Chapter 361: I Will Take On Kaido
"'Flame Calamity' King, Zoan-type ancient species Pteranodon, has black wings on his back, and his head sometimes bursts into flames. He always wears a mask. Jinbeii learned during an argument between Queen and King that King is a survivor of the Lunaria tribe and has a hobby of torturing others."
Everyone turned to look at the members of the Torture Fan Club.
"Oh?" Esdeath immediately became interested. "This one's mine, no one is allowed to steal him from me."
Chiron frowned and asked, "Lunaria tribe?"
Eric , who was unclear about the storyline due to his time-traveling, asked, "Chiron , do you know this tribe?"
Chiron , apologetically, said, "Sorry, I'm not familiar with them either."
"Anyway, they must be a special race that uses fire, right?" Kurumi pointed to her forehead, "Normal people wouldn't have fire coming out of their heads."
"Elemental weaknesses, shared hobbies." Deidara whispered, "They're literally destined enemies."
"'Plague Calamity' Queen, Zoan-type ancient species Ankylosaurus, is a genius in research technology, a cyborg who has modified his own body, and invented many weapons, including biochemical weapons like mummies and ice demons."
"I see, so that's why he's called the Plague Calamity?" Scáthach volunteered, "This one's for me."
"Alright." Eric agreed and continued the briefing:
"'Drought Calamity' Jack, Zoan-type ancient species Mammoth, is a giant fishman, and wherever he steps, it's as though a drought appears, causing everything to dry up and decay, hence the nickname 'Drought Calamity'."
Akame volunteered, "Murasame is perfect for dealing with high regeneration Zoan-type abilities."
"No." Eric shook his head, "Akame, you and Kurome have other assignments."
Akame nodded obediently, "Understood."
"Got it." Kurome also gave an "OK" gesture.
"Artoria, can you take care of Jack?"
"No problem." The Black Knight King replied without hesitation.
"Next up are the Flying Six." Eric pondered, "There should be six of them, but the position isn't fully filled. Currently, there are only four."
"One of them is one of ours." Kurumi sighed exaggeratedly.
"Jinbeii, due to previous conflicts with Sasaki, requested that he deal with Sasaki personally." Eric said, "I won't go into Sasaki's abilities here."
"Black Maria, Zoan-type ancient species Gigantea Rose Tarantula, all we know is that her webs are extremely sticky and tough, and they are flammable. Jinbeii has never seen her in action during the short time he observed her. Kurumi, would you like to fight her?"
"Of course." Kurumi accepted gladly.
"Eric , Big Boss!" Deidara quickly jumped in, "Leave the next guy to me! Hmm."
"Oh, do you want to fight a ninja or an ex-agent?"
Deidara froze for a moment.
"The Onitoribamon are the Shogun's direct ninja force, with over 5,000 members, all under Kaido's command. Fuzz V, Zoan-type ancient species Saber-toothed Tiger, was once one of the World Government's most elite agents, highly skilled in using the Navy's Six Powers, as well as the enhanced techniques. Who do you want to face?"
"Hmm..." Deidara thought carefully for a moment, "The 5,000 ninjas and their leader, leave them to me. Hmm."
"Are you sure?" Genos questioned in disbelief, "That's 5,000 enemies."
Deidara waved four fingers nonchalantly, "Easy, easy~"
Perona commented, "If you can't handle it, let Deidara blow himself up."
"Hey!"
"The leader of the Onitoribamon is named Fukurokuju, a tall man with a bald head and long earlobes and skull. He specializes in attacking with his earlobes. As for the other ninjas, I've got some records here for you to look at later."
"Fukurokuju? Ear-lobe attack?" Deidara tilted his head. "What kind of name is that? Hmm."
Eric turned to Erza , "The last of the Flying Six, Fuzz V, will be dealt with by Erza ."
"No problem." Erza responded readily.
"Genos , Gin , and Lante will handle the True Fighters; Miku will first perform [Solo] to control Kaido's normal members, then play [March] to boost our power."
"Leave it to me, Darling~" Miku winked cutely, closing one eye.
"Chiron , we'll need you to handle the logistics personnel's safety."
"Don't worry, Captain Eric ." Chiron smiled and agreed.
"Wait!" Kuina immediately stuck her head out and shouted, "What about my opponent?!"
"That hasn't been decided yet," Eric gently pressed Kuina back down, "You'll be with Akame, Kurome , and Baby-5 to deal with Kaido and his samurai."
"Kuina, do you remember the name of the village where you lived?"
"Frost Moon Village." Kuina asked in confusion, "Did you forget?"
Eric said, "The Kozuki family was served by five great noble families: Amatsuki, Shimotsuki, Kazematsu, Kumotsuki, and Kurotan. Does that ring any bells?"
Kurumi paused, "Could it be that Kuina's ancestors were originally from Wano?"
"Exactly." Eric nodded, "Shimotsuki Gensaburo once forged a famous sword—Enma—and gave it to the Kozuki family, who were as famous as the Shimotsuki family. He then took a group of Shimotsuki warriors to East Blue, where they settled on a small island. After driving off the local mountain bandits, they established Frost Moon Village."
After hearing Eric 's explanation, Kuina became even more confused. "Eric , you shouldn't know about these events, right?"
"Did Father tell you?"
"...Hmm." Eric vaguely admitted, already having the excuse ready.
Akame asked, puzzled, "Why don't I know about this?"
"Cough cough," Eric cleared his throat, continuing, "Shimotsuki Ryoma was a warrior from Wano who hadn't lost a battle for hundreds of years. His sword—"
Eric pointed to the sword at Kuina's waist, "Shusui, now it's back where it belongs."
"This... This is my ancestor's sword?" Kuina gently touched the hilt and scabbard, an overwhelming sense of familiarity flooding her heart.
"Kuina, your task is to contact the old retainers of the Kozuki family. Even if they don't come to help us, that's fine, but don't cause any trouble during the battle."
"I understand."
"The Shogun of Wano, Kaido, is a Zoan-type Mythical Species, Yamata no Orochi, and while he is a Mythical Zoan, his own strength is frighteningly weak."
"Such a waste of a great Devil Fruit."
"He's mastered the abilities of the Yamata no Orochi to perfection," Eric shrugged, "His act of playing dead is particularly masterful. Akame, remember to cut him a few times with Murasame, he has eight lives."
Akame nodded in agreement.
"Make sure to bring the fruit along, we can't let such a great Devil Fruit regenerate somewhere else."
Akame nodded again.
Eric was still a bit worried. "Don't eat all the fruit on the way."
Akame promised, "I'll make sure I'm full before the battle."
"Porche, you'll be in charge of the important task of transporting between Wano and Onigashima."
"Ugh~" Porche rubbed her face, "Since the boss is relying on me so much, I'll do my best to complete this task!"
"Though all the named enemies have been assigned," Da Vinci noticed the content in the scroll, "What about the Beast Kings? They're ancient giants over sixty meters tall. If they disrupt the battlefield, the consequences could be unpredictable."
"We'll have to deal with Kaido and Kurotan quickly before the battle." Eric frowned, "Kurome is missing four powerful puppets, so we'll use these ancient giants to fill the gap."
Perona secretly sighed in relief, glad that she didn't have any assignments.
"Perona, you're coming with me to deal with Kaido."
"??"
"!!" Perona's eyes bulged, her nose was dripping, and her mouth could fit a big apple.
"What are you doing making faces?"
"What are you joking about?! That's 'Four Emperors' Kaido! Why should I go fight that monster with you?!"
"Hmph, at least I'm one of the Four Emperors."
Perona muttered, "The weakest one."
"I'll punch you!" Eric made a gesture as if about to hit her.
"Please spare me!" Perona cried, "I'll do anything else!"
"You're a spirit, are you scared of physical attacks?"
Perona: "In front of Kaido, I'd be so scared I couldn't move!"
Eric placed his hands on Perona's shoulders, and she stopped crying.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you. I'll make sure you're safe before I die."
"..." Perona wiped her tears and snot with her hand, then casually wiped it on Eric . "Really?"
"..." With veins showing on his forehead, Eric maintained a gentle smile and nodded slightly.
"Hmph, in that case, I'll reluctantly help you out." Perona stood up proudly.
"Eric ," Esdeath said gravely, "Didn't you say one person can't take on Kaido?"
Perona swung her arms and protested loudly, "Am I not a person?"
Esdeath gave her a look, and Perona immediately shrank back like a mouse meeting a cat. "Perona only has control abilities, so against a monster like Kaido, her passive ghost form won't hold up for long."
"You're the 'king' of this team, taking risks isn't your job," Esdeath advised. "Let me and Scáthach weaken Kaido's stamina first, and you can deliver the final blow."
"Mm." Scáthach agreed with the strategy.
The members of the Dawn Pirates focused their gaze on Eric , watching him intently.
"No." Eric slowly and firmly shook his head, rejecting Esdeath's suggestion.
Akame leaned forward and asked, "Why?"
Eric looked up, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at Akame, "Do you remember when you and I first set out to sea?"
Akame nodded, "I still remember."
Kurumi's expression didn't change, but her mouth slightly pursed, and her two corners curled downward in an almost imperceptible arc.
"I couldn't even operate the ship, and I just watched you running around raising the sails and tying sailor knots. I couldn't cook, so I watched you build a fire and cook."
Perona muttered, "The captain is so useless..."
"..." Eric restrained the urge to give the little horn a beating and continued, "Later, there was Chiron 's teaching, Da Vinci's help..."
Chiron smiled warmly, and Da Vinci nodded seriously, "Mm-hmm."
"And then, Kurumi's company, Esdeath's encouragement..."
Kurumi smiled faintly, while Esdeath said, "I'll keep 'encouraging' you..."
"...In the three years at sea, I met people I could trust."
"No..." Some members scratched their heads shyly.
"But..." Eric emphasized, "Although my strength has improved, I haven't progressed much in other areas."
"No way." Akame shook her head. "I stay by your side because of your kindness, Eric ."
Kurome nodded repeatedly, "That's right, and without you, we could never have come together as a team."
Esdeath continued, "Even if you can't bear to kill someone who seems innocent like Sugar, you still move forward with determination. Your goal is clear, without a trace of confusion, which is better than most people in this world."
"You're the man I admire, so don't belittle yourself." Kurumi said, not pleased.
"I don't belittle myself too much, that's why I want to challenge the heights I can't reach."
Scáthach looked into Eric 's eyes, "Eric , could it be that you..."
"Kaido is stronger than any of us, and as the captain, it's my duty to weaken his stamina first."
"This is not a good idea." Scáthach said, her tone unchanged. "If the captain is taken down first, have you thought about the serious morale blow it will cause?"
"Though I know it's hard to win in a one-on-one fight with Kaido, it still makes me uncomfortable that you're sure I'll lose."
"Darling~" Miku took Eric 's hand, her warm and delicate touch soothing his nervous heart.
"I'm fine." Eric smiled, comforting Miku. Then he continued, "Kaido is undeniably strong, so we'll have to fight him in a wheel battle."
"As captain, I must face this strong enemy first. It's my responsibility." Eric smiled, "Don't worry, I won't lose to Kaido so easily. Besides, I fought Whitebeard for two days and nights before we decided the outcome."
[Erza Scarlet 's affection increased, Bond Level increased from 2 (Close Friend) to 3 (Trusted Friend), earned 2 bond points]
[Artoria's affection increased, Bond Level unchanged]
[Scáthach's affection increased, Bond Level unchanged]
Scáthach, with an expressionless face, said, "Whitebeard clearly held back because he wanted to train you."
"Eh?"
Esdeath also agreed with Scáthach, "Though you may not have felt it in the battle, we could clearly see it from outside the battle."
"Hmph, I don't care." Eric raised his head, "Protecting my comrades' safety, stepping forward when there's danger—this is the captain's duty. And since I'm the strongest in the Dawn Pirates, if I don't hold back Kaido, who else can take on this responsibility?"
"Oh?" Scáthach smiled slightly, "The strongest in the Dawn Pirates? I can't pretend I didn't hear that."
"Last time, I purposely let you win the duel, and now you dare say that?" Esdeath rolled up her sleeves.
"I'll use all my power to hold Kaido back." Eric scanned his gaze across Esdeath, Scáthach, Akame, and the others, "Can you handle your opponents?"
"Hmph, of course."
"Leave it to us!"
"Finally, Eric is so motivated, I'll handle it for you~"
(END CHAPTER)
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