Queen took a deep drag of his cigar, slowly exhaling a plume of smoke before turning to Kaido. "Boss, how should I reply to the World Government?"
Kaido pondered for a moment, a trademark grin spreading across his face. "Tell them, if they want seastone, they can have it. But first, they must send us a Mythical Zoan fruit, plus the training methods for the Rokushiki and Seimei Kikan as a greeting gift."
"Mythical Zoan?" Queen raised an eyebrow, rolling the cigar between his fingers. "Will the World Government be willing to part with that? And those training methods... what use are they to us?"
"Wororororo..." Kaido's low laughter echoed in the room. "Queen, don't underestimate the World Government's reserves. Even if they can't produce a Mythical Zoan, a few Ancient ones will do. Remember, we need to produce Devil Fruits for our annual Flame Festival every year. Trading for seastone is an offer they won't refuse."
He stood up and walked to the window, continuing, "As for the Rokushiki and Seimei Kikan, while useless to me, they will be a great help to you officers. Especially the Seimei Kikan, which has a more pronounced effect on those who have eaten Zoan-type Devil Fruits. These are systematic training methods summarized by the World Government over centuries, perfect for promising newcomers."
Queen nodded thoughtfully, stubbing out his cigar in an ashtray. "Understood, Boss. I'll have a good talk with those World Government guys and definitely get you the best terms!"
"Mmm. Once the deal with the World Government is done, I plan to set sail for a while. I might be gone for anywhere between three to six months," Kaido said, nodding.
"Leave? Captain, you're leaving Wano? Then take me with you!" The bored little Enel on the side perked up immediately, full of spirit.
"Kaido-sama, if you leave at this time, the situation in Wano might become unstable," King chimed in.
"Right, Kaido-sama, if you do that, Wano, which just submitted, might start causing trouble again," Queen also agreed.
"Wororororo... That's the point. If I don't leave, how will those rats hiding in the sewers come out?" Kaido said bluntly.
"Kaido-sama, you mean to use this method to lure out the rebels, wait for them to jump out, then we return and wipe them out," King analyzed.
"Luring out those rats is true. Leaving Wano is also true," Kaido explained. "At that time, I will openly set sail with the majority of our combat power. Afterwards, most of the officers will remain in the nearby waters. Once those rats jump out... King, Queen, it will be up to you two to eliminate all the rebel forces. After all the policies implemented recently, I believe any rebellion in Wano won't be too large. King, I trust you can handle it easily."
"But, Kaido-sama, I want to go with you," King said to Kaido, a trace of reluctance in his tone.
"King, Wano is our stronghold. This won't change for a long time to come. Therefore, King, I need you to protect this place for me," Kaido said solemnly, patting King on the shoulder.
"Yes, Kaido-sama. I will definitely protect Wano Country for you," King responded firmly, his eyes shining with loyalty.
"Kaoka-sama, do you have any plans for this voyage?" Queen asked Kaido.
"Originally, I planned to travel around the Four Blues properly, to recruit some promising subordinates. I just didn't expect having to return to the New World because of the Wano situation. Now that things in Wano have settled for a phase, I intend to continue the voyage I started earlier," Kaido said.
Speaking of this, Kaido thought of Little Ming—that is, Donquixote Doflamingo, the Heavenly Yaksha. If he remembered correctly, Doflamingo's mother died of illness in 1491 of the Sea Calendar. The specific month wasn't shown in the original story. And now it was July of Sea Calendar 1491, with five months left until the end of the year. He wondered if he could rescue Doflamingo from his plight.
Moreover, on that island were not just Doflamingo, but also promising talents like Vergo and Pica, both only around ten years old now. Properly trained, their baseline would be at least Vice Admiral-level.
"Mmm," King and Queen nodded.
At this moment, Enel, standing to the side, excitedly interjected, "Captain, can I go with you?"
Before Kaido could answer, Queen cut in, "Brat, you should just stay put! My research on the Goro Goro no Mi isn't finished yet." Ever since Enel ate the Goro Goro no Mi, Queen had developed a strong interest in this powerful Logia ability. He often dragged Enel into various experiments, trying to analyze the power of lightning.
Kaido was well aware of this. Queen had reported to him, wanting to research the lineage factor of the Goro Goro no Mi to modify one of his own heads to gain electrical abilities. Considering Queen had already eaten the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi and possessed eight lives, Kaido tacitly approved of this dangerous experiment.
"Enel, you should continue to cooperate with Queen on the research," Kaido finally decided.
What he didn't expect was that after spending so much time with Queen, Enel had actually developed an interest in science and technology. This guy, who originally only knew how to blast people with lightning, now often spent time in the lab, clearly trending toward becoming a scientist. But thinking about it, it made sense. In the original work, Enel single-handedly built the Ark "Maxim," so he did possess considerable scientific talent.
"No, I want to sail with the Captain," Enel shook his head, refusing without even thinking about Queen's words.
"Hohoho. Queen, put the research on the Goro Goro no Mi on hold for now," Kaido said directly. "This time, I plan to take only one or two officers and Enel on the voyage. Having Enel with the power of the Goro Goro no Mi makes many things quite convenient."
"Well then... alright, Kaido-sama," Queen could only nod in agreement.
"Yes! That's great!" Enel shouted happily upon hearing this.
Kaido said coldly, "For this trip, I will take Kawamatsu, Nekomamushi, and Inuarashi with me. Before I return, Oden Castle in Kuri, as well as all those who harbor expectations for Kozuki Oden... there is no longer any need for them to continue existing."
"Kaido-sama, I will handle it thoroughly," King responded immediately.
"You fool!" Queen interrupted him. "How can you say it was us? Clearly, it was the rebel army that attacked Oden Castle, destroying the castle and everyone inside." The older Queen obviously knew better how to cover up the truth.
Kaido nodded in satisfaction. "That's how it will be done."
Only then did King have a sudden realization, understanding Queen's intention. He clenched his fist and responded in a low voice, "Yes, I will make the proper arrangements."
***
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