Caesar's gaze swept around the room.
There weren't many people in the hall. Aside from Kaidou and the three All-Stars, only a handful of others were present.
Who's-Who, wearing a red visored helmet and with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, was one of them. Even through the helmet, Caesar could sense the man's displeasure mixed with a hint of envy.
Beside him stood Sasaki, a burly figure with sharp teeth, horns, and a rotund build. Next to him was Black Maria, whose height rivaled Kaidou's, dressed in the attire of a geisha.
Then there was a pair of teenagers, a boy and a girl, both bearing the horns that marked their Oni heritage. The girl had long blue hair and was eyeing Caesar with curiosity, while the boy had purple hair and a gentle demeanor. They were likely the siblings, Ulti and Page One.
Given their current age, their presence here indicated that Kaidou placed significant importance on these two Ancient Zoan users…
As for the rest, they were either minor characters who hadn't appeared in the original story or perhaps had appeared but were so forgettable in the Wano arc that Caesar had no recollection of them.
"Finally awake, brat!"
Seeing Caesar, Kaidou's eyes lit up. He held a massive sake cup, large enough for Caesar to use as a bathtub, and laughed heartily.
"Good thing you didn't try to run away, or I'd have had to beat you half to death and throw you in prison…"
"Hmph, this guy doesn't look like he has the guts to run anyway."
Before Caesar could respond, Who's-Who, who had been glaring at him since he entered the room, couldn't resist mocking him.
Caesar tilted his head and glanced at him, feeling as if he had stumbled into some dragon king's script.
"Generally speaking, in a group, there are only two types of people who get to play the role of the boss's sidekick in important situations."
Caesar slowly raised two fingers. "The second-in-command of the team… or some nameless lackey. So, which one are you—"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ulti burst into laughter. Queen, standing beside Kaidou, didn't hold back his laughter either, while King sneered, his disdain evident.
"My, my, quite the sharp tongue…"
Black Maria held a slender smoking pipe, her tone teasing.
Feeling the mocking gazes around him, Who's-Who's expression darkened. He gripped his sword and stood up. "What the hell did you say?"
"He called you a lackey!"
Queen gleefully fanned the flames. In the entire Beast Pirate Crew, if there was anyone with the worst reputation, it was undoubtedly Who's-Who, this fool.
Always acting like he was the hottest thing around, glaring at everyone with disdain, and constantly boasting about replacing their positions.
All bark and no bite…
"Enough, all of you, quiet down."
Kaidou waved his hand, his tone impatient. Who's-Who reluctantly sat back down, and Queen stopped laughing.
Then, Kaidou gestured for Caesar to sit in front of him. Two geishas approached, one holding a sake bottle and the other a cup, and poured him a full cup of sake.
"This is Oath Sake. Drinking this cup means you've officially joined the Beast Pirate Crew."
Kaidou's intense gaze bore into Caesar. "Brat, don't say I didn't give you a chance. If you try to run after this, you'll really die."
Staring at the filled sake cup in front of him, Caesar nodded thoughtfully. "In other words, as long as I'm strong enough to not be killed by you, I can leave, right?"
"You've got some nerve, brat…"
Kaidou bared his teeth in a grin, picked up his wine cup, and downed the drink in one go.
Then he placed the cup in front of him, his smile growing wider until he couldn't hold back a loud laugh: "Orohohoho! If you can do it, then go ahead and try!"
Jin Caesar licked the corner of his mouth, picked up his wine cup, and drained it in one gulp.
The crisp liquor flowed down his throat and into his stomach, only to vanish instantly, as if it had been sucked away by some unseen force!
Gurgle…
Caesar's stomach growled like a drumbeat, and plates of dishes were brought before him.
Caesar didn't hold back. He grabbed a large bowl of pasta-like noodles, twirled it with his fork, and began devouring it like a storm!
He took two bites to finish a piece of roast meat the size of a human head, crushed the bones of roasted chicken and goose with a single bite, and swallowed a whole suckling pig in two mouthfuls. It was almost magical how he managed to eat it all without even realizing it.
At this moment, he felt utterly satisfied.
It was like a tree on the verge of drying up suddenly blessed with a downpour of rain. Every cell in his body was frantically absorbing nutrients.
As the nutrients entered his body, Caesar felt a warm current flowing through him, spreading to every limb and bone. It seemed as if infinite power was being born from countless cells.
Could he really absorb life force through food?
Caesar was somewhat surprised, but upon careful thought, food was essential for sustaining human life. Since he could even absorb life force from blood, converting food into life force didn't seem all that strange.
As plate after plate of food was devoured, a tall stack of dishes gradually piled up beside Caesar.
"You've got quite the appetite, kid."
Kaidou glanced at Caesar in surprise, keenly noticing that his physique seemed to have grown more robust than before.
Patting his full belly, Caesar let out a satisfied sigh.
"I'm full. When do we start training Haki?"
"Training Haki?"
Ulti exclaimed in surprise: "What's going on? This guy hasn't even mastered Haki yet? By the way, what's this newcomer's deal? A Devil Fruit user? Or just a glutton?"
Kaidou looked at King beside him: "Huh? Didn't I mention it earlier?"
King replied indifferently: "You only said a newcomer had arrived and that we were holding a banquet."
"Is that so…"
Kaidou rubbed his chin, then pointed at Caesar: "In that case, let me introduce him to you. Jin Caesar, a Mythical Zoan Vampire Fruit user."
"Mythical Zoan? Tch… What's so great about that? Our Ancient Zoans are pretty impressive too, right, Pagey?"
Ulti crossed her arms, thinking about Caesar's handsome face and then her own Pachycephalosaurus form, her tone unable to hide a hint of envy.
Page One beside her remained silent, simply filled with admiration.
He also wanted to earn Kaidou's favor, but unlike Who's-Who, he wasn't envious or jealous. He was one of the few honest members of the Pirate Crew and couldn't bring himself to say anything mean.
Maria exhaled a faint puff of smoke, as if recalling something: "The legendary fruit that grants eternal youth and immortality, huh? What enviable luck."
"Nani?! Eternal youth and immortality?"
Ulti's eyes widened in shock: "Does such a broken ability really exist?"
"Of course it's a lie!"
Who's-Who sneered: "I've seen the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, and there's no record of such a fruit! It's probably just some kind of vampire bat fruit or something, right?"
"Ha! Haha!"
Queen pointed at Who's-Who, mimicking a DJ's hand movements with both hands, mercilessly mocking, "The publishing rights for the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia are in the hands of the World Government. Those guys have been reclaiming the fruits, so of course, there's no record of this fruit! You have to look at the folk versions of the encyclopedia, you idiot!"
"Ah, that's right. The version I saw back then was also a folk one."
Maria propped her chin on her hand, her tone tinged with envy. "Because it could grant eternal youth, it left a deep impression on me. I never expected it would be eaten by a man, but that's fine. If it were a woman, I might have been so jealous I'd kill her."
"So how did this guy end up in your hands, Kaidou?" Queen turned to Kaidou.
"Hmph, Joker contacted me, saying there was a big deal..."
Kaidou paused mid-sentence, as if recalling something pleasant, and grinned, baring his teeth. "On the way back, I got a little drunk on a whim and happened to sense Caesar awakening Conqueror's Haki. Good things just keep coming one after another! Oroororo..."
Hearing this, Caesar nodded in understanding.
It seemed Kaidou's appearance was indeed a coincidence.
But what rotten luck!
The so-called "Master Kaidou" was just a joke. If given a choice, who in their right mind would seek out Kaidou?
Queen looked at Caesar in surprise. "Conqueror's Haki? This guy has Conqueror's Haki?"
"Conqueror's Haki? What's so great about Conqueror's Haki!"
Ulti's heart burned with jealousy as she turned and started shaking Page One by the neck. "Hey~ little Page! You'll awaken Conqueror's Haki too, right?"
"Whether he'll awaken it or not is unclear, but if you keep choking him like that, he might die."
Maria glanced at Page One, who was foaming at the mouth, and said with a smile.
"Hmph, Conqueror's Haki, huh..."
Jack, who had been silent until now, stared at Caesar with a cold gaze.
He had only become an All-Star a few years ago and had never paid much attention to Who's-Who, Sasaki, and others who wanted to replace him.
But Caesar was different!
A Mythical Zoan and Conqueror's Haki.
In the entire Beast Pirate Crew, only Kaidou possessed these traits.
A Mythical Zoan meant the immense physical strength of a Zoan, combined with the powerful abilities of a Paramecia or even a Logia.
And Conqueror's Haki represented a direct path to becoming a top-tier powerhouse. With enough battles to nurture it, the worst he could become was an All-Star or a Calamity!
This also meant that Caesar indeed had the potential to threaten his position.
And judging by the look of it, Caesar's goal was clearly aimed at Kaidou himself!
Eating Kaidou's food, training under Kaidou to master Haki, and then daring to challenge Kaidou?
What a bastard!
"Conqueror's Haki..."
Under his bull-horned helmet, Who's-Who's eyes burned with even more jealousy. "Hmph, so what if it's Conqueror's Haki? As long as Kaidou-sama is around, there will never be a chance for anyone else to claim the throne!"
"Is that what you think?"
Caesar looked at Who's-Who in surprise, as if suddenly realizing something, and then broke into a smile. "Then you must not have awakened Conqueror's Haki, right?"
"W-What... did you... say?"
As soon as the words left Caesar's mouth, a visible flush of red spread rapidly from Who's-Who's neck to his entire face. The skin exposed under his bull-horned helmet turned crimson.
Although there was no sound, everyone seemed to hear something shatter.
"Pfft, hahahaha!"
Upon hearing Caesar's words, Queen burst into laughter: "Caesar, you bastard, you sure know how to talk! I'm starting to like you!"
Hearing Queen mock him repeatedly, Who's-Who finally couldn't hold back: "Bastard! What are you laughing at? Haven't you also not awakened Conqueror's Haki?"
"I'm an All-Star!"
"You %&￥…"
Seeing Who's-Who's flustered state, the banquet hall was filled with a lively atmosphere.
"Hmph, that's right…"
Kaidou's lips curled into a sinister smile: "Yes, that's exactly how it should be! Freedom? Family? Ambition? It doesn't matter what kind of desire it is—only battle is the answer to everything!"
"Right?! You brats!!!"
"Woooh!!!"
In the banquet hall, everyone roared in unison, as if inspired, completely shedding their previous air of hidden agendas.
It proved that a team could be full of scheming, but there must always be a central figure strong enough to silence all dissent.
Kaidou was exactly that kind of presence!
Regardless of the Pirate Crew's operational model or style, Kaidou's personal charisma was quite impressive to his subordinates. At the very least, the vast majority of the crew firmly stood by his side.
"If you want to learn Haki, then be ready to face death at any moment!"
Kaidou took a big gulp of alcohol, wiped his mouth, and glanced at King beside him: "This brat is in your hands now! King! Make sure to bring out all his potential for me!"
"Yes."
King gave Caesar a deep look. Unlike the others, he was someone who had known Kaidou from the very beginning and was truly Kaidou's trusted right-hand man.
Therefore, he paid more attention to Caesar's potential.
He didn't believe Caesar had what it took to surpass Kaidou, but since Kaidou had entrusted him with teaching Caesar, he wouldn't hold back in the slightest.
"Speaking of which, I have a question."
Caesar looked at Kaidou: "Armament Haki can enhance attacks, Observation Haki can predict attacks, but Conqueror's Haki… surely it's not just about intimidation, right? Can you teach me?"
"You've realized it so quickly…"
Kaidou gave him an appreciative glance and chuckled: "That's something to discuss after you've mastered Armament Haki first! Don't worry, when the time comes, I'll personally teach you."
"Then thank you, Captain Kaidou."
Caesar eagerly turned to King: "When do we start?"
"Orohohoho… What's the rush, brat? A pirate's banquet must be enjoyed to the fullest! This is your welcome party, so drink up without holding back!"
Kaidou laughed heartily: "Hey, Maria, find this guy a woman!"
Caesar gently waved his hand: "That won't be necessary. I prefer simpler girls."
"Oh? Quite the romantic, aren't you? But all the girls under my care are 'well-mannered'…"
Maria rested her chin on her hand, looking troubled, when suddenly her eyes lit up as she noticed Ulti pestering Page One nearby: "Speaking of which, little Ulti hasn't had a boyfriend yet, has she?"
"Maria, what are you talking about?"
Ulti frowned: "I'm not going to keep that pretty boy company!"
"Don't be mad, you can't keep clinging to little Page Oneforever, can you?"
Maria covered her mouth with a light chuckle: "I think Caesar is quite a catch. It'd be a shame if someone else got to him first."
"Tch, a weakling who hasn't even mastered Haki."
Ulti pouted, turning her gaze to Caesar: "Let's talk when this guy can actually beat me!"
Caesar glanced at Ulti and shook his head: "Even if I could, I wouldn't. I prefer curvier girls."
"You bastard &%#￥… Don't hold me back, Page One! I'm going to kill this jerk, ahhh!"
(End of Chapter)