Wano Country, Shogun Palace.
The midday sun bathed every corner of the Shogun Palace, making the majestic structure shine brilliantly. Cherry blossom trees in the courtyard swayed gently in the breeze, their pink petals drifting down with the wind, adding a touch of softness to this imposing residence filled with an aura of severity.
Amidst a gust of violent wind, Kaidou reverted from his Azure Dragon Form to his human form, landing steadily in the center of the Shogun Palace's courtyard. His towering figure cast a long shadow under the sunlight, his black cloak flapping loudly behind him. The guards immediately dropped to one knee in unison, saluting with perfect synchronization, demonstrating the strict discipline of the Beasts Pirates.
"Big Brother Kaidou." King, who had been waiting for some time, quickly stepped forward to greet him, his voice from beneath the mask unable to conceal his delight. He bowed respectfully, his black wings slightly folded. The sunlight reflected off his black mask, casting a cold gleam.
"King, you've worked hard during this time." Kaidou's deep voice echoed through the courtyard as he reached out and patted King's shoulder with such force that the ground trembled slightly.
"It was my duty." King straightened up, his tone resolute. His black leather boots made crisp sounds as they stepped on the stone-paved path.
Kaidou glanced around, his eyes sweeping over the guards lined up neatly in the courtyard. "Hmm, let's talk inside." He strode off toward the interior of the Shogun Palace.
The two walked through a long corridor, their footsteps echoing through the empty palace. Soon, they arrived at the innermost hall of the Shogun Palace. Kaidou went straight to the throne at the head and sat down without ceremony. The throne was crafted from the branches of the Adam Treasure Tree, intricately carved with dragon patterns that glittered in the sunlight. His gaze swept over the piles of documents stacked beside him, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Big Brother Kaidou, since we could only communicate through the Den Den Mushi before, many matters weren't explained clearly." King moved a stack of documents onto the table in front of Kaidou, the papers rustling as they rubbed together. "Let me report on the situation over the past few months."
Kaidou casually picked up the top document from the pile, the paper appearing particularly fragile between his thick fingers. "Go ahead." His voice carried a hint of laziness, but his eyes were as sharp as blades.
"In the first month, several Daimyo of Wano Country, instigated by Denjiro, launched a rebellion." King's voice was calm yet forceful. "However, we suppressed it quickly. Taking this opportunity, we purged a number of nobles who were exploiting the common people."
Kaidou nodded, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of the throne, producing dull thuds. "Well done."
"Now, over ninety percent of Wano Country's land has been redistributed." King continued, pulling out a map from the documents and spreading it open. "The properties of those Daimyo have also been confiscated and sent to Oni Island. The gains from this operation alone are enough to expand our forces several times over."
A satisfied smile curled at Kaidou's lips as he picked up the wine jug from the table and took a large swig. "Hahaha, well done, King! Though our Beasts Pirates never lack funds, we certainly won't refuse extra money." The liquor dripped from his chin, leaving dark stains on the lavish carpet.
"There's one more matter to report." King retrieved a small wooden box from his robe, opening it to reveal a branch emitting a faint glow. "The Adam Treasure Tree branch we acquired at high cost has been successfully cultivated on Oni Island under Bao Henderson's Ripe-Ripe Fruit ability. We've used it to construct several new ships with excellent results."
Kaidou accepted the box, his thick fingers carefully stroking the miraculous branch. "This time I've brought back the Tontatta Tribe." A gleam flashed in his eyes. "They call themselves 'Green Growers' and are unmatched in plant cultivation. From now on, have Henderson cooperate with them specifically to cultivate the Adam Treasure Tree."
"Understood." King bowed respectfully. "I'll make arrangements immediately. These treasure trees can not only be used for shipbuilding but also exported as specialty products from Wano Country."
Kaidou placed the box on the table, turning his gaze toward the window. "Any other significant matters?"
"Aside from those, there's only the harvest in Wano Country two months ago." King flipped open another document. "Since only the Shogun Palace collects taxes now, the common people are living much better than before. Our various policies in Wano Country are progressing more smoothly as well."
Kaidou nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm, popular support is important. But..." His voice suddenly turned serious, "King, although Newgate's intervention this time was partly due to my hiring, even without me, the Whitebeard Pirates would have come. So no matter how complicated Wano Country affairs become, strength must always come first, understand?"
"I understand, Brother Kaidou." King responded solemnly.
Kaidou stood up and walked to the window. "King, during this voyage, besides recruiting five or six promising trainees, I also acquired two capable fighters."
"Oh?" King looked up with curiosity at Kaidou's words.
"Indeed." Kaidou turned around. "But they're still somewhat resistant to joining the Beasts Pirates, so they need time to adjust. I believe they'll come around eventually. One is a Logia Type Ice-Freeze Fruit user, the other a Paramecia Type Paw-Paw Fruit user. Both their strength and potential are no inferior to you and Bullet."
"That powerful?" King exclaimed in surprise, his eyes widening beneath his mask.
"Correct." Kaidou returned to his throne and sat down. "So to prevent them from escaping before joining the Beasts Pirates, I've sealed their abilities with Sea Stone. They're both traditionally 'good' people, so until they submit, they can go wherever they want as long as they don't leave Wano Country."
"Understood, Brother Kaidou." King immediately grasped the meaning. "I'll have people guide them around Wano Country properly, making them understand the qualitative difference between our Beasts Pirates and other pirate crews."
Kaidou nodded in satisfaction, taking another swig from his sake gourd. "By the way, regarding those two newcomers, just have someone observe them discreetly. Don't interfere too much. Letting them see the changes in Wano Country for themselves is more effective than anything we could say."
"Yes," King replied respectfully. "I'll assign some clever subordinates to handle this matter."
"King, there's one more thing," Kaidou said, looking at him.
"Big Brother Kaidou, what else do you need? Please tell me," King asked, meeting his gaze.
"This time, besides them, I've also recruited an entire family," Kaidou stated.
"An entire family?" King sounded puzzled upon hearing this. What was so special about just one family?