"Ohohoho, is this the prisoner you caught? Doesn't look very strong."
"Roar..."
The pirates from the Broadcast Pirates were thrown in front of Kaidou by the Eight-Headed Dragon, and it was only then that some deep memories within them were awakened.
"Mr. Apoo, I think I remember what this monster is... Kaidou's steed, Dragon Demon Hydra, with a bounty of five hundred million Belly."
Human memory is limited; even if something is remembered, it often stays deep within until something related triggers it.
First chased by wild boars, then inexplicably running in the sky, and finally encountering the Eight-Headed Dragon; in their panic, they couldn't figure out what the monster before them was.
But when they were brought to Kaidou, everything became different.
The war on the summit made Kaidou's name unparalleled for a time, and most pirates considered him the strongest monster in the New World. Even in this world where face blindness is common, Kaidou's face is highly distinctive.
"Thank you for remembering this now..."
Had Apoo known beforehand that this dragon was connected to Kaidou, he would rather gamble his life jumping off a cliff than choose to blast the iceberg with a sonic boom.
"Mr. Apoo, what should we do now? Shall we try to escape? They don't seem to care about us."
After flying here, the Eight-Headed Dragon threw them on one side of the iceberg made by Yamato, acting like a pet cat next to Kaidou, while Yamato was talking to Kaidou, seemingly completely ignoring them.
"Forget it, that monster can fly. Even if we jump into the sea, we won't get far. Let fate decide...
Anyway, I am a Super Rookie; I should be somewhat valuable, right..."
"Mr. Apoo, your bounty is only 198 million Belly, but his steed is worth five hundred million..."
"Shut up..."
...
They couldn't hear what Kaidou and Yamato were talking about, but if they could, it would likely be more heartbreaking.
"Who are these people again?"
"Roar..."
"I don't know. Father, wait a moment; I'll check the information."
The Eight-Headed Dragon caught these people merely out of irritation, while Kaidou simply couldn't recall these small fries; to him, whether the bounty is one hundred million or five hundred million, as long as they're not special, they can be taken down easily.
Yamato is similar; however, Kaidou doesn't want to remember such meaningless things, whereas Yamato has seen them but didn't remember. If Robin were here, she could accurately answer.
Fortunately, Rotom hadn't been damaged, allowing Yamato to find Apoo's related information smoothly.
"Father, he's a Super Rookie this year; Captain named Apoo, of the Long-armed Race."
"A Super Rookie, eh? Then take him along for mining, conveniently. Babanuki recently complained about the shortage of manpower since those Wano Kuni prisoners got out; he could use some reinforcements."
Super Rookie privilege grants one the chance to enter Udon Mine directly, essentially joining the Hundred Beasts core.
Super Rookies generally have some skills. As long as they're well-fed, their mining efficiency is astonishing, akin to human excavators.
After the summit war, The Sea became increasingly chaotic, the global demand for arms rising as well. As the biggest dealer of quality arms, Hundred Beasts' orders have been lined up months in advance; correspondingly, Hundred Beasts requires more raw materials.
Whether it's Seastone or Wine Iron Ore, increased production is necessary; prisoners being freed means captured pirates bear the brunt of labor. Morality is reserved for insiders, while these pirates captured in invading territories lost their rights long ago.
Under such intense labor, casualties gradually occur, prompting Babanuki to complain about manpower shortages.
"Next, you're going with the little girl to Giant Country, right?"
"Actually, Giant Country wasn't part of the original plan..."
"As you wish, I'm heading back to Wano Kuni first. Eight Heads, take those guys along, we're going home!"
Saying this, Kaidou transformed into a Cyan Dragon flying to the sky. After the Eight-Headed Dragon followed Kaidou's lead with the captives, Yamato was left alone.
"That bastard father... actually leaving me like that?"
Yamato didn't relax, feeling something amiss, spending half a day to confirm that Kaidou really left, remaining incredulous.
"Forget it, doesn't matter. Let me think where I should go next...
The best would be to find all the Plates for Godfather, on the condition that he doesn't bolster that old father anymore. I am indeed a genius."
Rubbing her face, Yamato ultimately decided to catch up with Robin, perhaps heading to Giant Country would be nice.
As for when Kaidou might contact her again, she hadn't considered it; even if he achieves a new breakthrough, it's a future issue.
...
Days later, Kaidou returned to Wano Kuni; being able to fly freely in the sky allowed him to move far faster than ordinary pirates relying on ships, and new guests arrived at Udon Mine.
"Babanuki, take care of these people. You don't need me to teach you, right?"
"Rest assured, Lord Kaidou, we've developed a proficient procedure already. Is there anyone here you intend to recruit?"
"Those two Super Rookies are interesting, but let their attitude be tempered first."
"Understood."
Watching Kaidou leave, Babanuki reviewed the new prisoners' list and arranged their new tasks.
"Cells are cleaned, right? Bring some more Seastone Handcuffs; our new guests don't seem happy, let's prepare some decorations for them!"
The Undersea Prison has its unique welcome ceremony, as does Udon Mine, but instead of using boiling water for baths, they throw punches to assess strength followed by cell assignment.
"Say, there's no need for this; can I surrender directly..."
Apoo raised his hands; he didn't want to get hit randomly. Joining a force was part of his plan, but the Eight-Headed Dragon gave no chance to speak, almost swallowing gusts of wind whenever he tried to talk.
"Rules are rules; if you're dissatisfied, you can fight back if the chance arises."
Saying so, Babanuki punched Apoo's stomach, gauging his reaction for cell assignment.
"Next one, De...Drake? Why the name, bring that Red Flag over!"
Looking at the name on the list, Babanuki eventually called the codename; since Flower Capital had another Drake sounding similar, the name felt awkward, spawning unique thoughts.
"According to schedule... she should be borrowing money this month, right..."