Luffy, how can you become the Pirate King if you don't work hard!

The screen showed him the harbor filled with pirate ships, the streets teeming with people, and the conflicts and trades between various pirate crews—all of which pleased him.

After that man proposed the plan, he spent a lot of time planning this grand event, attracting all the prominent pirates on this sea to come here.

The Kid Pirates, Heart Pirates, Radio Pirates, Fire Tank Pirates, Corrupted Monk Pirates... almost all the Supernovas who caused a ruckus in the Sabaody Archipelago two years ago were present, not to mention the veteran pirate crews who had been struggling in the New World for many years.

Just then, one of his men rushed into the room, his face contorted as if he'd seen a ghost, and he could barely speak.

"Lord Festa!"

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?"

Festa waved his hand impatiently. "Speak, what good news is it this time? Is it another legendary pirate crew arriving? As long as it's not one of the Four Emperors..."

"They are the Four Emperors!"

"Wh-what?"

He jumped up from his chair, scrambled to the screen, and braced himself on the control panel to begin searching.

"Where? Which Yonko? Kaido? Big Mom? Or Whitebeard?"

His hand trembled as he pointed to one of the screens.

In the scene, a sailboat adorned with a lion's head is slowly entering the harbor. The smiling skull and straw hat pattern on the sail flutters in the sea breeze, making it particularly eye-catching.

Festa's face turned pale instantly, and cold sweat rolled down his forehead.

"Monkey D. Luffy, the Straw Hat Boy, is he the Emperor of the Seas of this era?"

He looked around, gritting his teeth, "Who sent that guy the invitation?!"

The men looked at each other and shook their heads, indicating that they absolutely had not done such a thing.

So you came here on your own?

Festa took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and then carefully reviewed all the invitations he had sent out.

Kidd, Hawkins, Apoo, Becky... he invited almost all of the Supernovas from two years ago.

He also invited Bartolomeo and Cavendish, the two captains under the Four Emperors, but that was because they were already famous enough, and Festa judged that the Straw Hat Pirates wouldn't personally come for a mere celebration.

Luffy's bounty is now second only to the Pirate King Roger, making him the pirate with the highest bounty on the entire sea!

If it were a Shichibukai or a Supernova, Buena and Feist would be overjoyed. But if it's someone of the Yonko level, then things are in trouble.

It's no exaggeration to say that things have spiraled out of his control.

Although this is a feast for pirates, wouldn't it be a bit beneath the dignity of the Emperor of the Sea to come in person?

Looking across the entire New World, which of the Four Emperors isn't a powerful figure ruling over his own territory?

It wasn't that none of the Four Emperors' forces participated; they only sent their subordinates.

The presence of one of the Four Emperors in person is unprecedented in all previous pirate festivals.

The Cross Society, responsible for security?

As Festa thought of this, the muscles at the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

He knew better than anyone what kind of person that red-nosed clown was.

After the Impel Down War, he stumbled upon a stroke of luck and became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He then used the name of the Cross Society to make his presence known to the world, as if he had really become some kind of big shot.

But when faced with a truly tough opponent, Bucky runs faster than anyone else.

If the Straw Hat Pirates were to cause trouble here, Buggy would not hesitate to turn around and dismantle their stage.

One of the subordinates timidly reminded him, "It seems that Buggy came with the Straw Hat Pirates."

Festa almost fainted.

"Lord Festa, what should we do now? Should we cancel the celebration?"

"Cancel?"

Before he could even think of a solution, the host had already started.

Festa laughed out loud. What a joke! Is such a wonderful feast going to be canceled just because a Straw Hat Boy is here?

There's no way to put the brakes on the plan!

Who knows, maybe this time we can bring down a maritime emperor?

After all, this feast isn't just about pirates!

In every corner of the island, in the shadows unseen by the pirates, agents in white uniforms are making their preparations silently.

The World Government's intelligence system has infiltrated the celebration almost like a sieve.

Festa never intended for the celebration to end peacefully from the start.

Pirates gathering together to kill each other?

The navy reaps the benefits without lifting a finger.

No, no, no, it is Festa who will be remembered in history as the mastermind behind all of this.

Come on, come on.

The more pirates, the better; the more chaotic, the better.

"Pirates, are you having fun?"

The host's voice came through the loudspeaker Den Den Mushi that were spread all over the island, instantly drowning out all the noise in the harbor.

A man stands on a huge temporary stage erected in the center of the harbor.

"I think you all know very well that we pirates at the Expo can steal, rob, and cheat without any scruples, but there is only one rule that cannot be broken: the Navy must never find out about this."

The host lowered his voice and made a shushing gesture, which caused the pirates in the audience to burst into laughter.

"Those who snitch will be hunted down to the ends of the earth by the pirates here."

He made a throat-slitting gesture, his expression half-serious and half-joking, which amused the pirates in the audience and caused another round of jeers.

"I am the host, the recycling businessman, Donald Modirat!"

"Next, please welcome our guests, everyone's favorite songstress... An!"

A row of colored smoke billowed out from the stage, and a beautiful green-haired girl emerged from the smoke, waving to the pirates below the stage.

Luffy listened from afar, pursed his lips, and looked completely unconvinced.

"Everyone's favorite songstress is on our ship, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Uta, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but smile, and he became visibly happy.

She wore a simple white dress today, with her long hair casually draped over her shoulders. She didn't have the glamorous outfits she wears on stage, but her natural charm made her even more captivating.

"That's right, that's right, I'm a world-class diva."

Uta raised his chin, his tone filled with self-righteous pride, "That's probably just the most popular songstress among the pirates here. If I were to appear, I could definitely outshine her!"

"Maybe it's better if he doesn't appear."

Nami covered her face, her tone full of helplessness, "Everyone is too famous. I don't know how many pirates have fainted from fright on their way here."

"Being a celebrity is really tough."

Usopp sighed, patting the slingshot at his waist. The ability he had recently acquired had made him much more confident. "But this feeling isn't bad either."

“No, it’s not you. You’re not famous enough for that.” Sanji added mercilessly.

"Hey, I'm none other than the great Usopp!"

Meanwhile, the host continued his impassioned speech on stage.

Why was this World Expo, which is being held on this island after a 20-year hiatus?

Modirat paused deliberately, pleased to see all the pirates' eyes focused on him, before continuing, "Because this island was discovered by the Pirate King Gol D. Roger!"

The commotion from the audience instantly subsided.

The name Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, carries an irreplaceable weight in the hearts of all pirates.

Whether they admire him, hate him, or aim to surpass him, they cannot deny that the man once stood at the pinnacle of all pirates.

"Roger buried a great deal of treasure on this island, and then left behind a message."

"Our answers lie buried in the deepest darkness!"

Luffy asked in confusion, "Has the treasure hunt turned into a guessing game?"

This is not something he is good at.

"Lord Luffy, shall I ask Rayleigh?"

Hancock had already pulled a Den Den Mushi from her pocket, her slender fingers resting on the case, ready to dial at any moment.

"He must know the answer. The Pirate King's right-hand man must have been here before."

"That won't be necessary."

Luffy shook his head and refused, "Knowing the answer this way would be less fun."

The people around them laughed speechlessly.

What is that?

The connections here are just too incredible.

The ability to directly contact Rayleigh with a single phone call to ask for answers is an unprecedented and likely unparalleled feat in the history of treasure hunting in the entire One Piece world.

Nami laughed and said, "Only you could say something like that."

Luffy disagreed, saying, "That's what makes it interesting."

The path to kingship is one that doesn't take shortcuts!

Soon, following the host's words, a large number of pirate ships began to set off, with countless pirate ships starting up at the same time.

Hundreds of ships charged in the same direction at the same time, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring scene.

Sunny was among them; Franky's hand popped a lever out of his arm and pulled it down hard.

"Sunny, full speed ahead!"

The paddle wheel at the bottom of the ship spun rapidly, stirring up white foam, and the Sunny shot out from the fleet like an arrow, leaving most of the pirate ships behind in a moment.