That night, after the toast formally sealed their alliance, Kaido specially hosted a welcome and celebration banquet for El and this new partnership.
Kaido deliberately recalled Queen the Plague and Jack the Drought, who were stationed in Wano, as well as the second-grade officers under Queen's command—namely, the Tobi Roppo.
However, the current Tobi Roppo was not yet complete, comprising only two official members. One future member, Who's-Who, had been robbed by Shanks en route and failed his mission escorting the Gum-Gum Fruit; he was currently imprisoned in Impel Down.
X Drake might still be serving in some Navy department at this time, not yet installed as an undercover agent within the Beasts Pirates. As for the two siblings with great potential, Page One and Ulti, they were only teenagers now, without their future 290,000,000 and 400,000,000 bounties. Presently, the Tobi Roppo consisted solely of Black Maria and Sasaki.
Additionally, various officers and team leaders whom El didn't recognize from his memories also attended this banquet.
In other words, except for subordinates away on missions, nearly every pirate of status within the Beasts Pirates participated.
Only one person was absent: Kaido's daughter—or son—Yamato.
Kaido, fully aware of his idiot "son's" character, had not ordered his three Calamities to bring her. Otherwise, the banquet might have been ruined by his foolish child.
During the feast, El and Doflamingo sat in the seats of honor—the host's positions—on the left and right respectively, followed by the three Calamities and the two Tobi Roppo members.
The three chatted while watching the subordinates below revel and carouse. Throughout this time, El also felt countless eyes evaluating him carefully.
However, due to the sky-splitting phenomenon that had covered all of Onigashima and reached Wano, even the brainless Jack dared not provoke El.
The eyes lingering on El the longest belonged to the two siblings, Ulti and Page One. At this time, Ulti was only a fifteen-year-old girl, while Page One was thirteen—like El—and merely eight days older.
At their age within the Beasts Pirates, they were already considered the number one and number two of the new generation.
In the eyes of the two Tobi Roppo and three Calamities, this pair of siblings, who had eaten Ancient Zoan Devil Fruits, would sooner or later become Headliners in the Beasts Pirates.
Their father had been acquainted with Kaido, who took them in. Despite them stealing two Ancient Zoan Devil Fruits, Kaido had forgiven them and remained highly optimistic about their growth.
It was no exaggeration to say that this pair of siblings were also dazzling stars when viewed across the entire first half of the Grand Line and the Four Seas. That was why they were so curious about El.
They were all underage, yet El already bore epithets like Young Swordsman, Flying Swordsman, World Destroyer, and the Fourth Emperor of the Sea. Between geniuses, was there truly such a dimensional gap?
Facing so many gazes, El paid them no mind. Under Kaido's introductions, El also came to know the three Calamities and two Tobi Roppo.
Though he merely nodded, El remembered their names.
After the banquet, El did not stay overnight on Onigashima but prepared to return to Dressrosa with Doflamingo. Kaido raised no objection—this time, the man was genuinely dead drunk and unconscious.
King personally escorted El and Doflamingo to the entrance, then returned to the banquet hall.
The Skull Dome was merely Kaido's residence. The most valuable assets—such as important weapon factories and experimental bases—were located in different countries. Even if El were allowed to wander the Skull Dome freely, he would gain nothing. El cared little about this anyway.
"You go ahead. I'll follow after handling some trouble."
Walking toward the coast, El stopped halfway and addressed Doflamingo beside him.
"Hmm?"
Doflamingo paused momentarily, then released his Observation Haki. Sensing something, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he grinned wickedly: "This aura... if I'm not mistaken, it belongs to Kaido's son. Don't be too heavy-handed."
El nodded slightly, watching Doflamingo vanish into the night. Then his gaze suddenly shifted toward a specific spot.
In that place, there was nothing at all—only some mountain rocks illuminated by moonlight.
However, after more than ten seconds, a white afterimage, impossible to capture with the naked eye—like an illusion—swept toward El at a speed surpassing Cavendish's second personality.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Before the figure arrived, a coquettish voice traveled into El's ears.
"Divine Departure."
Boom!
El unhurriedly drew his sword and swung it forward. An ordinary-sized dark red flying slash materialized. However, this seemingly ordinary slash struck the figure that couldn't be captured by the naked eye, interrupting her attack and blasting her backward—just like how her idol Kozuki Oden had been instantly defeated and sent flying by Gol D. Roger.
She charged fast, but she flew back even faster. After flying several miles and smashing through countless rocks, Yamato crashed heavily to the ground.
Just like El, who had once taken Rayleigh's Divine Departance, the sound of vomiting blood emerged from beneath the Hannya mask.
Clearly, El had shown no mercy simply because she was a girl.
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