Caesar and the others chatted casually about the specific power dynamics of Kaido and Linlin, while Caesar himself silently calculated his future plans in his heart.
Despite Caesar towering nine-meter frame and a physique akin to a tyrannosaurus, he wasn't lying—38 years ago, he had indeed been the strategist on Rocks' ship.
Rocks' ability to recruit a bunch of formidable subordinates was partly due to Caesar efforts, accounting for at least half the credit.
For instance, it was Caesar who brought in Kaido, Wang Zhi, and John.
***
Their footsteps were swift and soon, the faint outlines of a village came into view.
At this moment, like the Flower Capital, the village of Okobore was immersed in the joy of Wano Country reconstruction.
Though not as extravagantly decorated as the Flower Capital, with lanterns hung and wish lanterns released by every household, it had temporarily escaped its past hardships, receiving a batch of aid supplies from the capital—primarily food, clothing, and daily necessities.
The villagers crowded the streets, where a woman in a kimono distributed food with a gentle smile.
"Everyone, no need to push or rush. There's plenty of food—enough for everyone" she said warmly, her demeanor like a spring breeze.
The villagers of Okobore were familiar with her and thus obediently formed orderly lines.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the darkness. O-tsuru paused, turning toward the sound.
Under the dim moonlight, three mountainous silhouettes approached Okobore step by step.
"Waaah! Monsters!"
The villagers noticed the figures and screamed in terror, scrambling toward their homes in panic, abandoning the food they were about to receive.
The kimono-clad woman paled, her fingers clenching tightly.
She glanced at the supply cart before her, then at the three massive shadows drawing nearer.
Gritting her teeth, she drew a short sword from her waist and shouted at the figures.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
"What's with the panic? I'm this country Guardian Deity, heh. Don't worry" Kaido deep voice cut through the darkness, reaching O-Tsuru ears.
Clang.
The short sword slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground. Her pupils dilated in horror as Kaido terrifying form emerged from the shadows.
Behind Kaido stood two even taller strangers—one a woman whose attire seemed oddly familiar, and the other resembling Kaido in appearance but even more massive and imposing.
"K-Kaido?" The woman trembled, collapsing to the ground, her eyes filled with disbelief and terror.
"Impossible... Weren't you defeated by the Straw Hat crew?"
Kaido stepped forward, casually grabbing a large barrel of sake from the supply cart and gulping it down.
"BORORORO! Little shit, even this backwater dump knows about your disgrace. Seems your reputation's in the gutter now" Caesar laughed, striding over and slapping Kaido heavily on the shoulder before snatching the barrel and chugging it himself.
"Hmph! Just a bunch of ants—why bother? The strong rule. I lost, and that's that" Kaido snorted, grabbing handfuls of food—fruit and meat alike—and shoving them into his mouth without a second thought.
"Borororo, you're right. Hey! Woman, step aside. We're here for food, not to slaughter the village. Don't panic. Kaido, you should be gentle with your subjects, not just oppress them endlessly."
Caesar sat beside a cart piled high with food, grabbing a massive piece of roasted meat and handing it to Linlin beside him before digging in himself.
"Looking at you, I bet all you know is oppression. No wonder after decades, these simple folk still hold resentment toward you. Borororo! If it were me, with a weapons factory raking in billions a year, boosting Wano economy and making the country prosperous would be a piece of cake. Once these ants are well-fed and clothed under your protection, they'd be falling over themselves to support you. They wouldn't be stabbing you in the back at every chance like now, teaming up with outsiders against you."
"Hmph! Caesar, Running a country isn't that easy. Don't tell me you've actually governed one before" Kaido scoffed dismissively.
Caesar tossed an entire roast pig into his mouth, chewing loudly as he mumbled.
"I haven't ruled a country, but the Rocks Pirates back then were bigger than some nations. I forged alliances, offering powerful military protection to gain trust, then opened weapons factories, pleasure districts and casinos in those places. Half the money Rocks spent annually was thanks to me."
"Caesar-oniisama telling the truth. He was really impressive back then. That old man Rocks thought highly of him—why else would he have given him three extremely rare Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits?" Linlin chimed in, handing Caesar a large watermelon.
[A/N : There will be slight difference in this fic than canon one piece]
Kaido paused mid-bite, frowning. "Three Mythical Zoan Fruits? Linlin, you don't mean... the one I have? Didn't you give me this one?"
Linlin chuckled, pointing at Caesar. "Where would I get something so rare? These were all rewards from Rocks to Caesar—three Devil Fruits, all Zoan-type, Mythical: the Fish-Fish Fruits. Back then, Caesar gave me one, but I didn't eat it. I passed it to you instead. Heh, it was meant as compensation for Perospero."
"What?" Kaido was genuinely shocked.
No one understood the Fish-Fruit power better than him.
Though Kaido Haki and physique were already terrifying, the Fish-Fruit Azure Dragon form had elevated his strength to new heights.
All these years, Kaido had believed Linlin gave him the fruit, owing her a debt. He never imagined it had originally come from Caesar.
"Wait, you said there were three?" Kaido exclaimed, staring at Caesar who was still stuffing his face.
Caesar glared back irritably. "What? I ate one, fed one to a weapon—got a problem with that?"
"Fed one to a weapon?!" Kaido eye twitched, his finger jabbing at Caesar nose.
"Do you have any idea how wasteful that is? That power could've created another top-tier fighter, and you squandered it on a damn weapon!"
Caesar gleefully pulled out his greatsword 'Zhu Long' and laughed.
"What the hell do you know? This weapon of mine, nourished by my Haki over the years, has long reached the level of a Supreme Grade sword. It's also eaten a tremendously powerful Mythical Zoan fruit. Just the combat power of this weapon alone can rival top-tier fighters. Only a weapon like this is worthy of my status!"
The three of them chatted and ate without a care in the world. King and Queen took plenty of food and walked some distance away to eat, being considerate enough not to disturb the conversation between the three big shots.
Meanwhile, the villagers of Kuri huddled in their homes, trembling as they awaited their impending doom.
Everyone assumed Kaido had come to destroy the village.
A few particularly bold ones peeked through cracks in their doors, surprised to see that Kaido and his companions showed no intention of indiscriminate slaughter.
This didn't seem like Kaido usual style at all!
Moreover, it appeared that among the three towering figures, Kaido might not even hold the highest status.
The kimono-clad woman stealthily moved to a house near the large cart, also watching the scene outside with mixed emotions.
Kaido not killing anyone was good news.
Yet for some reason, the woman felt an inexplicable sense of dread creeping over her.
This version of Kaido seemed even more terrifying than his former violent self.
If the old Kaido was like a constantly erupting volcano, then the current Kaido resembled bottomless ocean waters - beneath that calm surface brewed a terrifying tsunami.
And who was that other person?
Why did he appear to be the central figure among the three?
The woman couldn't help but silently pray for the people of the Flower Capital.
'Kinemon, you must be careful. Kaido and his crew have returned and they seem more fearsome than before... with an even more terrifying unknown person among them!'