Chapter 36: Disaster

——Near Kies Island, the Grand Line, the "Great Pirate Route."

After a long and winding voyage, our Beast Pirates were finally about to reach our own territory.

"Worororo!! More fighters, more ships!! Today's a day worth celebrating!!"

"Yeeeah!! Which means we’re drinking like crazy once we get back~!!"

"Woooooh!! Lady Nue!!"

Kaido and I were both in high spirits on the ship’s deck. And why not? Though our total number of subordinates had decreased, our overall combat power had skyrocketed. Thirteen of King’s men, a hundred and twenty of Queen’s—plus, their ships now belonged to the Beast Pirates.

Around us, the original twenty remaining crew members of the Beast Pirates were making noise alongside our new allies. Queen’s rowdy bunch, being the livelier sort, cheered enthusiastically at my call. Felt pretty damn good.

Meanwhile, right in front of Kaido and me, the two top officers of the Beast Pirates—King and Queen—were butting heads in an argument.

"You’re beneath me, Queen!!"

"Shut it, King!! I’m the one on top here!!"

……So, they were fighting over who outranked whom. To Kaido and me, they were equals—officially, they held the same position, nothing more, nothing less. But for these two, who couldn’t stand each other, this was apparently a critical issue.

"Tch! Idiot… I joined first. That means you’re below me. How dense can you get, you useless sack of—?!"

"Like that even matters!! If anything, I brought in more men!! Who’s more valuable here, you shitstain?!"

"Second-in-command actin’ all high and mighty… Your men are nothing but trash compared to mine. Mine are elites. Know your damn place!!"

"Shut up, you torture-obsessed freak!! I’m stronger than you anyway!!"

"The hell?! You wanna die?!"

"The hell?! I’ll crush you, bastard!!"

And just like that, they were seconds away from throwing down—though, of course, brawling on the ship was a no-go. Even Kaido and I didn’t do that. Not that these two were actually gonna fight for real, but still…

"Ahaha, you two really don’t get along! This is hilarious!"

"Tch… Like I’d ever get along with this moron."

"That’s my line!! —Hey, Nue. I’m way more useful than this trash. Just you wait and see!!"

"I’ve got high hopes for both of you~! …Though if you aren’t useful, I’ll just make you useful. Thoroughly."

"Huh…?"

"…………"

Ah, Queen and King looked a little scared. Nice. Well, either way, I was gonna train ‘em. We all gotta get stronger.

Just as we were having this fun little exchange with our new crewmates, a voice called out from above.

"Captain!! Land ho!!"

"—We’re here."

"Alright, prep for docking~!!"

"Aye aye, sir!!"

With the lookout’s report that Kies Island was in sight, I gave some quick orders. The crew moved swiftly, shouting energetically, while King and Queen turned to me again. Queen spoke first.

"So, this our turf? What’s the island like, Nue?"

"Hmm~ It’s a summer island, so it’s always pretty hot, but the beaches and ocean are gorgeous! Though it’s also packed with roughnecks and pirates. Great booze, fruit, and fish—plus, the money flows well!!"

"I see… Doesn’t sound bad."

"Heh, then I’ll hype it up even more with my shows!!"

As the island came into view, King and Queen seemed to find it tolerable, if not outright appealing. Well, they might not be shocked, but they’d probably be impressed—after all, we were the ones who rebuilt it. Sure, we were also the ones who wrecked it, but destruction and rebirth are two sides of the same coin, right? The fact that we restored it from ruins is what matters.

We hadn’t expected the pirates who came to the island to cause that much chaos, so we’d been forced to leave some forces behind for defense. Annoying, but from now on, things should be easier. Harbor security, for instance—

Just as the port came into view, with our Beast Pirates flag flying proudly over it…

"Huh?"

"…The hell?"

"Wait, what?"

Me, Queen, and King all let out baffled noises as we stared at the harbor. Our eyes nearly popped out of our heads.

The Jolly Roger fluttering above the port… wasn’t ours.

Instead, unfamiliar pirate ships were docked, and our crew—the ones we’d left to guard the place—were trussed up like livestock, about to be tossed into the sea. Poor guys…

And just as that thought crossed my mind—

"—H-Help us, Boss~~~~!!!"

"Lord Kaido~~~~!! Lady Nue~~~~!! These bastards pulled some insane crap~~~~!!"

"—Wait, our turf’s been STOLEN?!"

"The hell?! What’d you say?!"

"Ehhhhhhh?! So those guys at the port are…!"

"…………The Beast Pirates’—no, our subordinates."

While the rest of us were stunned, furious, or just plain confused, King sighed in exasperation.

The pirates being manhandled at the dock were indeed our own—the ones we’d left to defend the island. But now, they’d been overpowered by another crew and were on the verge of being executed.

Still, they’d spotted our ship and were screaming for help. Hmmmm… So they lost, huh…? Well, the UFO did vanish, so… Guess holding an entire island does require a bit more manpower. Kinda hard to judge the right numbers, honestly. Maybe just leaving one really strong guy would’ve been enough.

Still. These guys got nerve. Pissing me off. Do they even understand what it means to tear down our flag?

Just then, the enemy pirates noticed us. Their captain and his lackeys sneered, shouting provocations.

"Gyahahaha!! That your pathetic little main force?!"

"Lookin’ a bit thin there! We’ve got ten ships and a thousand men—a full pirate armada!!"

"This island belongs to us now—the Animal Pirates!!! We’ll slaughter your captain and take it all!! So, which one’s the big shot?! Bet he’s worth a billion, huh?! Though, with how weak you all look, I’m startin’ to doubt it!!"

"Perfect way to kick off our debut in the Grand Line!! But hey, if you’re scared, feel free to tuck tail and run!! Show us how cowards do it!!!"

"──The hell did you just say?"

At that moment, our voices synchronized. Mine included. Hearing those reckless pirates mock us so blatantly—something in my head snapped.

And clearly, the others felt the same. Queen and King had heard it too… and most dangerously of all, so had that man.

"H-Hey, you dumbasses!! Stop provoking them!!!"

"Hah? What’s with you guys? Scared of dyin’ or somethin’?"

"Yeah, we are!!! But not of you—of them!!!"

"Oh god, it’s over…! They definitely heard…!! This whole harbor’s gonna get wiped out with us in it…!!"

"The hell you yappin’ about—?"

Our subordinates and those Animal Pirates or whatever were still exchanging words at the dock, but sorry—too late. When someone picks a fight this blatantly, there’s only one way to respond.

"...Hey, you bastards…!!"

"!!"

That command came from our captain—Kaido.

He was trembling with rage. No matter how worthless these trash pirates were, letting this slide wasn’t an option. Fine—another chunk of the island was about to vanish. At least they were all gathered in one spot. Coldly accepting that, I steeled myself for the carnage as Kaido roared.

"Make them regret it…!! These shitstains who dared mock my flag—

"KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!!!"

"OOOOOOOH!!!"

For a split second, the crew faltered under the weight of Kaido’s earth-shaking fury—then, as one, they howled.

In the pirate world, disrespecting a crew’s flag is a declaration of war. Stealing territory, taunting us repeatedly—even Kaido wouldn’t consider recruiting scum like this. Pride matters. Letting this slide means losing. And real pirates don’t tolerate that.

"You’re dead…!!! I’ll burn every last one of you…!!!"

"Oi, King, you bastard!!! Don’t you dare go ahead without me!!! You lot, move the damn ship now!!!"

"Aye, Queen!!!"

King was the first to move. Leaping from the ship, he transformed midair—a flaming pteranodon, streaking toward the harbor like a meteor. His fury was palpable, the fire on his back swelling until it engulfed his entire body. He was burning—in every sense.

Queen, unable to fly, barked orders while prepping for battle. His men scrambled to arm themselves with weapons and plague rounds, while he hefted some suspiciously dangerous-looking club.

But before I could even take flight—before even Kaido, already shifting into his draconic form—

"Welp, I’m gonna go teach ‘em some fear~"

"Tch, wait…!! I’m comin’ too…!! Gotta crush those bastards myself…!!"

"Relax, there’s plenty to go around. But fine~ Queen, you handle the troops!"

"Wait, Kaido and Nue are—?! Damn it, I’m the only one who can’t fly!! MOVE YOUR ASSES, YOU MORONS!!"

Leaving the flustered Queen behind, we descended upon the island. He’d catch up soon enough. But for now, like Kaido and King, my goal was simple—

Show them hell.

And so, the Beast Pirates’ rampage began.

---

—A Sudden Interlude—

Even in non-World Government-affiliated nations, some Marines are bound to be lurking.

The Marine Headquarters isn’t an organization for the people. It exists to uphold the World Government’s order—protecting its member nations and their citizens. They patrol the seas because pirates infest every corner of the world.

So while most Marines stick to affiliated territories, chasing pirates to remote islands isn’t unheard of.

…But the Marine currently on this island?

Pure coincidence.

He wasn’t part of a combat unit—his specialty was intelligence. The Marines had multiple divisions. The famous ones hunted pirates on the frontlines, but as an organization, it also had its fair share of… paperwork.

This Marine, though a Major, was average in combat at best. His job was assessing threats—documenting pirate activities, setting bounties.

Field Marines took wanted posters’ photos, gathered intel on crimes, sometimes even posed as civilians or reporters to get the shot.

Similar to Cipher Pol (CP), but distinct—CP answered directly to the World Government. His division was Navy intelligence, focused solely on pirates.

And today, on this non-affiliated island, he’d stumbled upon something monstrous. Blending in with the locals, he watched in horror.

"W-What in the world…?"

Camera in hand, he meticulously captured frame after frame.

This wasn’t a battle.

It was a massacre.

The victims? A thousand-strong pirate fleet.

The perpetrators? A mid-sized crew known as the Beast Pirates.

The Marine swallowed hard.

The Beast Pirates—one of the remnants of the Rocks Pirates.

Their captain, "The Beast" Kaido. Their vice-captain, "The Phantom Beast" Nue. Both young, yet already boasting bounties exceeding hundreds of millions.

…But compared to other Rocks remnants, they weren’t considered a major threat. Not with Roger, "Golden Lion", and "Big Mom" running rampant. The Beast Pirates were low priority.

Yet as he watched, the Marine realized—

That might be a fatal mistake.

---

—The Marine’s Notes—

1. Leadership Misconception:The Beast Pirates were believed to be a two-person show—Kaido and Nue. False.

Two new officers had joined, both extremely dangerous.

The first—

"GET HYYYYYPE!!!"

"Gah!! W-WHAAAAAAA—!!?"

"W-What the hell?! My arm’s melting…!!"

"Stop it!! Don’t get close!! If you touch it, you’ll get infected!!"

One after another, the enemy pirates began suffering from some horrific affliction, writhing in agony before succumbing to death. It seemed the bullets were laced with some kind of pathogen, and the man’s weapons were rigged with similar horrors—all of it apparently his own handiwork.

Laughing mockingly at the dying men, the monstrous figure danced gleefully through the carnage, his brutality on full display.

"Muhaha… You wanna beg for mercy? Too damn bad—you know that, right?"

"P-Please, stop!! We surrender!! We admit defeat!! Just—Ghk…! Agh…!!"

"Shut the hell up!!! I’m having fun here!! Who the hell cuts a show short—♪"

"D-Damn it…!! At least let me take you down with me…!!"

"That’s it!! All of you, rush him!! Even if it’s just one guy…!!"

The hundred-strong pirate crew lunged at the obese man in a desperate last stand, united by the resolve to drag him down with them—

"You think you can beat us? Keep dreamin’, you worthless trash!!!"

"GYAAAAAH—!!?"

—But the man, despite his bulk, moved with terrifying speed, wielding enough raw power to level entire buildings in a single strike.

"You’re all gonna die!!! You picked a fight with us… Now suffer, despair, and rot like the scum you are!!! You hear me!?"

"Guh…! A d-dinosaur…?!"

"T-That’s no man… We’re done for…"

Adding to the terror was the fact that he was a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user—an Ancient Species, no less. Among Zoans, his form boasted colossal size, and his combat prowess was easily on par with a Marine headquarters commodore, if not beyond.

But worst of all was the way he spread disease indiscriminately, slaughtering not just enemies but civilians without hesitation. His cruelty was absolute.

His appearance, abilities, and methods matched reports of a pirate who had wiped out an entire island’s population using them as test subjects for his plagues. Combined with prior incidents, an urgent bounty was issued.

—Wherever this man walked, pestilence followed. People, animals, crops—everything withered under the scourge of his pathogens, as if ravaged by a catastrophic epidemic. His threat level was such that he could single-handedly erase a small island from existence. Factoring in all this, the bounty placed on his head was…

—Beast Pirates Executive, "The Plague" Queen. Bounty… 120,000,000 Berries.

Every pirate who opposed him was either infected by his diseases or crushed beneath his overwhelming might.

But the horror didn’t end there. Elsewhere, in another battlefield—

"Hmph!!"

"GYAAAAAAAH—!!"

"IT BURNS!! SOMEONE PUT THIS FIRE OUT—!!!"

"Guh…! C-Can’t breathe… The smoke… I’m done…"

The scene was nothing short of hell itself.

A quarter of the town was swallowed by an ocean of flames. The inferno spread from building to building, trapping the pirates in a cage of searing heat. They could only watch as their comrades were burned alive, unable to escape.

At the heart of this fiery devastation stood a man—wreathed in flames, black wings spread wide. He was the architect of this destruction.

"You burned our Jolly Roger… So you’ve got no right to complain when you burn too, right?"

"N-No!! We were just following orders—!!"

"Exactly!! We didn’t wanna go this far!! Spare us!! We’ll do anything!! Just—GYAAAH—!!"

"If you’ll do ‘anything’… then suffer as you die. Every last one of you gets roasted alive. And if any of you survive? Don’t think you’re getting off easy… I’ll torture you till you beg for death."

"N-No…! STOOOP—!!"

"D-Damn it… Run!! We can’t win this…!"

"Even if we gotta jump through the flames… MOVE!!"

The pirates scrambled to flee—

"You think I’m letting you run…!?"

"GYAAH—!!"

—But the man swung the massive blade in his left hand, unleashing a slash that cut them down mid-flight. His swordsmanship was master-class, leaving no openings in direct combat.

But there was more.

"You spineless rats… If you were gonna run, you shouldn’t have picked a fight in the first place…!!"

"Guh…! A P-Pteranodon!?"

"Shit!! Another monster?!"

"W-What the hell is he?! I thought he was a fire user!!"

—Indeed. Notably, this man was not a fire-based ability user. He was an Ancient Zoan, capable of flight at will.

His Devil Fruit powers alone were fearsome, but there were also suspicions that he belonged to a certain rare race native to the Grand Line. Further verification with Marine HQ was advised. His ability to wield and resist fire without relying on his Devil Fruit made him a unique threat, and his penchant for arson and torture only amplified his brutality.

Records identified him as a former convict who hijacked a massive prison ship, becoming a pirate in the process. According to intel, he had tormented prisoners with fire and torture before burning an entire island to ashes during his escape. An urgent bounty was necessary.

—Wherever this man walked, everything—people, objects, all of it—was reduced to cinders. The land itself became a scorched wasteland, as if ravaged by an unstoppable wildfire. His power was such that he could reduce an island to nothing. His combat ability was equal to, if not greater than, the previous pirate mentioned. Factoring in his swordsmanship, his abilities, and his sadistic nature, the bounty placed on him was…

—Beast Pirates Executive, "The Wildfire" King. Bounty… 130,000,000 Berries.

It was confirmed that these two had newly joined the Beast Pirates. The total bounty registry was to be updated immediately.

And one more thing… A reminder that those two were still out there, alive and well.

"GYAAAAAAH—!!?"

"Dammit… How the hell are we supposed to fight those UFOs…?!"

"And these snakes—!!"

"Huh?! The hell’re you?!"

"W-Wait… Guh!! …I-I’m on your si—"

The scene was… surreal.

UFOs floating in the sky, raining down barrages of fire. Serpents slithering across the ground. Pirates turning on each other, unable to distinguish friend from foe.

None of it made sense. The nature of these phenomena remained a mystery—though the girl hovering in the air was undoubtedly a Devil Fruit user.

"Ahahaha!! C’mon, run~! Or you’ll die~! You won’t make it like this~!"

"P-Please, stop!!"

"I-I’m sorry for targeting you!! I’ll even join your crew!! Just—Ghk!!?"

"Oopsie~! Sorry♡ Did you say something? I thought I heard some sweet talk, but I guess I killed you by accident~♪"

"Guh… Y-You demon…!!"

"Oh? You praised me~! Hmm… Then I’ll go easy on you. Just a little~. —Whoopsie!"

"GYAAAAHH!! M-My leg… MY LEG!! AAAAAAGH—!!?"

"Fufufu~! Look, I’ll just take your leg and let you go. That settles things, so run along now, okay? I won’t chase you~. I won’t."

The girl stood at the heart of the carnage, her demeanor eerily childlike—completely at odds with the horror around her.

She sent UFOs to maul people. She unleashed snakes to hunt them down. With her trident, she skewered enemies like kebabs, then casually bit into their corpses as if snacking on street food. Puffed cheeks, a carefree hum—she tore limbs from bodies with the same glee as a child ripping into candy.

And just when it seemed she’d spare someone—

"S-Stay back… D-Don’t—GYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

"Aww~! The snakeies were hungry too. What can you do? I wasn’t gonna interfere, but oops~! They found you first. Bad luck, mister~!"

Dozens of emerald serpents devoured the legless man as the girl watched, giggling. Her cruelty defied reason. The scene was enough to make onlookers vomit—yet she reveled in it, spreading calamity with every step.

Her abilities remained unknown. Marine HQ suspected a Mythical Zoan, but the sheer variety of her powers made confirmation impossible. As a photographer snapped a shot—

"—Peace~♡"

"…!!!"

—The shutter clicked. In that instant, the cameraman’s blood ran cold. The girl had tilted her head, winked, and flashed a peace sign at the lens.

Not the pose itself—but the fact she’d noticed him. He fled on instinct.

Yet she didn’t pursue. A flicker of something bird-like teased the edge of his vision—but it must’ve been his imagination.

The developed photo looked like an idol’s promotional shot: disgustingly cute. For a moment, he hesitated to use it for a bounty poster. But given how rarely anyone captured her image—and since this was her true appearance—accuracy won out.

Yet… seeing her in person was worse than any report.

Her innocent facade bred complacency. Only afterward did the horror truly sink in.

Her combat prowess could topple a Marine Vice Admiral. Just days prior, she and her captain had ravaged G-3 and its island, slaughtering even the last standing Vice Admiral.

She fought for a full day without fatigue. Despite countless wounds, she recovered in under 24 hours—a resilience suggesting an awakened ability.

Her Haki mastery was elite: Observation and Armament on par with Vice Admirals. She even wielded Conqueror’s Haki.

And then there were the rumors—her past in the Rocks Pirates, and whispers of time aboard Roger’s ship. True or not, the implications were staggering.

—Wherever she walked, the land twisted. Unpredictable disasters followed. She reveled in suffering, in terror.

With her combat strength, her sadism, and her ties to Rocks, her bounty demanded reassessment.

—Beast Pirates Vice-Captain, "The Phantom Beast" Nue. Bounty… 480,100,000 Berries.

These were the core members of the Beast Pirates. Yet the monster who led them all… was in a league of his own.

"ROOOOOOAR…!!!!"

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH—!!?"

"H-Help… me…"

"We never stood a chance… L-Let us go… Just let us leave the Grand Line…!"

That man… was terror incarnate.

The Marine recording this was no frontline fighter—but he was a soldier of justice, ready to battle if needed.

Yet… the thought of facing that dragon in the sky made his legs shake.

The man despised weakness. Showed no mercy to foes. Held back nothing in destruction.

"Pathetic… You’re all so damn WEAK!! You picked a fight with me—you better be worth my time!! You call yourselves pirates with this shit!? Fucking embarrassing!!"

"Ugh… Aah…"

"H-Hii… R-RUN…!!"

The scene was so brutal that even hardened pirates might have pitied their enemies.

Those who opposed him were annihilated—crushed beneath the dragon’s colossal form, incinerated by flames, struck by lightning, shattered against ice, or simply beaten to death in his humanoid guise.

He was the wrathful dragon incarnate—the "King of Beasts" himself, a monster beyond reason.

Above all else, his power and resilience defied logic. Mortal wounds, relentless torture—none of it killed him. He’d recover, sink entire prison ships, and challenge those who’d once defeated him—only to crush them in the rematch. Such immortality could only mean one thing: his Zoan powers had awakened, placing him among the most formidable of his kind.

Master of all three Haki types—including Conqueror’s—he could topple Marine Vice Admirals with ease. And like the girl before him, he’d once been a rookie under Rocks, meaning his growth was far from over.

His cruelty was legendary, but so was his charisma—a magnetic force that drew the strongest to his side. Left unchecked, he’d amass a force rivaling Golden Lion or Big Mom. After all, he and just three others had slaughtered a thousand pirates in mere hours.

Thus, an urgent bounty revision was demanded.

—Beast Pirates Captain, "The King of Beasts" Kaido. Bounty… 611,100,000 Berries.

...And with this report and its accompanying photos, the Marine scribe prepared to dispatch it from this island in the Grand Line back to HQ. Reinforcements were needed—

"…Huh?"

"Fufufu~! All done reporting? Then you’re expendable now~."

The trident piercing his gut. The warmth of his own blood. The girl’s delighted giggles.

The Marine collapsed to his knees, vision swimming. Before him, the girl smiled—a twisted, cherubic grin—as she chirped:

"Thanks for coming all the way to this backwater island! ♡ But now~… Why don’t you stay and enjoy the sights…? Forever."

"G-Gah… AAAAAAAAAH—!!!"

He toppled backward. The last things he saw: the overcast sky… and her laughing face.

———

In under an hour, the pirates were wiped out—along with an entire district of the island.

"Hmm~! Did I camouflage it well enough? Oh, looks good!"

"Oi, Nue. The hell’re you up to?"

"Just tweaking the island’s name in records so the Marines won’t snoop~! Now then—time for celebratory drinks! ♡"

"You just casually committed massive fraud!?"

"…Disguising our location is logical. Marines would be a nuisance."

Finishing her "adjustments" in the alley, Nue skipped back to the plaza, snatching a bottle of sake. Ignoring Queen’s outburst and King’s nod, she took her place beside Kaido and raised her cup—

"—Aaaand~! To officially welcoming King and Queen into the crew… Kanpai!!!"

"UOOOOOH!!! KANPAI!!"

"LONG LIVE KING-SAMA!!"

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

"TO BOSS KAIDO AND LADY NUE!!!"

Amid the smoldering ruins, the Beast Pirates celebrated—King and Queen had formally exchanged cups with Kaido and Nue, cementing their status as direct subordinates and executives.

A toast bathed in blood and gunpowder was hardly conventional… but fitting for them. Even the former crews of King and Queen now fell under the Beast Pirates’ banner, fueling the raucous revelry.

Only one dispute threatened the mood—one that still simmered between two certain executives:

"This makes you officially beneath me. Watch your damn mouth next time."

"THE HELL I AM, YOU PERVERTED FREAK!! You’re the subordinate here!!"

"I’m stronger, and I joined first. You’re the underling, dumbass."

"We drank at the SAME TIME!! You high or somethin’, King!?"

……Thus, King and Queen bickered over hierarchy even after the ritual. Nue, ever the mediator, wedged herself between them.

"Just call it even~! Who cares who’s above who? Drink up! ♪"

"Nah, Lady Nue. This idiot needs to learn his place."

"Agreed. Someone’s gotta keep this pervert in line. That’s my job."

"Ehh~? If he acts up, I’ll torture him~! Problem solved! Oh—gimme that sashimi!"

"The hell’s that logic—HEY! MY FISH!!"

As she "mediated," Nue shamelessly swiped Queen’s prized sashimi. Mmm~! Food tasted better when stolen!

King, cross-legged nearby, stroked his chin in contemplation.

"…Torture, huh? Not a bad idea. Lady Nue’s methods would be effective…"

"You wanna get tortured, freak!?"

"That’s not what I meant, dumbass!! You wanna get roasted!?"

King’s sharp retort sent Queen recoiling. Hmm~, King’s actually pretty fun when riled up. Teasing the "cool" ones was always a delight—though for now, I’d let it slide. They needed to unwind. After all, starting tomorrow… work begins

"Anyway! As executives, you’ll be handling crew management, island tribute, protection fees, profit collection—loads of stuff! Do your best~!"

"Hell yeah! Leave it to me, Lady Nue! My performances’ll rake in the berries for this island—♪" Queen crowed, already envisioning his theatrics.

"…This place is crawling with outlaws," King muttered, voice low. "What about the ones who refuse to bow?"

"Mmm~ If they’re not paying customers, causing chaos, or disobeying us…" I tilted my head, grinning. "Kill ’em, torture ’em—whatever floats your boat! Right, Kaido?"

"Worororo… Do as you please." Kaido’s rumble shook the air. "Just remember—rep’s everything in territory control. Don’t let ’em think you’re soft."

"…Naturally." King’s masked face turned toward the ruined streets. "Anyone who disrespects us… ends."

Oh-ho~! King’s enjoying this. Even hidden, I could feel his vicious smirk. To outsiders, he probably just looked pissed—but I knew better. He was thriving. This life suited him. Maybe he genuinely liked working with us… or maybe he just relished crushing fools who underestimated him.

Either way, Kaido was right—image was everything. Today’s massacre would spread across the island, ensuring locals fell in line. And let’s be real: King and Queen looked terrifying. Towering at over 3 meters, King’s flaming wings and pitch-black armor screamed "unholy wrath," while Queen’s bulk oozed menace.

Visual intimidation was a Zoan’s cheat code. Kaido and I leveraged it constantly—though personally, I preferred luring cocky idiots in with my harmless appearance before ripping their spines out. The shock on their faces? Priceless. Lately, though, even this form scared people… Ah, right!

"Oh, and starting tomorrow—training!"

"THE HELL?! SINCE WHEN!?" Queen squawked.

"…Training?" King’s voice was flat.

I beamed. "To get stronger~! Mandatory for both of you~! Fufufu… ♡"

"…I’ve got a real bad feelin’ about this…" Queen groaned.

"…Odd. I also have a bad feeling." King deadpanned.

"Ehh~? Quit whining and drink!" I shoved a bottle into Queen’s hands. "What, can’t handle my liquor~?"

"WORORORO!! HE’S RIGHT!! DRINK UP, WEAKLINGS!!" Kaido roared, slamming his palm onto Queen’s back hard enough to crack the ground.

"GACK—!? Boss, ease up!! My ribs—!!"

"…This crew’s drinking habits are concerning…" King muttered.

We spent the night clinking cups, laughing, and (in Kaido’s case) accidentally fracturing subordinates’ spines with back-pats. Ahh~! Tomorrow’s gonna be fun!!