Kaido has left the New World.
And has already been spotted appearing in Paradise?
Who's he after?
"..."
Xiano held the newspaper with a subtle expression.
The answer seemed self-evident.
"Seeking revenge for Hanafuda?"
Xiano gazed at the photo of the azure dragon faintly visible within the storm clouds, "Or perhaps trying to recruit me by force?"
The two possibilities weren't mutually exclusive.
Kaido had always valued talent, especially those with formidable physical prowess.
If Kaido was truly coming for him...
The most likely scenario was Kaido first beating him senseless with his Spiked Club to vent anger, then forcibly taking him back to Wano Country to attempt recruitment.
Offering Yamato as bait, Teacher Kai?
Even if you do, I won't go.
Xiano closed the newspaper and tossed it onto the table. He had no habit of submitting to others.
"The sea is vast and boundless."
Xiano looked up at the sky, his lips curling into a grin.
He extended his right palm, then suddenly clenched it, making his knuckles crack, "Will we get the chance to meet, Kaido?"
Since his battle with Garp, it had been a while since he'd crossed fists with a top-tier fighter. If they did encounter each other, a full-throttle battle...
Would be exactly what he wanted!
...
Half an hour later.
The Sunset arrived at the station. According to the earlier draw, half the crew would take the train while the other half continued aboard the Sunset.
Jack's 8.3-meter frame simply couldn't fit into the Sea Train, so he obediently remained on the ship.
Besides handling all the ship's chores, he spent his entire day in the training room, following Xiano's regimen to learn Martial Arts and Armament Haki.
Having finally earned Lord Xiano's acceptance as a combatant, he didn't want to hold everyone back.
Currently, only Nami and Robin aboard the ship couldn't use Haki, but since they weren't frontline fighters, it didn't matter.
But what else could Jack do besides fighting?
It's not like he could turn into a mammoth and become emergency rations...
...
With a long whistle and billowing steam, the dark green steel beast slowly started moving along the tracks.
Could this count as finally riding a green train again after so many years?
Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the warm, bright interior. Xiano rested his chin on one hand, leaning against the window, lost in thought.
Far more passengers boarded than he'd expected, quickly filling every seat.
If only someone would shout "Legs in please, beer melon seeds mineral water," it would really capture that green train vibe.
"Woo—!"
The train began clattering as it accelerated, sea wind howling through the slightly open windows, tousling Xiano's black hair.
Squinting into the distance, he watched the undulating horizon, occasionally seeing seagulls flash by before being left far behind.
"It's really fast."
Sitting beside Xiano, Smoker lit two cigars and couldn't help marveling:
"Even faster than a speedboat at full throttle with tailwind, and so stable. If only all islands in the world could be connected by transportation like this."
"That would require ending this chaotic era first," Zeff laughed heartily.
"That day will come."
Xiano chuckled softly.
He withdrew his gaze from the train window and glanced around.
Only then did he notice that more than half the passengers in their carriage alone were wearing exaggeratedly styled masks.
"What's going on?" Smoker also noticed, muttering in confusion.
"Because it's the first day of the Masquerade Carnival!"
A train attendant wearing a fox mask and pushing a cart passed by, cheerfully explaining:
"You're all so lucky! Just arriving in this area and you've caught the grandest Masquerade Carnival in Spring Queen City!"
"Without a mask, you won't be able to blend into the festive atmosphere!"
The attendant beamed as he pulled out several exquisite masks from the lower shelf of his cart, enthusiastically promoting them:
"Would you like one, honored guests? We have all styles, and can even customize them for you..."
Xiano quickly raised a hand to stop him.
He'd always been wary of overly enthusiastic sales pitches, even in his past life.
But the attendant had a point—once they reached the island, if everyone else was masked while their group wasn't, they'd stand out too much.
Especially since his face had recently been in the newspapers, making him easily recognizable.
So moments later.
The trio and one wolf each wore simple animal masks.
Awoo?
Agin tilted his head in confusion—what was the point of giving him a wolf mask? Wasn't that just unnecessary?
...
At dusk, the train slowly pulled into Spring Queen City's station.
Unlike Gourmet City's lively atmosphere, this city appeared extraordinarily resplendent in the twilight.
Towering Gothic architecture, painted glass domes, crystal lanterns lining the streets, and fireworks bursting intermittently in the sky...
Everything showcased the city's extravagance and revelry.
The moment they stepped off the train, Xiano immediately felt the carnival's allure.
Tens of thousands of visitors crowded the island, all wearing diverse masks.
Ornate feathered designs from classical eras, ferocious demon visages, crystal-encrusted butterfly coverings... paired with an endless variety of formal attire.
Confetti and flower petals swirled through the air as masked revelers danced, embraced, and cheered with raised glasses.
In this atmosphere, even Xiano's group felt their spirits lift, their moods lightening as they stepped onto the island.
"New arrivals? Welcome to the Masquerade Carnival!"
A scantily clad girl approached with drinks, grinning. "The carnival lasts three nights, with free drinks throughout the city! Enjoy the feast!"
"Thanks."
They each accepted a glass with smiles.
"Let's split up and explore," Xiano suggested, his voice uncharacteristically relaxed as he cradled his drink. "Have some fun, then regroup here at midnight."
"Yes, boss."
By then, the Sunset would have arrived. Since the carnival lasted all night, they could enjoy the first half while Kuina's group took the latter shift.
They'd depart for Water Seven at dawn tomorrow, arriving before nightfall—a perfect schedule.
Come to think of it.
Here in Spring Queen City, they could set aside all responsibilities for pure relaxation. But once they reached Water Seven, real business awaited.
Nearly three months had passed since they'd set sail.
The Sunset had accompanied them through many impacts and storms along the way.
Since they were heading to the city known as the world's shipbuilding capital, a comprehensive inspection was inevitable, along with reinforcing and upgrading the training room.
"Oh, right, and your flame conversion thruster."
Xiano looked at Smoker, "It's been so long. How's the development progress going?"
"..."
Smoker's face flushed red, and the cigar smoke couldn't hide his awkward expression:
"Tried several approaches, all failed. Making it work on a ship the size of the Sunset is much harder than expected."
He scratched his head and exhaled a frustrated smoke ring:
"The closest we got, the thruster only lasted three minutes before overheating and exploding. If Nojiko hadn't been nearby to help freeze it in time, we'd have blown a huge hole in the stern."
"Well, you're not a professional shipwright, after all. You've done pretty well already."
Xiano laughed and patted his shoulder, "Once we reach Water 7, we can brainstorm with the shipwrights there. They should have a solution."
"Yeah."
Smoker nodded—he'd been thinking the same thing.
After some casual conversation, the group parted ways at the street corner.
Xiano walked along the northern avenue with Agin, enjoying various song and dance performances along the way, occasionally stopping to admire the fireworks blooming in the night sky.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly alert, he opened the system panel and checked the backpack section.
Right now, the Devil Fruit Detection Radar showed two nearly overlapping yellow dots blinking.
This meant two Devil Fruits were within a ten-kilometer radius around him, and they were right next to each other.
The radar hadn't gone off when they first entered the city.
This situation suggested the two Devil Fruits were also moving, likely carried by tourists who had just arrived.
"Not easy to find..."
Xiano frowned slightly.
The city alone had at least over a hundred thousand people. Who knew who had the Devil Fruits?
Moreover, if they were carried by pirates or underworld thugs, taking them wouldn't be an issue. But if ordinary people had them, he had no reason to steal.
Best to leave it to fate.
Xiano shook his head and closed the system panel.
Just as he was about to take Agin to a nearby stall for snacks, a high-pitched, childlike voice suddenly rang out behind him:
"Hey, Jabura, those two Devil Fruits are still in your bag, right? Don't lose them! Chapapa!"
Huh?
Xiano froze for a second before turning around.
Three conspicuously maskless figures were crowded in line at a tamagoyaki stall behind them.
The one who had spoken had the same hair color as Zoro, with a round, balloon-like body but oddly slender limbs, resembling an owl somewhat.
The strangest part was his mouth—it was a yellow zipper, currently unzipped as he kept chattering:
"This mission failed again, but these two fruits were a lucky find! Hand them in tomorrow when we get back to Enies Lobby, and they'll offset some of our punishment. Don't lose them, chapapa!"
"Shut up! Don't talk about this stuff in public! And why would I mess up something this simple? So annoying!"
The middle-aged man known as Jabura couldn't take it anymore. He turned his head and roared angrily.
His build was fairly average, dressed in a black martial arts uniform with an open chest. At the moment, he was tugging at his long mustache, frowning deeply in thought:
"More importantly, why did this mission fail? It doesn't make sense. We were just escorting two government officials—the whole operation was kept top secret and low-profile. How did the assassins still manage to track us down..."
"Because I let it slip again, zaba-ba! When I was drinking at the pier, the bartender asked me who those two were, and I told him everything loudly, zaba-ba!"
"What??!!!"
Jabura was stunned, his face twisted in grief and indignation as he grabbed the other man by the collar and shook him violently. "So it was you again, Fukuro!"
"When the hell are you going to fix that loose mouth of yours, you idiot?! What's the point of that zipper if you can't keep secrets?! We're supposed to be covert government agents, damn it!"
"But you're being pretty loud too, aren't you? That guy with the big dog is just standing there watching us without moving, zaba-ba!"
"Just a passerby. Ignore him," the man on the far right finally spoke up after remaining silent the whole time.
He was large and rotund, with long pinkish-white hair and thick white makeup on his face. Now, he solemnly drew a short blade, his expression grave:
"Since it was our comrade's mistake that led to the mission's failure, I have no face left to continue living in this world. I shall commit seppuku to atone for this disgrace!"
"Kumadori..." Fukuro was so moved he was almost in tears.
Kumadori raised a hand to signal there was no need for tears, while gripping the short blade tightly with the other and thrusting it forcefully into his abdomen.
"Iron Body!"
With a dull metallic clang, the blade tip was blocked outside his abdomen, not even piercing the skin.
"What a shame... I can't die at all, yoi-yoi!"
"You should just die already, you bastard!!!" Jabura's veins bulged at his temples. What sins had he committed in his past life to be stuck in a team with these two?!
By comparison...
Lucci and Kalifa being sent to Water 7 as shipwrights sounded like an enviable assignment now!
Fortunately, the elderly vendor finally finished frying their portion and tremblingly handed it over. Each of the three now held a portion of tamagoyaki, blowing on it to cool it down as they walked toward a nearby alley.
Xiano watched their retreating figures, the corners of his lips hidden behind his mask finally curling slightly upward.
"Is this the gift of nature...?"
Hand-delivered right to his doorstep.
Could luck really be this good?
The last time, the Snow-Snow Fruit had only dropped after killing Wapol, and the Flame-Flame Fruit had required everyone to scavenge through ruins for hours.
But now...
Like a little girl scheming to snatch candy from a suspicious uncle, he let out a weird chuckle, ordering another tamagoyaki for Agin and leaving it to wait in line at the stall. Meanwhile, he followed the trio into the dimly lit alley...
...
Deep in the alley, the CP9 trio sat against the wall, carelessly enjoying their tamagoyaki.
"Hmm, not bad," Jabura mumbled through a mouthful. "But no amount of good food can make up for the frustration of a failed mission..."
"Don't overthink it, you should be used to this by now. As long as it's not an extremely critical mission, we won't get expelled, chapapa!"
Fukuro mumbled through a mouthful of food. "By the way, Kumadori, can you give me half of your tamagoyaki? I don't have enough, chapapa!"
"Eat to your heart's content, for life is fleeting... yo-yoi!" Kumadori replied with a sorrowful expression but still used his fork to divide half and slid it over.
The three were engrossed in their meal when suddenly, a chill ran down their spines.
"Having a good time, are we?"
A light, airy voice came from behind. The trio stiffened and whipped their heads around—
A black-haired boy wearing a white mask leaned against the wall, his shadow elongated by the moonlight.
"Hey, recognize me?" the boy asked with a grin.
"Oh! It's that guy walking his dog from earlier!" Fukuro scratched his head. "Do you want some tamagoyaki too? But I don't even have enough for myself, so I can't share, chapapa!"
"I'm not interested in that."
The mask worked like a charm—if they didn't recognize him, things would be simple. Xiano smiled and pointed at the bulging pouch at Jabura's waist. "But I am very interested in what's in your bag."
"Oh no!" Fukuro instinctively covered his zipper mouth. "He heard us, chapapa!"
"Pulling the zipper now is useless, you idiot!"
Jabura was so furious he nearly spat blood. "If you hadn't been shouting nonsense on the street earlier, we wouldn't have attracted some reckless brat like this!"
Hmph!
He tossed aside his tamagoyaki and slowly rose to his feet, his muscles bulging beneath his black martial arts uniform. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he glared at Xiano.
"Listen, kid, did no one ever teach you that there are people in this world you shouldn't mess with? You dare target us? Do you even know who we are—"
"I do, chapapa!"
Fukuro raised his hand high. "I'm CP9's secret agent, Fukuro, Power Index 600! Kumadori here is about the same, Power Index 610! The guy threatening you is Jabura—he's really strong! Only a little worse than Lucci! He's a Dog-Dog Fruit-Wolf Form user and our leader! Power Index 1900—"
"Just go ahead and announce my underwear color while you're at it!!"
Tears streamed down Jabura's face as he desperately pinched Fukuro's cheeks and roared. "That's way too detailed! Who the hell introduces themselves like that?!"
This useless moron! Absolute idiot!
And what did he mean, "only a little worse than Lucci"? He'd never admit defeat to that man!
Huh? Power Index?
Xiano blinked in surprise.
He'd almost forgotten about that. What kind of ancient, outdated setting was this?
"Nobody cares about that except you guys."
Xiano rubbed his temples, exasperated by the farce. "Alright, hand over the fruit quietly, and you might avoid getting beaten to a pulp."
"Seems you don't know what CP9 is. Well, of course..."
Jabura released Fukuro and turned a cold gaze toward Xiano. "How could a clueless country bumpkin like you possibly understand what the government's most classified department is?"
The moment he finished speaking—
"Shave!"
His figure vanished from the spot in an instant, reappearing behind Xiano the next second. His right hand, fingers pressed together like a blade, sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, aiming straight for the heart—
"Finger Pistol!"
Yet, just as his fingertips were about to touch Xiano's coat, his wrist was firmly seized by a slender yet powerful hand, unable to advance even a fraction further.
How?!
Jabura's pupils contracted, his mind still reeling from the shock.
Crack!
A crisp sound of bone breaking echoed as Jabura's wrist was crushed mercilessly. He let out a muffled groan, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead, but he gritted his teeth against the pain and swung his left leg like a whip—
"Storm Leg: Wolf Fang!"
A crescent-shaped, pale blue slash surged forward, only to dissipate like foam the moment it touched Xiano's body.
This guy… something's off!
Jabura's eyes widened in shock. Realizing he might be facing the strongest opponent he'd ever encountered, he didn't hesitate to activate his Devil Fruit ability.
His body rapidly expanded, thick fur sprouting all over as he began transforming into a towering werewolf several meters tall—
"—Awooo!"
A howl suddenly rang out from the alley's entrance!
Jabura's legs instantly gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.
He curled up in pain, his transformation abruptly halting as his body shrank back to normal—as if the wolf inside him had been terrified into submission, refusing to emerge out of sheer fear.
Xiano paused mid-step.
Did I ask for your help? Go back to eating your tamagoyaki!
He shot a displeased glance toward the alley's entrance, where a certain wolf king, who had just been roaring majestically moments ago, immediately tucked his head in and obediently retreated.
"Jabura!"
Fukuro and Kumadori cried out in shock and fury.
"Chapaapaa! You bastard!" Fukuro angrily spread his fingers. "Take this move—one I've been training in since I was twelve! Its name is—"
Thud!
Xiano's figure flickered like a ghost in front of him, and with a casual kick, Fukuro's eyes rolled back as he collapsed backward.
"Damn it, Fukuro! Hold on just a little longer—Life Return: Hair Binding Technique!"
Kumadori shouted, his white hair suddenly surging like living tendrils, coiling toward Xiano!
However, the next second, Xiano glanced at him, and countless black hairs sprouted from his own head, twisting together before surging forward, cleanly severing all of Kumadori's hair at the roots.
"Yo-yoi?!"
Kumadori touched his now-bare scalp in shock. "Turned into a monk, huh? You bastard, you actually know Life Return too? Impossible!"
Ignoring him, Xiano leisurely walked to the center of the three men and bent down to pick up the bundle Jabura had dropped.
Untying the knot, two unusually shaped Devil Fruits rolled out, which he caught in his palm.