As Edie rode away on the dragon, the dark clouds that had covered the sea gradually dissipated, revealing the sun once more. But for the pirates soaked in the seawater, the return of sunlight brought no warmth.
"What happened? Why did the ship disappear?" one of the pirates exclaimed in shock.
"Was it some kind of Devil Fruit ability, like space teleportation?" another wondered, his voice laced with frustration. "Damn it! That dragon-riding bastard got rid of our Moby Dick!"
The crew was a mixture of anger and disbelief. The power that Edie and Chenlong had displayed was terrifying, but what enraged them even more was the loss of the Moby Dick—their beloved flagship, a vessel that had been with them for many years, as dear as family.
Then, suddenly, amid the rough sea, a flash of white light appeared again. To the astonishment of everyone, the Moby Dick reappeared out of nowhere, splashing down into the water and sending waves rippling out in all directions.
"Well... what just happened?" one pirate muttered, slack-jawed.
But the shock quickly gave way to relief as they realized their ship had returned. "Great, the ship is back!" another cried out in joy.
Soon, many of the Whitebeard Pirates began climbing back aboard, drenched but grateful. They stripped off their soaked clothes, squeezing the water out as they huddled together on the deck.
"Father!" the captains gathered around Whitebeard, their concern evident.
Whitebeard, his clothes also drenched, wrung out his cloak before speaking. "I'm afraid that 200 billion beli debt is real," Marco said with a grave expression. "That Dr. Edie and those Twelve Earthly Branches under his command... we don't know much about the others, but Chenlong is clearly a force on par with Kaido!"
The captains nodded, the gravity of the situation sinking in. If there were indeed twelve such powerful beings, it made sense that Kaido might owe them a fortune.
"What do we do now?" one of the captains asked, his voice tinged with worry. "The man said he wouldn't stop us, but who knows if he'll join the fight against the Beasts Pirates. If they do, we'll be at a huge disadvantage..."
"Not to mention," another captain added, "even if we defeat the Beasts Pirates, we'll still be saddled with that massive debt afterward. Why should we inherit the money Kaido owes?"
The captains' frustration was palpable, but Whitebeard grinned. "Don't worry. Since Edie said he wouldn't stop us, he won't. Otherwise, he wouldn't have returned the ship to us."
But Whitebeard was no fool. He recognized the tough stance Edie had taken by saying they would have to inherit Kaido's debt if they killed him. "200 billion beli... that's an enormous amount, even for a Celestial Dragon. That kind of money isn't just for personal luxury—it's for something much bigger. That guy is a scientist, after all."
Whitebeard's eyes gleamed with wisdom as he continued, "To spend all 200 billion on something like this... he's probably using it for scientific research, maybe on Devil Fruits."
Marco's thoughts mirrored his father's. "Chenlong, one of the Twelve Earthly Branches, has the powers of the Azure Dragon Fruit," he mused aloud. The realization sent chills through the crew.
"The research has been successful!!" one captain blurted out, horror dawning on him. "That scientist can perfectly replicate Devil Fruits, even mythical Zoan types!"
"Is that why Kaido owes 200 billion?" another wondered, his voice trembling. "Dad, maybe we should retreat now. What if the Beasts Pirates already have a whole army of Blue Dragons?"
The idea of facing multiple Blue Dragons—replicas of Kaido's power—terrified the captains. They shuddered, cold sweat dripping down their backs.
But Whitebeard laughed heartily. "Gurarara... Don't scare yourselves. Kaido and Chenlong are powerful, but not just anyone who eats the Azure Dragon Fruit will become as strong as Kaido."
The captains exchanged uncertain glances, but their faith in Whitebeard was unwavering. "Pops! We'll follow you wherever you go. Just tell us what to do next."
"Marco, you'll enter Wanokuni from the air first to scout the area," Whitebeard ordered, his tone decisive. "Don't go too deep—watch out for traps and stay in contact at all times."
With that, Whitebeard picked up his massive naginata, his muscular form glistening in the sun as he stepped forward. Standing before thousands of his loyal crew members, he raised his weapon high and shouted, "Listen up, my children!"
The crew listened intently, their eyes fixed on their captain.
"The Beasts Pirates killed our family, and we will avenge them! Even if our enemy is Kaido himself, I will show the world..."
He paused, his voice booming with resolve, "...that anyone who dares to touch my Whitebeard family will pay the price in blood!"
"Follow me to Wanokuni!!" Whitebeard roared.
"Ooooh!!" The pirates' morale soared as they echoed his battle cry.
"Avenge our family!"
"Dad, we'll follow you to the end!"
Their voices rose in unison, spreading across the sea as they prepared to follow their captain into battle.
In the capital of flowers, within Wanokuni, Edie made his return to the institute. As soon as he arrived, Hancock, who had been sitting at the entrance, spotted him. Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she rushed over, throwing herself into Edie's arms.
"Master Edie!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with relief and joy.
The force of her embrace nearly knocked Edie off balance, and he chuckled as he steadied himself. "Where have you been all this time? I thought you had abandoned us," Hancock pouted, her tone carrying a hint of playful reproach.
Edie smiled, gently rubbing her head. "I was out taking care of some important business. But what about you, Hancock? Have you been practicing well while I was away?"
Hancock nodded eagerly, her pride evident. "I've practiced very well! I've mastered Armament Haki now. I'll definitely be able to help you in the future, Master Edie!"
As a warrior from Amazon Lily, Hancock had a natural aptitude for Haki, and it was clear that her time at the institute had only sharpened her skills. Edie wasn't surprised by her progress—after all, she was destined to become the Pirate Empress.
"That's impressive, Hancock," Edie praised. "But you have to keep pushing yourself. Next, you should work on awakening Conqueror's Haki."
"Yes, Master Edie," Hancock responded, basking in the warmth of his encouragement.
Just then, Zishu, one of Edie's subordinates, descended from the roof of the research institute. "Heavenly Father, everything at the institute has been running smoothly during your absence," he reported.
"Good work," Edie acknowledged with a nod. "Now, summon Caesar."
Not long after, in the institute's reception room, Hancock dutifully prepared a cup of coffee and handed it to Edie with a proud smile.
Seeing this, Caesar, who had just arrived, pointed at himself. "And where's mine? I'm the guest here, Hancock!"
Hancock huffed, "No," clearly unimpressed by Caesar's request.
Caesar sighed in exasperation. "This little girl isn't cute at all," he muttered under his breath.
Edie chuckled at their exchange before turning his attention to Caesar. "How did the fruit testing go?"
Caesar perked up, eager to report his findings. "The success rate is about 10%, and we've made some progress on understanding the spiral pattern on the peel. However, there are a few... flaws," he admitted, making a "small" gesture with his fingers.
"What kind of flaws?" Edie inquired, his interest piqued.
Caesar hesitated before answering, "After consuming the artificial fruit, if the transformation fails, the subject turns into a mindless fool who can only giggle..."
He braced himself for Edie's reaction, unwilling to admit this as a complete failure. "But don't worry, Doctor, I'm confident I can fix this in the next generation of products. All I need is a bit more research funding."
Edie fell silent, lost in thought. He recalled that in the original story, the artificial Zoan Devil Fruits known as SMILE, which Caesar had also developed, had this very same flaw. The idea of failure leading to uncontrollable laughter was unsettling. It reminded him of the Rubber Fruit, particularly the strange behavior it exhibited after awakening. When Monkey D. Luffy activated Gear Fifth and entered his Nika form, he couldn't stop laughing, even in the face of dire situations.
Could there be a connection?
For now, Edie couldn't be certain, but it was something worth investigating in the future. He refocused on the present. "How many finished products do we have?"
"There are three fruit trees in the lab's cultivation room. Excluding the ones used in testing, we have a total of 101 fruits," Caesar replied.
"And what about the costs?" Edie pressed.
Caesar scratched his head, grinning sheepishly. "Including the initial research and development expenses, we've spent around 2 billion beli. If we mass-produce them, the cost should come down to about 5 million beli each."
Edie shook his head in disbelief. "Five million for this kind of trash..."
But it didn't really matter. After all, these were meant to be sold to Kaido. If he wanted better artificial fruits, he'd have to keep pouring money into the project. The 2 billion already spent was just the beginning.
"Take your artificial fruits and follow me," Edie commanded, his tone decisive.
"Are we going to meet Kaido?" Caesar asked, curiosity piqued.
"The Whitebeard Pirates are on their way," Edie revealed. "I've stalled them a bit, but Kaido will have to deal with them on his own."
Edie's plans were clear: first, he needed to acquire Whitebeard's blood. And second, he intended to secure some research funds from the legendary pirate himself.
In the heart of Wanokuni, within the grand halls of Kaido's mansion, Edie strode purposefully, ignoring the pirates stationed as guards at the entrance. He led his group with quiet determination, intent on finding Kaido. As he rounded a corner, he was suddenly greeted by a small figure launching herself into his arms.
"Uncle Edie!" Yamato's voice rang out, filled with joy.
Edie couldn't help but smile, though a touch of exasperation crossed his features. He had come to realize that he had become quite the magnet for this energetic little girl. Kneeling down, he gently pinched her rosy cheeks, "Where's your dad?" he asked with a warm smile.
"Father is drinking," Yamato responded eagerly. "Let me take you to him, Uncle Edie!"
With that, she took his hand and began to lead the way. Soon, they reached a lavishly decorated Japanese-style room, where they found Kaido, slightly intoxicated, lounging amidst opulence. The scent of sake hung heavily in the air as Kaido noticed their arrival, belching loudly.
"Little Guy, it's not good to be drinking in the middle of the day," Edie teased, his smile unfaltering.
The familiar title snapped Kaido out of his drunken stupor. "Edie?" he muttered, shaking off the haze of alcohol.
"The Whitebeard Pirates will be landing in Wano soon," Edie informed him, his tone light. "I had a little chat with them on my way back."
Kaido's eyes lit up, and he grinned broadly, staggering to his feet. "Oh, oh, oh... finally here?" he bellowed, the prospect of a battle reigniting his fiery spirit.
"You're drunk," Edie observed calmly. "Need me to help you sober up?"
Kaido's laughter echoed through the room, a deep, rumbling sound. "You'll be on my side, Edie," he said, his voice carrying the weight of certainty.
Edie's presence was more than just a visit—it was a declaration of alignment, a signal that Kaido's chances in the upcoming conflict had just increased significantly. The only question was whether this would be a small, medium, or massive victory.
"I won't get involved until the victor is decided," Edie replied, his tone firm. "I dislike being forced to do stuff. So, Kaido, you'd better have a good reason for attacking Whitebeard's crew. Otherwise…"
He left the threat hanging, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
Kaido took another swig of sake, his laughter booming once again. "This isn't fair, Edie. I'm the only one who owes you a mountain of debt. You wouldn't mind if Whitebeard chipped in to "sponsor" your research institute, right?"
Hearing this, Edie chuckled, his earlier seriousness giving way to amusement. "You're straightforward, Kaido. I like that."
"So, will you help me?" Kaido pressed, his tone a mixture of hope and expectation.
Edie's smile faded into a more serious expression as he replied, "I'll help you—but keep the battlefield away from the Flower Capital. I have people there."
Kaido didn't respond immediately. Instead, he moved toward the window, his massive frame casting a long shadow across the room. Without a word, he flung the window open and, with a mighty roar, transformed into his immense azure dragon form. With a powerful leap, he soared into the sky, his voice echoing behind him.
"I'll defeat Whitebeard near the Coast of Wano! Let him taste the pain I've endured!"
As Kaido flew off, Edie watched the great dragon disappear into the distance, a thoughtful expression on his face. The storm was coming, but Edie had ensured that his interests were protected—at least for now.