The sea was calm without a ripple, the warm sunlight spilling onto the sparkling water, reflecting a golden sheen. The enormous black sailing ship of the Beasts Pirates slowly sailed into the port of Mock Town on Jaya Island. The beast head carved on its prow was ferocious, and its black Jolly Roger fluttered gently in the breeze, the pair of crossed bones on the flag gleaming with a cold luster under the sun.
Crew members stood in small groups on the deck, looking at the approaching dock with excited expressions. This town, famous for its lawlessness, was about to receive new guests. The crowds originally bustling on the docks began to stir. Dockworkers stopped their labor, merchants warily packed up their stalls. Some retreated in fear, others leaned forward curiously, and a rising and falling tide of whispers swept through the crowd.
"That's the Beasts Pirates' flag!"
"Why would that monster come here? Isn't he in the New World?"
"Don't you read the news? The Beasts Pirates returned to the first half of the Grand Line over a month ago. The Marines are searching for them everywhere."
"Quick, hide anything valuable..."
As the heavy anchor plunged into the seabed, stirring up a cloud of muddy water, the gangplank lowered with a creak. The crew of the Beasts Pirates disembarked one after another. Their rough laughter and heavy footsteps immediately shattered the dock's tranquility. These burly pirates, armed with various weapons, some carrying barrels of liquor, others dragging hunted game, surveyed their surroundings without restraint.
Kaido's tall figure appeared at the top of the gangplank. His scarlet eyes swept over the entire dock, a cruel smile playing on his lips. He descended with heavy steps, each one making the wooden structure groan under the strain. Following him were his capable officers: the masked King, the obese Queen, the brooding Bullet, and several other powerful subordinates.
The group headed straight for Mock Town's largest tavern. Pedestrians along the way hastily gave way, and shops hurriedly closed their doors. The two bouncers at the tavern entrance were about to step forward to block the way, but after seeing who was coming, their faces turned pale and they scrambled aside.
As the creaking wooden door was pushed open, the noisy chatter inside the tavern stopped dead. The once-rowdy patrons seemed choked, some dropping their mugs, which shattered with a crisp sound on the floor. Kaido walked directly to the central round table, his heavy frame making the floorboards protest with every step. He casually leaned his kanabo, "Hassaikai," against the table, the metal making a dull thud against the wooden floor.
"Barkeep! Bring out your best liquor!" a fierce-looking pirate roared, slapping the table.
The tavern owner, a bald middle-aged man, was trembling as he polished a glass and nearly dropped it at the shout. He hurriedly bowed. "Y-yes, sir! Right away!" He almost tripped over his own apron when turning, eliciting crude laughter from a few pirates.
Kaido plopped down onto the largest chair, which immediately emitted a pained groan. He looked around; those caught in his gaze instinctively lowered their heads. Soon, several trembling barmaids brought out huge barrels of liquor and roasted meat, the rich aroma of alcohol immediately filling the air.
"Boss Kaido, why are we on this little island? Is there treasure here, too?" Queen, sitting on a chair, asked through a mouthful of meat steak. His golden mechanical arm gleamed under the light, occasionally emitting faint sounds of gears turning.
Hearing this, King, Bullet, Sebastian, and Gavin all looked at Kaido, especially the first three, who had personally experienced Kaido's quest to Sleepy Old Town to obtain the Mythical Zoan, Kōmori Kōmori no Mi, Model: Vampire. That experience had made them deeply trust Kaido's judgment.
Kaido picked up a wine bowl the size of a normal person's head and drank it down in one gulp, the liquor dripping from his beard onto the table. He let out a satisfied belch before speaking. "Wororororo. Of course. Of course, this place has treasure." His thick fingers tapped the table. "We'll rest here tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to find the place in this world with the most gold, and we'll dig it up."
"What? The place with the most gold?" they asked in unison, their eyes gleaming with greed. Even the usually calm King leaned forward slightly.
"Brother Kaido, are you perhaps talking about the City of Gold?!" Queen, whose knowledge was broader than the others, pushed up his sunglasses, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. As a scientist, he had always held a keen interest in the legendary City of Gold.
"City of Gold?" A glint flashed in Gavin's eyes, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table. "That legendary Shandora?"
Kaido nodded, pouring himself another bowl. "That's right!" His voice made the glasses on the table tremble faintly.
"But Brother Kaido, isn't the City of Gold a myth?" Queen quickly asked. "So many treasure hunters have searched for years and never found it..."
"No, it's real," Kaido cut him off, a mysterious light flashing in his eyes. "You'll know the details when we set off tomorrow." Having said that, he downed another huge bowl of liquor, clearly not intending to continue the topic.
Although they were full of questions, none dared press further. They understood Kaido's temper and knew this wasn't the time for digging.
The atmosphere in the tavern gradually grew lively again as the pirates began toasting and shouting loudly. Kaido once again raised a massive wine bowl and drank deeply, liquor dripping from his beard. Seeing this, the surrounding crew members followed suit, and soon cups were clinking, creating a rowdy scene. In a corner, a few locals took the chance to slip quietly out of the tavern, afraid of being dragged into potential trouble.
As the night deepened, the clamor in the tavern only grew louder. Kaido, thoroughly inebriated and in high spirits, suddenly stood up and raised his bowl, shouting, "To tomorrow's City of Gold!"
"To the City of Gold!" the pirates echoed in unison, their roar almost lifting the roof. Moonlight streamed through the windows, casting their shadows long and distorted, like monstrous figures, foretelling an unsettled night for this town.
After everyone had their fill of food and drink, the sky had gradually darkened, and they prepared to return to the pirate ship.
As Kaido led his group back to the docks, they found a crowd of people there, hesitating uncertainly.
"You... you're the great pirate, The Fierce Beast Kaido?!" a young man exclaimed upon seeing Kaido and the others, hurriedly pulling out a wanted poster to check before addressing Kaido timidly.
"What business do you have with me?" Kaido said, the corner of his mouth curling up.
"Lord Kaido... please, please allow me to j-join your crew," the youth immediately pleaded with Kaido.
"And us!" a dozen or so others behind him all pleaded as well.
"Becoming pirates, huh? Think it through clearly. A pirate's life means death could come at any moment," Kaido said to the group before him.
"We've already considered it," the youth said. "Rather than continuing to live a predictable, dead-end life on this island, we'd rather follow you to witness the vast and magnificent sea. For that, even death is acceptable."
"That's right, please let us join!" the rest chorused.
"Wororororo! In that case, join the crew as apprentice crewmen!" Seeing this, Kaido agreed directly.
In truth, this was also one of the reasons Kaido always made a grand, ostentatious entrance whenever the pirate ship docked, knowing full well it would cause a commotion.
On every island, there were always young people dissatisfied with the status quo, willing to risk their lives to go out and make their mark.
Although the vast majority of them would only end up as cannon fodder, when the great waves washed over the sand, there would always be some who became proper pirates.
And among these people, there might be some suited for clerical work—the kind of talent the Beasts Pirates truly needed.
This world never lacked pirate grunts for cannon fodder. On the contrary, since ninety percent of the world's population was illiterate, clerical personnel were always a scarce resource.
The reason the pirate ship, now with nearly three hundred people, could operate in an orderly fashion was precisely that they had found many literate individuals among the cannon fodder during this time.
"Really? That's great! Thank you, Lord Kaido!" someone immediately cried out gratefully.
"Idiot, you should call him 'Captain' now. Thank you, Captain!"
"Yes! Thank you, Captain!"
"Muahahaha! You rabble, line up here before me now! Time for your assignments!" Queen stepped forward at that moment, calling out to them.