"War!?"
The word hung in the air, stunning the members of the Beasts Pirates into silence once again.
True to his nature, Queen was the first to break it, speaking with his usual brand of arrogant dismissal. "Maaamamama! Governor Kaido, he's just some rookie from Paradise. Any one of us could wipe out his entire crew. Isn't calling it a 'war' giving him a little too much credit? Who cares if he's supposed to be some savior?"
Kaido shot a cold glance at Queen before sweeping his eyes over the others. "Do you all think the same way?"
The commanders exchanged uncertain glances.
At that moment, Who's-Who, who had been staring at Luffy's wanted poster with simmering hatred, seemed to notice something. His eyes went wide. "Wait a minute... Monkey... D... That name... and Marine Hero Garp... Hey, Governor Kaido, could he be?"
"What are you mumbling about?" Sasaki asked, looking puzzled.
However, Page One, the quiet young man with purple hair, suddenly had a flash of insight. "Lord Kaido," he said, his voice filled with surprise, "if I remember correctly, the full name of Marine Hero Garp is Monkey D. Garp. Is this new pirate related to him?"
He looked up at his governor, knowing that only Kaido could provide the answer.
Kaido decided to stop playing games. "That's right," he confirmed with a smirk. "The brat named Monkey D. Luffy is the grandson of that old fossil Garp."
The revelation sent another shockwave through the room, but this time it was mixed with a sense of morbid curiosity. Sasaki, for one, couldn't help but mock the situation. "His grandfather is a Marine Hero, but his grandson is a pirate? That's hilarious! Hahahaha!"
Who's-Who, however, suddenly understood the gravity of the situation. He calmed down and said, "So that's it. No wonder Governor Kaido is taking this so seriously. This kid isn't just anybody."
"Hey, hey, Who's-Who, stop speaking in riddles! What are you talking about now?"
"It's nothing," Who's-Who replied, a dark look on his face. "It's just that, from my time in CP9, I know a few things others don't. Marine Hero Garp has only one son. And that man's name carries just as much weight on these seas as Governor Kaido's."
Before anyone could guess, Who's-Who calmly uttered the name. "That man's name is Monkey D. Dragon."
"What!?"
This time, the reaction was immediate and universal.
"You mean the leader of the Revolutionary Army?"
"The man the World Government calls the 'World's Worst Criminal'?"
"Hey, hey, what kind of messed-up family is that?"
At last, everyone began to understand Kaido's caution. Dealing with a figure connected to either Garp or Dragon would be a massive headache for the Beasts Pirates.
But Kaido just grinned, deciding to apply even more pressure. "Did you all forget?" he asked casually. "He has a connection to Red-Hair, doesn't he?"
"EHHHH!?"
"The Straw Hat on his head belonged to the Pirate King... Gol D. Roger..."
"EHHHHHHHH!?"
"And he has a sworn brother," Kaido continued, piling it on. "The current second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates: 'Fire Fist' Ace."
With every name Kaido dropped, the shock on his commanders' faces deepened until their expressions became grim.
"Hey, Governor Kaido," Queen asked, his voice trembling slightly. "Are you saying our future enemies are the Marines, the Revolutionary Army, the Red Hair Pirates, and the Whitebeard Pirates? Th-This is way too much, isn't it?"
Kaido just gave another sly smile. "It's not just that. Hey, King, Queen... don't you think this swordsman named Zoro looks a bit familiar?"
Puzzled, the two Calamities looked at Zoro's photo again. Having not noticed it before, they now saw it immediately.
"This... This guy looks exactly like Shimotsuki Ushimaru..."
"Could it be...?"
"That's right," Kaido confirmed. "He's Shimotsuki Ushimaru's nephew."
"This..." Queen stammered, but King had already processed the information, his face a stoic mask.
"It seems we are destined to be enemies," King stated flatly.
"Worororo… That's right," Kaido laughed. "Are you scared?"
His question made everyone in the room flinch. But then, their fear was replaced by fierce determination. "How could we be?" Ulti was the first to shout, her eyes blazing. "We are the Beasts Pirates! I don't care who it is. Even if it's Whitebeard himself, if Lord Kaido gives the order, I'll go take his head!"
Kaido's laugh grew even louder and happier. If only Ulti were my child instead of Yamato, he thought.
He gave Ulti a fond look, which made her eyes practically turn into hearts. He then continued his breakdown. "Not only that, the Straw Hat Pirates currently have eight members. Besides Straw Hat and the swordsman, there's a chef named Sanji, a sniper named Usopp, a navigator named Nami, an archaeologist named Nico Robin, a doctor named Chopper, and a shipwright named Franky. Among them, Sanji's father is Vinsmoke Judge of Germa 66. Usopp's father is Yasopp, the sniper for the Red Hair Pirates. And Nico Robin is the only person left in the world who can read the Road Poneglyphs. Only the navigator, doctor, and shipwright seem to have no special backgrounds."
"Hey, hey, you've got to be kidding me..."
At this point, even for a Yonko Commander like Queen, the information was too much. His small eyes were wide with shock, nearly popping out from behind his sunglasses. This web of connections was absolutely terrifying. Even a single one of these backgrounds would be noteworthy, but to have them all intertwined in one small crew... The network was so vast, not even the legendary Rocks Pirates could compare.
"What kind of pirate crew is this?"
Feeling the heavy, anxious atmosphere in the room, Kaido's own mood soared.
"Worororo… But don't you think this makes things interesting?"
As all eyes turned to him, Kaido finally issued his grand declaration. "Challenging the entire world all by ourselves... Don't you think it's exciting!?"
"It's... It's exciting, but Governor Kaido," Queen said, his voice still trembling, "we'd be challenging so many people. Even for you, Governor, isn't that a bit much?"
At this moment, even the other battle-hardened members of the crew were visibly afraid.
"Worororo… Don't worry," Kaido reassured them, his confidence radiating through the hall. "I'm not sending you to your deaths. If I dare to do this, it's because I already have the means to win."
Everyone's eyes lit up again with renewed hope.
"Alright, the small talk is over. Now for the main business," Kaido announced, his tone shifting to one of absolute command. "To prepare for the upcoming war, our Beasts Pirates must also change. And the purpose of these changes is simple: to start a war that is big enough to shake the entire world to its core!"
At that instant, Kaido's heroic and unwavering aura made everyone's blood boil with excitement. There were no more words, no more doubts. Every single person in the room had only one thought.
"Governor Kaido, please give us our orders!"
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