Chapter 52: Strongest vs. Strongest
"Yo, Roger! And Kaido! Nue! Long time no see!! Sorry to barge in all the way into the New World, but all of youâbecome my subordinates!! Youâre strong! Your strength will serve my perfect plan!! So letâs let bygones be bygones!! Especially you, Roger!! Hurry up and spill everything you know about the world-destroying weapon!! Letâs take over the world together!!"
âHow many times have you tried to recruit me now, Shiki!? No matter what you say, Iâm not into domination!! Pirates are free!! If you want to rule the world, be my guest!! Butâno matter what you try, Iâll never bow to your rule!!!â
âShut up, ShikiâŚ!! I couldnât care less about your world domination crap!! Iâm gonna build the strongest pirate crew and tear this whole world to shreds!! That smug face of yours, Roger over there, the NavyâI'll destroy everything!!!â
âExactly!! This worldâs going to be ours!! No way Iâm becoming the lackey of some weird-eyebrowed old man like you!! If youâre so desperate for subordinates, go get those brows permanently waxed first and then try again!!â
âDoesnât that comeback feel a little off!?â
âThe sea was stormy, as if stirred up by the wills of those who had gathered there.
Gathered were the Roger Pirates, the Beasts Pirates, and the Golden Lion Pirates. Each one of them hurled their beliefs at the others through words. In these seas, those who can't speak their truth die. A pirateâs battle is about wearing your creed on your flag with prideâand crushing the beliefs of others.
Any pirate who values their life over their beliefs doesnât belong in these seas. Even if they manage to survive, itâs only because their beliefs and fangs have already been broken.
A true pirate is someone who values their beliefs more than even their own life. Thatâs why death itself canât be used to threaten a real pirate. They live on this sea for something greater than life.
But to protect your beliefs, you also need strength. And everyone gathered here meets the criteria of being a real pirate, through and through.
"You do realize what it means to turn down my offer, donât youâŚ!?"
"Yeah, I do!! âIt means Iâm gonna crush you, Golden Lion!!!"
âYou little shitâyou remember what I said would happen if you pulled this again, right!?â
âYaaay!! Letâs just break everything already!! âOh wait, Iâm getting hungry. Someoneâgimme food!â
âThis isnât the time to be so damn relaxed, Nue-san!!â
âSheâs so calm in all this chaos⌠but yeah, I could go for food too, Nue-san.â
âAre you blind or something!?â
âYaaay ⥠Thanks, King~!â
Each time they voiced their beliefs and clashed, the waves grew bigger. âEven if one of them was clearly a bit off, the sea still trembled.
But itâs not just pirates who carry beliefs.
The Navyâjusticeâs armyâalso bears a creed they call âjustice,â rooted deep in their own hearts.
âHey, Roger!! Donât forget about us!! Iâm taking all of you in!! Get ready!!â
âYou insolent scumâŚ!! We will not allow pirates to control these seas!! As long as we of the Navy reign over these oceans, evil shall never thrive!!â
The World Government, rulers of this worldâtheir elite spearhead is the "Navy Headquarters."
Leading their fleet were the mightiest forces the current Navy had to offer. Even these true pirates couldnât ignore them.
âWahahaha⌠Garp, Sengoku!! Of course Iâll take you both on too!!â
âDamn Navy pestsâŚ!! Fine, Iâll erase you right along with the others!!â
âI donât care who it is!! Iâll kill everyone!!â
âBut, just so you know, for now we agreed not to touch Roger and his crew, right Kaido? If you still want a shot at him, deal with Shiki and the Navy first.â
ââŚTch, yeah I know!! Quit reminding me!! Letâs go, you bastards!!!â
âOnly a few of us are still able to move⌠Thatâd be Kaido-san, Nue-san, me⌠and one dead weight.â
âHah!? Who the hell are you calling dead weight, you perv!?â
âWho else would I be talking aboutâŚ? If you donât wanna hear it, then fight like your life depends on it, you moronâŚ!!â
âSame to you, jackass!!â
âHey now, this is fun and all, but save the bickering for later. Weâve got plenty of enemies to deal with first.â
âThe pirate crews, the Navyâeach one bearing their own unshakable beliefs. Thus, the battle for the New World began.
âNOOOOOOOO WAYYYYYY!! Letâs not do this, Captain Roger!! Taking on the Golden Lion and the Navy at the same time is suicide!! And we canât trust those Beasts Pirates either!! For all we know, they might stab us in the back mid-fightâŚ!!â
âWahaha!! Donât worry about it!! If anything happens, Iâll protect you!!â
âUgh⌠Well, if you say so, Captain Rogerââ
âIâm gonna eat that red nose of yoursď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝!!!â
âGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!???â
I crept up on Buggy from behind and startled him just as he started to relax. As expected, his reaction was priceless, and it put me in a delightful mood. After all that screaming, he ducked behind Roger and peeked out from the shadows, eyeing me nervously.
âSee, Captain!? That oneâs nuts!! If we turn our backs on her, sheâll kill us for sure!!â
âHmm? Nue, are you gonna eat Buggy?â
âOf course not, of course not. You can trust me⪠â slurpâ
âYouâre drooling!!? D-Donât look at me like that!!â
Oh dear, looks like he really hates me now. It was just a joke, though. Devil Fruit users probably taste awful anyway. Buggyâs a BARA BARA human thanks to the Chop-Chop Fruitâhis body splits apart, and slashing attacks donât work on him. An invincible defense against blades. So if I were to eat him⌠I guess Iâd have to mash him up first? Canât bite what wonât stay in one piece. Stew him down, maybe. Not that thatâs the point. âAh, and then thereâs the other one.
âHuh? That kid over thereâs not scared of me?â
ââŚâŚ!! You donât scare me, lady!!â
ââŚHmm, I see. Not very cute, are you.â
I tried to spook the other apprenticeâShanksâbut he held his ground. He was clearly cautious, but not afraid. Honestly, kind of a buzzkill. If he were more of a scaredy-cat, Iâd have doted on him a bit. âŚThen again, breaking that strong spirit of his might be fun too⌠Though Iâd definitely get killed by Roger if I tried. Guess Iâll have to pass for now.
Chomp⌠âAaah, that hit the spot. âAlrighty, now that Iâm all recharged, time for another round!â
âHey, Nue. Let me do that thing again. Yâknow, itâs been a while.â
âHmm? âOh, that thing⌠Yeah, sure, why not.â
âHuh? Whatâre you two talking aboutââthat thingâ?â
After finishing a quick bite, I stretched out and saw Roger leaning in close with that mischievous look. That thing, huh. The one he used to love back when I rode on his ship over a decade ago. Honestly, it is effective, so sure, letâs go with that.
âGolden Lionâs closer than the Navy. Letâs hit him first.â
âAlright! Then gimme a ride!!â
âYeah yeah⌠âRainbow UFO!!ââ
âOh, nice!! Letâs goooo!!â
As Roger cheered, I conjured exactly what he wantedâand he wasted no time hopping on. âOnto the glowing, floating UFO I created.
âOkay thenâbon voyage!!â
âWAHAHAHA!! Iâm boarding that ship right now!!â
I piloted the UFO, flying Roger straight to Shikiâs ship. That thing was just riding my UFO and launching a direct boarding assault. Roger used to beg me to do it all the time. Eventually I gave in, and it kinda became our thing. I still use it sometimes to send people over, but most of my crew wonât ride it. Too scared, probably.
Then I zipped back to our own ship and called out to King, Queen, and the others still standing:
âAlright, while Rogerâs dealing with Golden Lion, letâs hit whoeverâs nearby and make a break for it. Bit of a waste, though.â
ââŚYeah. Thatâs fine, butâŚâ
ââŚKaido-sanâs already gone aheadâŚâ
ââŚWait, whatâHEY!! Kaido, dammit!! Stop charging in ahead like that!!â
âDIIIEEE⌠SHIKIIIIâŚ!!!â
Before I even noticed, Kaido had already taken off into the sky and was gearing up for an aerial brawl with Shiki. Tch⌠I shouldnât have wasted time playing around with Buggy. Seriously, take your eyes off him for one second and this happens. Not that Iâm any better sometimes. But this time, I really need to reel him backâ
âUgh!! COME ON, already!!â
âWhoa!!? A cannonball!?â
Queen flinched in shock as the cannonball I had deflected with my trident exploded. Well, thatâs understandable. It was a cannonballâfired with a speed that surpassed even a real cannon.
And thenâ
ââŚ!!â
âNow itâs shockwavesâŚ!!â
King glared bitterly toward the Navy battleship. I felt the same urge to glareâand I actually voiced it. Yelling directly at the two on that ship:
âHey!! What kind of monsters pick on a sweet, innocent little girl like this!? Youâre heartless!! If youâre gonna attack someone, go after Roger too!!â
âIf you were truly an innocent little girl, you wouldnât have been able to block that attack!!â
âSo thatâs Nue⌠I see. Up close, she really does just look like an ordinary girl⌠but sheâs a threat. We need to nip this in the bud, immediatelyâŚ!!â
Aboard the Navy ship were Vice Admiral "Hero" Garp and Admiral Sengoku the âBuddhaââtwo of the highest-ranking and most powerful forces in the Navy.
Garpâs trademark âFist Meteorâ was coming at us with absurd speed, and Sengoku had transformed his body into a giant golden Buddha and was launching shockwaves. Total cheat codes. I think itâs the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Daibutsu. Same Mythical Zoan-type class as the fruits Kaido and I have⌠though I still donât get how a âBuddhaâ qualifies as an animal. Is it even a living thingâŚ? Well, no point nitpicking Mythical Zoans. Especially not coming from meâitâd just bounce back like a boomerang. Either way, having both of them here is seriously rough!!
âYou two grown men ganging up on a tiny little girlâarenât you embarrassed!? Iâm reporting you to the Navy!!â
âMuahaha, youâre no actual girl anymâBUH!!?â
âSay that again and Iâll punch you, Queen!!â
âYou already did!!â
âHmph! You can throw tantrums all you want, but playing the kid card only when itâs convenient isnât gonna fool me! Youâre already a full-grown adult!!â
Tch⌠of course Garp saw right through meâŚ!! A lot of regular marines, even if they talk tough, subconsciously hold back when they think theyâre fighting a child. I was hoping Garp might go easy on me, since weâve got some history⌠but no such luck. Sengokuâs not the type to fall for antics either. Itâs frustrating, but looks like Iâll have to go all-out here.
Sigh⌠âI really wanna fight, but this time weâre making a run for it!! â Dark Cloud of Peace!!â
âHmm⌠a smokescreen!?â
âTch⌠we can handle it, but itâll make maneuvering a painâŚ!!â
I conjured a dense black cloud between our ship and the Navyâs to obstruct their vision. Sure, Garp and Sengoku can probably see through it with Observation Haki, but their helmsmen and lookouts canât. If we can force them to issue constant orders just to keep the ship going, thatâll stretch them a bit.
But weâre not done yet.
âNow for my signature move!! âUnknown Entityâ⌠âTerror from the Rainbow UFO Swarmâ!!â
â!!â
âWahhh!! Admiral Sengoku!! The UFOs are firing a barrage from above!!â
âItâs the enemyâs ability!! Donât panic!! Stay calm and counter it!!â
âLooks like Nueâs powerâs grown again!! Fist Fist⌠Meteor!!â
âKing!! Cover the cannonfire!!â
âGot itâŚ!!â
Next, I sent another swarm of UFOs barreling toward the Navy. If this keeps Garp and Sengoku fully occupied, thatâs perfect. Letâs see if they can protect the rest of their fleet too. If they can, theyâre welcome to try. I left Garpâs cannonfire to King and took to the skies.
Then, as the final prep for our getaway, I launched a few âseedsâ and flew toward Kaido, Shiki, and Roger.
âWave Slash!!ââDivine Departure!!ââGrrraaahhhâŚ!!ââ!! Kaido!!â
AhâKaidoâs getting wrecked. And not just by Shikiâdid Roger hit him too!? Guess he really did pick a fight with Roger as well? Though honestly, Kaido seems like the type to attack even an ally if heâs strong enough. Either way, I dove after him, catching his massive body just before he fell into the sea.
âGhhâŚ!! Those bastardsâŚ!!â
âHahh⌠Fighting Roger, then Shiki, and Sengoku and Garp⌠Yeah, thatâs rough even for youâŚâ
âHahh⌠Hey, Nue⌠Donât tell me youâre planning to run, are yaâŚ!?â
âThatâs right, Nue!! Stop playing with just the Navyâget over here and face us too!! Iâm getting jealous!!â
âShut up, Shiki!! Donât you dare look at me with those creepy eyebrows!!â
"No human rights for weird eyebrows!? You seriously hate my eyebrows that much!?"
No, itâs not like I actually hate them. I just mess with him for fun. Honestly, that might be even worseâwait, crap! Shikiâs launching seawater at us again. As usual, that Fuwa Fuwa no Mi is ridiculously broken in a sea battle. If we can't stop Shiki, he could easily sink our ship. This is way too stacked against us.
Kaido still looks like he wants to keep fighting, but itâs smarter to pull out for now. Luckily, the Roger Pirates are holding their own. Plus, I can leave just my UFOs behind to keep up some pressure.
"...Just settle for hitting them once and be done with it, okay? If you actually get caught by Garp and Sengoku, youâre not getting away."
"Tch... Damn bastards..."
Kaidoâs barely hanging on, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Well, duh. Thereâs no way he could handle Shiki right after fighting Roger for half a day and losing. Even I've been pushing myselfâsqueezing in quick bites to eat, catching short breaksâbut itâs brutal. If I let my guard down even for a second, I could pass out. Fighting like this? No way weâre winning.
Even Kaido must realize that by now. Heâs sobered up after the Roger fight, so his headâs clearer. He was grinding his teeth so hard it was practically audible, but eventuallyâ
"...Weâll hit 'em once, sink a ship, and pull out...!! Nue, use your powers too."
"Already done. I figured you'd say that, so I set it up ahead of time."
"...Good. Letâs move...!!"
"Okay, Captain~!!"
Following Kaidoâs captainâs orders, I finished my little setup, and together we struck back with a single blow.
The Marines, facing off against the Golden Lion Pirates, the Roger Pirates, and the Beasts Pirates all at once, naturally targeted the Beasts Pirates firstâsince we were the most worn down. But thenâ
"...!! That presence...!!"
"This is...!!"
Even through the black storm clouds, the two seasoned Marines leading the fleet could use their Kenbunshoku Haki to sense the general position of the ships, the enemies, and even incoming UFO attacks, allowing them to respond in real time.
But they immediately noticed something elseâthe presence that had clearly been Nue just moments ago had completely vanished.
Disappearing from the range of their Haki wasn't anything unusual in itself. Simple even. But in this situation, where visibility was awful, that simple trick was a serious threat.
If it were an enemy without long-range attacks, they couldâve ignored it. But against someone who could strike from a distance, they couldnât afford to. If they couldnât sense the attack coming, they'd take serious damage.
Especially if the attack targeted a ship they werenât onâthen there was little they could do to stop it.
"...Garp!!"
"I know!! Itâs coming!!"
But they movedâno, they could move.
Had Nue and Kaido gone for a ship further back, the two wouldnât have been able to respond in time. They kept up their attacks on the front lines, trusting the Marines on the other ships to hold out.
And they could move becauseâ
"!!"
"Mmgh...!!"
âthey were the targets.
The attacks hit their ship directly.
A barrage of heat beams and projectiles rained down. Garp and Sengoku split up, each countering the incoming attacks by either deflecting them with their own Haki-clad strikes or guarding against them head-on.
But even so, in that brief clash, Kaido and Nue made their escape, retreating with their ship.
What stuck with the two Marines wasn't frustration over letting them get away. It was something deeperâan unmistakable reaffirmation of the threat those two posed.
"...They retreated, but neither their bloodlust nor their hostility have dulled... They're even more dangerous than we thought..."
"If they'd charged at us like usual, we couldâve just beaten them down... But the fact that Kaido actually chose to retreat... I didnât see that coming..."
Sengoku recalled the reports on Kaido and the Beasts Pirates: how they'd charge into enemy fleets, cause massive casualties, get captured, go wild in prison, and somehow always escape. It was part of why this encounter had been seen as a rare opportunity. Maybe they'd charge recklessly again and get captured.
But it hadnât gone that way. Exhaustion from the fight with Roger played a part... but if the Beasts Pirates had been at full strength, Marine casualties would have been far worse. In a way, it was lucky.
Garp understood it even more intimatelyânot just from reports, but from firsthand experience.
He was one of the legendary Marines who fought against the Rocks Pirates. He knew Kaido and Nueâs true danger. Both of them had slipped through his fingers before.
And now, even while half-dead, the sheer force of Kaidoâs Haki had passed the point where any kind of mercy was possible. Smarter tacticsâusing Rogerâs crew as a distraction to escapeâwas something the old Kaido never would have considered. Maybe it was Nueâs influence. Or maybe Kaido was finally starting to show the instincts of a true captain rather than just a thug.
Either way, it wasnât good news for the Marines, the civilians, or the World Government.
"...We just let two monsters slip through our fingers..."
ââHey, Garp!! Donât let your guard down!! The Golden Lion and Roger are still in action!! The UFO threat isnât gone either!!â
âYeah... The Beasts Pirates were just a sideshow. The real targets are still out there...!!â
Yesâencountering the Beasts Pirates had been sheer coincidence. The Navyâs real mission was to stop Roger and the Golden Lion from joining forces. Their priority had always been elsewhere.
But... Garp couldnât help but feel that this may have been their only chance.
While the Beasts Pirates were still in their early stages, still relatively weakâthis was perhaps their last real opportunity to nip the threat in the bud.
The battle that took place in the New Worldâbecame one of those legendary clashes only a select few knew the true scale of.
Rogerâs crew, Kaidoâs Beasts Pirates, the Golden Lionâs forcesâand the naval fleet led by Admiral Sengoku and the hero Garp. Despite the ferocity of the fight, none of the factions walked away with a decisive victory. For the Navy, it had been dangerous, but also a rare opportunity. And if nothing else, preventing Roger and the Golden Lion from taking each other out or forming an alliance made the mission a success. Even if the soldiers on the ground grumbled in frustration, it was a win nonetheless.
But more than the Navy, more than the Golden Lion who had failed in his recruitment attemptâthere was someone else who was seething. Someone who felt this outcome as nothing short of a bitter defeat.
âDammit... I lost again...!! How the hell am I this weak?! This is bullshit!!!â
âYep, yep. Same old, same old. Donât let it eat you up too much, alright?â
âNew World, Desire Island. Inside Kaidoâs manorâthe Beasts Piratesâ hideout and his personal quartersâI sat across from Kaido, the two of us drinking not long after returning from battle.
Whenever he loses, Kaido tends to spiral at least once. Thatâs why I always make sure to drink with him afterward. ...If you say the wrong thing to Kaido in this state, he might literally kill you. His subordinates, I mean. Iâm fine, but who knows whatâd happen to the others. And we canât afford to lose more of our already scarce crew.
...Though, to be honest, even I get a little irritable and frustrated when we lose. A few drinks help smooth things over. So really, this works out for both of us.
With Kaido ranting and me nodding along, we both drank our fill.
âTo lose to that soft-ass Roger... and then have him show me pity on top of it!! Doesnât that piss you off too?!â
âWell yeah, of course it does. But we lost. Gotta own it and move forward. Next time, we kill him. Easy.â
âHell yeah!! Next time, I will kill him!! But to do that... I need to get stronger...! Stillââ
Oh? Normally Kaido would just end things there: get stronger, kill them, done. But this time, he trailed offâactually thinking for a second. What now? Something crazy again? Not that anything he says surprises me at this point. Especially when heâs drunk. He can get completely incoherent, though he listens to me more than anyone else.
Kaido downed another drink, then, in a surprisingly calm and serious toneânot angry or emotionalâhe spoke:
â...Weâre short on manpower.â
âHuh?â
âIf we keep losing, weâll never grow our forces. Weâve gotta avoid unwinnable battles and pick the fights we can win, or this crewâs never gonna get any bigger... It doesnât matter if you, me, King, and Queen surviveâif thatâs all thatâs left, whatâs the damn point?â
â...Wait, seriously? You just now figured that out?â
I blinked in surprise at Kaidoâs sudden moment of clarityâso grounded, so... rational. Iâd honestly assumed he knew that already, and just didnât care. I mean, yeah, Kaidoâs reckless, but heâs not stupid. Heâs survived all kinds of insane battles by sheer force of will. I thought he was wrecking the crew with full awareness of the consequences. Guess not... though to be fair, Iâve been doing the same thing, so I canât exactly talk. Maybe nowâs a good time to start planning things properly, together. Might even write up a real strategy document later.
Kaidoâs voice rose again:
âI was too obsessed with reputation!! But... yeah. Getting payback can wait. In the end, the one who survives is the one who wins...!!â
âWhoa... youâre more sober now than when youâre actually sober.â
âDonât mock me. You think Iâm wrong?â
âSorry, sorry. âBut yeah, I think youâre right. Thereâs no such thing as cowardice in a pirateâs fight. Sometimes, retreating is the strategy.â
I agreed without hesitation. Weâve seen what a successful pirate crew looks like. That guyâhe was terrifyingly strong, sure, but he still did everything he could to avoid the Navyâs pursuit. He always had a plan.
Maybe we need to follow that example, even if just a little. The power gap between us and the other monsters is definitely shrinking. Even if we canât win outright, weâve reached a point where we can hold our ownâat least for a while.
But that edge can be erased entirely if weâre outnumbered. Kaido knew that. Thatâs why he now spoke with such serious conviction.
âItâs fine if weâre strongâbut if our numbers stay this low, we wonât be able to deal with those smug bastards. Your ability helps pad the count, but thereâs a limit to that too.â
âYeah, my UFOs are great in group fights, but once someone really powerful shows up, they get wiped out fast.â
âExactly... Itâs annoying, but we need more weapons. More soldiers. Without that, weâre not gonna stand a chance against Roger, Whitebeard, or that damn Linlin. But if we build up, get our forces ready... then I can take them one-on-oneâor better. At that point, itâll be all up to my strength. Thatâs no problem...!â
I nodded in agreement. Still, the fact that he can boldly claim heâs stronger than those monsters one-on-oneânow thatâs Kaido for you. Your average pirate would talk about needing numbers to take down a beast or relying on tricks and strategiesâcheap little schemes to get by.
But Kaidoâs different. Sure, he uses schemes too, but in the end, he relies on his own strength. Pure, raw power. All those plans? Just steps to becoming the strongest pirate crew in the worldâand tools for crushing his rivals with his own hands.
Heâs no noble warrior. Heâs a battle-hungry brute who enjoys fighting, but also a realist. He doesnât suppress his desires or hold back his willâand he doesn't tolerate anyone who tries to interfere. Very pirate-likeâor rather, very Kaido. I donât know what others think of him, but personally? I like it. Itâs exciting. Itâs fun.
"Hmm? So what now?"
"...We expand the crew. I hate to say it, but the old hag was right. We need to gather more soldiers, more weapons, more ships. Everything it takes to build the strongest army."
"So no more reckless charges?"
"If itâs just you and me, then who cares. As long as we donât burn through our crew, thatâs all that matters. âNot being able to go wild is annoying, though."
...Wait, isn't that basically the same as before...? No, noâhe did say no more charging in with a whole crew. Thatâs already an improvement!! If itâs just one or two of us charging in, then thereâs no crew to lose, so itâs totally fine!! Perfectly logical!!
"First off, weâll strengthen the guys we already haveâand ramp up scouting. We need more capable officers. And if we find someone strong, donât kill âem. Try to make âem join us. Let King and the others know, too."
"Roge~r. I mean, not that this is all that different from what weâve been doing."
"We do it more. Break their spiritsâtorture, whatever it takes. If we break âem right, theyâll make good soldiers! Even kidsâif theyâve got potential, we take them in! Train them from a young age and they might grow up to be as strong as Linlinâs brats!"
"Thatâs true, but... only the ones with real potential, right? I mean, weâve let kids in before, but we donât keep the ones thatâd just end up dying... Still, it is fun to scare them. I like kids."
Kids are pure, you know? So full of potential... Not in a weird way, okay? Iâm just clarifying that in my head because Kaido had that nasty grin on his face. Seriously though, I donât dislike children. Even when we attack towns, I donât go out of my way to target kids. Unless thereâs a reason or a goalâthen itâs different. âHuh? Kaidoâs got his hand on his chin, tilting his head like heâs deep in thought. Whatâs up with him? Heâs staring at me.
I tilted my head back at him, wondering if he was just thinking something dumb again, when Kaido, dead serious, finally said:
"...Now that I think about it, all of Linlinâs kids are at least pretty strong."
âHuh? Well... I mean, they are Linlinâs kids, so yeah. At the very least, theyâve got to be stronger than your average child.â
Whatâs he going on about all of a sudden...? Itâs obvious, isnât it? Then again, it is Kaido. Maybe heâs about to go off on one of his unreasonable rants againâespecially since weâre talking about Linlin, whom he despises. Well, whatever. Iâll just nod along. Nothing surprising hereâjust one of those common conversations.
â...Then that means my kid would be strong too, right?â
âHmm? Well... logically, yeah, probably. Whether itâs Whitebeard, Roger, or Garp, their kids all turned out strong, didnât they?â
I answered casually, sipping from my bottle. Honestly, bloodline isnât something you can completely ignore. Sure, there are exceptions, but generally speaking, strength and talent do get passed down. Itâs just how biology works. Even beasts do itâmating the strongest males and females to produce offspring thatâll survive. Some even fight for that very reason. Humans are no different. Not every kid inherits greatness, but if the bloodâs there, theyâre bound to get something. Even if itâs just the worst traits from their parents, itâs still inheritance. And when you look at the children of monsters like them, itâs not hard to believe theyâll grow into monsters themselves.
âSo, if Kaido did have a child...
â...Then your kid would turn out strong too, right?â
âGulp gulp... pahh... Mmm~ yeah, I guess my kid would be pretty strong too. But... whatâs with the line of questioning? Whatâs this about?â
â...Then, if you and I had a kid... wouldnât that be the strongest kid ever?â
âEh? ...Pfftâhahaha!! Heheh, ahh... okay, Iâll give you that one! If Kaido and I had a kid, theyâd probably be insanely strong... ahaha! Thatâs a good one!! What a joke!â
ââSo. Why donât we make one?â
âYeah, thatâs funny. Honestly, not a badâ...huh?â
And in that moment, my mind just... shut down.
My brain completely failed to process the words. I froze up, mid-laugh, with a smile still plastered on my face.
...Huh? Did I just... Did I hear what I think I did? And did I nod just now...? No, waitâbetter double-check. Still smiling, I tilted my head and asked,
âUhh... sorry, what was that just nowâ?â
âWeâre making one!! Why not give it a shot!? You and meâweâre gonna make the strongest damn kid this worldâs ever seen!!!â
â.....................â
...Okay no, I didnât mishear that. He really said it. He actually said it. Wait, WHAT!?
âEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?â
From the very depths of my soul, I let out the loudest scream of my life, hit by the single most ridiculous, most outrageous shock Iâve ever known.
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