Half an hour later, in the open waters near Dressrosa, Doflamingo's small group arrived at the floating golden island.
"Come on up," a voice boomed from above.
As Caesar, Monet, and Baby-5 stepped onto the island, they were immediately struck dumb with awe, just as their young master had been. They had seen the wealth of Dressrosa, but it was nothing compared to this. Before them was a city literally forged from gold, a true marvel of the world.
Their astonishment was short-lived, however, as their eyes fell upon the colossal man sitting beside the giant Golden Bell. An involuntary shiver, like a jolt of electricity, ran through all three of them. Nerves frayed, they slowly and cautiously approached. This was the giant of a man they knew only by reputation: Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors of the New World. Even their own master, the fearsome Doflamingo, had to address this man with respect.
"Lord Kaido! I've brought the people you requested!" Doflamingo announced with a grin.
Kaido, sitting cross-legged in the shadow of the bell, grunted and glanced at the three newcomers. His gaze lingered on Monet and Baby-5, and he praised them without reservation.
"They're every bit as beautiful as the stories say. A sight that brings joy to a man's heart!"
The compliment seemed to genuinely surprise the two women, and it did much to ease the crushing tension in the air. Perhaps this monster wasn't so terrifying after all.
"Thank you for your praise, Lord Kaido," Monet said, her cheeks flushing slightly as she spoke with a shy politeness.
Baby-5's eyes lit up immediately. "Does Lord Kaido need me, too?"
"Of course!" Kaido affirmed. Seeing the pure happiness on Baby-5's face, he turned his grin back toward Doflamingo. The underworld broker smiled, pleased to see that his subordinates were so well-received.
If Doflamingo knew what Kaido was truly thinking, however, his smile would have vanished. Kaido's desire to add the two women to his collection was only part of the reason he'd asked for them. The real purpose was strategic. Kaido knew that men like Doflamingo, blinded by their own arrogance, were destined to fall in the turbulent seas of the New World. When that day came, having Monet and Baby-5 in his service would allow him to seamlessly absorb Doflamingo's vast network and all his industries. This was the real reason Kaido was being so generous with the Wano trade deal. Everything Doflamingo was building now was just groundwork for the future of the Beasts Pirates.
Satisfied with his long-term plan, Kaido adopted a benevolent tone. "Doffy, tell me. What's the situation on the seas right now?"
Doflamingo, completely unaware of the scheme, was focused only on securing the Sea Stone business. He answered without hesitation. "Fufufufu… Lord Kaido, it's an absolute mess."
"Oh? Tell me more," Kaido rumbled. "With your information network, you must know things that even I haven't heard."
Doflamingo proudly relayed the news about Straw Hat Luffy's rampage at Enies Lobby and the shocking capture of "Fire Fist" Ace by Blackbeard.
"It seems my timing was lucky," Kaido noted.
"You're too modest, Lord Kaido. Even without these events, the Marines wouldn't dare start a war with you," Doflamingo flattered. "But it certainly helps. The World Government is hesitating. Anyone can see that this Blackbeard fellow is trying to start a war with Whitebeard! If it weren't for your own display of power at Sabaody, they might have taken the bait and gone after him. Now, they're terrified of fighting two Yonko crews at once. On the other hand, having Whitebeard's second division commander in their grasp is a temptation they can't ignore. They're in contact with Blackbeard, but they still haven't decided how to handle Ace."
"Is that so?" Kaido mused, then changed the subject. "And what about Straw Hat?"
"Fufufufu… An interesting one. He's lucky, too. The World Government has bigger fish to fry, so they've outsourced the problem to an old acquaintance of yours," Doflamingo said, glancing meaningfully at Hogback.
"You mean Moriah?" Kaido growled.
"That's right. The Shichibukai exist to help the Marines deal with troublesome rookies like him."
A ferocious smile spread across Kaido's face. "You're right. That is interesting… And what of the Vinsmoke Family?"
Doflamingo's expression soured with a hint of disdain. "Please rest assured, Lord Kaido. That fool Judge was ecstatic when he heard you were willing to bring Germa 66 into your fold. He plans to bring his children to Wano to meet you personally. As for Wapol, my men have found him. I will bring him and Judge to see you in Wano myself."
"Very good. I will be waiting for you."
Just then, Caesar, who had been standing silently, suddenly widened his eyes. "What?! That idiot Judge is coming too?"
Realizing his outburst, Caesar immediately clapped a hand over his mouth and gave a fawning, sweaty smile. "S-sorry… L-Lord Kaido, I lost my composure. I was just so surprised to hear the name of an old friend."
Kaido didn't seem to mind. "Is that so?" he said, his voice laced with meaning. "Speaking of which, you, Judge, and my All-Star, Queen, were all once members of MADS, weren't you? You can have a proper reunion. You should be thanking me."
Caesar kept the greasy smile plastered on his face, but inwardly he was screaming. Who in their right mind would want to work with those two bastards again?!
Still, seeing that the Emperor seemed more approachable than he'd imagined, Caesar decided to take a chance. "L-Lord Kaido, I have an idea, but I'm not sure if I should say it."
"Speak."
"Well, it is my greatest honor to serve you, Lord Kaido. But as you know, scientific research is incredibly expensive," Caesar began, warming up to his topic. "Although you won't be lacking for funds, I was thinking of a way I could save you some money."
"And your suggestion is?"
"It's like this. I can work for you anywhere. And my current location, Punk Hazard, just so happens to be the former primary research base for MADS. It still has some of the most advanced scientific equipment in the world." Caesar stopped there, knowing that Kaido was sharp enough to understand what he was implying.
Kaido did indeed understand. A nostalgic, almost predatory smile touched his lips. "Punk Hazard, eh? That's a familiar name. In that case, I think I'll go take a look with you."
Caesar froze, stunned. He had no idea that Kaido himself had been a research subject at Punk Hazard, where he had first met King decades ago.
For Kaido, this was a perfect opportunity. Decades had passed, but he knew something had been left behind—an artificial Devil Fruit created from his own Lineage Factor. He could, of course, just go take it himself, but that would inevitably attract the attention of the World Government. He had no desire for them to know that Vegapunk had successfully replicated a Mythical Zoan fruit, especially his own. If they knew, who knew what kind of monsters they would have Vegapunk create in the years to come.
While Kaido feared no one, the thought of that fruit—a part of him—being eaten by someone as pathetic as Kozuki Momonosuke filled him with a deep, visceral disgust.
And so, two days later, the matter was settled. Under the pretense of inspecting Caesar's new research facility, Kaido paid a visit to Punk Hazard. He secretly located and retrieved the artificial Devil Fruit, finally putting the disgusting feeling to rest.
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