A few days later.
The Souta Kiryuu Pirates were finally ready to head into the territory of the Beasts Pirates.
Crocodile—the arrogant desert crocodile—still refused to submit. Souta was already considering erasing his memory and remolding him into a pacifist puppet.
As long as Crocodile could fight at seventy or eighty percent of his full strength, that would be enough. Once the Seraphim were fully developed, the desert crocodile would become dispensable anyway.
And if Souta managed to obtain the Yami Yami no Mi, or capture Blackbeard himself who had already consumed it, then Crocodile's Suna Suna no Mi could simply be recycled.
"Old Sand, this time we're bringing you along to Wano. If you still refuse to change your mind when we return, then you'll disappear from this world—reduced to nothing more than a puppet under our control."
Souta spoke lightly, his face calm, though patience was running thin toward the prideful sand crocodile.
"Hmph!!"
Crocodile glanced at Nico Robin, Bonney, and the others who had already thrown themselves under Souta's banner. His frustration deepened.
But when he realized that after Gecko Moria, even the Pirate Empress had joined Souta's crew, shock struck him like lightning.
He had never imagined that haughty woman would bow to Souta.
"Hmph! Souta-sama, allow me to turn this insolent man into stone!"
Boa Hancock's face darkened the moment she saw Crocodile scowl at Souta. To her, a mere desert crocodile was hardly worth her time—she could dispose of him herself.
"Crocodile, I've already given you a chance. It's up to you whether you grasp it."
Souta chuckled, then tossed the sand crocodile, shackled with seastone cuffs, into the prison within Capone Bege's body.
If he could locate Doc Q or rescue Ivankov, he was determined to turn Crocodile into a woman—just to see how long his pride would last then.
At Souta's command, most of the crew boarded the Ark Maxim and set off toward the New World.
This time, Gecko Moria was left behind on Skypiea. If any crisis arose, the seven Seraphim could be deployed early to fight. Moreover, Vegapunk's scientific defense barrier was formidable enough to keep Skypiea secure.
For Boa Hancock, Souta prepared a lavish hooded cloak and a mask, disguises so she could accompany the crew to Wano.
Between Bartholomew Kuma, Enel, and Hancock, the three of them together could easily match Kaido's All-Stars in battle.
He wondered if the Tobiroppo had fully formed yet before Drake's defection to the Beasts Pirates. After all, Ulti was only twenty and Page One eighteen—were they strong enough yet to claim the title of Flying Six?
With Trafalgar Law, Capone Bege, Lafitte, Wyper, Bonney, Akainu, and Brook, his forces could certainly handle Who's Who, Black Maria, and Sasaki.
And beyond them, Souta's army still included his mask-wearing specialists: Leopard-man Rob Lucci, Doa Doa user Blueno, the werewolf Jabra, explosive Fukurou, the spring-bodied Bellamy, and the corrosive Bluck.
These fighters would have no trouble crushing Kaido's true lieutenants who lacked artificial Devil Fruits.
In terms of mid-to-high-level combat power, Souta's crew already rivaled any Yonko's fleet.
Still, their trip to Wano was primarily for trade.
Perhaps he could even coax Yamato—wielder of all three types of Haki—into joining him.
Souta also intended to have some fun while in Wano, capturing the likes of Otama with her Kibi Dango powers, Shinobu with the Juku Juku no Mi, and the beast warrior Onimaru in his great monk form.
Disguised as Tengu Yama Hitetsu, Kozuki Sukiyaki was also a main target—his Moon-Core blade capable of carving Poneglyphs had to be taken.
And beyond Wano, Souta still had his eyes on mining the lunar Moon-Core stones.
Meanwhile, as the Ark Maxim soared high through the skies, Kaido of the Beasts stirred with excitement on Onigashima.
He even recalled his numbered Ancient Giant Corps from their expeditions, preparing a grand Fire Festival feast to welcome the Souta Kiryuu Pirates.
Kaido was thrilled by this man, Souta, especially after hearing that he had crushed yet another Warlord of the Sea.
In Kaido's eyes, the Shichibukai—lapdogs of the World Government—were worthless scum. If he had the chance, he'd happily kill one or two himself.
Elsewhere on Onigashima, Yamato had also heard rumors of Souta. Jokes even circulated that Kaido might try to marry her off to him.
That notion infuriated Yamato. She was a proud man—a true incarnation of Kozuki Oden, determined to liberate and protect Wano. How could she ever be forced into marriage?
She would never obey Kaido's schemes.
Still, Yamato began gathering intel on Souta, curious about the man who had earned even Kaido's admiration.
"God-Slayer Souta Kiryuu. Bounty: three billion berries. The most infamous criminal—killer of two Celestial Dragons and a Knight of God…"
"What a massive bounty—greater than King the Conflagration or Queen the Plague!"
"To fight against the World Government itself, aiming to liberate the entire world… such an incredible dream!"
The more Yamato learned, the more she felt Souta's presence radiated an indescribable allure.
She had once thought liberating Wano alone was a grand enough goal. Yet this man's dream was even larger—freedom for the entire world.
From everything she'd uncovered, the World Government was an entity far stronger and more colossal than even the Beasts Pirates.
To overthrow them would be hundreds of times more difficult than becoming Pirate King.
"Maybe… he's like Ace," Yamato mused, her eyes burning as she gazed at Souta's wanted poster. "Another fascinating man."
If Kaido didn't force her into marriage, perhaps she and Souta could meet as equals—become friends, just as she had with Ace.
At Kaido's command, Onigashima erupted into lively preparations for the coming festival.
From the Udon mines, Queen supervised the transport of vast quantities of seastone, refined into purities both rare and common, back to Onigashima.
For the artificial Devil Fruit trade, Souta's crew demanded payment in seastone, rare metals, or other unique resources. They had no use for Berries, gold, or the Beasts Pirates' mass-produced weapons.
Word of the grand festival reached the Flower Capital, where Shogun Kurozumi Orochi prepared to receive the honored guests.
Beside him, the oiran Komurasaki wondered who could be so important that even Kaido himself would host such an event.
For Kaido—proud and arrogant as a living god—to personally honor an ally was unprecedented. Normally he didn't even look collaborators in the eye.
If the Beasts Pirates allied with a power of equal might, then they would only grow stronger—and Wano would fall deeper into peril.
Komurasaki's delicate brows furrowed as she considered her options. Perhaps she could sabotage this alliance, or even drive Kaido and this mysterious guest into conflict.