WARNING: The following contains spoilers for One Piece, Episode 923, "A State of Emergency..." now streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation and VRV.

The Straw Hat pirates have been caught in a tricky situation in the One Piece anime as they face off against Kaido and his armada. Kaido and Orochi, the Shogun of the Land of Wano, have kept an iron fist on the region the current arc of the series is focussed on. While Kaido and his dragon form is strong enough to eradicate Luffy and the Straw Hats in a matter of seconds -- along with an entire mountain -- Wano has avoided engaging in warfare with other pirate crews thanks to its advantageous position: it sits atop a powerful waterfall, meaning no ships -- except for ones drawn by carp that can swim up waterfalls -- can reach them.

However, another ship has reached Wano, one that dares to eradicate Kaido's reign. Except that its captain might not be here for Kaido at all, but for a mutual enemy. The Big Mom Pirates have arrived to exact revenge on Luffy!

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Big Mom's Invasion of Wano

Kaido's attention is drawn to the Big Mom Pirates when they figure out a way to ascend the waterfall by -- yes, you guessed it -- tying their main ship to multiple carps, carrying them up to Wano. However, once they enter the territory, Kaido, in a rage, commands his men to stop them from progressing any further. All attempts to stop the Big Mom Pirates end in failure, however.

Kaido had previously demanded that the Big Mom Pirates and their captain, Charlotte Linlin, were to never show their faces again in his presence and never enter Wano. However, it appears Linlin has decided to ignore that direct command because of her desire to crush the Straw Hat Pirates following the events of the Whole Cake Island arc.

The military forces of Wano, however, see her as an invading army on their shores, which now means they turn their eyes toward the Big Mom Pirates even as the 20th anniversary of Kaido and Orochi's conquest draws nearer.

Who Are the Big Mom Pirates?

In One Piece, there are four Yonko, who are known as the most powerful pirate captains in the world. Among the ranks of the Four Emperors of the Sea are Shanks, Marshall D. Teach, Kaido and Charlotte Linlin.

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Linlin was once a member of the Rocks Pirates before becoming the master of an entire pirate fleet, comprising of many members of her extended family -- the Charlotte Family. They provide both the backbone and loyal soldiers of the army, who both respect and fear this overbearing, overly gluttonous matriarch.

Of course, while Linlin is powerful and domineering, she isn't altogether evil. She does seek to turn Totto Land, her domain, into a utopia where all living beings can live together without discrimination. However, to accomplish this, she commits acts of vicious piracy, ruling as Queen over Totto Land. Her subjects and comrades are continuously confronted with Linlin's unstable disposition.

After the events of the prior arc, she's also on a mission to hunt Luffy down. It remains to be seen in the anime if she and Kaido will go to war, or if a deadly alliance will be founded between the two Emperors against the Straw Hats.

KEEP READING: One Piece: 5 Characters Who Can Defeat Big Mom (& 5 Who Can't)