The sea wind howled as Kaidou's massive frame stood on the deck, his black cloak flapping violently. He narrowed his eyes, watching the middle-aged envoy in ornate clothing who was bowing to him with utmost deference.
"Mr. Kaidou, I come by the king's order to deliver tokens of gratitude," the envoy said, his voice trembling slightly, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. At his signal, two attendants carefully opened the sandalwood chests they carried.
When the first chest opened, sunlight struck the bundles of Berry inside, reflecting dazzling golden light. Neatly stacked banknotes emitted the distinctive scent of money, each bundle meticulously tied with silk ribbons.
The lock of the second chest made a crisp sound as it opened, revealing a completely dark fruit resting inside. Its surface was covered in mysterious spiral patterns, wrapped in several yellow leaves—clearly a priceless Devil Fruit.
"Wororororo..." Kaidou stared at the two chests and let out his signature low laugh, the sound echoing across the sea. "It seems that fat pig king doesn't want me visiting his country."
The envoy's face instantly turned pale. He hurriedly explained, "That's a misunderstanding, Mr. Kaidou! His Majesty simply worries your visit might cause unnecessary trouble." Wiping the continuous sweat from his brow, his voice grew progressively quieter. "After all... if people were to learn this matter is connected to our kingdom..."
The cries of seagulls cut across the sky, nearly drowning out the envoy's voice with the sound of waves. He took a deep breath and continued, "Please rest assured, should you need anything, just send word and we'll prepare it for you immediately."
Kaidou thoughtfully rubbed his chin, his thick fingers moving through his beard. His gaze shifted back and forth between the Berry and the Devil Fruit, as if weighing something. After a moment of silence, he directly ordered, "Call that fat pig. I have words for him."
"Yes! I'll contact His Majesty right away!" The envoy looked as if he'd been granted amnesty, immediately pulling out an exquisite Den Den Mushi from his luxurious silk pocket. His fingers trembling slightly, he quickly dialed the number.
"Buru buru buru..." The Den Den Mushi made rhythmic ringing sounds.
"Hello, Albert, is everything settled?" The Den Den Mushi instantly transformed into a plump face—none other than the king of Lykstor Kingdom. His voice carried obvious tension and expectation.
"Your Majesty, Mr. Kaidou wishes to speak with you," Albert said, then immediately presented the Den Den Mushi with both hands, aiming it toward Kaidou.
"Mr. Kaidou, thank you so much for your help in this matter," the king's fawning voice came through the Den Den Mushi. "If you need anything, you can tell me directly."
"Wororororo!" Kaidou suddenly burst into loud laughter that made the deck tremble slightly. "You've got quite the nerve, daring to play me for a fool!"
The Den Den Mushi's expression instantly twisted, large drops of sweat forming on its forehead. "Wh-what do you mean by that? Mr. Kaidou..."
"You never mentioned this involved Celestial Dragons from the start!" Kaidou's voice abruptly turned cold, the surrounding air seeming to freeze. "If you don't give me a proper explanation, your kingdom won't need to exist anymore."
Waves crashed against the ship's hull as a deathly silence fell over the deck. The king on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was clearly terrified, his voice trembling: "Mr. Kaidou, please calm down! What do you need?"
"Simple," Kaidou extended a thick finger, "More money. Another twenty billion Berry, plus five Devil Fruits."
"This... this..." The king's stammering voice came through the Den Den Mushi, vividly conveying his panicked state.
Kaidou interrupted impatiently: "Seems you have a death wish."
"Mr. Kaidou!" the king nearly shouted, "I'll arrange for the Berry to be delivered immediately! But Devil Fruits are such rare treasures of the sea - even our Lykstor Kingdom's treasury only has two. We truly don't have any more!"
This unexpected revelation made Kaidou's eyes gleam with interest. He hadn't anticipated this extortion attempt would yield such a bonus. He immediately decided: "Then add another ten billion Berry. Get everything to me by today."
"Yes, Mr. Kaidou!" came the king's relieved voice, "I'll have the items delivered right away." The Den Den Mushi then returned to normal as the call was hastily terminated.
While Kaidou was conducting his secret negotiations with King Lykstor, the pirate fleet led by King and Bullet had quietly sailed into the Morsek Sea.
In these turbulent waters, on a forgotten island, the only tavern received some unexpected visitors.
At dusk, King and Bullet pushed open the tavern's creaky wooden door, accompanied by several elite crew members.
The fading sunset light streamed through the door crack, mingling with the flickering kerosene lamp light inside.
They were greeted by the strong aroma of rum and boisterous laughter.
Gecko Moria was drinking heartily with his crew, celebrating their newly acquired substantial bounties.
The tavern buzzed with noise as several drunken pirates sat around a long table littered with empty bottles and leftover bones.
"Kishishishi!" Moria raised a oak mug filled with rum and drank it all in one gulp, the liquid dripping down his chin onto his open shirt, "Men, we're drinking until we drop tonight!"
"The captain is amazing!" shouted a red-faced pirate, slamming the table, his words slurred from intoxication, "Worth twenty million Berry right after setting sail!"
Moria wiped the alcohol from his mouth, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
He slammed his mug on the table with a loud thud: "What's twenty million? Next time my bounty will at least double!" His bold declaration echoed through the tavern, prompting another round of enthusiastic cheers and clinking glasses from his crew.
King stood at the entrance, coldly surveying the reveling pirates. His tall figure cast a long shadow in the dim light, a contemptuous sneer appearing beneath his black mask.
He stepped forward, his leather boots making dull thuds on the wooden floorboards, while Bullet leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.
King walked straight toward Moria, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding commotion.
A drunken pirate staggered to his feet, blocking his path. "Hey, hey, hey, what do you think you're doing? Get lost, don't ruin the captain's mood." His words were slurred and reeked of alcohol.
King didn't even glance at the pirate, continuing forward. His voice was low and icy, cutting through the tavern's noise: "Gecko Moria, come with us. My boss wants to see you."
Moria's laughter cut off abruptly, his wine glass frozen mid-air as the tavern fell silent.
Ps: This story was conceptualized during the Wano Arc, so it does not include any plot developments or revelations from later chapters. As such, Gecko Moria is not retconned as a member of the Kouzuki Clan, as he is in the later manga
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 40+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!