Greed clouded Golden Lion Shiki's mind.
His laughter echoed across the floating island as he barked orders.
"Boys! Ready the cannons, load every round we've got! We're heading for Wano!"
His crew froze mid-motion.
"Eh? Wano? You mean Kaido's Wano?!"
For a long moment, silence hung over the deck. Then they glanced at the giant ship's rudder still wedged in their captain's head — and everything made sense again.
Ever since that accident at the Battle of Edd War, Shiki hadn't been quite right.
Genius or madman? On any given day, the answer was "both."
At last, his scientist subordinate Dr. Indigo spoke up carefully.
"Captain… you mean to take the Monster Cells and Senzu Beans from Wano, don't you?"
Shiki grinned, teeth flashing beneath his mane of golden hair.
"Of course! You think I'd let treasures like that rot in Kaido's vault?"
Indigo sighed inwardly.
He'd read the papers himself, of course. He'd hidden them from Shiki precisely to avoid… well, this.
"Captain, we should be cautious," Indigo said, forcing calm into his tone.
"Kaido isn't the same rookie from the Rocks Pirates. He's one of the Four Emperors now—called the strongest creature on land, sea, and air."
But Shiki just scoffed.
"Four Emperors? Strongest creature? Bah! I used to knock that brat senseless back in the day!"
And indeed, decades ago aboard the Rocks Pirates, the pecking order had been clear:
Rocks first, Shiki and Whitebeard next, then Big Mom, Wang Zhi, and finally the upstart Kaido.
To Shiki, Kaido would always be the snot-nosed trainee who called him "senpai."
He didn't realize how much time — and power — had changed things.
Kaido had eaten the Mythical Zoan, Model: Azure Dragon, mastered Conqueror's Haki infusion, and become a walking natural disaster.
Even Indigo knew that the odds weren't on their side.
So he tried a different angle.
"Captain, the IQ research is almost finished. If we wait just a little longer, we could turn all the beasts on this island into rampaging monsters first. Then we strike Wano with an army worthy of your name."
Shiki paused. Then, slowly, he grinned.
"Heh. Alright, Indigo. You've got a point."
Indigo exhaled in silent relief. At least that bought us a few days…
On Onigashima
While the skies plotted madness, Luo Xing had been in seclusion.
Inside the Temporal Gravity Chamber, twelve days had passed — the equivalent of a full year outside.
When he finally emerged, his aura filled the air like a living storm.
Page One was the first to greet him, and the pressure nearly made him drop to one knee.
For a brief, terrifying moment, he swore he saw Kaido himself walking toward him.
His voice trembled with awe.
"P-Prince Consort… you've mastered Conqueror's Haki infusion, haven't you?"
Luo Xing smiled faintly.
"Let's just say… I've made some progress."
Page One sucked in a breath.
That was understatement on par with calling Kaido "a decent drinker."
If Luo Xing could wield Conqueror's Haki like Kaido, even without any Devil Fruit or Monster Cells, he could crush most of the Tobi Roppo in seconds.
Even King the Wildfire, the strongest of the All-Stars, might not stand a chance against him now.
Luo Xing tilted his head.
"And you, Page? How goes your training?"
The younger pirate gave a wry smile.
"Compared to you, Prince, I'm still an ant fighting an elephant. But I think… I'm getting close to evolving into a Mythical Zoan."
Luo Xing clapped him on the shoulder.
"Keep at it, kid."
He meant it. He still remembered the promise he'd made to help Page One evolve.
He hadn't forgotten—only postponed.
As they walked toward Kaido's palace, Page One lowered his voice.
"A word of warning, sir. The boss… isn't in the best mood lately."
Luo Xing raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Page One grimaced.
"Because of that idiot Jack. When he went to attack the Marines, he leaked intel about the Senzu Beans. Now the whole world knows."
Luo Xing chuckled softly.
"Heh. The Sea Mammoth strikes again."
"It gets worse," Page One added. "Everyone's going crazy over it!"
He began ticking off fingers.
"The Pirate Empress Boa Hancock. Red-Haired Shanks. Big Mom. Even the giants of Elbaf… and get this — CP0's been spotted snooping around, probably on the World Government's orders."
At that, Luo Xing stopped walking.
One name caught his attention.
Boa Hancock.
The world's most beautiful woman — rival even to his own wife Yamato —
and the only woman besides her known to possess Conqueror's Haki.
Luo Xing smiled to himself. He could already guess her motive.
If the beans truly healed anything, they might erase the Celestial Dragon's brand burned into her back.
Page One continued, oblivious.
"Oh, and Joker's making a move too."
"Doflamingo?" Luo Xing asked.
Page One nodded.
"Yeah. The slimeball actually tried to bargain with Kaido. Offered a hundred new SMILE Fruits in exchange for a few Senzu Beans."
Luo Xing's eyes glimmered with amusement.
"That doesn't sound like Doflamingo's usual submissive self."
"It's the Monster Cell," Page One explained. "He took one himself — thinks he's invincible now. And he's got all those underground brokers backing him. They smell profit in the air."
Luo Xing's expression grew thoughtful.
It was all predictable, really.
The Senzu Bean's existence had turned the world into a powder keg.
Everyone wanted it — emperors, warlords, governments, criminals.
If left unchecked, the Beasts Pirates would soon become the world's primary target.
Even with Kaido's might, the constant pressure would stunt their growth and attract endless enemies.
That wouldn't do.
Luo Xing didn't just want strength — he wanted control.
He stopped and smirked.
"Block a flood, and it'll break the dam."
"Better to open the gates—and charge a toll."
He turned to Page One, his tone casual but eyes gleaming with mischief.
"If they all want Senzu Beans so badly… let's give them a few."
Page One blinked.
"Give… them?"
Luo Xing's grin widened.
"Not give — sell. Let them fight each other over them like dogs."
"But if they want a taste of paradise…"
He clasped his hands behind his back, voice turning cool and deliberate.
"…they'd better be ready to pay."
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