-Real World-
Kaido's audacious journey to Dressrosa had yielded unexpected dividends beyond his wildest calculations. By exploiting Doflamingo's Shichibukai privileges, the Yonko had gained access to something few pirates ever experienced—passage through the World Government's most closely guarded secret.
The elevator system of Marijoa represented humanity's triumph over geography itself, a mechanical marvel that pierced the Red Earth Continent like a needle through fabric. What should have been an impossible barrier became nothing more than an inconvenience for those with sufficient power and wealth. The normal route—crossing the Calm Belt, navigating through multiple ocean territories, and ascending the treacherous Reverse Mountain—would have consumed weeks of precious time just to reach the Grand Line's first half.
This smuggling operation had saved the Beast Pirates enormous travel time while generating obscene profits for the Celestial Dragons who controlled the system. Like everything else in their domain, the sky elevator served dual purposes: practical transportation and endless revenue generation. The World Nobles' greed knew no bounds when it came to extracting wealth from those desperate enough to use their services.
The most audacious aspect of the entire operation wasn't the illegal passage itself, but rather the brazen execution under the very noses of both Celestial Dragons and Marine forces. One of the Yonko had literally sailed past the World Government's headquarters without detection—a feat made possible only through systematic destruction of Marine surveillance ships along their route. Kaido had methodically eliminated every pair of eyes that might have witnessed their passage, rendering the world's most powerful organizations blind and deaf to his movements.
Doflamingo's merchant ship had been commandeered without ceremony or compensation, its original cargo unceremoniously dumped to make room for Beast Pirates personnel. Kaido's initial target had been simple enough—capturing Tony Tony Chopper, the small reindeer whose medical expertise had caught his attention. But prolonged observation of Sky Screen footage had revealed a far more valuable prize: Eren Yeager, wielder of the Ancient Weapon known as Terra.
"What a waste, allowing such power to remain under Doflamingo's control," Kaido mused, his massive frame casting shadows across the ship's deck despite his human form. The ability to transform ordinary humans into giants represented a paradigm shift in warfare that the Heavenly Yaksha simply lacked the strength to properly exploit. In the Yonko's mind, his Shichibukai partner was little more than a convenient middleman—useful for certain operations, but ultimately expendable.
If circumstances presented a suitable replacement for Doflamingo's role in the underworld, or if someone could more thoroughly integrate those operations into the Beast Pirates' hierarchy, Kaido wouldn't hesitate to imprison the Heavenly Yaksha until he agreed to formal subordination. Such recruitment through violence had served his former captain well, and strength remained the most reliable currency in the pirate world.
"According to Eren's statements during the Sky Screen broadcast, his last confirmed location was Drum Island—treating some medical condition," King observed, his imposing figure wrapped in black leather and metal that concealed every inch of skin. The success or failure of this operation would determine the Beast Pirates' trajectory for years to come. Acquiring both Chopper and Eren simultaneously would represent a strategic victory that could shift the entire balance of power among the Yonko.
"Tell me, King," Kaido said, his voice carrying undercurrents of genuine curiosity, "do you believe Lucci's Armament Haki actually changed colors during that battle?"
"The Sky Screen suggested his techniques were stolen from us," King replied with characteristic loyalty. "If that intelligence proves accurate, it implies you'll develop even more advanced Haki applications in the future. Such evolution would be consistent with your nature."
King's faith in his captain's potential remained absolute—in his mind, only a monster of Kaido's caliber possessed the raw power necessary to claim the title of Pirate King. Every challenge they faced simply provided new opportunities for growth and domination.
"What about Who's-Who?" Kaido asked, his expression growing more serious. "Could he be playing both sides?"
The question had been nagging at the Yonko for days. If anyone within the Beast Pirates possessed the motive and opportunity to serve as a double agent, the former CP9 operative topped the list. Despite Quinn's thorough loyalty testing, certain possibilities couldn't be completely eliminated through interrogation alone.
Who's-Who had made references to his old colleague Lucci during his integration into the crew—both men had been hailed as generational talents within CP9, and their brief professional intersection created potential avenues for ongoing contact. For Lucci to learn Kaido's advanced techniques, inside assistance would be practically mandatory.
"It doesn't matter whether Who's-Who betrays us or not," Kaido declared with characteristic pragmatism, his voice carrying the weight of absolute conviction. "As long as he serves our interests in the present and doesn't actively sabotage our operations, I can tolerate potential duplicity. But if he does betray me, I won't repeat Kozuki Oden's mistakes."
The image of that legendary samurai flickered through Kaido's memory like a half-healed wound. He had respected Oden's strength and admired his heroic spirit, but the man's refusal to use his full power when it mattered most had proven catastrophic. Such nobility was a luxury that Kaido could never afford—when enemies revealed themselves, they needed to be crushed completely and without hesitation.
The mention of the Kozuki clan triggered darker thoughts in King's mind. For twenty years, a persistent prophecy had circulated throughout Wano Country: the Kozuki bloodline would return to defeat the demon king and reclaim the shogun's position. Initially, such claims had seemed laughable—if Kozuki Oden himself couldn't prevail, how could his weaker descendants pose any meaningful threat?
"I wonder if the Kozuki name will appear on future Sky Screen broadcasts," King mused aloud. "5 years from now, will those old prophecies prove to be more than mere folklore?"
Kaido's expression darkened at the implications. His daughter had been increasingly fixated on that accursed surname recently, and if the Kozuki heirs truly intended to resurface, this loving father had no intention of showing mercy to his child's potential enemies.
Meanwhile, the Sky Screen's focus shifted to more mundane but equally important matters: Nami and Sanji's shopping expedition through Dressrosa's commercial districts.
-Broadcast-
The navigator's legendary bargaining skills had already saved the Straw Hat Pirates substantial amounts of money, while the gold liberated from Sea God's Treasury provided them with virtually unlimited spending power. After converting the ancient treasures into modern Bailey, Nami had embarked on a shopping spree that would have bankrupted lesser crews.
She purchased two complete outfits for each crew member—a practical decision born of hard experience with their tendency to destroy clothing during battles. For herself, however, she selected over twenty different ensembles, reasoning that her crucial contributions to the crew's financial management deserved appropriate reward.
Her Kumo Kumo no Mi (Cloud-Cloud Fruit) abilities proved invaluable for transportation, creating floating island clouds identical to those found in Skypeia. The aerial convoy followed her through the streets like a parade of cotton, carrying bags and boxes that would have overwhelmed even Sanji's enhanced physical capabilities.
"Sanji, I think I'm finally finished," Nami announced with obvious satisfaction, her eyes literally transforming into Bailey symbols as she calculated their remaining budget. "There's nothing quite like spending money to lift a girl's spirits!"
At Nami's suggestion, the transformed cook had also acquired feminine clothing, though the lack of appropriate storage space in the men's quarters meant everything would need to be crammed into the navigator's already crowded closet.
"I'm absolutely sick of that sleeping arrangement," Sanji declared, clenching his fists in feminine frustration. "I'd rather sleep in the kitchen than spend another night surrounded by those brutes!"]
Franky's promise to construct a private room had apparently been forgotten in the excitement of their Dressrosa arrival—the cyborg had flown away from the Thousand Sunny hours ago and hadn't returned to complete the cabin modifications.
Arashi, the belt-like creature coiled around Nami's waist, suddenly tensed as unfamiliar presence approached. The loyal pet immediately activated its defensive transformation, expanding into a three-headed dragon that positioned itself protectively between the navigator and potential danger.
A figure emerged from the crowd—a young man whose appearance screamed trouble from fifty meters away. His samurai-style clothing couldn't disguise the childish immaturity that marked his features, while his lecherous gaze fixed on Nami's impressive chest with the subtlety of a starving wolf eyeing fresh meat.
"My beautiful lady, fate has smiled upon me today!" the stranger exclaimed, dropping to one knee with theatrical flourish while presenting a bouquet of flowers. "Would you honor me by becoming my wife?"
The disgusting display of instant infatuation made both Nami and Sanji recoil in revulsion—here was exactly the type of perverted nobleman they'd hoped to avoid during their shopping trip.
Character Profile: Son of the Former Wano Country Shogun - Kozuki Momonosuke, user of the Uo Uo no Mi (Fish-Fish Fruit), Model: Seiryu (Azure Dragon)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing takes time, coffee, and a lot of love.If you'd like to support my work, join me at [email protected]/GoldenGarudaYou'll get early access to over 50 chapters, selection on new series, and the satisfaction of knowing your support directly fuels more stories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~