Chapter 294: Revenge
"Another pirate crew that's been called one of the 'Four Emperors', huh?" Kisame chuckled and asked, "Is our next target them?"
"That's right. Our current strength isn't enough to defeat the Beast Pirates. Sorry for giving you such a dangerous task."
"..."
[Kisame's affection level increased, bond level unchanged.]
"Hey... Captain Eric , you actually apologized to me."
"This task is really difficult, and it places you in the enemy's den..." Eric said apologetically, "I remember your last mission in your previous life was as a spy—"
"Don't mention the past." Kisame raised his right hand, stopping Eric from continuing.
"I'm doing it for my own reasons." Kisame closed his eyes, "Honestly, in this exceptionally united crew, I feel a bit out of place. It might be better for me to enter another pirate crew as a spy."
'He probably feels averse to comrades who are kind to him because he had to kill many of his own to protect Wano...' Eric thought to himself.
"... Sorry." The only word that came to Eric 's mind, and it was the only word that could express his meaning.
[Kisame's affection level increased, bond level unchanged.]
"... What's my specific task?"
"Kaido is the user of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon form. His personality is volatile, sometimes crying, sometimes raging. Being too close to him might get you hurt, it's better to keep your distance."
"How can I gather his personal information without getting close?"
"I know the general details of his strength and abilities. I just need you to gather the total number of Beast Pirates, as well as the basic abilities and strengths of the key figures like the All-Stars, Flying Six, and those secretly trading with Kaido."
"Because Kaido likes strong people, you can challenge the guardians of his territories and defeat them. This will help you infiltrate the Beast Pirates." Eric pointed to several islands on the map.
"Do they really recruit unknown outsiders that easily?" Kisame raised an eyebrow.
"Pirate crews in this world are unusually simple and rough when it comes to recruitment. As long as you're strong enough, many captains don't care about their subordinates' backgrounds." Eric shrugged.
"Since this is a long-term mission, you'll have to make your own decisions and handle the details during the mission." Eric took out a piece of life paper and a transponder snail. "If your identity is discovered, leave immediately, and I'll come pick you up."
Kisame took the items and sneered, "If it's that easy to be discovered, my ninja career would have been for nothing."
"Also, this..." Eric took out a log pose. "We can't directly take you to Kaido's territory. If we do, the chances of getting discovered are too high. Everything depends on you."
Kisame suddenly said, "Aren't you afraid I'll use this chance to join the Beast Pirates and report your intelligence to Kaido?"
"Anyone who would rather be eaten by a shark to protect intelligence wouldn't easily betray." Eric stared into Kisame's eyes. "Just like you trust me, I trust you completely."
[Kisame's affection level greatly increased, bond level rose from 3 (Trusted Friend) to 4 (Close Confidant), gained 3 bond points.]
"Hmph..." Kisame chuckled softly, "I'll report the progress of the mission regularly."
"When we reach the next island with a town, I'll leave a room on the ship for you." Eric extended his right hand.
"Whether we can defeat the Beast Pirates depends entirely on you."
Only Eric knew about Kisame's special mission, but soon, the crew noticed the absence of the tall, silent man carrying a large sword.
However, Eric brushed it off and ordered the crew not to reveal anything about Kisame.
Deidara, aside from his obsession with explosive art, was quite intelligent. He had vaguely guessed that Kisame had a special mission and even wondered why it wasn't him.
"You're on the wanted list now." Eric could only reply like that.
◇
On a small island in the North Blue.
Trafalgar Law's Heart Pirates and Basil Hawkins' Pirates had already arrived.
One side was dressed in milky white bodysuits, while the other side wore dark cloaks, looking like mysterious sorcerers. The two pirate crews were holding a lively banquet.
"Whoosh, whoosh."
Hawkins shuffled his tarot cards, the sound of them shuffling filling the air. Law, holding the cursed blade "Grim Reaper," rested it on Bepo's large belly and asked:
"Hawkins, do your divinations work?"
Hawkins turned his head and glanced at Law. "Want to try?"
"Oh? Then tell me, what does 'Qilong' want from me?"
"Swish—"
Hawkins pulled out a card, placed it on a straw tip, and continued pulling out a few more until he revealed the final card, the Star card. In a low voice, Hawkins said, "For what you want to accomplish."
"…Is that so." Law, wearing a spotted winter hat, touched Bepo's fur and looked up at the sky. Actually, Eric had already told Law about his next move over the phone, but Law still felt a sense of unrealistic expectation.
'Corazon, can I finally avenge you...'
"Captain! We've spotted the shadow of the Fearless!" The lookout pirate quickly came to report.
"..." The two captains stood up in silence. Law's body began to subtly tremble. Was it finally time to put his revenge plan into action?
"Yo, long time no see." Eric greeted them. "Actually, it hasn't been long, just less than six months, right?"
"Four months and thirteen days." Law replied淡淡.
Everyone: "…"
To be honest, the fact that you remember so precisely makes me quite nervous. Even for revenge, you didn't have to remember it so well...
"Ahem, by the way, the reason I called Hawkins here is to test his strength." Eric changed the subject. "Chiron, I'll leave it to you."
The people around them stepped back, clearing the area for the two of them.
Hawkins silently drew his sword, and the straw on his body began to grow wildly, intertwining until his original two-meter height grew to over five meters. His shadow gradually covered Chiron.
"Hawkins, go!"
"Let's show the 'Sagittarius' Chiron how strong our captain is!"
Ten minutes later, Hawkins was on the ground...
"You rely too much on your Devil Fruit abilities; your sword skills are still immature. However, you've made progress with your Armament Haki," Chiron commented. "Rely on your own strength and use your Devil Fruit abilities as support, and you'll sail farther in this sea."
"…Thank you for the advice." Hawkins clumsily got up from the ground. His ten strawman clones had been easily knocked out, and his attacks couldn't even graze Chiron's clothes.
The only time he had even touched Chiron was when Chiron intentionally blocked a slash with one hand, causing Hawkins to get knocked out with an elbow, instantly losing a strawman clone.
Chiron also praised, "Hawkins has worked hard on his Haki. He's mastered Armament Haki, but it's still in the early stages. The intensity isn't enough yet."
Praise and a sweet date are basic operations.
Meanwhile, Hawkins' crew was completely silent. In their eyes, their captain, who had never been injured, was easily knocked down by a division leader from the Four Emperors, leaving them wondering how they could conquer the Grand Line...
Eric stepped in to encourage Hawkins. "Don't be afraid of strong opponents. Sooner or later, you'll gain this kind of strength—just as long as you keep swinging your weapon toward powerful enemies!"
"Your journey is long, don't give up on your dreams just because of one defeat. As long as you're alive, your dreams will be alive! In this endless war, the one who survives to the end will be the winner!"
"Woah!!"
"Okay!!" Hawkins' crew members were reignited with fighting spirit, lifting their weapons and shouting again.
After a dose of somewhat toxic motivational speech, the workers with dreams were stirred up by the group CEO's speech, ready for a new round of hard work.
"Ah, Eric -." Kurumi smiled lightly and leaned into Eric 's ear, her seductive cherry lips parting slightly, "You have the potential of a capitalist."
"Not at all."
Leaving Trafalgar Law and Basil Hawkins behind, their crew continued the banquet.
"Are you ready for revenge, Law?"
"Of course. I've been longing to get revenge on Donquixote Doflamingo."
"Is that so... Hawkins, stay in the North Blue for training. I still have some time. If you have any questions about Haki, feel free to ask me."
"Yes, Captain Eric ."
The Dawn Pirates spent three days recovering in the North Blue, taking the Polar Submersible, and with Wendy's Float Fruit abilities controlling it, they crossed the doldrums and arrived at the New World's waters.
...
Five days ago, on a winter island in the New World, Kisame, having removed his mask, arrived alone.
The sky was overcast, snow was falling, and Kisame tightened his large cloak. "The weather in this world is unreasonable; every island has different weather."
"This should be Kaido's territory. Where's his armory?" While Kisame was muttering to himself, a semi-circular snow house started shaking. The roof gradually split, revealing the facilities inside.
"Is this it..." Kisame walked toward the door.
"Bang, bang, bang."
A burst of machine gun fire rang out as a tall man jumped down from the surrounding wall. His face and shoulders were covered in metal, with the number 18 marked on his shoulders, and his right hand had been replaced by a three-barrel gun.
"This is Lord Kaido's chosen island. I've been appointed as its guardian."
"Hmph..." Kisame smirked, "And then?"
"This is just a warning, kid. You better not make that man angry."
"Is that so..."
"Bang!" Kisame drew his sword, Samehada, and forcefully smashed the ground in front of him. "What if I make him angry?"
Scorch's right arm aimed at Kisame. "If you understand, leave now..."
Before he could finish, Kisame rushed toward the modified man with Samehada.
"Bang, bang, bang!" Then came the rapid fire of the machine guns, shaking the snow on the ground.
◇
On the way to Dressrosa, Law had been having trouble resting, always dreaming of Corazon's smile and, in the end, the gunshot fired by Doflamingo that killed him.
Eric sat next to him. "Law, Corazon doesn't want your life to only be about revenge."
"My remaining life was given to me by Corazon..." Law spoke softly. "If I don't take down Doflamingo..."
"Captain, we can already see Dressrosa!" Chiron's voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"Anyway, your hatred will end today." Eric stood up. "Are you afraid of facing Doflamingo?"
"…I will only be excited."
"Polk, open the air door. Hide the Fearless and Polar Submersible."
...
"Qilong, we've arrived at Dressrosa. Why not rush to the King's Plateau and wipe out the Donquixote family?" Law had been waiting for this moment for three years. Seeing revenge in sight, Eric , however, led everyone in costumes to observe Dressrosa's customs.
By the way, Eric had been feeding Artoria junk food, and Artoria's bond level successfully reached level 3.
"Don't rush. Doflamingo won't escape." Eric patted Law's shoulder. "I still have to explain to my comrades the legitimacy of our actions."
"Huh?"
"Eric , look at this toy. It can walk on its own!" Wendy waved her small hand, calling Eric to watch the walking toys on the street.
"Last time we passed through Dressrosa, we didn't see any walking toys." Esdeath thought carefully.
Scáthach agreed with her opinion. "It's really strange. Why in two years did so many toys suddenly appear here? And why is everyone so accustomed to them?"
"They even work!" Wendy shyly tugged at Eric 's sleeve. "Eric , can you buy me one of these toys?"
"This probably isn't for sale." Eric placed his hand gently on Wendy's head and said, "If you knew their true identity, you probably wouldn't be asking for one."
"Huh?" Wendy looked astonished, and the members of the Dawn Pirates turned their heads to look at Eric .
"These toys are actually real humans, but they've been transformed into toys."
Perona exclaimed, "They, they're humans?!"
Da Vinci was very interested in this and observed the walking toys in the street, saying, "By normal structure, they shouldn't have the ability to move or work. How are they doing it?"
"There's someone in the Donquixote family named Sugar, who ate the Hobby-Hobby Fruit. People she touches turn into whatever toys she imagines."
"Ugh, how scary!"
Kind-hearted Wendy, with tears in her eyes, asked, "What about their families? Will they search for their lost loved ones?"
"Of course not, because—"
"Relatives and friends of those who've turned into toys lose all memory of the person they knew when they were human."
Suddenly, a voice interrupted Eric 's explanation.
A one-legged toy soldier appeared beside them.
(END CHAPTER)
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