The banquet hall was brightly lit, the clinking of cups mingling with endless laughter and cheerful chatter.
Pirates sat around long tables, tearing into golden, juicy roast meat with gusto, raising their mugs for hearty swigs. Rough laughter rose and fell in waves; the crisp clang of cups meeting and the clatter of cutlery against plates wove together, filling the entire hall with a jubilant, boisterous atmosphere.
Right in the midst of this lively scene, a sudden commotion came from behind the stage.
A group of pirates dressed in outlandish costumes filed out from behind the curtains. They wore brightly colored garments with exaggerated greasepaint on their faces.
These pirates were nimble. One after another, they leaped down from the high platform, their movements crisp and clean. Armed with long staves, they authoritatively herded the pirates who had been sitting in the center towards the periphery.
The displaced pirates showed not a hint of displeasure. On the contrary, each wore expressions of excitement, eagerly whispering to each other, guessing what act would come next.
In the blink of an eye, a spacious clearing had been made in the center of the banquet hall. By now, all the hall's lights were fully illuminated, and under the brilliant lighting, the atmosphere grew even more fervent. Everyone craned their necks in anticipation of the upcoming program.
At that moment, the executives were the first to emerge in an orderly fashion, lined up in two columns from behind the stage curtain. They wore uniform black attire, their expressions solemn as they stood at the edge of the stage. At a single command, the executives simultaneously leaped down from the high platform, landing steadily on either side of the cleared area to form a human wall.
Just as everyone was holding their breath in anticipation, the flame throwers on both sides of the stage suddenly activated. With a WHOOSH, two pillars of blazing flame shot skyward, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.
Bathed in the glow of the roaring flames, Kaido's towering figure slowly appeared at the front of the stage. He wore a magnificent black cloak, a golden belt fastened at his waist. Each step he took carried an undeniable air of majesty.
Even more astonishing was the sight of over a dozen curvaceous, stunningly beautiful women following behind him.
These women wore well-tailored cheongsams with high slits, their long, beautiful legs flickering in and out of view as they walked. Each carried a delicate silver tray covered with red velvet cloth.
When they reached the center of the stage, they simultaneously lifted the red cloths, revealing the contents of the trays—they were unmistakably Devil Fruits of various shapes, emitting mysterious patterns. Besides the Devil Fruits, there were also two long swords in their scabbards and a pair of meteor hammers.
The eyes of all the pirates were fixed on Kaido on the high platform. The air was thick with expectation and excitement. Everyone knew the main event of the night was about to begin—the captain was going to personally bestow rewards upon his executives.
"Wororororo!" Kaido's hearty laughter echoed through the banquet hall. He raised a giant jug of liquor, took a swig, then slammed it heavily on the table. "You all know what's coming next, right?!"
The pirates below erupted into fervent cheers, adoration flashing in every eye. They knew this was the moment to witness the glory of the Beasts Pirates.
"King!" Kaido's booming voice called out the first name.
"Captain." The black-leather-clad King strode steadily to stand before Kaido, giving a slight bow. His sharp eyes shone with a light of loyalty from behind his mask.
Kaido looked with satisfaction upon his most capable right-hand man. "As the first executive of the Beasts Pirates, you have followed by my side since the crew's founding. Together we have conquered the Grand Line, sailed across the Four Blues, and now we have established ourselves in Wano Country." Kaido paused, taking a long sword that emitted a shadowy glow from a maiden's hands. "You already possess a powerful Devil Fruit ability. Today, I bestow firmly upon you this famed blade, 'Enma.' I hope you will continue to serve as my right arm, leading us towards an even more glorious future."
King reverently accepted the legendary blade. The sword body trembled slightly in his grasp, as if responding to its new master's aura. "I will follow you until death," King responded succinctly yet powerfully before retreating to his position.
"Queen!" Kaido's gaze turned to the ever-grinning fatso.
"Captain~" Queen wriggled his fat body forward, his signature sunglasses reflecting the banquet hall lights.
"Queen, you are the second executive since the founding of the Beasts Pirates, the crew's sole scientist. You witnessed the construction of our first ship and have followed me in my journeys across the Grand Line and the Four Blues since the crew's establishment. Now you have stood firm with me in Wano Country. Today, I grant you the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi. I hope you will continue to contribute to the crew." As he spoke, Kaido directly handed over the Devil Fruit he had obtained just days prior. Originally, he had prepared a different Devil Fruit for Queen, but since he had obtained this superior one, he would give it to this founding member.
"Mmhahaha! Thank you, Captain!" Queen burst into uproarious laughter upon hearing this. He finally had a Mythical Zoan, and one with exceptionally strong survivability at that—the Yamata no Orochi.
"Mmhahaha!" Queen let out his signature guffaw, eagerly taking the fruit. "I've finally waited for this day!" He bit into the fruit without hesitation. Though the disgusting taste made him gag and roll his eyes, astonishing changes soon began.
Everyone in the banquet hall instinctively took a few steps back.
Queen's body began to swell violently. His six-meter height instantly grew to over thirty meters. Eight massive snake heads extended from his neck, each flickering scarlet forked tongues, sixteen eyes gleaming with dangerous light. Even more shocking was the corrosive, gray-green mist that began to emanate from his entire body. The floor made sizzling sounds under the mist's erosion, instantly corroding into pitted holes.
"This power... is magnificent!" All eight snake heads spoke in Queen's voice simultaneously, a scene both spectacular and terrifying.
The expressions of the other executives in the banquet hall shifted to shock. Even the normally stoic King couldn't help but take a few extra glances.
Kaido nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, get used to it for now. Change back."
"Yes, sir." Upon hearing this, Queen immediately began to control his body, reverting to its original form. Before long, he had returned to being the six-meter-tall fat man. He adjusted his sunglasses and happily walked back to his spot, an irrepressible smug look on his face.
Kaido's gaze fell upon a young warrior. "Bullet."
"Captain." The powerfully-built warrior strode forward, his eyes burning with a desire to grow stronger.
"Bullet, I recruited you on the Grand Line. Your potential is immense, and you have been dedicated since joining the crew," Kaido said to Bullet. "This is the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami. May it help you become a pillar of the pirate crew as soon as possible."
"Thank you, Captain." Bullet, upon hearing this, directly took the Devil Fruit and swallowed it whole, paying no mind whatsoever to the fruit's taste.
Bullet swallowed the fruit without hesitation, and his body immediately underwent a drastic change. His skin rapidly grew thick white fur, his bones emitted crisp cracking sounds, and his frame continued to swell. In an instant, he had transformed into a nine-meter-tall white wolf-man, sharp tusks gleaming coldly under the lights. As the transformation completed, a biting cold spread from within him. The temperature in the banquet hall plummeted, a thin layer of frost forming on the surface of the alcohol on the tables.
"Thank you for your guidance, Captain!" After reverting to human form, Bullet saluted Kaido solemnly, a steady light flashing in his eyes.
Kaido turned his gaze to the next member, his voice deep. "Urouge."
Urouge walked leisurely to stand before Kaido, bowing respectfully. "Captain."
"Urouge," Kaido nodded with satisfaction. "Although you haven't been with the crew long, you have been wholeheartedly dedicated. Today, I grant you the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daidarabotchi. I hope you will continue to work hard and soon become my capable assistant."
"As you command, Captain." Urouge took the Devil Fruit and, without hesitation, swallowed it in one bite.
Instantly, Urouge's body began to undergo a startling change. His face gradually turned blue and black, and his body size continued to expand. Under the stunned gazes of present, his body rapidly grew to nearly a hundred meters tall—and this was only with him deliberately controlling the result. If he fully released his power, his size could become even more colossal.
Urouge carefully sensed the newly acquired power. Only after a moment did he return his body to its original state. He clenched his fist, flashing in his eyes, clearly quite satisfied with this new ability.
"Moria." Kaido addressed Moria.
"Captain." Moria walked up to Kaido.
Kaido looked at Moria standing before him. At this moment, Moria's figure was lean and strong, a long knife hanging at his waist. After looking at it for a while, Kaido said, "Moria, although your time with the crew hasn't been long either, I have seen your performance during this period. Your potential and strength are both quite remarkable. This Kage Kage no Mi is entrusted to you. Although this is not a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, its power is in no way inferior to any other."
"Yeehihihihi, thank you, Captain." Moria directly took the Devil Fruit, then bit off more than half of it. He endured the unpleasant taste and ate the rest.
Compared to the dramatic physical changes others underwent after eating Mythical Zoan fruits, Moria's body showed little change after consumption. Instead, under the light, Moria's shadow curiously stood up on its own. Moria curiously controlled his shadow, making it perform various strange movements.
The others in the banquet hall watched, very surprised, as Moria's shadow continuously performed all sorts of actions.
"Alright, I do know some information regarding the Kage Kage no Mi. You can come to me directly later if you need it," Kaido said to Moria.
"Yes, Captain." Moria nodded, then walked back to his original spot with his shadow in tow.
***
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