"Excellent!"
As the sun began to rise over the horizon, casting a golden light across Wano, Kaido turned to his commanders and began issuing orders.
"King!"
"I'm here, Governor!" King responded instantly.
"From this day forward, you are the Vice Governor of the Beasts Pirates," Kaido declared, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Everyone in this crew, except for me, will obey your orders without question."
The order itself was not a surprise. King had already been acting as the de facto second-in-command for years. While Kaido, as Governor, was often lost in a drunken stupor, it was King who managed the day-to-day affairs of their vast organization. Still, the official title legitimized his authority. From now on, not even Queen could openly defy his commands.
Indeed, Queen's expression stiffened at the announcement, but given his recent mistakes, he was in no position to object.
"Your focus from now on will be singular: take complete control of Wano Country," Kaido continued, his gaze fixed on his Vice Governor. "Starting today, the Beasts Pirates will move our primary base of operations to the Flower Capital. Kuri, Kibi, Udon, Ringo, and Hakumai—every region must fall under our direct control. As for who will be the new Shogun, I will inform you later."
He leaned forward, his tone becoming deadly serious. "But you must remember one thing. From now on, this country belongs to us. That means the people of this country are our people. The harsh methods we used before are no longer acceptable. Do you understand?"
King was visibly stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up with a deep understanding. He gave a firm nod. "Don't worry, Governor Kaido. I understand completely!"
"Good. Queen!"
After settling things with King, Kaido turned his attention to the nervous Calamity.
"From today onward, you are the Beasts Pirates' Minister of Science," Kaido announced. "You're a scientist, so go and do what you do best. You no longer need to concern yourself with the Prisoner Mines in Udon or the weapons factories."
Hearing this, the light seemed to drain from Queen's face. It was just as he'd feared. Governor Kaido was disappointed in him.
But just then, Kaido's voice cut through his thoughts. "What's that look for? Are you unwilling? Do you think I'm disappointed in you?"
"No, no, no!" Queen shook his head frantically, a look of shame on his face. "Governor Kaido, this was my fault to begin with. It's only right that you punish me."
"No," Kaido grunted. "If we're talking about mistakes, then I, as the Governor, have made the biggest ones. If I hadn't been drunk all the time, the Beasts Pirates wouldn't be in this state. And who said I was disappointed in you? Come here."
Surprised, Queen slowly shuffled forward. He watched as Kaido took out a thick stack of papers and handed them to him. He took them, puzzled, but when his eyes scanned the first page, they nearly popped out of his head. He began to stammer, his voice trembling with a wild, uncontrollable excitement.
"G-G-Governor Kaido... is... is this... is this real?"
"What do you think?"
Queen's hands trembled as he clutched the documents. Overwhelmed, he burst into tears, thick streams running down his face. "Waaaah! Governor Kaido! I... I swear! I will protect this with my life!"
The dramatic display made everyone else in the room burn with curiosity. Sensing their gazes, Queen hesitated, but Kaido didn't care. "It's fine. Tell them. Everyone here is family. They can be trusted."
A wave of emotion washed over the commanders at his words. But that feeling was quickly replaced by utter shock as Queen, his voice still choked with tears, announced what he was holding.
"This... this is the legendary blueprint for the Ancient Weapon, Pluton!"
The name hit the room like a thunderclap. Who's-Who was so startled he nearly leaped into the air, his face flushing with a feverish excitement. "So that's it!" he roared. "So that's it! Governor Kaido, is this the source of your confidence?"
"Ah. How about it, Queen, Who's-Who? Do you have confidence now?"
"Of course!" Queen's eyes were glued to the blueprints. "With this, forget some savior, or Whitebeard, or Red-Hair! Even becoming the Pirate King is within our grasp!"
"No, no, no!" Who's-Who was as giddy as a child. "Lead Performer Queen, your ambition is too small! With this, becoming the Pirate King is just child's play! Lord Kaido's goal should be the throne in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise! He should be the King of the World!"
Ordinarily, Queen would have been furious at being called small-minded, but now he was dancing with excitement. "You're right, you're right! With this, Governor Kaido can become the King of the World!"
At this point, even those who didn't fully grasp what Pluton was understood that it was a power beyond imagination.
"Very good," Kaido said, looking at his chief scientist. "So, Queen, are you still disappointed?"
"No, no, no! Governor Kaido, I'm so touched! You're entrusting me with something so important! Waaah..."
"Alright, that's enough nonsense," Kaido cut him off. "Since you understand its importance, don't let it go to waste. After we move to the Flower Capital, I am giving you the entirety of Onigashima to use as your personal research base. I have several tasks for you, and you must complete them as quickly as possible."
"Ah! Governor Kaido, please give your instructions!"
"First: I want you to research Zoan Devil Fruits. We will face terrifying enemies, so we must rely on the power of Devil Fruits to rapidly increase the strength of our forces." "Second: Research the ability to make inanimate objects 'eat' Devil Fruits. We can create powerful living weapons." "Third: Research Devil Fruit Awakening. This will elevate the strength of our entire command structure to the next level." "Fourth: Research techniques for human enhancement and genetic modification." "Finally, develop a new generation of powerful weapons, from cannons and firearms to new battleships."
If he had been given this list before, Queen would have felt his head explode. Any one of those tasks was a monumental challenge. But now, it was different. He had only glanced at the Pluton blueprints, but he had already seen technologies beyond his wildest dreams.
"Don't worry, Governor Kaido! Give me half a year—no, less than three months! I can deliver results."
"Good. But you won't have to bear the burden alone. I have already traded control of the quarry and weapons factories to Doflamingo. In exchange, he will provide us with Caesar Clown. In addition, Vinsmoke Judge will be arriving in Wano in a few days. You are old acquaintances and some of the smartest men in the world. Do not waste their talents."
A flicker of annoyance crossed Queen's face at the mention of his former colleagues, but he nodded. "Don't worry, Governor Kaido. Even though I can't stand those two, for your mission, I will handle it."
"One more thing," Kaido added. "I also snatched Dr. Hogback from Gecko Moria. You know his name. He's yours now, too. Doflamingo will also be sending another interesting fellow in a few days. He'll be joining your team as well."
"Mhm, mhm!" Queen nodded eagerly, carefully securing the Pluton blueprints.
Only then did Kaido turn his gaze to the last of his Three Calamities.
"Jack..."
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