He had long known that the Revolutionary Army's strength had been declining continuously after its rapid expansion.
It took a long investigation for Dragon to understand why the Revolutionary Army's combat effectiveness had diminished.
"Perhaps we need new Revolutionary Army discipline to enforce constraints," Dragon proposed.
Having come from the Navy, he was familiar with its regulations from childhood, almost able to recite them by heart.
By simply modifying some details, they could serve as the Revolutionary Army's disciplinary rules for everyone to follow.
....
The New World, a highly prosperous island.
This was Kaido's territory, though Kaido himself often stayed in Wano Country, amassing strength.
But his subordinate Jack was not the type to obediently stay in Wano Country.
After receiving Kaido's orders, he led his pirates to attack the surrounding islands, incorporating them into Kaido's territory.
The climate here was pleasant, producing various high-quality fruits and plants.
Most were sold, while a small portion was shipped back to Wano Country.
Bang!
After the gunshot, a puff of white smoke rose from the pistol in Lucky Roux's right hand, which was holding a ham hock.
"Murder! Murder!"
"Hurry, get out of here, or this place will turn into a battlefield soon."
"Where did these rookie pirates come from? They don't even know this is Lord Kaido's territory."
"Judging by the skull flag on their ship, this group is most likely the Red-Haired Pirates, who have been making waves lately."
"It's the Red-Haired Pirates! I recognize Red-Haired Shanks—he looks exactly like his Wanted Poster."
"Enough useless talk. If Lord Kaido comes, every living thing here will be killed."
The vendors frantically packed up the goods they intended to sell. If they couldn't manage in time, they simply abandoned them.
In just over ten minutes, the street where Shanks and his crew stood was left in disarray, deserted.
"Oops, seems like we've caused some trouble," Shanks joked, looking around. "They were deliberately bullying us because we're newcomers. If Lucky Roux hadn't acted, I would have."
Benn Beckman, with his stern expression, puffed on his cigar. "We've only just entered the New World, and we've already provoked a Legendary Great Pirate. Should we make a run for it?"
Though he spoke of running, Shanks' expression remained relaxed. He even picked up a perfectly intact apple from the ground, wiped it on his clothes, and took a big bite.
The crisp sound made even Lucky Roux feel tempted.
"Captain, save the chit-chat for later. I've already sensed the enemy," Yasopp aimed his rifle at the sky.
His exceptional Observation Haki had locked onto the enemy above.
"In the sky! The aura is quite intimidating. I bet it's Kaido himself—no one else could achieve this."
Following Yasopp's reminder, everyone focused their Observation Haki toward the sky. They locked onto the figure in the sky.
"Is that Kaido of the Beasts? What an astonishing presence."
"Is he planning to jump directly from the sky? What a crazy dude."
"How incredibly tough must his body be to withstand the impact of a fall from such a height?"
"Kaido of the Beasts, truly a Legendary Great Pirate!"
Though amazed by Kaido's power, none of the Red-Haired Pirates' officers showed fear on their faces.
Since entering the Grand Line, they had sailed smoothly, fighting their way to the New World with momentum.
Even though their opponent was Kaido of the Beasts, Red-Haired Shanks had spent day and night with Pirate King Roger.
He was a Pirate who had fought life-and-death battles against members of both the Whitebeard and Golden Lion Pirate Crews.
He was no weakling who would drop his sword just from hearing his opponent's name. On the contrary, he was now extremely excited.
"He jumped, he actually jumped!" "So strong, so incredibly strong!"
The officers of the Red-Haired Pirates exclaimed in shock as Kaido leaped from the sky without slowing down.
Their figures vanished from their spots in an instant—BOOM!
Kaido's body crashed into the ground like a bulldozer, smashing a massive crater where the Red-Haired Pirates' members had been standing.
Dust billowed, obscuring the view of the crater. But from the perception of Observation Haki, it was clear that Kaido hadn't suffered the slightest injury.
"As expected of Kaido, with his monstrous physique, surviving such a fall unscathed is no problem for him!"
"Beckman! Did you see that? His entrance was way too cool!"
"I must come up with an especially awesome way to make an entrance too!!"
Shanks' eyes sparkled as he watched Kaido's grand entrance.
His own fighting style had always been graceful and agile, but after witnessing Kaido's sheer impact, he found it cool.
This held immense appeal for Shanks, who loved flashy entrances.
However, after sizing up Kaido and then glancing at his own body, Shanks decided to abandon that idea.
As the dust settled, Kaido's imposing figure gradually emerged from the crater.
"Aren't you that cabin boy from Roger's ship? What, did that red-nosed guy beside you die?" Kaido spoke slowly.
Shanks drew Gryphon from his waist. "Buggy is alive and well. We just had different ambitions, so he didn't join my crew. But what gives you the right to talk? You were just a cabin boy in the Rocks Pirates too! Besides, wasn't it our Roger Pirates and the Navy who teamed up to bring down the Rocks Pirates?"
BOOM!
Stung by Shanks' words, Kaido's face darkened with anger as he unleashed a surge of Conqueror's Haki.
The violent waves of Conqueror's Haki compressed the air between them, creating a terrifying spectacle.
Anyone else would have been overwhelmed with fear under the influence of such Conqueror's Haki.
But Kaido hadn't expected that his opponent happened to be exceptionally gifted in Conqueror's Haki as well.
"Hah, nothing special."
BOOM!
A surge of Conqueror's Haki no less powerful than Kaido's erupted from Shanks, crashing toward Kaido like a tidal wave.
Crack, crack, crackle.
The clash of Conqueror's Haki created tiny cracks in the air, as if the two were trying to tear space itself apart.
Kaido curled his lips into a ferocious grin, his gaze viciously fixed on Shanks, while Shanks faced the impact of Kaido's Conqueror's Haki with ease.
As time passed, the look of contempt in Kaido's eyes gradually faded, replaced by overwhelming killing intent.
Too young—Shanks across from him was far too young.
Although Kaido was not particularly skilled in Conqueror's Haki, the fact that Shanks, who was so much younger, could match him in a clash of Conqueror's Haki was already a loss in itself.
Silently, Kaido drew his weapon, Hassaikai, deciding to no longer engage Shanks in a battle of Conqueror's Haki.
"Brat, your Conqueror's Haki is impressive. I wonder if your swordsmanship is just as formidable."
Holding Hassaikai, Kaido leaped out of the massive crater and strode toward Shanks with heavy steps.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Shanks showed no fear of Kaido whatsoever.
His swordsmanship had been taught by two Great Swordsmen, Roger and Rayleigh, and he had even developed his own techniques through battle.
He truly had no reason to fear a brute like Kaido!