons and transformed the harbor into a military port. It was a base designed for war.
They rarely had enemies to fight, and those they did encounter were easily dealt with, so this would be their first true defensive battle. Many were eager to test their strength.
They were waiting for the enemy to approach within range before making their move, but the Big Mom Pirates' encirclement was steadily tightening.
"…Shouldn't we start now? What are we waiting for?" Scotch asked impatiently.
"Don't be hasty, Scotch. We'll wait until they're a bit closer–"
"Fire!"
Before George could finish his sentence, Samuel, unable to contain his excitement, fired a cannon.
"What the hell are you doing, you idiot?!"
As expected, he had fired randomly. The cannonball landed short of the enemy ships. They had at least been able to gauge the distance with that shot, but it was still a reckless move.
The Big Mom Pirates, perhaps provoked by the attack, began returning fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Damn it, never mind! Fire back!"
Scotch threw Samuel aside and pointed towards the enemy ships. He ordered them to return fire.
A barrage of cannon fire erupted, arcing through the sky – only to be deflected by the enemy crew members.
"Our cannons aren't going to work on them."
"Where's David?"
"He's on the other side. We have no choice… I'll have to step in."
Scotch rolled up his sleeves and began touching the cannonballs, one by one, imbuing them with his Devil Fruit ability. He had his subordinates load them into the cannons, then waited for the enemy ships to approach.
Once they were within range, he gave the order to fire.
"Eat this, you Big Mom bastards! Hundredfold Cannonballs!"
The cannonballs expanded mid-air, reaching an incredible size, before raining down on the enemy ships. Unable to withstand the impact, the ships exploded and burst into flames.
Scotch pumped his fist, laughing triumphantly as he watched the burning wreckage sink beneath the waves.
"Wahahaha! This is great!"
"We just have to sink them as they approach… Hmm?"
George was observing the battle through his binoculars when he noticed something strange. The sea around Hachinosu was freezing over. It was Kanata's doing. She had been nearby just a moment ago, but it seemed she was now acting independently.
The enemy ships, trapped in the frozen sea, were sitting ducks, easily destroyed by their cannons. They were sinking one by one.
While it seemed they were winning, George felt a sense of unease.
Even with the advantage of a defensive battle, there were limits. They were facing one of the most powerful pirate crews in the world. They couldn't be foolish enough to charge in recklessly.
"…This feels… wrong."
Perhaps Kanata had sensed the same thing. She had left the fortress, entrusting the cannons to Scotch, saying, "I'll leave this to you."
George, trusting his intuition, headed towards the shelter.
Inside the shelter.
It was one of the most fortified buildings on Hachinosu. It was designed to withstand external attacks, but it had a weakness – once breached, it was vulnerable from within.
Of course, with Kanata and her powerful executives guarding the island, infiltrating the shelter wouldn't be easy. But there were things in the world that defied common sense – Devil Fruits. He couldn't assume his knowledge was absolute.
"–Where the hell did they come from?!"
A longarm cook punched an enemy, sending him flying. He had been a cook for a long time, but he had also trained his body for combat. He was no pushover.
He was effortlessly defeating the Chess Soldiers, Big Mom's animated chess pieces, despite being outnumbered.
"The mirrors! They're coming from the mirrors!"
Someone shouted, pointing towards a mirror. Sure enough, more Chess Soldiers were emerging from the reflective surface. There were too many. He couldn't possibly defeat them all alone.
"Break the mirrors! Block their entrance!"
"I-It's impossible! They keep coming…!"
"We have to try, or we'll be overrun!"
The cook punched another Chess Soldier, then assumed a boxing stance, ready for the next attack. He had to hold them off until help arrived – but before he could even think about calling for backup, George appeared.
"…I had a bad feeling about this! So this is what's happening!"
"George! Thank goodness! I didn't know what to do if they kept coming!"
"They're coming from the mirrors! We have to stop them!"
"From the mirrors?! What do you mean?! Is it a Devil Fruit ability?!"
George, sword in hand, charged into the fray, cutting down the Chess Soldiers as he approached the mirrors.
He took a closer look. His reflection wasn't visible. Instead, he saw a different landscape. It was as if another world existed within the mirror. It had to be a Devil Fruit ability.
"This is… troublesome!"
He immediately smashed the mirror. There seemed to be other entry points as well, but fortunately, they hadn't noticed him yet.
He smashed the remaining mirrors, blocking their entrance, then contacted the other executives using his Baby Den Den Mushi.
"Everyone, be careful of the mirrors! They're using them to infiltrate Hachinosu!"
They needed to inspect the entire island. They had a lot of non-combatants. They had assumed the fortress would be impenetrable, but this infiltration was unexpected.
Kanata was likely busy dealing with Big Mom. They had to handle this themselves.
"Their executives might be here as well! Report any findings!"
***
"Wiwiwiwi! They're in chaos! It's only natural, isn't it? Our Homies, our siblings, our main force appearing in the heart of their base!"
Brûlée, one of Big Mom's daughters, was laughing in the Mirro-World.
Devil Fruit abilities were often bizarre, but Brûlée's Mira Mira no Mi was particularly unique.
It allowed her to travel through mirrors, accessing a separate dimension. No matter how fortified a castle, as long as there was a mirror large enough for a person to pass through, infiltration was easy. They could send in reinforcements and retreat whenever necessary.
She had over ten thousand soldiers in the Mirro-World, and she was sending out Chess Soldiers and Homies through various mirrors.
"Homies are enough for the grunts, but their executives are strong. Brother Perospero, what should we do?"
"Hmm… We know their strength. Surround them and attack in groups. Be especially careful of Six Harmonies Great Spear, Red Mane, and Giant Shadow."
Perospero had been defeated by Junshi during their previous encounter. He had grown stronger since then, but he knew his opponent had also improved. He didn't want to fight him alone. It was best to attack in groups. This was a pirate battle. There were no rules.
"Take hostages if you can. Avoid direct confrontations, Perorin."
"…I understand."
Katakuri had also been defeated by Kanata during their previous encounter. He wanted a rematch, but Big Mom was going to fight her personally. He wasn't foolish enough to interfere with that battle.
Besides, he was also tasked with protecting Brûlée, who was a crucial part of this operation.
Big Mom's children were all strong, but Katakuri was in a league of his own. It would have been a good idea to have him fight the enemy executives, but Perospero had chosen the safer option. And Katakuri trusted his judgment.
"Hmm…"
Crash!
One of the mirrors shattered. The enemy had noticed their infiltration.
Perospero and Katakuri exchanged glances and nodded.
"We're going out as well. Follow me, Perorin."
Oven, Daifuku, Compote, Amande, Cracker – and many other siblings. They all followed Perospero.
This was a dangerous mission. Even the mighty Big Mom Pirates could be annihilated if they weren't careful.
Their subordinate crews would attack from the outside, while Big Mom's children would infiltrate and disrupt the enemy from within. It was a surprise attack, made possible by a Devil Fruit ability.
They emerged from the mirror into a room that seemed strangely girlish. The full-length mirror they had used was too large for a human – it was probably meant for a giant.
They followed the Homies out of the room and found a hallway littered with the bodies of defeated Homies.
"Well, well… The executives have finally arrived. I thought you were too scared to come out."
"You can't expect us to charge in blindly. We're not fools, hihin."
A red-haired man with a spear, and a centaur-like figure with a horse's lower body, stood before them.
"Six Harmonies Great Spear and Red Mane… The two I least wanted to see," Perospero muttered.
"Kuhahaha! You're quite unpopular. I was looking forward to fighting you two."
Perospero scowled, while Junshi laughed, his spear held loosely in his hand.
They were bound to clash eventually. He considered this encounter a fortunate coincidence.
"Several of us will handle these two. Compote, Daifuku, assist me."
"Leave it to us."
"Yeah, we're ready, Brother Perospero."
"Oven, you're in charge of the other unit. Don't get carried away."
"Got it."
Oven and the others, accompanied by Homies, headed off in a different direction. Perospero faced Junshi and Zen.
Even outnumbered, the Twilight Pirates' executives were all powerful fighters. He couldn't afford to underestimate them.
"No games this time. Be careful."
"I understand. But I can't help but feel my blood boiling."
– Junshi and Zen versus Perospero, Compote, and Daifuku.
The clash of executives had begun.
***
Kanata walked across the frozen sea. She deflected the occasional cannon fire with her spear.
"–Leave the enemies on the outer perimeter to Feiyun. The harbor might be unusable for a while, but I've frozen a wide area. Send out the giants who were on standby."
'Roger that! I'll let them run wild. Hihihi.'
Kuro was relaying instructions through a Baby Den Den Mushi.
They had a few giant crew members, but the island was too small for them to fight effectively. They had been waiting on standby. But on a frozen sea, their size wouldn't be a problem.
"…There you are."
A massive figure appeared in the distance.
Giant Shadow Feiyun – a giant ten times larger than an ordinary giant, wielding Haki and capable of tossing warships like toys.
She was accompanied by several other giants, some already using Devil Fruit abilities they had acquired in exchange for becoming Kanata's subordinates.
The Big Mom Pirates' subordinate crews, trapped in the frozen sea, charged towards them. Kanata left them to the giants and focused on her true objective.
"Come out, Linlin. I've come all this way. Show your face."
The Queen Mama Chanter.
Big Mom's flagship. Somehow, they had allowed her to infiltrate the island, but even then, there were still a considerable number of enemies on board.
However, aside from Big Mom herself, there wasn't anyone who could match Kanata's strength. Only a fool would challenge her.
"Mamahahaha…! You've become quite bold, haven't you? You little brat…!"
"Shiki called me a brat too, but he couldn't even take my head. What about you?"
The ship creaked under the strain of their clashing Haki.
Big Mom, perhaps not wanting to damage her ship, descended onto the frozen sea, riding on Zeus, one of her Homies.
She was a towering figure, nearly nine meters tall. Zeus and Prometheus, her other Homies, made her seem even larger.
Kanata, in contrast, was a mere 160 centimeters tall, small even among humans. Her delicate frame and the intensity of her Haki created a jarring contrast.
"I'll tear off your head and put it on display!"
"Try it – if you can."
Big Mom wielded Napoleon, her bicorne hat transformed into a sword. Zeus and Prometheus were also ready for battle, and the weather grew increasingly stormy as Big Mom's anger intensified.
"You've even befriended the giants…! I'll crush that annoying face of yours this time!"
Big Mom imbued Napoleon with Haki and swung it with a roar.
"Such a pointless tantrum. I'm tired of dealing with you lot – The Big Mom Pirates end today!"
Kanata imbued her simple, unadorned spear with Haki and swung it with all her might.
– And the world shook.