"GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"WORORORORORORORORORO!!!"
A colossal, monstrous amalgamation of various objects and a gigantic azure dragon roared with laughter.
The two behemoths, clashing for hours on end, paid no heed to the devastation they caused with each earth-shattering collision.
The former was Douglas Bullet. The latter was Kaido.
Both were pirates renowned throughout the world.
"This is exhilarating, Bullet!! I've been looking for someone as strong as you…!! Become my subordinate, Bullet!!!"
"Don't be ridiculous, you overgrown lizard!! I don't serve anyone!!!"
Kaido, in his full beast form, was a creature of immense size. But Bullet, having awakened his Chop-Chop Fruit, had surpassed even Kaido by assimilating and fusing with various objects.
Sheer size alone made one a sitting duck, but Bullet was a master of Haki. By imbuing the objects he absorbed with his Haki, he could reinforce their durability.
It was enough to withstand even Kaido's direct attacks.
"Ultimate Strike – Demolition Strike!!!"
"Scorching Breath – Boro Breath!!!"
Bullet's massive fist, coated in multiple layers of Armament Haki, glowed with a faint blue light instead of the usual black. An ordinary attack wouldn't even scratch Kaido, but a blow reinforced to this extent would be effective.
Kaido, in response, unleashed a torrent of flames capable of vaporizing mountains, engulfing Bullet's gigantic form.
Bullet's surface crumbled, his massive body trembling, but his fist continued its relentless advance.
"Hobb–!!"
His fist, larger than Kaido's dragon form, connected, sending Kaido flying across the island.
It seemed like a decisive blow, but this exchange had repeated countless times. Kaido was sent flying again and again, but Bullet's stamina was also dwindling.
It wasn't just the constant exertion of Haki. He had been taking Kaido's landscape-altering attacks head-on. It would be strange if he wasn't exhausted.
"Damn it… He's got unlimited stamina…!!"
Bullet, after a hearty laugh, muttered this in exasperation.
They had encountered each other by chance on an island Bullet had stopped at, and had been fighting for days. But Kaido showed no signs of giving up.
It wasn't that Bullet's attacks were ineffective. Kaido was bleeding from numerous wounds, his Haki waning. But he still had enough strength and stamina to keep fighting.
Bullet had never encountered an opponent so resilient. He was tempted to try out a few more things, but he had already exhausted most of his options.
All he could do now was focus on finding a way to defeat Kaido. But no matter how many times he knocked him down, Kaido would laugh and stand up again.
Bullet clicked his tongue. "Did Kanata really push this guy back?" he thought.
"This is frustrating…"
He had traveled alone, seeking strength, searching for the answer to freedom.
But he was starting to reach his limits. To grow stronger, he needed to fight against someone equal to or stronger than him.
In other words, he needed Kanata's help.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, but Bullet knew it was the fastest way to achieve his goals.
"You're not done yet, are you, Bullet?! The fight's just getting started!!"
Kaido's enthusiasm seemed to have increased after days of constant fighting.
They were both exhausted, but neither showed any signs of backing down. It was a battle that could potentially drag on indefinitely – but then, the Marines, alerted by someone's report, arrived with their warships.
And the one leading them was Garp.
Even Kaido and Bullet had to acknowledge the unfavorable odds. They reluctantly withdrew, postponing their fight for another day.
***
"Damn it… What a letdown," Kaido muttered while guzzling sake.
Even the newest members of the Beasts Pirates knew to avoid Kaido when he was drinking. He was notorious for his bad temper when drunk.
But one man, clad in black from head to toe – a man with wings unlike any ordinary human, King the Wildfire, fearlessly approached Kaido.
"Kaido-san, I hate to interrupt your drinking, but…"
"What is it, King? Did something happen?"
Fortunately, he had only started drinking. Kaido's response was still relatively coherent.
King handed him a wanted poster. It seemed to be related to the current situation.
"Do you know about this guy, Doflamingo? He recently joined the Seven Warlords."
"…No."
While the Seven Warlords were considered a force to counter Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido, they were insignificant to Kaido, except for Kanata.
But he still gathered information. He knew that ignorance in this sea was a recipe for disaster.
If Kaido didn't know him, then it had to be recent news.
"His original bounty was 340 million berries. I don't know his true strength, but… Rumor has it he blackmailed the government to become a Warlord."
"WORORORORO!! He blackmailed the government?! To become a Warlord?!"
It was hard to imagine why someone would go to such lengths to obtain a position like that, but there had to be a reason.
Plenty of pirates were smart but lacked the strength to back it up. But with a bounty exceeding 300 million, Doflamingo was undoubtedly strong.
But even then…
Kanata, who constantly clashed with Kaido and Big Mom, was in a league of her own. Mihawk, the "Hawk-Eyes" who was considered Shanks' rival, was also someone to be wary of. Doflamingo didn't seem to be on their level.
Kaido, losing interest, returned the wanted poster to King and took a swig of sake.
"So, what about this Doflamingo?"
"He wants to make a deal with us. I'm just reporting it."
If it had been some arrogant pirate, Kaido would have simply crushed him. But Doflamingo had proposed a mutually beneficial transaction. King felt it was worth reporting to Kaido.
King had some authority, but the final decision rested with Kaido, the captain.
Kaido set down his bottle and picked up the report King had brought.
"…A weapons deal? Do you think it's feasible?"
"The underworld's been struggling since Twilight took over the shipping business. This might be a good opportunity for us."
The underworld bosses, who had once controlled the seas, had lost most of their power with Twilight's rise.
Only those who dealt in organs, slaves, weapons, and warehousing had survived. While the demand for black market shipping wouldn't disappear entirely, Twilight controlled most of it.
The "Loan Shark King", blinded by greed, had tried to switch sides and was killed by Big Mom. The "Shipping King" had lost most of his business to Twilight and was now barely scraping by.
Even the Beasts Pirates, and their allies, the Big Mom Pirates, were struggling to make money.
"Interesting… Let's do it. We can make as many weapons as he wants. Use this opportunity to make money and collect Devil Fruits."
Money was everything. Then came supplies and manpower.
With enough money, they could solve most of their problems. Twilight was powerful because they had a lot of money.
Kaido took another swig of sake, contemplating his plans, then, remembering Kanata, began swinging his club.
***
"I… want to leave."
Robin had learned all she could from Junshi, mastering the art of stealth and combat. She was now skilled enough to survive on her own.
Hachinosu was comfortable. There was an abundance of archeological materials. She didn't need to leave if all she wanted to do was research. But the Road Poneglyphs were scattered around the world.
She couldn't just stay in one place.
"I see. That's fine."
Kanata, still focused on her paperwork, replied to Robin's request.
Olivia, standing next to Robin, slammed her hand on Kanata's desk.
"Are you even listening?! I think it's too early! She's still young! It's dangerous for her to go out on her own! I won't allow it!"
"Don't yell at me."
Kanata shrugged, ignoring Olivia's furious outburst. She set down her paperwork and turned to face Robin.
Robin had grown considerably since they rescued her from Ohara.
"Well, it's true that she can't handle everything on her own."
"Right?! She should stay here, research the Road Poneglyphs we've collected… That would be safer…"
"Don't lie to yourself. It's just making everyone uncomfortable."
"…!"
Olivia herself had gone out to sea in search of the Road Poneglyphs.
She knew the dangers, and that she might never see her daughter again, but even then, she had chosen that path.
So, she couldn't stop Robin.
Robin had chosen the same path.
Besides, Kanata herself wasn't interested in the Road Poneglyphs. If Robin stayed on Hachinosu, she wouldn't be able to learn anything new.
The Road Poneglyphs were called the "stones that wouldn't reveal themselves" for a reason. They couldn't be found by simply waiting.
"No one can stop those who want to go to sea. But it's a dangerous world out there. Are you sure you're prepared?"
"Yes. I want to read the Road Poneglyphs and uncover the lost history. That's what everyone on Ohara wanted."
"Don't base your decisions on what others want. You'll end up resenting them if things go wrong."
Do it because you want to. That's all the reason you need.
Robin, her eyes wide, nodded in understanding.
"I want to uncover the Void Century for myself. That's why I'm leaving."
"Good answer. Junshi told me you were making good progress. But just in case, I've prepared some bodyguards for you."
She had anticipated this.
Kanata called someone with the Den Den Mushi, and a few moments later, someone knocked on the door.
"Hihin. Did you call for me?"
A man with the head of a horse, the upper body of a human, and the lower body of a horse – Zen, accompanied by three figures, entered the room.
One was Hiyori, or rather Komurasaki, but the other two were unfamiliar to Robin.
"These two idiots tried to steal our Road Poneglyphs."
Pedro and Zepo.
The former was a jaguar mink, the latter a polar bear mink.
"Komurasaki subdued them. I thought it would be a difficult fight, considering their bounties, but it seems it wasn't that challenging."
"Well, we couldn't really fight seriously against the princess…"
"Exactly! Kanata-san orchestrated this, didn't she?"
Zen agreed with Pedro.
The Mink Tribe from Zou considered the Kozuki Clan their brothers. Pedro and Zepo had received a message from Inuarashi and Nekomamushi, so they knew who Komurasaki was. They couldn't fight her seriously.
They had tried to subdue her with Electro, hoping to knock her unconscious without harming her, but Komurasaki, being a Lightning Devil Fruit user, was immune to such attacks. They were the ones who ended up getting electrocuted.
…Of course, they had no excuse for trying to steal the Road Poneglyphs, even though they had received a message from Inuarashi and Nekomamushi.
"Why did you even try to steal it? Did you think asking me wouldn't work?"
"Everyone's hiding them. I thought you wouldn't give it to us, even if we asked… Would you have given us permission?"
"No."
Pedro and Zepo slumped their shoulders in defeat.
The information about the Road Poneglyphs was a closely guarded secret. Naturally.
There were a few stored in the basement of Hachinosu, but only Kanata and Dragon knew the entrance. They couldn't have found it.
The Road Poneglyphs were usually copied, not stolen. They couldn't copy it without finding the original.
There were research materials in the archaeologists' room, but Teach was always there. It was debatable who was more troublesome to deal with, Komurasaki or Teach.
"Big Mom and Kaido have a few. I'll collect them eventually. You two will serve as Robin's bodyguards and search for the Road Poneglyphs in the seas outside the New World."
"You… You said you weren't interested in them."
"I'm not. But I can't just ignore them. But that's all I'm going to do. You'll have to find the rest on your own."
She didn't care if the World Government disapproved. It wasn't something she would worry about.
But she was a Warlord, so she had to maintain some semblance of cooperation. She wouldn't be able to support Robin openly once she left Hachinosu.
Pedro's bounty was 382 million berries. It was that high because he was searching for the Road Poneglyphs, and because of his strength.
He was more than capable of protecting Robin.
"So, protecting this young lady is our punishment?"
"I can assign someone else if you don't want to do it."
"I don't mind. If our objectives are the same, then we can cooperate. Right, Zepo?"
"Yeah, I have no objections."
Zepo, adjusting his sunglasses, grinned. He might be hiding behind Pedro, but he was also strong.
Robin shook hands with them, and Komurasaki tilted her head.
"…Robin-san, are you leaving?"
"Yes. I wish I had time to teach you the Six Powers, but…"
The Six Powers were physical techniques that required considerable training. Her strength would have increased significantly if she had been able to use Haki, but Robin didn't seem to have much aptitude for Armament or Observation Haki.
Olivia wasn't particularly strong either, so perhaps it was hereditary.
She would have to rely on Pedro and Zepo if things got dangerous.
"I'm going to miss you…"
"I'm not dying. We'll see each other again someday."
They wouldn't be operating in the New World anymore, so it was unlikely they would meet Komurasaki. But Robin might return someday.
Anything could happen in this sea. It would be dangerous if Big Mom or Kaido found out about Robin's ability to read the Road Poneglyphs, but for now, they had managed to control the flow of information. It should be safe for a while…
"Be careful about how you handle information. The government will be looking for you. And if Big Mom or Kaido find out that you can read the Road Poneglyphs, they'll come after you. I'd like to crush them sooner rather than later, but…"
Twilight alone couldn't take on both of those crews. The Marines were slow to act, and the World Government was too focused on maintaining the status quo to deal with the root of the problem.
She could provoke them into action, but even with the combined forces of the Marines and Twilight, it would be difficult to completely destroy the Big Mom-Beasts Pirates alliance.
It wasn't that they couldn't defeat them, but the potential devastation was too great. Governing the aftermath would be a nightmare.
Whitebeard wasn't actively disrupting the peace, but the number of pirates had increased since Roger's execution.
She couldn't recklessly start a war. It would destroy their deterrent effect.
"Don't worry. I have reliable comrades. I'll be fine."
"That's reassuring."
Robin had to leave discreetly. She was an important asset. They couldn't risk a grand send-off.
Robin had been living on Hachinosu since the Ohara incident. She had made many friends.
She could at least say goodbye.
Robin left the office.
"Now then… I'm entrusting her to you two."
"Don't worry. We'll protect her with our lives."
Pedro and Zepo's crew was called the Nox Pirates.
They had left Zou to collect the Road Poneglyphs, hoping to bring about the "Dawn of the World" that Nekomamushi had spoken of.
They had a larger crew, but for various reasons, those who couldn't continue the journey had been entrusted with taking care of their territory. Now, it was just the two of them.
Pedro and Zepo were unlikely to betray them. Their objectives were aligned, and they understood the value of Robin's ability.
That's why Kanata had chosen them as her bodyguards.
"By the way, what was the message from Nekomamushi and Inuarashi?"
"Well… Duke Inuarashi said, 'You're always welcome on Zou. Please visit anytime, and bring the princess with you.' Master Nekomamushi said, 'It's not fair that Izo and Kawamatsu are always by the princess's side. Let me take their place sometime.'"
Kanata couldn't help but laugh at their straightforward requests, and Komurasaki blushed, hiding her face.