Chapter 29: The Gathering Storm on Beehive Island

“No need to leave anyone behind. Everyone, come with me.”

Maybe it’s just the way giants are, straightforward and not big on scheming. They’re usually too proud to bother with tricks anyway.

Vice Captain Fred saw there was no persuading him, so he got everything sorted out right away.

“Hurry up, get on board!”

“Move this up too!”

The crew of the Jorlul Pirates moved quickly, gathering supplies for departure. They might not be headed straight for a fight, but with pirates, a bit of scrapping is basically inevitable.

Just in case things turned violent, they made sure every detail was handled.

Soon, dozens of massive ships were lined up along the coast, ready to set sail.

Jorlul stood on the deck, towering at thirty meters tall—a height even among giants that put him near the top.

Just his presence alone made it hard for his crew to breathe, his aura heavy on the deck.

Jorlul spoke, his voice wild and commanding, carrying a magnetic force all its own.

“My son Krell is dead.”

“The Rocks Pirates have chosen to provoke us.”

“We must take revenge.”

“We march on Beehive Island!”

When Jorlul gave the order to attack, excitement surged through the pirates. It wasn’t often they got to be part of something this huge.

And this time, it wasn’t just the captain heading out—the division leaders were joining too.

There was Captain Jorlul, Vice Captain Fred, First Division Captain Herman, Second Division Captain Eloy, Third Division Captain Bakura, and Fourth Division Captain Angelo.

This was a lineup to rewrite history. The last time they’d sent out so many at once must’ve been that big war with the Nox Pirates.

Only a handful of pirates were left back on Kuro Island to guard their home.

“Awooo!”

“Charge Beehive Island!”

“What a spectacle!”

“Yeah, it’s been ages since we’ve seen anything like this.”

Two random pirates whispered to each other on the sidelines.

All eyes turned to the division captains. With such leaders at the helm, the crew’s confidence soared.

With shouts ringing out across the shore, dozens of ships raised their sails and charged out to sea, setting course for Beehive Island.

…

Beehive Island!

That morning Karl was teaching Long Yi and Long Er the art of Daoist Thunder Magic. They’d already nearly mastered the Golden Light Spell—just a few refinements left.

As for the regular orphans he’d taken in, they were still practicing the Five Elements Fist. Their bodies weren’t nearly as strong, so they needed time to build their foundation. The Five Elements Fist was perfect for that.

Physical difference was a massive hurdle for them, but at least they were young. Karl didn’t expect anything from them for now anyway.

“Long Yi, Long Er, you two need to really get a handle on Thunder Magic next.”

The dragonfolk bloodline was no joke—their natural strength gave them a huge edge.

Once they grasped the flow of the Golden Light Spell, Karl taught them how to channel Thunder Magic. They caught on almost immediately, though they still needed practice to really master it.

In another world, these two kids would be once-in-a-century prodigies.

“Captain Karl, Rocks is calling all the division captains for a meeting.”

“Oh? Did he say what it’s about?”

“No, Captain Karl.”

“The messenger just said to gather the division captains—nothing else.”

The messenger pirate was just as clueless. With the attack on the Tyr Kingdom about to begin, nobody really knew what the meeting was for.

“Alright. Long Yi, Long Er, keep practicing. I’m heading out for a bit.”

Karl handed Long Yi and Long Er over to Krell, then hurried to the conference hall. He figured this was about the upcoming battle with the Tyr Kingdom.

“You two are definitely Karl’s favorites.”

Krell had already figured out that Karl’s lightning wasn’t from a Devil Fruit but something he could cultivate himself.

He was plenty jealous, but at least he knew he hadn’t even finished learning the Golden Light Spell yet—Thunder Magic would need to wait.

“Heh heh!”

Long Yi and Long Er just grinned without saying a word. They didn’t want to bruise Krell’s ego. Despite being so young, they were already masters of reading a room—if they weren’t, they’d never have survived this long.

Inside the conference hall!

“The captain called us together like this… Is something up?”

John looked straight at Rocks the moment he arrived. He knew Rocks didn’t bother with meetings unless something important was at stake—weren’t they supposed to be attacking the Tyr Kingdom today?

“Gihahahaha!”

“Who knows?”

Shiki, sitting among the group, lit up a cigar, obviously irritated. He’d been managing some shady business deals, getting his affairs in order for a split, when the sudden summons came—a lot could go wrong now.

Rocks didn’t say a word. He just glanced at Shiki, the weight of his presence enough to silence the room.

Of course, Rocks knew most of them weren’t there by choice. With his fists ruling the roost, who’d dare say no?

Still, he didn’t bother to pry into their lives. As long as they wore his colors and followed orders, that was enough. Muscle made the rules.

Caught under Rocks’ gaze, Shiki quickly wiped the cocky look off his face. Right now, he wasn’t about to challenge Rocks.

“Mamamama!”

“Shiki, you’re ruining my cake time!”

Charlotte Linlin was chomping on a giant cake when Rocks’ intimidation shook her. She shot Shiki a warning—no way did she want a fight breaking out before dessert!

John and Wang Zhi straightened up, sitting ramrod-stiff. They were Rocks’ most loyal men.

Seeing that Rocks still hadn’t spoken, they guessed he was waiting for everyone to arrive before making any announcements.

Just then, Karl walked in.

Noticing everyone was present, he quickly grabbed a seat near the door.

“Karl, you’re here!”

Newgate shot Karl a big grin as soon as he sat down.

Karl lived a little further out on the island. He liked peace and quiet, so he was always the last to show up.

“Any idea what this is about?”

“Not yet!”

Karl and Newgate whispered quietly to each other.

“Ahahaha!”

Once the division captains had all arrived, Rocks broke into booming laughter before addressing the group.

Turned out, Karl had killed Krell a couple weeks back. Word had gotten to Jorlul, who wanted vengeance for his son.

Now the whole Giant Pirates crew was heading straight for Beehive Island.

Rocks had gotten wind of the full-scale mobilization almost as soon as it started. He knew the giants had barely left anyone to guard their own island.

And this time, it was the Giant Pirates alone—no X Pirates tagging along.

Rocks sat in the central chair, roaring with laughter.

It was clear he was in high spirits. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. If he played it right, he might just seize control of the whole second half of the Grand Line—becoming its true king.

Funny thing—his plan had just been a random move to begin with. Now the Giant Pirates had swallowed the bait. Chalk one up for luck; otherwise, he’d have missed this golden opportunity.

Sure, today’s goal was the Tyr Kingdom, but why not crush the Giant Pirates first?

“The Giant Pirates!”

“If we weren’t pressed for time going after the Tyr Kingdom, would they even matter to us?”

The Golden Lion’s anger shifted instantly to the Giant Pirates. In his eyes, if they hadn’t shown up, he’d have finished his business without a hitch—and avoided a loss.

Everyone in the room caught on quick. Rocks had assembled them here to use this window to take over the Grand Line.

“This is incredible!”

Wang Zhi’s chubby face broke into a flush of excitement. As Rocks’ most devoted follower, he’d been dreaming of wiping out both the Giant and X Pirates—he never expected the opportunity to fall into their hands like this.