"How is that possible?!" Jerry's voice cracked with disbelief.
He wasn't the only one, none of the Beast Pirates at the table bought what Teach had just said. To them, he was rambling like a drunkard.
"Then you really don't know," Teach grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief. He leaned back, swirling his cup as though savoring the moment. "You know about our King's ability, don't you?"
Jerry nodded cautiously, about to respond, but Teach cut him off, his face turning uncharacteristically reverent. "Our King commands beasts. He can tame anything, every animal, every monster. His army is made entirely of ferocious creatures. A true legion of beasts."
Teach leaned close, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that made Jerry shiver. "The Beast Island in the north? That's under his control. Even the monster kings bow to him like dogs."
He chuckled darkly, lowering his voice further. "I heard from a relative… the King's ability has taken a major step forward."
Jerry's eyes narrowed. "What kind of step?"
Teach's lips curled into a wicked smile. "He can control Zoan Devil Fruit users."
"What?!" Jerry shot up from his chair, the blood draining from his face. "That's impossible...he can even control devil fruits users?"
The other pirates froze mid-drink. Jugs were set down, food forgotten. Their eyes darted between each other, fear and shock spreading like wildfire.
Teach spread his hands innocently, as if saying he only spoke the truth. "So hurry up and leave. Don't tie your fate to the Beast Pirates. Word is, the King's already set his sights on Kaido himself. Once Kaido eats the King's ability creation, he'll be bound like a dog, Kite's strongest enforcer, guarding the gates of the kingdom." He slapped Jerry's shoulder with a hearty laugh, then stood and walked out into the night. "This is kingdom-level classified. Don't breathe a word."
By the time Jerry and the others shook themselves from their shock, Teach was gone. They burst into the street, but not even a shadow remained.
In a quiet alley, Teach smirked as his features shifted back into his true form. He'd used Life Return to twist his muscles and bones into another man's shape.
"Zehahahaha… no way I'd use my real face for something like this." He leaned against the wall, Observation Haki brushing over the Beast Pirates. Their reactions were crucial to his plan.
"What should we do next?" one of the pirates muttered, pale with unease.
"Idiot, we report straight to the Governor! Kaido's no fool. Didn't that guy say he'd only be controlled if he ate the ability creation? As if the Governor would eat something like that knowing the risk!" their leader snapped. He was a die-hard Kaido loyalist, and the thought of his captain being enslaved made his blood boil.
"This'll earn us a huge reward," another chimed in, grinning nervously. "Governor Kaido won't forget us after this."
They hurried back toward their base. The news was too big to sit on.
Far away, on an island deep in the New World, thunder split the skies.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Lightning roared from the massive kanabo as Kaido, eight meters of muscle and raw power, swung it down. His horned silhouette was monstrous, his bare chest inked with a red dragon-scale tattoo that stretched across his torso.
He was like a demon god clad in flesh.
The club slammed against claws the size of ships. Sparks and thunder ripped across the battlefield as Kaido clashed with a beast nearly a hundred meters tall, scales gleaming like molten metal, a mythical dragon-like monster out of legend.
The ground quaked as titans collided.
Kaido's body was already wrapped in bandages, souvenirs from his reckless duel with Roger where he'd been beaten unconscious and dumped into the sea.
None of that dulled his grin.
"Not enough fun yet, huh?!" With a booming laugh, he hurled his kanabo aside. His body elongated, scales sprouting and gleaming until a divine azure dragon hundreds of meters long coiled through the storm.
Dragon faced dragon, roaring into the heavens. It was the kind of battle that belonged only in myths.
Back in the Kite Kingdom, Jerry and his crew anxiously hovered over a Den Den Mushi.
"Why isn't Boss Kaido answering? Didn't the news say he wasn't out at sea?"
"Don't you know the Governor? Probably fighting again," another scoffed. "Remember the papers? He challenged the Roger Pirates solo. Got flattened, tossed into the sea. Took two weeks to fish him out!"
They laughed nervously, but the tension didn't fade. Then, at last, the Den Den Mushi rang.
"Boss Kaido's answering!"
The receiver clicked. "What's so important?" Kaido's gruff voice rolled through the shell.
The pirates straightened as if he could see them. "Lord Kaido, it's the Kite Kingdom. Their King's ability isn't just beast-taming anymore. He controls an entire beast island. And…" The pirate swallowed, sweat rolling down his temple. "There are rumors he can now control Zoan Devil Fruit users. The palace is already targeting you, Lord Kaido."
Silence.
Then...crunch. The sake cup shattered in Kaido's fist. His eyes blazed.
Almost all of his Beast Pirates were Zoans. His entire vision, an army of Zoan users, would be shackled if this rumor proved true. It was a direct threat, an unforgivable obstacle.
"Anything else?" Kaido growled.
"Yes! There's something called an 'ability creation.' If you eat it, you're enslaved to Kite's King."
Kaido's lip curled into a feral smile. "I see. I'll be there soon." He cut the line.
"Boss Kaido, should we all go...?" one pirate began.
"No. I'll go alone. You stay and guard our territory." Kaido rose, grabbing his massive gourd marked with the word "Heaven." His tone brooked no argument. "A beast army would chew you apart. This is my fight."
Yet even as he said it, a new thought gnawed at him; he needed stronger subordinates. True monsters who could survive such battles.
Back at the Kite Kingdom base, the pirates celebrated. "Lord Kaido's coming! He's really coming!"
Teach, still in the inn, smirked as he sensed their joy. "Zehahaha… everything's going according to plan."
In the palace, King Brady frowned, a chill creeping into his chest. He couldn't explain it, but doom loomed on the horizon.
Kaido wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and barked, "Show me the Kite Kingdom's location."
A pirate unfurled a sea chart, pointing out Pet Island's position. Kaido didn't need long to understand. He snatched the map, scales already crackling into being as his body elongated once more.
In moments, the azure dragon roared into the clouds, lightning flashing off his coils. With a beat of his wings, Kaido cut across the sky toward Kite Kingdom, thunder rolling in his wake.
On the other side, Mobius sighed as he turned back to his own task, teaching Pitou to speak. Teach had dragged him into it with no chance of refusal. Pitou, eager and sharp-eyed, learned quickly, repeating words with childlike wonder.
Mobius rubbed his temples. "Why'd I open my big mouth…"
Teach, meanwhile, ignored them all, lost in training. His plan had worked perfectly. One titan was now moving exactly where he wanted.
And Kaido of the Beasts was on his way.