Chapter 72: The Flying Six

——The Wano Land, Onigashima.

A towering skull-shaped mountain loomed over this uninhabited island of Wano—a landmass so massive it resembled the visage of a monstrous demon.

But uninhabited no longer. For years now, this island had served as the stronghold of an overseas pirate crew allied with Kurozumi Orochi—the Beast Pirates.

Now, the island bore a colossal fortress, stretching from the lake at its entrance to the caverns within and the mountain’s surroundings. Countless carpenters still came and went, expanding mansions and checkpoints. Ships arrived laden with supplies, while others departed to fetch materials from Udon. The large-scale construction progressed steadily under the skilled hands of Wano’s finest craftsmen.

The crew lived in the fortress’s rooms and live floors. Their duties included pillaging, training, sorting supplies, relaying messages, and reporting—but outside of work, they spent their free time as they pleased. Banquets were the most common pastime.

Of course, as pirates aiding in Wano’s subjugation, they also kept watch over the country’s villages and monitored labor in the weapon factories daily. But most of those assigned to such tasks stayed on-site, meaning only about half of the Beast Pirates’ full force remained on Onigashima.

Yet even among them, there were some… unusual individuals.

"—Hey! Quit slacking! The hell’re you doing!?"

"Ah!? S-sorry! My arms, uh…"

"Hah!? Your arms!? Quit screwing around!! If he sees you, you’re dead!!"

"I-I know, but… I’m just a little tired…"

In a corner of Onigashima, the voices of a scolding pirate and his apologetic comrade echoed.

They stood inside a long, warehouse-like building, its air thick with a peculiar stench—so potent that newcomers would choke upon entering. Indeed, the fresh recruits here were visibly grimacing.

Their hands were stained with a dark crimson liquid. Though they wore gloves, the less careful among them had seepage on their clothes and even splatters on their faces.

Several such men worked here, their labors occasionally punctuated by groans.

They were all engaged in the same task—a job so vital it meant life or death.

Yet even these hardened men sometimes buckled under the strain. That was how brutal this place was.

And then—clank, clank—an unusual set of footsteps rang out.

"—Hey. What’re you up to?"

"Ah… Sorry! This guy here just—"

"N-no, I mean… uh…"

"You better’ve squeezed out every last drop, yeah?"

"W-well, about that…"

The footsteps stopped before the two pirates.

A young man stood there—youthful in appearance, yet with a solid build. His torso was bare beneath a wavelike coat, and he wore hakama-patterned trousers with a similar design, along with geta sandals.

A horned naval-style cap sat atop his head, his eyes gleaming sharply. His mouth, lined with jagged teeth no normal human would have, was framed by two prominent fangs jutting from his lower jaw.

Despite his youth, this man was an executive of the Beast Pirates. Reaching out to inspect their work, he—

"—The hell?! You screwing with me!?"

"Eek!?"

"N-no, sir…!!"

His anger flared instantly. Though his lips curled into a grin, his eyes held no mirth—only a faint, lethal edge. The pirates flinched under his glare.

But just as quickly, the killing intent faded. He exhaled, almost exasperated, then chuckled and spoke in a low, domineering tone.

"Hahaha!! Don’t get too damn cocky!! Kaido and the Nue put me in charge here!! —Ain’t like I wanna chew out my own men. Get me?"

"Y-yes, sir!! We’ll do better!!"

"We’ll redo the whole process right now!!"

"Yeah, that’s more like it… Do it right. —You can, yeah?"

"WE WILL!! LET US PROVE IT!!"

Only when his subordinates answered in unison did his oppressive aura finally dissipate. With that, he moved on, inspecting room after room without so much as a twitch at the stench—clearly accustomed to it.

After a while, he grabbed one of the products from a separate chamber and left the building.

The man’s name—

Beast Pirates, "Tobiroppo" — Sasaki.

"Tch… Useless bunch. No way they’re ever making exec."

Clank, clonk—his geta clicked as he strode forward, confidence radiating off him. Sasaki knew his worth. Becoming an executive of the Beast Pirates at his age was proof of his talent.

In fact, he believed himself the strongest among the ranks—barring only the All-Stars. Hell, he was next in line for that very title—"Calamity".

He had the achievements to back it up, too. The very thing in his hands right now was one such feat. He took more pride in this creation than anything else. Yeah—no way the other execs could measure up.

"...Looks like she’s at it."

After walking a while longer, he arrived at another section of the island.

In a way, this was the most critical facility in the Beast Pirates’ arsenal. A place even he had to admit was as vital as the one he managed.

And in another sense, it was also the crew’s most grueling workplace. The rewards here depended on the product—sometimes requiring immense time and effort, only for bad luck to reduce it all to nothing in an instant. A Sisyphean ordeal.

Even Sasaki knew its hardships firsthand. He’d tasted that same despair, and the memory of it still stung. Part of him almost pitied those shouldering its burden now.

But… the one running this place? Well, in a way, she might’ve been the most unhinged member of the Beast Pirates. Which, ironically, meant he didn’t have to worry. Her mental fortitude was too damn strong.

Or maybe all her screws were just loose.

"—Hey, you!! The hell’re you half-assing it for!?"

"Ghk!? S-sorry, ma’am!!"

"I'll give it my all!! Just please—no headbutts this time!!"

A girl's voice—yet rough and aggressive—cut through the air.

She was young, younger than most of the crew. Even Sasaki, despite his youth, saw her as little more than a brat. Half a child, really.

But her strength earned her a place among the executives. Otherwise, she wouldn’t dare act so high and mighty in the Beast Pirates. Not that it mattered—she’d always been a rabid little freak, biting at anyone who crossed her.

Right now, she should’ve been calmly accepting the frantic apologies of a rookie scrambling to work harder—

But of course, she wasn’t.

"Ohhh?! 'Give it your all,' huh?! So you weren’t going all out before!?"

"N-no, that’s not—!!"

"HAH!? THEN WHAT THE HELL—"

"—Knock it off, sis!! We can’t have bloodshed here!!"

A boy’s voice, desperate, cut in. Arguably the hardest-working brat in the Beast Pirates. A black mask, a horned black-and-white cap, and a net full of fish slung over his shoulder—clearly back from fishing. Sasaki knew; he’d pitched in with the fishing crew before. That area, too, was vital to the Beast Pirates’ operations.

The boy—called "big sis"—tried to restrain the girl. She turned, revealing a masked mouth and twin horns atop her head. Cute, if not for the feral snarl on her face. Most of the crew knew her as a certified lunatic.

The moment her eyes landed on the boy, her demeanor flipped entirely.

"Aah, Pay-tan~! Back from fishing, are we?"

"Stop calling me Pay-tan!! And cut that weird speech!! It’s embarrassing!!"

"So tsundere, Pay-tan~♡"

"I SAID DROP THE NICKNAME!!"

Pay-tan—the boy hated it. Hated her bizarre speech quirks even more. His sister cycled through weird phases like seasonal trends, never caring how ridiculous she sounded. To her, Pay-tan was permanent.

The siblings’ names?

Beast Pirates, "Tobiroppo" — Ulti.
Beast Pirates, "Tobiroppo" — Page One.

Sasaki had been watching their squabble from a distance when Ulti finally noticed him.

"Hm? What’re you doing there, Sasaki?"

"...Just enjoying the show. Pay-tan getting bullied is comedy gold."

"THE HELL!?"

Page One whipped around, fury in his glare—but his retort died as Ulti lunged first.

"YOU!! MOCK MY PAY-TAN AGAIN AND I’LL BREAK YOU, SASAKI!!"

"OI, REALLY, SIS—!!"

"SHUT IT, YOU!!"

Ulti’s roar dwarfed Page One’s anger, leaving him scrambling to restrain her instead. Funny how seeing someone more enraged than you kills your own rage. Especially when it’s your sister. Sasaki wisely shut up.

Amid the chaos, work continued—until another figure passed by, drawn to the noise.

"Shut the hell up, you brats... Yapping during work hours..."

"Ah, if it isn’t Who’s-Who! What brings you here?"

"I TOLD YOU TO DROP THE WEIRD TALK!!"

A man in a suit, his face hidden beneath an oni-like helmet—Who’s-Who. Another executive, freshly returned from a mission.

As Page One groaned at Ulti’s speech, Who’s-Who’s masked gaze locked onto her.

"Can’t you see? I’m—hauling. Hay."

Indeed—he was pushing a cart.

Stacked high with hay, ten times what a normal man could carry. A flex of his strength.

Pride swelled in Who’s-Who’s chest. No one rivaled him in livestock management. A savage grin curled beneath his mask as his fingers brushed the sword at his hip.

"Got delayed dealing with trash pirates... But once this is done—heh... Finally, I’ll carve them up... Can’t wait."

"—Sheep shearing, huh?"

"—That’s tough work."

"Damn right... Speaking of—you two done with your jobs?"

"THE HELL!? OUR HARVEST’S RIGHT THERE, WHO’S-WHO!! MOCK OUR FIELD AND I’LL BREAK YOU!!"

Ulti flared up at Who's-Who’s question, spreading her arms as if to proudly show off the field. It looked to be nearing harvest season—several vegetables and fruits were already ripening.

The field was indeed impressive. Considering how often this place got torched, the fact that it had lasted this long was praiseworthy on its own.

Still, Who's-Who wore a smug grin. And so did Sasaki. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out the fruit of his own labor.

“Hmph... The meat from my ranch is of the highest quality. Just look at this smoked ham... One glance at this and it’s clear who’s closest to becoming a Lead Performer...”

“You can’t even compare that to our crops, de gozaru♡”

“Shut it... Don’t mock my harvest. I’ll kill you...!!”

The subordinates watching Who’s-Who pull smoked meat from his coat couldn’t help but think: Isn’t that more the mark of a top-tier livestock farmer than a Lead Performer...?

But none of them said it aloud. Not with the intensity in the eyes of every executive present.

“Hah... You don’t get it. What I produce is way more important—alcohol. The booze you all drink at our parties, the massive amounts that Kaido and Nue go through—that all comes from me. Think about that, and it’s obvious, right? I control the most vital supply in the entire Beasts Pirates... which means I’m the one closest to the Lead Performer spot.”

So this one was just a brewer. Was he planning to hang an actual liquor store sign somewhere? Sasaki held up a bottle of wine he’d brought from the brewery. Lately, he’d been trying to master the unique brewing techniques of Wano as well. And to be fair, his contributions were appreciated, so none of the underlings could bring themselves to criticize.

“You guys really don’t get it, do you?”

“Hah?”

“You’re back, Black Maria.”

“You got a problem with that, Black Maria!?”

Just then, a young, towering oiran emerged from the direction of the lake and began to approach slowly. It was none other than Black Maria, one of the Beasts Pirates’ top brass.

She carried nothing with her—just her usual kiseru pipe.

But that didn’t mean Black Maria was incapable of anything outside of combat, nor did it mean she had no harvest to show. Her gaze said it all without a word: Look around you. At all the buildings.

That was the message—everything here was her harvest. She, too, was a creator.

“The buildings you’re all using... Did you forget who built those? All of them, I did, with my people♡ Which means... if I wanted, I could build the Lead Performer title—and the actual sign for it—myself.”

Now she was talking about literal signs. Was that really something to brag about? She was basically a glorified architect. Or maybe a master carpenter. Or, well, boss lady. And honestly, with how sexy she looked, no one was complaining.

And then, finally:

“Hey!! Don’t forget about my fish!! We’re pirates!! Pirates mean the sea!! And the sea means fish, right!!?”

So... pirates equal fish...? It sounded wrong, and yet somehow not. Things had gotten so weird by now that Page One fishing at sea didn’t feel out of place at all. The subordinates began to question everything. Maybe we’re the ones who’ve got it wrong...

“...So you guys aren’t backing down, huh.”

“Damn right. There’s no world where I lose.”

“Feeling cocky, huh? Well, I don’t lose either.”

“Hah!? Don’t underestimate my Pe-tan!! He’ll one-shot all of you!! One shot!! Even all of you together, it’s still just one punch!!”

“S-Stop exaggerating, Sis!! Seriously, knock it off!! Hey!! Are you listening!?”

At last, the executives began to show signs of actually throwing down. Well, all except one, who looked like he genuinely wished his sister would stop dragging him into this. No one paid him any mind.

They all looked like they were seconds away from transforming. After all, every one of them was a Devil Fruit user.

The subordinates, sensing danger, started to inch away. And right then—another voice called out to the assembled executives.

“──What are you all doing over here?”

“──Yo. What’s going on?”

“!!”

In that instant, nearly every face turned pale with shock.

Drawn by the commotion, two figures had appeared—none other than Kaido and Nue, the Supreme Commander and Deputy Commander of the Beasts Pirates. Monsters so powerful that not even the Lead Performers could compare.

Everyone immediately stood down. The fight would have to wait. They exchanged glances and silent nods, coming to the same conclusion.

Everyone... except one. Ulti. Completely unhinged, she looked at Kaido and Nue—and said something truly unhinged.

“Isn’t it obvious? Are you two stupid or something?”

“WHOOOOAAAAA!!! HOLD UP!!!”

“Don’t bite there!! Not THERE!!”

“W-What was that? I-I didn’t hear anything... no, nothing at all...”

“Please just stop!! I’m begging you!! For real this time!! Not with them!!!”

Ulti had snapped. And she’d snapped at the two scariest people alive.

Who's-Who, Sasaki, Black Maria, and Page One were all in a panic. Some tried yelling over her, others pretended not to hear. Some genuinely tried to shut her up.

If Kaido or Nue went off, this entire place could be leveled in seconds. And any one of them could get killed by stray blows. Even if they survived, serious injuries were guaranteed. No one wanted that.

So they desperately tried to contain it. To smooth it over. But it was all for nothing—

“Huh? You guys fightin’ or something?”

“Ahaha! Sounds like fun!!”

“…………Y-Yeah. Uh, something like that. Just a little competition... yeah.”

After a pause, Who’s-Who stepped in to cover for them. Either they hadn’t heard, or they just didn’t care. Either way—they were safe.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. And then Ulti, not missing a beat, added:

“Our Pe-tan’s gotten even stronger lately, de gozaru♡ You two should come watch him train again sometime, de gozaruよ♡”

“Eh? Seriously?”

“They haven’t changed a bit.”

“Don’t underestimate my Pei-tan! If it’s him, he could easily take both your attacks head-on!!”

“Y-you idiot, stop it, sis!!! You trying to get me killed!?”

“Oh, stop it, you say!? Shouldn’t that be, ‘Please stop, big sis!’ huh!?”

“I have been saying it!! A hundred damn times! But seriously, I’m begging you this time, please stop!!”

“…Come to think of it, I had something to tell you guys.”

“That was sudden!!”

“My brother’s still in trouble over here, you know!!”

“Because of you!!!”

“Ahahaha! Ulti-chan and Pei-tan are so funny!!”

“Right? Pei-tan is just the funniest, isn't he♡”

“Stop calling me Pei-tan!! None of this is funny!! Huff… pant…”

Ulti’s unfiltered bite at Kaido and Nue, followed by her totally free-spirited antics, left Page One constantly reeling with retorts, until he was out of breath. Watching the poor boy struggle, the three other officers approached him.

“Hey, chin up, Pei-tan. Want a drink? You’re a kid, but you can handle it, right?”

“Got snacks too. Ham.”

“Need a hut with a lock? You can hide there if it gets bad. Sometimes, when life’s rough, running away’s the best option—”

“Don’t get all gentle on me all of a sudden!!! …And Sasaki, stop calling me Pei-tan!!”

“We did manage to expand our territory recently, but… a few of our ships got sunk by some pirate crews…”

“Don’t just start talking like nothing’s happening!! I’m still trying to deal with all this, you know!! I’m in no state to listen!!”

“Whoa… he even snapped at Nue-san…”

“Kid’s no ordinary guy… definitely Ulti’s little brother…”

“That’s our Pei-tan for sure♡”

“I’m not happy about it!!!”

And finally, Page One landed one last sharp retort. Only then did the real discussion begin—picking up where Nue had briefly mentioned earlier.

“So anyway, like I said the other day, we’ll be heading to the Holy Land for a bit of raiding and crew gathering. I wanted to sort out who’s coming—ooh, ham♡ Gimme some ham!”

“Here ya go—hold up, never mind the ham. Attacking the Holy Land’s no small thing. Don’t tell me we’re going to war with the government?”

Fooz Foo nodded at Nue’s explanation and handed over the ham as he asked. Nue, happily chewing away, answered mid-bite:

“Nom nom… nah, I don’t think it’ll turn into a war. We’ve got a perfect scapegoat to pin everything on~. And I doubt they’ve got the guts to go all-out with us anyway♡”

“A scapegoat…?”

“Worororo… sounds like we’ve got some feisty ones lined up. Oi, gimme some booze.”

“Sure thing. Here you go, Kaido-san.”

Even the usually fearless Beasts Pirates grew visibly tense at the mention of an attack on the Holy Land. Kaido took the bottle Sasaki handed him and began chugging it straight from the mouth. As he drank, Black Maria glanced at Nue, who was still nibbling her ham, and asked:

“So what’s the plan, exactly?”

“Mm… well, we’ll just livestream it, grab anything interesting, that sort of thing. Oh! Like I said the other day, Ulti and Pei-tan are coming too. You two are gonna put in some work, okay?”

“I’ll do anything~♡ Pei-tan too!!”

“Why me again…!?”

“What, you’re not coming~?”

“…Tch, fine, I’ll go!!”

He grumbled about being volunteered, but for Page One—who was eager to gain more experience—not going wasn’t really an option. As for Ulti, she was clearly thrilled just to be invited by Nue. She clung to her affectionately, smiling as Nue stroked her hair.

“Well then, we’re gonna raise hell out there, so be ready for some crazy souvenirs♡”

“Worororo… if we’re talking Celestial Dragons, they’ve probably got mountains of treasure lying around…!!”

In this world, there are few names more feared than the Celestial Dragons.

And yet, here were two people laughing as they casually plotted a raid on the sacred land where those very gods dwell. The Beasts Pirates could only watch in awe—and a renewed sense of fear.