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The New World — somewhere out at sea.
On the deck of the Red Force, the Red-Haired Pirates' flagship, a lively party was in full swing.Shanks, as usual, had a bottle in hand, laughing and drinking with his crew.
"Captain! Captain! You've gotta see this!"
Yasopp came running over, waving a newspaper like it was on fire.
"Oh? What's got you so worked up, Yasopp?"
Shanks grinned, took the paper, and started reading.
The smile faded from his face when his eyes landed on the headline:"Demon Child Dan — Bounty: 1,000,000,000!"
"Well, well… a billion-berry bounty for a baby?"
He stroked his chin, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
"So Kaido was hiding something like this all along?"
Lucky Roo, with a chicken leg in his mouth, mumbled around the meat, "That brat… sounds scarier than Kaido himself."
Ben Beckman, calm as ever, took a drag from his cigar and analyzed the situation.
"For the Marines to put a billion-berry bounty on a baby right out of the gate… that kid's no ordinary brat."
"His existence alone could upset the balance of power in the New World."
Shanks nodded slightly, thoughtful now.
"Yeah… this sea is getting wilder by the day."
He set the paper down and took another swig from his bottle.
"A baby dangerous enough to warrant that bounty… looks like this era really is about to go berserk."
He turned to Beckman, his expression sharpening.
"Ben, how's the letter to Pops coming along?"
"We need to meet with him as soon as possible. This 'Demon Child' is just the beginning. Things are only going to get crazier from here."
Ben nodded, face grave.
"Understood, Captain. I'll have Rockstar deliver it first thing tomorrow."
"A billion! A billion berries! Woorororooo!!
"My son — even his very first bounty crushes everyone else's!"
Kaido's booming voice roared like thunder in Dan's ears.
"Bounty… a billion?!"
Dan's eyes snapped open. The first thing he saw was Kaido's massive figure towering over him like a mountain, waving a bounty poster in one huge hand.
It was his face on that paper — and those blinding, almost unreal numbers.A genuine billion-berry bounty.
"Woorororooo! You're awake! The brat's awake!"
Kaido practically shoved his massive dragon-like face right up to Dan's, eyes gleaming with excitement. His hot breath blew across Dan's tiny face like a gust of steam.
"Young Master Dan!"
"The young master is awake!"
Around them, King, Queen, Jack, Who's-Who, Black Maria, and the rest of the Tobiroppo rushed over, their faces alight with a mix of fervor and awe.
Their gazes had changed — no longer just looking at him as a baby to protect, but as a future storm that would shake the entire sea.
"How do you feel, brat?"
Kaido grinned, reaching out with one massive hand, carefully, almost clumsily, trying to touch him like he was afraid of breaking something priceless.
Dan blinked his clear black-and-white eyes and shifted his tiny body.
He still remembered the last thing that happened — pushing himself too far, trying to break through the Eighth Gate, before everything went black and he passed out cold.
[Ding! Host has awakened. Body functions have mostly recovered.]
[New missions added:]
1. Open and use the Eighth Gate of Death (Eight Gates Release).Reward: A random ability from the Myriad Worlds.
2. Intercept Rockstar's letter.Reward: Massive stamina cap increase.
3. Before age three (current age: 1 year, 3 months), defeat a Shichibukai-level or higher fighter in direct combat.Reward: A random ability from the Myriad Worlds.
The cold, mechanical voice of the system echoed in his mind.
Dan's tiny brow furrowed slightly as he read the glowing words.
Intercept Rockstar's letter?
Wasn't that the one the Red-Haired Pirates were sending to Whitebeard?
Taking this mission meant he'd have to get involved — directly or indirectly — with both Whitebeard and Shanks.
That was no small thing.
And the other one — defeating a Warlord before he even turned three…
Sure, with the Eight Gates he could unleash crazy power for short bursts.But every Warlord was a battle-hardened veteran.
Still…
The Shichibukai varied wildly in strength.He could aim for the weakest one and pick his fight carefully.
But that would mean offending the World Government too.
He'd already pissed off the Marines enough to earn a billion-berry bounty.If it weren't for Kaido's protection, he wouldn't have even survived to wake up today.
And now the system wanted him to antagonize two Yonko crews and the World Government in one go?
What was this — a death wish?
"Oi, brat! Sasaki was bragging to me — said you used some kind of 'gate-opening' technique, then turned all bloody and steamy?"
Kaido's booming voice yanked Dan out of his thoughts. The big man's eyes were burning with anticipation.
"Show me again! I wanna see it with my own eyes!"
"Worororo, Kaido-san, the kid just woke up," Queen cut in with his usual greasy grin. "He might not be fully recovered yet, yeah?"
"That's right, Governor," King added, rare concern in his voice. "That kind of power must have taken a toll on him. It'd be better to let him rest first."
Even so, King's fiery eyes stayed locked on Dan, just like everyone else's.
They had all heard Sasaki's story: the overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, the Marine officer he flattened, the blood-red steam.
But hearsay was nothing compared to seeing it with their own eyes.
And that final technique Sasaki had described — the Eighth Gate — just the name made their blood boil.
Dan looked at Kaido's eager face, then at the blazing stares of every Beast Pirate officer gathered around him.
Truth be told, he wanted to try again too.
He'd failed to fully break through the Eighth Gate last time, leaving his body in shambles.But the reward for that quest — "Extreme Breakthrough" — was another chance to draw a new power from the system.
And that was way too tempting to pass up.
He sat up straight on the special mat Kaido had prepared for him — made from the softest beast pelts they could find.
"Yiya-ya! (Let me try!)"
"Oh?"
Kaido's eyes lit up like lanterns. His huge hands rubbed together with an audible crackling of knuckles.
"It's happening? Good! All of you, watch closely! This is Kaido's son you're about to see!"
Every officer of the Beasts Pirates, from the All-Stars to the Tobiroppo, held their breath, eyes locked on the small figure at the center of the room.
No one dared blink — not when they were about to witness the birth of something legendary.
"..."
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