Mangaka in the StrawHats

Onigashima Island.

A wild banquet was currently raging within the towering Skeleton Castle. The air was thick with the smell of food, alcohol, and the rowdy laughter of the Beasts Pirates. Nearly all of them were drunk, their faces flushed with liquor.

Outside, in the misty square beneath the castle, a dark figure slowly made his approach. In his hand, a massive stone blade scraped against the ground, producing an ominous creaking sound that echoed through the eerie silence of the night.

The sudden noise pierced through the drunken stupor of the guards stationed in the square, snapping them to attention.

"Who goes there?"

"That tall figure... Could it be a Numbers?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Who is that?"

Squinting through the thin mist, the pirates mistook the towering form of Heracles for one of the Numbers—massive, dim-witted giants who caused frequent disturbances, especially when drunk.

The pirates of the Beasts Pirates had little fondness for the Numbers, associating them more with chaos than comradeship.

But as Heracles drew closer, the fog began to part, and the pirates' expressions shifted to confusion.

Wait a second… Who is this guy? He doesn't look like one of the Numbers!

Before the dazed pirates could question the imposing figure, Heracles acted. With a single, swift motion, he swung his jagged stone blade, the enormous weapon cutting through the air like a scythe. The blade connected with terrifying force, sending several pirates crashing into the nearby rocks with a deafening boom.

The sheer impact left no room for survival. The drunken pirates' bodies exploded like overripe watermelons, blood splattering across the stone.

"AHHH!!!"

"Damn it! He killed Robbie and the others!"

"We're under attack!!"

The square erupted into chaos as the remaining pirates, jolted sober by the gruesome scene, scrambled to raise the alarm.

"Someone notify Lord Kaido!"

Panicked shouts echoed through the air as more pirates grabbed their weapons and charged toward Heracles. These men were no ordinary pirates—they were members of the Beasts Pirates, notorious for their arrogance and cruelty. They feared no one outside of the Four Emperors themselves.

In the pirate world, power was paramount, yet no matter how strong an individual, there was always the risk of being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Even the mighty Whitebeard had been wounded by hundreds of swords, guns, and cannon fire during the war at Marineford.

No one was invincible when faced with a tide of enemies.

With roars and howls, a dozen pirates rushed at Heracles, their eyes wild with bloodlust.

But Heracles was unfazed. With another bellow of his own, he swung his colossal jagged blade, the force of each swing scattering the pirates like leaves in a violent storm. One by one, their bodies flew across the square, crashing to the ground, lifeless. In the blink of an eye, the dozen who had charged him lay motionless, their corpses scattered across the blood-stained Skull Square.

Meanwhile, within the grand hall of the Skeleton Castle...

"Oh no! Governor, we're under attack!!" A Gifters pirate, his head transformed into the shape of a snake, burst into the hall, his voice quaking as he shouted up to Kaido, who sat slumped on his throne.

Kaido stirred, his massive form shifting slightly, the stench of alcohol wafting from him in waves. It was clear the mighty emperor was still deep in his drunken haze.

"Your Excellency…" The pirate tried to continue, his voice frantic, but before he could finish, a massive foot came crashing toward him from the side.

Bang!

The unfortunate pirate was sent flying into a nearby pillar, stars dancing in his vision. When the dizziness subsided, he blinked and saw that the one who had kicked him was none other than Sasaki of the Tobiroppo.

"Idiot!" Sasaki barked, glaring down at the dazed Gifters. "How dare you disturb Lord Kaido over such a trivial matter?" He took a swig from the wine flask in his hand before carelessly tossing it aside. "I'll go deal with this myself. Don't wake him up."

Ahahaha~~~

Beside Kaido, Black Maria laughed softly, her hand covering her painted lips. "If Lord Kaido wakes up and goes on a drunken rampage, it'll be worse than any enemy~~~" She knew, as did all the officers, that when Kaido drank too much, he became a berserk force of destruction, attacking friend and foe alike without discrimination.

As Sasaki made his way out of the hall, the tension began to rise.

Stepping outside, Sasaki caught sight of Heracles, standing tall and imposing, as massive as one of the Numbers.

"Hmph, just a brainless fool from the Giant Clan, daring to cause trouble in Beasts Pirates territory. He's asking for death..."

Sasaki's voice was cold and brimming with contempt. Without hesitation, his form began to change.

A circle of solid, fan-shaped bones sprouted around his neck, and three sharp, menacing horns jutted from his head. His muscles expanded several times over, his size and power becoming monstrous.

"Lord Sasaki is transforming!!"

"It's the ancient Triceratops form! Look at that power!!"

"The intruder is doomed!"

The pirates who had followed Sasaki outside were practically trembling with excitement. For them, watching one of the Tobiroppo in action against a formidable foe was a rare treat.

Sasaki sneered, glaring at Heracles as he lowered his body into an aggressive stance, much like a Triceratops preparing to charge.

"Idiot! You think you can run wild in our territory?" Sasaki growled as the bone frill around his neck began to spin, its jagged edges whirring like the blades of a deadly fan.

"What?! It's spinning?!"

"Hey, is this normal?!"

"Of course! Triceratops can do that!" one of the minions eagerly explained, despite his own surprise. "That's Sasaki's signature move—the spinning frill!"

The rapid rotation of the skeletal frill created a powerful wind, distorting the air with a creaking sound that grew louder by the second.

In an instant, Sasaki's massive body shot forward like a cannonball, his spinning frills leading the charge.

"Bulletriceratops!!" he roared, the force of his charge shaking the ground as he hurtled toward Heracles.

But Heracles, seemingly confused by the display, blinked as Sasaki closed the distance. A bewildered expression crossed his face, his brow furrowing slightly as if trying to process what was happening in front of him.

Without a word, Heracles slowly lifted his jagged stone blade, preparing to meet the charging triceratops head-on.

Bang!!

A blade sliced through the air...

A wild banquet was currently raging within the towering Skeleton Castle. The air was thick with the smell of food, alcohol, and the rowdy laughter of the Beasts Pirates. Nearly all of them were drunk, their faces flushed with liquor.

Outside, in the misty square beneath the castle, a dark figure slowly made his approach. In his hand, a massive stone blade scraped against the ground, producing an ominous creaking sound that echoed through the eerie silence of the night.

The sudden noise pierced through the drunken stupor of the guards stationed in the square, snapping them to attention.

"Who goes there?"

"That tall figure... Could it be a Numbers?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Who is that?"

Squinting through the thin mist, the pirates mistook the towering form of Heracles for one of the Numbers—massive, dim-witted giants who caused frequent disturbances, especially when drunk.

The pirates of the Beasts Pirates had little fondness for the Numbers, associating them more with chaos than comradeship.

But as Heracles drew closer, the fog began to part, and the pirates' expressions shifted to confusion.

Wait a second… Who is this guy? He doesn't look like one of the Numbers!

Before the dazed pirates could question the imposing figure, Heracles acted. With a single, swift motion, he swung his jagged stone blade, the enormous weapon cutting through the air like a scythe. The blade connected with terrifying force, sending several pirates crashing into the nearby rocks with a deafening boom.

The sheer impact left no room for survival. The drunken pirates' bodies exploded like overripe watermelons, blood splattering across the stone.

"AHHH!!!"

"Damn it! He killed Robbie and the others!"

"We're under attack!!"

The square erupted into chaos as the remaining pirates, jolted sober by the gruesome scene, scrambled to raise the alarm.

"Someone notify Lord Kaido!"

Panicked shouts echoed through the air as more pirates grabbed their weapons and charged toward Heracles. These men were no ordinary pirates—they were members of the Beasts Pirates, notorious for their arrogance and cruelty. They feared no one outside of the Four Emperors themselves.

In the pirate world, power was paramount, yet no matter how strong an individual, there was always the risk of being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Even the mighty Whitebeard had been wounded by hundreds of swords, guns, and cannon fire during the war at Marineford.

No one was invincible when faced with a tide of enemies.

With roars and howls, a dozen pirates rushed at Heracles, their eyes wild with bloodlust.

But Heracles was unfazed. With another bellow of his own, he swung his colossal jagged blade, the force of each swing scattering the pirates like leaves in a violent storm. One by one, their bodies flew across the square, crashing to the ground, lifeless. In the blink of an eye, the dozen who had charged him lay motionless, their corpses scattered across the blood-stained Skull Square.

Meanwhile, within the grand hall of the Skeleton Castle...

"Oh no! Governor, we're under attack!!" A Gifters pirate, his head transformed into the shape of a snake, burst into the hall, his voice quaking as he shouted up to Kaido, who sat slumped on his throne.

Kaido stirred, his massive form shifting slightly, the stench of alcohol wafting from him in waves. It was clear the mighty emperor was still deep in his drunken haze.

"Your Excellency…" The pirate tried to continue, his voice frantic, but before he could finish, a massive foot came crashing toward him from the side.

Bang!

The unfortunate pirate was sent flying into a nearby pillar, stars dancing in his vision. When the dizziness subsided, he blinked and saw that the one who had kicked him was none other than Sasaki of the Tobiroppo.

"Idiot!" Sasaki barked, glaring down at the dazed Gifters. "How dare you disturb Lord Kaido over such a trivial matter?" He took a swig from the wine flask in his hand before carelessly tossing it aside. "I'll go deal with this myself. Don't wake him up."

Ahahaha~~~

Beside Kaido, Black Maria laughed softly, her hand covering her painted lips. "If Lord Kaido wakes up and goes on a drunken rampage, it'll be worse than any enemy~~~" She knew, as did all the officers, that when Kaido drank too much, he became a berserk force of destruction, attacking friend and foe alike without discrimination.

As Sasaki made his way out of the hall, the tension began to rise.

Stepping outside, Sasaki caught sight of Heracles, standing tall and imposing, as massive as one of the Numbers.

"Hmph, just a brainless fool from the Giant Clan, daring to cause trouble in Beasts Pirates territory. He's asking for death..."

Sasaki's voice was cold and brimming with contempt. Without hesitation, his form began to change.

A circle of solid, fan-shaped bones sprouted around his neck, and three sharp, menacing horns jutted from his head. His muscles expanded several times over, his size and power becoming monstrous.

"Lord Sasaki is transforming!!"

"It's the ancient Triceratops form! Look at that power!!"

"The intruder is doomed!"

The pirates who had followed Sasaki outside were practically trembling with excitement. For them, watching one of the Tobiroppo in action against a formidable foe was a rare treat.

Sasaki sneered, glaring at Heracles as he lowered his body into an aggressive stance, much like a Triceratops preparing to charge.

"Idiot! You think you can run wild in our territory?" Sasaki growled as the bone frill around his neck began to spin, its jagged edges whirring like the blades of a deadly fan.

"What?! It's spinning?!"

"Hey, is this normal?!"

"Of course! Triceratops can do that!" one of the minions eagerly explained, despite his own surprise. "That's Sasaki's signature move—the spinning frill!"

The rapid rotation of the skeletal frill created a powerful wind, distorting the air with a creaking sound that grew louder by the second.

In an instant, Sasaki's massive body shot forward like a cannonball, his spinning frills leading the charge.

"Bulletriceratops!!" he roared, the force of his charge shaking the ground as he hurtled toward Heracles.

But Heracles, seemingly confused by the display, blinked as Sasaki closed the distance. A bewildered expression crossed his face, his brow furrowing slightly as if trying to process what was happening in front of him.

Without a word, Heracles slowly lifted his jagged stone blade, preparing to meet the charging triceratops head-on.

Bang!!

A blade sliced through the air...