Wano Country, Onigashima.
As the headquarters of the Beasts Pirates, one of the Four Emperors of the New World, this island was supposed to be a paradise for its members. In the past, life here had one main theme: endless banquets. The person behind every party was Queen, one of the crew's top three commanders, the All-Stars. His love for celebration had made him the most popular and beloved figure among the Beasts Pirates.
But three months ago, that joyful atmosphere vanished. Even Queen, the life of the party, disappeared from public view. In his place, the absolute command of the Governor, Kaido, took over.
All banquets were canceled. Every low-level member was forced into a rigorous training schedule. The entire pirate crew entered a state of high alert, as if preparing for a massive war.
This sudden change sent ripples of tension across the seas. When one of the Four Emperors, a crew that reigned over the New World, began preparing for war, it was enough to put every major power on edge, especially the Marines. When Marine intelligence received reports that the Beasts Pirates were mobilizing, their nerves tightened immediately.
However, when they tried to discover the reason for this mobilization, they found nothing. The highest-ranking officers of the Beasts Pirates, including the three All-Stars and the Flying Six, were nowhere to be found. Even Governor Kaido himself had vanished. This lack of information only made the Marines more anxious. They raised the alert level for all their forces in the New World and warned all nations allied with the World Government.
Finally, today, after three long months, Cipher Pol agents hidden within Wano Country spotted them. Kaido, the All-Stars, and the Flying Six had returned. Watching from a distance, the agents couldn't be sure if it was just their imagination, but it seemed like the pirates had undergone a subtle but definite change.
Inside the giant skull of Onigashima, in the top-floor attic of the castle, the highest-ranking members of the Beasts Pirates had gathered. The three All-Stars and the eight members of the Flying Six were all present. As the people who knew each other best, they could clearly sense the changes in one another after three months of intense training.
It was just…
"Queen, big brother, have you really lost any weight?" Jack, the youngest of the All-Stars, asked as he stared doubtfully at Queen's massive waistline.
To the outside world, Jack the Drought was known for his incredible brutality. But in front of his two older brothers, King and Queen, he was as obedient and respectful as a child.
"Of course I have!" Queen declared, gripping his fist with a triumphant look. A cigar was clamped in his mouth, and his knuckles cracked as he flexed. "I've been training my butt off this month! I even had to skip my favorite red bean soup for it… sob…"
Watching Queen look like he was about to burst into tears, Ulti, the most unruly of the Flying Six, turned to King, who had been sitting silently at the table.
"Hey, King! Did Kaido even tell you what's going on?" she demanded irritably. "He just orders us to go out and train for three months for no reason and doesn't tell us anything. What's he planning?"
Ulti's question got everyone's attention, and all eyes turned to King. They all knew that if anyone had a clue about Kaido's sudden orders, it would be him. No one even bothered to comment on Ulti's informal way of speaking to a commander; they were all used to it.
Unfortunately, King simply shook his head. "Don't ask so many questions," he said coldly. "Kaido will tell us when we need to know. For now, your job is to obey orders."
His response made Ulti turn her head away in annoyance. "What's with all the mystery? It's so annoying!"
Who's-Who, a former CP0 agent, chuckled. "Well, the whole sea is in an uproar because of us," he said smoothly. "The Marines are especially terrified. They're all saying the Beasts Pirates are about to declare war on them."
Who's-Who meant it as a joke. Everyone present, despite being battle-hungry, knew that their crew wasn't ready to take on a massive organization like the Marines head-on. They weren't that arrogant.
But at that moment, a low and familiar voice echoed through the room.
"That's right. We, the Beasts Pirates, are going to start a war. A war that will change the balance of the entire world!"
Boom!
In an instant, all eight of the seated officers shot to their feet. Their expressions were a mix of shock, excitement, and awe as they watched the man slowly walk toward the throne. It was their governor, Kaido of the Beasts.
"Big Brother Kaido!"
"Mr. Kaido!"
"Lord Kaido!"
"Kaido!"
Kaido slumped down onto his throne and looked at the eight powerful subordinates welcoming him, but he felt no joy. He clearly remembered the events of the original story. The defeat of the Beasts Pirates had many causes—the main character's plot armor, Big Mom's interference, and Yamato's betrayal—but the biggest reason they were defeated so easily was because of their own internal problems. The fact that most of the crew's lower-ranking members had been killed by their own allies during the chaos was something he found particularly pathetic.
Simply put, these eight people, except for King, were a bunch of reckless idiots.
Thinking of this, Kaido's face darkened. A terrifying aura rolled off him as he spoke. "I gave you an order to train for three months, didn't I? So why… don't I feel any progress from any of you?"
His sudden accusation made everyone freeze. Even Ulti, who was never afraid to speak her mind, was too scared to say a word. She could feel the pure rage coming from Kaido.
Queen started to step forward to offer an explanation, but he stopped when he saw the cold, dark look in his captain's eyes.
"Since you're not willing to do it yourselves, then I'll supervise you personally," Kaido said, his voice dangerously low. "I'm going to give you a lesson you'll never forget. For the next few months, be prepared to die."
Instantly, everyone except King broke out in a cold sweat. They could all feel that their captain was not joking. The killing intent that flooded the room when he said the word 'die' was real. He truly intended to kill them if they failed.
Fortunately, one person in the room wasn't afraid of Kaido: King. He had escaped from Vegapunk's laboratory with Kaido and had followed him ever since, helping him build the Beasts Pirates from the ground up. He trusted and understood Kaido completely. He knew there had to be a reason for this sudden strictness, especially after hearing his captain talk about starting a war.
"Big Brother Kaido," King asked calmly, "has something happened?"
Kaido had always valued King, both for the loyalty he felt from him now and for the respect he had for the character in the manga he remembered. He looked at his subordinates, his face grim.
"The era that the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, started is about to end," he said slowly, his deep voice filling the room. "As my commanders, I refuse to let you be left behind with the old world."
"!"
Everyone was stunned into silence. They couldn't process what he was saying. The era started by Roger was the Great Pirate Era—the very era that had allowed them to rise and become one of the Four Emperors. If that era was ending, it meant the age of pirates was over. And if the age of pirates was over, what would happen to the Beasts Pirates?
"What do you mean by that, Big Brother Kaido?" King asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
Kaido didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Jack and Who's-Who.
"Jack, go to the Flower Capital. Bring me the woman named Kozuki."