Ace and the others shifted their attention as an unmarked ship came into view at a distance. Several figures stood on its deck, their presence immediately drawing caution.
"Who are those people, Ace? Are they your friends?" Luffy asked, tilting his head in confusion.
He might not recognize them, but Ace and the rest did. Those faces were not unfamiliar at all.
"Not friends," Ace replied. "Strictly speaking, they are enemies."
"Enemies?" Luffy immediately rolled up his sleeves, ready to jump into action.
Ace quickly reached out and stopped him. "Wait, they are not exactly enemies right now."
Luffy's expression twisted in frustration. "Hey, Ace, what is that supposed to mean? One second they are enemies, next second they are not."
Ace ignored the complaint and stepped forward toward the bow of the ship.
"Katakuri, I did not expect to see you here. Are you heading to Peach Garden as well?"
On the opposing ship stood Katakuri along with members of the BIG MOM Pirates.
Katakuri's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression guarded but not hostile.
Ace watched him carefully. Katakuri had once been the second in command of the BIG MOM Pirates. Even now, that presence had not faded.
What surprised Ace was that after the downfall of BIG MOM, they had not been completely wiped out. A remnant of that scale still surviving was no small matter.
The remaining crew members stood behind Katakuri. Once proud and arrogant pirates who looked down on everything beneath them now carried a dullness in their eyes.
They were once among the strongest forces in the world, standing at the top without question. But now, that glory had collapsed.
Without BIG MOM's protection, all the forces they once oppressed had begun to turn on them. Pirate crews and organizations they once crushed were now circling like vultures.
Katakuri alone could not protect everyone.
Ace had heard rumors about him. Within the chaos of the BIG MOM Pirates, Katakuri was the only one who maintained restraint. He did not oppress the weak. He protected his younger siblings. Unlike a typical Yonko second in command, he carried no unnecessary arrogance.
Katakuri's gaze shifted toward the massive ship before him, the Moby Dick. A complicated emotion flickered in his eyes.
Once, they had been a Yonko level crew. A true empire on the sea. Wherever they went, nations bowed.
Now that empire no longer existed.
Ever since their defeat at the hands of Kuro and others, everything had fallen apart.
Those who once feared and respected them now avoided them like plague carriers.
Even without the ongoing war between the World Government and Peach Garden, survival itself had become difficult for them.
Katakuri understood one thing clearly. Pride meant nothing if it led his remaining family into ruin.
He looked toward the bow of the Moby Dick again.
The Whitebeard Pirates.
Former rivals.
Whitebeard was no longer present, but his name still lingered in the air. Instead, two young men stood at the front, Luffy and Ace.
From them, Katakuri felt something heavy pressing against his senses. Something comparable to what Charlotte Linlin once gave off.
They were not ordinary pirates anymore.
If conflict broke out here, his group would not survive.
At that moment, Marco and the others also arrived at the bow of the ship.
Diamond Jozu stepped forward, his expression hardened. "Remnants of the BIG MOM Pirates. You still dare show yourselves in the waters near Peach Garden? You will not leave here alive."
His body hardened as he activated his Devil Fruit ability, turning into a diamond like figure.
Several captains around him immediately drew their weapons, tension rising sharply.
Katakuri responded instantly, releasing his aura without hesitation. The air between both ships grew heavy.
Ace raised a hand. "Enough. This is no longer a battlefield. We are not enemies anymore. They are likely heading to Peach Garden for the same reason as us."
"Even so, they are still remnants of the BIG MOM Pirates," Jozu replied, voice low and firm.
Old grudges were not easily erased. Many of them had lost comrades to that very crew.
Blenheim spoke up next. "This is a chance we cannot ignore. We should end them here while we have it."
"Exactly. If they enter Peach Garden, we may never get another opportunity," another commander added.
"Do not hesitate, just give the order."
The crew's hostility grew sharper.
Marco stepped forward. "Stop. They are not showing any fighting intent."
Vista also nodded. "There is no hostility coming from them."
The captains focused their senses. It was true. There was no killing intent, only exhaustion and decline.
But sympathy alone was not enough to lower their guard.
"They could be pretending."
"Do not fall for it."
"If we let them go now, it will be a mistake."
On the side, Luffy scratched his head. "Who are they anyway? Why does everyone look so serious?"
Marco answered calmly. "They are former members of the BIG MOM Pirates, one of the Yonko crews. After their defeat at the hands of the Ion Pirates, they scattered across the seas."
Luffy's expression softened immediately. "That sounds rough. So they are basically homeless now."
Marco sighed slightly, noticing the simplicity in Luffy's thinking.
"That does not erase what they have done in the past. We fought them many times before."
He gestured toward Katakuri. "That man there is Katakuri, the second son of BIG MOM and the second in command. He is extremely strong. Even I had trouble dealing with him before."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "So he is strong? Then let's fight him."
Ace immediately struck him on the head.
"Did you even listen to anything I said?"
Luffy rubbed his head in annoyance. "But he is right there."
Ace exhaled slowly. "Everyone, stand down. There is no need for a fight."
Reluctantly, the captains lowered their weapons, though tension remained in the air.
Katakuri finally relaxed his aura slightly. Even so, the feeling of being surrounded never left him. It was like standing in a place where survival depended entirely on the goodwill of others.
A bitter thought crossed his mind. Once, they were the ones others feared. Now they were the ones forced to depend on mercy.
He gave a faint nod and signaled his crew.
Their ship slowly turned toward Peach Garden.
Ace watched them go and exhaled quietly.
"This world really changes everything," he muttered before turning back.
"Set course for Peach Garden."
A unified response followed from the crew.
"Aye."
---
New World, Breaking Sky.
Nami stood at the edge of the ship, scanning the endless sea with a tense expression.
"There is no island here. Are you absolutely sure the Road Poneglyph points to this place? I cannot see anything at all."