"Buggy."
Ever since that guy Shiki took Kaoru Tsubasa's wine and left, Kaoru continued to train Buggy relentlessly.
But today, Kaoru didn't plan to train him. Instead, he was preparing to visit an old friend—and Buggy was coming along.
As for who that friend was?Author's Note: You can probably guess from the title.
"What… what is it, Brother Tsubasa?"
When Buggy heard Kaoru call him, he rushed over immediately.
Just from his trembling voice, one could tell how terrified he was of Kaoru by now. For the past year, his life had been worse than death. Though his strength had improved tremendously, Kaoru's brutal training had nearly broken him.
"Relax, Buggy. We're not training today."
Kaoru noticed the pirate's nervousness and couldn't help but laugh.
"Really?!"
Hearing that there would be no training, Buggy's face lit up with excitement.
"Hey—idiot!"
Kaoru suddenly teleported and grabbed Buggy, who was so thrilled that he almost jumped into the sea.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten you're a Devil Fruit user?" Kaoru said, tossing him aside.
Buggy scratched his head awkwardly. For the past year, he'd been focusing on mastering the Grace of the Sun technique, and in the process, he'd nearly forgotten that he couldn't swim.
Seeing Buggy's blank expression, Kaoru sighed. "You really did forget."
"Alright, Buggy—follow him."
Kaoru created a physical clone and motioned for Buggy to go with it.
Buggy was already familiar with Kaoru's ability from their time in Loguetown, so he wasn't all that surprised. Together, Buggy and the clone boarded a ship and set sail in a specific direction.
After boarding, Kaoru reached into his system space and pulled out a black cloak and a pristine white mask decorated with black streaks.
The cloak was none other than the Cape of Brother E, from Kamen Rider Eiichi. It was an incredible artifact—capable of nullifying any ability directed at the wearer.
In the W movie universe, had Brother E not lost this cloak, the outcome of that battle would've been uncertain.
As for the mask—it was originally modeled after the Ninja General from Jackie Chan Adventures.
What? Why was it pure white?
Well, because the original design was hideous. So Kaoru had modified it into a sleeker, elegant version.
And how did he do it?Well… that's not something you need to know for this novel.
"Hey, Brother Tsubasa, why are you wearing a mask and a cape?" Buggy asked curiously.
Kaoru explained the agreement he had made with Sengoku.
The result?
"Brother Tsubasa, do you have another mask?""Brother Tsubasa, that cape is so cool!""Brother Tsubasa, please make me one too!""Brother Tsubasa, Brother Tsubasa—"
On and on he went. For the next few days at sea, Buggy's constant chatter echoed endlessly. Even after receiving several "Iron Fists of Love," he refused to stop.
In the end, Kaoru gave in and crafted Buggy a plain cloak and mask—completely devoid of any special power—just to shut him up.
A few days later…
Kaoru and Buggy finally arrived in the waters of Wano Country.
"We're here, Buggy."
Standing at the bow, Kaoru gazed at the great waterfall that guarded the isolated nation.
Because the Beasts Pirates hadn't yet risen to full strength, the seas surrounding Wano were quiet, with no patrol ships in sight.
"Are we really there? Where is it? Is that Wano—the Land of Samurai?" Buggy asked, peering around.
Since Roger's crew had never landed in Wano, Buggy had no clue what to expect. They'd passed by before, but never set foot there.
"Uh… Brother Tsubasa, you don't mean Wano's on top of that waterfall, right?"
"That's right, Buggy," Kaoru replied casually. "We're flying up."
With that, Kaoru activated his Gale Ring and took off. He had forged two of them—one for himself and one for Buggy.
"Who goes there?"
A stern voice called out.
A man in a dark suit, wearing a mask and a pair of black wings, appeared before Kaoru.
It was King the Wildfire, one of Kaido's future All-Stars.
"Could you let your captain know?" Kaoru said calmly. "We're here to meet Kaido."
Following his philosophy of avoiding unnecessary conflict, Kaoru made his intentions clear.
"Hmph. Wait here."
King gave brief orders to his subordinates before flying back toward Wano.
Kaoru watched him leave, feeling relieved.
Good thing it's King on guard, he thought. If it had been Jack, he'd probably have just yelled 'Who do you think I am?' and attacked.
After about ten minutes, the sky darkened.
From the clouds above, a colossal green dragon emerged, its golden eyes burning with intensity.
"Who… dares to seek me?"
"That's Kaido!" Buggy exclaimed, trembling as he stared at the massive dragon's glowing eyes. "The captain of the Beasts Pirates!"
"Boom!"
Kaoru smacked him with another Iron Fist of Love. "Don't act like you've never seen a Yonko before. You were part of the Pirate King's crew, remember?"
Kaido narrowed his eyes. "The Pirate King's crew… who are you?"
Kaoru smiled beneath his mask. "Long time no see, Kaido."
"Long time no see? Who are you supposed to be?" Kaido demanded, frowning.
Kaoru simply rested his hand on the sword at his waist. "You should recognize this."
Kaido's expression shifted instantly. "That sword… you… you're—"
Kaoru lifted a finger to his lips, signaling silence. "Let's talk elsewhere."
Kaido hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Follow me."
He turned into his human form and led Kaoru toward Onigashima. Before leaving, he ordered King to maintain watch over the borders.
Inside Kaido's grand hall in Onigashima…
"All of you—leave. No one enters until I say so," Kaido ordered.
His subordinates bowed and closed the doors behind them.
Kaoru removed his mask, revealing his face. "It's been a long time, Kaido. You've gotten stronger."
Kaido froze for a moment—then his eyes widened.
"Brother Tsubasa… it's really you!"
He stood up, shock and emotion flashing across his face. He hadn't seen Kaoru in decades.
Back during the God Valley Incident, Kaido had been taken away by Whitebeard, leaving Kaoru behind. Though Kaoru had told him, "We'll meet again once your crew makes a name for itself," Kaido had never known whether his friend survived.
The world government had claimed Kaoru died in the battle, but Kaido never trusted the Navy. Still, being powerless at the time, he had no choice but to leave with Whitebeard.
For years, there had been no word—no sign—of Kaoru Tsubasa. Kaido came to believe he had truly perished in God Valley.
That belief turned to rage. He blamed Whitebeard for abandoning Kaoru. Every time they clashed over the years, Kaido fought with unmatched fury, convinced that if Whitebeard had taken Kaoru too, his brother-in-arms would still be alive.
Whitebeard, of course, had no idea why Kaido hated him so much.
If he'd known it was because of Kaoru, he might have told him long ago that Kaoru Tsubasa was alive and thriving in Redoria.