"Too slow, Abel, the annoying bugs outside are increasing."
The already tottering door crashed to the ground, and Kaidou walked in. This was a research institute affiliated with the World Government, but Kaidou appearing here was quite normal.
Being captured was not a new experience for him. Back in the Vodka Kingdom, with his extraordinary talent, he became the strongest soldier in the kingdom at the young age of ten.
As an adherent nation of the World Government, the Vodka Kingdom had to pay tribute to the Heavenly Celestial Dragons each year, but due to its national economic conditions, the Vodka Kingdom was unable to afford these payments.
The Vodka Kingdom could only wage wars against non-adhering countries to gather the tribute for the Heavenly Celestial Dragons.
Kaidou was originally a member of the kingdom's army, but that year, the king wanted to gain participation rights in the World Conference and was intent on handing over the gifted Kaidou to the Navy to participate in the military draft.
Kaidou refused, and the king forcibly handed him over to the Navy.
Declining to become the king's political tool, Kaidou destroyed a warship and began his life as a pirate.
From then on, every time he was hungry, he would be captured; the prison ships became his dining hall.
Later on, he joined Rocks, and even after Rocks was history, he continued to get captured.
This time, he was sent to this research institute to study endurance experiments and Bloodline Factor issues.
For him, getting captured was frequent, and breaking out was equally common. And this time, he planned to recruit new partners.
Abel was the person he had set his sights on. He had seen what happened to Abel earlier and was intrigued by the Lunarians' talent.
Thus, he released Abel, but Abel insisted on taking others with him when leaving. Kaidou agreed to this, wanting to see the extent of Abel's abilities.
And so, he became Abel's contact person.
Looking at it now, Abel's abilities were not only outstanding, but there was even more to gain.
Though Kaidou seemed like a brute, he was quite cunning. Initially, he had planned to make a show at a crucial moment.
Given Abel's strength, breaking out alone was impossible.
He had been observing the area; that girl's strength was not weak either. Of course, the most intriguing was the newly hatched Arceus and the pillar of light filled with destructive aura, which piqued his interest.
"Hey, Arceus, would you like to join my ranks? Aren't you trying to reclaim your power? Join my pirate crew, and I'll help you regain your lost power in the future."
He had already overheard their conversation earlier. Abel and Shaina were rare talents, capable of growing into formidable allies.
Initially, there wasn't an issue since he helped them escape, but Arceus's appearance indicated some new changes.
Looking at the Lunarians' situation, they would likely obey this sacred beast's words unquestionably. Enlisting it would not only enhance their combat power but also further bind Abel and Shaina.
He admired capable people, no matter who they were, whom they served, or their race. As long as their abilities were appealing and they were willing to join him, he wouldn't refuse and had plenty of patience.
Arceus's strike and its miraculous energy-replenishing method interested him greatly.
In Kaidou's view, the opponent was newborn. It was the perfect time to recruit.
However, things developed differently than he had imagined.
"Pirate crew? What's your name?" Looking at the tall man with horns, Arceus recalled some things, and his appearance gradually matched some forum pictures.
But there are differences between the two-dimensional world and the real world; actually being here, he needed to confirm.
"Kaidou. Abel has already agreed to join me earlier. They are Lunarians, naturally wanted individuals, even more so after leaving here.
This world is vast; searching for something can't rely on only one or two people."
"My lord, Sacred Beast, Kaidou saved me, so I..."
"It's okay. Repaying someone's kindness is perfectly normal. Others have no right to interfere with your life."
Arceus was more interested in another question. The name Kaidou, planning to establish a pirate crew, along with information from Lunarians, combined, finally confirmed this was the Pirate King world.
Seeing only snatches from forums or data pushes, he knew Kaidou as a future Four Emperors but lacked details.
Arceus did not know the specifics of the Three Disasters, so he wasn't aware that Abel would eventually become the chief of the Three Disasters, Flame Disaster - King.
So, these captors of the Lunarians' identities needed no further explanation.
The peculiar disrupting magnetic field was also explained. He didn't know where the remaining stone tablets flew off to—Four Seas, Grand Line, Red Earth Continent—the area was too vast, indeed requiring more personnel to find the tablets.
If he searched alone, it would take unknown time to find them. Currently, he couldn't fly; with the loss of the stone tablets, the flying, psychic, ghostly tablets were not with him, and he had not fully matured, rendering his form unable to fly.
The sensing range of the stone tablets was uncertain. Instead of flying aimlessly, sending out people to collect some news was better.
Objectively speaking, the World Government was the best tool, but contact was out of the question due to the personality merge resulting in some of Arceus's original preferences.
Betrayal and deceit were unforgivable; those coveting the stone tablets were unforgivable, especially as they saw him as a research subject.
Future Four Emperors group, with undeniable potential. As for Navy or Pirates, it mattered little to him now; he only wished to reclaim his stone tablets.
Joining someone else's ranks for this, he couldn't do it.
His original personality wasn't so arrogant; society was a grindstone, internships made him gradually smooth out; without enough background, retaining sharpness was impossible.
Now, with the Hundred Beasts Pirates just established, joining as a founding member was significant. From various analyses from an omniscient viewpoint, Kaidou treated capable subordinates well.
Unless something unexpected occurred, he was destined to become a Sea Emperor, one of the greatest factions.
However, Arceus was different, as the Phantom Pokemon that created everything, the Creator God was his identity.
Now, he inherited the intrinsic pride of Arceus, rekindling the feeling of being a fervent youth.
His goal was to collect stone tablets, but focusing on the outcome didn't mean ignoring the process.
"I won't join anybody's ranks. However, considering you saved Abel, I can make a deal with you, a deal you can't refuse."