Zoro froze for a moment, staring at Kaido with a look of utter disbelief. The offer was undeniably massive; Kaido was handing him the position of the fourth Lead Performer on the spot. This would place Zoro as the fourth-highest authority in the Beast Pirates, standing on equal footing with the three All-Stars. Most pirates would have jumped at the chance to gain such power instantly.
Kaido turned his gaze to the others, his voice booming across the shore. "That goes for the rest of you, too! Black-Leg Sanji, Trafalgar Law, the little girl, and even the lion—join my crew and you'll become elite officers immediately! You can serve as members of the Tobi Roppo or as headliners!". Sanji, Law, Mari, and Richie the lion all blinked in surprise, not expecting a mass recruitment pitch.
"Hey, Kaido! You're being way too blatant!" Carl shouted, clearly annoyed. "Trying to poach my entire crew at once? How shameless can a loser get?". Despite Kaido's status as a Yonko, Carl wasn't intimidated; Kaido had suffered numerous defeats and had no right to act so confident.
Zoro didn't hesitate with his answer. "I'm sorry, but I have zero interest in the Beast Pirates. Actually, let me correct that—I'm only interested in cutting them down". Sanji and Law nodded in agreement. "We feel the same," Law added. "It's much more satisfying to take down a Yonko than to join one".
Kaido didn't seem discouraged. He knew the potential of the Straw Hat crew was immense, and he knew they wouldn't betray their captain easily. However, he had a backup plan: he would kidnap them, throw them into his labor camps, and break their spirits until they agreed to serve him.
"What about you, little girl?" Kaido asked, looking at Mari. "Join us, and I'll introduce you to my son, Yamato. You'd make great playmates!".
The mention of a "son" named Yamato made everyone look at Carl in confusion. Carl rolled his eyes and sighed. "Kaido, you really can't tell the difference between genders? Yamato is a woman! How did she become your son? Are you blind to her appearance?".
"Shut up, Carl! Yamato is my son!" Kaido roared.
"Heh! If that were true, would you let Yamato walk around the streets shirtless?" Carl challenged. Kaido went silent, unable to argue. While he insisted on calling Yamato his son, he wasn't a fool; he knew his child was female and would never allow such a thing.
The crew breathed a sigh of relief, realizing there had been a misunderstanding about Yamato's gender. Kaido quickly tried to pivot. "So what if Yamato is a woman? Little girl, come to the Beast Pirates and be her friend. I'll treat you well! And that lion—you're far too strong for a shabby crew like the Straw Hats".
Mari shook her head decisively. "That's impossible. Besides, your daughter Yamato is going to marry Ace and become our captain's sister-in-law soon. I can be her friend then. As for Richie, he's my mount now. If I'm staying, he's staying". Richie nodded frantically, preferring death over serving under Kaido.
"What?!" Kaido's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What kind of nonsense is that? Why would Yamato marry Ace?".
Mari shrugged nonchalantly. "It sounds like you're the last one to know your daughter is in love. Then again, you always keep her locked up, so it's no surprise. You should probably start getting used to the idea of being a father-in-law".
The news hit Kaido like a physical blow. He vaguely remembered reports of Ace entering Wano, and the idea that the two had grown close infuriated him. Ace was the son of Whitebeard, and the idea of becoming in-laws with his old rival was unacceptable. He wanted to surpass Whitebeard, not join his family tree.
"Little girl! If you don't stop talking, I'll crush you!" Kaido screamed. He moved with incredible speed, appearing above Mari and swinging his massive mace toward her head.
Zoro, Law, and Sanji rushed in to intercept, but Kaido didn't even look at them. He swung his mace in a wide arc, unleashing a blast of Conqueror's Haki that struck all three of them. The force was so overwhelming that the three young men were knocked unconscious instantly.
Kaido's mace continued its descent toward Mari. Carl stayed where he was, watching as Mari quickly drew a pattern on the ground with a crayon. There was a loud boom as the mace struck the earth. Kaido was stunned; his weapon had landed in a crimson pattern next to the girl, missing her completely. He realized he had been caught in a psychological trap created by her art.
"You really are the one who stopped that Admiral candidate," Kaido muttered, impressed that even he had been affected by her trick. Suddenly, the sky went dark above him. Richie the lion had transformed into a massive beast, tens of meters tall. The lion's giant claw swiped across the shore, sending Kaido flying.
"Hahaha! What incredible power!" Kaido laughed as he hit the ground. He stood up immediately, completely unharmed, and began walking back toward them. He was determined to capture them all and extract the truth about Yamato and Ace.
"Kaido, you've caused enough trouble. It's time for you to leave," Carl said quietly. He stepped in front of Mari and drew both of his swords, his eyes locking onto the Yonko.
Kaido's face twisted in rage. "Carl! You're the only one I refuse to let join me. I'm going to tear you to pieces!".
"Try it," Carl replied coolly. "I didn't finish you off back in Dressrosa, but this time, you won't be so lucky". The two legends faced off, and the air around the coast grew heavy with the promise of a world-shaking battle.
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse