Chapter 130: Pirate Empire
Once⌠in the âNew World,â there existed a powerful nation known as the âGolden Country,â one of the mightiest in the world.
A closed-off land that, for over 800 years since the foundation of the World Government, had repelled every pirate and government agent seeking its gold with the overwhelming strength of its samurai.
With its own unique culture and religion, cut off from the outside seas, it had a bountiful environment and vibrant people, all living in peace.
But now⌠thereâs nothing left of that former glory.
âHah⌠hahâŚ!!â
âGhh⌠Donât stop runningâŚ!! If they catch us, itâs overâŚ!!â
âGyahaha!! Where do you think youâre going, huh?!â
âKyaa!!â
â!?! Hey!! Thatâs a woman!! What the hell are you doing!?â
âI know thatâŚ!! But sheâs a fugitive and a traitorâŚ!! Traitors get executed!!â
âYou and this woman are gonna die!! Gyahaha!!â
ââŚâŚ!! Damn itâŚ!!â
Under the overcast sky of the Flower Capital, screams and laughter echo.
Two sounds that should never coexist. Yet in todayâs Flower Capital, theyâre nothing unusual.
âUu⌠p-please⌠helpâŚ!!â
âNo can do!! Youâre an example!! We gotta show the people what happens when you go against us!!â
ââŚ! Thatâs horribleâŚ!!â
A townsman who tried to flee is crucified, left to await death through torture, while those who chose not to resist or escapeâformer citizens of the Flower Capitalâare lined up in the square, forced to obey the piratesâ orders, one by one.
âGet in line!! Men are slaves!! Women are whores!! Doesnât matter if youâre a kid or an old fart!! If you canât work, you die!!â
âOr hey⌠how about you join us and try being pirates? Gyahaha⌠Not that it mattersâweaklings die either way!â
âNo doubt!! Gyaa-ha-ha-ha!!â
The Flower Capital, once the only prosperous region in Wano ruled by Shogun Kurozumi Orochi, allowed those who could generate wealth to live in luxury.
Unlike the other provincesâdesolate, lawless wastelands where people were forced to work in weapons factoriesâthis was the last haven, the last place where a human life could be lived.
But that, too, has ended. The country of Wano was destroyed several months ago.
On the night of the Fire Festival, the one peaceful day of the year where the alcohol ban was lifted and no one was supposed to dieâŚ
âŚeverything was crushed by a massive island that fell from the sky. Now, where the Shogunâs castle once stood, a certain something sits atop the wreckage of the town and its peopleâand that very thing became the name of the new nation.
âThis is Pirate Country now!! The weak die!!! The strongâusârule!!! Thatâs the law of this land!!!â
âGold, food, booze!! Houses, livesâitâs all ours!! If you canât survive, thatâs your problem!! Go die in a ditch!!â
âHahaha⌠Canât eat? Starving? Donât be stupid. Weâve decidedâfood only goes to those who work!! If itâs still not enough, then how about eating the corpses lying around? Chow down as much as you want!! Cleaning them up was a pain anyway!!â
âGyaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!â
ââŚâŚ!! This⌠this is hellâŚ!!â
Pirates, the strong, laugh like beastsâwhile the weak, innocent citizens bleed and cry.
But donât mistake this for hell. The name of this new nation isââNew Onigashima.â
Itâs the base ruled by the worldâs strongest pirate crew, one of the Four Emperorsâthe Beasts Pirates.
And it was the worst in history⌠a true Pirate Empire.
Still⌠âfirst impressionsâ matter.
âHah⌠hahâŚ!! HurryâŚ!!â
Ignoring the faint gasps of someone nearby, I think to myself. Yes⌠peopleâs impressions are based on appearance first. Everything else comes second.
âBut my looks are perfect⌠I mean, I am the cutest in the world, after all.â
Thatâs right, no problem with my looks. Iâm cute. No matter who sees me, Iâm an adorable beauty. A fresh, bubbly idol around fifteen years old.
Even my voice is obviously cute. Naturally, my skin is soft and silky. I smell great, too. Iâve got that natural beautiful-girl fragrance. Taste? I donât know, but probably delicious. The stronger someone is, the better they tasteâand Iâm ridiculously strong, so thereâs no way Iâd taste bad.
âIn short⌠Iâm a five-senses-level beautiful girl. The worldâs cutest. Perfect. From the tips of my toes to the top of my headâeven to the ends of my wingsâevery part of me is made of pure cutenessâŚâ
Yes, I am a flawless beauty, a perfect idol. Thatâs an undeniable truth.
âŚThen why⌠why are there people spreading false rumors about me?
Like I just saidâthereâs no issue with my looks, my voice, or anything else. Not a single flaw. Even looking in the mirror right now, I see the very embodiment of âcutenessâ staring back at me.
That means the issue must lie elsewhere. And though it pains me to admit it, I must accept the truth.
ââŚIf thereâs one thing I need to work on⌠itâs my âbehavior.ââ
Yesâif the embodiment of cuteness that is me has just one tiny, teeny-tinyâlike one millimeterâflaw, itâs probably in my behavior.
Think about it: even idols or actresses wonât seem cute if their words arenât, or if their gestures are crude.
Well, even that can be cute in its own way, and needless to say, no matter what I say or do, Iâm still cute⌠but yeah, I guess lately Iâve been so full of myself that Iâve neglected that area.
âIf I can tighten up there⌠Iâll become the ultimate Nue-chanâŚâ
Yes, I need to focus on the parts Iâve let slide. Starting now, Iâll train myself.
That said, I am a pirate, so itâs only natural if my behavior is a bit⌠yâknow. And even then, itâs not like itâs not cute. When I do something that wouldnât be cute if anyone else did itâit becomes cute.
Still, as an idol, my everyday behavior⌠my gestures and such could be refined.
âAlright, letâs start withâŚâ
An arrogant ruler gets taken downâof course, thereâs no universe where Iâd ever lose in cuteness. But even so, itâs important to never settle and always aim higher.
Whether itâs strength or cuteness, itâs all the same. Iâve always strived for the top.
So this time, Iâll polish myself once more. Spinning around, I flash a cute smile and introduce myself.
âââThe fifteen-year-old who wants to be all grown-up ⥠Iâm the little-sister-style idol, Nue-chanâPhantom beast Nueď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝âĄâ
Saying that, I push out my hips, lean forward, make a peace sign over my eye, and wink.
Checking myself in the mirror, I hold that smile for a while. Yep, cute as always. Might even be 20% cuter than usual.
But stillâŚ
"Hmm... Maybe I should tilt my head a little more this way...?"
I adjust myself little by little in front of the mirror. Striking a pose really changes how you come across, so it's tricky.
The way I talk and act is fine like this... yeah. But maybe just a bit more likeâyeahâ
"My favorite food, for this super cute me, is... meat⥠And my least favorite is~~~~~~ bugsâĄ"
"Nue-san!! Lord Kaido is callingâgahh!!?"
"Shut up!!! Donât just barge in!!!"
âJust as I was rehearsing, a subordinate suddenly slammed open the door and came in, so I greeted him with a barrage of attacks that I held back considerably on. Seriously, rookies these days are hopeless. I know he was in a rush, but to not even knock... clearly he needs more training.
"...Spandam~~~? Donât you think itâs completely inappropriate to enter a beautiful girlâs room without knocking...?"
"S-S-S-S-Sorry!!! Itâs entirely my fault!!! Nue-sama!!!"
"...Well, Iâm kind, so Iâll forgive you... but if you do it again, Iâll kill you, okay?"
"H-Ha-ha-ha-bbit!! Ow!! I bit my tongue!! Y-Yes!! U-Understood!!! Of course, Nue-sama!!!"
"So? What do you want?"
I sigh, watching the man try to suck up to me while biting his tongue in sheer terror. This subordinate just joined recently. After the Summit War, he was the first government official to betray them in Mary Geoiseâsomeone I already knew by reputation as being quite a piece of work.
[Beasts Pirates Rookie (Former CP9 Director) Spandam]
"Y-Yes!! L-Lord Kaido said, since it was already time and you werenât there, to go call you..."
"Huh? Oh, is it that late already? I was so focused I didnât notice. âŚBut really, whyâd you come running all the way here? You couldâve just used a Den-Den Mushi or a Smail to call me."
"Th-Thatâs just it! None of them were connecting!! Look, seeâhuh?"
Spandam takes out his Smail and tries calling my number⌠but the ringtone comes blaring from my pocket. Silence falls. He probably dialed the wrong number.
But the awkwardness and that brief pause in the air were so funny that I couldnât help but laugh.
"Ahahaha!! You called the wrong number!! Spandam, you really are such an idiot!!"
"Ugh⌠Y-Yeah⌠looks like I messed up⌠hahaha..."
"Yup yup!! But being funnyâs a good thing!! âAlright, letâs go!!"
"Y-YesâŚ!! (Damn it⌠why the hell does the great me have to be running errands like thisâŚ!!)"
"Hmm~? You wouldnât happen to be complaining about something, would you?"
"N-N-Noooo!! Not at all, Nue-sama!!! Letâs go right away!!!"
Maybe itâs just my Observation Haki playing tricks on me, but Spandam seemed a little disgruntled, so I decided to threaten him a bit. He's fun to mess with. His reactions make it worth the effort. Heâs a total weakling, but because heâs amusing, heâs got more going for him than your average grunt. Not bad for someone to toy with. And I do need more manpower. Even small fry can be useful if you have enough of them.
With that, I leave my room and head out from the castle to the castle townâsince Iâve got plans today!!
Castle town of "New Onigashima."
Once a lively city known as the Flower Capital, the town is now on the verge of being reborn as an even livelier paradise under pirate rule.
"Mmm, such a great view."
I take in the scenery that changed after the New Onigashima Project a few months ago.
I didnât dislike the old castle and town layoutâin fact, I liked them. The air, the water, the food of Wano all suit me. Iâve been to a lot of islands, but this place really feels the most like home.
So yeah, itâs a bit of a shame that it had to change. But being able to reshape things to my own taste is fun. Though the town around the castle was partially destroyed during the New Onigashima Project a few months ago, the restoration is already more than halfway done.
"Gyahaha!! Hey, this house over here isâhuh?"
"Whoa!! Itâs Nue-san!!"
"Heeey everyone⥠Having fun?"
While walking down the street, my subordinates notice me. The area near the castle, which weâve named "Gokuraku Town," is where the Beasts Pirates live and enjoy themselves.
The ones drinking in front of those fancy residences arenât just grunts. Theyâre my Headliners. Some Gifters too. Theyâre our core force, and we treat them accordingly. Weâre a lot closer than with the underlings. As soon as I speak, they get lively and respond right away.
"Of course, Nue-san!!"
"Hey Nue-san!! Come check out my house!!"
"Come by mine too!!"
"Nue-san!! Wonât you drink with us!?"
"If I feel like it, Iâll stop by⪠Iâve got plans with Kaido now though."
I keep walking, waving at the Headliners with a flutter of my hand, turning down their invites with a smile and a "maybe next time?" Honestly, being popular is tough. When everyone likes you this much, even just turning down offers gets exhausting. I drink with them when Iâve got free time, but todayâs a no-go. I walk down Jigoku Street with the rookies and my personal subordinates in tow.
Before long, I spot the place weâre headed for. Itâs the building at the center of all the construction our carpenters are working on. And sitting out front on a massive beam of wood, guzzling from a gourd, is my partnerâand now the undisputed strongest man in the world.
["Emperor" Beasts Pirates Governor-General "Kaido of the Beasts" â Bounty: 5,111,000,000 Berries]
"âŚâŚ!! Urrrp⌠Oi, Nue!! Youâre late!!!"
"Sorry, sorry!! I got distracted admiring how cute I was."
"Youâre the one who set the time!! And thatâs the excuse youâre going withâŚ!?"
"Hmph, thatâs not a dumb excuse at all. Me being cute is a perfectly valid reason. And itâs only a few minutes! Donât be such a whiny little guy over that!!"
As Kaido grumbles, downing his booze and complaining about me being late, I shoot back that heâs being too nitpicky. Kaidoâs serious like that. Big guy, but he fusses over the smallest things. And heâs already started drinking⌠well, thatâs nothing new, so whatever.
"âŚTch⌠Who was it that used to go ballistic over people being late, huhâŚ"
"You say something?"
"Nothing... Anyway, what the hellâs this building? Explain it, Nue."
"Huh? You can tell just by looking, canât you?"
Kaido grumbles some more, then gestures toward the building behind him and asks about it. But seriously, you can tell just by looking. Thereâs even a sign. Why is he asking?
Then Kaido suddenly yells:
"Thatâs not what I meant!!! Why the hell did you build a damn YAKINIKU RESTAURANT!?"
"Yup!" I said, pointing at the sign. It was a big four-story building. Above an entrance wide enough for even Kaido to walk through, it read: "Nue-chanâs Yakiniku Restaurant âĄ", complete with a cute illustration of my face. Nothing weird about itâat least, thatâs what I thought⌠but I guess I should explain.
"Huh? What's wrong with a barbecue joint? I love meat, and Iâve always wanted to open a place I produced myself~~⥠Fufun, impressive, right?"
"âŚWho the hellâs gonna use a restaurant? This is a pirate town."
"Itâs a special treat from Nue-chan, so any pirate under our banner can eat all the delicious meat they want!! Itâs basically a mess hall, but you know⌠it adds to the townâs vibe!! Even Onigashima had brothels and stuff set up all the time!!"
"Well, yeah, butâŚ"
"Right?! So today, weâre celebrating the grand opening! Food and booze, right here!! âCome on, newbies, donât be shy! Get inside, get inside!!"
I walked into the shop with Kaido, who gave a small sigh, and motioned the subordinates and newcomers Iâd brought along to follow. Parties are more fun with a big crowd. Besides our usual crew, Iâd invited the new recruits tooânot just Spandam.
"Welcome, everyone ⥠Our girls will show you to your seats."
"Wahaha!! Thatâs right, Kyoshiro!! Get in here!! Iâve got some damn good sake just for today to celebrate us becoming brothers!!"
From the Tobi Roppo, the strongest of the Headliners, came Black Maria and Sasaki. Theyâd brought a bunch of courtesans and former crew members with them, but between them were two new recruits.
Beasts Pirates Headliner âRed Flagâ X Drake
"âŚExcuse me."
Beasts Pirates Headliner âDozing Kyoshiroâ
"âŚThen Iâll gladly take you up on the offer."
"Oh my, the newbies are so stiff. No need to be that nervousâĄ"
"Whatâs with you, Kyoshiro? Nervous or something? Not like you."
"âŚYeah⌠I mean, well⌠standing in front of Lord Kaido and Lady Nue is⌠something elseâŚ"
"âŚâŚâŚ"
Neither Drake nor Kyoshiro cracked even a hint of a smile. They were the guests of honor today. Promising new blood we expected to wreak havoc for us down the line, so I brought them here to build some rapport. âOh, and Spandam too, technically. Not that anyone cares.
Anyway, this little dinner was also to make up for not giving the newbies much attention during the Golden Kagura festivities. Since I told Kaido I wanted to have drinks with the rookies, he took his seat at the head and leaned toward me.
"Oi, what about those two?"
"Hm? Oh, those two? I did invite them, you know? But theyâre even more uptight than these two, or maybe just bloodthirsty? They seemed eager to get back to work, so they went off on an expedition. âRight, Joker?"
"Indeed. Iâve sent both of them out on a mission."
"!"
Replying to Kaidoâs questionâand taking it a step furtherâwas our All-Star who had just joined us at the shop. A beautiful woman flanked by the Marys, our surveillance squad. At her entrance, both new recruits visibly twitched.
Beasts Pirates All-Star âJoker of the War-Tornâ â Bounty: 1.74 Billion Berries
"Right now, thereâs a lot to handle both in and outside of âNew Onigashimaâ... So those craving glory are diving into their work headfirst, and honestly, itâs been a great helpâĄ"
"Yeah! Whether itâs catching samurai or expanding our turf, nowâs the time to cash in!! Normally, thereâs no way anyone would turn down my invitation, but theyâre doing it for our sake, so weâve gotta forgive them, right?"
"I see. Then itâs fine. Sounds like the rookies are doing a good job too... Was planning to reward them today... but guess thatâll have to wait. Joker, good work to you too."
"Exactly!! Joker-chanâs been working so hard!! Eat and drink your fill today!!"
"Thank you kindly⥠Such gracious words..."
At our words, Joker offered a graceful bow with a soft smile.
As she took her seat beside me, Black Maria, seated next to Kaido, glanced over at her.
"Joker⌠so you came back. I thought I was finally going to have Lord Kaido and Lady Nue all to myselfâŚ!!"
"Oh dear, my apologies. But considering how exhausted you must be from all those back-to-back missions, why not take a break? Iâll keep Kaido-san and Nue-san companyâĄ"
"No need to worry about me. But perhaps you should rest?"
"Knock it off, you two⌠donât start a fight at the drinking table."
"Yes, yes, cut it out, both of you. No fighting⌠over meâĄ"
"Ugh⌠So cuteâŚâĄ"
"As expected of Nue-sanâŚâĄ Even more adorable than beforeâŚâĄ"
"She just winked once⌠You two are way too easyâŚ"
With a sharp, batcon wink from me, Joker, Black Maria, and all the courtesans and servers under our wing melted, their eyes turning into hearts. Fufufu, naturally. Even Hancockâs Mero Mero no Mi canât top my cuteness. Sasaki looked exasperated, but come onâdeep down, heâs totally a fan too. That tsundere.
Now, while Joker and Black Mariaâthe queens of hospitalityâwere squabbling, today was my day to host. I did produce the place, after all. That makes me the organizer, doesnât it?
"Come on, eat whatever you like!! My producer-certified restaurantâs got top-tier beef, pork, chicken, fish, veggies, and booze!!"
"As expected of Nue-sanâĄ"
"By the way, I built the placeâĄ"
"Yep yep, thanks again, Black MariaâŞ"
"The booze? Some of itâs brewed by yours truly!! âŚThat said, Nue-san⌠weâre only talking beef, pork, chicken, and fish for the meat, right?"
"Oh, thereâs all kinds! Wild game like boar and deer, of course, plus exotic stuff like crocodile and elephant... Ah, and my top recommendation!! The âNue-chan Specialâ!! A mysterious, top-grade meat!! Wanna try?"
"Yeah⌠Iâll pass."
Sasaki turned her down flat, dead serious. Ahh, I figured. Itâs a bit of an acquired taste, but itâs really good! For the record, my number one recommendation is the Nue-chan Full Course Set, featuring every type of meat. Iâve eaten tons of meat in my life, and I hand-picked the best of the best for this full course. Itâs the most prominently displayed item on the wall menu. Of course Iâd recommend itâitâs my fave!
âOh right, besides Black Maria, who built the place, and Sasaki, who provides the booze, I had help from a bunch of my adorable crew.
Ulti-chan handled the veggies. Pe-tan took care of the fish. Whoâs Who handled the main meat selection, and we even have his logo painted on the wall. Right beside it is a photo of King with his arms crossed, next to the words âI made this.â Okay, I wrote that myself, but still. He did help plan and cook some of the menu. Officially, heâs the head chef. So if someone yells âBring me the chef!â Kingâll show up. I set it up that way âcause itâs funny. King didnât seem to mind either, so itâs fine.
"Well, order whatever you like!! Here's to cute little Nue-chan and the grand opening of Nue-chanâs yakiniku restaurant!! And while weâre at itâcheers to the newcomers too~~~!!!"
"The newcomers are just an afterthought, huh."
Still, we all raise our drinks for a toast. Kaido throws in a casual jab, but I donât mind. Toast speeches in settings like this are usually pretty sloppy anyway. If it were a proper grand banquet, weâd do things right, but todayâs just a casual gathering. I down my drink in one gulp and start the conversation.
âPwah!! Manâour crewâs gotten huge again, hasnât it?! Weâve got ten thousand samurai!! Three of the Supernova joined us too, and even a government spyâs on board!!!â
âWorororo!! Canât have too much military strength!! And New Onigashimaâs shaping up nicely as a capital too!!â
âTotally!! The alliance with Linlinâs going smoothly too⌠Yamatoâs still on his honeymoon, right? Joker?â
âYes. Theyâre scheduled to spend about a month over there⌠then spend several more months in Totto Land, and return afterward.â
âNice, nice. Then by the time they get back, New Onigashima should be fully established as a nation!â
âYeah. Weâre building weapon factories in each district, and the capitalâs almost done. Make sure the harbor and the fortress atop the waterfall are handled, Black Maria!!â
âOf course⥠Iâll be working with Queen to speed up the construction as much as possible⥠If all goes well, the major works should be done in about three more monthsâŚâ
Drinking with grilled meat, getting poured sake by Joker, and chatting about how good things have been latelyâit all feels right. Ever since we started the New Onigashima Project, everythingâs been going our way.
The capitalâs already about 80% finished, and the harbor and fortress are just a matter of time now.
âWeâve rounded up most of the rebel scum too. All thatâs left are a few bandits and villages to wipe out⌠oh! Maybe we should let the newbies handle that?â
âWorororo!! Sounds good!! Hey, Drake!! Kyoshiro!! Either of you feel like handling it, go for it!!â
â!â
ââŚThat isâŚâ
The newcomers have been pulling their weight. Weâve already been giving them minor missions, and so far, no issues. Capturing the remaining samurai survivors in the country is just a matter of time now, so itâs safe to entrust them with this.
âThat is, unless theyâre⌠traaaaaiiiitoooorsâĄ
â! Kaido-san!! Nue-san!! In that case, let Kyoshiro handle it!!â
ââŚ! Oi, SasakiâŚâ
âKyoshiro, huh. Yeah⌠considering you were Orochiâs top retainer, even someone like âAshura Dojiâ shouldnât be a problem.â
âAhaha, true. Youâre still super close with Kyoshiro, huh, Sasaki?â
âDonât tease me, Nue-san!! Heâs got what it takes!! With Kyoshiroâs strength, heâd make a damn fine Flying Six!! Way more useful than that Kozuki tramp, Komurasaki!!â
ââŚ! Youâre overestimating me, Sasaki. Iâm still new hereâhardly worthy of the Flying SixâŚâ
âWahaha, donât be modest, Kyoshiro. If youâre my sworn brother, youâd better aim that high!! Come on, drink up!!â
âThere you go saying reckless things again.â
Drake and Kyoshiro had been hesitant about the job, but Sasaki stepped up and recommended Kyoshiro. As expected from someone who calls him a best friendâtheyâre seriously close. Honestly, itâs rare. You can really feel how genuine their bond is.
Especially since Sasaki recommending someone for a position like Flying Six is basically unheard of. The fact heâs willing to vouch this stronglyâfor Kyoshiro onlyâsays a lot.
Their relationshipâs gotten even tighter since Kyoshiro became one of our Shinuchi and was officially named Sasakiâs sworn brother. At least, Sasaki definitely sees it that way.
But⌠heâs a traitor, yâknow? With how close they are, I almost feel bad about eventually having to tell him. Poor guyâs gonna be crushed. Might even lose it. Though, Iâll admit, a revenge-fueled fight between a betrayed Sasaki and a vengeful Kyoshiro could be fun to watch. Guess weâll see when I show him the evidence someday.
Also⌠thereâs another potential traitor here. I turned to that one too.
ââŚAlright then, weâll leave the âAshuraâ case to Kyoshiro⌠and the village purge to Drake, sound good?â
â! âŚPurge the village⌠you mean there are rebels there?â
âX Drake. One of the Supernova who once made headlines across the seas. A peculiar pirate with a past as a former Navy officer.
He joined us and immediately became a Shinuchi. Well, strength-wise, no complaints. His Hakiâs still underdeveloped, but his ability is one of the many ancient Zoans weâve got: the Ryu Ryu no Mi, model Allosaurus. Heâs definitely Flying Six or even All-Star material in the future.
He listens to the job briefing with that usual dour face, refusing drinks from the courtesans.
âAs far as I can tell with Observation Haki, yeah. Looks like a few dozen samurai escaped the capital⌠oh, and while youâre at it, bring back the swordsmith and the little girl tooâĄâ
âSwordsmith and⌠little girl?â
âYep! Thereâs a swordsmith named Tenguyama Hitetsu and a little girl named O-Tama in Amigasa Village. Sheâs a Devil Fruit user. Capture both of them and bring them straight to me!!â
I gave the order while chewing my meat. I mean, if heâs one of the Supernova, this level of mission should be fine. A few dozen samurai is just the right challenge. He should win, but it wonât be a cakewalk.
I could go myself, sure⌠but if I do everything myself, Iâd just be stealing my underlingsâ achievements. Not a good look. King would give me crap for it. Though Sono would be thrilled since it means less work for him.
Thatâs why I try not to move unless itâs a really important jobâwell, I try. If I canât resist, Iâll still go!! Same for Kaido. Suppressing your instincts is bad. If you wanna go wild, then go wild. If thereâs someone you wanna kill, go kill âem. Leave what you can to your subordinates, but if youâve got the time and urge, then hey.
âOi, Nue. You trying to bring another kid into our crew?â
âMmm, something like that⥠Seems like sheâs got potential!!â
âWell, if youâre saying that, then she probably doesâŚâ
âWhat Iâm curious about⌠is where you learned she was a Devil Fruit user.â
âThatâs a secret⥠Mystery and the unknown are part of my charm⥠âAnyway, Drake!! Make sure to show that village how scary we can be!! Show them what happens to rebels and traitors!! Utterly!! Thoroughly!!â
ââThe swordsmith and the child with powers, right. Understood. Iâll head out later.â
Drake nodded instantly. Hmmm, not even a flicker of doubt, no slip-ups either. Unlike Kyoshiro, whoâs acting a little off, Drake doesnât seem to hold any grudge against us. Just business as usual.
Though, in Drakeâs case, we donât really know if heâs a spy or not. He did wipe out the Navy. Still not sure if heâs in contact with the new government. I made those anti-traitor remarks earlier partly as a warning to everyone here⌠ah, speaking of traitors, that girl comes to mind. Joker mustâve been thinking of the same person, because she turned to me and said:
âOh dear, so scary⌠By the way, are we still letting the âPirate Empressâ roam free?â
âAhhh, you mean Hancock-chan? Sheâs finished moving, so for now, weâre letting her rampage around the New World for our benefit!! Worst-case scenario, weâre close to Amazon Lily now, so we can just wipe out the whole island if we have to!!â
âFufufu⌠Understood. Iâll have someone keep a covert eye on herâFukurokuju.â
ââHah.â
â!â
When I said that, Joker immediately caught my intent and moved to issue orders to initiate surveillance. The one who appeared at his call, as if from nowhere, was one of Jokerâs subordinatesâa tall-headed ninja who had become a top-ranking member of the Beasts Piratesâ Marys.
âHeadliner of the Beasts Pirates (Former Leader of the Oniwabanshu): Fukurokujuâ
âIâve already dispatched several kunoichi to the former location of Onigashima, now Amazon Lily.â
âGood work⥠Youâre as fast as everâitâs a huge help.â
âNo⌠Iâm honored.â
âAh, Fukurokuju!! If youâre here, you shouldâve joined us!! Youâre a new recruit just like Hotei and Kyoshiro, arenât you?!â
âI appreciate the invitation, but I still have much to do. Iâd like to focus on my duties⌠and Iâve also begun training with the Devil Fruit you granted me recently.â
âI see~ Well, good luck!! It seems like a perfect fit for a ninja! Iâll be looking forward to the day you master it!!â
âYes. Both Lord Kaido and Lady Nue have treated us Oniwabanshu most generously. Weâre deeply grateful.â
âOooh, no need to be so formal, Fukurokuju. You samurai and ninja are vital assets for whatâs to come. Enjoy yourself.â
âDo your bestâĄâ
âYes. Now then, I shall take my leave.â
With a soft dron, Fukurokuju respectfully bowed and vanished in an instant. That uncanny elusiveness of his⌠Though I can detect him, it still takes quite a bit of focus to sense a ninjaâs presence. Their techniques are really something. Theyâd be such a pain to deal with as enemies.
That said, I donât think the Oniwabanshu or the Mimawarigumi are likely to betray us now. Orochi was thoroughly finished off by Hiyori-chan, and I doubt theyâd dare turn on us after all this time. They know better than anyone just how terrifying we are, and how long weâve worked together.
âWorororoâŚ!! The distribution of the Devil Fruits is complete⌠and weâve captured the Mermaid PrincessâŚ!! Now all that remains is the Road PoneglyphâŚ!!â
âAhh~ Are you really bringing that up in front of the newbies~? âWell, I guess itâs fine!! For now, weâll wait for the Mermaid Princess to awaken⌠As for the Road Poneglyph, the problem is we donât know where the last one is⌠Iâm guessing itâs one of two groups who have it.â
As Kaido, in high spirits from drinking, casually brought it up, I nodded. While the topic was pretty sensitiveâpractically the core of our future plansâit wasnât too risky to mention at this level. Even if someone overheard, it wouldnât matter much. Most of itâs already known to those in the know. And we donât intend to say anything truly critical anyway. Kaido knows that too.
âThe âNew Governmentâ or âRed-Hairâ⌠or is there still a chance Linlin kept one hidden?â
âMmm, thatâd be the easiest possibility, but probably not. If I had to bet⌠the most suspicious one is Red-Hair. Heâs the shadiest. I wonât rule out the New Government either, but⌠if they do have it, I think we could still manage.â
âThen itâs most likely in the hardest place to reach.â
âWouldâve been nice if it were in the Holy Land⌠but nope. We searched during the raid, and all we found were treasures and some Devil Fruits.â
The final piece needed to rule the worldâthe Road Poneglyph. There are four stones in total. Oneâs already in our possession. One is with Linlin, and that oneâs easy to get. Another can be tracked with a Vivre Cardâso we can get that in two years.
And the last one⌠Based on everything I know, Iâd figured it was in the Holy Land, Mary Geoise. We searched thoroughly during the raid, but only found valuables and Devil Fruits.
Still, I kept considering the Holy Land as a high-probability location. The fact that the Gorosei and those above them are missing⌠that Vegapunk is gone⌠and there are signs that something important was taken away.
And most importantly⌠If I assume the Straw Hat Crew will become the Pirate King, then one of the Poneglyphs must be wherever they go next.
After Wano, the most likely destinations are several. Places they havenât visited yet⌠like Hachinosu, the pirate island we have fond memories of, or Elbaf, the land of giants in Warland. Thereâs also Lodestar Islandâunlikely, but possible.
And⌠Mary Geoise. In the canon I know, many major incidents occur there, and itâs hard to imagine a scenario where the Straw Hats and the World Government donât clash.
The World Government forbids travel to Laugh Tale, so it makes sense theyâd hold a stone to prevent access.
Of course, the stone could also be in Elbaf, and the Straw Hats could end up opposing the World Government after becoming Pirate King. Thatâs possible. But if I think about the worst-case scenario for us⌠then the stone is in the hands of the World Government, and the Gorosei took it somewhere.
And the one hiding them⌠is Red-Hair. Thatâs the most troublesome and inconvenient possibility. I donât know if itâs because of him or someone who ran to him, but now even Buggy is starting to be a real nuisance⌠Itâs fun and interesting, but also a pain.
âStill, it doesnât change what we need to do. I grabbed a bunch of grilled meat all at once with my chopsticks, chewed it thoroughly in my mouth, then swallowed and said:
ââWell, weâre going to kill everyone anyway, so it doesnât really matter who has it, right?âĄâ
âWorororo!! So all your predictions donât mean a damn thing in the end!!â
âAhh, so mean!! You wouldnât have gotten the Mermaid Princess so easily without me!!â
âYeah, yeah. I know. Your hunches are always spot-on⌠Weâll stay cautious around Red-Hair, just in case⌠Got that, Joker?â
âOf course. Leave it to me.â
âIâm counting on you!! Joker!!â
I asked Joker, who handles intelligence, to keep an eye on Red-Hair. Like I said, weâre going to defeat everyone anyway. Still, we do need to locate what weâre looking for. Kaido and the others trust my insights and knowledge, but I canât say how far theyâll take us going forward. Itâs best to collect accurate, up-to-date intel from this world. If I know whatâs currently going on, I can match it with what I knowâand if I tell Joker or other smart people who handle information better than I do, weâre more likely to find the right answer.
But still⌠Even though weâre already the strongest pirate crew in the world, we havenât achieved total domination yet. We need to further strengthen our forces. Itâll take time to gather information. We also need to empower our current strength, and that means handing out some rewards too.
âStill, Joker, the other âAll-Starsâ⌠the âTobi Roppo,â and all our Headlinersâeveryoneâs working so hard⥠I need to think of some more rewards. Gotta add some extra to their pay too!!â
âFufu, you flatter me⥠Lady Nue always makes things easier for us.â
âMoneyâs fine and all, but if Iâm getting a reward, I want the right to challenge for the title of âAll-Starâ!! Lady Nue!!â
âOh my, now that sounds fun. Maybe I should try for Jokerâs spot myselfâĄâ
âFufufu⌠Youâd best know your place.â
âPromotion, huh? Everyone wants that, huh~⪠Drake, Kyoshiro, youâd prefer that over money too, right?â
ââŚIâll take whatever I can get.â
"...I have yet to accomplish anything worthy of a promotion, so I believe it would be too much for someone like me to handle..."
"I-Iâd also like to get promoted if possible!! Not just stay a low-ranking grunt!! Nue-san!!"
...Well, I knew it already, but stillâour crew really does have a lot of people who want to climb the ranks. Actually, everyoneâs like that. Once you gain status, everything else you might want naturally follows.
Even newcomers like the current Spandamâweaklings with no real powerâjoin the mighty Beasts Pirates to back the winning horse. They want strength so they can do whatever they please.
To that end, they eat SMILEs to gain power and climb higher... trying to become Gifters, or even aiming to grow stronger, rack up achievements, and become Shinuchi.
The Shinuchi try to get promoted to the Tobi Roppo, and every Tobi Roppo is gunning for the position of All-Star. Even if theyâve given up on becoming Pirate King, their ambition for higher status hasnât faded. That hunger for strength, that drive to rise, and that fierce will to winâthose are common traits in the Beasts Pirates. Precisely because they aim higher, a lot of them donât want to answer to anyoneâthere are even guys who say the only ones they'll take orders from are Kaido and me.
Well, we made the crew that way, so thatâs fine. The strong deserve to be on top, and since weâre pirates, if youâve got the power, then pride and ambition are more than welcome. Hierarchy doesnât need to be all that rigid, either.
So when it comes to rewards, naturally, promotion is what excites them the most... Though promotions up to Shinuchi are fine, the slots above Tobi Roppo are already pretty full. If we hand them out too freely, it cheapens their value. That said, weâve had more strong Shinuchi rise recently, and some of the Tobi Roppo have accomplished a lot too. Iâve been thinking itâs about time we give them a shot.
"...Hehe, yeah, youâre right. Maybe Iâll give it a little thought. Youâre okay with that, Kaido?"
"...Youâre planning something again, arenât you?"
"What do you think about holding a little event? A lot of people have made achievements lately, so we might as well throw a large-scale promotion event~âŞ"
I asked Kaido. Technically, promotions and such get decided after discussing with him, but that mostly applies to the All-Stars and Tobi Roppo. For anything lower, like Shinuchi, Kaido leaves it to the All-Stars and doesnât get involved. I donât usually butt in either unless itâs something big. For anything Tobi Roppo and up, Iâm the one with sharper Observation Haki and the better eye for strength, so I make the recommendations, and Kaido gives the final approval.
Thatâs why, whenever I mention someone has potential or bring up the topic of promotion, everyoneâs eyes light up. Sasaki and Black Maria reacted to my words, too.
And once Kaido nods to what I sayâwell, at that point, itâs basically official.
"Sounds good to me. Go ahead. Could be an entertaining event."
"Okay~⥠Then, since calling everyone together now is tough, letâs save it for the next Golden Kagura. We'll have a martial tournament... with Shinuchi promotions, Shinuchi earning the right to challenge the Tobi Roppo, and Tobi Roppo fighting for the chance to challenge the All-Starsâ"
I spoke while thinking aloud.
To honor my subordinates, to reward their strength... to create an opportunity for them to aim higher and grow even strongerâweâll hold a large-scale tournament before the higher-ups. A spectacle.
That way, I can decide the matchups myself... maybe have that guy and that girl face off, and see some interesting scenes. Itâll give all sorts of people a chance to grow... and maybe even flush out a traitor. Itâs a clear and direct way to give our crew a shot at promotion.
Itâs a good idea, I thought, and I declared its launch. As for the nameâletâs see...
âMaybe Iâll go ahead and call it... the Beasts CupâĄâ
"!!!"
As the gathered subordinates widened their eyes, I felt a swell of excitementâthinking this could become the perfect festival to mark the first Golden Kagura since the start of New Onigashima.
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