[105] The Pirate Festival

[2905 words]

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[Marineford]

[Two Weeks till the Festival]

Within the powerful walls of Marineford was an executive briefing room. The higher-ups would use this area to inform the Marines about certain missions or events.

"Pryde D. Sol: the last remaining Overlord of the Sea," a Vice Admiral read out loud. "He resides in the New World on the island of Superbia!"

"Not too long ago, he raided a secure transportation of World Government goods that were of interest to the Celestial Dragons. His threat level is on the top of the Threat Index, and his boldness is unmatched."

The veteran marine went on to say, "The Prideful Pirates, having been present in these seas for over four decades, numbering at around forty thousand pirates!"

"Sol has his top commanders, six of them."

The officer proceeded to list them out:

"Jello – Commander of Envy;"

"Osca – Commander of Greed;"

"Cupid – Commander of Lust;"

"Bourgeois Ignavi – Commander of Sloth;"

"Gobbler – Commander of Gluttony;"

"Thymos – Commander of Wrath."

"Naturally, Sol takes his position as the Supreme Commander of Pride."

The Vice Admiral sighed heavily at the grave task, "Each of them has made a name for themselves as they rampaged through the seas, amassing large bounties."

.

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Admiral Sengoku walked in with his flair as the marines saluted in reverence.

"Speaking of bounties, the balance of berries has shifted from the recent emergence of the Rocks Pirates. But before such chaotic times, the Three Overlords ruled with great power and their existence must be studied…"

Bang!

He slapped a bounty poster upon the wall.

"Thaddeus 'Medulla' Enigma. Bounty of 3,412,900,000 berries!"

Bang!

"'Crazed Wind' Esso Borealis. Bounty of 3,558,000,000 berries!"

"These two are dead. Leaving behind this problem…"

Bang!

Sengoku then slapped upon another poster, sending out a resounding thunk. "Hailing from the scarred land of Moraino, Pryde D. Sol—also known as 'The Sin of Pride' and the 'Holy Terror'."

"Bounty of 3,909,285,000 berries!"

The papers reeled in the eyes of the newer marines as the older ones could only solemnly nod.

The Admiral massaged his forehead, conveying his frustrations. "These numbers were quite overwhelming on our end and now all hell will break loose in the coming Festival."

*Gulp* The men take a deep breath from the tension.

"The Prideful Pirates, The Rocks Pirates, The Roger Pirates," Sengoku summarized the main threats. "These three are the true enemies of the world as each one of them can cause great mayhem; Rocks Pirates being the top of the list."

He shook his head from the gravity of the situation, "They have many of the pirates from the Threat Index of both first and second levels. From Rocks to Shiki to Whitebeard to the Evil Spirit and the newly listed Level One Threat: Sin Incarnate Damien."

"From our intel, we've confirmed the participants of all three of these crews. But be ready for other big names of significant threat like Shaw or Redfield."

The Admiral let out a deep exhale as he peered at the tens of Rear Admiral and Vice Admirals present, "This will be our greatest operation… and we will obliterate the strongest pirates in one fell swoop!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the pumped-up crowd, showcasing their confidence and readiness to end the damning pirate era for good!

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[The New World]

Superbia was located in this sea; a single large island with two sister islands by its side.

Upon the main island sat three major structures. Two colossal forts to provide support relief and reinforcements for the barren plains of the island and the capital city which housed nearly 300,000 citizens.

It was widely known that the Sin of Pride lived in the Helios Capital surrounded by three rings of towering walls.

Zooming out were the sister islands: Apollo and Glint Island. The Pirate Festival was to be hosted at the latter.

[Superbia Map Image (in Discord)]

…

[Helios Capital, Superbia]

[Two Weeks Later]

The sun had risen as a mellow dawn lit up the island. It was 7:30 in the morning.

"Hmm, Thymos, how is everything?" a powerful voice graced the halls of the Golden Pride Castle.

Thymos, Sol's main stooge, was a capricious man who donned a full-body black coat made of crow feathers. His equally dark hood created a depressing sight and the ruby-topped staff in his hands added a touch of mystery.

"Yes, Lord Sol, everything is ready. The troops are prepared as well. The other five will ensure that no one makes a mess."

"Sohohoho! Good. I suppose it is time for me to grace them with my presence."

[Thymos the Wrath Image (in Discord)]

…

[Glint Island]

Glint Island was only a fraction of Superbia's size, nearly 20 kilometers wide with ports surrounding its shores.

A grand atmosphere was present—the streets were filled with pirates, bold tourists, bounty hunters, tourists and hidden operatives. However, there were no crimes committed with Sol's pirates keeping the peace and holding up the festive mood.

A man suddenly called out, drawing the attention of the masses, "Look there!"

"I-It's the Baby Pirates!"

"And there, The Noble Pirates!"

"The Mask Pirates are here as well!"

"Isn't that the captain of the Abyss Pirates there!?"

Many smaller groups were making their way to the island's center after anchoring their ships.

They were the ones who didn't have the guts to go against the current powers but refused to join them as well; an unruly bunch.

…

Glint Island was a large open plain with a single elevated area.

It was a man-made structure, a simple flat 150-meter hill that could view the remaining island from above.

Upon this flat hill were Cupid, Jello and Ignavi of Six Vices.

"Urufufufu, Lord Sol will be pleased," Cupid smilingly said.

The woman had dark skin and curly brown hair, sporting a tight black dress with vertical stripes. Much of her body was covered in golden accessories: the arm guards, shoulder strips and necklace.

"Hmm, don't be too ignorant, the Roger Pirates and the Rocks Pirates will arrive soon based on our intelligence," Ignavi said in a solemn yet sleepy tone.

The sloth-like man had elegant clothing, dashing with a white cape and coat, both as bright as his blond hair.

"Jell-le-le-le! 'Navi-kun, don't get your panties in a mix! Boss Sol will burn down all our opponents with his divine powers!" Jello laughed.

Jello rested an arm over his thin saber, looking past his medium-length red hair at his fellow Sins. He had dark, bloodstained clothes with matching gloves and a cavalier's hair with a prominent feather atop.

[Cupid the Lust Image (in Discord)]

[Ignavi the Sloth Image (in Discord)]

[Jello the Envy Image (in Discord)]

…

[Two Hours Later]

It was now 9:30 am and many of the pirates had arrived. Excluding Sol's crew of 16,000 deployed at Glint Island, another 12,000 other people have gathered around.

There were many large tents and booths set up everywhere with large banners decorating the area. Numerous flags and bounty posters flew around the tense air. 

The people waited for Sol's arrival; some gambled, some partied, and some drank. Yet every single one was ready to engage once the fight broke out; a gathering of tens of crews and a fight would definitely break out.

.

"ARE YOU READY KIDS!?"

A large voice boomed off the speaker erected beside the raised platforms.

"Look, it's Commander Osca!" The Prideful Pirates roared out in joy.

The figure of the pirate Commander was loud. He had a gray captain's coat with golden epaulets, holding up two sabers. His hair was the same dull colour as his coat, slicked back to expose the dirty grin.

"The 32nd Pirate Festival hosted by the Great Lord Sol will commence in half an hour!" 

The announcement garnered a huge flurry of boisterous exclaims, a great spectacle.

[Osca the Greed Image (in Discord)]

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[The South Port]

"Wahahaha! This is what I call a party!" a rowdy voice resounded the port at Glint Island.

"They surely seem quite excited," a calmer person commented, his glasses reflecting a bright shine.

They stood before a glorious ship with crimson sails, showing off the mustachioed skull as their Jolly Roger.

The Oro Jackson carrying the Roger Pirates has arrived!

"Let's go! Rayleigh, Gaban!" Roger laughed as he jumped from the ship and onto the land with little care.

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[Three Kilometers Away from the Coast of Glint Island]

If one were to look this far, one would see a rather scary sight.

Nearly 80 pirate ships gently floated about. In the center of this fleet was a gigantic ship that eclipsed all others—the Titanic of the Rocks Pirates!

On the west edge of the Titanic were two people.

Damien's eyes squinted into the horizon, feeling the ripples in the air with the sheer excitement of the thousands of Rocks' Pirates nearby. 

.

"Pryde D. Sol," Damien thought out loud. "He has been around for over four decades yet they say he maintains the appearance of a man barely in his early thirties."

Shakky was to his side, leaning on a brown railing. "He is shrouded in a veil of mystery and likes to keep it that way," she chimed in.

Damien nodded, "The Holy Terror; his name inspires fear from a religious and spiritual point of view. You told me his fruit tied into an ancient figure that existed long ago."

"A legend of a 'Warrior of Liberation'… it's quite the tale that he bastardized into his image."

Shakky puffed a cloud of smoke, nodding, "He has a special ability. I don't know the specifics but it's enough to interest Captain Rocks."

"So I've been told." Damien hummed in anticipation.

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[A Little While Later]

Within the ship were the Four Titans and the Tragedies, their captain standing before them. "Xahaha! Set sail!"

Rocks gave the order for only the Titanic to sail, leaving the armada behind, floating in impatience.

*Vwooo!* *Splash!* The ginormous ship began its path, barely moving at 30 knots towards Glint Island.

"Newgate, speed up the ship!" Xebec yelled out.

Whitebeard went to the back of the ship. He took a fistful of air with his left hand and violently swiped down.

*Rumble* The ground many kilometers below the sea started to shift from Whitebeard's powers.

The sea started to quiver and a giant tide of water was sent out from the earthquake at the ocean's floor. The tides grew bigger and bigger, taking the Titanic with them.

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[Half an Hour Later]

The pirates had gathered!

Twelve thousand pirates added to Sol's pirates would mean that almost 30,000 of the toughest criminals had come together!

A resounding thud swiped their attention.

"So manly, Gobbler-sama!"

The far larger-than-life Gobbler had the appearance of a warrior. He wore a brown hat with a giant crimson feather sticking out, all the while donning shoulder straps and arm guards made of a mix of metal, plastic and cloth. 

The Sin had a thin mustache and eyepatch as he grinned at the hordes of pirates.

[Gobbler the Gluttony Image (in Discord)]

*Thud* *Thud* *Thud* A few more shadows joined him, the remaining Commanders!

"Lady Cupid should be crowned the most beautiful after Herja's fall!"

"Commander Osca!"

"Ignavi-sama is so flamboyant!"

"Jello-sama!"

"Look, Lord Thymos, the leader of the Six Vices!"

The Prideful Pirates cheered with great energy as the land erupted into joy.

As for the other pirates, most were too afraid to speak up as these six had a combined bounty sum of over two billion berries!

"Hey… what's that?!"

All of a sudden, the bright sun that lit up the island seemed quite dull as another glow illuminated the lands from the platform.

"Ugh, my eyes—it's too bright!"

*Bzzzzz*

The crackling of a flame echoed through the now-quiet land as a wave of blazing heat burst out from behind the Six Capital Vices.

*Thump* *Thump*

A few steps reverberated the island, coming from the sole person who now stood in front of the Six Commanders.

He stood at around 9 feet in height (2.74 m) and had silver-coloured hair that ran down to his shoulders. His glorious red robes encrusted with the finest gems gave off a refined appearance.

However, his divine air was overshadowed by his facial features: a dull, gray complexion; eyes in reverse colour: black sclera and white pupils, and a face littered with scars. 

One such scar ran diagonally over his forehead, one across his nose bridge, two near his lips resembling cracks and another cutting over his left cheek. 

*Vzzz* *Fwvvvvv*

Every few seconds, extremely hot waves of heat would pulse out of the man, seemingly carrying a suppressive effect, causing most to lose any thoughts of standing against him.

The illustrious pirate was the last remaining Overlord, Pryde D. Sol!

[Sol Image (in Discord)]

.

*Szzzzz* The clouds were heated into oblivion as the vapour steamed from the air itself, dousing the land with uncanny warmth.

"Sohohoho, it is a beautiful day to realize my fate," an arrogant voice boomed, each syllable being carried alongside the ripples of hellacious heat. "I see most of you are curious as to why this Festival is taking place. It's quite simple…"

The Overlord Sol smiled with vicious eyes.

"I hereby declare myself King of the New World! This Festival shall be held in my name!" he said with great pride.

*Boom!* Pulses of the Supreme Will rippled out once more following the bold declaration. 

.

The Six Capital Vices exploded with their powers as Thymos smashed the foot of his staff upon the ground to cement the thought. "You all have a choice now: either submit to Lord Sol here and now, or face our collective wrath!"

The ultimatum had been given to commence the Dawn of Pride!

"…"

Alas, with the coercion of the deadly sins and nearly 16,000 pirates, most were inclined to agree.

"Praise the Sun!" A mix of deep fear added to the greed of grasping the treasures of the world caused most to surrender.

.

"These guys have no backbone!" A bold young pirate with spiky white hair remarked, pointing his giant hook at the distant Overlord.

He was clad in a partially open maroon coat and black armoured gauntlets, knee guards, and a pink and red patterned cloth wrapped around his waist. 

"Tch, I told you this would happen, Jakob!" a dagger-wielding woman scowled. She had long, wavy dark hair and wore a red bandana, dressed in a detailed, dark leather outfit.

"Whatever, a Pirate Alliance's road is always bumpy. We'll kill him together, Maria!"

Their rebelliousness sent shivers of greed in the masses while the undecided pirates wanted to try and fight. After all, Sol was known to hold a plethora of treasures in his divine vault at Apollo Island.

[Jakob and Maria Images (in Discord)]

*Vvoosh!* A dark shadow appeared before the two pirate captains, bringing a wave of heat with it.

"The Super Rookies: Jakob 'The Hook' and Reed 'Thornapple' Maria," the Overlord chuckled. "You'll do well as an example…"

The two pirates stood on guard, much like their trusty crews behind them.

Jakob brandished his giant hook with the Colour of Arms, the same thing Maria did with her trusty dagger, much to the Holy Terror's amusement.

.

"Solar Flare."

.

*Crackle* Vibrant golden flames erupted from Sol, spreading out in all directions.

It was an inferno of spectacular delights, shrieking from the Overlord to obliterate everything in their path.

"Ugh!" Jakob lost all feeling in his body, seeing nothing but gold fire spanning dozens of meters. All he heard were the miserable cries of his and Maria's fellow mates and the smell of ash and despair.

His metal hook had been bathed in the blood of thousands yet it only fared against Sol for a fraction of a second before melting.

'I-Is this the end of our journey?' Maria cursed, gnashing her teeth with the embrace of death around her.

The skin was burnt to a crisp, and flesh and bones were liquified and evaporated as every evidence of their existence was erased.

Jakob worth 350 million, Maria, 250 million—their alliance turned to dust with a single attack.

.

Alas, their cry for defiance wasn't for naught, it gave some spirit to a few other unruly groups, numbering nearly four thousand.

Six short rumblings went off as Sol's Commanders landed beside him.

"Lord Sol, let us remove these unruly bunch," Thymos said as he gazed at thirty-eight hundred pirates. "You who now serve the Holy Terror, fight!"

Eight thousand of the recruits added to the 16,000 Prideful Pirates yelled out as they ran forth with great fervour, eager to please the Overlord.

"Wahahaha! This is a nice way to lift the mood from the failure at Lodestar!" a hearty voice resounded.

The stylish man nearby sighed, cupping the rim of his spectacles, "Who knows how much blood will be shed in this mess."

Roger grinned, tossing an empty saké cup to the floor. "Hehe, they came here knowing the risk, what's there to dread about!"

.

Both swordsmen watched intently at the clashing armies with a single thought in mind. The same thought was shared by true powerhouses near the sidelines.

The Overlord Sol returned to the hill, becoming a bystander in the war of his craft.

"Roger, Rocks," the scarred man muttered to himself, "let us decide the fate of the New World through blood and war!"

To Be Continued…

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Author's Corner.

All of Sol's Vices have been revealed alongside a peak at his powers. Although they will resemble the one from the original version, I assure you that there are additions, much like how I added the volcano powers to Basara.

Jakob and Maria were added by the giveaway winners.

Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q