Dressrosa Port.
Originally, the kingdom of Dressrosa didn't have a port. The entire island was like a basin surrounded by rocky cliffs.
But after the Thunder God Pirates took it as their territory, more and more ships began arriving. Seeing this, King Riku built a port on one side of the kingdom.
On one hand, it made docking easier.
On the other, it allowed them to charge a management fee.
Over the past year, the constant flow of merchant and pirate ships had brought a fortune in Berries to Dressrosa.
As for troublemakers?
They'd have to ask Cavendish and Kyros if they'd allow it.
The warm sea breeze swept through the port, sunlight casting a vibrant glow over the lively docks.
This was where Sanders and Kaido had fought. The surrounding rocks had been shattered in their clash, making it a natural place to build a port.
Now, the harbor bustled with life—merchants, sailors, and burly dockworkers moving goods.
Pirate ships were mixed among them, too.
Ever since Sanders became a Sea Emperor, more pirates had been drawn to Dressrosa.
Some came seeking battle, hoping to gain fame, power, and fortune.
After all, the sea was never short of ambitious men trying to rise overnight.
Others came to join the Thunder God Pirates.
It was easier to thrive under a strong leader. The New World had long been divided among the Four Emperors and the World Government.
If you weren't challenging an Emperor, your only other option was to serve one.
And among the current Emperors, Sanders, the man who defeated Whitebeard, was naturally the prime choice for many veteran pirates looking for a new path.
However—
Few were ever truly accepted into his crew.
A pirate ship cut through the waves, sailing into the port.
At the bow stood a towering, muscular man wearing a short-sleeved shirt that exposed his bulging muscles. His entire demeanor screamed:
"I'm not to be messed with."
"Kuhahaha! So this is Dressrosa?"
"The territory of a Sea Emperor… not bad!"
The burly pirate leaped from the ship onto the dock, scanning his surroundings before laughing heartily.
Behind him, a group of fierce-looking pirates disembarked one after another.
"This place looks great, boss! Once you take Sanders' head, this kingdom will be ours!"
"I heard the women here are fiery and passionate. Can't wait to see for myself!"
One of the lackeys grinned, prompting a round of knowing laughter from the others.
Their rowdy arrival caught the attention of the people at the port.
However—
After a brief glance, everyone simply went back to their own business.
Dock workers, merchants, even other pirates—no one seemed concerned.
Seeing this, the burly pirate became unsettled.
He was a notorious pirate with a bounty exceeding 100 million Berries!
Many nations and villages feared him!
Yet these people—
They weren't afraid at all.
They didn't even give him a second look.
His face darkened.
How dare they ignore him?!
He wanted to lash out—but without an excuse, he forced himself to hold back.
After all—
He was going to be a Sea Emperor soon.
He couldn't act like a common thug.
He had to be calm. Collected.
He decided—
Once I take Sanders' head and become an Emperor… I'll make them all pay.
Just as they were about to leave the port—
A squad of Dressrosa soldiers blocked their path.
"Docking fee. 10,000 Berries per day."
The squad leader's voice was flat, his face emotionless.
The burly pirate froze.
"What did you just say? I don't think I heard that right."
"10,000 Berries per day to dock your ship."
The squad leader repeated, still expressionless.
The burly pirate pointed at himself.
His voice rose in disbelief.
"I'M A PIRATE!"
He couldn't believe it.
Who had ever heard of someone charging pirates a docking fee?!
"And? So what?" The squad leader's tone turned impatient.
"Pirates have to pay to dock just like anyone else. You pay to drink at a tavern, don't you?"
"Everyone who docks here pays. No exceptions."
After a short pause, he added—
"Keep an eye on your valuables. If they get stolen, it's not our problem. We only manage the port, not crime prevention."
The burly pirate's face darkened further.
First, they dared to charge him.
Now, they were saying they wouldn't even protect his ship from thieves?!
Finally, he found an excuse to get angry.
He glared fiercely at the squad leader.
"I'M A PIRATE!"
"I HAVE A 120 MILLION BERRY BOUNTY!"
"I'm the one who takes money from others! No one dares to take money from me!"
"Get out of my way! I'm here to take Sanders' head—small fries like you aren't even worth killing!"
The squad leader's expression changed, and the kingdom soldiers beside him immediately gripped their weapons tightly, warily watching the burly pirate.
"Toot! Toot! Toot! Toot!"
The squad leader grabbed the whistle hanging around his neck and blew it forcefully.
"Someone is causing trouble!"
As the whistle sounded, footsteps echoed from outside.
In no time, twenty to thirty kingdom soldiers rushed in, surrounding the burly pirate and his men.
Despite being surrounded by the vigilant kingdom guards, the pirate showed no fear. Instead, he looked around with a smug expression.
This is how it should be.
Hearing that he was a notorious pirate with a bounty of 120 million Berries, they must be terrified, right?
However, his smug expression quickly stiffened.
He realized that, rather than fear, the people around him seemed more intrigued.
"Hohoho, another one here to challenge Lord Raijin."
"And a pirate with a bounty of over 100 million? Impressive!"
"Anyone know who he is? Never heard of him."
"No idea. Probably just arrived in the New World and hasn't made a name for himself yet."
"Seems like a ruthless guy. Otherwise, his bounty wouldn't be so high. Might've slaughtered civilians and Marines to get that kind of bounty."
"Hah! Just entered the New World and already dares to challenge an Emperor of the Sea? That takes guts!"
"Hehehe, I bet he'll end up in the Corrida Colosseum soon enough. Ever since Lord Sanders' reputation has grown, more and more pirates have come to challenge him. The Colosseum's matches have been getting better and better—great entertainment!"
"Place your bets! How long will it take for the gladiator to defeat him?"
"Five minutes. He just entered the New World—his bounty is probably inflated."
"Ten minutes, at least. His bounty is high, after all."
"Does he even know Haki? If he does, he might be tough to deal with. If not, he's just a weakling."
Merchants and pirates at the port all chatted animatedly.
Some were even enthusiastically placing bets.
No one looked afraid—some even seemed to be enjoying the show.
After all, they had seen far too many pirates trying to challenge Sanders.
Yet, few could even defeat the gladiator Kyros.
Even those who did, upon witnessing Kyros' true strength, would quickly abandon any thoughts of challenging the Emperor of the Sea.
If defeating Kyros was already a struggle, how could they possibly stand against Sanders?
That would be suicide.
The burly pirate's face turned red with rage upon hearing the surrounding chatter. His heavy breathing grew louder, and it looked as if flames of fury were about to burst from his eyes.
With a furious roar, he signaled his subordinates to attack the kingdom guards.
He had already made up his mind—after dealing with these soldiers, he would teach the port's people a lesson.
The battle erupted instantly.
The burly pirate was indeed strong, and the kingdom guards struggled to hold their ground against him.
But just then, a man wielding a massive sword rushed over from the distance.
"Kyros is here!"
The crowd burst into excited shouts.
Everyone eagerly anticipated the upcoming fight.
A pirate with a bounty of over 100 million Berries against the gladiator Kyros—this was not a battle they got to see every day.
Seeing the pirate wreaking havoc, Kyros gripped his greatsword and charged forward.
After months of training and battles, his strength had grown significantly.
Now that his leg had been fully healed, even veteran pirates with over 100 million Berries bounties were no match for him.
Many such pirates had already fallen to him.
Even so, Kyros remained cautious against the burly pirate.
He started with a few probing attacks.
It didn't take long for him to confirm—
This pirate did not know Haki.
With that realization, Kyros felt completely at ease.
Everyone knew that those who could use Haki and those who couldn't were on entirely different levels.
Especially when it came to Observation Haki.
Those without it would always be at a severe disadvantage against those who possessed it.
After all, if your attacks were completely predictable, what could you possibly do to win?
As the fight continued, Kyros steadily dominated the burly pirate.
The pirate grew increasingly anxious.
He realized that none of his attacks were working.
The strength he once prided himself on was completely ineffective.
It was as if the swordsman could read his every move.
"Tch, so he doesn't even know Haki… He really doesn't understand the New World at all, yet he dares to challenge an Emperor of the Sea? What was he thinking?"
"How boring. He's completely countered by Observation Haki. All that brute strength is useless. Looks like the Colosseum is getting a new gladiator."
Seeing the fight unfold, experienced onlookers shook their heads and started leaving.
As expected, it didn't take long before deep wounds covered the pirate's body.
The once-proud pirate was now panting heavily, looking utterly defeated.
Kyros stood tall with his greatsword, gazing down at the battered pirate.
"As per the rules—anyone who causes trouble without cause must either enter the Colosseum or pay a certain amount of Berries to leave."
His deep voice carried absolute authority.
All troublemaking pirates and those who wished to challenge Sanders had to enter the Corrida Colosseum and earn a certain amount of Berries before they were allowed to leave.
This was a rule set by Sanders himself.
These pirates were worthless scum, and letting them live—let alone granting them future freedom—was already an act of mercy from Sanders.
It was a form of waste utilization.
Those who attempted to escape or had committed major crimes in Dressrosa would typically have their heads removed and turned in by the Raijin Pirates' intelligence division at a Marine base in exchange for bounty rewards.
Free money—why not take it?
Over time, the Corrida Colosseum became increasingly popular.
Many pirates even voluntarily participated in the gladiator battles—not only to hone their combat skills but also to earn some Berries in the process.
"Are you kidding me?! I'm the man who will become the Pirate King! There's no way I'll fall here!"
The burly pirate was in complete shambles, but his words remained defiant.
Kyros, however, was not surprised at all.
These pirates who made it to the New World—not a single one of them was a coward.
For people like this, words were meaningless.
The only way to make them understand their weakness was to crush them in battle.
Kyros furrowed his brows slightly, pointing his greatsword at the pirate and saying calmly:
"Then I have no choice but to arrest you."
After another round of battle, the burly pirate was slammed to the ground.
The kingdom guards immediately stepped forward and shackled him with iron cuffs.
His subordinates had already fallen under the relentless assault of the kingdom guards.
After all, Kyros wasn't the only one who had grown stronger—over the past several months, the entire Dressrosa Kingdom Guard had significantly improved.
"What was that power you used to predict my attacks?"
Lying on the ground, the defeated pirate gasped for breath as he asked.
"Observation Haki," Kyros replied flatly before ordering his men to escort the pirates to the dungeon.
Once their wounds healed, they would be sent to the Colosseum, where they would fight for their freedom—one brutal battle at a time.
But just then, a massive ship slowly approached the port.
At first, no one paid it much mind.
But when they saw the pirate flag hanging from its mast—
The entire port fell into a stunned silence.
"W-Wait a minute... Are you kidding me?! Why is the Beasts Pirates here?!"
A panicked voice broke the silence.
Ordinary pirates didn't scare them—not even those with bounties exceeding 100 million Berries.
But the ship approaching them now belonged to none other than Kaido of the Beasts—one of the Five Emperors of the Sea!
Many in Dressrosa still remembered the legendary battle between Kaido and Sanders in Dressrosa.
It was that very battle that freed the people of Dressrosa from the clutches of Donquixote Doflamingo.
"The Beasts Pirates… they're not here to start a war, are they?"
Someone muttered in panic.
If the two great pirate crews clashed again—
Dressrosa could be completely destroyed!
"That's impossible, right? The Beasts Pirates just fought the Whitebeard Pirates not long ago… I doubt they're here for war."
"Even if they are, there's nothing to fear. Lord Sanders is the most wanted pirate in the world right now. Even Whitebeard—who was once Roger's equal—fell before him."
"If a war breaks out now, Kaido might not even be a match for Lord Sanders anymore."
"Besides, if they were really here for war, they wouldn't have sent just one ship. Maybe they're just here for a quick resupply?"
Some speculated uncertainly.
Under the anxious gazes of the crowd, the large ship slowly pulled into the port.
And when the people of Dressrosa finally saw who was aboard—
Their hearts tightened.
It was none other than—
King, the Wildfire!
One of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates!
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T/N:
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