Kaido was covered in filth as his massive body trod on flame clouds through the sky.
He had stolen from Captain John's home while Shiki the Golden Lion was distracted, earning several hundred million Berries despite not finding the captain's treasure.
The defenses on John's territory were so weak that he barely had to lift a finger.
John must be fuming right now!
Kaido's dragon face grinned comically. He never cared much for the old executives of the Rocks crew, and seeing them fail brought him immense joy.
"Hehehe, I heard that guy John lost a leg too," he laughed heartily, his maw swallowing a mouthful of cloud.
His only regret was missing the battle, though he'd been happy to hear about it after the fact. If he'd been there, he might have actually managed to kill John.
"So we still haven't made contact with Inazuma..." Kaido mused, weighing the few hundred million Berries he'd stolen from John.
The sum was substantial, but it wouldn't last long.
Especially if he planned to build a great force like Shiki's, it wasn't even enough to host a single feast for five thousand men.
"I'll have to find a way to build up my strength in secret," Kaido said, calming himself. Though he seemed like a brute, he was more calculating than anyone else, which was how he'd managed to steal from John's base while everyone was distracted.
He had targeted the relatively weak John instead of provoking Shiki the Golden Lion.
Everyone knew that Captain John had vast treasures. After the God Valley War, he was the first to rush back to Pirate Island and abscond with the Rocks crew's fortune.
Unfortunately, that miser John had hidden his treasure somewhere unknown.
The power balance on the seas was too chaotic. Ren's war with Shiki was just one small part of it. Kaido knew his own crew and strength weren't yet enough to challenge Shiki and his ilk.
Surviving in such a turbulent world was no simple task.
Kaido was pondering how to grow his strength when he realized there was no rush to connect with Inazuma. Those machines looked incredibly expensive, and he certainly couldn't afford them.
...
"What are you thinking about?" Katakuli asked, seeing Perospero standing alone on the shore, staring blankly at the thunderstorm over the distant sea.
"Nothing..." Perospero shook his head, not looking away. After a moment, he said, "Katakuli, do you think this Inazuma just appeared out of nowhere?"
"Hm?" Katakuli seemed captivated by the storm as well.
"You're too young to remember, but I was in this sea years ago. Mother was still with the Rocks crew then..." Perospero recalled, having a distinct memory of the current island and the one shrouded in lightning in the distance.
"Back then, this was called the Muka Islands. There were no nations, just scattered, impoverished villages. Mother didn't even bother robbing them; we just made a brief stop here."
"I believe this isn't the true Inazuma, but just an outpost," Katakuli said quickly. He was very observant and noticed small details, like the several empty cargo ships they'd seen leaving this area.
Those ships were likely heading to the real Inazuma, and Katakuli believed the weapon factories were located there.
"Perhaps."
"More importantly, Perospero, I think we should find a place to hide," Katakuli said, turning toward the horizon. "The Marines are coming."
Katakuli's words made Perospero choke slightly, his movements visibly becoming panicked as he asked, "Marines? Why would they be here?"
The Big Mom Pirates weren't as powerful as they would be in the future, so it was natural for Perospero and Katakuli to feel uneasy when encountering Marines while out alone.
"I don't know. Maybe they're here to buy weapons too," Katakuli replied, his expression barely changing. Perhaps it shifted slightly, but his scarf concealed it. "They'll appear on the sea in about a minute."
Perospero frantically scanned the horizon and saw a ship's silhouette drawing closer. After a few seconds, he could make out the vessel's details.
"It's really the Marines. Your Observation Haki is still as sharp as ever," Perospero admitted. Seeing only one warship, he calmed down. "It doesn't look like they're here for a fight, but just to be safe, we should lay low for a few days."
"Not necessarily. The man on the ship is the Marine hero, Garp. And there are over a dozen warships further out..." Katakuli said, shaking his head. Ever since the God Valley incident, Garp had been famous as the Hero of the Marines.
Perospero's face changed. "Wait, are they really planning to attack Inazuma?"
Are the Marines that bold?
It was debatable whether a dozen warships plus Garp could conquer Inazuma. Even if they succeeded, the Marines couldn't possibly leave Inazuma's 'Lightning' unharmed.
If this place wasn't the real Inazuma, as they suspected, Ren could retreat whenever he wanted, making the Marines' actions pointless.
After careful thought, Perospero still believed the Marines were most likely here to purchase Ruin Guards.
As for the dozen warships...
It made sense to have more ships to transport all those Ruin Guards.
And the reason for sending Garp...
It was logical to send a powerful Marine to escort such a large purchase.
This is all adding up!
"Regardless, we should prepare to leave if things get dangerous," Perospero said from the heart. Katakuli had no objection to this.
In reality, the Marines' force was even more absurd than they imagined.
On the warship approaching the isolated island, a middle-aged man with a dog-like face stood at the bow, enjoying the sea breez
[]e. He was the Marine hero, Garp, the very man Katakuli had sensed.
At that moment, another man with a spherical hairstyle approached.
"Garp, don't do anything rash when you meet the 'Lightning'," Sengoku said with a stern expression. They had originally planned to get involved in the battle, just like Kaido, intending to capture Shiki, John, and Ren's crews all at once.
Unfortunately, just like Kaido, they had arrived too late.
[
Hey everyone,
I need to tell you what's actually happening.
I just got hit with mass cancellations. On top of being buried in academics until the 9th, I'm in deep financial trouble right now—like, genuinely don't-know-how-I-cover-next-month trouble. Translation is the only work I do, and after two years of daily output, I am running on fumes.
I want to do more for you. I have another Naruto fic ready to drop the moment this academic hell ends. But I can't keep creating if I can't survive.
I'm not powerless about the work—I know I can deliver for you. But I'm powerless to stop the bleeding alone.
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]