"Those weapons we ordered from the Beasts Pirates still haven't been delivered. That bastard Kaido actually has the nerve to stop taking my calls!"
Big Mom was furious — even a little aggrieved.
Back when they were on the Rocks' ship together, he used to call her "sweetie." Then the new crowd pushed out the old, and he started calling her "old hag." How infuriating!
And now it had gotten even worse — he wouldn't even pick up her Den Den Mushi.
"Mom, Kaido wouldn't stiff us on a deal, would he?"
Perospero asked in return. He had already been several years old back when Kaido used to cling to Big Mom's side, so he knew the man's background inside and out.
Perospero didn't particularly like Kaido, but when it came to basic credibility, the man wouldn't dare screw over Totto Land.
"Who knows? Maybe that idiot got himself captured by the Marines again."
Big Mom clearly didn't care much either way.
If she was being honest, Kaido was actually her old flame. She'd gone through heaven knows how many husbands since then — she certainly wasn't pining over Kaido. What she cared about was her shipment.
And it wasn't just any ordinary shipment. She had paid a fortune for a large order of Seastone products.
Now the delivery was over half a month overdue, and Kaido wasn't answering his phone. Of course she was furious!
"I remember that bastard moved his headquarters to some country or other — what was it called again..."
Big Mom pondered for a moment but couldn't recall the name. However, she still had the Eternal Pose that Kaido had given her.
"Never mind. Perospero, take this and go find out what that fool is up to."
"Katakuri, you go with him."
"No matter what, bring our goods back!"
Big Mom tossed the Eternal Pose to Perospero.
"Understood, Mom."
Katakuri, his face half-hidden by his scarf, gave a cold, firm nod.
And so, carrying Big Mom's orders, the two of them set sail toward what was now Inazuma.
"Something about this feels off, Katali~"
Perospero said to Katakuri aboard their ship.
"Kaido not answering his phone could mean the Marines grabbed him. But why is nobody from inside the Beasts Pirates picking up either?"
"Who knows. But even Kaido can't stiff us on a deal!"
Katakuri replied coldly.
In terms of raw strength, he was no match for Kaido — not even close. But Big Mom didn't fear Kaido one bit. Unless Kaido was prepared to go to war with the Big Mom Pirates, there was no way he'd default on their order.
"He couldn't have actually gotten himself killed, could he?"
Perospero floated a theory so absurd that even he found it ridiculous.
"No, no — that's Kaido we're talking about. The supposedly unkillable monster."
"I heard the Marines tried every method they could think of and still couldn't execute him!"
Even as he said it, Perospero found himself wondering whether Kaido might truly be immortal after all.
"Don't be ridiculous. The Marines just didn't want a second Kaido showing up after his Devil Fruit reincarnated, that's all."
Katakuri said, shaking his head.
Killing someone, especially a Devil Fruit user, wasn't exactly difficult if you really wanted to.
Their ship soon approached the waters near Inazuma.
"There's actually a waterfall on the open sea?"
Perospero stared in disbelief.
"Looks like this is the country Kaido took over — Wano Country."
Katakuri observed. Noticing ships traveling in the distance, he assumed they were Beasts Pirates cargo vessels and steered toward them.
But before their ship could get close, the vessels on the other side spotted the unfamiliar ship and immediately opened fire.
The weapons mounted on Inazuma's ships were no antiquated cannons. Each vessel was more advanced than a Marine battleship — their hulls were forged entirely from alloy, and they were armed with energy weapons similar to Ruin Guards.
A scorching energy pulse blasted toward the sea surface in front of Katakuri's ship without hesitation. A massive curtain of water erupted across the ocean, and the ensuing waves surged directly toward them.
"Candy Wall!"
Perospero immediately waved his hand, conjuring a wall of hardened candy in front of their ship to block the incoming waves.
Though the other side had only fired at the sea, it still irritated Perospero.
They had come to confront Kaido over his failure to honor a business deal, and they were getting shot at before they could even get close? What kind of nonsense was this?
Besides, their ship was flying the Big Mom Pirates' flag. Did the Beasts Pirates really have no respect for them?
He was about to counterattack when Katakuri grabbed his arm.
"Wait. I don't think those are the Beasts Pirates..."
Katakuri said, frowning.
"Whether they're Kaido's men or anyone else, if they fire on us, they'd better be ready for a fight!"
Perospero snapped.
But at that moment, a voice rang out from the opposing ship.
"Vessel ahead, halt. You are entering Inazuma's territorial waters."
"Turn around immediately. That was a warning — next time, we fire directly at your ship."
"Repeating: you are entering Inazuma's territorial waters."
"Turn around immediately. That was a warning — next time, we fire directly at your ship."
The captain of that Inazuma vessel was actually Washizu — formerly one of the Seven Samurai under Orochi's command. Back when they had carried out Orochi's dirty work, they had worn full-body coverings with masks and helmets. Now rebranded, they served under the daimyo of Hakumai.
They had only recently begun conducting foreign trade, but they were already well-informed about which major powers were best left alone. They recognized the flag of the Big Mom Pirates.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have been just a warning. At the same time, Washizu sent an alert back to Inazuma's interior. Not knowing who these visitors were, he advised the mainland to prepare for combat and send reinforcements if needed.
But upon hearing those words, Katakuri and Perospero both froze in place.
They weren't afraid of Inazuma — they just couldn't make sense of the situation. Wasn't this supposed to be Wano Country, Kaido's territory? How had it become Inazuma?
Had Kaido given them the wrong Eternal Pose?
"Hold on — we're with the Big Mom Pirates! We mean no harm!"
Katakuri quickly stepped onto the bow and called out at the top of his lungs.
The Big Mom Pirates certainly weren't afraid of Inazuma, but there was no reason to make enemies for no reason either. Something was clearly very wrong here, and it would be better to clear things up first.
"We came looking for Kaido. Isn't this Wano Country?"
"Wano Country?"
Washizu tilted his head. Seeing that the other party genuinely didn't seem hostile, he eased up from his battle-ready stance.
Inazuma had already opened its borders, after all. As long as the proper procedures were followed, there was no reason they couldn't let someone like Katakuri enter.
So Washizu shook his head and explained.
"There is no such thing as Wano Country in this world anymore. This is Inazuma!"
"And as for that man called Kaido — he's already dead, slain by the General's blade!"
[
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