Kaido's deep voice echoed in the spacious hall: "They are a family of Celestial Dragons. Or rather, former Celestial Dragons."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a suffocating, murderous aura erupted violently from King. The air seemed to freeze over, the temperature plummeting. His fists clenched, knuckles cracking with an unpleasant sound. Behind his mask, his eyes flashed with a dangerous red light, his entire being like a beast on the verge of a rampage.
"King, calm down," Kaido's voice remained steady, yet carried an undeniable authority.
King's body gave a slight jolt, and that fearsome killing intent gradually receded. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain composure, and bowed his head to Kaido in apology. "Forgive me, Big Brother Kaido. I lost control."
Kaido nodded in satisfaction, his gaze becoming profound once more. He understood better than anyone that topics concerning the Celestial Dragons always touched the deepest wounds in King's heart.
"King, this family voluntarily renounced their status as Celestial Dragons several years ago, wanting to live like ordinary people," Kaido continued.
"How could there be Celestial Dragons that naive?" King's voice held a tone of incredulous scorn.
"Right? Utterly naive," Kaido let out a cold snort. "So they were severely abused by commoners on an island for two years. If those people weren't afraid that actually killing a Celestial Dragon would bring disaster, that family would have died a long time ago."
King nodded thoughtfully. "Then, Big Brother Kaido, why did you take them in?"
A sharp glint flashed in Kaido's eyes. "Firstly, because of their two sons. One of them I fed the Chiyu Chiyu no Mi. Used properly, that fruit alone can change the course of a war. The other has good potential. With proper training, he won't be weaker than Moria and the others."
He paused before continuing. "Secondly, I want Queen to secretly research the Celestial Dragons, to see if their bloodline hides some secret. Even though the chips marking them as Celestial Dragons have been removed from this family, I don't believe the one pulling the strings from the shadows would keep supporting those worthless parasites if they were truly without value."
King was silent for a moment before slowly nodding. "I understand. Rest assured, Big Brother Kaido. Since you've taken them in, I won't treat them differently."
Kaido said no more, simply reaching out to give King's shoulder another firm, heavy pat.
Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was time for the Beasts Pirates' annual Flame Festival.
The morning sunlight sprinkled across the sea, making the waves glimmer. Kaido's tall figure stood at the harbor, his black cape swaying gently in the breeze. He stood with his arms crossed, gazing out at the horizon, a faint, inscrutable smile playing on his lips.
...
In the distance, a massive, whale-shaped ship slowly approached.
The sails of the Moby Dick were especially eye-catching under the sun. The iconic whale figurehead at the prow made it instantly recognizable as the ship of the Whitebeard Pirates. On the deck, Whitebeard Edward Newgate leaned on his naginata, his white mustache fluttering in the sea wind.
"Wororororo! Newgate! Long time no see!" Kaido's booming voice echoed across the water. He spread his arms in a welcoming gesture.
"Gurararara, Kaido," Whitebeard's hearty laugh was equally loud. "Haven't seen you in years, but you've certainly made me take a second look. Who would have thought that rookie who only knew how to fight back then could now govern a country with such order."
Kaido laughed heartily in response. He knew exactly what Whitebeard meant.
In truth, after gathering information during his time in Wano, Newgate could roughly guess the methods Kaido had used to seize the country, even if he didn't know the specifics. However, the series of policies Kaido had implemented after taking Wano truly had astonished Newgate.
As for 'liberating' Wano? Leaving aside whether present-day Wano even needed liberating, even if it did, he had no intention of intervening. After all, pirates like Kaido who seize countries weren't numerous, but they certainly weren't rare. In the face of overwhelmingly powerful individuals, such countries were completely defenseless, ripe for the taking. By comparison, Kaido's approach had been relatively 'civilized.'
"I never would have imagined it either, Newgate," Kaido narrowed his eyes. "Back then, you were always talking about finding a family. Now you're going around everywhere adopting sons. I thought you'd be like Linlin, popping out a whole bunch of kids yourself!"
Hearing this, Whitebeard's smile deepened. "Haven't seen you in years, and that mouth of yours has gotten sharper, Kaido."
"Likewise," Kaido shrugged. "Alright, we can save the reminiscing for later. Today is a big day for the Beasts Pirates! Let's enjoy the Flame Festival first!"
Saying this, Kaido made a sweeping gesture of invitation. On both sides of the harbor, Beasts Pirates members stood in neat rows, their cheers rising and falling. In the distance, the festival bonfires had already been lit, their towering flames heralding an extraordinary night.
This year's Flame Festival was once again hosted by Queen. One had to admit Queen had quite a talent for this sort of thing. Under his direction, the festival atmosphere reached a peak early on. During the festival, Kaido fulfilled last year's promise, producing the Zō Zō no Mi and the Mushi Mushi no Mi, Model: Kabutomushi. The insect fruit was the other Devil Fruit they had obtained on Green Bit.
These two fruits were given to Griffith and Perick, both with commendable strength and potential. Although Newgate was surprised by the distribution of Devil Fruits, he didn't comment. However, when gold worth three billion Berries was carried onto the central stage, Newgate was sorely tempted to stage a robbery right then and there.
With the fruits and gold distributed, the all-night revelry began. For this one night, everyone let down their guard, gathering together happily to drink.
Kaido and Newgate sat together, arm-wrestling and drinking heavily, going back and forth as barrel after barrel was emptied. King and Bullet competed to see who could eat more, piles of various delicacies stacked before them as they wolfed food down, drawing cheers from the onlookers. Queen pulled Marco onto the stage to dance, his clumsy moves making Marco laugh despite himself. Moria competed with the Tontatta tribesmen; despite the disparity in size, they had a fantastic time. Urouge chatted with Kuzan; the two seemed to find common ground and were deep in conversation. Ginny, with Kuma and Whitby, played dice games, laughter ringing out constantly. Enel led Doflamingo, Rosinante, and the others in having a great time, electric sparks flashing amidst the joyous atmosphere.
As the night deepened, the bonfires burned brighter. The Beasts Pirates members sang and danced, their laughter and cheers echoing across all of Onigashima.
Kaido and Whitebeard were both red-faced from drink but continued their drinking contest. Queen's singing voice boomed to the skies—off-key, but brimming with passion.
Looking at the lively scene before him, Marco couldn't help but sigh. "It's been a long time since I've felt this relaxed..."
Whitebeard patted Kaido on the shoulder. "You've certainly learned how to enjoy life, kid."
Kaido let out a booming laugh. "When life gives you cause for joy, indulge to the fullest!" He raised his barrel again, clinking it against Whitebeard's.
On the distant sea, moonlight cast a silver sheen, intermingling with the fiery light from Onigashima. That night, there were no distinctions of friend or foe, no separation of sides—only pure joy and camaraderie. Perhaps this was the freedom and happiness pirates sought: to live wholeheartedly on these great seas, to savor every moment without restraint.
It was only when the first rays of dawn sunlight touched the sea that the people who had reveled all night gradually dispersed.
***
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