Kaido had indeed grown stronger over the past year. However, compared to Roa, the difference was still too vast. The current Kaido was probably on par with Roa from a year ago, when he had just left Wano Country, perhaps even slightly weaker. He was at a level where, after transforming into his dragon form, he could barely contend with enemies of Rayleigh or Jabba's caliber, provided they didn't use their ultimate moves. He was still quite a distance from the true level of a peak pirate.
There was nothing he could do about it; it wasn't that Kaido was too slow in getting stronger, but that Roa was getting stronger too quickly. For others in this world, there was a limit to how powerful they could become. Even monsters like Rocks and Roger, after reaching a certain limit, found it difficult to climb any higher. This limit applied even to naturally born monsters like Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and Loki; they couldn't become infinitely stronger. In fact, because their bodies had reached peaks unattainable by ordinary people so early, it became even harder for them to grow stronger afterward.
But for Roa, it wasn't like that. He had a cheat.
"This really seems to have gotten a bit out of hand," Roa sheathed his sword, looking at the ruins all around him. "Don't expect me to pay for it, okay?"
After this fight, the Beast Pirates' stronghold would need to be rebuilt. Countless unfortunate souls had probably even been shaken to death by the residual shockwaves of their clash.
"You brat!!" Not far away, Kaido leaned on his kanabo, his voice almost gritting. "What kind of monster are you!"
Since birth, he had always been called a monster. Even when he joined the Rocks Pirates, a crew filled with powerful individuals, everyone had looked at him with new respect. Yet now, Kaido could only call Roa a monster. Though he had long believed Roa's talent surpassed his own, Kaido had never imagined the gap would be so vast. Fourteen years ago, when he first joined the Rocks Pirates, he was also fifteen years old, just like Roa. But at that time, facing the current Roa, he would probably be instantly killed with one move! This brat's strength could already be described as abnormal!
If Kaido was born, why was Roa also born?
"It's just a defeat, isn't it? Forget about it after the sun rises," Roa said leisurely. "Let's have a banquet, Big Brother Kaido. I told you I have something very important to discuss with you!"
"Hmph!" Kaido snorted fiercely. For him, who regarded strength as everything, such a crushing defeat was absolutely unacceptable. So, let's have a banquet! Alcohol could help him forget these unpleasant things. But since the palace had collapsed, the banquet could only be held on the backs of the giant snails.
In a spacious palace in the Germa Kingdom, the cadres of the Beast Pirates and the Calamity Company gathered together. Roa and Kaido sat high in the main seats. Kozuki Toki sat beside Roa, holding Yamato in her arms, feeding the overly lively little girl.
"So, Roa," after a few drinks, Kaido's annoyed mood had eased somewhat, and a curious look gradually appeared in his eyes. "What do you want to do, brat? What do you mean by 'accomplish what Rocks couldn't back then'?"
"Don't tell me you're ready to declare war on the World Government now? If that's the case, I'm not interested in dying with you."
Rocks had wanted to overthrow the World Government back then and become the King of the World, conquering everything. If there was one thing he hadn't achieved, it was probably just this. But against the World Government, even the Rocks Pirates back then had disintegrated. Now, even if their two groups combined, what threat could they pose to the World Government?
However, Roa's face was full of joy. "As expected of Big Brother Kaido, you guessed what I wanted to do right away."
Hearing this, Sain, who had been pricking up his ears to listen to their conversation, suddenly spat out the food in his mouth. No way? Is he serious? That's the World Government!
Not just him, Kaido was also instantly stunned, his hand holding the wine cup stiff in mid-air, looking at Roa with extreme surprise. "Brat, is there something wrong with your head?" He did indeed want to start a war aimed at conquering the world, but not now. Declaring war on the World Government now would be courting death, wouldn't it? He had always known that Roa was a bit abnormal, but to say something like this, was it perhaps too abnormal?
"Don't misunderstand," Roa said with a grin. "It's not about starting an all-out war with the World Government, and it's not just our Calamity Company and your Beast Pirates participating."
"What exactly do you want to do, brat?" Kaido frowned tightly, his tone grave. "Don't beat around the bush; just say it clearly all at once!" He really hated Roa's tendency to build suspense!
"For a very, very long time, the New World has been the active territory of pirates, hasn't it?" Roa said leisurely. "The World Government has practically abandoned this area, letting it become a battlefield for top-tier great pirates."
"But even so, there are still quite a few World Government affiliated nations in this sea, and several large Marine Headquarters bases still exist!"
"Isn't that just too much of an eyesore? So, I thought, why don't we just unite and completely drive the Marines out of the New World, making this sea truly our paradise!"
"Are you an idiot!" Kaido said angrily. "What good is doing something like that for me, besides inviting retaliation from the World Government?"
"For example," Roa raised the corner of his mouth, "how about dividing the New World?"
Kaido was suddenly startled. "What did you say?"
"Me, Big Brother Kaido, Aunt Linlin, Uncle Wang Zhi, Redfield, and perhaps even Uncle Shiki," Roa said with interest. "Our combined power is completely sufficient to sweep through the Marines in the New World, leaving them no room to resist!"
"After that, won't the New World be ours to do with as we please?"
"How about each of us carves out a territory? Bring all the nations within it under our rule, like emperors, reigning over the New World!"
"Emperors?" Kaido paused slightly, murmuring the word to himself. The great pirates of this era were generally more conventional. Kaido, Wang Zhi, and Charlotte Linlin, who holed up in their main strongholds, were the norm. Even someone as tyrannical as Golden Lion mostly stayed in the skies, preferring plunder and not being overly keen on conquest and rule. They were far from the future Four Emperors, who truly, in a real sense, divided the New World, and any outsider who encroached upon their territory would be ruthlessly suppressed.
"Sounds," Kaido's eyes lit up completely, "very interesting!" Compared to exploiting one country, exploiting many countries simultaneously would certainly make the Beast Pirates stronger faster!
"Right!" Roa burst out laughing. "If we unite, even if the World Government wants to retaliate, they'll have to weigh their options carefully! And we don't even need to confront them head-on! Hahahahaha! Destruction is always simpler than creation!"
Ha, I'll teach you a lesson for selling counterfeit weapons this time! I'd like to see how far you'll go for a few affiliated nations and a few Marine bases! If you're so capable, then directly send the Five Elders or the Holy Knights to confront us! Let the era of the Four Emperors arrive early! Hehehehehe!
And incidentally, it could also give a loose alliance a common powerful enemy, thus slightly enhancing everyone's cohesion.
"Oh!!" Below, just listening to Roa, Teach's eyes were already sparkling. As expected of Roa, what a crazy man! Dividing the New World? Making one of the world's six largest seas completely a pirate paradise! Sounds exciting!
Hearing the same words, but Toki's reaction was completely opposite to Teach's. The woman's expression was somewhat sorrowful; she just lowered her head and continued to feed the little girl in her arms.
Joy Boy was the first pirate in history; he brought unprecedented liberation to the world. However, this didn't mean that all pirates were like Joy Boy. In fact, even eight hundred years ago, among those pirates who broke through national blockades and went to sea under the banner of freedom, the majority were simply scoundrels who did as they pleased.
Roa, does he want to turn an entire sea into a pirate's paradise? Just how vile is this man going to be?
"But Roa," Kaido's smile grew wider, though his eyes still held a hint of suspicion as he looked at Roa. "Can you really get all those guys on board?" Not to mention when Redfield, that lone wolf, got involved with Roa, just considering Shiki, Linlin, and Wang Zhi, which one of those guys was easy to deal with?
Roa, however, smiled. "Well, Big Brother Kaido, don't use your popularity to guess mine." Rocks Pirates' Succubus, are you kidding me?
"Ugororororo! Then go right ahead!" Kaido burst into loud laughter. "Sounds really interesting!" Dividing the New World? Even Kaido was starting to get fired up! Roa's madness truly made him feel like he was back with the Rocks Pirates! Although Rocks was a detestable madman, following him never lacked crazy adventures! Since that's the case, let's make a big ruckus!
"Haha! I knew you'd agree!" Roa laughed heartily. "While our ideals can't be fully realized yet, let's use the New World as our testing ground first!"
Hearing that, Kaido paused slightly, then, "Ugororororo!" Yes, our dream!
So, seizing the moment's excitement, Roa started making calls.
"Hello, Aunt Linlin? I need your help with something. Um, in return, I can tell you the whereabouts of that Bakalia tribe."
"Red? I need your help with something! Don't worry, it's something very interesting!"
"Uncle Wang Zhi, gather your forces, I have a big business deal!"
"Hey, Uncle Shiki, I'm planning a reunion for the remnants of the Rocks Pirates. I have a big plan! Are you sure you don't want to join the fun?"
In just a few minutes, Roa put down the Den Den Mushi.
"How was it?" he asked, winking triumphantly at Kaido.
Kaido shook his head helplessly. He had to admit, when it came to popularity, he truly couldn't compare to Roa. Even that arrogant bastard Shiki had been called over by him!
And so, even before dawn, Kaido had completely forgotten the shame of his crushing defeat and was laughing heartily, chatting happily with Roa. There was just one thing he still found annoying: "It's so boring having a banquet with you, brat. Feeding on human suffering, what a disgusting ability!"
Beside Roa, Toki suddenly shivered. Her expression towards Roa almost froze. What did he mean by "feeding on human suffering"?
"I can't help it; you're my dearest Big Brother Kaido, after all!" Roa said with a smiling face, picking up his wine cup. Only then did Kaido cheerfully clink his cup with him.
With the two main leaders chatting and laughing, the atmosphere of the banquet was naturally quite high. Dylan, as the Calamity Company's chief steward, was currently exchanging pleasantries with Hanafuza, while Judge was already in a drinking contest with Sain.
A pleasant banquet lasted until the late hours of the night. Roa and Kaido moved to another spot to drink, discussing the details of this grand plan while they drank. The World Government was strong, very strong. If they brought out all their power, then even all the pirates in the New World combined would probably struggle to fight them. Therefore, this operation also needed to be handled carefully.
And it was at this moment.
Below, in an alley between two buildings on the back of a snail, a voice echoed.
"Gotti!" It was Doflamingo's voice. "Are you sure that guy will come?"
"Of course!" Capone Bege was still wrapped in bandages, looking like a little mummy. He said with conviction, "I challenged that idiot to a duel! I told him to meet me in the factory district!"
"This is his only way through! If we ambush him here, no matter how strong that guy is, he'll be caught off guard and we can beat him up!"
"Fuffuffuffu!" Doflamingo, also wrapped in bandages, nodded repeatedly with satisfaction. "Good, you sometimes use your brain!"
A cold glint flashed in Bege's eyes. "This time, we'll definitely teach that idiot a lesson—"
Doflamingo was just turning a corner when a large foot directly kicked him in the face.
"Wahh!" With a scream, Doflamingo instantly became a top, spinning and flying out, heavily crashing into the wall behind him.
"Zehahaha! Good evening, Doflamingo!" Teach's dark skin was almost invisible in the night, but fortunately, he was also wrapped in bandages. "Thanks for taking care of me earlier!"
"Wh... what?" Under the intense pain, Doflamingo struggled to lift his head, the bandages wrapped around his face soaked with blood, several of his teeth knocked out. He looked at Teach, who was stepping closer, in disbelief, feeling a sudden chill down his spine. "Teach! How did you know—"
Doflamingo suddenly paused. Could it be! Then he saw Bege leisurely walk up to Teach's side, the short, stout young man grinning. "That's right, Doflamingo, of course I betrayed you!"
"Gotti!!" Doflamingo instantly erupted in fury. "You actually—!!"
"Hey, hey, hey, what's with the surprise, Doflamingo?" Bege shrugged. "It was already expected that I, who submitted to you because of violence, would betray you for stronger violence, wasn't it?"
"Zehahaha! That's right!" Teach grinned, his eyes filled with a cruel glint. "Doflamingo, if you have to blame someone, blame yourself for being too weak!"
Doflamingo's eyes flickered, then his tone suddenly changed. "Misunderstanding, Teach, it's all a misunderstanding! I was wrong, I apologize, let's reconcile!" He couldn't help but reconcile! That bastard Bege had betrayed him, and most of his equipment was inside Bege's belly!
"Reconcile? At this very moment?" Teach laughed. "You're not kidding, are you!" Saying that, his body suddenly grew taller, transforming into a three-headed dog-man. "What I've tasted, I'll definitely give back to you in full!"
On the rooftop not far away, Kaido's eyes instantly widened, and he turned to look at Roa in disbelief. Roa shrugged. Try to rein in your jealousy a bit, Big Brother Kaido. It's just another Mythical Zoan, isn't it?
Below.
"Teach! Don't push me!!" Doflamingo wriggled backward like a maggot, terrified.
Teach enjoyed Doflamingo's fear, and he chuckled as he leisurely followed. "If apologies worked, what would we need fists for?"
Bege followed behind Teach, his face full of schadenfreude. Doflamingo, that's what you get for being so arrogant!
However, at that very moment.
"Teach! Don't make me!!" Doflamingo's tone changed again, almost gritting his teeth.
"Zehaha! I'm pushing you, what can you do?" Teach laughed triumphantly.
On the rooftop, Roa smirked. Getting carried away was Teach's weakness. And this was his strength.
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