"Looks like it's over," Teach said, looking up at the sky. He let out a small sigh of relief. "With their destructive power, if they kept fighting, the entire City of Disasters would be done for!"
"This is a different league entirely." King exclaimed. "Boss's power is completely out of Kaido's reach."
"Of course," Dylan agreed with a nod. "No one can keep up with Boss's progress. The gap will only widen!"
Last year, Boss had to use his ability to defeat Kaido. Now, he could do it with just his swordsmanship and Haki. This gap would only get bigger as time went on!
"Anyway, we can prepare for the banquet now." A smile appeared on Dylan's face.
No matter the outcome of the fight, the banquet was definitely on. Kaido was one of Boss's few close friends, and he had to be treated well.
In the sky, Roa was also filled with emotion. Compared to their last fight a year ago, Kaido had indeed become stronger, but his improvement was far from enough.
At thirty years old, Kaido still hadn't reached the level of a Yonko or an Admiral. He was close, but there was still a wall separating them.
This was probably the flaw of these natural-born monsters. Their starting point was very high, but their late-game progression was too slow.
At fifteen, Kaido and Charlotte Linlin were definitely stronger than fifteen-year-old Roger, Shanks, Luffy, Garp, and others.
But what about later on?
These seemingly ordinary people could catch up and even overtake them. Of course, these people only seemed ordinary; in reality, they were prodigies with a different kind of talent—one not in their physical bodies.
It was probably the difference between early-game heroes and late-game heroes. You can't just be ahead from start to finish, right? What fun would that be for others?
Roa felt a little emotional.
Good thing I have a cheat.
Now you know how to stay strong from the beginning to the end, right?
"You brat!" Kaido, covered in blood, flew over on his flame clouds. His scarred face looked even more monstrous. "Are you looking down on me? I can still fight!"
"The outcome won't change even if we keep fighting," Roa said earnestly. "Instead of being unreasonable, why don't you reflect on yourself, Brother Kaido? Are you not working hard enough? What if you put in two hundred times the effort? Maybe you could catch up to me then?"
"What kind of stupid thing are you saying?" Kaido looked at Roa as if he were an idiot.
Two hundred times the effort? Does that mean using one day as two hundred?
Hearing Kaido's disdain, Roa could only sigh. "That's such a pity."
Brother Kaido, I showed you a clear path, but you just don't believe me.
Do you understand the value of going from being weaker than an average person to a Warlord in two years? That's a speed of improvement even I, myself, can't keep up with.
I can only say that while I play fair with my cheat, some people don't play fair at all.
If you could learn that secret, surpassing Joy Boy would be just around the corner.
The corner of Kaido's mouth twitched. What's so "pityful"? This little brat is just toying with me!
Thinking this, he wanted to use his Boro Breath. While it probably wouldn't do anything to Roa, he was frustrated that the fight ended before he could go all out.
However.
"Alright, let's talk about something you're interested in," Roa said, sheathing Hupot in its scabbard and clapping his hands. "Brother Kaido, you're here for the artificial Devil Fruits, right?"
"You said... artificial Devil Fruits?" Kaido's frustration was instantly thrown to the wind. His heart was now filled with nothing but shock.
His voice immediately became incredibly urgent. "You mean those beast-like guys ate artificial Devil Fruits?"
Devil Fruits can be artificially made?
"Yes," Roa said with a smile. "The first batch of fruits just matured not long ago. I sent them out this time to test their power."
No wonder those guys looked so bizarre. They weren't normal Zoan-type users at all! Roa, in just one year, did this kid create something as unimaginable as artificial Devil Fruits?
"Roa, you said the first batch, so there must be a second and third! That means these artificial Devil Fruits can be mass-produced, right?"
Excitement flickered in Kaido's eyes. "Roa! Sell them to me! Sell those fruits to me!"
With these artificial Devil Fruits, his vision for a Beasts Army was finally within reach!
At this moment, Kaido no longer cared about fighting Roa. His mind was consumed with artificial Devil Fruits.
I want them! I want these fruits!
Kaido's desire was practically shooting out of his eyes.
Roa just smiled and descended. "What are you waiting for, Brother Kaido? Let's go. We can talk during the banquet."
Kaido hurriedly followed.
Of course, the usual routine was a pleasant banquet after a fight.
The banquet was held in the palace at the top of the high tower where Roa lived.
The executives of the Calamity Company all took their seats, and even research geeks like Judge and Caesar showed up.
Caesar was shocked to see Kaido, who still had many wounds and was bleeding, sitting at the head of the table.
Is he so eager for the banquet that he doesn't even have time to treat his wounds?
But, shululululu, Boss and Kaido seem to have a great relationship! Hehe, it's so great to work for someone who has both money and power!
"So, Roa," Kaido, who was sitting side-by-side with Roa, said urgently. "What will it take for you to sell those fruits to me!"
"Don't be in such a hurry, Brother Kaido," Roa said leisurely. "At least let me introduce our products first."
"Then hurry up!" Kaido was still anxious.
"These artificial Devil Fruits have huge flaws. They're unstable, so only about half of the users gain an ability. The other half of the unlucky ones only get one weakness: they can't swim. Oh, and they're always laughing."
Laughing? Kaido was a little stunned.
"In addition, they're only Zoan types, and once the user gets an ability, they'll have the corresponding animal's features and won't be able to transform freely," Roa said with a smile. "The only upside is that the users will get a decent power boost, but the power they gain is still far inferior to that of a true Zoan fruit."
"That's enough!" Kaido's eyes blazed. "It's completely enough! Sell them to me!"
These fruits weren't for his executives, just for the regular soldiers. So weren't they perfectly sufficient?
"But Brother Kaido, I don't have many fruits left," Roa said with interest. "I was also planning to use them on my cloned soldiers. What are you going to offer to persuade me?"
Even though they were good friends and Brother Kaido was 100% on his side, good accounts made for long friends.
Roa's ingrained motto was to never get the short end of the stick.
"Do you think I came empty-handed?" Kaido scoffed, pulling two small boxes from his waist and tossing them to Roa. "Have a look."
"It's a wonder these two boxes weren't destroyed in the fight just now." Roa was surprised as he opened the two boxes.
Could it be that Kaido was protecting these two little things with Haki throughout the fight?
"Oh?"
When he saw what was inside the boxes, Roa raised an eyebrow.
They were two Devil Fruits. This wasn't too surprising.
"Didn't you ask Hanafusa to find you an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit?" Kaido said. "The Zoan-type: Ancient Zoan Snake-Snake Fruit, Titanoboa Form, and the Zoan-type: Ancient Zoan Turtle-Turtle Fruit, Archelon Form!"
Turtle-Turtle Fruit? That name is a bit odd.
However, turtles are known for their stamina and longevity, right? Isn't this the perfect ability for Judge?
Hmm, who should get the other fruit? Among my executives, only Loki is a non-ability user.
But Loki is a no-go, of course. He deserves a top-tier Devil Fruit. The legendary Devil Fruit treasured by the giants in the original story would be perfect. That's what Loki ate, after all.
If not Loki, then it looks like it can only be given to the Calamity Knights.
But that's a bit of a waste. A new generation of Calamity Knights is already being cultivated, even though they still need time to grow.
Never mind. Maybe in a year, Judge and his team will have cultivated artificial Devil Fruits that can rival true Zoan fruits.
While joyful inside, Roa's face remained impassive. "You want to trade two fruits for so many of my artificial Devil Fruits? You're too greedy, Brother Kaido!"
"I didn't expect you to agree," Kaido snorted. "The two fruits are just to get you to agree to the trade. I'll exchange my artificial Devil Fruits for minerals, including Seastone."
Roa's eyes lit up. "Oh? Then I have no reason to refuse."
The Calamity Company's business was getting bigger and bigger. To increase production capacity, Roa had even selected a few more islands in this sea area and transformed them into factory bases, with the Giant Tribe, Mink Tribe, and Snail Fleet stationed there.
The factories had expanded significantly, and production had increased dramatically, but mineral resources had become a bit scarce.
After all, although he had many islands, they must contain a lot of mineral deposits. But many of them were uninhabited, and the number of countries that had developed a mining industry was very small. He was still short on talent, and he lacked a prospecting team.
In addition, the World Government had been trying to blockade him. With Kaido's help, this problem would be greatly alleviated.
"Uolololo! That's good!" Kaido laughed loudly. "My Beasts Army is finally taking shape!"
He suddenly looked down at Roa, his tone excited. "Hey, Roa! Can we start our move now?"
"A move?" Roa asked, looking up in surprise. "What move?"
"Clearing out the New World, of course!" Kaido's voice was impassioned. "Leaving aside Shiki and Linlin, aren't the other guys a bit of an eyesore? What makes them worthy of being on the same level as us?"
Wow, he's bold. Roa's lips curled into a faint smile.
Shiki's strength was self-evident, and Linlin, at thirty-nine, was also entering her prime, undoubtedly reaching the level of a Yonko or an Admiral.
But how much stronger can you be than Wang Zhi, Brother Kaido?
"Not so fast," Roa said with a smile. "The real storm is just about to begin."
"Huh?" Kaido frowned. "What do you mean, brat?"
"Just listen for the wind."
So, what exactly does this kid mean? Is something else about to happen?
As Roa and Kaido were having their banquet, a wedding banquet was also taking place in Totto Land.
In a beautifully decorated palace, the priest looked at the two colossal newlyweds with a calm expression. He had already officiated countless weddings for the Queen of Totto Land and didn't panic at all. He wondered how long this husband would last.
The priest cleared his throat. "Ms. Charlotte Linlin—"
"I do!" Before the priest could even finish, Charlotte Linlin had already blurted out the answer.
The priest remained unbothered, as this was also a regular occurrence.
He naturally turned to the groom. "Groom, Mr. Bartholomew Kuma, do you take—"
Kuma, in his groom's attire, couldn't hear what his counterpart said next. Even now, he was still lost.
The woman he met at God Valley, one of the Seven Monarchs of the New World, Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, had threatened him with Ginny and the familiar people of the Sorbet Kingdom.
He had to succumb.
So he was taken here, and now he was going to marry this woman.
Ginny… If I marry Charlotte Linlin, what about Ginny?
No, not being associated with me must be a good thing for Ginny, right?
"Groom?" The priest, seeing Kuma not speaking, urged him, "Do you accept?"
"Of course, he does!" Not giving Kuma any more time to waste, Charlotte Linlin boisterously pulled Kuma, who was a head shorter than her, toward her and sealed their vows with a kiss.
"Mamamama! Let's not waste any time!" After the kiss, Charlotte Linlin lifted Kuma and walked away. "Come with me and let's make some children!"
Below, Katakuri, who was waiting for the wedding banquet to begin, shook his head helplessly.
Soon, I'll have one or more new siblings from the Bucaneer Tribe.
Oh well. They'll surely be able to help me in the future.
At the same time, in the South Blue, Sorbet Kingdom…
"My Kuma! My Kuma! What should I do now! Brother, where on earth have you gone!"
The cries of the victim went unheard.
Time moved forward, and not long after…
In the first half of the Grand Line, in the Calm Belt, where few people ever went, was Amazon Lily, the island of women that countless people at sea longed for.
A small boat slowly docked by the shore.
If anyone had seen this scene, they would have been stunned.
The Calm Belt is a nest of Sea Kings. What kind of person could sail a small boat into here?
"This is as far as we can go. This island doesn't welcome men." Rayleigh put down his oars. "Olvia, you and Robin can live here in peace from now on."
At the bow of the boat, Olvia stood with her daughter, who was looking around curiously. She nodded softly. "Thank you, Rayleigh."
"It's nothing," Rayleigh shook his head. "After all, this is what Roger asked me to do a long time ago."
"So, Mr. Rayleigh! What is the captain going to do!" A panicked Buggy, with his red nose, grabbed Rayleigh's arm and shook it. "He's even leaving Aunt Olvia and little Robin! Just tell us!"
"Mr. Rayleigh…" Although Shanks didn't say anything, his eyes were equally urgent.
What is the captain going to do? He even entrusted his wife and daughter to Mr. Rayleigh.
"You will know soon enough." Rayleigh shook his head and didn't say anything.
Just then, footsteps came from the forest ahead. Soon, two women walked out of the forest.
The one in the lead was tall and voluptuous, with short hair. She was beautiful, but she had a cigarette dangling from her mouth and was holding a little black-haired girl who was looking at the people on the boat with big, round eyes.
The woman following her was a bit shorter, also with short hair and a slightly round face. As soon as she saw Rayleigh, she said sourly, "Rayleigh! How dare you come to Amazon Lily!"
"Don't be so harsh, Tritoma," Rayleigh said with a smile. "We're old friends, and besides, didn't I send Shakky back first?"
"It's only temporary," Shakky, the former captain of the Kuja Pirates and the previous Empress of Amazon Lily, let out a puff of smoke. "I don't have the right to stay here for long after abandoning this country."
"Don't say that, Lady Shakky!" Tritoma, the current captain of the Kuja Pirates, quickly said. "Amazon Lily will always welcome you! If you are willing to return, the position of Empress—"
"That's enough, Tritoma," Shakky shook her head. "You're the leader now. Don't say such foolish things."
Tritoma pouted, feeling a little wronged.
"In any case, Tritoma, I'm entrusting Olvia and Robin to you." Rayleigh said with a solemn expression.
Tritoma looked at Olvia and her daughter, then scoffed. "It's only because Lady Shakky personally asked, and Gloriosa hasn't returned. Otherwise, we wouldn't have taken care of Roger's wife and daughter."
"Thank you so much!" Rayleigh finally breathed a sigh of relief.
With this, everything is settled.
"We will trouble you from now on." Olvia, knowing how troublesome their identities were, bowed and thanked them sincerely. "Robin, say thank you."
"Thank you!" the little girl said in a soft voice.
"Oh! What a cute child!" Tritoma, who had been cold to Rayleigh, suddenly softened her expression upon seeing little Robin. "She looks about the same age as Hancock!"
"Isn't that great?" Shakky patted the little girl in her arms on the back. "Hancock, you have a new playmate. Go play with your little sister and have fun later."
The little girl just blinked her big eyes, curiously examining Robin. Robin also looked at her with curiosity.
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