Night had fallen over Wano Country. Under the light of a brilliant full moon, Kaido stood on the edge of Onigashima's giant skull-shaped dome. Behind him stood Eneru, Hogback, Monet, and Baby-5, all looking down at the chaos unfolding below.
The entire island fortress was engulfed in battle. The Beasts Pirates were clashing with the invading samurai in every corridor and courtyard. The night air was filled with the shouts of fighting men, the clang of steel, the roar of explosions, and the cries of the wounded. Flames licked at the buildings, painting the sky in shades of orange and red, a scene eerily similar to the raid that would occur two years in the future.
The four newcomers stood silently behind their new captain, watching his unreadable expression with a mixture of awe and curiosity. Hogback, Monet, and Baby-5 wouldn't have dared to speak, but Eneru felt no such restraint.
"Hey, Kaido," he said casually. "This is your territory, right?"
"That's right," Kaido replied, glancing back slightly. "What do you think of it?"
Eneru was brutally honest, a hint of disdain in his voice. "It's nothing special. It can't compare to my God's Country at all."
"Worororo..." Kaido let out a deep, rumbling laugh. He wasn't offended. Skypiea was one of the few truly beautiful, dreamlike islands on the Grand Line, and he knew Onigashima's harsh environment couldn't compete. "It doesn't matter. Once this is over, we'll take the Flower Capital. That's the most beautiful place in all of Wano."
He turned his gaze back to the battle, seemingly unconcerned by the burning buildings and dying subordinates. "Let me test you, Eneru," he said. "Look at the battles happening across Wano. Tell me, who do you think will win?"
Eneru's eyes narrowed as his Observation Haki instantly spread out, enveloping the entire country. He focused on a distant location and asked, "What is that place?"
Kaido followed his gaze and grinned. "That's Udon. It's where we have our Quarry and Weapons Factory. The one fighting there now is Queen the Plague, an All-Star, just like you. His opponent is the former underworld boss of this country, a man named Hyogoro the Flower."
"Heh, isn't it obvious?" Eneru scoffed. "It has to be Queen. How could that weak old man possibly be a match for one of your top commanders?"
"Is that so?" Kaido's simple question made Eneru pause, but Kaido offered no further explanation. Instead, he directed Eneru's attention elsewhere. "What about over here?"
Eneru shifted his focus. "Who are those two fighting at the port?"
"They are also All-Stars: King the Wildfire and Jack the Drought. Their opponents are more of that fool Oden's samurai: Ashura Doji, Nekomamushi, and Inuarashi."
"This one... I can't tell," Eneru admitted. "All five of them seem to be swordsmen, but their Armament Haki is different from what you taught me. What is that flowing aura around their weapons? Is that Haki, too?"
"Hmph. The mastery of any power is a progression," Kaido explained. "Haki is no different. It has stages: Coating, Emission, and finally, Internal Destruction. What you're practicing now is the most basic stage, Coating. What you see those samurai and my All-Stars using is the final stage, Internal Destruction. In Wano, they call it Ryuo, or 'Flowing Sakura.' Among the Beasts Pirates, this is a power one must master to be worthy of the title of All-Star."
"Flowing Sakura..." Eneru's expression grew serious. He felt the immense pressure that came with Kaido's personal attention. This was exactly what Kaido intended; he needed to temper Eneru's arrogance. The position of All-Star was not something to be taken lightly, and Kaido didn't want his commanders fighting amongst themselves.
"That's right," Kaido continued. "Even among the Flying Six, Ulti and Who's-Who have mastered this ability. The others have at least mastered the Emission stage. You need to be prepared. If they challenge you for your position, it might not be so secure." Kaido grinned slyly. "You're not scared, are you?"
Eneru's face tightened. "Don't joke with me," he said through gritted teeth. "I am a god. I am not afraid of any challenge."
"Good," Kaido rumbled. "You can rest easy. I will give you time to grow. But that time won't be very long." He went on to introduce Eneru to the main combatants of his crew, the Flying Six, dismissing the lower ranks as irrelevant.
The truth was, the Beasts Pirates were not yet the Zoan army they would one day become. The trade for artificial Devil Fruits with Doflamingo had not yet begun. This was precisely why Kaido went to such great lengths to recruit powerful individuals like Eneru and the Vinsmoke Family, and why he would later be so keen on capturing the Supernovas. In the vastness of the sea, true top-tier fighters were rare.
Compared to his crew, the Whitebeard Pirates were in a league of their own. The Marines had to assemble an overwhelming force just to execute Ace, because Whitebeard had so many powerful commanders. Izo, who was currently overwhelming Black Maria down below, was a perfect example. He was merely the commander of the 16th division, yet his bounty was 100,000,000 Berries higher than Maria's, and she was ranked second among the Flying Six. Big Mom's crew had a similar problem; outside of the Sweet Commanders, her forces were largely unremarkable. Like the Big Mom Pirates, the vast majority of the Beasts Pirates' strength was concentrated in their captain.
Therefore, after securing Wano, Kaido's primary mission would be to rapidly strengthen his entire crew. Not just himself, but all of his subordinates needed to improve swiftly to be ready for the great war he knew was coming.
First, however, he had to clean up the mess within his own ranks.
Ugly, he thought, looking down at the battle. Truly ugly.
The samurai were undeniably strong, but for a Yonko crew, the Beasts Pirates' performance was disgraceful. They had allowed the port to be taken with embarrassing ease, letting thousands of enemies onto the island undetected. Even King, whom he held in high regard, was disappointing him. Sasaki, the guardian of the port, had been captured. Instead of prioritizing the rescue of a key officer, King had proudly engaged in a duel with Ashura Doji, turning a potential 3-on-3 fight into a 2-on-3 stalemate. It was no wonder the crew would be defeated so easily in the future.
This purge wasn't just for Wano; it was for the Beasts Pirates as well.
Just then, a firework shot into the night sky, exploding in a brilliant flash of color. Down below, the fighting samurai saw the signal. Their eyes lit up, and their leaders immediately gave the order.
"Excellent! Princess Hiyori and Denjiro-san have been rescued! All forces, retreat!"
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