Chapter 568: Kaido's Background!
After wrapping up everything on his end, Ryuunosuke walked to the bow alone.
Ever since the Aragami began threatening the peace of the seas, he could feel the world shifting in a direction that was… wrong.
Before, all he had to do was make a name for himself, rack up reputation points, and recruit people.
Now the recruitment for all four divisions was complete.
And for the first time in a long while, he felt an odd emptiness, like something inside him had been scooped out clean.
At this point, even Lilith's side and Adam's side would not dare to confront the Dragon Hunter Pirates head on.
They had effectively stepped into the top tier of power in the One Piece world.
Yet despite that, Ryuunosuke still found himself feeling powerless at times.
Just like now.
These Aragami posed almost no threat to the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
But the fact that they were hidden, scattered, and able to strike without warning made his chest tighten with frustration.
If they could not dig them all out quickly, that unease would cling to him for a long time.
And he hated that feeling.
It was the kind of discomfort that sank into your bones.
"Captain Ryuunosuke, are you troubled by the Aragami?"
Kaido's voice came from the side.
"Captain Kaido?"
"Yes."
Ryuunosuke turned his head, then smirked.
"Don't tell me you have information about these Aragami."
He meant it as a joke.
After all, Kaido had also fought those Aragami last time.
Kaido stared at him for a moment, then spoke with sudden bluntness.
"Actually… I am an Aragami."
"Hah?"
Ryuunosuke froze.
For a split second, he wondered if he had misheard.
Kaido continued, his tone calm, almost too calm.
"I wouldn't call myself a complete Aragami. My body was modified."
"And the one who did it was Vegapunk."
"But his transformation was not complete. He didn't erase all of my consciousness."
"So I escaped."
As he spoke, Kaido pulled off his top, exposing his back.
On it was a strange symbol, something like a character, something like a number.
"This is…"
"Codename."
Kaido did not wait for the question.
"That's right. This thing that looks like a number is just a code."
"Back then, I wasn't the only one inside Vegapunk's research institute."
"There were other experimental samples too."
"My codename was 6."
Ryuunosuke's expression hardened as he listened.
"I wasn't sure what kind of research it was at the time."
"But after I ran into those Aragami last time, I became certain."
"My physical strength isn't only because I ate a Devil Fruit."
"It's also because of what they did to my body back then."
"And my ability to endure the Fish Fish Fruit's dragon transformation is also because of this body."
When Kaido finished speaking, his body shifted.
He did not turn into a full blue dragon.
Instead, he entered a combat form, half man and half dragon, overflowing with pressure.
He made no attempt to hide it.
Kaido's current fighting strength was at least comparable to the division members.
Some of the fighters on the ship were not even as strong as him.
That kind of power was not something a normal body should be able to handle.
Without using his Devil Fruit at all, Kaido's strength was only around the level of an ordinary regular crew member.
But once he used it, he could surge all the way up to the level of a division leader.
It was not a small improvement.
It was absurd.
Ryuunosuke narrowed his eyes.
"How much do you know about these Aragami?"
"And are there any potential risks to your health?"
"I don't know."
Kaido's voice carried real frustration for the first time.
"I don't even know how my body was modified."
"As for risks, none have shown up so far."
Kaido's hunger for strength suddenly made more sense.
The deeper reason was not ambition, not pride.
It was to break free of the chains that had been placed on him in the first place.
Of course, Kaido had never told anyone this before.
For anyone, this kind of thing was the deepest secret they had.
"I see."
Ryuunosuke exhaled slowly.
"If this happened to you, then Vegapunk must have already activated the Aragami project."
"The Aragami appearing across the sea… they must have been human before."
"And since you didn't turn into an Aragami immediately, Captain Kaido, you must have already broken free."
He spoke with a faint smile, but his eyes stayed sharp.
It was only a guess.
But the more he thought about it, the more likely it felt.
Those Aragami were huge. They did not look like something you could hide forever.
If they had always existed in that form, then pirates roaming the seas for years would have discovered something.
The fact that no one did made the answer obvious.
The most likely explanation was that the Aragami had been walking around in human form before.
Only then did everything fit.
"Belubelu…"
Kaido's Den Den Mushi rang.
He picked it up immediately.
"King, what's wrong?"
"My lord, the Straw Hat Pirates and the Dragon Hunter Pirates have arrived in Wano Country."
"And their target is Kurozumi Orochi."
"Do we need to do anything?"
King's voice was steady, but the caution was obvious.
Kaido was currently on the Dragon Hunter Pirates' ship.
If they acted recklessly, it could put Kaido in danger.
"If I can help, I will."
Kaido answered without hesitation.
"If they don't need help, then leave them alone."
"Understood."
King did not say anything else and moved to carry out Kaido's order.
…
Meanwhile, on a special island in the New World.
This island was none other than Skull Island, once known as the holy land of pirates.
"My lord, the Aragami we arranged have already begun to move."
"The Navy was blocked, and now the Dragon Hunter Pirates have started moving as well."
"We can proceed with the next step."
Carmel reported without emotion.
Vegapunk leaned back lazily in his chair, looking satisfied.
"The Aragami project is not just about borrowing the name of a god."
"Let them see what true divine majesty looks like."
His lips curled into a smile.
"Carmel, the rest is up to you."
"The location is Marine Headquarters."
"The Dragon Hunter Pirates should arrive around that time."
He had been waiting for this day for far too long.
"Yes, sir."
Carmel's eyes gleamed.
"Let me bring the majesty of God to this world."
After saying that, Carmel picked up a stone from the side and left.
No one would have imagined Vegapunk and his group would appear so openly here.
After all, Skull Island was not exactly the kind of place people picked as a hiding spot.
But precisely because Skull Island had an enormous demand for goods, it gave them the perfect cover to hide their purchases.
That was why they chose it.
And Morgans' investigation had been focused on uninhabited islands.
He completely overlooked this famous island.
Carmel soon departed Skull Island.
And the moment he left, another ship silently followed behind.
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