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A deafening roar of laughter exploded from Kaido's throat.
The entire Onigashima shook beneath the sheer force of his voice.
Boulders tumbled down the mountainside. The beasts wailed in terror.
"My son! Hahahaha! That's my son!"
Kaido threw his head back and laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face.
"Not even two years old—and he used a Marine Vice Admiral as a punching bag?! He can even open the Gates of Justice?! And that blood-red steam—!"
"Uoooooh! Good! This is great!"
"This is what it means to be my son!"
"He's gonna surpass me, is he? Hahaha! Then bring it on, brat!"
"Uooooooooh!"
His laughter echoed like thunder, filled with unshakable pride and exhilaration.
The others present couldn't help themselves—every eye turned toward the still-sleeping Dan, their gazes blazing with awe and something close to reverence.
Across the world, the News Coo filled the skies.
Their sharp cries accompanied the raining of fresh papers over every corner of the sea.
Bustling port towns, pirate ships drifting along the Grand Line, even the fortified Marine bases—
Countless people picked up a copy and saw the same headline, bold and black and impossible to miss.
[World-Shaking News! Beasts Pirates' Kaido Reveals His Young Son! Marine G-58 Base Devastated!]
["Demon Child" Dan! Marine Headquarters Sets a Record-Breaking One-Billion-Beli Bounty!]
The photo showed only a hazy silhouette of a toddler, shrouded in ominous crimson steam.
No one could make out the face, but the sense of dread radiating even through the newsprint sent chills down every reader's spine.
One billion.
A number that alone was enough to make people's scalps tingle.
And it was on the head of… a baby.
"Am I seeing this right? A billion?! For a kid?!"
A pirate rubbed his eyes furiously before his mug slipped from his hand and shattered on the deck.
"Kaido's son? That monster actually has a kid?!"
"'Demon Child'—hell, that nickname fits way too well. That's no baby, that's a little devil!"
"The Marines must've lost their minds! Who slaps a billion on a toddler?!"
"You idiot, look at what happened to G-58! Three Vice Admirals—one nearly beaten to death, two barely escaped with their lives! You think a normal baby did that?!"
Within hours, the entire sea was boiling over.
Gasps, curses, heated arguments—they erupted everywhere.
The name "Demon Child Dan" tore through the world like a hurricane.
The Beasts Pirates were already infamous enough.
Now there was an even scarier monster in the making.
The seas would never be the same again.
New World – Totto Land, Whole Cake Island
Inside the massive castle, the sweet aroma of cake hung heavy in the air, but the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.
"Ma-ma-ma-ma… that bastard Kaido! He really hit the jackpot this time!"
Big Mom sat on her custom throne, her massive frame quivering with rage. The newspaper crumpled in her hand before she hurled it to the floor.
"A brat under two years old—worth a billion! A billion!"
Spit flew as she shouted, her fury practically shaking the room.
"What about my children, huh?! Perospero! Katakuri! Smoothie! You useless brats!"
Her furious gaze swept over her children, who stood frozen like statues.
"Look at Kaido's kid! Then look at you lot!"
"You call yourselves elite? Hah! You can't even measure up to a toddler!"
"Why couldn't I give birth to a monster like that?!"
Perospero forced a smile, nervously licking his candy cane.
"Ma-ma… Mama, Kaido just got lucky, that's all…"
"Lucky?!"
Big Mom slammed her armrest, making the entire castle tremble.
"Since when can you pick up a monster like that by luck?!"
"If even one of you had half that brat's power, I wouldn't be sitting here on the back foot!"
Katakuri stayed silent, scarf hiding his face, but the tight clench of his fists gave away his turmoil.
Smoothie didn't dare make a sound, terrified of adding fuel to the fire.
The rest of the Charlotte family held their breath, afraid to even move.
Big Mom's fury only grew. She grabbed a Homies cake nearby and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing furiously.
"Damn it, I'm so jealous I could scream! Why does that bastard Kaido get all the good stuff?!"
"Ma-ma-ma-ma… No, I won't let him have the last laugh. I'll make something even better!"
Greed and determination glinted in her eyes.
The arrival of this "Demon Child" was more than just news to her—it was a threat, and a challenge she refused to lose.
New World – The Moby Dick
Whitebeard sat in his massive captain's chair, a sake bowl fit for a giant in his hand.
Tension still hung heavy aboard the ship. Titch's betrayal had left a wound that hadn't yet healed.
"Pops."
Marco walked up, a newspaper in hand and an odd look on his face.
"Oh? Something new going on? Gurararara…"
Whitebeard downed a huge swig, his laugh rumbling deep in his chest.
Marco handed him the paper.
"It's about Kaido… He's got a son now. The Marines just put a bounty on him."
Whitebeard's massive fingers pinched the flimsy paper as his eyes landed on the headline.
When he read the words "Demon Child Dan – One Billion Beli," his drinking paused for just a second.
The ship was quiet for several moments.
"Gurararara…"
Whitebeard's deep laugh broke the silence.
"A billion-Beli brat… That Kaido sure knows how to stir up this sea."
He tossed the paper aside, taking another swig as though it meant nothing.
But Marco, sharp as ever, noticed the flicker of emotion in Pops' eyes—surprise, a rare heaviness, and maybe… just a hint of irritation.
The commanders soon gathered, crowding around to read the paper themselves.
"A billion? You've gotta be kidding me! That's more than several of us combined!"
"Kaido's kid… sounds like a damn monster already."
"If that boy grows up, we're all in trouble."
Whitebeard kept drinking quietly, gazing out at the restless sea.
"Other people's sons…"
He muttered under his breath, the words so soft only he could hear.
Titch's betrayal had left a blade lodged in his heart.
And now, Kaido's "Demon Child" had appeared.
For a man who called every one of his crew "son," the contrast cut deeper than he would ever admit.
"..."
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