That Kai was a member of the Beast Pirates and one of their high-ranking officers wasn't surprising to Kawamatsu. Without that status, they couldn't have met so easily.
But...
"Isn't Kurozumi Orochi the Shogun of Wano Country?"
"He's dead. I killed him."
Kai shrugged, his tone as casual as if he'd stepped on an ant.
"Hahahaha! Serves him right! Kurozumi Orochi, you villain, you finally got your comeuppance!"
Kawamatsu laughed heartily.
The culprit behind their current downfall was Kurozumi Orochi.
"Princess, are you working for the Beast Pirates now?"
Kawamatsu looked at Komurasaki, then at Kai, and sighed: "Well... at least you can live peacefully."
His expression was dejected: "It's all Kawamatsu's fault for being incompetent and unable to protect the princess."
Komurasaki reached through the cell bars, grasping Kawamatsu's hands with a face full of guilt: "That's not true. You did wonderfully. I was too willful, leaving without saying goodbye and making you worry."
Even though her original intention was not wanting Kawamatsu to starve to death, as an adult she now understood how much her departure without notice would have affected him.
This man with such a strong sense of responsibility must have been blaming himself all these years.
Kai interrupted the master and retainer: "To be precise, Komurasaki is my person."
Kawamatsu's pupils contracted. Another ambitious one?
"You want to replace Kaido?"
"That's a matter for the future."
Kai didn't hide his ambition. His future would never be limited by the position of an All-Star.
In the future, he would either leave the Beast Pirates to establish his own crew or take the Beast Pirates under his control.
Currently, he was more inclined toward the latter.
The Beast Pirates were also the best target for a cuckoo to occupy the magpie's nest.
Compared to the Big Mom Pirates bound by blood and family ties and the Whitebeard Pirates bound by father-son relationships, the Beast Pirates, who believed in strength above all, would be most accepting of a change in captain.
Kai, who wanted to become king of the world, was in a sense pursuing the same ultimate goal as Kaido's dream.
To overthrow the World Government and defeat Im, it couldn't be done without starting a massive war involving the entire world.
"What brings you here today?"
Kawamatsu frowned. He didn't think the man before him was kind enough to simply bring the princess to see him.
"Join me, Kawamatsu."
Kai smiled confidently: "The Kozuki are already a thing of the past in this country. You might as well transfer the gratitude you owe Kozuki Oden to Hiyori."
Seeing Kawamatsu unmoved, Kai spoke again: "Can you bear to let Hiyori live alone and helplessly on this land?"
Time for some moral blackmail!
Sure enough, Kawamatsu's expression immediately became conflicted.
Seeing this, Kai added another weight to the scales: "As long as you're willing to follow me, I can promise you'll never be asked to participate in any actions against Momonosuke and the Nine Red Scabbards!"
Kawamatsu was stunned: "You know about the young master?"
"That prophecy is no secret to me. I always know more than you imagine. For instance, among the Nine Red Scabbards, who betrayed Kozuki Oden..."
Kai's low voice, like a demon's whisper, instantly captured Kawamatsu's attention.
"No, impossible! The Nine Red Scabbards are united and completely loyal to Lord Oden. None of us could have betrayed him."
Kawamatsu was thunderstruck, his voice hoarse: "Don't try to deceive me!"
Komurasaki's gaze went blank. She had never imagined that one of those uncles who had been so kind to her was a traitor.
She looked at Kai and murmured: "Lord Kai, you're lying to me, right?"
"I never lie about such matters."
Kai's flat tone completely crushed the last trace of hope in both their hearts.
"If the Beast Pirates hadn't known your attack plan in advance, how could the Beast Pirates and Kurozumi Orochi have set up such a precise ambush on your inevitable path?"
Kai's words struck Kawamatsu's mind like lightning.
No wonder they had walked right into that encirclement that day.
"Tell me who that bastard is! I'll tear him to pieces!"
Kawamatsu's eyes were about to split with rage as he gripped the cold iron bars and shook them frantically, veins bulging on his hands, his face twisted and fierce with extreme hatred.
Traitors were far more hateful than enemies!
"Then join me."
Kai's lips curved into a smile of complete control as he calmly extended his right hand.
Kawamatsu's gaze moved back and forth between Kai's hand and his own, his heart torn between loyalty to the Kozuki and hatred for the traitor.
For a long time...
Kawamatsu tremblingly extended his right hand: "I can join, but I want the right to refuse missions. I would die before laying a hand on followers of the Kozuki clan."
"As long as you truly join, I'll treat you as my comrade."
Kai grasped Kawamatsu's outstretched hand with a brilliant smile: "Faced with a comrade's request, naturally I have no objections."
"Wonderful."
Though she didn't want to say it, Komurasaki was truly happy that Kawamatsu was willing to join Lord Kai's ranks.
CLICK! CLICK!
The cell door opened, and shackles fell to the ground.
Kawamatsu gained his long-lost freedom.
"Lord Kai." Kawamatsu bowed his head in submission.
"Kawamatsu, welcome to the crew."
Kai responded, completing this simple submission ceremony.
THUD!
Kawamatsu directly performed a dogeza, pleading: "Lord Kai, please tell me who the traitor is!"
Kai shook his head: "No rush. There's another person who equally desires this answer."
Komurasaki realized: "Right, there's also Denjiro! He definitely wants to know too."
Kawamatsu looked up in surprise: "Princess, you found Denjiro?"
Komurasaki smiled bitterly: "More accurately, he found me. If not for Denjiro, I probably would have died three years ago."
Kai chuckled: "Kawamatsu, you're not the first to join me. Denjiro has been working for me for several months already."
Although Denjiro used the identity of Kyoshiro, he had indeed been working for him.
Huh?
Kawamatsu's eyes widened.
Denjiro, you thick-browed, honest-looking guy betrayed too?
The three left the cell, and Kai asked Babanuki for Kawamatsu's sword, "Soto Muso."
Everyone present was stunned to see Kawamatsu docilely following behind Kai.
Was this still the same Kawamatsu who had eaten poisonous fish for three years yet maintained his pride?
What kind of magic potion had Kai given him?
"Bah! Traitor!"
One prisoner directly spat, his voice clearly reaching Kawamatsu's ears.
"Kawamatsu..." Komurasaki looked at him with concern.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." Kawamatsu replied quietly, his voice calm.
The moment he made his choice, he had already prepared himself.
At this moment, Queen twisted his obese body over with an expression like he'd seen a ghost.
As the one in charge of Udon's prisoner work site, he knew better than anyone how stubborn Kawamatsu was.
Even Kaido-aniki had personally come to persuade him once and failed.
How long had this kid been in there?!
And he'd already succeeded?!
"Don't worry about it. He's submitted anyway."
Kai couldn't be bothered explaining. He still needed to visit Udon's other four prisoner quarries to announce the new policies.
After finishing their business at Udon, the three rushed non-stop to the Flower Capital.