After ending the call with Rain, Kaido stared silently at the massive wine jar in front of him.
He lifted it, drank it all in one gulp, then smashed it against the floor.
"Kaido-san?"
His right-hand man, King, frowned slightly as Kaido emerged, his expression unreadable.
"King," Kaido growled, his lips twisting into a dangerous grin, "there's action."
King's eyes narrowed. "Action…?"
"Call the boys. Target—G1. We'll give those Navy bastards a real beating. And at the same time… it'll be training for the soldiers we've recruited from Wano."
King considered the words, then nodded. "Understood."
Kaido's reasoning was flawless. Training soldiers was the perfect excuse, and King saw no problem with it.
With that, the massive war machine known as the Beasts Pirates began to move once more.
Outside Wano's waters.
"Boro Breath!!!"
Kaido, in his dragon form, descended from the clouds with a roar. His searing flames tore through the Navy's surveillance ships, annihilating them before a single distress signal could escape.
Three ships—reduced to ashes in an instant.
Kaido snorted. If I take action personally and they still manage to report it, where would my face go?
"Move out! Bring weapons, gear, food—everything!"
"The surveillance ships make contact every six hours. That means we've got six hours to disappear from Wano's waters. Move it!"
Under King's command, the Beasts Pirates moved with ruthless efficiency. Pirates grouped in twos and threes, hauling weapons and supplies aboard their warships.
Within six hours, six massive battleships of the Beasts Pirates slipped away from Wano, vanishing into the horizon.
By the time Navy intelligence realized what had happened, three whole days had already passed.
...
Navy Headquarters – Information Department
At six o'clock sharp, the members of the Navy's Contact Group moved into their routine. Rows of Den Den Mushi lined the desks, each linked to a surveillance ship.
"Six hours have passed. Begin contact with the ships monitoring the Beasts Pirates," one officer ordered.
"Buru buru buru… buru buru buru…"
The No. 1 Den Den Mushi rang. No answer.
"What?!"
The operator's face darkened as he switched to the second line.
Still silence.
His fingers trembled as he dialed the third.
Again...nothing.
Cold dread filled the room.
"Problem… something's happened!"
The operator shot to his feet, bolting from the room as fast as his legs could carry him. A report like this could only go to one man.
"Problem?"
The others glanced at each other in confusion, but when they checked the log and saw which line had gone dead, the Beast Pirates surveillance ships—their faces paled.
Everyone in the room had the same chilling thought:
The storm is coming.
Fleet Admiral's Office
The office of the Fleet Admiral had changed since the time of Kong. Now it belonged to Sengoku, with the plaque behind his desk bearing the words: "Justice Rules the World."
"Bang!"
The doors burst open. A breathless officer stumbled inside, face drenched in panic.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, sir! The surveillance ships tracking the Beasts Pirates—they've gone dark! All three Den Den Mushi are unresponsive."
"There's an extremely high chance they were sunk by Kaido!"
Sengoku, who had been ready to reprimand the man for barging in, froze at the words. His eyes narrowed beneath his cap.
"…The Beasts Pirates, huh."
His tone shifted, calm but heavy with gravity. He knew immediately this wasn't a small disturbance—it was Kaido making a move.
"Notify the three Admirals," Sengoku commanded. "We're holding an emergency meeting."
"Yes, sir!"
The officer saluted sharply and rushed out to spread the order.
A few minutes later, the three Admirals filed into Sengoku's office.
Sengoku studied them for a moment, nodding in satisfaction.
Compared to the older generation of Admirals, there was still a slight gap in raw strength but these three were steadily rising.
Given time, he had no doubt they would surpass even their predecessors.
And, well… compared to the days of "that one admiral" or the "two unpleasant ones," at least this trio was easier on the eyes.
(Don't you agree, Kong?)
"Sengoku-san," Sakazuki spoke first, his voice firm, "you called us here...what mission do you have for us?"
Sengoku clasped his hands together. "Just now, the surveillance ships monitoring Kaido and his Beasts Pirates lost contact."
"All three at once. There's no doubt—they've made their move. Their target is the Navy."
The room went still.
"That's why I plan to station an Admiral at G-1 to stabilize the New World. Which of you will take the post?"
His eyes swept across the three men.
Borsalino yawned, pulling out nail clippers and casually trimming his nails as if the matter didn't concern him.
Kuzan went further, tugging down his blindfold and leaning back, drifting into a nap right there.
"..."
Sengoku's temple twitched. Having three Admirals isn't enviable at all.
Finally, Sakazuki stepped forward, his aura strong and unwavering. "I'll go."
His voice carried no hesitation.
Since the tragedy of Ohara, Sakazuki had come to understand the limits of even the strongest Devil Fruit powers.
He still remembered the day he was nearly taken down in a single strike by Rain, wielding nothing but raw Haki.
The image lingered in his mind...the shadow of Rain standing tall, blade in hand, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki that crackled like thunder.
The aura it gave off was suffocating and deadly, as if he would be cut in half in the very next moment.
He had sought out Zephyr, training rigorously in Armament Haki.
Though he lacked the gift of Conqueror's Haki, his mastery of Armament had soared above his peers.
Among the three Admirals, his strength stood at the forefront.
"…Very well. I'll leave this matter to you, Sakazuki."
Sengoku's stern face softened slightly, approval shining in his eyes.
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