Apart from Kaido himself, Queen was the oldest member of the Beasts Pirates. He was fifty-five, but his age didn't affect his strength. He was a scientist, one of the smartest men in the world, which made him a unique asset for a Yonko's crew. In fact, a man of his intellect was a rarity on any pirate ship across the four seas. Now that Kaido had also recruited Caesar Clown and Vinsmoke Judge, he was convinced that the technological power he commanded was nearly on par with the World Government's, even with their prized possession, Vegapunk. Perhaps the three of them combined couldn't match Vegapunk's genius, but with the blueprints for the Ancient Weapon Pluton in his possession, it was an entirely different story.
The only one left to consider was King, who was forty-seven years old. Of all his commanders, Kaido was most optimistic about King. The reason was simple: King was a Lunarian. In this world, his race was even rarer than the giants of Elbaf. A single title from history was enough to convey their miraculous nature: God. The Lunarians were not like the fraudulent Celestial Dragons; they were once considered true gods. Because of this, Kaido expected King to one day rise to the level of a Yonko himself. If that happened, the pressure on Kaido would be greatly reduced. And if he could bring Big Mom into his camp as well, he would command the power of three Emperors. With a force like that, not even the World Government could stand against him.
However, from the moment they first met, Kaido had sensed a certain despair in King—a deep pessimism about the world. It was understandable. Anyone who discovered they were the last surviving member of their species would feel the same crushing weight. Meeting Kaido had given him a new purpose and rekindled some hope, but that pessimistic aura never truly left him.
The proof was simple: King had not yet awakened his Conqueror's Haki.
Kaido was certain that King possessed the aptitude for it. Conqueror's Haki was a rare power, a gift one had to be born with, but he refused to believe that King lacked that gift. As a member of a race once called "Gods," it was impossible for him not to have the disposition of a king. Even the foolish members of the Kozuki Clan could possess it, so why not King? As this thought crossed his mind, an idea sparked. Perhaps it was time to do something adventurous to force a change in his most loyal commander.
At that moment, King felt Kaido's strange gaze on him and shifted uncomfortably.
"Um, Big Brother," he asked, "is there something wrong?"
Kaido let out a booming laugh. "Worororo... No, I just thought of something." He stood up from his seat. "We can talk about these matters tomorrow. For now, you're coming with me. I'm going to take you somewhere."
Though King was curious, he simply nodded and followed without question.
Under the bright lights of the castle, Kaido led King down the stairs of the Shogun's residence in the Flower Capital, floor by floor. Soon, they left the other members of the Beasts Pirates far behind and reached the castle's underground levels. They came to what looked like a dead end: a peculiar stone room filled with many beautiful Kokeshi dolls.
"This is?" King asked, surprised. He had never been to this part of the castle before.
"Jack found it," Kaido explained. "I didn't tell you about it because it's a very special place."
He walked to the center of the room, squatted down, and pulled open a hidden door in the floor. A dark passage was revealed, leading deep into the earth. King's eyes widened in surprise. Kaido didn't say another word. He simply picked up a torch from a nearby bracket and started his descent. Filled with curiosity, King followed him down into the darkness.
The further they walked, the darker and deeper the passage became. They walked in silence for what felt like more than half an hour, making King even more curious about their destination. It wasn't until the faint sound of waves reached his ears that Kaido finally spoke.
"Hmm, based on the time, we should be arriving soon."
As he finished speaking, Kaido lifted a finger, and a small flame ignited on its tip. He reached out and lit the torches in the lampstands that lined the walls, one by one.
"Come with me."
As the dim yellow light pushed back the darkness, King followed Kaido into a massive cavern. Instantly, a sight appeared that left him completely astonished. They stood in a grand red hall, built in the same architectural style as the Shogun's residence high above. But what was strange was that half of the hall was on dry land, while the other half was submerged in water. Waves gently lapped against the stone floor, making a soft, gurgling sound.
As King tried to process this, a flash of bright red caught his eye, and his jaw dropped. In the very center of the hall stood a huge, crimson stone, covered in mysterious, ancient characters.
"This... This is a Road Poneglyph!" King whispered, his body trembling as he walked forward and placed a hand on the massive stone.
Kaido smiled. "That's right. It's one of the four Poneglyphs that point the way to the final island, Laugh Tale. Jack found this place. Being a Fishman has its advantages."
"I see," King said, still in awe. "Then, Big Brother, do you know what's written on it?"
Kaido shook his head and laughed loudly. "Worororo, I can't read it. I was hoping you could."
A hint of embarrassment crossed King's face. "Sorry, Big Brother. Even though I'm a Lunarian, I don't recognize these ancient characters either."
"Worororo, it doesn't matter," Kaido boomed. "The main reason I brought you here isn't for this. It's for this..."
He led King to the edge of the large pool of water. He looked down at the dark, flowing current. "Put your hand in. Tell me if you feel anything different about this water."
Curious, King knelt at the edge and dipped his hand into the pool. At first, he felt nothing but the normal coolness of water. He thought perhaps he had misunderstood Kaido's instructions, but then, he felt something was wrong. He pushed his hand in deeper, and his entire body went still.
"Did you feel it?" Kaido asked.
King nodded slowly. He pulled his hand out, staring at his wet fingers with a strange expression. "Big Brother, I feel like... my Devil Fruit ability wasn't affected at all."
"That's right," Kaido confirmed. "I was surprised too when I first found it, but I quickly figured out the reason. This isn't seawater. It's freshwater."
As he said that, Kaido leaped into the flowing pool without a moment's hesitation.
"!!!"
King's eyes widened in shock, but then he, too, jumped in after his captain. Just as Kaido had said, King felt that his Devil Fruit powers were completely unaffected. He was suddenly plunged into a world of pitch-black water and realized that the pool was extraordinarily vast. He was still wondering what Kaido was doing and what this place truly was when a massive ball of fire, burning like a small sun, suddenly appeared in the darkness above his head.
Then, an unbelievable sight was revealed before his eyes.
He saw that in the vast underwater world, an entire city of dense Wano Country buildings stood perfectly preserved on the seabed. Among them, countless panicked koi fish swam in every direction.
"This is... Wano Country?" King asked in disbelief.
Kaido, now transformed into his massive dragon form, swam through the water and spoke slowly, his voice echoing through the deep.
"This is the Wano Country from 800 years ago!"
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