"Quiet, all of you!" a scar-faced old pirate bellowed, his rough voice cutting through the chaotic crowd like a shard of glass. "Open your eyes wide and see clearly! This is the captain of our Beasts Pirates—King of the Beasts, Lord Kaido!"
His words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly silencing the previously clamorous scene.
The newly joined pirates looked at each other, their faces etched with shock and disbelief.
As one, they looked up at the sky. A massive azure dragon, so large it blotted out the sky, was circling amidst the clouds. Its enormous form obscured half the heavens, casting a gigantic shadow under the sun.
"You're... you're not joking, right? That dragon... is Captain Kaido?" a young pirate stammered, his voice trembling with tension. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the sword at his waist, his knuckles turning white.
"Of course it's true!" the old pirate puffed out his chest with pride, his rough finger pointing skyward. "Lord Kaido ate the Mythical Zoan Type, Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon Devil Fruit. This is his beast form!" His tone was full of pride, as if showing off a personal treasure.
As the dragon drew closer, gales whipped up clouds of dust, forcing everyone to squint. The azure scales shimmered with a metallic luster in the sunlight, each one like a piece of exquisitely forged armor. Sharp claws and fangs exuded an aura that chilled the soul, seeming capable of tearing apart the strongest fortress walls with ease.
When the dragon let out its deafening roar, the whole of Onigashima seemed to tremble, the ground itself vibrating faintly.
"So... so powerful..." The rookies gazed up at the dragon circling overhead, their eyes filled with awe and worship. They unconsciously took a few steps back, yet couldn't help but want a clearer look. Some were so excited their entire bodies shook, nearly dropping their weapons.
"Hahaha!" The old pirates roared with laughter, their voices brimming with smug satisfaction. "With a leader as powerful as Captain Kaido, conquering the New World is just around the corner!" They clapped each other on the shoulders as if they could already see the dawn of victory.
The dragon descended slowly upon the castle atop Onigashima's highest point. Under the awestruck gaze of all, the colossal body gradually shrank, the scales receded, and it finally transformed back into human form.
Kaido's burly figure stood proudly atop the castle's peak, clad in a heavy black cloak, his massive spiked club hanging at his waist. His sharp eyes swept over his subordinates below; wherever his gaze fell, everyone instinctively straightened their backs.
Sunlight spilled over his bronze skin, gilding him in an aura of majestic, golden light.
The island of Onigashima echoed with rising and falling cries.
"Captain!" "Captain!"
At first, it was just a few scattered pirates shouting. Soon, the entire island reverberated with deafening roars. The eyes of every pirate were fixed on Kaido's towering form.
"Wororororo!" Kaido's hearty laughter resounded through the skies. He raised his club high. "Listen up! The Beasts Pirates' first-ever Flame Festival is about to begin! Are you ready to revel?!"
"WE ARE!" The pirates brandished their weapons, responding with a roar that shook the heavens.
Kaido laughed heartily in satisfaction. "Wororororo! Then follow me as we storm the castle! Let the feast begin!"
"YES, SIR!" The pirates chorused in unison, the sound wave lingering over Onigashima for a long time.
Kaido turned directly and began walking down into the castle. When this castle was built, a route for Kaido's aerial entry had been taken into account.
"Brother Kaido," King said respectfully, standing before Kaido and giving a slight bow.
"King, no need to be so formal today. Relax and enjoy yourself!" Kaido laughed heartily, clapping King on the shoulder.
"Yes, sir," King nodded, then continued. "Brother Kaido, that guy Queen said he wants to formally introduce all the important members of the Beasts Pirates. He asked us to go to the banquet hall."
"Wororororo! Let's see what tricks that fatso has up his sleeve, then!" Kaido readily agreed. He recalled that in the original story, Queen was indeed skilled at organizing large-scale events like this.
Led by King, Kaido arrived at the exclusive area on the banquet hall's second floor. The position offered an excellent view, directly facing the stage below, providing a clear sightline of the upcoming performance.
Kaido looked around and saw, seated in a row to his left: Bullet, Moria, Sebastian, and Morris. To his right were: Urouge, Gavin, and Enel. All seats were arranged in a straight line, clearly planned with care.
Seeing Kaido's arrival, Bullet and the other executives immediately rose to their feet in salute.
"Sit, everyone. Today at the Flame Festival, just enjoy yourselves to the fullest," Kaido said, taking his seat on the central sofa in the place of honor. Only then did everyone sit down, with King taking the first seat on Kaido's right-hand side.
Kaido noticed there was still one empty seat on his left and asked casually, "King, who arranged this seat?"
"It was Queen's idea. He said this arrangement would have a better effect," King replied.
"That fatso sure knows how to stir things up," Kaido chuckled under his breath, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation.
Outside, the pirates were now filing into the banquet hall. This grand hall had been built with the future expansion of the Beasts Pirates in mind, its scale massive enough to accommodate several thousand people.
Although only a few hundred were attending now, making it feel somewhat empty, it did nothing to dampen the pirates' soaring enthusiasm. The hall gradually filled with clamor and laughter, everyone anticipating the festivities about to begin.
The banquet hall was brightly lit, the clinking of cups and the joyful atmosphere flowing freely between them.
Suddenly, all the lights went out at the same moment, plunging the entire hall into total darkness. The previously noisy chatter ceased abruptly, the air thick with breathless anticipation.
BANG!
A heavy drumbeat exploded from the center of the stage, followed immediately by a torrent of impassioned music. Beams of multi-colored neon lights swept across every corner of the hall, slicing the darkness into dazzling fragments of light and shadow. The pirates immediately understood—the long-awaited Flame Festival had officially begun.
"YEAH~!"
"WOO~!"
"WHOA~!"
Rising waves of cheers instantly ignited the entire banquet hall.
Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, Queen, aided by a mechanical device, shot up from beneath the stage and appeared in mid-air above it. The music cut off abruptly. All spotlights swung in unison to focus on this portly figure.
As Queen landed steadily in the center of the stage, the music kicked back in.
Over twenty pirates appeared on stage simultaneously, beginning to dance to the rhythm. Queen wriggled his massive frame, holding a microphone aloft as he loudly announced, "Sorry to keep you waiting! Today is the Beasts Pirates' inaugural Flame Festival! Let's revel to our hearts' content!"
The neon lights on stage shifted angles to the music's beat. Queen led the backup dancers in a routine he had choreographed himself. "Because being slim makes you popular, I choose not to diet instead..." He sang a self-composed song while performing his滑稽 dance moves.
Although the dancing and singing could hardly be called professional, the atmosphere in the venue was utterly ignited.
The pirates screamed madly. The entire banquet hall felt like it was about to have its roof blown off.
As the song ended, Queen raised the microphone to interact with the audience. "Is everybody hyped?!"
"YEAH!" An ear-splitting response shook the hall.
"Well then, allow me to introduce tonight's special guests," Queen's voice boomed through the speakers into every corner. "First, let's welcome the soul of the Beasts Pirates—Captain, King of the Beasts, Kaido!"
All spotlights simultaneously swung to the second floor, illuminating Kaido, who was watching the performance.
"Captain!" "Captain!" "Captain!" The pirates' cheers rose in wave after wave.
Queen continued the introductions. "Next up, the executives of the Beasts Pirates: King, Queen, Bullet, Moria, Urouge, Sebastian, Gavin, Morris, and apprentice crew member, Enel!"
Each time a name was called, a spotlight would accurately find the corresponding position. Aside from Queen's own seat being empty, all the other executives were seated in their designated areas.
"BEASTS!" "BEASTS!" "BEASTS!" A unified chant thundered towards the heavens, pushing the festive atmosphere to a new crescendo.
As the cheers gradually subsided, Queen wiped the sweat from his brow, a triumphant smile on his face. Raising the microphone, his voice took on a teasing tone. "Seems like everyone can't wait any longer! Well then—"
With a sudden sweep of his hand, flame throwers on both sides of the stage ignited, blasting pillars of blazing fire skyward, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.
The pirates let out deafening screams, wildly waving their mugs and weapons. The banquet hall was completely boiling.
"No rules tonight! No restrictions!" Queen shouted. "Only booze, dancing, and revelry!"
Before his words faded, servers pushed massive barrels of liquor into the crowd, wine cascading forth like waterfalls.
Pirates scrambled to catch the splashing alcohol, guzzling it down. Some even jumped straight into the barrels, provoking roars of laughter from those around them.
Meanwhile, countless servings of roast meat, sweets, and other delicacies were carried by servers to the long banquet tables arranged at the hall's edges. Some couldn't resist, grabbing a hunk of roast meat larger than their own torso and taking huge, ravenous bites.
As the band struck up another melody, the atmosphere in the entire banquet hall was instantly reignited.
Queen led the dancers in even wilder steps, their exaggerated movements drawing cheers from the crowd. Pirates set down their cups and joined in. The once-spacious hall transformed in the blink of an eye into a bustling, bustling dance floor.
Laughter, singing, and the clinking of cups rose and fell in succession, even the air itself seems to tremble.
High up on the platform, a faint smile played on Kaido's lips, clearly infected by the warm atmosphere. He took a giant bowl of liquor handed to him by a server and threw his head back for a booze, not caring that the drink dripped down his beard.
Seeing this, the other executives followed suit, raising their cups and drinking heartily.
Of course, the exception was the nine-year-old Enel. The young boy accepted the apple juice specially prepared for him by a server, taking small sips. Yet, his eyes remained fixed on the adults reveling in the dance floor below, his young face filled with yearning.
***
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