Chapter 12 — A Gift for Myself!
Port of Wano Country.
Kaido's final order had been given.
But King's face was darker than the soot at the bottom of a furnace.
His chest burned with frustration and helplessness.
The fastest ship in all of Onigashima… was his own.
Yet this time, he couldn't disobey Kaido's command.
That fact alone said everything—
Akira, the beloved son-in-law, now held a place in Kaido's heart far higher than his own.
Even his position as Kaido's right-hand man might soon be replaced.
But King could only grit his teeth and swallow the raging fire in his chest.
Without a word, he turned and led Akira toward the most secluded dock, hidden deep within Onigashima.
"This is my ship—Red Dragon."
King pointed at the massive black warship before them. Its hull gleamed like obsidian, carved in the shape of a monstrous sea creature with a dragon's snarling maw.
His voice was cold, emotionless.
"This is the fastest ship in the Beasts Pirates' fleet. You'd better take care of it."
"And one more thing—Boss ordered you to return within one month."
He turned his head slowly.
From behind the mask, his sharp eyes locked onto Akira, radiating an oppressive force.
"I hope you don't disappoint him."
"Take this. You've never sailed abroad before, so bring this with you. If something happens, we'll be able to locate you."
Akira leaned weakly against the stone wall, breathing heavily.
He raised his hand with "great effort" and accepted the Life Card that King handed him.
"Thank you… khuh khuh… King."
He coughed violently, his body trembling as if wracked with pain.
"Khuh… khuh… I'll… khuh khuh… I'll bring Yamato back soon."
King watched the pitiful figure before him—
the same man who, just hours ago, had smashed the Three Calamities into the ground with a single swing.
A sense of absurdity crawled up his spine.
This isn't right… this feels like acting!
But he had no proof.
Boss Kaido's completely fallen for this guy's performance…
King had never seen his captain treat anyone so gently before.
Kaido—known for his brutality and temper—
was now doting on Akira with a tenderness he had never once shown his own daughter, Yamato.
Still, King chose silence.
He said nothing more.
He couldn't stand to look at Akira's "pathetic" face any longer.
With a single mighty flap, his jet-black wings spread wide.
Whoosh!
He soared into the sky, vanishing into the clouds without looking back—
because the more he looked, the heavier his chest felt.
— — —
At the very top of Onigashima,
Kaido stood tall, his enormous frame facing the boundless sea.
From that height, he could see the Red Dragon departing the harbor.
The ship sliced through the waves, surging toward the open ocean.
On its deck, he could clearly see his "exceptional son-in-law"—
his body still covered in wounds, yet forcing himself to steer the ship,
his movements frantic and desperate to chase after Yamato as fast as possible.
Kaido's lips curled into a broad grin.
"Wororororo! That brat's not bad at all!"
A satisfied, fatherly smile spread across his scarred face.
"I just beat him half to death…"
"And now, with a body full of wounds, he's setting sail alone for my daughter's sake."
"Wororororo!!"
"This is what true love looks like!"
An unfamiliar warmth welled up in Kaido's chest—a feeling he had never known before.
His life had always revolved around war, blood, and lineage.
He had never understood things like "romance" or "affection."
But now, watching Akira, he felt as though he finally grasped their meaning.
"Responsibility…"
"Devotion…"
"The resolve to risk his life for his wife…"
"He's even better than I was in my youth!"
He sighed deeply, his gaze turning nostalgic.
"Hah… serves me right for never learning how to be romantic."
"But Linlin—hah!—she was even worse than me! That woman only knew how to breed! Like some wild beast crazier than I ever was!"
Kaido chuckled bitterly at the memory of his days with Big Mom.
"Yamato, that stubborn girl…"
"To have married such a strong and devoted man—that's the greatest blessing of her life!"
"If she dares not return with Akira to give me a grandchild…"
"I'll sail out myself and break her legs!!"
...
The Red Dragon sliced through the waves at astonishing speed.
When it had completely left the territorial waters of Wano, and the massive skull of Onigashima had vanished beyond the horizon—
The figure who appeared "weak and barely conscious" slowly straightened up on the deck.
He stood tall, his spine straight as an iron rod.
The frail, pain-filled expression on his face disappeared entirely—replaced by the manic laughter he had suppressed for eighteen long years!
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
His laughter echoed wildly across the empty sea, so powerful that even the Sea Kings beneath the waves instinctively fled in terror.
"FINALLY FREE!"
"I'm finally… truly FREE!!!"
Akira spread his arms wide, letting the salty ocean wind crash against his face.
"No more disgusting piles of logistics paperwork!"
"No more stupid title as 'Head of Administration'!"
"No more seeing Kaido's annoying face every single day!"
Grinning from ear to ear, he threw a punch into the ship's railing.
Boom!
The reinforced steel-wood cracked instantly, leaving a deep dent in the ship's side!
"Yamato! Oh, my dearest wife!"
"You're the greatest blessing in my life!"
"HAHAHAHA! I think I'm even happier than you right now!!"
But then—his laughter abruptly stopped.
The joy on Akira's face froze, slowly twisting into a grimace of pain.
His whole body tensed, his breath ragged.
Ssshhhkkk!
He sucked in a sharp breath, clutching his chest instinctively. His face turned pale as veins bulged across his temples.
"Ahh… damn it… that hurts… it hurts…"
A searing pain burst through his chest—the very spot where Kaido had slammed him with Conqueror of Three Worlds: Ragnaraku.
The agony felt like his ribs were being split open, the pain cutting straight through to the bone.
"That old bastard Kaido…"
Akira groaned, collapsing onto the deck.
"Your hands really are those of a demon…"
He lay motionless for nearly five full minutes before finally calming his breathing.
The earlier euphoria faded, replaced by silence and exhaustion.
He exhaled deeply, lying back as the Red Dragon continued to sail forward on its automated navigation system.
The sea breeze brushed over him gently, carrying the cool scent of salt.
After a while, Akira reached into his chest pocket and pulled out an Eternal Pose.
The compass needle pointed firmly in one direction.
"Dressrosa," he murmured, a crooked smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"The Eternal Pose I gave Yamato points there too."
Of course, he had never planned to let Yamato "sail freely on her own."
The compass he gave her was a trap—
a carefully prepared route that would lead her exactly where he wanted her to go.
"Yamato, oh Yamato…"
"On that ship of yours, I loaded an entire batch of Seastone cargo."
A sly grin curved across his face. He licked his lips slowly, his eyes gleaming with greed.
"According to the black market prices in the New World…"
"That cargo's worth at least one billion Berry!"
One billion!
Even in impoverished Wano, it had taken him years of quiet embezzlement to amass that much wealth.
"And this damn Top-Up System…"
"It's a bottomless black hole that keeps sucking me dry."
"When the meat's already in front of my mouth, how could I not take a bite?"
After confirming that the course was set, Akira knew he'd catch up to Yamato in less than half a day.
So, he decided to make good use of that time—
to open up his System Interface and check the spoils of his latest "life-or-death battle."
— — —
[Armor of Will]
[Current Stack Level: 573 Layers]
— — —
The number made Akira's brows knit together.
"Tch… only fifty-something layers higher?"
"That's it?"
He looked genuinely dissatisfied.
Quickly, he began calculating in his head.
"I fought Kaido for more than two hours straight."
"According to the rules of Armor of Will…"
"In two full hours, without missing a single tempering opportunity, I should've reached at least seventy-two layers."
"But that damn monster Kaido kept flying around nonstop."
"And not to mention all his endless rambling…"
"I lost over twenty strengthening chances because of that!"
He sighed deeply, his tone filled with disappointment.
"The efficiency's way too low…"
Staring up at the sky, he muttered softly,
"To be honest, compared to last night's physical training with Yamato…"
"The efficiency back then was much higher!"
"That's what I call non-stop reinforcement!"
"That's what it means to grow without rest! Heh…"
A mischievous smile crept onto his face, followed by a soft, nostalgic sigh.
The "training" from last night was clearly still fresh in his mind.
— — —
Akira then opened his Personal Assets Panel.
[Wealth: 2.7 Billion Berry]
The moment he saw that number, every trace of frustration instantly vanished.
"After all the trouble I went through to escape Onigashima…"
"I think I deserve a little gift for myself!"
He rubbed his hands together eagerly.
"The last time I rolled the Item Gacha, I got Whitebeard's Naginata—Murakumogiri."
"That was insane luck!"
"This time… to celebrate my newfound freedom from that cursed island…"
"I'll draw again! Haha!"
His excitement swelled with every passing second.
"System!"
"Top up 100 Million Berry!"
"Start the gacha! Give me an Item Draw!"
— — —
[Ding! Assets reduced by 100 Million Berry. Remaining Balance: 2.6 Billion Berry.]
[Item Blind Box Activated!]
In an instant, his vision filled with a dazzling sea of glowing blind boxes—
hundreds, thousands—floating and spinning in midair before him.
"Alright then… you, the one in the bottom right corner!"
He pointed at random, and the chosen blind box burst open in a blinding flash of gold—
even brighter than when Murakumogiri had appeared before!
"No way! Don't tell me I got another rare item?!"
"My luck's unbeatable today!"
Overjoyed, Akira struck the air with his palm, opening the box.
The golden light faded—
and before him appeared an object he instantly recognized.
His face froze.
"…Wait a second. Isn't this…"
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