ONE PIECE: THE GREAT VOYAGE

The sound of humming and shouting resounded through the sky, as lively as the rhythmic rowing of a dragon boat festival. The ship cut through the waves, carrying its infamous crew toward their destination.

Eventually, they reached an island.

At first glance, the island appeared deserted—no signs of human life, only dense forests, rolling grasslands, and steep, jagged mountains stretching toward the sky.

Rocks D. Xebec, the fearsome captain of the Rocks Pirates, led his crew ashore.

Golden Lion Shiki smirked as he used his Fuwa Fuwa no Mi ability, making an ornate chest levitate. Gold, silver, and glistening jewels spilled into the air.

Gnali's eyes gleamed with envy. "That ability is ridiculously convenient," he muttered.

They ventured deeper into the forest. It was eerily quiet—no birds, no insects, only the sound of their own footsteps echoing through the silence.

The further they walked, the more unsettling the atmosphere became.

Brad shivered and moved closer to Gnali.

Suddenly—Grrrrooooooowl!

The low growl of a beast echoed nearby.

Caesar turned sharply. A pack of wolves emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with hunger. Saliva dripped from their bared fangs as they circled in, ready to pounce.

Caesar narrowed his eyes.

Before he could move, something changed.

The wolves froze. Their bloodthirsty gaze was replaced with sheer terror. Their fur bristled, legs trembled, and cold sweat dripped from their brows.

Half a second later, they fled in despair.

Then—Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground shook as something massive approached, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Caesar raised an arm to shield his face, coughing slightly before following the others.

It seemed that where there was treasure, there was always danger.

After barely fending off the wolves, they entered a new part of the forest.

This time, a different threat loomed above them.

Hissssss...

Snakes.

A steady stream of them began to fall from the canopy.

Brad tensed.

Gnali flinched and quickly moved away, his eyes darting warily between the falling serpents.

Caesar cursed under his breath. No wonder the group of pirates they had encountered earlier had been hesitant to enter this place. If those weaklings had stepped foot inside, they wouldn't have lasted two seconds.

Annoyed, Caesar furrowed his brow and exhaled sharply.

A wave of Haoshoku Haki burst from his body.

In an instant, the snakes slithered away in terror, disappearing into the underbrush.

"It's a damn nuisance having them keep dropping down like that," he muttered.

Rocks glanced at Shiki.

The Golden Lion smirked and slowly extended a hand.

Rumble!

Dozens of trees ripped from the earth, their roots dangling, soil crumbling away. With a flick of his finger, he sent them flying.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The trees crashed down elsewhere in the forest, clearing the sky above them.

The snakes were gone.

Everyone let out a breath of relief.

Moving quickly, they reached a towering rock wall, at least a hundred meters high.

Shiki pointed upward.

"It's up there."

Caesar followed his gaze and spotted a cave entrance, about fifty-three meters off the ground—an unlikely hiding spot, almost like a bird's nest.

Most people wouldn't even think to look there.

Shiki used his ability to manipulate nearby debris, forming a makeshift staircase leading up to the cave.

One by one, they climbed.

Inside, the cave was empty. A vast, lifeless chamber.

Rocks stepped forward, pressing a stone in the wall.

Click.

The ground shifted.

A hidden passageway opened beneath them.

Descending into the secret chamber, they gasped in unison.

Even the hardened pirates of the Rocks crew were momentarily stunned.

Gold. Silver. Jewels.

Mountains of treasure glittered under the dim light, wealth beyond imagination.

After a rough estimate, there had to be tens of billions of Berries.

Caesar's heart pounded. No wonder Hachinosu—the infamous Pirate Island—burned through money like water. With this much wealth, there was never a need to worry about running out.

And the money was still flowing in.

Then, something caught Caesar's eye.

A stack of small, locked chests sat in the corner.

"That's Devil Fruit," someone muttered.

Rocks, now sitting cross-legged on a pile of gold, glanced at Caesar.

"Do you want one?"

Caesar hesitated before shaking his head.

"Not unless I know what the ability is."

Rocks closed his eyes.

"…I see."

Bang! Bang!

The sound of gold and jewels crashing together filled the chamber. The clinking, the gleaming wealth—it was intoxicating.

Brad and Gnali exchanged glances, swallowing hard.

[53] Banquet!

That night, under the full moon, the crew celebrated.

A bonfire roared in the open clearing. Flames flickered, casting long shadows as smoke curled into the night sky.

"Drink! Drink!"

The pirates clinked glasses, roaring with laughter. Their rowdy voices drowned out the eerie silence of the island.

Meat sizzled over the fire, filling the air with a rich, mouthwatering aroma.

Boom!

In the forest nearby, a massive wild boar collapsed.

Caesar lowered his fist, watching the beast's eyes roll back in unconsciousness.

"Damn, Caesar! That was insane!"

Brad grinned. "Watch this!"

Roar!

Transforming into his Saber-toothed Tiger Zoan form, he lunged at a rhinoceros.

The two powerful beasts clashed, horn against fang.

Brad let out a deep growl, then suddenly charged forward, raising his massive front paw—

Boom!

The rhino was sent flying, crashing into the ground with a loud thud.

Gnali, unwilling to be left out, leaped from a tree, swinging his oversized hammer.

Crash!

Another beast crumpled to the ground.

A short while later, they returned to the feast, hauling the fresh kills.

One carcass was tossed to Rocks, another to the lower-ranking pirates, and the last one was for themselves.

"Caesar, this meat is incredible!" Brad grinned, tearing into a juicy cut.

He skewered thick slices, roasting them over the fire, seasoning them with cumin and spices. Soon, the savory aroma filled the air.

Caesar chuckled. "Eat up. I've been training hard these past few days."

Brad nodded eagerly, stuffing his face.

Gnali, chewing more thoughtfully, glanced at Caesar.

"That forest… it was weird."

Caesar's expression darkened slightly. He tapped his fingers against his knee, gazing at the lively banquet.

"…Yeah. But one thing's certain."

Rocks had chosen this island of anomalies to guard his treasure.

These riches weren't just for indulgence.

They were part of his grand plan—his preparations to dominate the world.

Gnali swallowed. He had a gut feeling.

Rocks' dream of world domination…

Would never come to pass.

His gaze flickered to the pirate captains.

Whitebeard sat alone by the fire, his crimson-stained beard glowing ominously in the firelight. Even among this vast crew, he radiated an air of solitude.

A short distance away, a young Kaido guzzled down bottle after bottle, his face flushed with drunkenness.

And further off, Shiki, the Golden Lion, was surrounded by eager subordinates who practically worshipped him.

The night carried on.

The banquet raged.

But beneath it all, the tide of fate was already shifting.