The banquet hall was brightly lit, with endless laughter and cheerful chatter rising amidst the clinking of glasses.
Pirates sat around long tables, tearing into golden-brown roasted meat dripping with juices, boldly raising their wine cups for hearty drinks. Boisterous laughter rose and fell continuously, the crisp sound of clinking cups mingling with the clatter of knives and forks against plates. The entire hall brimmed with a joyous and fervent atmosphere.
Amidst this lively scene, a sudden commotion erupted from behind the stage.
A group of pirates dressed in eccentric costumes filed out from behind the curtains one after another, wearing brightly colored outfits with exaggerated greasepaint on their faces.
These pirates moved with agile grace, leaping down from the high platform one by one in clean, precise movements. Holding long poles, they drove the pirates originally seated in the center toward the periphery with an irresistible force.
The displaced pirates showed not the slightest displeasure; instead, each face glowed with excitement as they whispered among themselves, speculating about the upcoming performance.
In the blink of an eye, a spacious open area was cleared in the center of the banquet hall. By now, all the lights in the hall were fully illuminated, intensifying the fervent atmosphere under the bright glare. Everyone craned their necks in anticipation of what was to come.
Then, the Executives emerged first, neatly forming two columns from behind the stage. Dressed in uniform black attire, they stood solemnly at the edge of the stage. At a command, they simultaneously leaped down from the high platform, landing steadily on either side of the cleared area to form a human wall.
Just as everyone held their breath in anticipation, the flame throwers on both sides of the stage abruptly ignited. With a roaring boom, two blazing pillars of fire shot skyward, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.
Bathed in the fierce glow of the flames, Kaidou's towering figure slowly appeared at the front of the stage. He wore a magnificent black cloak fastened with a golden belt at his waist, each step radiating an undeniable authority.
Even more astonishing, behind him followed over a dozen stunningly beautiful women with graceful figures.
These women wore elegantly tailored high-slit cheongsams, their long, shapely legs faintly visible as they moved. Each held an exquisite silver tray covered with red velvet cloth.
When they reached the center of the stage, they simultaneously lifted the red cloths, revealing the contents—distinctly Devil Fruits of varying shapes emitting mysterious patterns. Besides the Devil Fruits, there were also two long swords in their scabbards and two meteor hammers.
All the pirates' gazes focused on Kaidou standing atop the high platform. The air thickened with anticipation and excitement; everyone knew the highlight of the evening was about to begin—the captain himself would personally award the Executives.
"Wororororo!" Kaidou's hearty laughter echoed through the banquet hall. He raised a massive wine gourd and took a deep swig before slamming it heavily on the table. "I suppose you all know what comes next?!"
The pirates below erupted into fervent cheers, their eyes blazing with fanatical admiration. They knew this was the moment to witness the glory of the Beasts Pirates.
"King!" Kaidou's booming voice called out the name first.
"Captain." King, dressed in black leather, stepped steadily before Kaidou and gave a slight bow. His sharp eyes gleamed with loyalty beneath his mask.
Kaidou looked with satisfaction at his most capable assistant: "As the first Executive of the Beasts Pirates, you've been by my side since the crew's founding. Together we've conquered the Grand Line, traveled across the four seas, and now we've firmly established ourselves in Wano Country." Kaidou paused, accepting a longsword emitting an eerie glow from an attendant. "You already possess formidable Devil Fruit abilities. Today, I bestow upon you this famous sword 'Enma'. May you continue to be my right-hand man and lead us toward an even more glorious future."
King respectfully received the legendary blade, the sword trembling slightly in his grasp as if responding to its new master. "I'll follow you to death, Captain," King responded succinctly yet powerfully before returning to his position.
"Queen!" Kaidou's gaze shifted to the perpetually grinning fat man.
"Captain~" Queen waddled forward with his obese body, his trademark sunglasses reflecting the banquet hall's lights.
"Queen, you're the second Executive since the Beasts Pirates' formation and the crew's only scientist. You witnessed the establishment of our pirate ship, traveled with me across the Grand Line and four seas after our crew's founding, and now stand with me in Wano Country. Today I grant you the Zoan-type Mythical Beast Serpent-Serpent Fruit Eight-Headed Serpent Form, hoping you'll continue contributing to our crew." Kaidou directly handed over the Devil Fruit he'd acquired just days earlier. Originally, Kaidou had prepared a different Devil Fruit for Queen, but since he'd obtained this superior one, he decided to give it to this veteran member.
"Muhahaha, thank you Captain!" Queen burst into hearty laughter upon hearing this - he finally possessed a Mythical Zoan, and one with particularly strong survival capabilities at that.
"Muhahaha!" Queen emitted his characteristic laugh, eagerly accepting the fruit. "Finally, this day has come!" Without hesitation, he bit into the fruit. Though the disgusting taste made him roll his eyes, astonishing transformations soon began.
Everyone in the banquet hall instinctively stepped back.
Queen's body began violently expanding, his six-meter height instantly growing to over thirty meters. Eight massive serpent heads extended from his neck, each flicking crimson forked tongues, with sixteen eyes gleaming dangerously. More shockingly, corrosive gray-green mist enveloped his entire body, the floor sizzling and corroding into pockmarks under the mist's erosion.
"This power... it's magnificent!" all eight serpent heads simultaneously voiced Queen's words, creating both an awe-inspiring and terrifying spectacle.
The Executives in the banquet hall displayed astonished expressions, and even the typically composed King couldn't help but take a longer look.
Kaidou nodded with satisfaction: "Good, get accustomed to it first and revert back."
"Yes." Queen immediately began controlling his body to return to normal, soon reverting to his six-meter obese form. Adjusting his sunglasses, he happily returned to his spot, unable to conceal the pride on his face.
Kaidou's gaze fell upon a young warrior: "Bullet."
"Captain." The burly warrior strode forward, his eyes burning with desire to grow stronger.
"Bullet, you were recruited by me in the Grand Line, and your potential is immense. You've been wholeheartedly dedicated since joining the pirate crew." Kaidou said to Bullet, "This is the Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Makami Model. I hope it will help you become a pillar of the pirate crew soon."
"Thank you, Captain." Bullet immediately took the Devil Fruit and swallowed it in one bite, completely disregarding its notorious taste.
Without hesitation, Bullet consumed the fruit, and his body underwent drastic changes. Dense white fur rapidly grew over his skin, his bones emitted crisp cracking sounds, and his frame continuously expanded. In an instant, he had transformed into a nine-meter-tall white werewolf, with sharp fangs glinting coldly under the light. As the transformation completed, a piercing chill spread from his body, causing the banquet hall's temperature to plummet and a thin layer of frost to form on the surfaces of drinks on the tables.
"Thank you for your guidance, Captain!" After reverting to human form, Bullet solemnly bowed to Kaidou, his eyes shining with determination.
Kaidou turned his gaze to the next member and said in a deep voice, "Urouge."
Urouge calmly walked up to Kaidou and bowed respectfully. "Captain."
"Urouge," Kaidou nodded with satisfaction, "though you haven't been with the pirate crew long, you've shown complete dedication. Today, I bestow upon you this Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Daikokuten Model. I hope you'll continue to work hard and soon become my right-hand man."
"As you command, Captain." Urouge took the Devil Fruit and swallowed it without hesitation.
Instantly, Urouge's body began undergoing astonishing changes. His complexion turned bluish-black, and his size continuously expanded. Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, his height rapidly increased to nearly a hundred meters - and this was only with restrained control. If he fully unleashed his power, his size could become even more massive.
Urouge carefully savored his newly acquired power before returning to his original form. Clenching his fist, his eyes sparkled with excitement, clearly very pleased with this new ability.
"Moria." Kaidou addressed Moria.
"Captain." Moria walked up to Kaidou.
Kaidou observed Moria standing before him - currently lean and muscular with a long sword hanging at his waist. After studying him for a moment, Kaidou said, "Moria, though you haven't been with the pirate crew long either, I've been watching your performance. Your potential and strength are both excellent. I'm entrusting this Paramecia-type Shadow-Shadow Fruit to you. While it's not a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, its power is in no way inferior to any other Devil Fruit."
"Yeehihihihi, thank you, Captain." Moria immediately took the Devil Fruit, bit off more than half of it, then endured the unpleasant taste to consume the remainder.
Unlike the physical transformations others experienced after consuming Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits, Moria showed little bodily change after eating his. Instead, under the lighting, Moria's shadow eerily stood up on its own. Curiously, Moria began controlling his shadow to perform various strange movements.
The others in the banquet hall watched in amazement as Moria's shadow continuously executed various actions.
"Alright, I do have some information about the Shadow-Shadow Fruit. You can come to me directly if needed later," Kaidou said to Moria.
"Yes, Captain," Moria nodded, then returned to his original position with his shadow.