At this point, Who's-Who knew there was no hiding the truth any longer. He let out a bitter sigh. "Ah… I suppose you already know why I ended up here, don't you?"
Queen nodded. "Of course. You were a member of CP9. You failed a mission for the World Government, and they threw you in prison. You escaped and eventually joined Governor Kaido's crew."
A fire of pure anger burned in Who's-Who's eyes. "That's right," he snarled. "I suffered in that hellhole, and it was all because of that bastard, Red-Hair. He stole a Devil Fruit that the World Government had ordered me to transport."
He raised a trembling finger and pointed at the wanted poster in King's hand, at the smiling face of Monkey D. Luffy. "That Devil Fruit was the Gum-Gum Fruit."
The revelation clicked into place for everyone. "So that's how it is!"
But Who's-Who was far from finished. "Because of that one fruit, my entire life was ruined," he continued, his voice thick with resentment. "Before that day, I was considered a prodigy, on par with Rob Lucci. I had never failed a single mission. But for that one failure, the World Government abandoned me. They threw me into a dark cell to rot, where I endured inhuman torture. How could I ever forget that pain?"
As the raw hatred poured off Who's-Who, the others looked on, slightly taken aback by its intensity.
It was then that Kaido posed a chilling question. "So, Who's-Who, did you ever stop to think? Why would the World Government discard a 'prodigy' from CP9 over a single Paramecia Devil Fruit?"
The words silenced the hall. Not only Who's-Who, but all the members of the Beasts Pirates were stunned. Honestly, the thought had never crossed Who's-Who's mind. To him, the World Government's ruthless and unforgiving nature was simply how they operated.
King suddenly spoke up, his sharp eyes fixed on his leader. "Governor Kaido, is there something special about this fruit?"
"Worororo…!" Kaido's deep laughter boomed through the room. His gaze swept over everyone before landing on King and Who's-Who. "That's right. Because 'Gum-Gum Fruit' is not its real name. That's just a cover the World Government created to hide the truth. This Devil Fruit's true name is… the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika!"
The name struck the room like a physical blow.
It wasn't just Who's-Who who felt his world shatter. King, who was known for his unshakable calm, was completely flustered. His eyes went wide, his entire body began to tremble, and beads of cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Governor," he stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "You… you mean…"
"Worororo! That's right," Kaido confirmed, his grin widening. "This brat is the savior from those old stories you told me about. The one your Lunarian people have been waiting for: Joy Boy!"
At this, both King and Who's-Who froze completely, their minds reeling.
Seeing their two powerful comrades in such a state of shock left the others completely bewildered. What savior? Who were Nika and Joy Boy?
"Hey, King! What in the world is going on?" Queen asked impatiently.
But King was lost in his own thoughts, unable to answer. Queen turned his questioning gaze to Who's-Who. The former agent looked at Kaido, his expression grim. After receiving a slight nod from the Governor, he slowly began to explain.
"During my time in prison, while I was being tortured, I heard the name 'Nika' from the other prisoners and slaves," he said, his voice low. "He was a legendary warrior from the ancient past. The slaves believed that one day, this warrior would return to save them, to bring them smiles and free them from their suffering. That name became their only prayer in the darkness."
"Hey," Sasaki interjected, "that sounds like a complete delusion."
"That's right!" Who's-Who agreed, his face darkening. "That's what I thought at first, too. But then I noticed something. Any slave who mentioned that name would mysteriously disappear the very next day. I realized I was in mortal danger and risked my life to escape." He then turned to King. "King, is this story actually true? Do this 'Nika' and the 'Sun God' really exist?"
Pulled back to reality, King's expression was just as grim. He paused for a moment, glancing at Kaido, before he finally spoke. "I don't know for sure. But when I was a child, my parents told me the legend of the Sun God. He is the savior our entire Lunarian race has been waiting for."
The confirmation sent a wave of shock through the Beasts Pirates. In other words, the legend was real. And this rookie from Paradise was supposed to be that savior?
Just then, Ulti suddenly snatched the wanted poster from King's hand as if possessed. She stared at Luffy's picture, a terrifying aura exploding from her body as she roared, "I don't agree!"
Everyone stared in surprise as Ulti's voice grew louder, her eyes sweeping over them all. "What savior? I don't agree at all! I only know one thing: when Pay-Pay and I were about to starve to death on the street, it was Lord Kaido who took us in! It was Lord Kaido who gave us food and a place to live! Where was this so-called savior then?"
The raw emotion in her voice captivated the room.
"So I don't care about any savior!" she screamed. "If there really is a savior in this world, then it can only be Lord Kaido!"
A profound silence followed her outburst. Then, slowly, the shock on the faces of the other crew members faded, replaced by calm understanding, and finally, wide smiles.
"She's right," Who's-Who spoke first, clenching his fists tightly. "I prayed to that savior countless times in that prison, but he never came. Lord Kaido was the one who took me in and gave me a place to belong on this sea. So Ulti is right. Even if a savior exists, I only recognize Lord Kaido."
"Of course!" Jack added with simple, unwavering conviction. "Governor Kaido is the only savior in this world!"
One by one, every gaze in the room converged on their leader.
"Worororo…!" Kaido's joyous laughter echoed throughout Onigashima. He looked at his crew, his heart swelling with pride. "If you were to ask me the happiest moment of my life, it would be right now! Worororo!"
In that instant, the morale of the Beasts Pirates solidified, their wills forged into one.
After a few minutes, once the powerful emotions had settled, Who's-Who stepped forward. "Lord Kaido, let me go to Paradise," he volunteered. "Let me deal with this brat. Who cares if he's a savior? Once he's dead, none of it will matter."
The other members of the crew were clearly just as eager for a fight. However, Kaido laughed and refused the offer.
"Worororo… No need," he boomed. "Do you think I'm afraid of some brat? I am Kaido of the Beasts! Let him come to the New World. I want to see for myself if he truly has what it takes to stand before me."
Kaido's bold words once again ignited the fighting spirit of his crew. That's right, we are the Beasts Pirates! That was the only thought in everyone's mind.
However, Kaido would not let them become complacent. After building their courage, he had to make them understand the true threat of their future enemy.
"Therefore," he declared, his voice dropping to a serious tone that commanded absolute attention, "to prepare for the war to come, from this moment on, the Beasts Pirates will enter a state of full war readiness."
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