Night fell, and the bright moonlight spilled over the towering spires of the royal palace, coating the slumbering edifice in a silver sheen.
Within the palace walls, lights were extinguished one by one, leaving only a few faint, flickering candlelights in the darkness. Patrolling guards mechanically walked their designated routes, the sound of their heavy footsteps echoing in the silent courtyard.
King's figure, like a wisp of smoke in the night, silently flitted over the palace walls. His slender form flashed across the high ramparts, his black haori flapping in the wind without making a sound.
With the night vision granted by his Mythical Zoan-Type Bat-Bat Fruit, Vampire Form, he could clearly see the position and movements of every guard. The fully-armed soldiers were completely unaware that a dangerous intruder was leisurely crossing their defensive lines right above their heads.
The king's bedchamber was located in the deepest part of the palace, its heavy curtains completely blocking out the moonlight. The obese king lay on his back on a large, gold-inlaid bed, snoring like thunder, the grease from dinner still staining the corners of his mouth. His thick arms were draped casually over the silk quilt, utterly oblivious to the impending danger.
Like a phantom, King's figure drifted in through a crack in the window, not triggering any mechanisms. He stood before the bed, looking down upon the defenseless ruler, his blood-red pupils glinting with an eerie light in the darkness. An invisible psychic wave emanated from him, and the air seemed to warp with some unseen force, creating imperceptible ripples.
The king's consciousness was instantly brought under complete control. He opened his eyes blankly and sat up stiffly in bed, like a manipulated puppet.
King's deep and oppressive voice echoed in the room: "Tell me, what is your true purpose for inviting the Beasts Pirates?"
The king's lips opened and closed mechanically, his voice flat as he replied, "To... use your power... to get rid of..." Each word seemed to be forcibly squeezed from his throat, punctuated by unnatural pauses.
The corner of King's mouth curled up in a sardonic smile. He released his mental control, and the king's fat body immediately fell back onto the bed like a puppet with its strings cut, once again sinking into a deep sleep as if everything that had just happened was merely a dream.
When King's figure quietly vanished into the night, the guards within the royal palace were still patrolling as usual.
No one noticed the slight flutter of the bedchamber curtains, nor did they discover the fine beads of sweat that had formed on the king's forehead.
The night remained deep, the moonlight remained bright, as if nothing had happened at all.
······
Aboard the Beasts Pirates' ship, Kaidou's burly figure stood at the prow of the deck.
The sea breeze blew his black hair about wildly, his greatcoat flapping behind him. He narrowed his eyes, watching King return from the darkness, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder, "King, what's that fat pig's plan?"
At this moment, not only Kaidou, but Bullet, Queen, Urouge, Sebastian, Gavin, Enel, and the others had also gathered on deck, waiting for the intelligence King would bring back.
King straightened the feathers ruffled by the sea breeze and said directly, "Brother Kaidou, here's what's going on."
King recounted in detail the intricate plot devised by the King of Credea. It turned out that the seemingly ordinary island not only held rich mineral resources but also grew a rare fruit called the Hundred Pistil Fruit. This fruit was crystal clear in appearance, like a pink gemstone, and emitted a unique, sweet fragrance.
"From what I've gathered," King continued, his voice exceptionally clear in the night wind, "anyone who tastes the Hundred Pistil Fruit once will never forget its flavor. Even the Celestial Dragons, who are accustomed to the world's finest delicacies, have a special fondness for this fruit."
It was precisely with this secret weapon that the King of Credea had successfully established a connection with the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons. By regularly offering this rare fruit as tribute to the Celestial Dragons, he obtained a large amount of resources and privileges, allowing the Kingdom of Credea's national power to rise rapidly in a short time. But the ambitious king was not satisfied with this; he wanted to replace the Lext Kingdom as the new trade center of the West Blue.
"That cunning king used his connection to the Celestial Dragons," King continued, a hint of amusement in his voice, "to start cracking down on the Lext Kingdom's underground trade. Wary of the Celestial Dragons' power, the Lext Kingdom could only swallow its anger."
Now was the harvest season for the Hundred Pistil Fruit, and a Celestial Dragon had even sent his personal butler to the island to supervise the picking and transportation. The King of Lext saw this as an opportunity to kill with a borrowed knife. He planned to hire pirates to attack the island, not only to destroy this batch of precious Hundred Pistil Fruit but also to ensure the Celestial Dragon's butler met an "accident" during the raid.
"Once the plan succeeds," King analyzed calmly, a shrewd glint in his eyes, "the King of Credea will face the thunderous wrath of the Celestial Dragons. The Lext Kingdom can then reap the rewards, replacing Credea as the Celestial Dragons' new favorite."
"Damn it, that king is just using our Beasts Pirates as a weapon," Enel said indignantly.
"That's right, Boss Kaidou," Queen said, a cigar dangling from his lips as he squinted. "Why don't we just forget about that island and attack Lext directly? We'll rob the country blind. Not only will the Devil Fruit be ours, but so will all the country's treasure."
"Exactly, Captain," Sebastian chimed in. "Let them know there's a price to pay for trying to use us."
Kaidou was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No, this country must be left alone. Not only that, but we're also going to help him see this through."
"Captain, why?" Enel asked, confused.
Kaidou's profound gaze swept over everyone. "We need a power in the Four Blues to gather all sorts of rare materials for us, and that fat pig is a good choice. Once he's connected with the Celestial Dragons, we can acquire all kinds of contraband we need through this country in the future. Besides, that fat pig is relatively easy to control." At this, he turned to King. "King, how is the development of your ability? Can you create a Blood Thrall yet?"
"My apologies, Brother Kaidou," King lowered his head. "I've tested this ability many times, but there's still a great deal of uncertainty. I need more time to develop it."
"Then we'll cooperate with him for now," Kaidou decided. "Later, when you can convert someone into your Blood Thrall with a hundred percent success rate, you'll make a special trip back here and turn him completely into one of our own."
"Yes, Brother Kaidou," King replied respectfully, then added, "By the way, that fat pig originally planned to invite a pirate named Moria. He's been causing quite a bit of trouble in the West Blue recently. But after we arrived, he changed his plan and invited us instead."
"Oh? Moria." A sharp glint flashed in Kaidou's eyes upon hearing the name. If he remembered correctly, Moria should be eighteen this year. According to this world's customs, people only started chasing their dreams after turning seventeen, whether it was joining the Marines, setting out to sea as a pirate, or becoming a bounty hunter. The timing fit. That, plus the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, meant this must be the same Gecko Moria who would suffer a crushing defeat at his hands in Wano in the future.
"Do you know where this Gecko Moria fellow is?" Kaidou asked. Since he had run into the guy by such a coincidence, Kaidou decided he might as well recruit him. A Gecko Moria who hadn't yet suffered a major blow would be a decent asset once he matured.
"He seems to be in the Morsk Sea," King recalled. "It's about half a day's sail from Lext. Brother Kaidou, are you planning to subjugate that Gecko Moria?"
"That's right," Kaidou revealed a meaningful smile. "But I don't plan on doing it myself this time. King, Bullet, tomorrow the two of you will take some men and another ship, and go capture that Gecko Moria for me. The rest of you will come with me tomorrow to see this fruit that even the Celestial Dragons can't forget."
"Yes, sir!" the crew responded in unison, their voices echoing in the night sky.