"Beasts Pirates, set sail!!"
Bazel had wanted to shout 'set sail' for a long time.
From the day he was born, he had always wanted to shout it, but fate was unpredictable.
He never became a pirate, instead, he became a marine.
But fate took a turn, and he ended up becoming a pirate while still a marine.
As for how this journey of life would end…
Bazel wasn't worried.
After all, in the original work, Dragon, who shouted 'Down with the Celestial Dragons' and 'Down with the World Government', survived for over a thousand episodes.
There was no reason his own journey would mark the grand finale.
"Shouting it out really feels good."
Bazel stood at the bow of the ship, the sea breeze blowing against him like a woman's slender, fair, and tender hand.
It tousled his hair, leaving behind a tingling sensation that eased his mind.
"You're really something, Bazel, getting so excited over something like this."
Kaido slowly walked over and sat down with his back against the railing.
"But this is what being a pirate should be like, Worororo~~~!!"
"Pirates are the freest creature on this sea!"
"Still, Bazel, I owe you thanks for what happened earlier."
'What happened earlier?'
Seeing the confusion in Bazel's eyes, Kaido grinned and pointed at the new crew members who were fervently training.
"If it weren't for you, I would've conquered them with force, making them fear my power from the bottom of their hearts."
"Thinking about it now, if I had done that, wouldn't I have been no different from that bastard Shiki?!"
"I refuse to become a pirate like that!!"
Others might not understand the deeper meaning behind those words, but Bazel did.
The frustration emanating from Kaido's heart was palpable, even through two chests apart.
Bazel knew exactly why Kaido was angry and why he had chosen to change voluntarily.
"Kaido-san~"
"On this sea, pirates don't get to decide everything, neither do the marines, nor the World Government. Look."
Bazel pointed at the sky, which had been clear just a moment ago but was now filled with roaring thunder.
Dark clouds gathered, and countless lightning serpents slithered behind the layers of clouds.
In an instant, torrential rain poured down on the world below.
"It's raining, Bazel-kun, you…"
Bazel waved at Toki, who was calling out to him not far away.
"Toki, this is a man's romance. You wouldn't understand."
With those words, he stopped Toki from approaching. Bazel and Kaido stayed in the rain.
One gazed at the sea, the other at the sky.
The one thing they had in common at that moment was their 'bottomless' depth.
"If the sky wants to rain, you can't stop it, and you don't even know how to."
Kaido stretched out his hand and silently caught the rain for half a minute.
"What I want to change isn't this sky. I was born in the Volka Kingdom in the New World. By the age of 10, I was already known as an undefeatable warrior."
"I was invincible, unstoppable wherever I went…"
A faint white mist drifted in the rain as Kaido's eyes filled with memories of the past.
"I thought that as long as I achieved military merits, I could eat and drink my fill. But that damned old king, fearing my power and wanting to secure participation in the Reverie, chose to sell me out to the marines."
"Life was tough back then. No money, no food."
"When I was starving, I had no choice but to turn myself in, sneak into the Marine's cafeteria for a full meal, and then escape in a hurry."
"Until I was fifteen…"
Kaido clenched his fist tightly.
"I received an invitation to join the Rocks Pirates. With Linlin's help, I grew stronger, but she told me that Rocks and the others on the ship weren't trustworthy."
"If I had any grievances, I could turn to her… How ridiculous."
"Even though we were crewmates, I couldn't even trust the companions I'd been with for years."
His hand formed a fist as Kaido looked at Bazel's profile.
"I don't want to create a pirate crew like that. Companions should trust each other. They should be able to confidently entrust their backs to one another in battle!"
Rumble…
The frequency of the thunder in the sky grew increasingly intense.
"You and King are the same… both brothers I can entrust my back to, Bazel!"
"I am Kaido, Kaido of the Beast. I will never become a pirate like Linlin or Shiki!"
"If I became a pirate like that, there would be no joy in setting sail at all!!!"
'So, it was Big Mom's doing.'
When Kaido uttered those words of gratitude, Bazel had sensed something was off.
If there was anyone on this sea who could easily stir Kaido's emotions, aside from the pirate queen who had always looked out for him, Bazel couldn't think of a second.
At fifteen, joining the Rocks Pirates, which is a melting pot of chaos, as an apprentice, he endured endless bullying.
Then, a tall, enchanting, and beautiful older sister stepped forward, declaring that he was under her protection and that anyone who dared lay a hand on him would face her wrath.
Bazel asked himself: if it were him, he'd probably fall head over heels too.
Especially at fifteen, an age when youthful hormones were just beginning to stir.
He wouldn't comment on the future 'giant drum' Charlotte Linlin, but the 24-year-old her was absolutely stunning!
Turning his head to meet Kaido's gaze, Bazel saw a flicker of resolve and determination.
Before transmigrating here, he had never quite understood the source of the conflict between Big Mom and Kaido.
After all, from their background stories, their relationship during the Rocks era seemed quite close.
So close that Big Mom could gift him the Azure Dragon Fruit, Mythical Zoan-type.
It could be said this treasure completely altered Kaido's destiny!
Yet, after the Rocks era ended, their relationship deteriorated sharply.
One built a family pirate crew preaching racial equality across Totto Land, the other forged Wano Country into an impenetrable fortress, awaiting the day of destiny.
It wasn't until later, when Luffy appeared, that the rift between the two was broken.
But in this life, as a firsthand witness, Bazel finally understood some of the reasons.
Differing ideals.
Both were awakeners of Conqueror's Haki.
Big Mom's management style placed her above all others, and her word was law.
Kaido was different.
This could be glimpsed just from his habit of wandering off aimlessly when bored.
Not to mention the mystery surrounding Yamato's birth.
And during the long periods when Kaido was absent, Wano Country and the Beasts Pirates were always under King's control.
Furthermore, in the original story, when Luffy was defeated in his great battle against Kaido, Kaido used Bao Huang to announce Luffy's defeat to the entire island, stating that those who surrendered or submitted could be spared and become his 'subordinates'.
This broad mind alone was enough to show that Kaido's desire for control wasn't as strong as Big Mom's. His attitude towards true comrades and genuine talent displayed far more patience than other Great Pirates.
He proved through action one thing: the Beasts Pirates were a completely independent entity, a vessel for his Conqueror's Haki ambition.
They were absolutely not a continuation of the Rocks Pirates.
"Brothers…"
Bazel sighed softly, trying to exhale the complexity in his heart.
Pirates were different from marines. The former were free knights-errant, direct in both action and communication.
The latter were more like scholarly gentlemen. Even if they acknowledged you as a brother in their hearts, they wouldn't express it so bluntly.
They preferred to convey it indirectly through other means.
"That's right, we are brothers!"
King walked into the rain and sat to Kaido's right front, holding three fist-sized sake cups.
Glug~ glug~ glug~
The ripples of sake swayed in the cups, reflecting the slowly clearing sky.
Bazel sat cross-legged.
The three now sat in a triangular formation, silently picking up the cups from the deck.
Their pupils reflected each other's faces.
"Kaido-san is right, Bazel. The three of us are brothers, bound by ties stronger than blood!"
King raised his sake cup.
"We will definitely change this terrible world. I have always believed in the bonds between us!"
Bazel stopped overthinking and grinned:
"That's right! The three of us will definitely blast open the gloom obscuring the sky! Just like the sun!"
The three cups clinked lightly. After a shared glance, they threw their heads back and poured the sun-reflecting liquor down their throats.
"Beasts Pirates, set sail!!"
Kaido stood up, his fully unleashed Conqueror's Haki blasting away the final clouds blocking the sunlight.
"Listen up!!"
"Hoist the sails! We're heading for Paradise! This is the final carnival before the curtain rises on the great era!"
"Follow me and turn this world upside down!!"
"Oh!!"
The many pirates raised their weapons and cheered, their eyes filled with excitement and fervor.
"Beasts Pirates, set sail!!"
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