"Everyone, quiet!" An old pirate with a scarred face barked sharply, his gruff voice cutting through the noisy crowd. "Open your eyes wide and see clearly—this is our Beasts Pirates captain, Lord Kaidou of the Beasts!"
His words struck like thunder, instantly silencing the previously chaotic scene.
The newly recruited pirates exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
As one, they looked up at the sky and saw an enormous azure dragon circling among the clouds. Its massive body nearly blotted out half the sky, casting a giant shadow under the sunlight.
"N-no way... That dragon is Captain Kaidou?" a young pirate stammered, his voice trembling with nervousness. He instinctively gripped the sword at his waist, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"Of course it's true!" The old pirate puffed out his chest proudly, his rough finger pointing toward the sky. "Lord Kaidou has eaten the Zoan-type Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Azure Dragon Model Devil Fruit. This is his Beast Form!" His tone brimmed with pride, as if showing off his most treasured possession.
As the dragon drew closer, fierce winds whipped up clouds of dust, forcing everyone to squint. The azure scales shimmered with a metallic luster under the sun, each one resembling carefully forged armor. Its sharp claws and fangs exuded an intimidating aura, as if they could easily tear through the sturdiest fortress walls.
When the dragon let out an earth-shaking roar, the entire Onigashima seemed to tremble, the very ground vibrating faintly.
"So... so powerful..." The newcomers gazed up at the dragon circling overhead, their eyes filled with awe and admiration. They unconsciously took a few steps back yet couldn't resist trying to see more clearly. Some were so excited they trembled all over, nearly dropping their weapons.
"Hahaha!" The veteran pirates burst into loud laughter, their voices full of triumph. "With a powerhouse like Captain Kaidou leading us, conquering the New World is just around the corner!" They slapped each other on the shoulders as if already seeing the dawn of victory.
The dragon slowly descended onto the highest castle on Onigashima. Under the awestruck gazes of the crowd, its enormous body gradually shrank, scales receding, until it finally transformed into human form.
Kaidou's imposing figure stood proudly atop the castle, draped in a heavy black cloak with a massive Spiked Club hanging at his waist. His sharp eyes swept over his subordinates below, and wherever his gaze fell, everyone instinctively straightened their backs.
Sunlight bathed his bronze skin, casting a majestic golden glow around him.
Shouts echoed one after another across Onigashima.
"Captain!" "Captain!"
At first, only a few pirates were calling out, but soon the entire island resounded with deafening cheers. Every pirate's eyes were fixed on Kaidou's towering figure.
"Wororororo!" Kaidou's hearty laughter rang through the skies as he raised his Spiked Club. "My crew! The Beasts Pirates' first Fire Festival is about to begin! Are you ready to revel?"
"We're ready!" The pirates waved their weapons, roaring back with thunderous voices.
Kaidou laughed heartily with satisfaction: "Wororororo! Then follow me as we storm the castle and let this feast begin!"
"As you command!" the pirates responded in unison, their voices echoing over Onigashima for a long time.
Kaidou turned directly and walked toward the lower levels of the castle. When this castle was built, routes for Kaidou's aerial entry had been taken into consideration.
"Big Brother Kaidou." King stood respectfully before Kaidou, slightly bowing his head as he spoke.
"King, no need to be so formal today. Relax and enjoy yourself!" Kaidou laughed heartily, patting King on the shoulder.
"Yes." King nodded, then said: "Big Brother Kaidou, that fellow Queen said he wants to formally introduce all the important members of the Beasts Pirates. He asked us to go to the banquet hall."
"Wororororo! Then let's see what tricks that fatso can come up with!" Kaidou readily agreed. He remembered that in the original story, Queen was indeed very skilled at organizing such large-scale events.
Led by King, Kaidou arrived at the exclusive area on the second floor of the banquet hall. This position offered an excellent view, directly facing the stage below, allowing a clear view of the upcoming performance.
Kaidou looked around and noticed that seated on the left were Bullet, Moria, Sebastian, and Morris in order, while on the right sat Urouge, Gavin, and Enel. All seats were arranged in a straight line, clearly having been carefully planned.
Seeing Kaidou's arrival, Bullet and the other Executives immediately stood up to pay their respects.
"Everyone, take your seats. Today's Fire Festival is for everyone to enjoy to the fullest." Kaidou said as he took his seat on the central main sofa. Only then did everyone sit down, with King taking the first seat to Kaidou's right.
Kaidou noticed there was still an empty seat to his left and casually asked: "King, who arranged this seating?"
"It was Queen's idea. He said this arrangement would have a better effect." King replied.
"That fatso really knows how to stir things up." Kaidou chuckled quietly, his tone carrying some anticipation.
Meanwhile, the pirates outside began entering the banquet hall one after another. This hall had been built with the future development of the Beasts Pirates in mind, with a grand scale capable of accommodating thousands of people.
Although only a few hundred were participating now, making it seem somewhat empty, this didn't dampen the pirates' high spirits at all. The hall gradually filled with noise and laughter, everyone eagerly anticipating the upcoming festival activities.
The banquet hall was brightly lit, with clinking glasses and cheerful atmosphere filling the air.
Suddenly, all the lights went out at the same moment, plunging the entire hall into complete darkness. The previously noisy chatter ceased abruptly, the air thick with breathless anticipation.
"Boom!A heavy drumbeat exploded from the center of the stage, followed by surging, passionate music. Colorful neon light beams swept across various parts of the hall, cutting the darkness into dazzling fragments of light and shadow. The pirates immediately realized that the long-awaited Fire Festival had officially begun.
"Ah~!"
"Woo~!"
"Whoa~!"
Wave after wave of cheers instantly ignited the entire banquet hall.
Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, Queen shot up from underground using a mechanical device, appearing in the air above the stage. The music stopped abruptly, all lights simultaneously focusing on this overweight figure.
When Queen landed steadily in the center of the stage, the music started up again.
Over twenty pirates appeared on stage simultaneously, moving to the rhythm. Queen twisted his massive body, holding a microphone as he loudly announced, "Sorry to keep you all waiting! Today is the Beasts Pirates' first-ever Fire Festival—let's party like there's no tomorrow!"
The neon lights on stage shifted angles with the music's beat as Queen led the backup dancers in a routine he had choreographed himself. "Being popular for losing weight is why I won't diet..." he sang his self-composed song while performing comical dance moves.
Though neither the dance nor the song could be considered professional, the atmosphere was completely electrified.
The pirates roared wildly, the entire banquet hall seeming on the verge of having its roof blown off.
As the song ended, Queen raised his microphone to interact with the audience: "Is everyone hyped up?"
"Yeah!" An ear-splitting response echoed through the hall.
"Then now, allow me to introduce tonight's special guests." Queen's voice spread to every corner via the speakers. "First, let's welcome the soul of the Beasts Pirates—Captain Kaidou of the Beasts!"
All spotlights simultaneously turned to the second floor, illuminating Kaidou, who was watching the performance.
"Captain!" "Captain!" "Captain!" The pirates' cheers rose wave after wave.
Queen continued the introductions: "Next up are the Executives of the Beasts Pirates: King, Queen, Bullet, Moria, Urouge, Sebastian, Gavin, Morris, and the apprentice crew member Enel!"
Each time a name was called, the spotlight accurately found the corresponding seat. Except for Queen's own empty seat, all the other Executives were seated in their designated areas.
"The Beast!" "The Beast!" "The Beast!" A unified chant resounded through the skies, pushing the festival atmosphere to a new peak.
As the cheers gradually subsided, Queen wiped the sweat from his forehead, a smug smile spreading across his face. He raised his microphone, his voice tinged with teasing: "Looks like everyone can't wait any longer! Then—"
With a sudden wave of his hand, flame projectors on both sides of the stage ignited abruptly, blazing pillars of fire shooting skyward and illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.
The pirates let out deafening screams, excitedly waving their mugs and weapons as the banquet hall completely erupted into chaos.
"No rules tonight! No restraints!" Queen shouted. "Only booze, dancing, and revelry!"
Before his words faded, servers rushed into the crowd pushing enormous barrels, alcohol cascading out like waterfalls.
Pirates scrambled to catch the splashing liquor, drinking heartily; some even leaped directly into the barrels, provoking bursts of laughter from those around.
Meanwhile, countless roasted meats, desserts, and other delicacies were carried by servers to the long banquet tables arranged along the edges of the hall. Unable to resist, some grabbed chunks of roasted meat larger than their own bodies and began devouring them voraciously.
As the band struck up an impassioned melody once more, the atmosphere in the banquet hall instantly ignited.
Queen led the dancers in even wilder steps, his exaggerated movements drawing cheers from the crowd. Pirates set down their mugs and joined in, the spacious hall quickly transforming into a bustling dance floor.
Laughter, singing, and the clinking of mugs rose and fell in turn, the very air seeming to tremble with the excitement.
Standing on the high platform, Kaidou's lips curled into a faint smile, clearly moved by the fervent atmosphere. He took the enormous wine bowl offered by the attendant and threw his head back for a hearty drink, paying no mind to the droplets trickling down his beard.
The other Executives followed suit, raising their cups and drinking merrily.
Of course, the exception was Enel, who had just turned nine years old. The young boy accepted the apple juice specially prepared by the attendant, taking small sips while his eyes remained fixed on the adults reveling in the dance floor. His youthful face was filled with longing.
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