"You... what did you say?! Kaido, that idiot... he failed too?!"
On the other end of the Transponder Snail, Charlotte Linlin's voice was a sharp, incredulous shriek.
"It's exactly as it sounds, Mama." As if worried she hadn't heard him clearly, Katakuri added in a flat, factual tone, "And... he was beaten very badly. His screams went on for more than an hour this morning without stopping."
Big Mom: "..."
A long, deathly silence followed. The news was so immense that the empress who had dominated the seas for decades was momentarily left speechless.
Just then, the heavy iron door of the prison creaked open again. Takero, looking refreshed, dragged the bruised and battered Kaido inside as if he were hauling a giant beast he had just hunted.
"Whew~" He let out a long sigh, his face beaming with the satisfaction of a good workout. "It feels so much better to stretch my muscles."
Seeing Katakuri still on the phone, he walked over. "How about it? Has your boss 'Big Mom' made up her mind yet? Is she going to pay? If you don't decide soon, I'll just package you up and hand you over to the Marines for the bounty." With that, he casually tossed the mountain-like body of Kaido to the ground with a heavy THUMP, like a bag of trash.
King rushed from the corner to help his fallen captain, his face filled with pity. 'Lord Kaido... why didn't you listen to my advice?'
Katakuri stared at the miserable state of the "World's Strongest Creature," his own face twitching. Alarm bells were screaming in his head. He quickly spoke into the Transponder Snail, his voice sincere, almost pleading.
"Mama... save me."
After a moment of silence on the other end, Big Mom's voice finally returned, filled with a new solemnity. "...I understand. I will prepare the money."
After a fierce internal debate, she had made the only rational choice: compromise. Four billion Berries was a huge sum, but it wouldn't cripple her empire. Using that money to ransom her most powerful son was a worthwhile trade. More importantly, using it to establish a temporary peace with the unfathomable monster who could so easily defeat Kaido was an investment that would pay huge dividends. At that moment, she was incredibly relieved she hadn't impulsively rushed to the North Blue herself. She was fortunate that the simple-minded Kaido had been there to test the jaws of this deep-sea megalodon for her first.
Hearing his mother's reply, Katakuri finally breathed a sigh of relief. Behind Takero, Tesoro, who had been silently taking notes, flashed the genuine smile of a shrewd merchant closing a massive deal.
At that moment, Kaido, who had been semi-conscious on the floor, stirred at the sound of that familiar voice. He struggled to lift his head, mumbling, "Is... is that you, Linlin?"
Big Mom, on the other end, feigned concern. "Yo, Kaido. You're not dead yet, are you?"
Hearing that long-lost, almost caring tone, a strange sense of grievance welled up in Kaido's mind, which had been ravaged by both alcohol and heavy fists. For a moment, he felt like he was back in the Rocks Pirates, a young rookie on a ship full of monsters. Back then, the older Linlin had occasionally looked out for him, helping him survive on that hellish ship. He opened his mouth, about to tell his "old sister" about his current pain and humiliation.
However—
"Mamamama! Well, since you're alive, that's good. I have a tea party to host, so I'm hanging up."
"Click!"
Big Mom mercilessly ended the call.
Kaido stared at the now-silent Transponder Snail, speechless. The fragile sense of nostalgia he'd felt moments before shattered into ice.
Takero, about to receive a massive influx of funds, was in a great mood. He turned his gaze to the "Strongest Creature" on the ground, who was still questioning his own existence.
"You're different, though." Takero squatted down, patting Kaido's face, which was swollen like a pig's head. "I hear you're the captain of the 'Beasts Pirates,' a big shot, right?"
Kaido let out a muffled grunt of affirmation.
"Then your ransom can't be just a mere four billion Berries," Takero said.
Kaido lifted his eyes, which were swollen into slits, and looked at him. "What... what else do you want?" he asked indistinctly. In the pirate world, the victor takes all. He had lost, and he knew it.
Takero looked at him, thought for a moment, and then a smile brighter than the sun spread across his face.
"How about this," he said cheerfully.
"Your entire Beasts Pirates..."
"...from now on, you all work for me."
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