One Piece: Conquering Wanokuni at Start

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"Damn it! How could this happen?!"

Teach's composure shattered as he bellowed in frustration.

This should have been the safest place. The snake-shaped Sea King they were standing on was massive and motionless, ensuring no other Sea Kings dared to attack. Yet the Empress had ordered the creature to dive straight into the sea!

Did she not care about the safety of her own crew members—many of whom were Devil Fruit users? Teach knew that allowing the Sea King to submerge was the fastest way to eliminate him and his crew, especially with Shirahoshi's control over the Sea Kings giving her unmatched dominance in the ocean.

Still, the arrogant Empress, infamous for her pride, had chosen a direct and pragmatic solution instead of standing her ground and fighting.

"She should've fought us!" Teach roared, his voice trembling with equal parts rage and panic.

The sudden, panicked cries of his crew echoed around him, amplifying the chaos.

"Captain! I don't have time to prepare another large-scale teleportation!" Van Augur shouted urgently, his calm facade breaking under the pressure.

"Brother, what do we do?!" Weevil whimpered, clutching desperately at the massive Sea King beneath him. His immaturity and fear were evident as he felt the debilitating effects of the seawater. Tears streamed down his face as he clung on for dear life, terrified of falling into the sea.

Teach, often the one with a plan, had no answer.

The Sea King was already diving at an alarming speed. The seawater was upon them before anyone could react. There wasn't even enough time to try reaching Shirahoshi to stop the descent.

One by one, the members of Teach's crew, gripped by terror, were dragged into the ocean's depths by the Sea King's movement. Their panicked cries were silenced as the waiting Sea Kings below pounced, swallowing them whole.

Moments later, the snake-shaped Sea King, having completed its task, emerged from the ocean with a powerful surge. Water cascaded from its massive body, carrying the remnants of the confrontation with it.

Onboard the ship perched atop the Sea King, Sandersonia, Marigold, and the other Devil Fruit users gasped for breath, still shaken by the close call with the sea. The terror of their brief weakness, surrounded by water, lingered heavily in their minds.

Sandersonia and Marigold turned to their elder sister, still visibly shaken. They shouted at her in unison, "That was reckless, Sister! Too reckless!"

They were right—unlike Hancock, who was protected by Anubis and had avoided any contact with seawater, the others had no such safeguard.

"You know we can't protect ourselves like you can," Marigold added, her voice trembling slightly.

"This was the fastest way to deal with the situation," she said matter-of-factly. Then, glancing at the Kuja Warriors, she added with a faint smile, "And no matter what I do, I will always be forgiven. Isn't that right?"

"Of course, Lady Hancock!"

"You're always right, Lady Hancock!"

The drenched Kuja Warriors erupted in fervent agreement, their admiration for their captain shining through. Even Sandersonia and Marigold couldn't hold back their adoration and nodded in reluctant approval.

Hancock's smile widened as she turned her gaze toward Marco, who remained hovering above the battlefield.

She had already been informed that Alex had returned to the Sky Kingdom. Fighting any longer was unnecessary. All she wanted now was to resolve this situation quickly and return to her duties.

After all, this mission wasn't about her—it was about giving Shirahoshi the experience to spread her wings and strengthen her resolve.

Meanwhile, Teach, who had never anticipated such a devastating turn of events, struggled to process the situation. He clenched his fists as he recalled the reports Hancock had made through the Den Den Mushi before the battle began.

"She planned for this all along," he muttered darkly.

As Hancock prepared to bring the battle to a definitive end, a sudden disturbance broke the tension.

From another corner of Whitebeard's territory, the sound of wailing and screams shattered the eerie calm.

"The moment Whitebeard fell… was the moment the world became ours!"

In a once-prosperous town not far from the battlefield, chaos reigned. Thick smoke filled the air, gunfire roared in the streets, and explosions rocked the alleys. The once-vibrant haven had turned into a war-torn hellscape.

The flag of the Whitebeard Pirates, once a symbol that struck fear into an entire era, had served as a guardian of its territories and villages. Now, under the rampant destruction of invaders, only charred, tattered scraps of the flag fluttered weakly in the wind, fragments of a bygone age.

In the New World, the former territories of the Whitebeard Pirates were in utter disarray. Smoke rose from countless villages, local order had completely collapsed, and pirates ran wild, looting and killing without restraint. The chaos was a brutal scramble for power, and the scene was nothing short of a nightmare.

When Whitebeard was alive, even the most vicious pirates had no choice but to keep their heads low, forced to act submissively in the presence of the Yonko's overwhelming might.

But with his death, countless opportunists emerged, eager to seize what remained of his fertile territories.

The situation worsened recently when news spread that the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates were clashing with the Blackbeard Pirates. The territorial invasions became even more brazen and unrestrained.

Among these scavengers was Chado Ross Higliggs, better known as Tea Beard.

A pirate captain with a bounty of 80.06 million berries, Tea Beard barely scraped by as more than cannon fodder in the New World, where the truly powerful thrived. Yet his delusions of grandeur knew no bounds.

He believed himself destined to inherit the legacy of Whitebeard and even went so far as to nickname himself "Tea Beard," as if placing himself alongside the likes of Edward Newgate or Marshall D. Teach.

At this moment, Tea Beard was leading his crew, the Teabeard Pirates, in a spree of unchecked violence across one of Whitebeard's former territories.

"Uhohohoho!" Tea Beard laughed maniacally, standing atop a blood-soaked street, his machete dripping with gore. He planted a foot firmly on the body of a slain villager as he surveyed the fleeing townsfolk with glee.

"Listen up, you fools! Burn this image into your brains—this island belongs to me now! From today onward, it's the era of Tea Beard! Bow before me!" he roared arrogantly, reveling in the fear on their faces.

Suddenly, one of his underlings came sprinting toward him in a panic.

"Boss! There's a fleet approaching the dock!"

Tea Beard's grin faded into a scowl. "What?! My banner's flying here! Are they blind?"

Annoyed that someone dared intrude on his supposed victory, Tea Beard barked orders to his men. "Whoever it is, gather the crew! We're going down there to teach those idiots a lesson!"

The assembled pirates roared in agreement, raising their weapons in support of their captain. They were a band of scum who thrived on Tea Beard's bravado, fully believing in his self-proclaimed authority.

However, when they arrived at the pier, their bravado evaporated in an instant.

"Boss… those people… they're from the Charlotte Family!" one of the crew stammered, his voice trembling.

Standing on the deck of a massive ship, similar to the Queen Mama Chanter, was Charlotte Katakuri, flanked by other members of the Charlotte Family.

Though the downfall of the Big Mom Pirates had dealt the family significant losses, their affiliation with the Sky Kingdom had restored their prestige—and their fearsome reputation had only grown. The Sky Kingdom's influence in the New World was undeniable, and its name alone sent shivers down the spines of pirates everywhere.

Tea Beard's face turned pale. His earlier bravado vanished, replaced by sheer terror. His massive frame trembled as he realized the gravity of the situation.

"Damn it! Who said the Sky Kingdom wasn't getting involved in this war?!" he hissed, cursing the source of the false rumor.

Gripped by fear, Tea Beard barked a new order. "Retreat! Everyone, to the ships! We're leaving now!"

His crew, equally terrified, didn't need further prompting. In a flurry of panic, they sprinted toward their vessels, rushing to set sail as quickly as possible.

Anchors were hauled, sails unfurled, and the ships began to move—faster than they ever had before.

But just as Tea Beard's ship began to distance itself, a flash of light burst forth from the Charlotte Family's vessel.

At the center of the action was Charlotte Smoothie, her figure holding a captured prisoner . Using her Wring-Wring Fruit, she drained the victim's energy, channeling it into her blade. The sword swelled into a colossal weapon, hundreds of meters long, imbued with devastating power.

With a single swing, Smoothie unleashed the blade's energy.

The sea split apart for thousands of meters, and the shockwave tore through everything in its path.

Tea Beard's ship, though at a distance, was caught in the devastating attack. The vessel was cleaved in two, its remnants sinking into the ocean in a matter of moments.