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Lola flew backward, breaking two large trees and plowing a gully into the ground.
She lay at the end of the gully, electricity arcing around her body with crackling sounds.
The tattered hem of her skirt was ripped up to her thighs, revealing prominent crisscrossing scars.
She glared at Kaido with angry defiance, her blood-red eyes flashing with ferocity.
But her body was at its limit, making it difficult to move.
Just then, a bizarre scene unfolded.
From the ground, which was covered in corpses and blood, wisps of strange black mist began to rise.
Suddenly, a greenish-black hand emerged from the soil, as clumps of earth loosened and swelled.
It was as if something beneath the surface was breathing, causing the earth to rise and fall.
Then, a skeleton dressed in tattered burlap pushed its way out of the ground.
The skeleton's eye sockets burned with a ghostly blue flame, and bits of rotting flesh clung to its face and body; it held a farm tool wreathed in black mist.
Following closely, more skeleton soldiers crawled out from underground, each holding various tools.
They stared blankly and stiffly at Kaido.
The ghostly blue flames in their eye sockets flickered and burned, yet emitted no warmth.
Kaido frowned, just about to see what these newly appeared skeletons intended to do.
With a crunch.
The ghostly blue flames vanished, and the skeletons collapsed to the ground.
The black mist drifted away and dispersed, taking with it dozens of skeleton soldiers.
If not for the disturbed ground, Kaido would have thought he was hallucinating.
He released his Observation Haki, instantly covering the entire island.
Other than the faint auras of women and children, there were no unusual presences nearby.
"Which means…"
Kaido narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Lola, who had already fainted and regressed to the appearance of a child: "An interesting kid, a new Devil Fruit?"
The next day, at dawn.
Lola awoke from her unconsciousness, immediately smelling a strong aroma.
She abruptly opened her eyes, rolled over, and squatted on the ground, hands on the earth.
She watched Kaido devouring a large piece of thigh meat.
Golden oil dripped, and Lola couldn't help but swallow.
Her eyes followed the thigh meat in Kaido's hand as he tore at it.
"Want some?"
Kaido glanced at Lola.
Lola nodded rapidly like a pecking bird.
Kaido threw a roasted piece to Lola, who, like a hound, flew to catch it in her mouth; her face visibly reddened from the heat, and she quickly released it, baring her teeth and sticking out her tongue.
The piece of meat fell, but Lola, ignoring the heat, quickly caught it and immediately began to wolf it down like Kaido.
Seeing the little tiger cub's appearance, Kaido couldn't help but laugh heartily.
He had extensive experience raising children.
In his previous life, his good friend Hanafuda entrusted Ulti and Page One to his care, and the siblings did not disappoint his efforts, both becoming formidable pirates.
Only Yamato defied discipline, even idolizing his sworn enemy Kozuki Oden, which infuriated and vexed Kaido.
Even so, Kaido still planned for Yamato to become the Shogun of Wano Country after the New Onigashima project was implemented, allowing her to peacefully enjoy the realm Kaido had built for her.
"Yamato… you fool, you don't understand my painstaking efforts at all!!"
Kaido sighed. Yamato had perfectly inherited the strength of the Oni race and was the most suitable successor.
Unlike Linlin, whose family power was built on sheer numbers, Kaido relied entirely on the quality of his bloodline to stabilize his forces.
In Kaido's eyes, one Yamato was easily equal to any of Linlin's children.
It was just a pity… Yamato was too rebellious, and her rebellious phase lasted too long.
If she weren't his own child, Kaido would have long since clubbed Yamato to death.
Speaking of which, should he cultivate a few more successors?
The topic had strayed a bit.
Collecting his thoughts, Kaido asked: "Kid, what's your name? From now on, you'll follow me, alright?"
"Eh? Really? Uncle!!"
Lola's eyes lit up: "My name is Lola, Freet Lola!"
Kaido's face darkened: "Who are you calling uncle?! I'm only twenty-two this year!"
"Also, remember my name! I am Kaido, the man who will one day dominate this world!"
Lola nodded, her face serious and adoring: "Dominate the world? That sounds really amazing!"
"Work hard and grow, otherwise, if you can't become my fighting force in the future, you'll just have to slink away and cry in a corner!"
This seemed to hit a sore spot for Lola, and she quickly said: "Uncle… Big Brother, don't leave me, I will definitely work hard!"
"By the way, where is this?"
Lola belatedly remembered that she had been abducted by the villagers.
Kaido briefly explained the situation to Lola, then asked: "Lola, you're a Devil Fruit user, aren't you?"
Lola nodded: "A Paramecia, the Undead-Undead Fruit. Big Brother, I want to go back and see Grandma. She was beaten to death by the villagers trying to save me. I want to bury her."
"Sentimental nonsense!"
Kaido snorted in displeasure, "Excessive emotions only become a burden, don't waste too much time on them! I'll only give you two hours. After you've buried the old woman, come find me on the coast! You people are all such a hassle!"
"Tha-thank you, Big Brother!!"
Lola bowed ninety degrees to Kaido, her face a mix of tears and laughter, snot and tears running into her mouth, yet she smiled brilliantly.
Mama, Papa, I think I've found hope to live on.
Lola said in her heart… Evening, Baloses Island.
Recently, news spread throughout the Underworld that an auction would be held on Baloses Island, with an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit as the main attraction.
This news, disseminated by interested parties, quickly became widely known.
Immediately, countless people gathered there to compete for the Devil Fruit.
It is well known that Devil Fruits are divided into Zoan, Paramecia, and Logia types.
Zoan types are universally recognized as the strongest in close-quarters combat among the three types, capable of maximizing physical potential.
And an Ancient Zoan at that!?
"An auction for a Devil Fruit? Is this news even true?"
"Never mind whether the source of the news is accurate. Just look at how many powerful individuals have gathered on Baloses Island now, and you should know that even if the news isn't true, once this group gathers, it certainly won't end peacefully."
"You really love chaos, don't you!"
"Hahaha, the more lively this world is, the more interesting it is!!"
Inside the tavern, people chatted idly.
Because of the mixed crowd and various characters, taverns were often the best places to gather information.
Of course, whether the information was true or false was up to each person to discern.
Kaido and Lola, wearing black cloaks, sat in a corner, ungracefully drinking and eating meat.
Just then, a middle-aged man walked in, clad in a scarlet cloak, holding a staff, and carrying himself with elegant composure.
As the man entered the tavern, everyone held their breath and stopped their revelry.
Even as drinks overflowed their cups, they didn't react, their fingers trembling, mouths agape, eyes filled with fear.
The man had pale hair, braided into a plait that hung casually across his chest, his eyebrows and eyes were crimson, a short beard adorned his chin, a golden chain linked his mouth to his earlobe, and his eyes were eerie and sinister, exuding a truly demonic charm.
The Red Count, Patrick Redfield!