On the fifteenth day after leaving Skypiea, Kaidou's pirate ship docked at an unfamiliar Sky Island for resupply and rest. The island floating ten thousand meters high was surrounded by pure white clouds, with sunlight filtering through the thin cloud layer and falling upon the island's structures, refracting into strange halos.
"Boss Kaidou, according to the navigational chart, after we finish replenishing supplies on this Sky Island, we'll reach Birka in another seven days," Queen reported while studying the map in his hand, a cigar clenched between his teeth.
"King, Bullet, Queen—you three come with me to check out the tavern on the island. Sebastian, Gavin—one of you stays to guard the ship, the other arranges for supplies to be replenished," Kaidou ordered directly.
"Understood," Sebastian and Gavin replied in unison.
As Kaidou and his group stepped into the town of this Sky Island, an uncomfortable tension immediately permeated the air.
Residents on both sides of the street stopped their tasks, sizing up the outsiders with hostile gazes. These stares grew sharper when they swept over King, as if trying to pierce through his pair of black wings.
Under the sunlight, King's black wings formed a stark contrast with the pure white wings of the Sky Island residents, this visual disparity intensifying the surrounding hostility.
Kaidou thoughtfully stroked the stubble on his chin.
He clearly remembered the Sky Island residents' tradition of discriminating against "outsiders"—in the original story, Enel had suffered relentless bullying precisely because he was born without wings, eventually destroying his hometown after gaining power. Now, the appearance of their group of outsiders, especially King with his black wings, had undoubtedly touched upon the islanders' most sensitive nerve.
Though the hostility was evident, intimidated by Kaidou's over seven-meter-tall burly frame and the oppressive aura he exuded, the islanders only dared to watch from afar. With every step Kaidou took, the ground would tremble slightly, causing the surrounding residents to retreat, lacking even the courage to look him directly in the eye.
The originally noisy sounds on the street gradually faded, replaced by a suffocating silence.
However, Kaidou had underestimated the audacity of certain fanatics. Just as they turned a street corner, a middle-aged man wielding an iron rod suddenly leaped down from a second-floor window.
"Die, damn Heretic!" the man roared, thrusting the iron rod straight toward King's head. Though his movements were swift, they appeared like slow-motion replay in King's eyes.
King merely sidestepped slightly, effortlessly evading the sudden attack. His slender fingers clamped around the assailant's throat like iron pincers, lifting the man completely off the ground.
"Urgh... l-let me go!" the man struggled desperately, his face turning crimson from lack of oxygen, legs kicking futilely in the air.
Ignoring his struggles, King cast an inquiring glance toward Kaidou.
"Do as you please," Kaidou continued walking forward without even looking back, as if what had just happened was utterly insignificant.
A cruel smile curled at the corner of King's lips upon receiving permission. Under the man's terrified gaze, he slowly lowered his head, bared his sharp fangs, and sank them into the other's carotid artery.
"No... please..." The man's pleas quickly turned into pained whimpers. As his blood was continuously drained, his skin visibly withered, muscles atrophied, and hair fell out. Within mere seconds, a robust adult man had become a desiccated skeleton. King licked his lips with lingering satisfaction, casually tossing the dried corpse into the middle of the street.
The surrounding islanders screamed in terror, scattering in all directions. The once bustling street instantly became empty, leaving only a few pure white feathers drifting in the gentle breeze.
"How tedious." King flicked the dust off his hands and caught up with Kaidou's pace. Sunlight shone on his black wings, casting a shadow that enveloped the entire street.
Kaidou paid no heed, striding purposefully toward the tavern. Queen grinned around his cigar, chuckling, "Such foolish mortals."
King followed silently behind, his black wings slightly folded, the killing intent in his eyes yet to fully dissipate.
Only the withered corpse remained on the street, accompanied by distant whispers.
The residents of this Sky Island finally understood—these individuals before them were not to be trifled with.
Soon, Kaidou led the group to the island's largest tavern.
Queen kicked the tavern door open and bellowed gruffly, "Boss! Bring out your finest liquor and meat!"
The tavern owner trembled as he bowed repeatedly, "Y-yes, right away!"
Before long, several waiters fearfully served aromatic roasted meat and aged fine wine.
Kaidou and his crew dug in without ceremony, the tavern soon filled with the sounds of chewing and clinking glasses. The food on the table disappeared at a visible rate, wine barrels emptied one after another.
Just as everyone was enjoying the feast, sudden commotion erupted outside the tavern—footsteps and angry shouts.
"Who dares kill in this town? Don't you know this is Fasting Temple territory?" Following this roar, several burly men with shaved heads stormed in aggressively. They wore uniform monk robes, Monk's Scimitars hanging at their waists, faces filled with rage.
The lead monk visibly shrank back upon recognizing Kaidou's face, cold sweat beading on his forehead, but he still forced out a challenge, "W-was it you who killed in town?"
King drank deeply without looking up, sneering coldly, "I killed him. What of it? Looking to die too?" He casually tossed the empty wine barrel aside with a loud clatter.
This immediately enraged the monk, who pointed at King and shouted sharply, "Heretics! How dare you kill! Come quietly with us for judgment, or else—"
"Shut up!" Bullet suddenly erupted, grabbing the monk by his collar and hurling him out of the tavern like garbage. The other monks stumbled backward in terror, some even knocking over tables and chairs.
The tavern fell deathly silent, leaving only the sounds of Kaidou's group continuing to eat heartily.
The thrown monk scrambled up disgracefully, shouting with mingled fear and anger, "You'll pay for this! The Fasting Temple won't let this stand!" He then fled with his subordinates in panic, not even stopping to retrieve his fallen monk's hat.
Kaidou's group paid no mind, continuing to drink and feast merrily. After eating and drinking their fill, they staggered out of the tavern to return to their pirate ship.
At that moment, a large group of monks came running noisily from the distance—at least a hundred of them. Armed with various weapons, they charged fiercely toward the area. The leader, standing about three meters tall, had the distinctive wings of a Sky Island native and wore golden earrings. He strode directly up to Kaidou and the others. Upon seeing Kaidou's immense height and build, he visibly paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Beside him was the monk who had just been thrown by Bullet. The monk immediately said to the leader, "Urouge, it's them—a group of Blue Sea dwellers killing people indiscriminately on the island."