Faced with the skepticism of the crowd and Queen's provocations, King felt an unprecedented pressure.
If he couldn't handle this properly, it would affect the trust within the entire crew.
The other Flying Six exchanged glances but didn't intervene.
If King were to fall from grace, one of them could rise to take his place.
How could they miss such an opportunity?
"King, just spit it out," Ulti said impatiently.
"Yeah, judging by your face, it must be bad news," Sasaki chimed in with a grin.
"Don't be afraid. We're the Beasts Pirates! We are the bad news for everyone else."
King felt a wave of helplessness.
These people were used to their own arrogance.
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and turned his gaze to Kaido.
"Kaido-san," King spoke cautiously. "Should I really deliver this news now?"
The entire hall fell silent as Kaido gave a slight nod.
King continued, his voice steady.
"Kaido-san, the Whitebeard Pirates have members who are dual-Devil Fruit users."
The moment the words were spoken, an uproar erupted.
"What?! King, what did you just say?!" Queen shrieked, his voice cracking. "A dual-Devil Fruit user? Are you joking?! That's impossible!"
"King, you're an All-Star," Who's-Who added, his tone condescending. "You can't just spout nonsense that could destabilize the crew."
The mockery made Kaido frown, his drunkenness fading slightly.
"King, you must be drunk. I know that crew inside and out. There's no way."
King had known no one would believe him.
He hadn't believed it at first either.
"I understand how this sounds," he said, pulling out the newspaper and spreading it before Kaido.
"But this is from Morgans. His reports are never fabricated. More importantly, Admiral Kizaru's actions and the two-billion-Beri bounty on their new Vice-Captain all point to one conclusion: this is true."
As the others crowded around to see, Kaido's playful expression slowly turned serious.
His brows furrowed.
By the time he finished reading, his face was grave.
The crew sensed the shift and fell silent, awaiting his command.
If this was true... Whitebeard with three Devil Fruit powers? The balance of the world would be shattered immediately.
The news exploded in their minds like a bomb.
"Worororo... Good! Whitebeard, a triple-Devil Fruit user? Perfect!"
Kaido burst into thunderous laughter.
He lifted the massive bowl of liquor before him and downed it in one go, the alcohol igniting the fire in his spirit.
"It's been too long since a fight sounded this satisfying!"
With a loud crash, he slammed the empty bowl onto the ground, shattering it.
He slowly rose to his feet, his towering figure radiating an overwhelming aura of combat that seemed to suffocate the air itself.
His eyes sharpened like twin blades.
"After all these boring years, someone finally worth fighting has appeared," Kaido said coldly, a confident smirk curling his lips.
"Three Devil Fruits, two Devil Fruits—who cares? The only one who's strong is the one who can kill me!"
Hearing this, the rest of the Beasts Pirates erupted in a wild cheer, their fear replaced by their captain's infectious spirits.
*****
[ Whole Cake Island, Totto Land ]
Perospero, the Minister of Candy, burst into the grand hall, his long tongue lolling in panic.
"Mamamamama! Something terrible has happened!" he screamed, his voice echoing around the hall.
The lively atmosphere frozen instantly.
All eyes turned toward him.
"The Whitebeard Pirates have changed! Their new vice-captain has a bounty of two billion Beri! And their crew... they've become dual devil fruit users! Whitebeard is suspected of being a triple-fruit user!"
The hall fell into dead silence.
Everyone was so stunned they couldn't speak.
Gasping for breath, Perospero finally reached Big Mom and dropped to his knees.
"HUUUHHH???"
Seated on her throne, Big Mom who was about to savor a slice of cake feel annoyed at the interruption.
She hated nothing more than being interrupted while eating sweets.
"Perospero, what are you barking about? Can't you see I'm enjoying my cake?!"
Clearly, she didn't heard a word of what was Perospero screaming.
"Mama, please, let me explain!" Perospero pleaded, quickly pulling out the newspaper.
"Something huge has happened! The papers say most of Whitebeard's crew are dual-fruit users! And that old man, who's already halfway in his grave, might be a triple-fruit user!"
"WHAT?!" Big Mom exclaimed.
She snatched the newspaper and began reading intently, her eyes widening in alarm.
"Mamamama! How dare he! What in the world is going on? Wasn't that old fossil content to die with the old era?" Big Mom's voice was thick with confusion.
Whitebeard had always been her greatest rival, but this news exerted an unprecedented pressure.
"Mama" Perospero asked cautiously, "with their power surging like this, should we reconsider our plans for Fish-Man Island?"
"Let's not jump to conclusions," Big Mom said after a moment of contemplation.
"Though Morgans is reliable, we should verify this with our own eyes first."
"...Understood," Perospero replied, nodding.
*****
[ Jaya Island ]
An unremarkable tavern stood near the coast, long since absorbed by the Whitebeard Pirates as a subsidiary base.
But for some, like Bellamy the Hyena, this new order was a cage.
My idol is Doflamingo, he thought every night, a reminder of the dream that had been stolen from him.
He had been ready to leave for Dressrosa when Whitebeard's crew descended and locking down the island.
Though he submitted on the surface, his admiration for Doflamingo never faded.
For days, he had quietly slipped out at night, observing the watch shifts.
He had figured out their entire rotation.
Tonight, he decided, he would escape.
"This is the shift change. No one will be around," Bellamy whispered to himself.
He made his way to a hidden canoe and began paddling furiously into the darkness.
....
Meanwhile, in a manor behind the encampment, Ron stood silently by a large window, his gaze piercing the night as he watched the distant figure fade away.
Once the silhouette had vanished completely, a faint smile touched his lips.
He turned and walked to an exquisite Den Den Mushi resting on a small table.
He picked up the receiver.
"He's on his way. Stand down."
After setting down the receiver, Ron returned to the window, his eyes taking on a deeper, more contemplative look as he stared out at the sea.
"That's a big sponsor," he murmured to himself, his tone a mix of anticipation and caution.
"I hope you prove yourself useful, Bellamy."