King and Queen snapped out of their shock and hurried forward, wanting to know who had left their boss in such a state.
But before they could get close, Kaidou's furious voice rang out from the dust-filled ruins.
"Damn it... that brat actually pushed me this far..."
Then came the unmistakable sound of him gulping down alcohol.
"Thud..."
A sake gourd flew out and smashed onto the ground. Moments later, Kaidou staggered out from the rubble, swaying slightly, reeking of alcohol, his face flushed with drunkenness.
"Kaidou-san, are you alright!?"
King stepped forward with concern, his eyes fixed on the wound across Kaidou's chest.
It was clearly a slash wound, yet there were also traces of burning. Thinking about the purpose of Kaidou's trip, a shocking possibility formed in King's mind.
"No way... Kaidou-san was actually injured by a rookie..."
Hearing King's concern and noticing his gaze lingering on the scar, Kaidou staggered closer, still unsteady, and said:
"Don't worry. It's just a scratch. Damn it, though... it really hurts."
As he spoke, he reached up and pressed against the wound, irritation flashing across his face. But soon, he regained his composure and turned to Queen, who was still standing there stunned.
"Queen, I've got a task for you."
"Huh!?"
Kaidou tossed a Den Den Mushi over. Queen caught it carefully, looking puzzled.
"What's this for?"
Kaidou spoke bluntly.
"I've reached an agreement with that brat who cut me. But there's a condition. Queen, go find three Zoan-type Devil Fruit users. Capture them and send them to him. If he can successfully extract their Devil Fruits, then our cooperation goes through."
"Kaidou-san, what exactly happened?"
King couldn't quite understand. Judging by Kaidou's injuries, the two of them had clearly fought fiercely.
No matter how it ended, it didn't seem like the kind of situation that would lead to cooperation.
"Tch!"
Kaidou clicked his tongue, anger and disdain flashing across his face as he looked out at the beautiful land before him.
"That brat's idea is interesting. Our goal is to make Wano Country the territory of the Beasts Pirates. But since we're outsiders, we've had no choice but to work with that brat Kurozumi Orochi."
He paused, then continued.
"But if he really can extract Devil Fruit abilities, then all we need is that old hag Kurozumi Higurashi's Mane Mane no Mi. Once the war here is over, we kill Orochi and put one of our own in his place as shogun. Then this country will truly belong to us."
Kaidou's words made King and Queen immediately understand.
"That's a solid plan. And completely doable."
Queen nodded after thinking it over.
King, however, frowned slightly and asked:
"Then what do we have to give in return? And why do we need to send him three Zoan users specifically?"
"Boom..."
Kaidou dropped down cross-legged, staring out at the night view beyond the window.
"As a show of sincerity, he's only asking for two things.
First, Kurozumi Orochi's Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi, and Kurozumi Semimaru's Bari Bari no Mi. Those two are to be handed over to him.
Second, a portion of Wano Country's Seastone. Of course, they won't take it for free. They'll buy it from us at a fairly favorable price.
That's all. That brat's showing enough sincerity, so there's no reason for me to refuse.
As for why I had Queen send three Zoan users… that's just to test whether his method really works. And besides…"
Kaidou reached up and touched the scar on his chest, recalling Yemu's world-shaking slash from earlier.
"…as annoying as it is, I can't take that brat down right now. He's a monster even more terrifying than that old hag."
Those words left both King and Queen stunned.
They knew exactly who Kaidou meant by "that old hag," which only made it harder to believe.
At that moment, Kaidou muttered to himself:
"Conqueror's Haki coating… just you wait, brat. I'll master that power. When that time comes, I'll show you who the real dragon is."
King and Queen exchanged a glance before Queen finally voiced the key question.
"Then how are we splitting the Devil Fruits? If those three Zoan users we send over really do get their powers extracted…"
"If we confirm they can extract Devil Fruits, then the deal stands," Kaidou said plainly. "We provide the users, they handle the extraction. Before each transfer, both sides decide in advance who gets which fruit. That way, even if there's a failure, no one can blame the other."
"But what if they secretly keep some of the extracted Devil Fruits? We'd have no way of knowing."
"I've already thought of that," Kaidou replied. "There's an additional clause. If our side suffers more than three failed extractions, then in the next deal, we get one extra Devil Fruit and priority in choosing one."
"This clause only applies to us, the Beasts Pirates."
Queen looked doubtful.
"Seriously?"
"Of course."
Kaidou nodded.
Even King couldn't hide his surprise.
"If that's the case, then their sincerity is indeed high. You really had no reason to refuse, Kaidou-san."
"Alright, that's everything. From now on, aside from keeping an eye on those samurai, the Beasts Pirates have a new objective."
Kaidou's gaze turned sharp.
"Keep watch on Devil Fruit users across the entire New World, even the whole Grand Line. Logia, Paramecia, Zoan, all of them."
"For now, we start with Wano Country…"
"Understood!"
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached, followed by the sound of a sliding door opening.
A small, delicate girl appeared before the three of them.
"Young Master!"
King and Queen's expressions softened instantly, and even Kaidou's face showed a rare hint of gentleness.
At this point, Yamato had not yet grown into her later defiant self. She was still a gentle little girl.
Seeing the scar on Kaidou's chest, she hurried over in concern.
"Father, who hurt you…?"
"No need to worry. It's just a minor wound. More importantly, have you finished today's training?"
Kaidou asked sternly.
A trace of fear flashed across Yamato's face. She stopped in place and answered obediently:
"Yes, Father, I've finished."
"Good."
Kaidou nodded.
He had always intended to raise his daughter as the future shogun of Wano Country. And after hearing Yemu's proposal, that resolve had only grown stronger.
He turned to King.
"From today onward, Yamato will begin learning how to become a shogun."
King paused for a moment, then understood Kaidou's intent.
But when he looked at the little girl, her face filled with fear and confusion, a trace of reluctance crossed his expression. Still, he said nothing.
To him, this was likely a path she had to walk to become strong.
As for Yamato, her small face was filled with grievance and fear.
She didn't fully understand what her father meant.
But she could already tell…
From now on, her days were only going to get harder.