Night fell, and Onigashima blazed with lights. The banquet hall was a cacophony of noise. The newly joined young pirates stared wide-eyed at the mountains of gold bars before them.
"Hey, rookies, stunned, huh?" An old pirate with a face full of scars slapped a newcomer's shoulder, revealing a grin missing several teeth. "This is nothing! Keep following Kaido-sama, and good days are all ahead!"
The young man nodded mechanically, but his gaze couldn't tear itself away from the glimmering bricks.
In a corner of the venue, a few pirates were whispering in hushed tones. "I heard the gold distributed tonight alone is worth two billion Berries..."
"Shh, keep it down! But you're right, Kaido-sama is incredibly generous..."
As the gold bars were fully distributed, servers once again filed in, pushing carts laden with fine liquor.
Kaido raised his freshly refilled jug, his booming voice resounding through the entire hall. "Tonight, we drink until we drop! Anyone who can still walk out of here is insulting me!"
"Cheers!" Hundreds of cups were raised simultaneously, amber liquor shimmering enticingly in the firelight.
Some were already linking arms and singing pirate shanties, while others couldn't wait to bite the gold bars they'd just received, wanting to confirm their authenticity.
Queen had somehow jumped onto a makeshift stage and was twisting his obese body to the cheerful music.
"Come on, come on, everybody get hype!" He waved his arms exaggeratedly, drawing waves of laughter from below. Even the usually stern King couldn't help but shake his head with a light chuckle, clearly infected by the joyous atmosphere.
The night deepened, but the revelry only grew more intense. Some had already passed out drunk on the deck, still clutching gold bars tightly in their hands. Others argued with red faces over who was most likely to get a Devil Fruit next year. More, under the influence of alcohol, shouted "Long live the Beasts Pirates!" over and over again.
Kaido sat in the main seat, looking around at it all with satisfaction. He raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.
Tonight's banquet had succeeded beyond his expectations. Seeing the excitement of his crew, he knew this investment was absolutely worth it.
In reality, tonight's seemingly random reward distribution had been carefully arranged.
Even Cedric and Nixon, who thought they'd gotten lucky, were actually predetermined choices. While their performance was indeed good, within the Beasts Pirates there were many with strength comparable to theirs. The reason they were chosen was because they were young enough and had great potential.
For the ordinary pirate members, the real benefit they received was only the two billion Berries worth of gold distributed tonight. But split among over six hundred people, that came to just over three million Berries each. This sum was a drop in the bucket for the Beasts Pirates, who controlled the golden city of Shandora and the entire Wano Country.
Kaido knew full well that such a small sum could buy the steadfast loyalty of his men—this deal was simply too good to pass up.
He looked at his drunken crew in the hall, a meaningful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. This gold and liquor were merely tools to win over their hearts.
The banquet continued, alcohol and gold immersing everyone in joy.
By noon the next day, in the main conference hall of Onigashima, Wano Country, the officers of the Beasts Pirates had assembled.
Sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting mottled shadows on Kaido's ferocious face.
Among those attending the meeting were two newcomers: Cedric and Nixon, who had eaten the Devil Fruits yesterday. These two were, after all, Devil Fruit users now, even if they had only consumed the most ordinary Zoan types. The boost to their strength was still substantial.
With a bit of training, reaching the level of a Marine Rear Admiral shouldn't be a problem. Moreover, both were young, neither yet twenty years old—one could indeed say their futures were promising.
"Wororororo! For now, we have a preliminary hold on Wano Country. But this is far from enough. Our goal is to firmly grasp the entire country in our hands, to make it our stronghold. So, for the next period of time, our primary focus will be on development within Wano. Of course, this time is also for you to quickly familiarize yourselves with the powers you have just mastered." Kaido, seated at the head of the table, laid out the Beasts Pirates' upcoming development plan.
He then glanced at everyone and continued, "Next. King, Queen, the two of you will accompany me to the Flower Capital."
"Yes!" King and Queen said simultaneously.
"Bullet, you will hold the fort at Onigashima," Kaido continued.
Bullet nodded and said, "Yes!"
"Moria, Gavin, the two of you will go to the quarry in Udon. That place will be an important asset for our Beasts Pirates in the future," Kaido said again.
"Yes, Captain," Moria and Gavin said together.
"Urouge, Sebastian, Morris, Cedric, Nixon. For the upcoming period, with Urouge and Sebastian taking the lead, you will be responsible for stationing yourselves at the docks and ports in the regions of Kuri, Kibi, Ringo, and Hakumai. In the future, the Beasts Pirates will surely send forces from Wano Country to conquer all directions. So, maintaining these long-abandoned ports is necessary. At the same time, we must further spread the fearsome name of the Beasts Pirates to the ears of every citizen of Wano Country," Kaido continued.
"Yes," the group said one after another.
"Captain, what about me?" Enel finally couldn't hold back, his voice especially clear in the spacious conference room. He stepped forward, placing his hands on the table, his burning gaze fixed on Kaido.
Kaido slowly raised his eyelids, his crimson pupils flickering in the shadows. "You?" his low voice held a hint of amusement.
"Yeah! What's my mission?" Enel's voice rose a notch, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table. He could feel the gazes from around the room, especially Queen's mocking look, which only aggravated his irritation.
Kaido suddenly grinned, revealing his white teeth. He reached into his robes and pulled out a golden Devil Fruit. The fruit's surface was covered in lightning-like patterns, shimmering strangely under the light. "Your mission is to get familiar with this power." With that, he casually tossed the fruit toward Enel.
Enel reflexively caught it. When he saw the fruit clearly in his hand, his pupils constricted sharply. "This is..." His voice trembled slightly. "Captain, is this for me?"
"Hmm." Kaido tilted his head back and took a swig of liquor. As his Adam's apple bobbed, droplets ran down his chin. He had thought long and hard last night and ultimately decided to give the Goro Goro no Mi to Enel. This boy, raised in Skypiea, had received training within the Beasts Pirates since childhood and had a natural affinity for lightning. The potential Enel showed in the original story, combined with earlier systematic training now, meant he could at least reach the level of a Yonko First Mate in the future.
"Hey, hey, hey, Kaido-sama!" Queen suddenly slammed the table and stood up, the cigar in his mouth almost falling out. "You're just giving this top-tier fruit to this brat? Is he worthy?" His obese body squeezed past the chair, his eyes locked onto the fruit in Enel's hand. While he himself preferred the power of the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi, the allure of a top-tier Logia still made his heart sour.
Enel's face instantly darkened, his golden hair seeming to bristle slightly with anger. "Bastard Queen!" he said through gritted teeth. "You just wait. Once my power increases, I'll beat you until you're picking your teeth up off the floor!"
Queen unhurriedly took a puff of his cigar, blowing a perfect smoke ring. "Hah... I'll be waiting, brat," he deliberately drew out the word, the fat on his face quivering with his smile.
"Enough." Kaido's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the entire conference room. He stood up, his shadow enveloping half the room. "Enel, this Devil Fruit is among the very top tier of all fruits." He looked directly into the boy's eyes. "So I expect you not to betray my expectations."
Enel took a deep breath, clenching the fruit tightly in his palm. He could feel a faint electric current coming from it, as if resonating with some power within him. "Captain, don't worry," he said, raising his head, a determined light shining in his eyes. "I will definitely not let you down."
***
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