Chapter 44: The New Territory

──Desire Island, the New World.

A land of wealth and desire, home to one of the most infamous pleasure districts in the New World.

Neon-lit streets lined with theaters, casinos, and bars—a dazzling manifestation of human greed, where billions change hands daily. A true island of desire.

But its greatest feature isn’t the red-light district. No, what truly defines this place has earned it another name:

"The Sleepless Island."

Unlike Enies Lobby, the World Government’s "Island of No Night," this place is the opposite.

"──The 'Night Island.' This place is trapped in eternal darkness—no dawn, no daylight. That’s why it thrives as a city of neon and excess."

"Whoaaa! That’s so cooool!!"

"Worororo…! Hell yeah…! Now this is an island!!"

After sailing deeper into the New World, Steussy guided us to our new territory—Desire Island.

And damn, this place is something else. Just entering its waters made day turn to night, but stepping onto the island? Overwhelming.

The harbor alone reeks of money and sin. With no sun, the streets are bathed in neon, every building dripping with gaudy colors. Even my crew—usually unshakable—are losing their minds. Some are stunned. Most are hyped.

"WOOOOH!! LET’S GET DRUNK RIGHT NOW, KAIDO-SAMA!!"

"This is our turf now… Hehehe…!"

"I’M HITTIN’ THE CASINO!!"

"Nah, the theater! Queen-sama! C’mon, they got cabarets too!!"

"DON’T GET DISTRACTED, YOU DUMBASSES! WORK FIRST!!"

"Ugh… R-right, sorry…"

"Good. You lot handle cargo and scout the hideout. I’ll… greet the locals. Faster if the higher-ups show face."

"YOU’RE JUST GOING TO PLAY AROUND, AREN’T YOU?! TAKE US TOO!!"

"IT’S NETWORKING, YOU MORONS!!"

Queen and his goons are at it again, but yeah, we do have work to do. King, though? He’s locked in.

"Fools… A place like this? We gotta carve fear into ’em first. Establish the hierarchy. Why’s that so hard to grasp?!"

"Y-yes, sir!!"

"…………"

"The hell you starin’ at, Queen? Get your men and—"

"Damn, you’re glowing. Literally. With this eternal night shit, you’re like a damn lighthouse. Free advertising, huh?"

"──I’LL PUT YOU OUT MYSELF!!"

"K-KING-SAMA! PLEASE CALM DOWN!!"

Ah. Right. King’s… flammable. And in a place where it’s always night? He’s basically a walking spotlight. Queen poking fun just made him flare up—literally. Now he’s brighter. Kinda funny, but we can’t have them brawling already.

"Hey, King. Queen, save the fights for later. We’ve got too much to do, yeah?"

"Tch… My bad, Nue. You’re lucky, Queen, you bastard…"

"Tch... King, you piece of crap..."

The two of them quieted down immediately after I scolded them, but they kept muttering insults at each other under their breaths. Like children. —Well, I wanna say that, but honestly, these two are still young. Especially King—he’s still in his teens. His build makes him seem plenty grown, but he’s still just a kid. So he probably doesn’t know how to act in a red-light district like this. Can’t be helped. I puffed out my chest and declared,

"Honestly... can’t be helped, I guess. Guess it’s up to me, the adult here, to teach you how to behave in a place like—"

"—Now that I think about it, in a town like this, a runt like Nue stands out like a sore thumb."

"—First, I need to thoroughly beat some maturity into this idiot!!"

"W-wait, Nue-san...!!"

"Fighting with Kaido’s no joke...!!"

As I grabbed my spear and lunged at Kaido for his disrespect, Queen and King both tried to hold me back—but I dragged them along anyway. That damn Kaido...!! How dare he say that to his sworn sister... Unforgivable. Today’s the day I’ll pound some sense into him. With violence, of course—

"Oh my, Nue? If you get that angry, you’ll ruin your cute face~♡"

"Ehehe~♡ You think so?♡ But you’re right, getting mad is so immature, maybe I should just let it go~~~♡ After all, I am adorable♡"

"Ah... she stopped..."

"…………We’re saved."

"Not like I did much..."

Huh? Somehow, King and Stussy seem to have gotten a tiny bit closer—wait, no? Just as I thought that, they split apart. Looked like they were talking about something, but my Observation Haki was all over the place from the emotional whiplash, so I couldn’t tell. Hmm... whatever. I’m cute, so I don’t sweat the small stuff. Shaking it off, I refocused.

"So, you’re giving this place to us as our turf, right?"

"Indeed. I’m the face of this island. I’ve already smoothed things over with the major players, so there won’t be any issues. We can iron out the finer details later."

"Good. —Hey, Nue, let’s go!!"

"Okaaay! ♪ La-la-la~ ♪ Can’t wait to see what kinda hideout we get~♡"

After confirming with Stussy, Kaido and I were led from the harbor into town... toward a certain mansion, chatting lightly about our plans moving forward.

"Pirates in the New World all carve out their own territories to maintain and expand their influence, ruling over them. You two have no shortage of strength, but your faction is still small. Claim your turf, gather funds, recruit crewmates and ships, stock up on weapons, then attack other pirate crews to expand your reach... That’s how most of the current top pirates rose to power. So do your best, okay? ♡ For this island’s peace too~♡"

"No prob, no prob~♡ We’ll just smash a buncha loser pirates around here, expand our turf, and make this island nice and peaceful. Right, Kaido?"

"Worororo... Hell yeah!! We’ll crush anyone dumb enough to stand in our way!!"

"...How reassuring."

Who knows what Stussy’s really thinking. But for now, at least on the surface, she’s willing to help us as residents of our new turf. We’ll pay our dues properly, and the Beast Pirates’ flag will fly over the harbor and key points on the island.

Kaido and I are in high spirits after securing our territory, but that’s not the only reason we’re happy. —Last night, someone else made us an offer... one that suited us just fine.

---

—That was yesterday morning...

"Kaido. This is Kurozumi Higurashi. Remember her?"

"Kurozumi...? —Ah, that old hag? What the hell does she want?"

"Kyokyokyo... Well now. I’ve got a real good proposition for you two...!!"

I relayed the message through my Den Den Mushi in Kaido’s room. Seems Kaido hadn’t completely forgotten Higurashi. Then again, a hag like her leaves an impression. Hard to scrub that out.

And then, the hag said it. Through the snail’s wide, manic eyes:

"You two... want territory, don’tcha? Imagine—a perfect stronghold. Impossible to invade, impossible to scout. With a place like that, expanding your influence would be a breeze, don’tcha think?"

"Oh? And you’re sayin’ a place like that exists? Lie to me, and I’ll snap your spine, hag."

"Now, now, let’s hear her out. She wouldn’t bring it up if she didn’t have something, right?"

"Damn straight!! It’s our homeland—the closed-off nation of Wano Country!!! "

Higurashi all but screamed the name through the snail. Wano. Kaido’s brow furrowed at the sound of it.

"Wano... Yeah, the name rings a bell."

"I told you about it before, remember? That place where the swordsmen—the samurai—are so strong even the World Government won’t set foot there. Non-affiliated. Closed borders—no one gets in, no one gets out."

"Exactly!! Kyokyo... You’re sharp, Nue. That’s Wano for ya—their laws forbid anyone from leaving, and outsiders can’t even find a way in! Even if they did, the samurai would drive ‘em out!! That’s the kind of land we’re talkin’ about!!"

"Heeh... Sounds fun. Samurai, huh? So you’re sayin’ it’d make one hell of a hidden base?"

Kaido’s interest was piqued. Higurashi seized the moment.

"Spot on!! Take Wano, and you’ll have an unshakable fortress—and plenty of perks!! All we want in return... is for you two to be our backup when we make our move!!"

"Backup, huh? That’s it? No extra incentives?"

"Oh, there’s plenty in it for ya!! For starters—a fat stack of cash upfront. Then, once things get rolling, we’ll hand over an island for your base!! Next—weapons!! Wano’s got tech you won’t find anywhere else—like seastone forging!! Take the country, and all of it’s yours!!"

"Worororo... Sounds like you’ve got some real nasty plans brewin’...!!"

"Makes sense~. I’d heard rumors, but guess it’s all true."

I nodded, playing dumb. Kaido grinned at the obvious scent of treachery. I couldn’t help but laugh too—Higurashi’s over-the-top energy and this whole "let’s steal a country" pitch were just too much. Sounded like a hell of a good time.

"We’ve got ears outside!! Right now, it’s the era of the four emperors—Roger, Whitebeard, Shiki, Big Mom!! To break their grip, you’ll need a territory that can’t fall!! Cash, ships, weapons, soldiers, Devil Fruits—you’ll need all of it!! And you two? You’ve got the raw strength to take it!! With Wano in your hands, ruling the New World won’t just be a dream—it’ll be inevitable!!!"

"...Not a bad pitch. Sounds solid to me... Nue?"

"Mmm, I’m in. Sounds fun~♪ But hey—how far along is this plan? If you’re asking us for help, that means you haven’t taken Wano yet. Which means those samurai are still kicking, right? So... what’s the real situation?"

"Kyokyo... True, the samurai are strong. But we’ve been plantin’ seeds for years—and now, we’re ready to poison the roots!! Let me introduce ya... the man who’ll be Wano’s next shogun—Kurozumi Orochi!!!"

"...Uh, y-yeah... I’m... Kurozumi Orochi...!"

When Kaido looked to me, I played along—asking the obvious, testing the waters. Higurashi then presented her trump card through the snail... a nervous, shaky voice. Orochi.

I couldn’t help but smirk. Orochi, huh? Fufufu... Think we’ll be stuck with you for a while, eh? Well—assuming Kaido even tolerates him. I shot a sidelong glance at Kaido.

"Worororo... Wano’s shogun? Can’t see ya through the snail, but... ya sound weak as hell."

"Yeahhh~. If we’re gonna team up, I’d prefer someone with a little more backbone. You sure about this guy~?"

"...Y-yeah... I ain’t strong. Ate a Devil Fruit, but that’s it... But—"

Kaido scoffed. I prodded further, mocking him lightly.

Then—Orochi snapped. Fear gave way to something darker. His voice twisted with venom.

"But I... I wanna destroy this country...!! Every last person who made my life hell...!!! I’ll take everything they love and crush it!!! I’ll be shogun—and then... I’ll have my revenge...!!!"

"! ...Hoh."

"Heh...?"

Even through the snail, the sheer hatred in his voice was palpable. Kaido and I exchanged glances—impressed.

"I’ll give ya money, territory, weapons—whatever!! So lend me your strength...!!! The Kozuki, the daimyo, every damn person in this country...!! Those self-righteous scum—I’ll make ‘em suffer like I did!!! And the only way... is for me to rule Wano...!!!"

Now that—we understood. A man drowning in destruction.

He wanted to be shogun... so he could burn the country to the ground. Or maybe it was the other way around—he’d rule just to destroy it.

Hilarious.

Kaido’s mocking grin shifted—into something hungry.

"So... partner with me...!!! Kaido, Nue... You’re strong, right...? Then I’ll give you half this country—just destroy it for me!!! PLEASE!!!"

"Ku... WORORORORO!!! You hearin’ this, Nue?! ‘Here’s a country—now wreck it for me!’ You ever heard a deal this stupid?!!"

"Nope, can’t say I have!! Ahahahaha!! Mmm, this is hilarious—sounds fun as hell~♡ Fufufu, not bad at all, Orochi. You’re gloriously insane!!"

Kaido and I burst out laughing at Orochi’s absurd proposal. "Here’s half the country—now wreck it for me!" What kind of deranged logic was that? It made zero sense—and that’s what made it perfect.

Here’s a guy who craves power enough to demand half a nation... yet doesn’t care if it burns to ashes. He’s literally begging us to destroy it. Normally, if we took territory, torching it would be a net loss—but this idiot’s asking for it. From a certain angle, it’s practically a challenge.

But that twisted, self-contradictory desire? Priceless. He wants revenge and the throne—but he’d happily toss both if it means making Wano suffer.

Honestly, hearing it firsthand was even better than I imagined. The man’s unhinged. I couldn’t stop grinning. Orochi sounded antsy, though, so I figured I’d put him out of his misery. Much as I enjoyed watching him squirm...

"Fufufu... So? What’s the call, Kaido?"

"Worororo... I’m in. Let’s play along for now. Plenty in it for us either way."

"R-really?! Thank—!"

"Kyokyokyo!! It’s settled!! We’ll keep sending funds until the time comes...!!"

"Okey-dokey~♪ Then it’s a deal~♡"**

"Worororo... Can’t wait to see how this shitshow plays out."**

With that, we ended the call—after ironing out payment details with the hag, of course. Once the Den Den Mushi clicked off, Kaido and I exchanged glances.

"—Seems awfully convenient, doesn’t it?"

"Yeah. But even if nothing comes of it, we’re getting paid. No reason to say no."

"My thoughts exactly~♡"

Exactly. Like Kaido said, Wano’s coup was still just a pipe dream at this stage. We weren’t committing to anything—just cashing checks for being their "backup." Even if the plan flopped, we’d lose nothing.

Well... for now, anyway. Personally, I figured the odds were good this’d go somewhere. And if it did succeed? Hello, shiny new kingdom. Either way, entertainment guaranteed.

"We’ve got turf and a side hustle—talk about a killer start in the New World!"

"Still need more firepower to go wild, though. Worororo... Once we’re settled, we’ll recruit more muscle...!!"

"Same as always—crush the enemies, recruit the strong, kill the useless!! Roger that~♪"

In Kaido’s room, the two of us grinned like the monsters we were—plotting the next chapter of our pirate reign.

---

...And everything was going so smoothly too...

"Nue-san!! It's him—that damn lunatic!! He's attacking us alone!!"

"You bastard!! Surrender already!! Our captain—Kaido-sama, the 'Hundred Beasts'—is a monster with a 711,100,000 berry bounty!! You think you can win?!"

The main street of Desia Island. My crew was losing their minds, pointing at the roof of a massive theater. Kaido, Stussy, and I showed up to the commotion, and as usual, the underlings got real bold with us around.

But half the Beast Pirates' crew was already down—only the half that came with us, plus King and Queen, were left standing. Those two were furious, their blood boiling despite their injuries:

"Kaido-san... Nue-san... Stay back. I'm killing this bastard...!!"

"Same goes for you, Queen...!! I'm the one who ends him...!!"

They weren't weak enough to go down that easy, but still—the fact this guy wounded both of them? Impressive. His red coat was even darker now, soaked in blood, yet he stood firm after clashing with two of our top officers.

"'Plague' Queen... 'Wildfire' King... And you two must be 'Mythical Beast' Nue and 'Hundred Beasts' Kaido... Just as ruthless as the rumors say."

"The hell...? That guy is—"

"A celebrity, it seems..."

"Hmm~ Never thought he'd be on this island... Or did you come for our heads, dear Count~? ♡"

Kaido, Stussy, and I recognized him instantly. In the New World, his face was... notorious.

They called him—the "Lone Wolf" of the seas.

A pirate who sailed alone, fought alone, and carved his name into the New World through sheer force.

The "Crimson Count."

"Your heads...? No interest. But if you dare steal my hunting grounds... Consider this entertainment...!!"

—Patrick Redfield.

The legendary Haki master lunged from above—straight for us.