Chapter 35: QUEEN

──Somewhere in the waters of an island in the "Grand Line," that legendary sea.

We reunited with our crew shortly after and set sail for that rumored island—bringing along a formidable new ally.

"Ahhh, this is so relaxing~~~♡ With a navigator around, I don’t have to do a thing~~~♡"

"...How the hell were you managing your voyages until now?"

"Huh? I did everything myself, obviously. Navigator, cook, doctor, shipwright—all of it."

"WORORORO!! Nue can handle anything!! My dumbass crew’s useless except in a fight, so she had no choice but to do it all!!"

"...…It’s a miracle you’ve survived this long…"

That muttered remark came from a man clad head-to-toe in black, with wings and flames—King. He stood before me and Kaido as we ate on the deck. Thanks to him joining as an executive of the Beasts Pirates, along with his ship and a handful of his subordinates, our manpower shortage eased a bit. Specifically, we finally got a proper navigator and such.

Well, there was a bit of a scene when King officially joined. When he announced it to his crew, things got… intense.

──"Starting today, I’m joining the Beasts Pirates, led by these two as Captain and Vice-Captain… So you lot, decide right now. Either get off this ship, or join the Beasts Pirates with me. There are no other options."

"Wh-what!? Th-that’s—!"

"You can’t just drop this on us…!"

"B-besides… putting aside that giant guy, a weak-looking girl as Vice-Captain? What kind of pirate crew even—"

──"The hell did you just say?"

"Huh? —GURK!!?"

Amid the bewildered crew, one sailor had the nerve to mock Kaido and me—especially me. King seized him with a massive arm befitting his size. The others stirred, but ignoring them, King dragged the man to the ship’s edge, dangled him over the side, and growled:

"You’d better… watch your damn mouth…!! I’m ‘King’ of the Beasts Pirates now…!! Anyone who disrespects Kaido-san or Nue-san won’t be spared…!!"

"I—I get it!! P-please, sto—!!"

"Didn’t you hear me say you won’t be spared…!?"

"G-GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!?"

"You’re sentenced to death…!!"

With that, King engulfed his former subordinate in flames, burning him alive right at the ship’s edge. The screams—the death throes—echoed across the deck. In less than ten seconds, a charred corpse was all that remained. Without a shred of remorse, King tossed it into the sea. Kaido and I couldn’t help but laugh.

"WORORORO… No mercy, huh?"

"My, my, saved me the trouble. I was gonna use him as today’s ‘Whim Lunch’ ingredient and everything~"

I’d considered teaching his crew the hard way just how terrifying I could be—since letting them look down on us would’ve been annoying—but King handled the purge first. Oh well, there’d be time for that later. Amused, I watched as King turned back to his cowering crew, jerking his chin at them.

──"If any of you here can’t swear loyalty to Kaido-san right now… get the hell off this ship."

"Y-yes…"

This time, no one dared complain. Even King wouldn’t slaughter his former crew for no reason. He gave them a choice—live only if they stayed. Those who left… were killed. A few idiots failed to read between the lines and got cut down by King the moment they tried to disembark. Not that we particularly cared, but to King, it was about "tying up loose ends." If they weren’t joining the Beasts Pirates, they were enemies now. And he made it clear—even former subordinates would die if they crossed that line.

──Anyway, the end result? King’s massive prison ship, along with thirteen of his crew—including the navigator—joined the Beasts Pirates. …What? That’s too few? Well, Kaido kinda killed the rest… There were supposed to be dozens more, but no point crying over spilled milk. For now, let’s just celebrate our new comrades!

──"So, Nue-san. You’re sure the next recruit candidate’s on that island?"

"Probably~. Word is, he’s some deranged pirate who spreads plagues and gets off on twisted executions. Sounds promising, right?"

"...If he’s useful, fine. If not… leave him to me. I’ll break his will with torture."

"Ahhh, well, if he’s no good, who cares? Right, Kaido?"

"If he’s worthless, do whatever the hell you want."

"Aah, I’ll handle that one…!!"

With Kaido’s permission, King cracked his knuckles, brimming with enthusiasm. Must be the thrill of his first proper voyage as part of the crew—or maybe he’s just got energy to burn.

Then again, you could also say he’s just plain bloodthirsty. King’s got that hardcore brawler vibe, like a yakuza enforcer who lives for fights. Normally he’s calm, but the ferocity is always there. Fits right in with us. Apparently, he’s good at torture for the same reasons I am. From now on, we can leave the interrogations and info-extraction to him. Honestly, for me and Kaido, his methods are… excessive by normal standards, but hey, it works.

…Still, I’m kinda curious about this guy we’re recruiting next… Sounds like fun in all sorts of ways. What to do, what to do~?

"Hmm…"

"...Something wrong with the food? If so, I’ll summon the cook—"

"Eh? What, you gonna put on a little cooking show for me?"

"—If. Necessary."

The cook, who’d just stepped onto the deck, let out a terrified "Eeek…!?" at King’s words. Hilarious. But—

"Weeell~ Sounds fun, but I’m not really in a steak mood today~ Maybe next time, sorry!"

"Tch… Pity."

He actually looked disappointed. Wait, what? Was King the one who wanted to do it? That’s… way more messed up than I thought. But hey, it’s useful and entertaining. Maybe I’ll let him put on a proper torture show someday. The locals on our turf would love it.

Anyway—we’re almost at the island. Hell, I can see it already. Just need to drop anchor somewhere.

—Hmm. Guess I’ll…

"Kaido, mind if I scout ahead a bit?"

"What? You itching for a fight too?"

"Something like that. Gonna go check out that ‘deranged’ guy we heard about!"

"...What should I do?"

"King, you and Kaido can follow at your own pace! Oh, and handle the crew for me while I’m gone—just give ‘em the usual orders!"

"...Understood."

I leapt off the ship, got a quick nod from Kaido, and headed for the island ahead of them. Left King in charge of wrangling the crew too. Kaido handles the big commands, but the finer details are usually my job—so King’s the best replacement. Our crew’s nothing but fighters aside from Kaido as Captain and me as Vice-Captain, so we’ve never had a proper chain of command. But King can manage. With him—and one more—the Beasts Pirates might finally function like a real organization.

Smiling at the thought, I hummed to myself.

"—Alrighty, time to go get excited~"

And with that, I strolled toward the island’s heart, lured in by the distant pulse of manic music.

---

The dance stage was a roaring success.

At its center, a hulking, overweight man—Queen—held the entire island captive with terror through his performance.

"GET EXXXXCITED!!"

"Q-U-E-E-N, QUEEN!!"

"Q-U-E-E-N, QUEEN!!"

Amid the chants of his crew, Queen surveyed the frenzied crowd with satisfaction. Every last one of them was suffering from disease, writhing in agony—yet they had no choice but to obey. This despair, this misery—all of it was his doing. Was there anything more hilariously wretched than this?

Riding the high, Queen launched into another song. The show had only just begun. He strutted back onto the stage for an encore, breaking into a dance alongside a few of his lackeys.

"If I got skinny, I'd be TOO POPULAR~♫ So I stay THICC by choice~♫"

"FUNK IT UP!!"

"Round? Nah, it's all MUSCLE, baby~♫ A singin', dancin' MACHINE~♫"

"FUNK IT UP!!"

——That’s right. He might be fat, but he was a star. The kind of funk that set crowds on fire. Pouring his soul into the dance, he belted out the lyrics, the chorus ringing in his ears. He couldn’t stop—didn’t want to stop. Swiveling toward a young girl nearby, he continued:

"If I acted sweet, I'd be TOO ADORABLE~♫ So I go for TERROR instead~♫"

"CUTE BUT DEADLY!!"

"Scary? Nah, I'm a BEAUTY~♫ A singin', dancin' DREAM~♫"

"CUTE BUT DEADLY!!"

"GET EXXXXCITED!!"

They struck a synchronized pose. Strangely, this show felt even more electrifying than usual. Wiping sweat from his brow with a grin, Queen let out a booming laugh.

"Muhaha!! Yeah, THAT’S the stuff!! Nothin’ beats a cute, killer showtime!!"

"Oh, c’mon, your hype shows are great too!!"

"Nah, nah, a pretty girl singin’ and dancin’? That’s PEAK entertainment!!"

"Huh? Really? Aww, you’re makin’ me blush~~~♡"

"Why be shy?! Flaunt that cuteness—

...Wait.

WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

"Took you long enough."

Queen finally noticed—the mysterious girl standing beside him wasn’t part of his crew.

---

After dancing and singing my heart out, I wiped the sweat from my brow. Whew~ Nice, I nailed it—both the singing and the dancing. All those voice and dance lessons really paid off!!

Just then, the man—Queen—finally seemed to notice me. His eyes practically bulged out of his skull in exaggerated shock before he quickly composed himself.

"What brat just waltzed into MY SHOWTIME like this…!?"

"But I did great, right? Plus, I’m a total cutie!!"

"Yeah, yeah, you were decent. And sure, you’re cute—

WAIT, NO!!

Hey, you idiots!! Why didn’t anyone SAY anything!? Now I’ve got an unplanned guest screwing up the schedule!!"

"S-sorry, sir! We couldn’t interrupt the performance…"

From backstage, a pirate—well, more like a live crew staff member—scrambled out. I’d peeked around earlier, and I gotta say, I’m impressed they’ve got a proper backstage team. You can’t put on a good show without solid support! Oh, right—this is a performance, not a concert. Anyway, after hearing the report, Queen fell silent for a beat… but didn’t explode in anger.

"...Eh, whatever. It’s not a big deal, and the crowd loved it. I’ll let it slide."

"Th-thank you, sir!! Oh, and there’s something we postponed reporting because of the show…"

"Muhaha! Alright, hit me. If you put it off, it can’t be that serious! —So?"

"Well… we’ve spotted a pirate ship off the coast."

"WHAAAAAAAAAT!? And that ship is…?"

"Already docked at the island. And this girl… probably came from it."

"WHAAAAAAAAAT!? THEN WHY THE HELL DIDN’T YOU SAY SO EARLIER, DUMBASS!!!"

Queen’s over-the-top reaction to the sudden report had me grinning. Nice comedic timing! Dude’s got energy. This guy’s gonna be fun to mess with. I need him on our crew.

So, time to get down to business. Queen finally turned back to me, sizing me up.

"...So, you’re a pirate?"

"Yep! Here, take my bounty poster. Oh, and my captain’s too."

"Ohhh? Got a price on your head, huh? Lemme see…

MUHAHA!! 380.1 million berries! Not bad—

WHAAAAAAAAAT!? THAT’S HIGH!! And your captain’s over 400 million!?"

"Hehe~ Impressive, right!!?"

"Impressive my ass!! Why the hell are big shots like you still in the first half of the Grand Line!? Get your asses to the New World already!!"

Whoa. That’s… a surprisingly reasonable complaint. And Queen’s pretty well-informed for a rookie pirate, knowing about the New World and all. Dude’s got skills.

"Sooo, wanna join us? —Sign up now, and you’re an instant executive! No experience required! Merit-based! A crew where you can grow! Super homey atmosphere! Gather here if you wanna aim for the top!!"

"That’s just a scam company’s sales pitch!! Who’d fall for that!?"

"Aww, c’mon~ I’ll throw in unlimited sweets and free rein on recreational activities!"

"Shut it!! Like I need permission to—"

"Hm? What’s wrong?"

As I kept pestering him, Queen suddenly froze, deep in thought. Wait… is he actually considering it? Is he tempted?

Tilting my head, I waited for his answer—until Queen finally cracked a grin.

"—Fine! I’ll join your damn crew!"

"Wait, really!? YES!!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAT!? QUEEN-SAMA!!?"

I threw my hands up and cheered, while Queen’s crew gasped in shock. Man, these guys are hilarious. But even as I celebrated, something felt… off. I didn’t sense any real hesitation from Queen. So, staying wary, I waited—and sure enough, he continued.

"ON ONE CONDITION!! You gotta BEAT ME first!!"

"Oh, that’s it? Then let’s go—"

"Huh!? That confident!? —Hold up!! This ain’t some regular fight!!"

"Oh? So it’s something flashy?"

"Damn right! A little game I cooked up~~~~♪ Whaddya say? You got the guts to play!?"

Queen sang the challenge like it was part of his act. …Hmm. Ten-to-one odds, this is rigged with some weird gimmick… but eh, sounds fun!

"Let’s do it!!"

"No hesitation!? …Tch, whatever. MUHAHA! Then let’s get set up! Hey, you morons!! Prep the stage!!"

"WOOOOO!! ‘Q-U-E-E-N, QUEEN’!!"

"MOVE IT, MOVE IT!!"

At Queen’s command, his underlings busily began assembling something on stage. It was pretty big—a large square structure taking up almost the entire platform. Wait… I’ve seen this before! It's still hard to tell in its current stage, but this is…

“Muahaha! The deathmatch between you and me begins now!! And its name is～～～～～!?”

Eventually, the setup was complete, and I stood atop the spacious ring. Compared to a normal one, it was much bigger—but this could only be…!!

“The Mechanical Show of Lord Queen—Karakuri Live!!”

Queen’s underlings shouted with wild excitement. Illuminated by the stage lights, Queen and I stood on a platform framed by four corner posts connected with three vertical ropes. The match set to happen here… they called it something else.

“The Electric-Rope Deathmatch～～～～～!!!”

...It’s pro wrestling…!!

“Here, you and I will settle this one-on-one! But—of course—these ropes aren’t just ordinary ropes. Look.”

“!”

Queen, as if to show off, dragged over a young man—likely a resident of the island—and hurled him toward the ropes. And then—

“P-please, don’t—!! GYAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!?”

“Whoa, that’s intense.”

With a violent crackling sound, the man was fried to a crisp in an instant. That was some serious voltage. Pointing at the man’s smoldering body, Queen declared:

“As you can see～～～! Touch the ropes, and you’re electrocuted!! In other words—instant death!!”

“Got it! So basically, I just have to make sure I don’t touch the ropes!”

“Muahaha! Confident, are we…!? But let’s see how long that confidence lasts against my power～～～!! Referee!! Start the match!!”

“This will be an unlimited 1-ROUND—Electric-Rope Deathmatch～～～～!! FIGHT!!!”

The referee, mic in hand, announced the start of the match—though, of course, he didn’t step into the ring. Well, obviously. It’s dangerous. Can’t blame him. Still, I kind of care about those details. If there’s a next time, I wanna be the referee. Do that thing where you never count to ten. Just keep the suspense going forever. That’d be fun. …Well, setting that aside—

“Alright… you say I’m confident, but you seem pretty sure of yourself too. Even after seeing my wanted poster.”

“Of course, I know you’re no weakling. I’m not underestimating you～～～!! Which is exactly why I set this up…!!”

“!!”

“Ahh!! Lord Queen is using his transformation!!”

Queen’s underlings erupted in cheers as his form began to shift—and honestly, even I got a little excited. His new appearance was that of a colossal, heavy beast from the dinosaur age. A long neck, massive frame… it could only be—!!

“A Brachiosaurus!!”

“Muahaha…!! I figured you’d know it! But rare, isn’t it? The Ryu Ryu no Mi—Ancient Zoan type! Model: Brachiosaurus～～～♪ This is my ultra-cool form!!”

“Oh hey, one of my new crewmates just joined recently. He’s an Ancient Zoan too. Pteranodon.”

“Whaaaaaaa!? Okay, well—I can’t really say anything, can I!? Dammit… fine, I’ll deal with him later. Right now, it’s your turn!!”

“!!”

Queen swung his long tail toward me with full force. Ahh, so that’s why the ring is so massive. So he can transform without touching the ropes! Makes sense. And wow—he’s got some serious weight and power behind those moves. Not that it really hurts me, but still… this is…!

“Whoa!?”

“There ain’t a soul alive who can take one of my hits and stay standing～～～♪ Now eat some electricity and die!!”

That’s the kind of raw power you’d expect from a Brachiosaurus. Even if the attack didn’t hurt, it still sent me flying. …Ah, yep, I’m gonna hit the ropes. Oh well. I let it happen, letting the ropes catch my body.

“Ugh……!!!”

“Wahahaha!! A bit sudden, huh? Not quite the hype I was hoping for! But can’t be helped—no time to hold back against someone with a bounty in the billions! Now then, let’s take that charred corpse of yours and—”

“Ahhh, that shock really hits~♪ Even though I just got zapped not too long ago~♪”

“Wait, WHAAAAAT!? Why are you totally fine!?”

Wow, he’s seriously freaking out. But what can I say? It’s way weaker than Kaido’s lightning… same with that torture the other day—if anything, it left me wanting more. I mean, yeah, both of them did some damage, but honestly, it’s more fun when it’s stronger.

“Tch… fine then… I’ll go all out…!!”

“Oh? You weren’t already going all out…? Wait—huh?”

Just when I thought Queen was coming at me full force, he turns and runs the other way—straight toward the ropes! He throws himself into them to gain momentum, but… there's no electricity flowing through them? That catches me off guard.

“Wait, what about the shock?!”

“I changed just now… My outfit is insulated!!”

Insulated? Oh, so it’s made of something that doesn’t conduct electricity, like rubber. Aah, that’s why his outfit looked different—how did I not notice!? Get it together, me!

More importantly, Queen’s charging at me at full speed with that momentum. What should I do—dodge? …Nah, now’s the perfect time to show him the difference in level. If I want to recruit him, I need to make a strong impression.

I brace myself to take him head-on. He comes barreling toward me at incredible speed, and I don’t dodge—I take the hit straight on.

“Outlaw Bomb—Brachio Bomber!!!”

!!!

That was a full-speed, high-mass attack packed with the power of his massive body. It could probably pulverize boulders and dent steel—but I took it head-on...

“Phew… okay, yeah, that one did have some punch to it.”

“!!! N-No way!! You took my full-power move head-on!?”

“What kind of monster strength does that kid have!?”

“Queen-sama’s attack didn’t work…!!”

The mob of underlings loses it when they realize I tanked the hit. Queen looks shocked, too. I mean, yeah, that last hit was crazy strong. No average pirate could withstand that. Even I, who’s used to Kaido’s punches, felt my arms go numb. Not bad… I’ll give him a passing grade.

“Well then… guess it’s my turn now?”

“Gh…!! Hey! You lot!! Get in here and back me up!!!”

“Eh?! B-But…!!”

“Just do it!! This ain’t a performance—it’s life or death!!”

“Y-Yes, sir!!”

Ooh, looks like he finally realized what he’s dealing with. Good! He’s willing to throw away appearances and take me down however he can. That’s the spirit—he is a pirate, after all. Winning’s what matters. It’s not cheating. It’s common sense. I respect that. Recognizing you’re outmatched and switching to group tactics right away? Smart move.

Too bad it won’t help. No matter how many small fry you gather, it won’t make a difference. Actually, trying to surround me is already pointless. And with that thought, I leap high into the air—

“Gh!! You’re a Devil Fruit user too…!?”

“Yup yup! We’re both Zoan-types~♪ Which means… it’s showtime!!”

From above, I unleash it—right at Queen and his crew. Let’s see if they can dodge this. Let the bullet hell begin.

“Nue Style… Snake Show!!!”

!!!

What I release is a swarm of green serpents made of laser light. If they hit, they’ll easily pierce flesh—they’re real projectiles, not just for show.

But of course—they don’t fly straight. Just like real snakes, they twist and weave from side to side as they target their prey.

“Wh-What the hell!? These green snakes—GAAAAHH!!”

“Eeeeek!! S-Somebody save me…!!”

Queen’s underlings can’t dodge them. One after another, they fall to the writhing storm of serpents. Some islanders caught in the area get hit too, but hey—can’t be helped. Bullet hells are indiscriminate. If you’re there, you’re part of the show. If you want to survive, dodge. It’s not impossible—just takes skill. If you get hit, that’s on you. Just like Queen, who’s back on the ring and in human form—

“Damn it…! Don’t underestimate me!! I’m Queen—the singing and dancing machine!! Dodging this kind of stuff is nothing!!”

“Wow, amazing! Dodging it on your first try? You’re seriously impressive~♪”

“Shut up!! Get your ass down here already!!”

“Whoops!”

Despite that bulky frame, Queen’s dodging every serpent with impressive footwork, twisting and weaving through the chaos. For someone with such a massive hitbox, he’s doing great! True to his image as a funky, danceable brawler. No lies in those lyrics. And now he’s pulling something out from his coat—firing it at me. Hmm, a poison?

“A poison shot?”

“Poison? Please! This ain’t some cheap trick!! It’s my handcrafted Plague Excite Round!! Stuffed to the brim with engineered viruses! You take a hit from this, you’re not walking away unscathed!!”

“Ooh, that sounds fun!! Let me try it out too if we become crewmates!!”

“That’s why it won’t work!! Get your ass down here already!! This time, I’m stomping you flat!!”

Queen fires multiple rounds of his Plague Excite Bullets right at me. Hmm… I could let one hit me for fun… but it looks like he’s heading this way now, so maybe I’ll just finish this already—

“Ah! There’s a UFO over there!!”

“Don’t give me that crap!! You think I’m dumb enough to fall for a—wait, whaaaat!? There’s really a UFO floating there!?”

“—Well then, I’m coming down.”

“!? Cra—”

“You should brace your stomach, okay? Huuuup… Hyaaa!!”

“!!!”

He got so distracted by the UFO that he let his guard down. I channel Armament Haki into my trident and swing it full force with both hands straight into Queen’s gut. I actually hit him pretty hard.

Queen crashes straight through the ring and stage, slamming into a rock wall about a hundred meters away. Is he down for the count? Meh, either way’s fine. With the fight over, I rest my spear on my shoulder and look ahead.

“…Finally showed up, huh… Now then, let’s see what happens.”

“U-Uwaaaaahhh!! Lord Queen!!”

His subordinates scream in panic, probably shocked by what just happened. I decide to watch. See how our crew’s top dog handles this.

---

Queen was blown away by an insanely powerful attack and slammed into the cliffside.

Just one hit drained his strength and left him barely clinging to life. But still—

“Guh… huff… huff… Damn it… What insane power…!! Blowing me away like that…!!”

Queen stood back up. Holding his gut and coughing blood, but still on his feet. That toughness was pure Queen. Pure strength.

“That little brat’s dangerous… That 300 million bounty’s no joke, huh…? If that’s what she’s like, then the captain must be—”

“—You’re the one they call ‘Queen,’ right?”

“!! —Huh!?”

That’s when it happened. Queen saw it. Realized it. Thought he was dead.

The one who spoke appeared out of nowhere—floating in midair.

“Wh-What the hell is that monster…!?”

“A d-dragon…? No, a ryuu…!?”

“W-Wait, that dragon just talked…!!”

Yes—just like his men said with trembling voices and weak knees… it was a massive blue dragon.

Bigger than anything. Towering many times over Queen’s already massive frame. It had to be over a hundred meters long—maybe way more. Impossible to guess its full size.

But… just seeing it made you look up and give up on fighting.

The presence, the scale—it was something else. One glance was enough to know. You couldn’t win. There was no point in trying. You wouldn’t beat this monster.

It spoke. Queen, shaking, replied.

“Y-Yeah, that’s me… and you are…?”

“I’m Kaido. I’ve heard the rumors about a madman named Queen… Worororo… I’ve come to recruit you.”

“I-I see…”

The words came out polite without him meaning to. Inside, he was sure it was over. But apparently Kaido had come to make him an offer. Then it clicked—he remembered.

That girl from earlier—the one called Nue—was part of his crew. That monster and this monster lead the same pirate crew… Queen couldn’t even begin to imagine beating them.

…That brat… no, that monster, and this beast… lead the same crew… There’s no way in hell I can win…

That’s what he thought as he struggled to decide what to do. If he wanted to survive, the smart move was to say yes—say he’d join them, at least for now. And the moment Queen saw Kaido, he knew that’s what he should do. —But he didn’t.

Why? He looked up at that monster—Kaido—and thought:

“—Don’t you dare underestimate me…!!”

"...?"

The monster continued to gaze down on them, just as intimidating as ever. The pressure was crushing—but even so, Queen spoke up without flinching.

"You think I'm just gonna say ‘Sure, why not’ because you asked me to join you...!? I became a pirate so I could do whatever the hell I wanted! If being your subordinate means giving that up, I'd rather die—"

"If it's rampaging you want, I'll let you go wild as much as you please... Aside from orders from me and Nue, you're free to do what you like. What I want are powerful, ruthless pirates worth their salt...!! Not some wannabes playing pretend pirate games—real ones."

"──Alright!! If you’re going that far, I’ll join!! Looking forward to working with you, Kaido-san!!"

"EHHHHHHHHHH!!? QUEEN-SAMAAAAA!!?"

—Just like that, Queen decided to join. Not because he was scared of Kaido. Really, he wasn’t. Okay—truthfully, yeah, the moment he saw the guy, he instinctively felt this one was bad news. And yeah, he didn’t want to be under anyone if he couldn’t do whatever he wanted.

But still, he had a gut feeling—if it was under this monster, it might not be so bad. So he spoke his mind, and when Kaido offered him free rein and a high-ranking position, he jumped at the offer. Sure, that insane pressure when he even thought about saying no had been terrifying, but honestly, he was already halfway to yes even before that, so it wasn’t like he was lying.

Queen was honest about what he wanted. And besides, he was all about the vibe. The excitement.

...Plus, there was that girl, Nue—her strength. And above that, this monstrous presence that dwarfed everything. It wasn’t just fear. Somewhere in there... was a sense of awe. Yeah—“respect.” That’s what it was. That’s why he joined.

"You sure decided quick. Haha, even I didn’t see that coming~"

"Yo, Nue-san! Let’s work well together from now on!!"

"Th-That was so casual!! Q-Queen-sama!? Are you serious!? That’s the same person we were fighting a minute ago!!"

"What’re you talking about? I’ve been planning to join from the start!!"

"Ehh!? That’s so unfair, Queen-sama!! Then we’re joining too!!"

"──Fine. I’ll talk to Kaido-san for you."

"You’ve only been in for like a minute and you already act like an executive!!"

"──We don’t need small fry."

"AND WE’RE REJECTED!?"

"Come on now, we do need manpower. No reason not to take them in, right?"

"...You’re right. Then get in. Anyone who doesn’t—dies."

"O-Of course... W-We’ll gladly join!!"

Queen’s subordinates were just as into it as he was. Kaido had reflexively refused them at first, but after Nue’s comment, he reversed course and gave them the okay. Not that they weren’t planning to join anyway—but being told “join or die” suddenly made it kinda terrifying and even slightly off-putting. Still, dying sucked, so they nodded.

Just as everything was starting to come together—someone showed up behind Queen and Nue.

"Hmph... I don’t trust you."

"Hah!? Who the hell are you to talk like that to an executive like me!?"

"Q-Queen-sama!! I think... no, I’m sure this guy’s your senior!!"

"You should be the one watching your mouth. I’m King, an executive of the Beasts Pirates."

"King, huh!? What a smug-sounding name...!!"

"And you’re Queen? I don’t know why you call yourself that, and I don’t care—but talk about a name that doesn’t live up to itself."

"Hah!? You bastard, I’ll crush you!!"

"Oh yeah!? You wanna go right now...!!?"

King and Queen locked eyes, sparks flying from their words. Just as the tension peaked, Nue, still smiling, stepped between them.

"If you’re gonna fight, me and Kaido will join too—sound good?"

"──Fine, I’ll let it slide for today."

"Hmph... consider yourself lucky."

The fight was over in an instant. Even these two hotheads knew better than to throw punches in front of dragon-form Kaido—and especially not with Nue ready to jump in. Queen, in particular, was still heavily injured, barely standing out of sheer willpower. King snorted with a smug smirk, mocking him, and Queen glared back. It was clear: they stopped for now, but the day would come when they'd throw down for real. Watching them, Kaido let out a booming laugh.

"Worororo...!! I like it. Nothing like a little fire in the blood!!"

"Right!? Our crew just got a serious power boost!!"

Hearing Kaido’s voice, Nue beamed with the same enthusiasm. Seeing that, both King and Queen backed off a little.

"...So, Kaido-san. What’s the plan from here?"

“Come to think of it, do you guys have some kind of goal?”

It was a natural question from the two. Despite being named as executives, they were still newcomers to the crew. They had no idea what the Beasts Pirates were aiming for from this point on.

That’s why both Kaido and Nue made it clear once again. The goal of the Beasts Pirates was—

“To create the strongest pirate crew in the world…!!! That’s my goal…!!!”

“!”

“!”

“To put it simply, Kaido wants to become the world’s strongest, and he’s gonna gather the strongest crew to form the strongest pirate crew there is. Oh, and by the way, my goal is to be the world’s cutest, scariest, and most mysterious pirate while having tons of fun—so nice to meet you!!”

—To become the strongest.

It was a goal that couldn’t be more straightforward. King and Queen, and the subordinates gathered there, all heard it loud and clear. After a brief silence, both King and Queen broke into sinister, fierce grins.

“I see… Not a bad goal at all…”

“Wahahah!! Sounds like it’s gonna be one hell of an exciting ride!!”

“Right? So do your best!! I’ll give more detailed orders later—or rather, I’ll leave most of it up to you guys—”

“First off, let’s head back to our turf. —Alright, set sail!!! Move out, boys!!!”

“OOOH!!”

With the addition of King and Queen—two enormous boosts in power—the Beasts Pirates continued to grow steadily as one of the pirate crews sailing the Grand Line.

—But they still didn’t know. Just how towering the walls of this sea… the “Grand Line”… truly were.

---

—The “Grand Line.” Somewhere along its vast route—

“…Dad. This article…”

“…The Beasts Pirates… sounds like they’re making quite the ruckus…”

This pirate had been gathering a “family” from across the seas, slowly but steadily building up his reputation as a pirate crew.

The massive man leading that crew, reading the article featuring familiar faces, furrowed his brow.

He couldn’t help but care. About that pirate crew—no, that pirate. From long ago, she’d been a person he couldn’t quite ignore.

As a pirate, she embodied everything he hated. That much had always been clear.

And yet, the fact that she was a young girl—and the way she would approach him like an ordinary girl—made it impossible for him to fully dislike her.

But that was only because they used to be comrades. He cared about his crewmates. He could never bring himself to completely hate one of his own.

But now, they were no longer crewmates. Still… that didn’t make things any simpler.

“What should we do?”

“…Nothin’. If we run into ‘em as pirates, there’ll probably be a fight.”

He brushed off the question from his “family.” He wasn’t going to do anything special. No different than with any other pirate.

So maybe if they met, they’d just talk. Or share a drink together… That’s how it could go. But…

That wasn’t going to happen—he, Whitebeard, could tell. Knowing those guys, there’s no way it wouldn’t end in a fight.