Soon, the two arrived at a rugged, cavernous structure of massive scale.
Vibrant flowers and vines grew from the crevices of the rocks here, while a circular open skylight at the dome of the cave allowed warm sunlight to pour in.
At the deepest part of the cavern stood a dark-red wooden pavilion, its entrance flanked by a long wooden staircase, giving off the Sense Perception of arriving at a solemn shrine.
At the moment, the vermilion doors of the shrine were tightly shut.
On either side of the entrance stood a ferocious stone statue with three heads, six arms, and weapons in hand.
Upon reaching this place, King spoke his first words since their journey began:
"This is our crew's treasure vault."
"Kaido is inside right now."
Moses glanced at the door and remarked, "I don't see any locking mechanism. Your treasure vault doesn't have a lock?"
King chuckled, his voice laced with pride. "Aside from Lord Kaido's permission, no one in our ranks would—no, no one would dare—come to this cavern."
Moses sighed in exasperation. "That's just because you haven't met someone reckless enough."
"By the way, why did you bring me here?"
"To give me a tour?"
"That's some twisted sense of humor you've got."
"You'll understand once we go inside."
As they spoke, the two ascended the staircase and arrived before the vermilion doors. King knocked.
"Lord Kaido, I've brought Moses here."
The whole thing felt overly ceremonial to Moses, as if he'd traveled back in time to an audience with some ancient emperor.
"Ah, King. Come in."
Hearing the thick nasal tone in Kaido's voice from inside, Moses turned to King, who was pushing the door open. "Is he drunk?"
King stiffened for a moment before forcefully swinging the wooden door open and stepping inside without a word, motioning for Moses to follow.
The interior of the shrine was spacious.
The moment he entered,
Moses saw Kaido—his muscular frame, sculpted like the finest granite, adorned with a pair of upward-curving ivory-white demon horns and two black beard strands hanging like dragon whiskers over his chest.
His wild, lion-like mane of black hair cascaded over his shoulders, his upper body bare save for the fearsome dragon-scale tattoo on his left arm and the wide, untamed purple-black feathered cloak draped over him.
Yet at this moment, he was seated cross-legged on a cushion before an unknown deity's statue, his eyes bleary with intoxication as he lifted a gourd of liquor as tall as a man, pouring the fragrant alcohol into his mouth with reckless abandon.
"Wororororo, so you two finally made it. Took you long enough, didn't it? King, this is your fault, you know?"
His voice carried a whining tone, his face flushed with an inexplicable blush.
Moses stared at the scene expressionlessly, then turned on his heel and walked out without a word.
He had barely taken two steps when King's voice, tinged with confusion, called out:
"Where are you going?"
Moses paused, replying flatly,
"After seeing him like this, do you really think I won't get silenced afterward if I stay?"
The corner of King's eye beneath his helmet twitched violently, his entire being radiating sheer exasperation.
Taking a deep breath, King sighed.
"I guarantee nothing like what you're imagining will happen. This is just Lord Kaido's drunken, clingy state. The longer you stay with us, the more you'll get used to it."
What the hell kind of habit is this?
If it were some cute girl, Moses wouldn't find it strange at all.
But seeing this eyesore of a sight, he really wanted to pry open his own skull and give it a thorough rinse with some vintage 1982 alcohol—disinfect it properly.
Moses couldn't stop mentally complaining.
But since King had said so, Moses had no choice but to turn back.
At that moment, Kaido let out a burp~, then followed up with a whiny complaint:
"Hey, Moses, do you not like me? You like King more, don't you? Why is it that both times you forged blades, you gave them to him first and not me?
I really like you, you know? I even adopted you as my son, so why? When are you gonna bring me my weapon? I want a spiked club too—thick, black, and Great Grade!
When exactly are you gonna hand over that big, black, hard, spiked club of mine? Burp~"
Watching Kaido's whiny tone, expression, and drunken burps—just short of rolling on the ground—Moses shot a pitying glance at King beside him but still replied:
"Soon, it's almost done. Your weapon requires more materials, so it's harder to forge. Just a few more days."
"Really?"
Kaido's eyes sparkled with a hint of pure idiocy as he looked at Moses expectantly:
"Don't you dare lie to me, or I'll hang you from a tree and whip you with a thorny club."
Now that sounded right—crude as ever.
Kaido was still Kaido.
"Relax," Moses said helplessly. There was no reasoning with Kaido now. He turned to King: "Did you drag me here in such a hurry just to listen to him drunkenly act cute?"
King sighed in resignation before looking at Kaido:
"Mr. Kaido, since Moses is here now, should we give him the thing?"
"Thing?" Moses was puzzled.
Kaido exhaled a boozy breath, his bleary eyes fixed on Moses as he slurred:
"Wasn't planning to give you this chance so soon, but considering how important you are to our crew—and after seeing King's Great Grade Sword 'Flame Dragon,' which is damn good—I'll give it to you early. Think of it as a reward from me.
Devil Fruit. You want one? Call me 'Dad.' Make me happy, and I'll let you pick any one you like."
As he spoke, he swayed and pointed toward a corner where a small mountain of treasure was piled. Beside it, on a red-cloth-covered altar, sat four golden trays, each holding a Devil Fruit—all different in shape and color.
Moses lowered his head in silence.
King was silent too. This wasn't part of the script—since when did Kaido keep improvising like this?
Moses took a deep breath, then shook his head lightly with a faint smile.
"My father's long dead. I'll never call anyone 'Dad' in this life. Sorry, but that's a no-go. I won't agree to that."
After speaking, he looked up at Kaido. Calling him "Dad" was out of the question—he'd rather give up the Devil Fruit.
Even if Kaido flew into a rage and beat him up, it wouldn't be unbearable.
But when Moses met his gaze, Kaido was already slumped forward, letting out soft snores.
Passed out drunk? Seriously?
Moses turned his head to look at King, confusion in his eyes. "Since he's asleep and I've already refused, I'll be heading back now."
"Just let him know once he sobers up."
"The weapon will be forged for him."
With that, Moses turned to leave.
He had barely taken a step when King's calm voice reached him:
"Go pick one from there. This was agreed upon by Lord Kaido before he got drunk. You can disregard what was said earlier, but it's true that Lord Kaido genuinely likes you. That part is real."
Moses paused mid-step and turned back to face him:
"Really? Can you make decisions on his behalf?"
"Hurry up. I have other matters to attend to. No time to waste with idle chatter." King's voice grew noticeably impatient.
Seeing this, Moses figured there was no reason to refuse a free offer.
He walked over.
Four Devil Fruits lay before him.
Suddenly.
An impulsive thought surged in Moses' mind—what if he extracted all four Devil Fruits into "merits" right now?
No one would ever know.
The fruits' appearances wouldn't change either.
But the next moment.
Moses cooled his turbulent thoughts and silently dismissed the idea.
A man shouldn't act like that.
Not that he was a particularly good person to begin with.
But this was his bottom line.
Though he hadn't been here long and was always ready to bolt, Kaido had treated him fairly well and been quite indulgent.
Of course, Moses knew it was because his current value justified Kaido's actions.
But actions spoke louder than intentions.
Clearing the tangled thoughts from his mind.
He focused on the Devil Fruits.
"Appraise."
[Zoan-Type. Dragon-Dragon Fruit. Ancient Species. Pachycephalosaurus Form (A)]
[Zoan-Type. Dragon-Dragon Fruit. Ancient Species. Spinosaurus Form (A)]
[Paramecia-Type. Bubble-Bubble Fruit (A)]
[Paramecia-Type. Absorb-Absorb Fruit (A)]
As Moses finished appraising the four Devil Fruits, King spoke up:
"Four Devil Fruits. Two are Ancient Zoan dinosaur types, and two are Paramecia-types. Their names and abilities are—"
After listening to King's explanation, though Moses had already sorted the information in his mind, he nodded cooperatively:
"So, do you have any recommendations?"
"Recommendations?"
King glanced at Moses. "If you want a powerful physique, take the Spinosaurus Fruit. That carnivorous dinosaur is exceptional even among its kind."
"Lord Kaido has a particular fondness for Zoan users. If you want to climb the ranks in our crew, generally speaking, only Zoan users make it to officer positions."
"Right, the Beasts Pirates. Rumor has it Kaido of the Beasts has a special preference for Zoan users."
Moses nodded, then followed up:
"If that's the case, why are there Paramecia fruits here?"
King's lips twitched, his tone carrying a hint of something unreadable:
"Trades."
"Given your talent, you'll undoubtedly become an All-Star in the future, so there's no harm telling you now."
"Our Beasts Pirates deal heavily in arms and weaponry. Besides transactions with the underworld, we also have some business dealings with the World Government."
"Paramecia Devil Fruits we currently have no use for can be traded later for Zoan-types we prefer."
At this point, King fell silent. There was no need to explain any further details to him.
Besides, he disliked talking about such things. If it weren't for Moses—the one who had forged his beloved blade—he wouldn't have bothered saying even this much.
Moses chuckled at this moment:
"Once that guy wakes up, tell him I said thanks. I really like the Devil Fruit. I'll repay him someday."
Moses reached out and picked up a Devil Fruit from the third tray on the left—a palm-sized, purplish-black fruit resembling an apple.
.
Paramecia-Type: Absorption Fruit.
The ability of this fruit allowed the user to transform their body into any substance they touched.
A very interesting Paramecia ability—its effects could almost be considered universally adaptable.
King's eyes flickered with surprise. Seeing Moses choose this fruit, he couldn't help but warn:
"While the Absorption Fruit's abilities are versatile, they're also somewhat flashy. Don't think transforming your body into elements like water, fire, earth, or wood means you can achieve something like Logia-Type elemental intangibility. You're still flesh and blood—just with some elemental properties added to your body."
Hearing King's words, Moses grinned:
"Then, are there any hidden Mythical Zoan fruits in this treasure room? If it's just a regular Zoan-Type, unless it's a Mythical Zoan, I won't eat it. The potential isn't good enough."
At this, the corner of King's mouth twitched beneath his helmet.
Mythical Zoan? He wanted one too.
But his luck had been poor—he'd eaten his fruit too early, and it was only an Ancient Zoan: Pteranodon. His expression darkened as he coldly replied:
"Since you've made your choice, get lost."
Moses curled his lip. Having gotten what he wanted, he decided not to mind King's rudeness. After glancing around, he found a small treasure chest, dumped out the valuables inside, placed the Absorption Fruit in it, and turned to leave.
Once Moses had exited the cavern, King turned to Kaido with a resigned expression:
"That brat's gone. Shouldn't you wake up now, Lord Kaido?"
Kaido slowly opened his eyes—not a trace of drunkenness remained on him.
"King, do you think I've been too lenient with that kid?"
"A little. But whatever your decision, I'll obey unconditionally. After all, you were the one who pulled me out of hell back then."
Kaido waved a hand, signaling him to drop the formalities:
"That kid's still young. A bit of arrogance isn't unforgivable—he's got the talent to justify my indulgence. But then again, that brat really knows how to surprise me."
"He's just a cocky little punk who thinks too highly of himself."
King removed his helmet, revealing his face, now twisted in displeasure.
"Hah?" Kaido let out an amused snort. "And he still dares to look down on me? Won't even call me 'father'? Since when has Kaido ever treated someone like this?"
"Then why didn't you just beat him up earlier? A brat like that needs discipline—a few good thrashings would straighten him out."
"Tch. Haven't I beaten that rebellious daughter of mine, Yamato, enough?" Kaido smirked dismissively. "That brat managed to get through to my idiot girl. Do you really think a few beatings would be enough to tame him?"
At this point, a glint flashed in Kaido's eyes. "By the way, didn't the underlings mention that Yamato has been getting a bit too close to that kid lately?"
"Didn't she even spend the night at his place a few days ago?"
King: "That did happen."
A playful gleam appeared in Kaido's eyes. "So tell me, has that foolish daughter of mine taken a liking to him?"
"What do you mean?" King hesitated. "Should we encourage Young Master Yamato to interact with him more?"
"..."
Kaido looked at King with utter speechlessness. This guy had no interest in women—utterly dense.
Didn't even think about making some babies to strengthen their ranks.
With the Lunarian race's incredible advantages, he didn't even try to propagate them.
Did he think it was easy for Kaido to scour the entire sea just to find a few promising talents?
The thought made Kaido inexplicably bitter.
"What if I make that kid a real part of the family?"
"Like what Big Mom does?"
King: "..."
He stared blankly at Kaido. "What do you mean? Do you think Young Master Yamato would agree?"
"You idiot, stop calling her 'Young Master.' Call her 'Princess.' And later, go fetch her for me. I'll ask her myself to prevent that rebellious child from doing something stupid again. Oh, and since that waste Orochi is dead, you'll act as the shogun of Wano for now. Find a more obedient puppet later—someone smarter."
"...Fine."
...
Back in his room, Moses smirked, though a headache soon followed.
"Kaido, Kaido... How could you do this to me? Why do you have to be so nice? Now I feel bad about poaching from you."
"But well, what needs to be done must be done. I'll just make sure to leave you with enough compensation."
Mulling it over, Moses made up his mind.
He'd probably have a busy few days ahead.
After all, he wasn't some ungrateful wretch.
Taking a sip of water, he carried a treasure chest to the forging room, where he found Bear Cub refining alloys.
He tossed the chest over.
"Devil Fruits are inside. Don't go digesting them."
Catching it effortlessly, Bear Cub grinned.
"Where'd you get these?"
"From Kaido."
Moses walked to the corner, where a spiked club—reforged just yesterday after a full day's work—rested.
A Great Grade Blade.
Though not a Demon Blade.
Its unique trait was amplifying the effects of Haki, not to mention its inherent hardness and resilience.
Three characters were engraved at the base of the club:
"Hassaikai."
Studying the weapon, Moses pondered for a moment before adding more inscriptions below the name.
The characters were tiny and densely packed.
The black lettering blended almost seamlessly with the weapon.
Yet, the altered grip texture made their presence unmistakable—like added anti-slip grooves.
The entire process, though only three hundred characters long, took considerable time.
Once done, he set the club back in the corner.
Moses resumed forging weapons—compensation for what was to come.
For three straight days, he remained in the forging room, with Bear Cub bringing meals from the dining hall.
Late at night, after completing the final steps, he examined the three newly forged blades of varying sizes:
"Windcutter," "Thunder Rage," "Mountain Breaker."
One, a lightweight katana.
Another, a double-edged greatsword.
A massive, blunt greatsword shaped like a giant blade.
"Bear Cub, eat all these weapons."
Moses walked over and ruffled the ears of Bear Cub, who was dozing in the corner, then pointed at the four weapons inside the Forging room.
Bear Cub yawned, walked over, and swallowed them one by one.
The Spiked Club was a bit of a struggle to swallow—after all, it was thick, large, and impossible to bite through.
Moses glanced around the Forging room, feeling somewhat reluctant. After all, this was where his first masterpiece had been born.
"One more night's rest, and we leave tomorrow evening. No more waiting."
As Moses and Bear Cub walked back to their room, these thoughts ran through his mind.
Soon, they returned to the room together.
Opening the door, Moses saw a white-furred dog curled up on his bed, hugging its legs. With a slightly puzzled expression, he asked:
"Did you come here for something?"
Since the girl wasn't sleeping, her posture clearly showed she was waiting for someone.
"That Ox-Horned Gorilla threatened me again a few days ago."
Yamato looked up at Moses, her face full of anger, yet her eyes held some confusion.
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