Meanwhile—
After much hardship, the Blackbeard Pirates finally arrived at the waters near Wano Country.
Through a News Coo, they obtained the latest bounty posters of the Leno Pirates.
Blackbeard stared at Leno's face on the poster—
That infuriating grin—
And the staggering bounty.
A surge of fury burned wildly in his chest.
He nearly tore the poster to pieces!
"Why?! Why does that bastard Leno get all the benefits?!"
"I've been scheming for so long—what does it count for?! Does it count for me being good at plotting?!"
"The Tremor-Tremor Fruit was taken by him! And I ended up like a stray dog, fleeing to this damned place!"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Ever since the Marineford War—
Nothing had gone his way.
And all of it—
He blamed on that bastard Leno!
But anger was anger.
Blackbeard wasn't blinded by it.
He knew clearly—
Now wasn't the time to complain.
The priority was to grow stronger as quickly as possible!
"Men!" Blackbeard tossed the crumpled bounty poster into the sea.
Greed and ambition reignited in his eyes.
"Prepare to land on Wano! I can't wait to get stronger!"
His target was clear.
He couldn't afford to provoke just anyone in Wano.
But the Shogun, Kurozumi Orochi?
That was easy prey.
"That useless Kurozumi Orochi isn't worthy of a Mythical Zoan!" Blackbeard licked his lips.
"A powerful Mythical Zoan like that should belong to someone destined to stand at the top—like me! Zehahahaha!"
He wasn't reckless enough to challenge Kaido.
He knew his limits.
The current Blackbeard Pirates—
Were no match for the "Strongest Creature in the World."
But dealing with Orochi—
A man protected by Kaido yet weak himself—
That was a sure thing.
Even the weakest Mythical Zoan—
Was still a Mythical Zoan.
As for the "commoner form"?
Irrelevant.
"Keep it quiet!" Blackbeard lowered his voice, instructing his crew.
"Find that trash Orochi first!"
Sneak into the village—no gunfire.
"Yes, Captain!"
Under Blackbeard's command—
The remnants of his crew quietly infiltrated Wano.
Unbeknownst to them—
Their presence had already been noticed.
After all, they were still a Yonko crew.
Not that incompetent.
Shortly after landing—
A low-ranking grunt spotted unfamiliar figures.
"Huh? Were those outsiders just now?"
The pirate rubbed his eyes, unsure.
By the time this information climbed the chain of command—
It would take time.
And that—
Gave Blackbeard a valuable window of opportunity.
…
Meanwhile—
Inside the Shogun's palace in Wano.
The current Shogun, Kurozumi Orochi—
Drunk—
Was forcing the beautiful courtesan Komurasaki to pour him drinks and dance.
Completely unaware—
That someone had already set their sights on his Devil Fruit.
…
Elsewhere—
At the heart of Totto Land in the New World—Whole Cake Island—
A discussion was underway.
Whether to invite the newly risen Yonko, Leno.
"Mamamamama~"
BIG MOM sat atop her massive throne, stuffing sweets into her mouth.
Her voice muffled as she spoke:
"What do you think? Should I send that brat Leno an invitation to my tea party?"
Though it sounded like she was asking—
The final decision was always hers.
Below, her children debated.
Charlotte Katakuri spoke thoughtfully:
"Mother, Leno is extremely powerful and acts without restraint. Inviting him may bring trouble."
"Mother, but he's now one of the Four Emperors. Not inviting him might make us look afraid."
"I heard he's surrounded by many beautiful and powerful women~ maybe we could arrange a political marriage?"
"He's taken a lot of Whitebeard's former territory—there's a conflict of interest with us."
"…"
Opinions clashed endlessly.
BIG MOM listened, eyes shifting—
Before slamming her armrest.
"Mamamamama~ enough!"
A cruel smile spread across her face.
"Send it! Why wouldn't I?!"
"Let that arrogant rookie come and witness my tea party!"
"Let him understand—being a Yonko isn't so easy!!"
With that decision—
An invitation bearing Leno's name was issued.
…
And what was the man in question doing?
Leno—
Whom the Big Mom Pirates couldn't stop talking about—
Was in no hurry to head to his destination.
Instead—
He leisurely guided the Fallen One through various islands of the New World.
Tasting local cuisine.
Admiring unique landscapes.
Occasionally going ashore to experience local culture.
After all—
What was the point of nonstop fighting?
That would just make him a glorified workhorse.
When it was time to relax—
You relaxed.
As he shamelessly indulged in rest—
Lying down whenever possible—
The "Sloth" statue within him began to loosen its seal at a much faster rate.
The progress had quietly reached 80%.
"Almost… almost there…"
Leno lay on a custom beach chair, enjoying fruit fed to him.
Anticipation filled his thoughts.
What world would this statue connect to?
Something like Bleach? Naruto? Demon Slayer?
Or…
The intense, oppressive era of Rocks?
After some thought—
The Rocks era was too suffocating.
The current era—
Though still one of inherited power—
Was preferable.
Background? He didn't have one.
But maybe he could make do.
Like… some absurd "ultimate cave"?
He even wondered if Scopper Gaban had just gone in and generated offspring himself.
As his thoughts wandered—
Nearby, Stussy's Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
Purururu—
She picked it up.
The Den Den Mushi's face quickly transformed—
Into a plump, familiar appearance.
No need to guess—
BIG MOM.
"Mamamamama~ Stussy, long time no see!"
BIG MOM's voice came through.
"Do me a favor! Find that brat Leno and deliver my tea party invitation to him!"
Stussy instinctively glanced at Leno—
Who was lounging lazily on a beach chair, surrounded by beautiful women attending to him.
A flicker of surprise crossed her face.
Then—
Switching instantly to her smooth-talking persona:
"Ah, Linlin~ don't worry. I know exactly where Leno is. I'll make sure your invitation reaches him personally~"
"Mamamamama~ good! Then I'll leave it to you!"
BIG MOM didn't question how she knew.
As long as the job got done.
Satisfied, she laughed loudly and hung up.
Stussy lowered the Den Den Mushi—
And walked toward Leno.
Even without this call—
He had already planned to go.
But now—
With an official invitation—
Things just got more interesting.
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