Sure, the enemy pirates were nobodies—small-fry scrubs who'd get smoked in a New World bar fight. But to Kaido, Lei Luo, and even baby-faced thirteen-year-old King, these chumps were less threatening than a soggy cracker.
To the island's villagers, though? These pirates were Satan's beach vacation crew. Burning, looting, kidnapping, and worse—straight-up villainy. The locals fought back with pitchforks and prayers, but against New World pirates, even the weakest ones? Good luck.
Right now, the goons were cackling like hyenas, dragging screaming girls toward their ship. Sea voyages are boring as hell—months without an island in sight. Pirates, being a sausage fest of raging hormones, had… creative stress-relief methods. Some hauled sheep aboard for "entertainment" (and emergency snacks). Others? They snatched women, treating them no better than livestock.
Cue Kaido and King, dropping from the sky like divine wrath. To the villagers, it was like the Pirate Gods sent their VIP angels.
WHAM! Kaido and King cleaned house in ten seconds flat—pirates down, no sweat. Sure, their plan was just to jack the ship, but to the villagers? Instant saviors. Cue kowtowing, sobbing, and "Thank you, lords!" galore.
Pirates killing pirates and getting hero-worshipped? Peak irony, Lei Luo snorted.
The scrub crew had looted enough supplies to stock a floating Costco. Lei Luo, Kaido, and King snagged some fresh threads, hopped on the ship, and peeled out. The Beasts Pirates officially had their first ride.
The ship was massive—because apparently, the lamer the crew, the bigger they overcompensate. Still, Kaido's seven-meter-tall frame was a logistical nightmare. He had to punch through walls just to stretch his legs.
"Trash ship," Kaido grumbled. "When we hit Water 7, I want a BIG-ASS pirate ship."
"Chill, big guy," Lei Luo said, patting Kaido like a whiny toddler. "I'll get the shipwrights to build you a captain's room fit for a dragon-sized tantrum."
After teaching King to sail (because someone's gotta do the grunt work), Lei Luo sprawled on the deck, sketching the Beasts Pirates' jolly roger on a giant black cloth. Memory of the OG manga guided his hand: four big bones in a starburst, a skull with Kaido's massive dragon horns, and a stylized "eight" in the back.
"Whaddya think?" Lei Luo stood, waving the flag like a proud art kid.
Kaido eyed it, nodding. Damn, this guy's my brain twin. It was perfect—badass, bold, totally him. But a captain's gotta nitpick. "The flag's… uh…"
Lei Luo's glare could melt steel. "What? It's the canon design. You wanna beef, we're dueling."
"Super dope!" Kaido backpedaled, swallowing his critique like a bitter pill. "Love it!"
Lei Luo shoved the flag at him. "Good. Hoist it up the mast."
Kaido zoomed to the top, hung the jolly roger, and dropped back to the deck. They admired their new brand, Kaido grinning like a kid on Christmas. Auntie smile activated.
"Oh, Lei Luo," Kaido said, rubbing his stomach. "I'm starving. Cook something, yeah?"
Lei Luo's forehead veins popped. Vice Captain to personal chef? Screw this. "When we get a real ship, I'm hiring a cook FIRST."
Meanwhile, Navy Headquarters, Marineford.
Fleet Admiral Kong was in a meeting, sweating bullets over the Lei Luo disaster. A rogue Rear Admiral? Whatever, small potatoes. But torching Punk Hazard and springing Kaido and a Lunarian? That's a Five Elders-level PR nightmare.
Kong rubbed his throbbing temples. The Five Elders had just ripped him a new one via Den Den Mushi. Billions of Berries up in flames, Kong! Fix it!
He was screwed. Two years—two years—and Lei Luo went from powerless boot camp grunt to Rear Admiral. Admiral potential, gone rogue. Why me?
Just when he thought the Rocks Pirates' collapse was a win (after they smoked an Admiral, no less), the remnants—Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Roger—were carving up the New World. And now this internal mess? Can I get ONE day off?
"What's the play for Lei Luo?" Kong asked, voice tired.
A Vice Admiral stood, all business. "His defection's a stain on the Navy. We nab him ASAP."
Tsuru, arms crossed, chin propped, wasn't so sure. "Not that easy. Punk Hazard reports say Lei Luo one-shotted a Rear Admiral. Then dropped Conqueror's Haki so strong it floored our elite troops."
Sengoku nodded. "And he's teamed up with Kaido. They're probably a crew now."
Kong groaned. Kaido, post-Dragon Fruit, wasn't the Rocks intern anymore—he was a monster. Add Lei Luo? Regular Vice Admirals would get mulched. Only an Admiral or Garp could handle them, but Kong was stuck at HQ. Garp was chasing Roger like a bloodhound, and Sengoku or Zephyr had to stay ready for Celestial Dragon emergencies. World Government rules: no excuses, one Admiral on standby, always.
One Admiral left. New World crawling with big shots. Sending them on a wild Lei Luo chase? Good luck.
"We just let him walk?" Zephyr snapped, justice burning in his pre-tragedy eyes. "He's a disgrace to the Navy!"
Tsuru, seeing Kong's bind, offered a plan. "Slap a bounty on him. Bounty hunters and cocky pirates will swarm. They won't catch Lei Luo or Kaido, but any clash gives us their location. Track their route, then move in."
Kong grinned. "Smart. Let's say… five billion Berries."