The Fire Festival…
The soil purification research…
Recalling the news he had just heard, it was easy to guess that Kaidou planned to move against Kurozumi Orochi.
And it was no surprise.
Orochi’s position in Kaidou’s eyes had always been a mere tool—someone responsible solely for squeezing the populace dry to supply the Beasts Pirates with fresh blood.
But Caesar had presented Kaidou with a vision too compelling to refuse: not only could the entire nation’s resources be harnessed to support the crew, but it would also completely eliminate the latent threat posed by the Kozuki clan.
Kaidou might be arrogant, but he was no fool.
On the contrary, he was exceedingly sharp.
Though he favored rule by brute force, if a more efficient method to maximize profits presented itself, a tool like Kurozumi Orochi became entirely redundant.
Caesar cared nothing for Orochi’s ultimate fate.
He only wanted to seize this opportunity to wipe out the remaining power of the Kozuki clan.
As Kaidou’s daughter, Yamato was destined to inherit the title of Shogun of Wano.
Even if she refused the position, Caesar would give her reason enough to accept it.
And once Yamato sat upon that throne, her relationship with the Kozuki clan would be pushed into absolute opposition!
Those who remained loyal to the Kozuki name would never allow Yamato to win the hearts of the people.
They would inevitably rise up and cause trouble, thereby proving the words he had previously spoken to Yamato: the so-called Kozuki were fundamentally no different from the Kurozumi family.
Even if they truly were good people, once Yamato won over the populace, there would no longer be any place in this country for the Kozuki clan.
When that time came, the Kozuki virus in Yamato’s little head would be purged once and for all!
…
Days slipped by, and in the blink of an eye, another month had passed.
Along the coast of Onigashima, Caesar was blindfolded, leaping and twisting as he dodged Yamato’s onslaught.
Over the past month, he had mastered the practical application of Observation Haki, yet he had not halted his training.
Instead, he poured even more energy into refining it.
To top-tier powerhouses, ordinary Observation Haki was practically useless.
Only by reaching the level of predicting the future could one stand against such monsters!
During this period, Caesar had laid out the general prerequisites for becoming a top-tier powerhouse.
First was Conqueror’s Coating—the non-negotiable price of admission.
Second was advanced Armament Haki, capable of emitting a flowing force to destroy objects from within.
Finally, Observation Haki capable of seeing into the future!
Not one of these three conditions could be omitted.
Yet the moment someone possessed all three, their strength would instantly surpass even King, the right-hand man of an Emperor of the Sea.
Indeed, top-tier powerhouses were just that unreasonable!
Zoro had been at sea for two and a half years and slashed at King for half a day without inflicting a single scratch, whereas Caesar had drawn blood from King’s mouth the moment he mastered Conqueror’s Coating—that was the power of Conqueror’s Coating!
Or take Luffy fighting Katakuri, where he was toyed with by future sight.
Or fighting Kaidou, where a single Thunder Bagua infused with Conqueror’s Coating almost beat the desire to be King right out of him.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh— The spiked club whistled through the air as it swung violently, grazing Caesar’s body as it passed.
Caesar moved like a butterfly, fluttering through the rain of strikes as if dancing on the wind.
“Dammit, you’re like an eel!” Seeing that she couldn’t land a hit, Yamato furrowed her brows and swung her club with explosive force.
“Take this—Narikabura!” In an instant, a piercing screech tore through the air like a whistling arrow.
“Is that…
flying club aura?” Caesar’s heart tightened as he lightly shifted aside to evade the strike.
The fierce flying aura roared past, slicing a massive trench across the ocean’s surface.
“Hey, hey, isn’t that a bit too dangerous?” Looking at the parted sea behind him, a drop of cold sweat gathered at Caesar’s temple.
Flying slash attacks from swords made sense to him…
But how a blunt club could unleash a projectile akin to a sword beam was entirely beyond his comprehension!
With how wide the club’s surface was, just how much raw strength did it take to swing it hard enough to create an air cannon like that?
And that wasn’t even Yamato’s full power!
After all, the girl was still wearing those Sea Prism Stone handcuffs on her wrists!
“Lord Caesar!
Young Lady!” In the bushes off in the distance, a lower-tier pirate carefully peeked out and called toward them, “Lord Kaidou asks for your presence.” Yamato rested her club over her shoulder with an annoyed expression.
“Huh?
What does that bastard dad want now?” “We’ll find out when we get there.
Let’s go.” Caesar had a good idea of the reason.
The Fire Festival was approaching, and the atmosphere on the island had grown noticeably livelier in recent days.
To pirates, liveliness also meant instability.
Not long ago, a lower officer who had gotten drunk at the pleasure hall “accidentally” wandered off course and barged into Caesar’s building to throw his weight around.
The result, naturally, was that Caesar drained every drop of his blood and hung his corpse outside the main gate as a warning to others.
After that, no one ever “got lost” again.
The weak were meat, the strong ate—survival of the fittest!
That was the Beasts Pirates in a nutshell.
A Mythical Zoan, Conqueror’s Haki…
The moment he arrived, he claimed territory in the main building just like the senior officers, and after killing a top officer like Who’s-Who, no repercussions had followed.
Every day was spent either cultivating or hanging around Yamato, without even being required to set sail.
Anyone could see Kaidou’s clear favor and partiality toward him.
Naturally, this special status and favor sparked jealousy and resentment among many.
The fellow who had “gotten lost” earlier was one of them.
And Caesar had proven through action that he possessed the capital to march to the beat of his own drum even in a land ruled by the law of the jungle.
They walked all the way to the main building.
On the way, the two ran into the sibling duo of Ulti and Page One, who had also been summoned by Kaidou.
“Oi, oi, oi!
Caesar, you bastard!” The moment Ulti spotted Caesar, she started yelling, one hand on her hip while pointing at him with the other.
“Hey, you’ve been hanging around Yamato day in and day out lately.
Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for this stupid woman?” “Eh?” Yamato froze in surprise and looked at Caesar hesitatingly.
“Is…
is that so?” “Haaah?!” Ulti rolled her eyes, mimicking Yamato’s tone.
“‘Is that so?’ What do you mean ‘is that so’?!
You foolish woman, don’t tell me you’re actually in heat?
How could a sly, shameless guy like him ever fall for an idiot like you?” Yamato scratched her hair awkwardly.
“Is that right?
Well, I guess nothing can be done about it then, haha…” Caesar shook his head.
“No, actually, I really do like Yamato.” Yamato’s eyes lit up.
“Nani?
Really, Caesar?” “Like?!” Ulti stared at Caesar in absolute shock.
“You actually like the stupid type?!” Hearing this, Caesar offered Ulti a faint smile.
“Yamato has a great figure.” “Haaah?!” Upon hearing Caesar’s reply, Ulti went completely rigid, as if struck by lightning, throwing her head back as she turned to stone on the spot.
“Long time no see.
You’ve gotten even stronger.” Page One nodded slightly to Caesar.
“Don’t mind her.
Sis has been holding a grudge ever since you commented on her body last time.” “I noticed.” Caesar nodded.
The girl had started a fight the second they met, practically writing the word ‘revenge’ across her face.
“It seems women of the Oni race aren’t particularly bright.
Yamato is like this, and Ulti is no different…” “You dare compare me to that fool?!
Dammit!
Caesar, you bastard!
You want to fight?!
And Pay-Pay, you idiot, who’s holding a grudge over something so trivial?!
It’s just a few extra pounds of flesh, what’s the big deal?!
Me, holding a grudge?!
Hahaha, what a joke…” Caesar glanced at Ulti, who was endlessly muttering to herself.
“Is your sister always like this?” “My deepest apologies…” Page One looked thoroughly embarrassed.
“Caesar, was what you said earlier true?” Yamato nudged Caesar with her elbow, her energetic smile laced with a hint of nervousness.
Her index fingers tapped against each other, her blush deepening as she stole glances at him out of the corner of her eye.
“It’s true.
Yamato is kind and beautiful, how could anyone not like you?” Seeing Yamato’s expression, Caesar’s gaze turned ambiguous.
“Who wouldn’t want to be friends with Yamato?” “I…
I see.” Yamato froze for a moment.
For some reason, she felt a fleeting pang of disappointment in her heart, but she quickly beamed.
“Caesar is my best friend, too!” “Oh?” Taking in all of Yamato’s subtle reactions, the corner of Caesar’s lips curved upward slightly.
“For some reason, my stomach feels weirdly full.
I’ll head ahead…” Page One hurried forward, and Ulti quickly caught up, staring intently at Caesar with burning eyes.
“That idiot’s acting different than usual.
I knew it, you two have something going on, don’t you?” “Is there something you need?” Caesar felt helpless.
“Even if we did, that would be between the two of us, wouldn’t it?” Ulti suddenly planted her hands on her hips and said with absolute gravity, “No!
I object!” Caesar’s face darkened.
“Who cares what you think, idiot!” The way this girl rambled to herself gave off a bit of Luffy energy.
Cute, but troublesome as hell…
Ulti pointed at Yamato.
“Where am I inferior to this woman?!
Why do you like her instead?!” “What if I liked you then?” “I don’t want that!” “You really just came to pick a fight, didn’t you…” “I just can’t accept losing to this idiot!
Wouldn’t that make me even worse than a dunce?!
Do you get it or not, stupid Caesar?!” Bickering back and forth, the group made their way to the hall, where almost everyone had already gathered.
“You took your sweet time, you brats!” The moment they stepped inside, Kaidou’s thunderous voice echoed in their ears.
Inside the hall, Kaidou sat looming like a mountain in the main seat.
His roar caused Caesar and the others to duck their heads slightly.
Page One silently moved to a corner, while Caesar surveyed the crowd inside.
It was just like the night he first arrived: King stood beside Kaidou with arms crossed and mask on; Queen held a bucket of red bean soup, slurping loudly enough to shake the room; Jack stood off to the side with his usual expressionless, dim-witted stare, looking at everyone as if they owed him money, his face practically spelling out ‘ferocious’.
Black Maria held a pipe, smiling pleasantly at Caesar and the others.
“Hey!
Caesar kid!” Spotting Caesar, Queen casually tossed his soup bucket aside.
“What kind of useless ideas are you spewing, you bastard?!
Making me deal with soil purification!
I’m a—pfft!” Before he could finish, a massive spiked club flew sideways through the air, embedding him straight into the wall.
“Get to the point!” Exhaling a gust of alcohol-laden breath, Kaidou looked around at everyone.
“I called you here for three things!
First!
I’m going to take out Kurozumi Orochi during this Fire Festival and claim Wano completely for ourselves!” Ulti tilted her head.
“That’s it?
Couldn’t you just go kill him then?
Why make a special announcement?
Are you an idiot?” Page One and Sasaki’s faces turned dark.
“Stop making snide remarks right now!” Kaidou didn’t lose his temper over Ulti’s remark.
“Second!
Yamato will succeed to the title of Shogun of Wano!” “Shogun?
No way!” Yamato immediately refused.
“I don’t want to be any Shogun!” “Would you rather Mr.
Kaidou do it?” Caesar spoke in a leisurely tone.
“Your dad is ruthless and cruel; I doubt he’ll have much patience for the citizens of Wano.
Everyone else is a pirate through and through, no different from Kurozumi Orochi.” “That…” Yamato hesitated, though in the end, she didn’t refute his point.
Kaidou gave Caesar an approving look before moving on to the third matter.
“Third!
I’m going to shut down most of the Sea Prism Stone factories and develop Wano’s economy!” As soon as those words left his mouth, everyone in the hall slowly tilted their heads.
Ulti blinked at Kaidou.
“Economy…
what does that mean?” “It means making Wano much wealthier,” Black Maria purred softly, exhaling a puff of smoke with a slight sense of helplessness in her tone.
She had always been in charge of the Beasts Pirates’ finances and supply reserves, so she was the only one present who truly grasped the intent behind the plan.
Sasaki frowned.
“Hold on, wouldn’t that hurt our bottom line?” “That’s why I say you lot…” Black Maria sighed softly.
“This must have been little Caesar’s idea, right?
After all, Lord Kaidou only cares about war; he wouldn’t spend time thinking about this…
But he’s right.
If we can get Wano to submit willingly, we’ll gain several times the wealth and resources we currently have.” “Oh?
You understand these things too, Maria?” Kaidou looked at Black Maria with a slight sense of surprise.
“I know a little…” Black Maria nodded.
“A region’s economy can be considered its lifeblood.
It’s just that for pirates, such methods are a bit too foreign—so foreign that I could hardly believe those words came out of your mouth, Lord Kaidou.” Kaidou paused.
“Hey, Maria…
did you just call me stupid?” “Don’t dwell on the minor details, Lord Kaidou,” Black Maria chuckled.
“It’s a wonderful idea, and I fully support the proposal.” “Hmm…
I don’t understand it, but if Maria says so, then there shouldn’t be any problem,” Jack grunted in a deep, muffled voice.
Though he knew nothing about economics, he trusted Black Maria’s loyalty to Kaidou implicitly.
“So what the heck is it then?!
I don’t get it at all!” Ulti grabbed her head with both hands, her face filled with frustration.
“So what are we supposed to do?!
All I know how to do is fight!” Kaidou said in a booming tone, “That’s precisely the issue.
I need you to keep your subordinates under control.
While the plan is underway, no one is allowed to harm the people of Wano.” “Haaah???” When Kaidou spoke those words, almost everyone except Caesar, the instigator, was stunned speechless.
Even Yamato could hardly believe such a command had come from her cold and ruthless father.
Ulti put her hands on her hips.
“We’re pirates!
Are you an idiot?!” Page One tugged at Ulti.
“Stop making useless complaints at a time like this!” “Hmph…
Explaining it is too much trouble.” Kaidou looked like he couldn’t be bothered to explain to a group of fools.
In truth, he didn’t fully understand it himself, but he was more than capable of understanding the concept of multiplying their current wealth several times over.
“Once Yamato becomes Shogun, you’ll be in charge of this matter, Caesar kid!
Within a year at most, I want to see results!” “Fair enough, but I’ll need hands.” Caesar raised a finger.
“I want Black Maria to assist me with management, Ulti and Page One to serve as my assistants, and I’ll also need Mr.
Queen to provide technical support.” “Huh?!
I’m not playing assistant to you!” “That’s right, you brat!
Who do you think I am?!
My technology isn’t meant to keep those trashy peasants alive!” The instant Caesar finished speaking, Ulti and Queen burst into shouts of protest.
Kaidou let out a cold snort and waved his hand.
“Granted.
They’re all under your command!”