A new chapter!
3rd Person POV
***Navy HQ***
"Reporting from Zone 3, within Big Mom's territory. Portgas D. Jackson and his crew, along with the Kuja-Pirates just came into contact with a patrol division ship belonging to the Big Mom fleet.
I repeat both sides made contact. No aggression or signs of battling can be observed so far.
Target started moving again. The Jackson-Pirates seem to be escorted towards Whole Cake Island. Possible dealings between those two crews might be happening without our knowing.
They are leaving our observation zone. Should we follow? Waiting for further commands. Over."
A transponder snail transmitted a live report from one of the ships, which were recently moved and assigned to an area along Big Mom's territory's borders.
Fleet admiral Sengoku, vice-admiral Garp, the three admirals of HQ and other first-rank vice-admirals were all gathered in the top floor's meeting hall and listening attentively.
"Not yet. Stay on your position until we get confirmation of Jackson and Big Mom clashing from our undercover team before moving to the next phase."
As the highest ranking official present, Sengoku gave them the order to stay put. His expression was extremely solemn, like almost everybody present at this table.
*Munch*Crunch*Munch*
…Almost everybody. Garp was the only one with enough leisure to eat his favourite snack while sitting comfortably.
*sigh*
Seeing him being carefree even during an important mission made Sengoku want to hit and curse at him but knowing that it would be useless he instead turned his attention back to the transponder snails lined on the long table in front of him.
'A series of hard-to-understand instructions coming shortly after Jackson's course got confirmed to be heading towards Whole Cake Island. That is hardly a coincidence but why the secrecy?'
Truthfully, he himself wasn't aware of the goal of this mission. He was blindly following instructions after receiving an ultimatum from all 5 elders of the World Government.
*Clank*
Another transponder snail started transmitting a live report. Regardless of how dissatisfied he was by this course of action, Sengoku still had to focus and make sure everything goes according to their plan.
Meanwhile on Whole Cake Island…
***Jackson POV***
"Wow! To think that not only they 'escorted' us all the way to their island but even prepared carriages to 'take' us to the castle. Our captain's (bad) reputation must be greater than we thought."
"Indeed! To think that even a yonko would pay so much attention to him. Captain sure is super (in-) famous!"
As soon as we reached the port, Sachi and Penguin started spouting their usual crap. Though they are doing it sarcastically, no one present is naïve enough to not get what they actually wanted to say.
"Indeed! Jackson is so amazing it's hard to believe someone like him exists!"
"…" (everyone)
Well almost no one. For some reason, Hancock is excitingly praising (?) me, while not even questioning the meaning behind their words and after the last two weeks we spent sailing together, it became clear why.
'She must think it impossible that someone would openly tease their captain like so! Yeah, that must be it… Her naïve side is surprisingly cute…'
After pretending to leave our weapons on the ship we boarded the carriages, everyone choosing one, fitting for their respective site, and drove off to Big Mom's tea party. By some 'coincidence' I was in a carriage with Hancock, Marigold and Sandersonia.
They were the only Kuja Pirates, allowed to accompany us, not that it really mattered since Hancock decided beforehand to leave the others waiting near the port and guard our ships.
She was sitting next to me, wearing a deep red dress skirt, with black Kuja symbols on it and long cut on it's left side to ensure enough freedom for movement.
Her top was matching her long skirt in colour and while it didn't show much cleavage, it was partly belly free.
*tap*
Her hand suddenly landed on my forehead, while I was star- *cough* appreciating her looks.
"You alright? You look a bit feverish, so I am just checking."
Normally, I am someone who can keep his cool around the ladies but this time she caught me off guard. Trying to avoid her big blue eyes I looked to the side only to see Marigold and Sandersonia watching us with smug and very punchable grins on their faces. In the end I spent the rest of the way in silence.
*** 3rd Person POV***
Meanwhile on the Whole Cake Chateau the tea party had already started. A vast majority of invited guests already arrived and were waiting for the big names to come.
They were curious about the new kings of the underground world and successors of the greatest illegal market on the Grand Line, who took over these positions after Jackson and his crew eliminated the previous ones on Red Risk Island.
"Hey! I heard that Portgas D. Jackson would be attending todays tea party."
"What? Are you sure? But wouldn't that be bad news for those who took over all those illegal dealings from Red Risk Island?"
"Why? Do you think he would make trouble here of all places? Big Mom's capital and main residence of power?"
"You think he won't? Don't forget that he is a devil who battled admirals and won, when he was just 12 years old? Who says he won't aim for more now?'
It took no time at all, for gossip to start among those present. Big Mom only invites big names with a lot of influence but it's not every day that someone who was called admiral killer as a kid, appears, even though he technically never killed them for good.
As time passed, more people arrived. Information brokers, large scale slave and weapon dealer, and even a certain bird journalist.
Morgan would usually mingle with those whom he labelled big mouths, or chatty, trying to catch the lates rumours and news but today he patiently waited, while enjoying some sweets and tea.
Everything else was exactly how it always goes during Big Mom's tea parties until some of those who are known to be more sensitive, abruptly shut their mouths and looked towards the entrance gate.
There they saw 'them' calmly walking in. Morgan, watching the biggest wave makers in recent times couldn't hold himself from summarizing what he knew about them.
'The spear and sword duo Sachi and Penguin. A talking polar bear named Beppo. A huge fish man, wearing a chef outfit even though everybody else was dressed on formal clothes. Still quite unknown compared to the others.'
'Of course, there is Nico Robin with them, someone infamous since her childhood, similar to her captain. How I wish to speak to her privately for an interview.
'Up next is the sniper who is said to be able to hit a coin in the air from tens of miles away, Van Augur, followed by 'lightning king' Enel. He ate one of the world's most powerful logia devil fruit.'
'Someone who recently became more well-known, Trafalgar Law. Not many have seen him fight and lived but there are strange rumours of him having wiped the floor with Doflamingo and all his officers at the same time which is strange since he was supposedly defeated on Dressrosa.'
'And of course, Kuina and Sabo are with him. According to what I gathered they are with him the longest and became his trusted left and right arm respectively. After their captain these two are rumoured to be the strongest despite their low bounty. I wonder how it came to that.'
'Ah… is that Boa Hancock walking with Portgas D. Jackson? The man, said to rival the yonko together with the world's supposedly most beautiful woman?! Jackson-Pirates and Kuja-Pirates… Wait… Could it be… No Way! This is BIG NEWS!!!'
Morgan wasn't the only one with a strong reaction. Katakuri, who just let them enter only watched, but something wasn't right.
'What is this? Why do I suddenly feel so… uneasy?'
He couldn't help but wonder. Logically Katakuri shouldn't feel so pressured since his observation haki only told him that they were immensely powerful but so was he, his siblings and his mother.
Despite looking into the future and checking that they wouldn't suddenly go wild, his finger tips felt tingly and the hair on his neck stood up just from looking at them.
"Brother Katakuri?"
Daifuku walked up to him, tapping his side and gave Katakuri a questioning look but the later only shook his head.
'Future sight showed that they won't do anything for now. Let's calm down and watch observe first.'
Under watchful eyes, they were guided to a table directly next to a huge chair, on which Big Mom will take her seat. Surprisingly as if summoned, Charlotte Linlin arrived shortly after. Her heavy steps shaking the ground, while an overbearing aura soon spread through the location.
"Mamamama! What is all this tension in the air? We are here to have a tea party! Enjoy yourselves properly!"
She declared with a huge grin and so began the tea party that would shake the World Government, like it didn't happen in over 800 years.
(AN: I.AM.ALIVE! Hey everyone, been a while, hasn't it? I was thinking quite often about whether to continue this ff and if so, how should I do so. Last you heard of me I was about to write chapters in advance for a patr ~ eon since I needed money but sadly that came to a quick stop when a blockage hit me and completely threw me off. Luckily or unluckily, I kept thinking about this ff even when I started my own novel, so here I am now trying to express my new ideas in words. Trust me it's not easy. As you may have noticed, nothing much happened in this chapter. I decided to use it as a set up for what is about to come. Hope you will stay and read what I had in mind for Jackson, the WG and how they are gonna shoot themselves in the leg with their next plan. Till next chap! (hopefully))