Kaidou was determined to conquer Wano Country, and this resolve would not waver regardless of anyone's attitude.
Although it all started with Caesar's casual suggestion, pirates are like that—once they think of something, they just go for it.
Even if Yamato didn't become the shogun of Wano Country, Ulti, the adopted daughter, would probably step up.
Neither Ulti nor Queen expected Kaidou to agree to Caesar's proposal so readily.
Didn't this mean that nearly half of the core members of the crew would now be under Caesar's command?
Ulti glanced at Kaidou, then at Caesar, her eyes shifting between the two several times. Suddenly, she clapped her hands together and exclaimed, "Ah! I get it now! He's actually your son, isn't he?"
"Eh?! Really, Caesar?"
"You actually believe that, you idiot!"
Seeing Yamato's panicked expression, Caesar's face darkened.
"Orohohoho… my son?"
Kaidou laughed heartily, then turned to examine Caesar. "Come to think of it, you're only eighteen this year, right? How about becoming my adopted son? I'll treat you like my own flesh and blood!"
Caesar waved his hand dismissively. "No thanks!"
"That was a blunt refusal!"
Sasaki stared at Caesar in shock, feeling a pang of jealousy.
Although he had joined after being defeated by Kaidou, he held Kaidou in the highest regard.
Among the core members, the others had either been with Kaidou from the very beginning or were raised by him. Only he and Caesar were latecomers.
Emotionally speaking, latecomers like them were naturally less trusted by Kaidou than the original members.
There used to be another latecomer, Who's-Who, but that guy had been careless and ended up being outsmarted and killed by Caesar. Now, with Caesar gaining Kaidou's favor, Sasaki felt like an outsider.
I was here first, damn it!
"Eek…"
Caesar suddenly shuddered. "I just felt some kind of perverse obsession?"
Ulti gave him a strange look. "Perverse? Kaidou?"
Caesar shook his head. "No, probably just my imagination."
"You two brats! Stop talking nonsense!"
Kaidou's face darkened. Being rejected by Caesar and mocked by his adopted daughter had him feeling both embarrassed and angry.
Swinging his fist, which was several times larger than a sand pot, Kaidou delivered two solid punches, leaving Caesar and Ulti with steaming lumps on their heads.
"Ouch!" ×2
The two crouched on the ground, clutching their heads. Ulti's eyes welled up with tears, while Caesar hissed in pain.
His Observation Haki hadn't been able to dodge the blow, which meant the punch had definitely been foreseen.
With skills like that, you're hitting kids?
"Hey, Caesar, are you okay?"
Yamato asked with concern, then turned to glare at Kaidou. "Hey! Why are you hitting people, you old man?"
Black Maria watched the scene with a knowing smile, while Kaidou snorted coldly, not wanting to waste words on the foolish girl.
"Anyway, the arrangements for Wano Country are up to you, Caesar."
Kaidou said coldly, "Do whatever you want. I just want to see the money!"
Caesar stood up, still holding his head. "Of course, but I'll need to familiarize myself with the situation in Wano Country first. Also, has the land pollution issue been resolved?"
"It's been taken care of!"
Queen pulled out a vial of liquid. "This is a special nutrient solution I concocted. Once diluted and applied, it will neutralize the harmful substances in the soil and convert them into nutrients!"
Upon hearing this, Caesar immediately shifted the blame: "Oh? If something goes wrong, it's on you."
Queen was furious: "Don't underestimate me, you brat! I was once a member of MADS, after all!"
"Then all we need to do next is take down Kurozumi Orochi."
Caesar nodded. Although he didn't fully trust Queen's scientific abilities, since it was Kaidou's order, he figured Queen wouldn't mess it up.
...
As time passed, the atmosphere on Oni Island grew increasingly lively.
The Fire Festival was a traditional holiday in Wano Country, and the Beasts Pirate Crew, having occupied Wano for many years, naturally followed local customs.
According to tradition, the big shots would gather in the banquet hall, while Queen would lead the lower ranks in hosting the Golden Kagura, indulging in revelry.
After the banquet, the minor officers would gather in the red-light district, while the underlings would form small groups, sneaking around to find lone geishas or female crew members to engage in unsavory activities…
"Pirates… truly a depraved bunch."
On the day of the Fire Festival, Caesar leaned by the window, holding a bottle of alcohol, taking occasional sips.
In the elegant Japanese-style room, Ayun, dressed as a geisha, played the shamisen with a lively rhythm, while Yamato sat nearby reading manga and snacking.
"Not all pirates are like that, Caesar! The Roger Pirate Crew wasn't like that!"
Hearing Caesar's words, Yamato explained.
"Don't let a few individuals shape your perception of an entire group. Roger once slaughtered an entire army because someone spoke ill of his comrades."
Caesar chuckled: "Besides, those who set sail purely in search of treasure are extremely rare. Strictly speaking, such people should be called adventurers."
"Uh… Oden's notes didn't mention that."
Yamato scratched her head: "So, Caesar, are we going to become pirates later?"
"Though I'd rather not, the World Government will most likely label us as pirates."
Caesar picked at his ear, the sound of the shamisen irritating him: "Ayun, it's too noisy."
"My apologies, Lord Caesar."
Ayun quickly set down the shamisen, clasping her hands in front of her: "My skills are lacking. Please forgive me."
"It's not your fault. I just don't appreciate it. You can leave now, but stay in the building tonight. Don't wander off."
Caesar's gaze shifted to the Thousand Torii Gates, where Kurozumi Orochi and his entourage were approaching the main building. He casually tossed a gold coin to Ayun, straightened his collar, and led Yamato out of the room.
Today, he was dressed in a wine-red peaked lapel suit with a black shirt underneath, a look that suited his demeanor perfectly.
Yamato had also shed her usual sleeveless kimono. Black Maria had applied delicate makeup on her, and she now wore a white kimono with blue floral patterns.
It was the first time Caesar realized that kimonos came in different styles. For instance, the one Yamato was wearing, with its exceptionally long sleeves, was called a long-sleeved kimono, a type of furisode kimono.
The furisode kimono was a style only unmarried girls could wear.
Married women wore regular kimonos, and there were special kimonos for specific occasions, such as the innocent white kimono for brides or black kimonos for funerals…
In other words, to determine whether a Japanese woman was a maiden, a wife, a bride, or a widow, all you had to do was have her change into a kimono.
Speaking of which, Caesar had seen quite a few things before crossing over, but his attention was rarely on clothes...
The lights of the Fire Festival illuminated Oni Island brightly, and the crowd surged beneath the Thousand Torii Gates.
Kurozumi Orochi's palanquin moved slowly, surrounded by guards, his melon-like head under the golden crown looking both gloomy and comical.
"Lord Kurozumi has arrived—"
As the voice of Bao Huang echoed, the doors of the banquet hall slowly opened.
Kaidou, bare-chested, leaned on the couch, one hand on the gourd of wine, showing no intention of getting up, merely smiling.
"Guhuhuhu, this year's Fire Festival seems livelier than previous years. Is there something good happening?"
Kurozumi Orochi didn't mind Kaidou's rudeness at all, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the people in the hall, finally settling on Caesar and Yamato beside him.
"Oh, new executives? I've heard that you've added another powerful newcomer to your ranks, is it this gentleman?"
"Quite the talker..."
Caesar looked at Orochi with a grin, suddenly speaking up: "Melon head."
"Pfft..."
Yamato and Ulti beside him suddenly burst into laughter, and Orochi's ugly smile froze on his face.
"Rude!"
Before Orochi could react, Fukurokuju, who was always by his side, immediately scolded.
"Enough!"
Kaidou raised his hand slightly, his tone somewhat impatient: "Cut the nonsense, I'm not in the mood to listen to your bickering. The main reason I called you here today is about one thing, and that is... the ownership of Wano Country."
As his words fell, a loud thud echoed, and the doors of the banquet hall suddenly closed.
Behind Kurozumi Orochi, the Oniwabanshu's expressions changed drastically, quickly gathering around Orochi.
On the side of the Beast Pirate Crew, everyone held a superior attitude, as if they had already decided the fate of Orochi and his group.
"Own... ownership?"
Kurozumi Orochi was slightly stunned, then seemed to realize something, his face gradually stiffening.
"Wait, wait... what's going on? Kaidou! The ownership of Wano Country? You bastard... are you trying to lay your hands on Wano Country? What a joke! Don't forget we are allies!"
"Allies?"
Kaidou let out a drunken hiccup, slowly standing up, his massive body towering over Kurozumi Orochi and his group.
Thud!
The Eight Precepts slammed heavily on the floor tiles, the spiderweb-like cracks spreading to Orochi's feet.
Looking at the menacing cracks and the monstrously oppressive figure before him, Kurozumi Orochi's back was instantly drenched in cold sweat, and he stumbled back two steps, falling to the ground.
In a daze, a layer of blood seemed to cloud his vision, a faint smell of blood permeating the room, making Orochi's heart grow even more fearful.
"If it were Oden, I might still hold some respect, but a mere puppet..."
"A mere puppet?"
As if hearing something amusing, the previously panicked Kurozumi Orochi suddenly found his courage, grinning.
"Kaidou, do you really think you can swallow Wano Country with brute force?"
"Oh? Or should I rely on your melon head?"
Seeing Orochi like this, Kaidou seemed to be intrigued, wanting to see what this spineless fool who had always depended on him had to say.
"I'm not a melon!"
Kurozumi Orochi screamed, "I am Kurozumi Orochi! The rightful heir to the shogunate! By the name of Kurozumi, even if I am despicable, I am more legitimate than you outsiders! I've schemed for so many years, not to hand over the fruits of my labor to you, Kaidou!"
"Hmph, rightful heir my ass..."
Kaidou, who had initially thought Orochi might have something profound to say, couldn't help but sneer at his words. With a swift motion, he swung his Spiked Club, the Eight Precepts, down with immense force.
Boom—
A dark red thunderbolt erupted, and the overwhelming Conqueror's Haki instantly swept through the entire banquet hall.
In the next moment, the golden crown shattered into pieces, and the Spiked Club smashed into Kurozumi Orochi's head with a brutal impact. His eyes bulged, teeth shattered, and his melon-like head was violently driven into his chest.
The stench of blood filled the air. Beside Orochi's corpse, Fukurokuju and the Oniwabanshu stood frozen in place, their faces filled with terror as they stared at Kaidou.
Kaidou coldly glanced at them. "You—"
"We naturally wish to surrender to Lord Kaidou!"
Without hesitation, Fukurokuju raised his hands. Due to the traditional blind loyalty of Wano Country, he had some allegiance to Kurozumi Orochi, but not much.
He could help Orochi escape, but standing up to Kaidou...
Sorry, that was beyond him.
"We pledge our loyalty to the Beasts Pirate Crew! The noble registry of the Flower Capital, the armory, the secret passage maps, and the keys to the national treasury—all will be presented tonight. We will fully assist Lord Kaidou in pacifying Wano Country!"
Fukurokuju spoke with a trembling voice, and behind him, the ninjas of the Oniwabanshu knelt in unison.
"Orohohoho... You're quite sensible."
Kaidou let out a cold laugh, crushing the remnants of the golden crown under his foot. "From today onward, my daughter Yamato will succeed as the daimyo of Wano Country! All that's left is to raise the banner, right? Caesar?"
"That's correct."
Caesar stepped forward with a smile, his gaze falling on Kurozumi Orochi's corpse.
Suddenly, he bent down and lifted the headless body. "But Lord Fukurokuju, could you kindly explain to me why, even though Kurozumi Orochi is dead, the life force in his blood hasn't dissipated?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, several twisted shadows burst out from beneath the corpse's kimono. Pairs of crimson eyes, filled with venomous killing intent, lunged at Caesar!
"Damn bastard!"
A heart-wrenching roar echoed as Caesar took a step back, gracefully dodging the oncoming heads of the Eight-Headed Serpent.
"My ambition, my Wano Country, I haven't even taken revenge on those bastards yet!"
The fully transformed Kurozumi Orochi looked like a madman, his voice like a vengeful ghost. "It's because of you, isn't it? It's all because of you, isn't it? You've destroyed everything I had!"
Though he appeared short and stubby, Kurozumi Orochi was actually quite tall.
In his normal form, he stood over three meters, and after transforming, he nearly reached the ceiling. Up close...
He still didn't seem very intimidating.
Caesar was no longer the weakling he had been when he first arrived at Oni Island.
During this time, he had been pondering what kind of situation would allow him to summon Armament Haki.
According to King, his biggest issue was his lack of confidence in his own physical strength. When facing strong opponents, he instinctively avoided taking damage, which was why his Armament Haki had yet to manifest.
But what the hell kind of threat are you, Kurozumi Orochi?
Buzz—
It seemed as though a peculiar power was continuously emanating from within his body. Unlike the Conqueror's Haki, which burst forth from the space between the eyebrows and embodied the user's will, this power seemed to originate from every cell in his body.
As this power surged, Caesar's palm was coated with a metallic black hue. As if guided by instinct, he raised his hand.
"Armament Finger Pistol!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Several sharp sounds of air being pierced rang
out. Kurozumi Orochi's frenzied body suddenly stiffened, then collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
On each of the remaining heads, there was a small, bleeding hole right in the center of the forehead!
Seeing this, Yamato's eyes immediately lit up: "Armament Haki!"
Beside her, King, who had his arms crossed, let out a soft snort, a faint smile curling beneath his mask.
"Took you long enough…"
(End of Chapter)