An utterly one-sided battle quickly came to an end.
Though King, Queen, Bullet, and Sebastian were all still young—with the oldest, Queen, being only twenty-four and the youngest, Bullet, just thirteen—their strength had long surpassed that of ordinary pirates. This fight was nothing more than a warm-up exercise for them; their opponents weren't even worthy of making them take it seriously.
After the battle, the four effortlessly carried their loot, worth tens of millions of Berries, back to the pirate ship. The treasures glittered under the sunlight, but to them, this was merely a small gain along their journey.
"Let's keep moving forward," Kaidou commanded from the deck, the sea breeze lifting his golden hair. The pirate ship slowly sailed away from these waters, heading toward the legendary Sleepy Ancient Town.
Although the weather in the first half of the Grand Line wasn't as unpredictable as in the New World, it still held hidden dangers. The sky was clear and bright at the moment, but no one knew if a sudden storm might arise the next moment. However, for these young men, no matter what weather they encountered, it was just another scene on their adventurous path.
...
Twenty days later, the massive warship of the Beasts Pirates finally arrived at Sleepy Ancient Town in the first half of the Grand Line. This small island, perpetually shrouded in thick fog, was almost entirely overlooked on nautical charts. The dilapidated wooden pier flickered in and out of view within the mist.
When the black flag bearing a ferocious beast's head pierced through the fog from the mast, the fishermen working on the pier immediately fell into panic. "It's the Beasts Pirates!" "Kaidou is here!" Amidst the rising and falling cries of alarm, the crowd scattered and fled, leaving only an elderly man with white hair, trembling as he stood in place leaning on his cane.
As the heavy gangplank lowered, Kaidou's burly figure was the first to appear on the deck. Behind him followed four Executives and dozens of fully armed pirates, the clanking of metal weapons particularly jarring in the silent pier. The old man wiped cold sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling, "S-Sir, our small island really..."
"Wororororo..." Kaidou's signature laughter cut off the old man's words. He looked down at the elder from his height, "I'm not here to steal your worthless scrap metal." With that, he strode purposefully toward the town center, his leather boots thudding heavily on the wooden planks.
The architecture of Sleepy Ancient Town bore distinct medieval European characteristics, with pointed-roof wooden houses lining both sides of the cobblestone streets. Though the streets were empty, Kaidou could sense countless pairs of eyes fearfully peering at them through cracks in the windows.
"Old man," Kaidou asked without turning his head, "where on this island are there the most bats?"
The old man hurried to catch up, panting as he replied, "Th-there's an abandoned castle in the back mountains, swarming with bats, but..." He glanced hesitantly at Kaidou's profile, ultimately not daring to finish his sentence.
"Alright, old man, no need to follow us anymore," Kaidou said to the elder, then directly led everyone toward the back mountains the old man had mentioned.
Ascending the winding mountain path, Kaidou led the way at the front, his leather boots making sticky sounds on the moss-covered stone steps. Complaints from the pirates occasionally rose from the group: "This damn place doesn't even have a road sign..."
"Shut up!" Queen snapped around his cigar. "Keep up, don't fall behind." His bulky figure appeared particularly clumsy on the narrow mountain path, often needing to brace against the rock wall to maintain balance.
As the altitude increased, the surrounding vegetation gradually thinned. Suddenly, Kaidou, walking at the forefront, halted. Through the thick fog, the outline of a Gothic castle loomed faintly. The castle's spires pierced the sky, its mottled stone walls covered in dark green vines, with a few broken stained-glass windows reflecting an eerie glow in the mist.
"This is the place." Kaidou grinned, revealing his stark white teeth. He reached out and pushed open the rusted iron gate; the screech of metal startled a flock of bats roosting atop the castle, their dark mass sweeping over everyone's heads.
King unfurled his black wings, hovering mid-air as his crimson eyes scanned the castle: "The legendary dwelling of vampires... interesting." His voice carried a hint of excitement.
Upon entering the castle, a damp, decaying odor assaulted them. The hall's floor was thick with dust, corners draped in cobwebs. A few tattered portraits hung on the walls, the painted eyes seemingly watching the uninvited guests.
"Search separately," Kaidou ordered curtly. "Report anything suspicious immediately."
"Yes!" The pirates scattered at once to begin their search.
"Boss Kaidou, does this damn place really have that thing?" Queen asked, eyeing the castle's dilapidated furnishings.
Kaidou didn't respond, instead glaring at Queen, who immediately sprang into action.
Half an hour passed, and the pirates had turned the castle inside out without finding any decent loot. Kaidou stood in the center of the hall, his thick arms crossed, scanning his empty-handed crew. He wasn't surprised—if the legendary Devil Fruit were so easy to find, Patrick Redfield would have claimed it long ago.
Kaidou narrowed his eyes as a thought struck him. He lifted his right foot and stomped heavily on the ground, the dull thud echoing through the empty castle. The action sparked a realization—if it wasn't on the ground, perhaps it was hidden beneath!
"Everyone, evacuate the castle now!" Kaidou's deep voice boomed through the fortress. The pirates immediately dropped what they were doing and scrambled for the door, fearing to be the last. They knew their captain's temper all too well—obedience was the best policy at such times.
Once the last pirate vanished outside, Kaidou took a deep breath. His body began to swell and transform, blue-green scales gleaming in the sunlight. In an instant, a majestic blue giant dragon soared into the air, circling above the castle. The dragon opened its massive jaws, spewing scorching flames that swiftly enveloped the entire structure in flame-like clouds.
With Kaidou's dragon roar, the Flame Cloud abruptly tightened. Amidst an ear-grinding creak, the ancient castle that had weathered centuries actually began slowly lifting off the ground!
Bricks and stones clattered down as dust swirled through the air—the entire structure was being forcibly uprooted. Kaidou gazed approvingly at his handiwork. Now, it was time to discover what secrets lay beneath this ancient castle.
Circling in the air, Kaidou's draconic eyes remained fixed on the castle foundation supported by the Flame Cloud. As the dust settled, a hidden underground chamber was suddenly revealed. Letting out an excited dragon roar, he dove downward—the legendary Devil Fruit was finally about to fall into his hands!
Kaidou plunged downward, his dragon claws easily tearing through the stone dome of the underground chamber. Amid the billowing dust, his draconic pupils abruptly contracted—there on a crystal pedestal at the chamber's center, a Devil Fruit covered in spiral patterns emitted an eerie glow.
"Urorororo..." The great dragon emitted a low chuckle, sweeping his tail to send the entire castle crashing toward distant cliffs. Amid deafening collapse, he reverted to human form and landed on the ground, striding purposefully toward the fruit.