Hachinosu was originally the headquarters of the legendary Rocks Pirates. Many of the most vicious pirates on the seas had spent considerable time here.
Including but not limited to: Golden Lion, Ochoku, Captain John, Miss Buckingham Stussy, and Gloriosa.
Among the current Four Emperors, three were once members of this crew.
It could be said, before Rocks D. Xebec's death, this island gathered the strongest pirate force across the seas.
—Even the Roger Pirates were inferior at that time.
But after Rocks's death at the God Valley battle, the great pirates under him left Hachinosu, establishing their own forces.
Only those villains without sufficient strength remained on the island.
In the currently 'three-way divided' New World seas, these villains could only scavenge for scraps in the gaps.
Originally, they thought their lives might end like this.
The turning point came after the World Government's collapse.
That man came to this island.
That man named Marshall D. Teach.
"Blackbeard."
He arrived boasting arrogantly about reclaiming this place, using it as a base to gather all villains from these seas, to seize the territories of the Emperors.
Clearly, Blackbeard, who hadn't appeared at Marineford wielding the power of the Gura Gura no Mi, couldn't convince them with just words.
But he wasn't just talking.
That day, over one-third of Hachinosu's pirates were completely crushed, while the remaining two-thirds chose to submit.
Of course, they didn't know Blackbeard 'inheriting' Hachinosu had some basis.
After all, he was the biological son of the former Rocks.
After decades of lying low, failing to recruit from Impel Down, wanting to seize the Gura Gura no Mi but unable to even enter the battlefield...
Originally, Blackbeard thought he could only wait for Whitebeard to die of old age for a chance at that world-shattering power.
But fate played another joke.
A reborn Devil Fruit 'found' him by chance.
Well-versed in Devil Fruit encyclopedias, Blackbeard hesitated only briefly before decisively eating that fruit, gaining a second Devil Fruit power.
…
When Cavendish landed on Hachinosu, he saw a scene of noisy chaos.
Few pirates choosing to come here were kind… most were vicious fellows.
With the convener [Blackbeard] Teach not yet appearing, the gathered villains were already fighting over trivial matters.
Others watching didn't stop them, and some even seized chances to sneak attack, looting the losers' belongings.
This was perhaps where the seas' greatest scum gathered.
Cavendish, the noble prince, wasn't quite used to being here.
Not just him… his crew felt similarly.
"Captain..."
Beside him, a crewman looked at Cavendish hesitantly.
Strictly speaking, they weren't professional pirates but 'converted' from kingdom soldiers.
Originally, their duty was protecting their exiled prince.
"It's fine—"
Cavendish shook his head, then looked toward the colossal skull-shaped rock formation larger than a mountain in the distance.
Reportedly, that was Hachinosu's core.
"If that Blackbeard fellow is just boasting, I'll kill him directly."
Cavendish had full confidence in his strength.
Riding his beloved horse, leading his crew, he strode arrogantly through the pirate crowd.
Some fools tried to trouble him along the way, all cut down with a single sword stroke.
This opening act sufficiently intimidated other petty villains.
At the other port, the Emeralda finally found a berth, successfully docking.
One woman, one snake-woman, and one bird disembarked, not attracting much attention.
They were among the last to arrive at Hachinosu.
When Karin and the others landed, no one even guarded the port.
That's why finding a berth took so long.
"Whoa... so many people. Is this a festival?"
Karin just glanced around, seeing nothing but crowds.
Far more than the ships they saw on the way.
Naomi, with one look, saw a dense mass of heads, which scared her so much she immediately shrank behind Kalifa.
"Captain, are we really going over?"
Clearly, Naomi was still apprehensive about such scenes.
"There's so many of them. How about... we leave?"
But Karin's reply crushed her last bit of hope.
"Not yet. We haven't gotten supplies."
"Let's go, Kalifa. See what's happening."
"Yes."
Karin landed on Kalifa's shoulder, heading toward Hachinosu's central square.
Seeing this, Naomi could only muster her courage and follow.
She didn't want to stay alone.
Meanwhile, atop the skull formation, seeing the gathered crowd below, Blackbeard laughed in satisfaction.
"Ze ha ha ha ha... how many have come to the island?"
Now dressed in new attire, wearing ten rings, Teach laughed wildly, asking Lafitte beside him.
"Approximately… over a thousand."
Lafitte twirled his cane, thinking briefly before answering.
"Still not enough. If not for last time at Impel Down..."
Beside him, Van Augur with his monocle said somewhat resentfully.
His words resonated with the others… Doc Q and Burgess nodded.
"Don't dwell on the past!"
Seeing his crew still immersed in past failures, Teach immediately rallied their spirits.
"That old man won't live long. His territory's been unstable lately, and it's all those youngsters handling it."
"The Marines have also withdrawn considerably."
"Now is our chance to rise!"
Saying so, he clenched his fists, two distinct powers enveloping his left and right hands.
"With this fruit's power, my strength is completely different now."
"Next, it's our turn to take the stage!"
"Ze ha ha ha ha... let's go. They should be impatient."
Seemingly infected by the captain's mood, the Blackbeard Pirates' original members also showed ambitious smiles.
…
Over a thousand people gathered noisily in the square before the skull rock formation, occasionally bursting into fights that quickly died down.
Their chattering voices suddenly quieted when Blackbeard and his group emerged, then erupted into even louder noise.
"You're the one!? Bragging about gathering us here?"
"Blackbeard? Ha, what's your relation to that Whitebeard?"
Many who didn't recognize Teach shouted directly, some even walking toward them, ready to fight.
Not all came for the so-called 'great plan' on the summons.
Some purely felt provoked, or simply wanted to seize the opportunity for fame.
Of course, some recognized Teach.
"This guy... was once a crewman under Whitebeard."
"I remember he defected, right? Whitebeard didn't kill him?"
Those knowing the details were few, and most didn't know the connection between Ace's capture and Blackbeard's defection.
Seeing troublemakers emerge from the crowd, Blackbeard's smile didn't fade but grew wilder.
'Good. Just what I needed… fools who didn't know their place.'
"You—"
The emerging pirate's words were cut off as the ground beneath him suddenly bulged. A massive lion head formed of earth and stone erupted, swallowing the group whole.
Like a living creature, after eating, the giant lion mouth chewed deftly, crimson blood flowing out, plunging the crowd below into silence.
"Still a bit unpolished... Ze ha ha ha!"
Though saying this, Blackbeard showed no embarrassment, seeming very satisfied with this opening.
Then, without any visible movement, everyone felt intense vibrations from beneath their feet.
"The island! The island is moving!"
To be precise, not moving but rising.
Under the stunned gazes of the pirates, the entire Hachinosu began slowly lifting off the sea surface, ascending into the sky.
"This power..."
Some immediately realized, a faded name reappearing in their minds.
[Golden Lion] Shiki!
"Did Blackbeard eat Golden Lion's fruit?!"
At this moment, Blackbeard burst into wild laughter.
"Ze ha ha ha ha ha!! Villains! Scum! Greetings!"
"Let me introduce myself."
"I am Marshall D. Teach, but you can call me—"
"The Flying Pirate Admiral!!"