The scene inside Franky House was one of silent devastation. In the vast, high-ceilinged hall, the members of the Franky Family were scattered across the floor, all of them unconscious amidst the debris of what had clearly been a lively banquet just moments before. Spilled drinks and plates of food littered the ground.
At the far end of the hall, where Franky, the boss, usually held court, a hulking figure now occupied the seat of honor. Franky himself was lying at the man's feet, knocked out cold and frothing slightly at the mouth.
As members of CP9, it took Blueno and Kalifa only a second to recognize the intruder. His face was infamous, his name a curse whispered across every sea. It was one of the Four Emperors of the New World, Kaido of the Beasts.
Why was a monster of his caliber here, in the first half of the Grand Line, sitting in a ship-dismantler's workshop? The sheer impossibility of the situation sent a jolt of pure terror through them, making their minds go completely blank.
Run.
It was the only thought that could form in their minds, a primal scream for survival. But as they looked at the terrifying man, who offered them nothing but a mocking smile, they found their legs had turned to lead. All strength had abandoned them.
Being a trained operative, Blueno recovered first. He instinctively began to activate his Devil Fruit ability, his only chance of escape. But the moment the thought crossed his mind, an invisible force slammed into his consciousness. It felt as if his skull had been struck by a massive hammer. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed to the floor in a heap.
Seeing her partner fall so effortlessly, Kalifa lost what little composure she had left and slumped to the ground, her body trembling. At that moment, she felt like the unluckiest person in the world. She knew Kaido had entered Paradise, but she had never, ever imagined she would come face-to-face with him.
Just then, the man who terrified the world finally spoke, his voice a low rumble that filled the silent hall. "How fortunate. I was just wondering how I was going to get what I came for, and you two deliver yourselves right to my doorstep."
Kaido's words cut through the fog of Kalifa's despair, igniting a tiny spark of hope. She was completely lost, unsure what she could possibly say or do to survive, but the man spoke again before she had to decide.
"How much longer is he going to sleep?" he asked, gesturing to the unconscious Blueno.
Startled, Kalifa quickly understood. She scrambled over to her partner on her hands and knees and slapped him hard across the face, several times. Blueno groaned and slowly came to. His first thought was that he'd had a terrible nightmare, but then he saw Kaido sitting on the throne. A cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead, and his expression became worse than if he were crying.
Kaido paid his fear no mind. He pointed a thick finger at him. "Your Devil Fruit ability is interesting," he said. "Complete a task for me, and I might just let you live."
A wave of relief washed over Blueno. His usually stoic face twisted into a fawning, desperate expression as he got on his knees. "Lord Kaido, please, just give the command! Whatever you need, I can do it for you!"
"Good," Kaido grunted, pointing down at Franky's unconscious form. "There's something inside his stomach. I need you to open him up and take it out for me."
This was the entire reason Kaido was here. He hadn't wanted to attract this much attention; his plan was to simply take the Pluton blueprints from Franky and leave. After descending from the sky and knocking everyone out with a wave of his Conqueror's Haki, he had run into a rather annoying problem. He knew the plans were inside Franky's cyborg body, but he had no idea how to open it without causing damage. He couldn't risk destroying the blueprints by smashing Franky open, as he was sure the shipwright would have installed some kind of self-destruct mechanism.
It was right at that moment that his Observation Haki had sensed the two CP9 agents approaching. It seemed his luck was in.
Hearing Kaido's request, Blueno was momentarily stunned, not understanding the command. But seeing the impatient look in the Emperor's eyes, he didn't hesitate. He scrambled over to Franky and placed his hands on the cyborg's stomach. Instantly, the faint outline of a door appeared on Franky's metal chest.
"Take out what's inside," Kaido ordered.
Obediently, Blueno turned the invisible knob and opened the door in Franky's stomach. He peered inside, and his eyes went wide, his pupils dilating in shock.
"H-How is this possible..." he whispered.
Lying inside the compartment was the very thing he and the other CP9 agents had spent seven years searching for: the blueprints for the Ancient Weapon, Pluton. No wonder they could never find them. Franky had hidden them inside his own body the entire time.
But how did Kaido know?
For a split second, he considered trying to hide them, to conceal them somehow. But he instantly dismissed the thought as suicide. With trembling hands, he carefully removed the rolled-up blueprints and held them high above his head in offering.
Kaido reached down and took the scroll with one hand. He glanced at it, a satisfied smirk spreading across his face, before stuffing it into his coat. He then looked down at Blueno, the user of the Door-Door Fruit.
"Not bad," Kaido said. "What's your name?"
"My name is Blueno, Lord Kaido!" he stammered.
"Blueno, huh... Worororo," Kaido laughed. "That's a very useful ability you have. An ability like that is wasted here. You'll work for me now."
Blueno froze. It wasn't a question or an offer; it was a statement of fact. Thinking fast, he put on his most ingratiating smile. "Of course! It would be an honor to join the Beasts Pirates, Lord Kaido!"
Kaido nodded, satisfied, then turned his gaze to Kalifa.
Before he could even speak, Kalifa trembled and blurted out, "L-Lord Kaido, I also wish to join your Beasts Pirates!"
"Very good," Kaido said. "You two will wait here. I'll come back for you when I have a use for you."
Blueno and Kalifa finally allowed themselves to breathe, believing the immediate threat of death had passed. But their relief was short-lived, as Kaido's devil-like voice continued.
"However, to make sure you don't betray me, I need to take out some insurance."
With that, Kaido produced a Den Den Mushi. Its eyes popped open and projected two beams of light, recording everything it saw and heard.
"Come," Kaido commanded, his voice cold. "Repeat after me: 'The Celestial Dragons are pigs. They are the most disgusting creatures in this world, worse than trash!'"
The color drained from Blueno's and Kalifa's faces. They understood his intention immediately. If they said those words, and Kaido released the recording, they were as good as dead. The World Government would hunt them down and execute them, regardless of the circumstances. The Celestial Dragons did not listen to reason.
But they had no choice. Even if they refused, their failure to secure the Pluton blueprints would likely earn them a death sentence from their superiors anyway. Joining the Beasts Pirates was now, ironically, their only path to survival.
Making his decision, Blueno took a deep breath and obediently repeated the treasonous words.
"Very good," Kaido said. As the words left his mouth, Blueno felt that same invisible force slam into his head, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious once more.
Kaido then turned his cold, reptilian gaze back to the terrified Kalifa.
"And you?"