Night fell, the bright moonlight bathing the palace's towering spires, casting a silver sheen over the slumbering fortress.
The lights within the palace walls extinguished one after another, leaving only a few scattered, weak candle flames flickering in the darkness. The patrolling guards walked their routes mechanically, their heavy footsteps echoing through the quiet courtyards.
King's figure drifted like a wisp of smoke through the night, silently gliding over the palace walls. His slender form flashed past the top of the high ramparts, his black feathered coat fluttering in the wind without making a single sound.
Using the night vision granted by his Mythical Zoan Type, Kōmori Kōmori no Mi, Model: Vampire, he could clearly see the position and movements of every guard. These fully armed soldiers remained completely unaware that a dangerous intruder was calmly breaching their defenses right above their heads.
The King's bedchamber was located in the deepest part of the palace, thick curtains blocking out the moonlight entirely. The obese King lay sprawled on his gilded bed, snoring like thunder, traces of grease from the evening feast still at the corners of his mouth. His stout arm rested casually on the silk bedding, utterly oblivious to the impending danger.
King's figure drifted into the room like a specter through a gap in the window, disturbing no mechanism. He stood before the bed, looking down upon this defenseless ruler, his crimson pupils gleaming with an eerie light in the dark. An invisible wave of mental energy emanated from him, the air seeming to warp with a power that created imperceptible ripples.
The King's consciousness was instantly seized. His eyes opened vacantly, and his body sat up stiffly from the bed like a manipulated puppet.
King's low, oppressive voice reverberated within the room. "Tell me, what is the true purpose behind your invitation to the Beasts Pirates?"
The King's lips moved mechanically, his voice dull as he answered, "To... use your power... to eliminate..." Each word seemed forcibly squeezed from his throat, punctuated by unnatural pauses.
A faint, mocking smile touched King's lips. He released his mental grip, and the King's obese body immediately fell back onto the bed like a puppet with its strings cut, sinking back into sleep as if nothing had ever happened.
When King's figure vanished into the night, the guards within the palace continued their patrols as scheduled.
No one noticed the slight flutter of the bedchamber curtains, nor did anyone see the fine beads of sweat that had broken out on the King's forehead.
The night remained deep, the moonlight still bright, as if nothing had transpired at all.
······
On the deck of the Beasts Pirates' ship, Kaido's massive frame stood at the bow.
The sea wind whipped his black hair wildly, his great cape flapping behind him. He narrowed his eyes, watching King's return from the darkness, his low voice rumbling like distant thunder. "King, what is that fat pig's plan?"
Not only Kaido, but Bullet, Queen, Urouge, Sebastian, Gavin, Enel, and the others had also gathered on the deck, awaiting the intelligence King had brought back.
King adjusted his feathers, ruffled by the sea breeze, and spoke directly. "Big Brother Kaido, the situation is this."
King detailed the carefully designed conspiracy of the King of Cridia. It turned out that the seemingly ordinary island was not only rich in mineral resources but also grew a rare fruit known as the Hyaku-Rui Fruit. This fruit had a crystal-clear appearance, resembling a pink gemstone, and emitted a unique, sweet fragrance.
"From what I learned," King continued, "anyone who has tasted the Hyaku-Rui Fruit even once becomes infatuated with its flavor. Even the Celestial Dragons, who have feasted on all the world's delicacies, hold a particular fondness for this fruit." His voice was especially clear in the night wind.
It was precisely this secret weapon that had allowed the King of Cridia to successfully establish a connection with the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons. By regularly offering this rare fruit as tribute, he obtained vast resources and privileges, causing the Kingdom of Cridia's national power to skyrocket in a short time. But the ambitious king was not content with this. He wanted to replace the Kingdom of Lexter as the new trade hub of the West Blue.
"That cunning king used his ties to the Celestial Dragons," King went on, a note of amusement in his voice, "to begin suppressing Lexter's underground transactions. Fearing the power of the Celestial Dragons, the Kingdom of Lexter has had to swallow its anger, not daring to speak out."
Now, during the Hyaku-Rui Fruit's harvest season, a Celestial Dragon had even dispatched his personal butler to personally oversee the picking and transportation on the island. The King of Lexter saw this as his opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. He planned to hire pirates to attack the island, not only to destroy this precious batch of Hyaku-Rui Fruit but also to ensure the Celestial Dragon's butler met with an unfortunate "accident" during the assault.
"Once the plan succeeds," King analyzed coolly, a flash of shrewd light in his eyes, "the King of Cridia will face the thunderous wrath of the Celestial Dragons. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Lexter can sit back and reap the benefits, replacing Cridia as the new favorite of the Celestial Dragons."
"That damn king is just using our Beasts Pirates as a tool!" Enel said indignantly.
"Right, Boss Kaido," Queen said, cigar in mouth, squinting his eyes. "How about we forget about that island and just move against Lexter instead? Plunder this country. Not only would we get the Devil Fruit, but all the treasures of this nation would be ours too."
"Exactly, Captain," Sebastian chimed in. "Let them know that trying to use us comes with a price."
Kaido remained silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No. We keep this country. Not only that, we'll help him succeed in this matter."
"Captain, why?" Enel asked, puzzled.
Kaido's deep gaze swept over them all. "We need a force in the Four Blues to gather all sorts of rare materials for us. That fat pig is a suitable candidate. Once he's connected to the Celestial Dragons, we can acquire all kinds of contraband we need through this country in the future. Plus, that fat pig is relatively easy to control." At this point, he turned to King. "King, how is the development of your ability progressing? Can you perform the 'Embrace' yet?"
"I'm sorry, Big Brother Kaido," King lowered his head. "I've tested this ability many times, but there's still a great deal of uncertainty. More development time is needed."
"Then we'll cooperate with him for now," Kaido decided. "In the future, once you can transform people into your Blood Slaves with one hundred percent certainty, you will make a special trip here to convert him completely into one of ours."
"Yes, Big Brother Kaido," King replied respectfully. Then he added, "Incidentally, that fat pig originally planned to invite a pirate named Moria. That guy has been causing quite a stir in the West Blue lately. But after we arrived, he changed his plan and invited us instead."
"Oh? Moria." Hearing this, a gleam flashed in Kaido's eyes. If he remembered correctly, Moria should be eighteen this year. According to the custom of this world, after coming of age at seventeen, people would pursue their dreams—joining the Marines, setting sail as pirates, or becoming bounty hunters. The timing matched up. Coupled with the Kage Kage no Mi, that person should indeed be the future "Gecko" Moria, who would suffer a crushing defeat against him in Wano Country.
"Do you know where this 'Gecko' Moria is?" Kaido asked. Since they'd coincidentally run into this fellow, Kaido figured he might as well recruit him. A Gecko Moria who grew up without experiencing major setbacks could become a decent asset.
"He seems to be in the Morsk Sea," King recalled. "About half a day's sail from Lexter. Does Big Brother Kaido intend to recruit this Gecko Moria?"
"Correct," Kaido said with a meaningful smile. "But this time, I don't plan to handle it personally. King, Bullet, tomorrow you two will take a portion of the crew on a separate ship and go capture this Gecko Moria for me. The rest of you will come with me tomorrow to see for ourselves this fruit that even the Celestial Dragons can't forget."
"Yes, sir!" they all responded in unison, their voices echoing into the night sky.