Kaido picked up the simple cloth pouch, his massive fingers surprisingly nimble as he peered intently at the "peas" nestled within. Worororo... what devilry is this? He turned his sharp, demanding gaze back to King.
"What is this?" Kaido's voice rumbled, low and dangerous. "Why... why is its effect so damned terrifying?"
"My apologies, Kaido-sama," King replied evenly, his masked face unreadable. "I do not know the nature of this miraculous medicine. I only know that this is what the Whitebeard Kaizokudan (Pirates') combatants are carrying. And it doesn't just heal injuries... it completely restores their stamina as well."
Queen the Plague, ever the scientist—albeit one specializing in less savory concoctions—plucked one of the "peas" with surprising delicacy. Mumumumu! Interesting! He rolled it between his fingers, then crushed it into powder on his palm. Without hesitation, he extended his tongue and took a careful lick, his brow furrowed in concentration. Hmm?
"No discernible taste!" he declared, frowning. "However... I can detect faint traces of several common herbs within the powder!"
"Can you replicate the formula?" King pressed, a hint of urgency in his voice.
Queen adjusted his glasses, stroking his chin. "I can try," he conceded, puffing out his chest slightly, "but the odds of success are extremely low! Healing agents aren't exactly my forte, you know! Poisons and plagues, now that's my stage! Mumumumu!"
"Queen!" Kaido's command cut through the air like a whip crack. "Devote all your resources to researching this drug! Now!" Though often seen as a force of pure destruction, Kaido was no fool. He grasped the terrifying strategic value instantly. A medicine that worked regardless of the user's strength? That healed anyone, restored anyone's stamina? In the heat of battle, the advantage would be astronomical! It defied the natural order of wearing an enemy down!
Queen, recognizing the gravity of the order, nodded seriously. "Understood, Kaido-sama!" He carefully gathered a dozen of the precious "peas" and hurried off towards his laboratory complex within Onigashima.
A day later, Queen shuffled back into the throne room, massive dark circles under his eyes, looking utterly drained and smelling faintly of chemical fumes. Mumumu... He met the expectant gazes of Kaido, King, and Jack, let out a weary sigh, and gave a slow, defeated shake of his head.
A low growl rumbled in Kaido's chest. "Tch. That damned recipe... Whitebeard has it, no doubt! Probably that old geezer Newgate himself!" His knuckles whitened around his signature spiked kanabo club, Hassaikai. "Right! I'll just pay that crew another visit and beat it out of them!" He started to rise, pure destructive intent radiating from him like a physical force.
"Wait, Kaido-sama!" King intervened swiftly, stepping into his path. "That would be unwise! Whitebeard Newgate certainly possesses this medicine now. Attacking him directly... it would be walking into a trap! You'd be fighting an enemy who can instantly recover from nearly any blow!"
Kaido paused, the logic, however infuriating, sinking in. His immense power was undeniable, but even he knew the limits against an opponent like Whitebeard, especially one who could negate damage almost instantly. "Tch! Then what do you suggest, King?!" he snarled, slamming his kanabo down, cracking the floor. CRACK!
"As they are now, taking down the Whitebeard Kaizokudan (Pirates) head-on... even for us, it's too risky!" King replied calmly. "Perhaps we should enlist outside help. Someone... familiar with advanced science."
"Familiar? Who?" Kaido demanded.
"A scientist currently under Doflamingo's employ," King revealed.
"You mean... that crackpot Caesar Clown? The one behind those artificial Akuma no Mi (Devil Fruits), the SMILEs?" Queen chimed in, intrigued despite his fatigue.
"The very same," King confirmed. "I had our underworld contacts investigate him yesterday. Caesar Clown is formerly of the scientific unit MADS, alongside Vegapunk himself, and was part of the World Government's science division. His research was deemed too dangerous, leading to his expulsion by the Kaigun (Marines). We are already collaborating with Doflamingo for the SMILEs. Pressuring him to lend us Caesar's expertise to analyze this 'pea' seems the most logical course."
Kaido considered this, stroking his long mustache, his scowl slowly easing. "Worororo... Fine. King! Handle it. Get me that scientist! Doflamingo owes us." He waved a dismissive hand, trusting his lead Calamity implicitly.
Meanwhile, far across the seas, at the heart of Kaigun (Marine) power – Marineford.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku the Buddha sat hunched over his desk, diligently working through mountains of paperwork, a perpetual furrow in his brow. The weight of the world seemed to rest on his shoulders.
Suddenly, the office door burst open – BAM! – and Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer, strode in, carrying a stack of documents and a Visual Den Den Mushi, her usual calm replaced by a distinct urgency.
The abrupt entrance startled Vice Admiral Garp the Fist, who had been lounging on the sofa, happily munching on rice crackers, seemingly oblivious to the burdens of command. CRUNCH!
"Oi! Tsuru-chan! You nearly made me choke on my senbei!" Garp complained good-naturedly, brushing crumbs off his uniform.
Tsuru ignored Garp's theatrics, her sharp eyes fixed on Sengoku. "Sengoku," she said, her voice serious, bypassing Garp entirely, "you need to see this." Her tone brokered no argument.
Sengoku looked up, noting the rare gravity in his old friend's demeanor. "Tsuru? What is it? This isn't like you." He pushed his glasses up his nose, gesturing for her to proceed.
Setting up the Visual Den Den Mushi, Tsuru projected an image onto the wall. Sengoku put down his pen. The recording showed a fierce naval battle raging – pirate ship against pirate ship. Sengoku instantly recognized the flags: the crescent moon and mustache of the Whitebeard Kaizokudan (Pirates) clashing with the horned skull of the Hyakujuu Kaizokudan (Beasts Pirates).
"Bah! Just those two Yonko (Four Emperors) crews beating each other up again," Garp scoffed, picking his nose nonchalantly. "Happens all the time. What's the big deal?"
"Silence, Garp!" Tsuru snapped, her patience wearing thin. "Watch closely!"
As the camera zoomed in, Sengoku's eyes narrowed. Something was wrong. He watched, his expression growing increasingly concerned, as Whitebeard pirates, clearly injured and exhausted from the fighting, would fall... only to pop something small and green into their mouths. Instantly, their wounds vanished, their fatigue evaporated, and they leaped back into the fray with renewed vigor! This impossible feat happened again and again, across Whitebeard's entire force! The Hyakujuu (Beasts) pirates, caught completely off guard by this inexplicable resilience, were systematically overwhelmed and quickly routed. The recording ended with a decisive Whitebeard victory.
A heavy silence filled the office, punctuated only by the quiet whirring of the Den Den Mushi.
"Sengoku..." Tsuru asked quietly, her gaze intense. "...did you see the problem?"
Sengoku adjusted his glasses, his expression grave, the implications already swirling in his strategic mind. "Yes," he murmured, his voice tight. "That strange medicine... What in the world is it?" The balance of power in the New World had just tilted, and the Marines hadn't even known it was happening.