On the azure sea of the New World's Duke Kingdom waters, the Beasts Pirates fleet was cutting through the waves.
Urouge stood at the bow, squinting as he gazed at the gradually clarifying coastline in the distance. The sea wind, carrying a salty and fishy scent, blew against him, causing his wide robes to flutter noisily.
"Is that the target Duke Kingdom ahead?" Urouge's voice sounded particularly deep in the sea breeze, his thick fingers lightly tapping on the ship's railing, producing dull thuds.
"Yes, Lord Urouge," a pirate with a fierce scar on his face quickly stepped forward and reported respectfully. Sweat beads on his forehead slid down his cheeks, clearly showing his fear of this executive. "It's that Duke III. Last month, his general Haine Becker led a fleet and thwarted our plan to establish a base on Kaz Island."
Upon hearing this, Bullet on the other side of the deck curled his lips into an excited smile. He cracked his knuckles, producing crisp sounds: "Hahaha, I heard that Duke III is quite powerful?" The sunlight shone on his golden short hair, creating a dazzling halo.
The scarred pirate quickly nodded, unconsciously taking half a step back: "That's right. It's said he once led the Kingdom Army to repel the Weapon Pirates with a bounty of 350 million Belly. That battle made him famous throughout the New World."
"Interesting!" Battle intent flashed in Bullet's eyes as he suddenly clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking like popping beans. "This king is mine. The rest of you can deal with the others as you please." He bared his sharp canine teeth, radiating a dangerous aura.
"Kishishishi..." A sinister laugh came from near the ship's railing. Gecko Moria played with the hilt of his knife as he slowly emerged from the shadows. His tall figure cast a long shadow on the deck, his purple hair appearing particularly eerie in the sunlight. "That won't do. I've already claimed this prey." His crimson eyes gleamed with dangerous light.
"Moria!" Bullet spun around sharply, cold light flashing in his eyes. The air around him seemed to distort with his anger. "Are you challenging the authority of an All-Star?" He deliberately emphasized the words "All-Star."
Moria unhurriedly adjusted his collar, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Just an All-Star. I'll become one sooner or later anyway. And Bullet, the only reason Captain Kaidou made you an All-Star is because you're young. If we're talking about real strength, I'm not afraid of you." He deliberately drew out his words, each one cutting like a knife.
"Bastard, Moria, do you want to fight first?" Bullet said directly. A faint blue light began to emanate from his body, the temperature around them suddenly dropping, with a thin layer of frost even forming on the deck.
"Yee-hee-hee, fine then, Bullet. You're still too young to handle an All-Stars position. You might as well just hand it over to me." Moria immediately rested his hand on the sword at his waist as he spoke. His shadow began to twist eerily, writhing across the deck as if it had a life of its own.
Ever since Kaidou announced the new hierarchy appointments for the Beasts Pirates, Moria had been nursing a grudge. Although he had once lost to King, after obtaining his Devil Fruit and undergoing Kaidou's hellish training over the past six months, he now believed his strength ranked within the top three of the Beasts Pirates. He practiced in the training ground until late every night, all for the day he could prove himself.
Who would have thought that with Kaidou's appointments, he wouldn't even make the second tier of All-Stars, instead being demoted directly to the third tier of Flying Six? Even though he was ranked first among the Flying Six, he was Gecko Moria, the renowned hero of the West Sea!
How could he possibly be satisfied with a mere Flying Six position?
Fortunately, Big Brother Kaidou subsequently announced that lower-ranked members could challenge higher-ranked ones annually, with the winner directly taking the position. Thus, Moria had been preparing to challenge one of the All-Stars. Now, being on a mission with Bullet presented what Moria saw as a perfect opportunity. He had long been secretly observing Bullet's fighting style and studying his weaknesses.
In Moria's view, while he wasn't inferior to others in the Beasts Pirates, among the current All-Stars, King with his Vampire Ability was practically an unkillable cockroach in one-on-one combat. Queen with his Yamata no Orochi Ability possessed eight lives and was constantly modifying his body, making him a formidable opponent not to be underestimated. Another troublesome foe was Kuzan with his Logia Type, whose powerful freezing ability could trap opponents in an icy wasteland at any moment.
Compared to the others, Bullet was actually the easier target. Although his Great True God Form was powerful, Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit was nothing to scoff at either. Moria had already devised a strategy - if he could seize the right opportunity, he was confident he could defeat this young All-Star.
"Sirs, p-please calm down!" The scarred pirate hurriedly tried to mediate between the two. His voice trembled with fear, and cold sweat had already soaked through his collar. The surrounding crew members instinctively stepped back, afraid of being caught in the impending conflict.
"Bullet, Moria, with enemies at our gates, do you really want to make the Beasts Pirates a laughingstock?" Urouge stepped forward, positioning himself between the two. His massive frame stood like a wall separating the tense opponents. Although he wouldn't mind watching them fight to gauge their strength for his own future challenges, now was not the time for internal conflict.
He had to ensure this mission was completed successfully, otherwise Captain Kaidou's wrath would be no joking matter.
"That's right, we're about to go to war with the Duke Kingdom. After all, it's an entire country - if we're careless, we might actually fail. Governor Kaidou would definitely be furious then," Sebastian added.
"Exactly, if you have issues with each other, wait until after this battle. Then you can do whatever you want."
Morris spoke at this moment.
"Hmph!" Bullet snorted coldly, retracting the aura surrounding him. The frost on the deck began to slowly melt as Bullet looked at Moria and said, "I'll settle the score with you after we finish with Duke Kingdom."
"Yeehihihihi! It seems you'll get to keep your position among the All-Stars a little longer." Moria also released his grip on his sword, though his shadow continued to writhe restlessly, betraying his inner resentment.
The two ceased their confrontation and turned their gaze toward the distant Duke Kingdom.
On the horizon, the outline of the kingdom was now clearly visible, with the towering spires of its castle glittering in the sunlight.