Night fell quietly.
The voices within the council hall gradually faded.
Although Kaido had verbally stated that Bai Feng's Wano Extermination Plan could not yet be implemented, he still had Bai Feng elaborate on every single step in greater detail.
And once Bai Feng began explaining, nearly an entire day passed.
"Wororororo… Queen, you've recorded everything properly, right?"
"All recorded, Boss Kaido!"
The Queen lay sprawled over a desk. Before him was a sheet of paper almost completely filled with dense writing.
Kaido stood and glanced over it briefly, confirming there were no major mistakes.
Afterward, he called for his subordinates outside and ordered them to bring food.
The moment Bai Feng heard the word food, his usually calm and composed expression snapped.
He whipped his head toward the entrance of the hall and stared intently.
Poor Bai Feng—two years ago, after being sent to Wano by the will of the Monster Hunter world, his young body and constant need to absorb leyline and life energy meant that most of the time, he had no access to actual food.
Only occasionally would carnivorous beasts wander near, sense his presence, attempt to hunt him—and end up becoming his meal instead.
Other than that, he had survived almost entirely on leyline energy.
So now, when Kaido uttered that long-forgotten word—
Memories of real cuisine surged through his mind.
A few minutes later—
The instant several carts piled high with food were pushed into the hall by Beasts Pirates, Bai Feng shot forward like a gust of wind.
He lunged onto the carts like a starving ghost reborn, devouring everything in sight.
The pirates delivering the food were stunned.
Where did this little famine victim come from?!
"Worororo. Let him eat."
Kaido chuckled faintly.
Since meeting Bai Feng, the brat has acted nothing like a child.
Now, finally, he showed at least a trace of childish behavior. Kaido found it oddly reassuring.
"No matter how he calls himself a reborn person, he's still human in the end."
As long as Bai Feng remained within the bounds of "human," Kaido feared nothing—no matter his origins.
One full meal later, Bai Feng had emptied several food carts entirely—including the portions meant for Kaido, King, and Queen.
"You little bastard! You even ate my red bean mochi soup?!"
Queen had been busy reviewing his notes and copying a clean draft without typos.
By the time he finished concentrating, Bai Feng's battle against the food carts was nearly over.
He stared at the massive iron bucket that had once been brimming with sweet red bean mochi soup.
Now it was polished clean, only a few droplets clinging to the inner wall as proof it had ever existed.
The Queen's heart felt as if it were being stabbed.
"You damned brat!!"
"Burp~~~"
Bai Feng tossed the last apple into his mouth, crunched and swallowed, and released a deeply satisfied belch.
Queen trembled with rage—his cheeks quivering.
Yet strangely… he couldn't bring himself to truly hate the boy.
Seeing Bai Feng devouring food like a reincarnated starving ghost, Queen unconsciously imagined him surviving alone in the wild.
A three- or four-year-old child. No caretaker. No proper food. Picking rotten fruit and catching insects just to survive…
The image extinguished his anger.
Having satisfied his craving, Bai Feng knew moderation. Though he could continue eating, he stopped.
He jumped down from the ravaged carts and said to Kaido:
"I would like my quarters to be arranged in a basement."
Kaido, who had been silently observing, raised an eyebrow.
"Why a basement? I have better rooms."
"I need to absorb leyline energy," Bai Feng replied. "If I stay on higher floors, it's less efficient. Only by being in direct contact with the earth can I maximize absorption."
Kaido didn't argue.
"Queen. Arrange a room for the brat as he requests."
"Boss Kaido, we don't have basements for living. Our underground levels are for storing weapons."
"Figure it out. I don't want to repeat myself."
With a sigh, the Queen led Bai Feng away.
After they left, King—who had been mostly silent all day—finally spoke.
"Mr. Kaido. Do you truly believe what Bai Feng said?"
Years of understanding allowed Kaido to grasp what King meant.
King wasn't referring to Bai Feng's ability description or the extermination plan.
He meant Bai Feng's explanation of his origins.
"The brat's past doesn't matter."
"What matters is that his ability is valuable to us."
"And no matter what schemes he harbors, his body is undeniably that of a small child."
Kaido's gaze sharpened.
"King. Do you really think I, Kaido, need to fear a child like him?"
King was silent for a moment, then gave a faint, self-mocking smile.
"It seems I worried unnecessarily, Mr. Kaido."
"But your concern isn't baseless."
Kaido's tone shifted slightly, eyes gleaming with calculation.
"There are details about his ability he hasn't told us."
"Did you notice? When Queen flew to the rooftop earlier, Bai Feng stood on his head. The Queen didn't get angry."
"And just now—Bai Feng finished Queen's red bean mochi soup. The Queen only complained."
"King, if it had been you who drank Queen's soup, what do you think he would've done?"
The king's eyes sharpened. A glint of killing intent flickered.
"His ability… can control those he modifies?"
Kaido placed a hand on King's shoulder, stopping him from moving immediately.
"We'll observe further. His ability is too valuable to waste by killing him now."
Moreover—
Kaido thought back to the Wano Extermination Plan.
Though excessively ruthless toward the people of Wano, it undeniably benefited the Beasts Pirates.
In Kaido's view, someone capable of proposing such a plan still had the potential to be fully won over.
…
Grand Line.
An unnamed sea.
Having learned that the World Government had officially crowned him "Pirate King," Gol D. Roger had just made an announcement:
The Roger Pirates would disband.
And he—the captain—would be the first to leave the ship.
Though the crew struggled to accept it, they understood Roger's reasoning.
Before formally parting ways, Roger privately sought out Kouzuki Oden once more.
"Oden. Does Wano truly not require us to go back one more time?"
"No need!"
Oden waved his hand carelessly.
"Roger, don't forget the historical mission we bear!"
"Besides, these past years aboard your ship—and on Whitey-chan's before that—my strength has grown tremendously."
"Just a Beasts Kaido? I can handle him alone!"