Inside the pirate ship's cabin, the light was dim and damp. Water droplets condensed on the wooden walls dripped intermittently, making crisp sounds in the silent space.
Kuzan slowly opened his eyes. His eyelids felt as heavy as lead. He blinked, trying to clear the blurriness from his vision, his consciousness gradually flooding back into his mind like a returning tide.
From outside the window came the dull sound of waves hitting the hull. The creaking of the wooden structure echoed in his ears, a reminder that he was currently on a moving pirate ship. Kuzan propped himself up, leaning against the headboard of the bed. The cold, iron bedframe sent a biting chill through his thin clothes. He instinctively tried to call upon his ability, only to find his body hollow and empty. This feeling was utterly alien to him.
Fragments of memory slowly pieced themselves together in his mind—the final image was of Kaido's fight, the moment a pitch-black kanabo came crashing straight at his head. Kuzan raised a hand to touch the back of his head; it still throbbed faintly. He looked around, finding himself in a crude cabin. A few wooden crates were stacked in a corner, and the air was thick with the salty smell of the sea.
"Oh, you're awake."
A voice suddenly spoke. Kuzan looked up to see a boy in a gaudy suit with a red cape leaning against the door frame, a rapier at his waist. The boy looked about fifteen or sixteen, a frivolous smile on his face. It was Diamante.
Diamante grinned, revealing white teeth. "Since you're awake, come with me to see the Captain." His voice held a note of mockery, though his eyes were alert.
"The Captain? Kaido?" Kuzan's voice was hoarse. He instinctively touched his throat, his fingers brushing against something cold and metallic. This discovery made him frown slightly.
"That's right, Lord Kaido," Diamante said, eyeing Kuzan with amusement, his fingers lightly tapping the door frame. "I'd advise you to be respectful to the Captain. Otherwise..." He deliberately let his words trail off, a threatening glint in his eyes.
Kuzan tried to get up but found his whole body weak. He looked down at his neck. A finely crafted Seastone collar was locked firmly around it. Intricate patterns were carved into the collar, gleaming coldly in the dim light.
"Don't worry," Diamante seemed to sense his confusion. "It's just low-purity Seastone. While it restricts most of your ability and stamina, you should still be able to walk normally." He gestured with his hand. "Come on, don't keep the Captain waiting."
Kuzan was silent for a moment, then slowly stood up. His movements were slow, as if adjusting to this weakened body. When he stood straight, his gaze swept calmly over the pirate before him. Those eyes were still as inscrutable as the deep sea. Though his body was bound, the determination in his eyes remained unyielding.
"Lead the way," he said softly, but with an undeniable firmness.
Diamante shrugged and turned to walk ahead. Kuzan followed behind, his steps slightly unsteady. Passing through a narrow corridor, they arrived on the deck. The blinding sunlight made Kuzan instinctively squint.
The deck was bustling with activity. Dozens of pirates were training vigorously under the sun. Some were lifting heavy barbells, others were practicing combat. Sweat glittered in the sunlight. At the center of the deck, Kaido sat on a specially-made seat, holding a huge jug of sake in his hand, his gaze sharp as he watched the training crew.
"Wororororo. Awake, are you? Ah, youth. Falls asleep immediately, sleeps for three days and three nights straight," Kaido said, looking at Kuzan behind Diamante, his voice rumbling like thunder across the deck. Then his eyes flicked to Diamante, who immediately understood, shouldered a set of weights lying nearby, and joined the training ranks.
Diamante, only fifteen, may have looked frivolous, but he trained with remarkable seriousness. He hoisted a barbell taller than himself and began doing squats in a steady rhythm. Though he hadn't been with the Beasts Pirates long, their strength-first ethos was already deeply ingrained in him. To enjoy life in the future, he had to train hard now.
"Kaido, why have you brought me onto this pirate ship?" Kuzan asked, looking Kaido directly in the eye. The sea breeze ruffled his short hair, sunlight casting dappled shadows on his resolute face.
"Why? Didn't I already tell you?" Kaido tilted his head back, taking a swig of sake. The liquor dripped down his beard. "Kuzan, our meeting was destined. You are meant to become my subordinate." His voice brimmed with unshakable confidence.
"Impossible. I could never become a pirate," Kuzan retorted immediately. His voice was somewhat weak due to the Seastone restraint, but the unwavering firmness in his tone remained undiminished.
"Oh? Then what do you want to be? A Marine?" Kaido said teasingly, a meaningful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"That's right. My dream is to become a righteous Marine and then throw scoundrel pirates like you into Impel Down," Kuzan said to Kaido without a trace of fear, as if he weren't the prisoner in this situation.
Kaido stood on the deck, the sea wind causing his black coat to flap loudly. He stared at Kuzan opposite him and suddenly spoke. "Pirates are evil? Marines are justice?" His voice was low and laden with pressure. "The values of a kid who doesn't understand 'peace' and a kid who doesn't understand 'war' are different."
A cold sneer tugged at his lips as he continued. "Those who stand at the top can redefine good and evil! Will justice prevail? Of course it will! Only the victors can be called justice!" The words echoed across the deck, carrying an undeniable, overbearing aura.
On the deck, Doflamingo, who was lifting dumbbells, suddenly stopped his movements. He slowly adjusted his sunglasses, his gaze piercing through the lenses, fixed directly on Kaido. These words were like a key, unlocking a long-sealed memory box deep within his heart, plunging him into deep thought.
Kuzan retorted without backing down. "Hmph. Sophistry and heresy," his voice was calm and resolute. "Kaido, no matter what you say, the fact is that pirates cause fear in countless civilians. All pirates ever bring is slaughter and destruction." A light of justice shone in his eyes, forming a stark contrast with Kaido.
"Oh, is that so? Then do you know why, no matter how hard the Marines try to capture pirates, they keep sprouting up endlessly in this world?"
Kaido posed the question to Kuzan.
Hearing this, Kuzan looked at Kaido, waiting for what he would say next.
***
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