On a distant island, villagers stood in awe as they watched a ship bearing the pirate flag slowly sail toward the shore.
Above the banner was a crossed skull with sharp horns, an intimidating image that could only belong to the Beasts Pirates!
Recognized by the World Government, they were one of the infamous Four Emperors ruling the New World!
Standing tall at the bow were King and Jack, two imposing figures.
What they saw on the beach shocked them—a massive figure, Kaido, sat there, holding a wooden barrel as if it were a cup, guzzling down its contents.
Not too long ago, Kaido had awakened from a deep slumber, washed up on this island by the currents, and immediately contacted King using a Den Den Mushi.
As soon as the ship docked, Jack couldn't hold back his tears, shouting,
"You're alive! Wow, I can't believe it!"
With his eyes still misty, Jack leaped down, landing in front of Kaido.
Kaido gave him a sideways glance, his expression indifferent.
"Why are you crying? Did you really think I'd be dead?"
Jack's face was filled with confusion as he struggled to find words. Kaido, who had clearly been drinking heavily, wasn't in the best of moods.
Boom! Without warning, Kaido's massive fist connected with Jack's face, sending him flying, skidding across the sand.
"Jack! Jack!" the crew shouted in alarm.
Jack pulled himself out of the sand, dusting himself off with a sheepish grin.
"I'm okay!" he said, scratching his head as if nothing happened.
Kaido's blows were nothing new to him—after all, this was the way of the Beasts Pirates. Rough banter and brute force were part of their unique culture.
Fighting is a form of respect. Scolding is affection. If Kaido hits you, it means he values you.
King landed on the beach, his eyes narrowing as he took in Kaido's injuries—a shattered left leg, a scar on his chest, and a fresh wound on his abdomen. He couldn't believe the extent of the damage.
It was almost impossible to imagine someone actually defeating Kaido, much less leaving him with such severe wounds.
But here stood Kaido, very much alive.
The rest of the Beasts Pirates stared in shock, their faces etched with disbelief.
"Captain Kaido, you were defeated again?" A sarcastic voice rang out.
"Sis, don't say that!" Page One yelped in fear, frantically trying to shush his sister, Ulti, whose sharp tongue had everyone wincing.
The crew members instinctively distanced themselves from the siblings, cringing at Ultii's tactless comment.
(T/N: Ulti is one of the Tobiroppo, the six strongest Shinuchi of the Beasts Pirates. She is the elder sister of fellow Tobiroppo Page One.)
Kaido, instead of getting angry, burst into his trademark laughter,
"Worororo! Yes, I lost again, but now this world has finally become interesting!"
Despite the defeat, a fierce determination burned in Kaido's eyes, his boredom replaced with a newfound excitement. Losing wasn't a setback; it was a chance to grow stronger.
As Kaido planted the Beasts Pirates flag on the island, he declared it their territory before striding back onto the main waters of the New World with his crew.
"Huh? Is that Kaido?" someone gasped in disbelief as they spotted the dragon-like figure.
Ships that encountered the Beasts Pirates fled in terror, but some dared to mock,
"Look at him! Kaido's injured, his leg's broken. He's no longer that strong!"
Their arrogance didn't last long.
With a deep breath, Kaido unleashed a scorching Heat Breath, obliterating their ship in an instant.
This was just the beginning of Kaido's rampage. He led the Beasts Pirates on a vengeance spree, hunting down anyone who dared challenge them while he was weakened.
Victory comes with a price, and under the rule of the emperors, New World remained a battlefield where the strongest survived.
Meanwhile, Morgans News spread the headlines:
"Kaido of the Beasts Re-emerges!"
"Kaido Loses to the Hunter Leno!"
"Kaido Returns to the New World, the King of Beasts Reclaims His Throne!"
The chaos in the New World seemed to calm down as the Four Emperors maintained their iron grip.
But whispers spread about the rise of a new force—Leno of the Hunter's Guild—now a topic of conversation and speculation everywhere.
Rumors flew wildly:
"Leno must've used some forbidden technique to defeat Kaido and overdrew his own life force."
"Leno's injuries are even worse than Kaido's; he's hiding somewhere to heal."
"Nonsense! Leno's back at the Hunter's Guild headquarters, preparing for his next move!"
Mary Geoise
The Five Elders were deep in discussion.
"Reports from Fish-Men Island say Leno defeated Jinbe, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea," one Elder announced, his face grim.
"He also attacked a CPO ship, believing they were disguised pirates!" another added.
The room fell silent as they pondered Leno's intentions. The Five Elders looked troubled, knowing their grip on power was slipping.
"Calculating the prophecy,," one Elder said darkly. "We must secure the designs of Pluton at all costs!"
"If the fish-man Tom doesn't hand over the technology for Pluton..." the Elder trailed off ominously.
"Then we will eliminate him," another finished coldly.
"Pluton's design drawings are the key to restoring Pluton. We can't let anyone else get their hands on them."
"Also, Poseidon has likely already been born. We have no way to predict who inherited it, but only Poseidon itself can reveal that."
"Predicting it is impossible, only Poseidon can sense its own awakening."
"Try to win over the fish-men, but unfortunately, the deep sea protects them, and Uranus can't reach them."
"The era of great pirates started by Roger has both its advantages and disadvantages. We'll let the pirates target Fish-Men Island. Fisher Tiger and Otohime hold conflicting ideals that are dividing the fish-men, which benefits us."
As Celestial Dragons, the Five Elders always prioritize their own interests.
So they even had Jinbe join the Seven Warlords of the Sea under the guise of amnesty for the Arlong Pirates, using them to create chaos.
They secretly incited the Marines, pirates, and enslaved fish-men to stir conflict among themselves, a simple yet effective strategy favored by powerful nations.
To the Five Elders, lives are just numbers on a ledger.
In Ryugu Palace on Fish-Men Island, Queen Otohime was completely captivated by Leno's persuasive words.
She had always believed that if the fish-men could coexist peacefully on land, all their problems would be solved.
But Leno's words made her question if they would face even greater threats on land than in the deep sea.
"What should we do, Leno?" Queen Otohime asked, bowing to him for advice.
Leno shrugged slightly, "I'm just a human. How could I decide that for you?"
"But," he continued, "while I might not agree with your views, I respect your dreams. It's natural for people to have goals, for communities to have a history."
Otohime and the surrounding fish-men were clearly moved.
King Neptune suddenly asked, "Leno, you mentioned cooperation. What did you have in mind?"
"First," Leno said, "I'd like to establish a Hunter Guild branch on Fish-Men Island."
"Really?" Otohime's eyes sparkled with hope. "Of course, there's no problem with that!"
Neptune nodded. "If you're willing to protect us, we'll gladly support the Hunter Guild and offer an annual tribute."
Leno shook his head with a smile. "We're not pirates, King Neptune. We don't take treasure as tribute. What we gain comes from missions and related benefits. This is a partnership, an alliance!"
The ministers were taken aback.
"Free of charge?" they asked in disbelief.
"Yes, free," Leno confirmed. "And I believe that the Fish-Men Island branch should be staffed by your own fish-men and mermaids."
Leno then looked at Jinbe, who hesitated, torn between his role as a Warlord of the Sea and his loyalty to Fish-Men Island.
The eldest prince, Fukaboshi, suddenly stepped forward.
"If establishing a branch on Fish-Men Island will gain Leno's approval, I'm willing to take on this challenge!"
Leno smiled. "You'll need to pass the hunter test first and then head to East Blue for further training. We'll assess your capabilities before you can lead the branch."
"I'm ready!" Fukaboshi declared, full of determination.
Neptune cleared his throat. "And the second point?"
Leno said, "I plan to build a hunter-themed park in East Blue, inspired by the amusement park in District 33 of the Sabaody Archipelago. I'd like to hire fish-men and mermaids to work there."
King Neptune, Otohime, and Jinbei were visibly shocked.
"As a condition," Leno added, "I'll provide them with a small island where they can live freely on land."
"Really?" Otohime's face lit up. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, but initially, I only need about three hundred fish-men," Leno said. "And they must not be those who harbor hatred toward humans or engage in violent behavior."
"Of course!" Otohime's joy was overwhelming.
King Neptune asked earnestly,
"Why do you want to help us?"
"It's not about helping you, but cooperation," Leno corrected him. "I have no prejudice against fish-men. Just as there are both good and bad humans, the same goes for fish-men. The era shapes us all."
Jinbe, deeply impressed, looked at Leno with newfound admiration. This young man had the wisdom of a seasoned leader and the vision of a king.
"There are good people on land," Jinbe said. "Not all humans are prejudiced against fish-men. Even when Fisher Tiger refused a blood transfusion from a human, it was his choice that led to his death."
"Really?" Neptune was shocked. "We thought humans refused to help him!"
"That's a lie spread by Arlong to incite hatred," Jinbe admitted.
Understanding dawned on Otohime, her spirit lightened.
Neptune and Otohime, after discussing with their ministers, finally reached a decision.
They respectfully bowed and said, "Fish-Men Island is willing to cooperate with you, Leno!"
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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg