Behind Kid's seemingly unquestioning submission lay a clear understanding of the situation.
He knew exactly what kind of world he lived in.
The strong devoured the weak, and anyone who wanted a chance to rise had to recognize where the tide was flowing instead of stubbornly letting it sweep them away.
At the same time, the ambition buried deep within Kid had never disappeared.
He had merely drawn in his claws for now.
Like a predator lying low in the shadows, he was willing to watch, wait, and build his strength until the right opportunity presented itself.
The ink on the contract had barely dried when Swart reached into his robes and produced a faintly glowing map.
The light was subtle, but there was something unusual about it, as though the map carried far more than simple navigational information.
Swart handed it to Kid with a serious expression.
"Captain Kid."
Even the way he addressed him had changed.
Kid was no longer merely an outsider seeking admission. Now that he had formally entered the Divine Kingdom, the title carried a degree of recognition—but Swart's calm tone also made it clear that what followed was an order.
"This is your first assignment."
His finger moved to a location marked on the map.
"Your target is Raiseld Island."
Kid lowered his gaze.
"A gang calling themselves the Bonebreaker Gang has taken control of the island," Swart continued. "Their leader carries a bounty of one hundred and twenty million Berries."
His expression cooled.
"They've seized control of the island's freshwater and food supplies and have been using them to extort and terrorize the local population for a long time. Their methods are particularly brutal. The civilians there have suffered enough."
Kid accepted the mission file and began going through it.
His eyes sharpened almost immediately.
The intelligence was far more thorough than he had expected.
The island's terrain was laid out in detail, including settlements, roads, natural choke points, and likely escape routes.
Every major Bonebreaker stronghold had been marked.
Supply depots.
Watch posts.
Defensive positions.
Nothing had been overlooked.
There were even dossiers on the gang's senior members, complete with portraits, physical descriptions, known fighting styles, and information about any special abilities they were suspected of possessing.
Kid memorized the important details as he read.
The mission itself was equally straightforward.
Eliminate the Bonebreaker Gang completely and restore order to Raiseld Island.
If they encountered serious resistance, they were authorized to use whatever force was necessary.
There were no unnecessary questions.
No bargaining.
No hesitation.
That was how the Eternal Divine Kingdom operated.
Fast.
Direct.
Decisive.
When something stood in its way, it did not waste time negotiating with the obstacle.
It crushed through it.
Kid's mouth slowly curled into a vicious grin.
The oppressive feeling he had experienced while signing the contract disappeared almost immediately.
Now this—
this was something he understood.
As far as Kid was concerned, the Bonebreaker Gang sounded like nothing more than a bunch of scumbags who had found people weaker than themselves and decided that made them kings.
Taking care of trash like that would barely qualify as work.
It sounded more like a warm-up designed specifically for him.
"Heh…"
Kid let out a low chuckle.
"Perfect."
He flexed his metal arm.
"I just joined, and I've already got all this damn energy with nowhere to put it."
His grin widened.
"Might as well loosen up a little."
Metal scraped against metal as his mechanical arm shifted.
A dangerous magnetic pulse spread outward from his body.
Loose fragments of iron nearby began trembling.
Tiny screws rattled against the ground.
Even metal particles in the air seemed to react to the invisible force gathering around him.
Kid suddenly turned toward his crew.
The sea wind whipped through his coat and sent his red hair streaming back as he raised his voice.
"Listen up, you bastards!"
The crew immediately turned toward him.
Kid slapped the mission file against his palm.
"You all heard that, right?"
"This is the Divine Kingdom's welcome gift!"
His expression became almost feral.
"And I'd say they gave us one hell of a good one!"
"Our destination is Raiseld Island!"
Kid pointed out toward the sea.
"There's a pack of worthless assholes over there who think having a little power gives them the right to stomp on people weaker than themselves."
His metal fist slammed into his palm with a heavy clang.
"Today, we're gonna teach them exactly how expensive that mistake is!"
Kid bared his teeth.
"Crush every last one of them!"
"Don't leave enough behind to fill a damn grave!"
"OOOOHHHHH!!!"
The Kid Pirates erupted into a deafening roar.
Whatever hesitation had surrounded their decision to join the Divine Kingdom vanished in an instant.
They were, after all, still a crew of lawless lunatics who had survived years on one of the most brutal seas in the world.
Their submission to the Divine Kingdom might have been driven largely by necessity.
But their love of fighting?
Their instinct for destruction?
That had never gone anywhere.
It had been carved too deeply into their bones.
And now someone had handed them a sanctioned target.
There was almost nothing they could have asked for that would suit them better.
Without another moment of hesitation, Kid and his crew moved like beasts released from a cage.
Under Swart's calm, unreadable gaze, they hurried back aboard the heavily reinforced pirate ship that had brought them to the Divine Kingdom.
The metallic hull gleamed coldly in the sunlight, almost as if the ship itself were eager for what came next.
The crew rushed to their positions.
The anchor was raised.
Ropes were cast off.
Then the enormous sails climbed upward one after another.
A strong sea breeze caught them, filling the canvas until it snapped taut.
The Kid Pirates were setting sail once more.
Only this time—
they sailed under the authority of the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
...
The sails no longer bore the familiar emblem of the Kid Pirates.
In its place flew the temporary flag identifying them as an affiliated force of the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
The banner snapped loudly in the wind, announcing to anyone who saw it that the crew now belonged to a different power and sailed under a different authority.
"Set sail!"
Kid's booming command rang across the deck.
The ship surged forward, cutting through the waves as it accelerated toward Raiseld Island. White spray exploded from the bow and scattered across the deck in glittering sheets.
Kid stood at the front of the ship with his head slightly raised, his gaze fixed on the hazy horizon ahead.
A savage grin slowly spread across his face.
He licked his lips.
'Bonebreaker Gang, huh?'
Kid's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
'Perfect.'
'Your screams and blood can be the celebration for my first day in the Divine Kingdom.'
In his mind, the battle was already over.
...
News of what Kid had done spread through the Supernova circle like lightning.
The entire Kid Pirates had signed the Divine Kingdom's contract and formally entered the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
The revelation hit the Worst Generation like a bomb dropped into still water.
Every one of those young pirates was proud, ambitious, and convinced that they had what it took to claw their way to the top of the sea.
Until now, many had chosen to wait.
Some watched from the shadows, hoping to see how the conflict between the World Government and the Eternal Divine Kingdom developed before committing themselves.
Others were searching for opportunities amid the chaos, hoping to profit while the major powers tore one another apart.
But Kid was different.
Eustass Kid was infamous for his violent temper and iron-hard refusal to bend.
If there was one man among the Supernovas whom people expected to die before willingly bowing his head to someone else, Kid would have been near the top of the list.
Yet that very man had joined the Eternal Divine Kingdom without dragging matters out.
That forced everyone else to reconsider the situation.
What had Kid seen that convinced him to make such a drastic choice?
Was the Divine Kingdom's strength even more terrifying than people already believed?
Had he been offered some extraordinary benefit?
Or had Kid simply concluded that resisting the new order was no longer worth the risk?
Whatever his reasoning, the message his decision sent was impossible to ignore.
Only a few days later, the magnificent harbor of the Eternal Divine Kingdom once again became the center of attention.
Two pirate ships appeared on the horizon.
They approached slowly, each carrying a captain whose name was well known throughout the New World.
The first to disembark was Scratchmen Apoo.
The bizarre musician wore his usual eccentric clothing, perfectly matching the strange personality that had made him infamous across the seas.
His crew followed behind him, dressed in equally unconventional styles.
Apoo stepped onto the harbor and adjusted the glasses covering much of his face.
Then he began studying the Divine Kingdom's orderly port.
The longer he looked around, the wider his peculiar grin became.
Not long afterward, another distinctive vessel entered the harbor.
Straw-man decorations covered its hull, swaying eerily in the sea breeze and making the ship look almost alive.
Its captain was another member of the Worst Generation—
Basil Hawkins.
The fortune-teller wore the same emotionless expression as always.
Tarot cards moved smoothly between his fingers as he walked, each motion deliberate and precise.
Yet beneath that calm exterior, his deep eyes carried the unmistakable gleam of someone constantly calculating probabilities.
Apoo and Hawkins soon found themselves facing one another on the harbor.
Their gazes met briefly.
Neither man needed to ask why the other had come.
They could already see the answer in each other's eyes.
Kid had surrendered his independence.
Kid.
That arrogant, violent lunatic who would rather start a war than admit someone stood above him.
If even he had decided to bow to the Eternal Divine Kingdom, then the entire balance of the sea had clearly changed.
The situation had reached the point where refusing to choose a side was becoming a choice in itself—
and probably a very bad one.
If they waited too long, there might not be anything left for them.
Swart had already been informed of their arrival.
The Divine Kingdom envoy approached with his usual measured steps and calm, professional smile.
It was neither flattering nor distant.
He stopped before the two captains and offered a polite bow.
"Welcome to the Eternal Divine Kingdom, Captains."
His tone was courteous, but composed.
"I assume the two of you have come regarding the affiliation contract?"
Apoo immediately burst into his distinctive rhythmic laugh.
"Apapapapa~! That's right, that's right!"
He spread his arms theatrically.
"I mean, look at Kid!"
"That bastard finally found himself a powerful backer and somewhere nice and safe to settle down."
Apoo's grin widened.
"We can't exactly let him get ahead of us, can we?"
He laughed again.
"If that's where the tide's going, then naturally we've gotta ride it too!"
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