"Brother Katakuri, what's happening outside?" A sinister and evil-looking witch appeared in the mirror.
"The two sides have already started fighting, Brulee. You guys just stay put in the Mirror World and don't come out," Katakuri said.
"It's suffocating staying in here, Katakuri. When exactly can we go out?" A figure pushed Brulee aside; it was Smoothie, one of the Three Sweet Commanders.
"Lately, the Buggy Pirates have used some unknown method to put the entire Wano Country under their surveillance," Katakuri said in a low voice. "The closer we get to the Flower Capital, the more frequent the feeling of being watched becomes. Just wait; we'll be able to come out tonight."
"We didn't feel anything..." Smoothie curled her lip. "Has your Observation Haki surpassed ours by that much...?"
Smoothie found it hard to imagine who could monitor an entire country, but since Katakuri said so, it must be true.
Unlike the self-important Perospero, Katakuri had a steady personality and was more trustworthy.
That guy Perospero escaped after the Battle of Onigashima and met up with them a while ago. After announcing the death of their mother, Charlotte Linlin, they wanted to form a new Pirate Crew.
Smoothie didn't know what to do for a moment, but then Katakuri's arrival brought even worse news.
Totto Land had been conquered by the Blackbeard Pirates... Amidst Perospero's clamoring to reorganize the Big Mom Pirates, Katakuri fought him and defeated him.
"I'm going to personally confirm Mama's situation," Katakuri had said.
Thus, the Big Mom Pirates split once again. Some chose to follow Perospero and leave to establish a new Pirate Crew.
Because the temperamental Big Mom was not a good parent, many children had lived in fear; the news of Mama's death was actually good news to them.
Others chose Katakuri, including Smoothie.
Under Katakuri's command, they successfully landed in Wano Country.
But before long, Katakuri noticed something was wrong. He had them enter Brulee's Mirror World, while Katakuri himself moved about, hiding by day and coming out at night.
At the site where Onigashima fell, they found two deep pits leading straight to the magma zone... There was no way to continue the search; even Katakuri couldn't enter the boiling lava.
After that, Katakuri showed no intention of leaving; instead, he continued to wander through Wano Country, observing something.
They hid again only when the Red Hair Pirates arrived.
"What's the point of us staying in Wano Country any longer?" Smoothie asked.
"Blackbeard captured many of our people. I have to find a way to rescue them," Katakuri said.
"..." Smoothie fell silent. Those with no feelings for the Big Mom Pirates had left; those who followed Katakuri were the ones who still felt some responsibility toward the family.
But their strength was too far below that of the Blackbeard Pirates. To oppose them, they would have to find reinforcements.
"Do you want to use the power of the Buggy Pirates? Is that why you've stayed in Wano Country?" Smoothie asked.
"I'm also curious about Buggy's methods of governing Wano Country," Katakuri said. "Do you remember Mama's dream, Smoothie?"
"Mama wanted to create a utopia where all races live equally, which is why she founded Totto Land," Smoothie said. "But Mama later became increasingly tyrannical; it feels like she forgot her own dream..."
Even her powerful children feared Charlotte Linlin's tantrums, let alone the weaker ones.
"A utopia... Wano Country now has the embryonic form of a utopia. I want to see how Buggy achieved all this in such a short time, and whether or not I should ask him for help," Katakuri said.
Mama was dead, and the responsibility of caring for his brothers and sisters fell on him. He had to see if the Buggy Pirates were worth joining.
But... the Buggy Pirates' strength is truly impressive!
At the same time, Beckman, in the middle of the battlefield, made the same exclamation.
Although he and the two executives hadn't made a move, Hawkeye, Hancock, and the others on the opposite side were also idle.
The top-tier powerhouses were similar, but in terms of mid-level combat power, the Buggy Pirates firmly held the upper hand over the Red Hair Pirates.
Loxterda was already a promising newcomer in the Red Hair Pirates, yet he was being chased and beaten by Page One.
Absorbing the remnants of the Beasts Pirates had made the Buggy Pirates' strength exceptionally solid.
Moreover, Buggy had a group of prisoners from Impel Down under him, each with a bounty of over ten million... What kind of charisma did that man have to recruit such people?
Beckman was pondering when he suddenly noticed someone seemed to be staring at him.
He looked around and found the source of the gaze was a fellow with a candle flame burning on his head... "Are you Gal Dino of the Buggy Pirates?" Beckman asked.
He had seen this guy on a wanted poster. "The strategist of the Buggy Pirates?"
Beckman saw Gal Dino seem to panic for a moment before quickly returning to normal.
Is this guy... hiding something?
"That's right." Mr. 3 adjusted his glasses and said, trying to stay calm, "It is indeed I."
"Are you bored?" Beckman pulled out his pistol. "Shall we spar a bit?"
"No... There are more important things right now!" Mr. 3 broke into a cold sweat. "I'm considering the matter of the alliance. The Captain is unreliable, so these matters can only be handled by us."
"Ah! That makes sense." Beckman felt as if he had found a kindred spirit. "They decided on an alliance in just a few words, without knowing how much trouble it would entail."
It seems this guy is surprisingly reliable, Beckman thought.
Mr. 3 used wax to create a set of tables and chairs with a parasol in the middle of the battlefield. "Sit down and let's talk. You arrived so quickly; were you already near Wano Country?"
"Correct. Actually, we were nearby tracking the Barto Club, and our Captain wanted to teach their leader, Bartolomeo, a lesson," Beckman said.
"Bartolomeo?" Mr. 3 seemed to have heard of him. "Isn't he the 2nd division commander of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet?"
"Yes, but that guy's behavior went a bit too far. He burned our Pirate Crew's flag in our territory," Beckman said.
"Our Captain may be easygoing about some things, but he can't just sit by and watch something like this."
A cold light flashed in Beckman's eyes. "Even as a member of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet, he must pay the price for his mistakes!"
"Is that guy an idiot?" Mr. 3 was somewhat speechless. Burning a flag is a huge insult to any power.
It might even lead to a war... The key is that Captain Buggy also invited the Straw Hat Pirates to Wano Country. I wonder if this will affect that?