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After destroying the Marine branch base, Kaido returned to Winter Island, lavishly spending two hundred million Berries to host a banquet.
After a night of revelry, Kaido rested on Winter Island for several days before heading to a nearby deserted island to train.
To the outside world, Kaido seemed to have suddenly vanished, disappearing without a trace.
The Marines tasked with monitoring the World Pirates, far from feeling relieved, sensed an impending storm behind this calm.
The unusual tranquility of the World Pirates drew high attention from the Marines.
A meeting, led by Zephyr and with Staff Officer Tsuru as an advisor, was convened in the Marineford conference room.
The main topic of discussion for the meeting was the recently unusually stable World Pirates.
Zephyr, having recovered from his injuries, looked even more spirited and capable; the scars on his forehead and chest from battle were not a disgrace but rather a badge of honor, adding a few points of fierce, murderous aura.
Zephyr said in a calm tone, "Everyone here should know that I was defeated by Kaido in our engagement. A Marine losing to a Pirate is nothing to be proud of."
"Previously, I compiled the intelligence gathered after that battle into a written report and submitted it to Fleet Admiral Kong."
"Fleet Admiral Kong shares my view; the existence of Kaido is something we Marines cannot afford to ignore. He poses a threat as formidable as Whitebeard and Golden Lion."
"In the year following the God Valley Incident, there has been virtually no news of him. We didn't even know he was the hidden Captain of the World Pirates."
"He attacked Winter Island, built a smelting factory, and collaborated with the Ibis Family to sell arms. His actions might seem erratic, but every step has a clear objective."
"If the Oren Kingdom hadn't requested the World Government to subjugate Kaido, we probably wouldn't have known that he already commanded a force of over a thousand people."
As Zephyr laid out the facts, the Admirals and Captains present seemed to envision Kaido, the grand schemer, manipulating everything from behind the scenes.
The Admirals and Captains looked solemn, with worry etched on their brows.
Zephyr continued, "Six months ago, Kaido attacked Marine Branch Base G25, resulting in heavy casualties."
"However, since then, he hasn't launched any further attacks, but everyone…"
Zephyr's expression was serious as he lightly tapped the table with his index finger: "Would someone with such clear objectives and an unpredictable temperament truly be content to remain dormant?"
A Vice Admiral spoke up, voicing his doubts: "Vice Admiral Zephyr, perhaps he is very satisfied with his current power and life? After all, at just over twenty years old, he has amassed power and territory that others could never achieve in a lifetime."
Zephyr shook his head: "We cannot gamble the future of the world and the lives of its people, Vice Admiral Davis."
"Contrary to your thoughts, I believe that for someone Kaido's age, arrogance, hubris, and recklessness are precisely the traits that fit him."
Staff Officer Tsuru also expressed her opinion: "According to our assessment, Kaido's ambitions are certainly not as simple as just Winter Island or the Oren Kingdom."
After a moment of silence, a Vice Admiral said: "What about the plan then? The plan to deal with Kaido? Vice Admiral Zephyr, Staff Officer Tsuru, Roger, Whitebeard, and Golden Lion alone are already exhausting us. Shouldn't our attention be more focused on them than on Kaido?"
The Flying Pirates, led by Golden Lion, were instigating terrorist incidents everywhere, gathering a large number of Pirates.
The elusive flying ability made the Marines feel helpless and frustrated.
"The Roger Pirates are too active, and the Flying Pirates are impossible to track. Currently, the three Pirate crews we need to monitor closely are…"
Staff Officer Tsuru said: "The Big Mom Pirates, the John Pirates, and the World Pirates. The three Marine branches near the Oren Kingdom will continue to monitor the World Pirates, correct?"
Tsuru looked at Rear Admiral Lily, Vice Admiral Kerber, and the newly promoted Vice Admiral Saeki, who replaced the deceased Vice Admiral Wei Lun as the commander of the Marine branch base... Late 1485.
Winter Island is constantly plagued by blizzards and howling cold winds. Even wearing Viking cotton attire, one can feel the biting cold.
The cold wind felt like knives against their faces.
The two Pirates guarding the warehouse entrance looked at the swirling blizzard, the distant mountainside shrouded in mist, with no one in sight.
Except for the howling wind, everything else seemed calm and peaceful.
The two Pirates started a bonfire in a nearby tent, rubbing their frozen hands in the warm glow, and began discussing the major events happening at sea recently.
"Did you hear? The great Pirate Kaido destroyed several more Pirate crews, completely wiping them out… I can't even imagine how tragic it must have been."
"Last month, Marine Admiral Sengoku pursued the Whitebeard Pirates, and a major battle broke out on Bengale Island. I heard that half the island was destroyed."
"That's too exaggerated, isn't it?!"
"How is it exaggerated? Even more terrifying is the Roger Pirates. Every crew member of that Pirate crew can stand on their own. Roger, Rayleigh, Gaban… which one isn't a renowned powerhouse?"
"Not only that, but famous great Pirates around the world are also active: Silver Axe, John, Big Mom… These monsters, as famous as Boss Kaido, are wreaking havoc on the seas, and many countries and towns have been destroyed."
The two Pirates sighed, the firelight casting a reddish glow on their faces.
"Speaking of which, Boss Kaido called the executives for a secret meeting today. I wonder what big plan he's cooking up now."
"That's not for us to worry about. The only thing we can do is unconditionally follow Boss's arrangements."
They opened the box in the tent, which contained liquor and specially treated meat.
In Winter Island's environment of minus twenty degrees Celsius, everywhere was a natural storage room, so there was no need to worry about food spoiling.
"It's almost time for the shift change. Come on, let's have a drink!"
The two drank strong liquor, high-spirited, with faint red flush on their cheeks.
In the distance, through the blizzard and mist, the royal palace was hazy, with flickering, indistinct lights.
The royal palace was heavily guarded outside. Kaido had summoned Wald, Roya, Hiber, and Binjack to discuss finding an agent in the Underworld.
Although they had a long-standing cooperative agreement with the Ibis Family in the Underworld, the middleman still took a cut, and the monthly profit of two hundred million Berries was no longer enough to satisfy Kaido's appetite.
It should be noted that maintaining the living expenses of nearly two thousand people was no small sum.
Previously, Queen and Promoted had handled all of this, so he didn't have to worry at all.
But now it was different. Queen was still doing scientific research at the Peace Research Institute, and Promoted had not yet been born. Currently, Binjack was managing the entire crew's expenses.
Moreover, the Underworld was not just for dumping arms. Often, the first-hand information about Devil Fruits came from the Underworld.
Building a true Beasts Pirates had always been Kaido's long-cherished wish.
However, the problem was that while Kaido's side could provide the goods, besides the Ibis Family, there seemed to be no other stable buyers.
At this point, Binjack suddenly said: "I heard that many kingdoms are sustaining themselves through war, invading neighboring countries to maintain domestic economic balance. If we could sell weapons to these countries or their adversaries, they would surely be willing to purchase large quantities, right?"
A word enlightened him.
Kaido seemed to have forgotten that he himself was originally born in the Vodka Kingdom, a war-torn kingdom.
There are too many countries in this world that lack stable resources and income, and can only rely on invading other countries to maintain domestic order and stability.
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