Upon returning to Wano, Kaido immediately sought out Noro.
"Here!"
Kaido, with a flourish, tossed two boxes he held to Noro.
Noro received the boxes as if they were priceless treasures, eagerly opening them.
Indeed, they were the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi and the Mane-Mane Fruit.
The sudden arrival of such fortune made Noro feel somewhat unreal.
Although he had seen these two Devil Fruits many times in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, and his impression of them was already very deep,
Noro still took out the encyclopedia again, repeatedly comparing them. Once confirmed, Noro's smile couldn't be suppressed.
All set.
Now, becoming the Pirate King only required Kaido to make a certain sacrifice, to be subjected to Linlin's desires.
One cannot go against a woman's wishes, can one?
"Worororororo… How about it, Noro? It's the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi, right?" Kaido laughed triumphantly.
Noro also provided ample emotional value. "It is indeed the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi. Truly worthy of our Beasts Pirates' Captain!"
Kaido proudly raised his head. "Worororororo… Indeed, indeed."
Being praised by the Vice-Captain and being praised by others were two different matters.
Noro, in high spirits, smiled. "Let's go, let's have a feast to welcome our Captain."
After speaking, Noro turned and walked ahead.
Kaido quickly followed. "Noro, bring out a few more jars of your brewed sake. I've finished all of mine."
Noro immediately agreed. "Alright."
The feast quickly began with much fanfare. Besides the Beasts Pirates, Linlin's pirate crew also joined.
Kaido, seeing Linlin, reined in his smile, asking coldly, "Linlin, why are you in Wano?"
Linlin, like an older sister watching her younger brother being difficult, didn't mind Kaido's attitude, smiling indifferently:
"Mama mama mama mama… Of course, I came to find you. It's been a long time since we last met."
Kaido snorted, saying nothing more. His gaze, that of a drunkard, remained fixed on those jars of sake.
When the crew members brought them before Kaido, Kaido eagerly poured himself a full bowl and drank heartily.
A flicker of cunning passed through Noro's eyes.
If you get drunk, you can't blame me.
Noro subtly winked at Linlin. Linlin, understanding, brought her sake bowl closer to Kaido.
"Mama mama mama mama… Kaido, I heard you had a fight with Newgate not long ago? Who won?"
Kaido took another gulp of sake, grinning savagely. "I didn't win, but I didn't lose either."
Linlin seemed intrigued, pressing further, "Oh? How so? Tell me about it."
Kaido then began to boast to Linlin about his heroic feat of dueling Whitebeard.
Conversation was the best accompaniment to sake. Once they started chatting, Kaido drank bowl after bowl. Unconsciously, the alcohol went to his head, his words grew more numerous, and his voice became even louder.
Noro sat nearby, sipping his sake, quietly listening to the two chat, from Whitebeard to the Rocks Pirates, and even recounting various interesting anecdotes from Hachinosu.
Actually, seeing the newspaper headline about Kaido fighting Whitebeard had truly startled Noro.
Normally, if Kaido couldn't win, he could just fly away, and Whitebeard wouldn't have much recourse.
But he feared Kaido might have a moment of madness and insist on fighting Whitebeard to the death!
Fortunately, upon reading further, he found that their battle ended inconclusively with the destruction of the island.
Noro actually didn't think much of the Whitebeard Pirates.
It wasn't his arrogance, but the fact that this pirate crew's reputation largely rested on Whitebeard alone.
Others like Marco, Jozu, Vista, etc., although their future achievements wouldn't be low, they would never truly become top-tier experts.
Whitebeard protected them too well.
Especially Marco and Jozu, their problem was the same as King's: made by defense, broken by defense.
Ordinary people couldn't harm them. If someone could harm them, Whitebeard wouldn't let them fight, stepping in himself.
In this situation, they were destined not to become top-tier experts, though they could still hold their own relying on their Devil Fruits.
Noro truly regarded the Roger Pirates as his rivals. The three of them—Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban—were all top experts of their time.
And then there were the Marines and even the World Government!
Kaido continued to chat animatedly with Linlin. As bowl after bowl of strong sake went down, his head began to spin, and his eyes grew hazy.
Linlin looked at the bleary-eyed Kaido, a subtle, mischievous smile on her face. She deliberately leaned closer to Kaido. "Kaido, you're truly amazing."
Kaido, flattered by the praise, became even more elated, laughing loudly. "Worororororo… That's natural!"
Noro watched this scene from a distance, a 'eating melon' smile on his face.
At this time, everyone else at the feast was also immersed in the joyful atmosphere, completely oblivious to the unusual situation between Kaido and Linlin.
Kaido finally succumbed to drunkenness, muttering some incoherent words.
Linlin supported Kaido, walking towards her residence. Along the way, she raised an eyebrow at Noro, giving him an "OK" gesture.
Noro returned an "OK."
After the two had walked away, King approached Noro, asking in a low voice, "Mr. Noro, is it alright to let the Captain go with that woman like this?"
Noro waved his hand dismissively. "Adult matters, children shouldn't concern themselves."
The next day.
A roar shattered the clouds.
"Linlin!"
As Noro expected, Kaido soon arrived at Noro's location, furious, questioning:
"Noro, what happened last night? Why was I sleeping with that woman Linlin?"
Noro lied through his teeth. "You have the nerve to ask? Didn't you get drunk and drag Linlin away yourself?"
Kaido roared, "You should have stopped me!"
Noro said righteously, "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly ruin the Captain's good time?"
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. We're men of the sea. If you slept with her, you slept with her."
Kaido choked, unable to find any words to refute. He then asked about another matter. "Why does Linlin have so much of your brewed sake?"
Noro said faintly, "I gave it to her."
Kaido asked unhappily, "Why give it to her? I don't even have enough for myself."
Uh… this couldn't be said directly. Noro had given it to Linlin to get Kaido drunk.
Who knew Kaido would be so obliging, getting himself drunk at a feast.
Noro bluffed. "Linlin has a Poneglyph. I traded sake for it."
When the fake is true, the true is also fake.
Kaido had nothing more to say. He turned and prepared to leave.
Noro checked the time, then called out, "Let's eat together."
Kaido didn't look back. "No, Linlin invited me for sake."
Noro was stunned.
Moments later,
Noro: "666!"
…
…
===
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