Chapter 274: The World Sings My Name
"The other two…" Deuce shuffled through the wanted posters, pulling one out and tossing it over. "Here. You should recognize this girl."
"Eh?" Ace, who had been instinctively shrinking back, was dumbfounded. "This is Tashigi? The Supernova from my generation? She looks exactly like that fierce, violent woman, Kuina!"
Hiss, just looking at her is scary.
"They mistook her for someone else. The Big Mom Pirates made the same mistake you did," Deuce shrugged. "According to the newspaper, when the battle was at a stalemate, a veteran of the Charlotte Family, the head chef named Streusen, rushed to join the fight."
"The old man is rumored to have been a legendary pirate in his day. He tried to sneak up and take out Kuina from behind, but he got the wrong person. Tashigi was critically injured and nearly died at his hands."
"So she was basically a body double who took the hit?" Ace looked at the wanted poster with pity. "She was up against an opponent in a completely different league. What terrible luck… Huh? A bounty of 333,000,000 Berries?!?!"
His jaw dropped. No way! As the strongest of this year's Supernovas, his own bounty was only 300 million. How long had this girl been with the Curtain Call Adventurers, and she'd already surpassed him?
"For someone who cares about their bounty, you could say it was a blessing in disguise," Deuce said, holding his hands out. "She displayed the indomitable spirit of a swordswoman. Even knowing she was hopelessly outmatched, she put her life on the line and held Streusen off for a full thirty minutes. She earned that bounty."
Then what about what I've earned? I've been working hard too! Ace thought, cracking open a can of soda with a disgruntled look on his face. Then he saw the second wanted poster Deuce handed him.
"PFFT!" Ace spat out the soda he had just sipped. "What the heck is this thing?!"
The photo… no, it wasn't a photo at all. It was a hand-drawn sketch. The Mosshead he had fought before and some curly-browed guy were stuck together, a two-headed monster sharing a single body. Below the sketch, the poster read:
['THE FUSED MONSTROSITY' ZORJI]
Combatant of the Curtain Call Adventurers.
Bounty: ฿121,000,050, Dead or Alive!
"BWAHAHAHA! What are those two doing?!" Ace clutched his stomach, laughing so hard the pain made him forget his previous annoyance. "And why is their poster a drawing?!"
"Apparently, they were both defeated on the battlefield, so they teamed up to beat their enemies," Deuce said with a grin, pointing to a small note in the corner of the article. "But the Marines couldn't get a photo, and through some miscommunication, they thought it was some kind of permanent fusion caused by a Devil Fruit. So they just decided to issue a joint wanted poster."
"They suffered that kind of humiliation and still didn't even win?" Ace scratched his head. "Wait a minute, this new bounty is just their old ones added together. It didn't even go up."
"Nope, they didn't win. The power gap was just too big. There's no way a couple of Supernovas who just entered the New World could take on the likes of Oven and Daifuku," Deuce said, shaking his head. He glanced meaningfully at Ace. "That's why, Ace, while your confidence is a good thing, you need to be realistic about your own strength. You should start with weaker opponents and work your way up, not aim for the top right from the start…"
"That makes sense," Ace said, nodding thoughtfully. After a moment, he slammed his fists together. "Alright then, we need to change course! It's definitely too early to challenge Whitebeard. After all, that old man's bounty is over five billion, just like Shane's. Let's start with someone weaker!"
Sniffle, did he finally manage to persuade the captain? Deuce was so moved he was about to cry. A week ago, Ace had been dead set on challenging Whitebeard, and nothing the crew said could change his mind. They were all on the verge of a breakdown.
"So, who do you want to challenge first?" Deuce asked, wiping the corner of his eye, full of hope.
"Hmm…" Ace stroked his chin, thinking seriously. "If we're going to do this step-by-step, let's start with that guy! The one whose bounty hasn't gone up in years. He should be a lot easier!"
Who? Deuce was confused. Before he could figure it out, Ace had leaped onto the ship's figurehead.
"Alright, crew! Raise the sails! Let's go!" Ace clapped his cowboy hat onto his head and laughed, hands on his hips. "Full speed ahead! Our next stop is the Land of Wano!!!"
Onigashima, top floor of the Skull Castle.
In the dead of night, Kaido sat alone on the edge of a terrace, the latest newspaper clutched in his hand. A dozen empty sake gourds lay scattered at his feet.
"Worororo…"
A low laugh broke the silence. Kaido tilted his head back, pouring the last drop of sake down his throat. When he lowered the gourd, his drunken face was streaked with tears.
"Why… why the hell did you have to be so stupid!" Kaido beat his chest, wailing at the sea. "That kid is strong! Losing to him is one thing, but how could you not even save your own life?! You failed! You were too weak! You old hag!"
"Hey, I can hear you! Who are you calling weak? Who's an old hag?! You bastard, Kaido!"
An indignant voice suddenly snapped from the side.
"Who's there?! I told you, no one is allowed on the roof to disturb me!" Kaido roared, hastily wiping the tears from his eyes as he spun around. When he saw what was before him, his eyes went wide.
In the moonlight, a pink-haired woman in a cowboy hat was leaning casually against the railing. She was tall and slender, with a face as beautiful as a painting, holding a half-eaten slice of cake.
"Lin… Linlin??" Kaido stammered, unable to speak properly. "But you were… h-how could you be…"
"Mamamama! What, surprised to see an old friend back from the dead? Don't forget, I'm the user of the Soul-Soul Fruit, the one who has mastered the mysteries of the soul!" The pink-haired woman—a younger version of Charlotte Linlin—laughed as she stuffed the last bite of cake into her mouth. She wiped the cream from her lips, hopped off the railing, and strode towards him.
"That doesn't matter," she said, looking down at Kaido with a grin. "More importantly, hey, Kaido, I never thought I't see you this down, hiding up here and crying all by yourself. Who for? Me?"
"Don't flatter yourself!" Kaido turned his head away with a cold snort. "I was just pissed off! A mighty Yonko, taken out so easily by some rookie brat. Hmph, what a disgrace…"
Before he could finish, his cheek was pinched hard by a pair of slender, pale fingers.
"Ow ow ow! Gently, Linlin!"
"You're such a bad liar," Charlotte Linlin said, shaking her head. "I'll accept your concern for now, but there's no need to take it so hard. For a pirate, getting killed is just part of the game, isn't it?"
Part of the game? Kaido looked up, stunned. How is that part of the game?
"Have you been a Yonko so long you've forgotten how you got here?" Linlin pointed into the distance. "I ask you, what is that?"
Kaido looked out past the terrace, confused, but he answered with a frown, "The sea?"
"That's right, the sea!" Linlin grinned. "The sea we've always fought to conquer! The sea that accepts all dreams, all victories and defeats, all ambitions!"
"No price is too high to pay to conquer it. That's what makes it so captivating, so intoxicating!"
"Back in the day, we climbed to the top of this sea by stepping on the dreams of countless others. Now, times have changed. Someone else wants to step on us to achieve their own ambitions. Isn't that just the natural order of things?"
"Linlin…" Kaido stared at her spirited figure, lost in the moment. Finally, he lowered his head in silence.
"Hmm? Still don't get it? Hey, Kaido, when did you get so sentimental?" Linlin shoved his shoulder with a force that made his massive frame sway. "So what if I died? You think one defeat means I'm gone forever? How naive! As long as this sea continues to rage, as long as the stories of the next generation continue, our legends will never end!"
"What, you think I'm bitter? You think I'm resentful?" Linlin bared her teeth in a wild laugh. "Mamamama! What a joke! To be killed at my peak by a worthy opponent… for a pirate, that's the perfect final curtain!"
She spread her arms as if to embrace the night sky. "Compared to dying of old age in a sickbed or falling into the sea, an end like this is the only one worthy of the name 'Big Mom'!"
"So pull yourself together and get excited, Kaido! A monster has finally appeared on this sea, one who can truly threaten us, one who can kill us! How long has it been since you've felt that thrill?"
The night wind caught the ribbon of her hat and blew across Kaido's face. The drunkenness cleared from his head, and he stared blankly at her slender back.
"Linlin," Kaido closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Thank you," he said earnestly.
"Oh?" Linlin turned her head, a smile on her face. "Did you hear me? Good. In that case, give it your all and fight, you idiot. While you're still in your prime, while you can still swing your fists…"
"Either you end that brat and show him this is still your era! Or… you become a glorious stepping stone for his throne, just like me! Either way, you'll have lived a life with no regrets!"
Her figure began to blur and fade, her voice and smile receding into the distance. Kaido instinctively reached out to grab her wrist but caught only a handful of moonlight. Faintly, he thought he heard voices from the night.
"Ew, what an ugly kid! Newgate! What is this thing you've brought onto the ship?"
"Hmm? Just 'Linlin'? How rude, you little brat! You should be calling me 'Big Sis'!"
"God Valley… besides that Shakky, there are other top-tier Devil Fruits as prizes?"
"Hey! Linlin! You promised that fruit was for me, you didn't forget, did you?"
"Relax, relax, here you go. No one's fighting you for it, you clueless little kid…"
"Of course, now that Rocks is dead, we're all going our separate ways. Well then… little brat, this is where we part. To each his own destiny, eh?"
Kaido froze. After a long moment, he looked up at the empty terrace. The past was gone, and only the sound of waves crashing against the rocks of Onigashima remained.
"She's gone?"
He suddenly burst out laughing. He ripped open his shirt, revealing his scarred chest, and grabbed another gourd of sake. He smashed the seal and began to drink again.
She's finally gone! Seriously… so sentimental. If you're going to leave, just leave. Why'd you have to come back for one last look! I'm not a kid anymore! Still… I have to say it… Thanks for everything, you old hag!
Sake streamed down his neck, soaking his pants, but Kaido didn't care. He just kept drinking.
CRASH!
Finally finished, he stood up and slammed the empty gourd onto the ground. Amidst the shattering fragments, he let out a deafening roar. "WORORORORO—!!!"
The laughter rolled across the island, no longer filled with despair, but with a long-forgotten, soaring fighting spirit. He strode to the edge of the castle, looking down at the brightly lit island below, his voice thundering through the night.
"Listen up, you bastards!"
"From this day forward, the Beast Pirates are on a full war footing! All new officers, intensify your training! All factories, work day and night!"
"In three months, I want to see the most elite troops and the finest weapons!"
Kaido turned, the moonlight stretching his shadow long. He picked up his kanabo, slung it over his shoulder, and black-and-red lightning crackled around it. "The tide of the new era is here!"
"We either ride the wave or are crushed by it! That is the destiny of us pirates!"
"Worororo! Tell that brat to wait for me! Last time was just a spar. The next time we meet, it will be a true battle to the death!"
"OOOHHHH—!!!"
"LORD KAIDO!!"
The entire island erupted. Countless pirates raised their weapons and roared in response to their Governor-General's call. In an unnoticed corner, a young woman in a white kimono stood silently, a complex light in her eyes. The purple ropes she always wore had, at some point, been untied.
On the terrace, Kaido stared at the distant horizon, his face a mask of savagery.
Linlin was right! Instead of moping around, he should bet everything on one last, glorious battle! Win or lose, live or die, it would be a life worthy of this sea of dreams! That was who Kaido of the Beasts was, wasn't it?
"Come soon, Shane…" he muttered to himself, his voice fading into the night. "Only after you get past me will you have the right to rule this new era. But don't you dare get taken out by someone else… before you get to me!"
"Next time, I'll have to kill him."
New World, on the deck of the Red Force. Red-Haired Shanks put down the newspaper, his face expressionless. His words sent a chill through the crew. "That man may be on our side, but for the sake of a true new world, to ensure that all precious resistance forces are not wasted in vain… if it must be done, I will not hesitate!"
The crew looked at each other.
"Captain…" Benn Beckman's brow was furrowed, a cigarette dangling from his lips. There was a hint of disbelief in his voice. "You're… you're not joking? You're serious?"
"That's right, Captain!"
"Think about it! I've always quite liked Shane!" Lucky Roux and Yasopp added their voices to the protest.
"An uncontrollable, overly chaotic power will only be an obstacle to the new era," Shanks took a deep breath, his gaze hardening into resolve. "I admit I was hesitant before, struggling with the idea of turning against him… but the balance I have painstakingly maintained for years cannot be broken so prematurely."
"So, there is nothing more to say. I have never been more serious, Beckman, everyone."
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