Chapter 52: Strongest vs. Strongest

"Yo, Roger! And Kaido! Nue! Long time no see!! Sorry to barge in all the way into the New World, but all of you—become my subordinates!! You’re strong! Your strength will serve my perfect plan!! So let’s let bygones be bygones!! Especially you, Roger!! Hurry up and spill everything you know about the world-destroying weapon!! Let’s take over the world together!!"

“How many times have you tried to recruit me now, Shiki!? No matter what you say, I’m not into domination!! Pirates are free!! If you want to rule the world, be my guest!! But—no matter what you try, I’ll never bow to your rule!!!”

“Shut up, Shiki…!! I couldn’t care less about your world domination crap!! I’m gonna build the strongest pirate crew and tear this whole world to shreds!! That smug face of yours, Roger over there, the Navy—I'll destroy everything!!!”

“Exactly!! This world’s going to be ours!! No way I’m becoming the lackey of some weird-eyebrowed old man like you!! If you’re so desperate for subordinates, go get those brows permanently waxed first and then try again!!”

“Doesn’t that comeback feel a little off!?”

—The sea was stormy, as if stirred up by the wills of those who had gathered there.

Gathered were the Roger Pirates, the Beasts Pirates, and the Golden Lion Pirates. Each one of them hurled their beliefs at the others through words. In these seas, those who can't speak their truth die. A pirate’s battle is about wearing your creed on your flag with pride—and crushing the beliefs of others.

Any pirate who values their life over their beliefs doesn’t belong in these seas. Even if they manage to survive, it’s only because their beliefs and fangs have already been broken.

A true pirate is someone who values their beliefs more than even their own life. That’s why death itself can’t be used to threaten a real pirate. They live on this sea for something greater than life.

But to protect your beliefs, you also need strength. And everyone gathered here meets the criteria of being a real pirate, through and through.

"You do realize what it means to turn down my offer, don’t you…!?"

"Yeah, I do!! —It means I’m gonna crush you, Golden Lion!!!"

“You little shit—you remember what I said would happen if you pulled this again, right!?”

“Yaaay!! Let’s just break everything already!! —Oh wait, I’m getting hungry. Someone—gimme food!”

“This isn’t the time to be so damn relaxed, Nue-san!!”

“She’s so calm in all this chaos… but yeah, I could go for food too, Nue-san.”

“Are you blind or something!?”

“Yaaay ♡ Thanks, King~!”

Each time they voiced their beliefs and clashed, the waves grew bigger. —Even if one of them was clearly a bit off, the sea still trembled.

But it’s not just pirates who carry beliefs.

The Navy—justice’s army—also bears a creed they call “justice,” rooted deep in their own hearts.

“Hey, Roger!! Don’t forget about us!! I’m taking all of you in!! Get ready!!”

“You insolent scum…!! We will not allow pirates to control these seas!! As long as we of the Navy reign over these oceans, evil shall never thrive!!”

The World Government, rulers of this world—their elite spearhead is the "Navy Headquarters."

Leading their fleet were the mightiest forces the current Navy had to offer. Even these true pirates couldn’t ignore them.

“Wahahaha… Garp, Sengoku!! Of course I’ll take you both on too!!”

“Damn Navy pests…!! Fine, I’ll erase you right along with the others!!”

“I don’t care who it is!! I’ll kill everyone!!”

“But, just so you know, for now we agreed not to touch Roger and his crew, right Kaido? If you still want a shot at him, deal with Shiki and the Navy first.”

“…Tch, yeah I know!! Quit reminding me!! Let’s go, you bastards!!!”

“Only a few of us are still able to move… That’d be Kaido-san, Nue-san, me… and one dead weight.”

“Hah!? Who the hell are you calling dead weight, you perv!?”

“Who else would I be talking about…? If you don’t wanna hear it, then fight like your life depends on it, you moron…!!”

“Same to you, jackass!!”

“Hey now, this is fun and all, but save the bickering for later. We’ve got plenty of enemies to deal with first.”

—The pirate crews, the Navy—each one bearing their own unshakable beliefs. Thus, the battle for the New World began.

---

“NOOOOOOOO WAYYYYYY!! Let’s not do this, Captain Roger!! Taking on the Golden Lion and the Navy at the same time is suicide!! And we can’t trust those Beasts Pirates either!! For all we know, they might stab us in the back mid-fight…!!”

“Wahaha!! Don’t worry about it!! If anything happens, I’ll protect you!!”

“Ugh… Well, if you say so, Captain Roger—”

“I’m gonna eat that red nose of yours～～～～～!!!”

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!???”

I crept up on Buggy from behind and startled him just as he started to relax. As expected, his reaction was priceless, and it put me in a delightful mood. After all that screaming, he ducked behind Roger and peeked out from the shadows, eyeing me nervously.

“See, Captain!? That one’s nuts!! If we turn our backs on her, she’ll kill us for sure!!”

“Hmm? Nue, are you gonna eat Buggy?”

“Of course not, of course not. You can trust me♪ — slurp”

“You’re drooling!!? D-Don’t look at me like that!!”

Oh dear, looks like he really hates me now. It was just a joke, though. Devil Fruit users probably taste awful anyway. Buggy’s a BARA BARA human thanks to the Chop-Chop Fruit—his body splits apart, and slashing attacks don’t work on him. An invincible defense against blades. So if I were to eat him… I guess I’d have to mash him up first? Can’t bite what won’t stay in one piece. Stew him down, maybe. Not that that’s the point. —Ah, and then there’s the other one.

“Huh? That kid over there’s not scared of me?”

“……!! You don’t scare me, lady!!”

“…Hmm, I see. Not very cute, are you.”

I tried to spook the other apprentice—Shanks—but he held his ground. He was clearly cautious, but not afraid. Honestly, kind of a buzzkill. If he were more of a scaredy-cat, I’d have doted on him a bit. …Then again, breaking that strong spirit of his might be fun too… Though I’d definitely get killed by Roger if I tried. Guess I’ll have to pass for now.

Chomp… “Aaah, that hit the spot. —Alrighty, now that I’m all recharged, time for another round!”

“Hey, Nue. Let me do that thing again. Y’know, it’s been a while.”

“Hmm? —Oh, that thing… Yeah, sure, why not.”

“Huh? What’re you two talking about—‘that thing’?”

After finishing a quick bite, I stretched out and saw Roger leaning in close with that mischievous look. That thing, huh. The one he used to love back when I rode on his ship over a decade ago. Honestly, it is effective, so sure, let’s go with that.

“Golden Lion’s closer than the Navy. Let’s hit him first.”

“Alright! Then gimme a ride!!”

“Yeah yeah… ‘Rainbow UFO!!’”

“Oh, nice!! Let’s goooo!!”

As Roger cheered, I conjured exactly what he wanted—and he wasted no time hopping on. —Onto the glowing, floating UFO I created.

“Okay then—bon voyage!!”

“WAHAHAHA!! I’m boarding that ship right now!!”

I piloted the UFO, flying Roger straight to Shiki’s ship. That thing was just riding my UFO and launching a direct boarding assault. Roger used to beg me to do it all the time. Eventually I gave in, and it kinda became our thing. I still use it sometimes to send people over, but most of my crew won’t ride it. Too scared, probably.

Then I zipped back to our own ship and called out to King, Queen, and the others still standing:

“Alright, while Roger’s dealing with Golden Lion, let’s hit whoever’s nearby and make a break for it. Bit of a waste, though.”

“…Yeah. That’s fine, but…”

“…Kaido-san’s already gone ahead…”

“…Wait, what—HEY!! Kaido, dammit!! Stop charging in ahead like that!!”

“DIIIEEE… SHIKIIII…!!!”

Before I even noticed, Kaido had already taken off into the sky and was gearing up for an aerial brawl with Shiki. Tch… I shouldn’t have wasted time playing around with Buggy. Seriously, take your eyes off him for one second and this happens. Not that I’m any better sometimes. But this time, I really need to reel him back—

“Ugh!! COME ON, already!!”

“Whoa!!? A cannonball!?”

Queen flinched in shock as the cannonball I had deflected with my trident exploded. Well, that’s understandable. It was a cannonball—fired with a speed that surpassed even a real cannon.

And then—

“…!!”

“Now it’s shockwaves…!!”

King glared bitterly toward the Navy battleship. I felt the same urge to glare—and I actually voiced it. Yelling directly at the two on that ship:

“Hey!! What kind of monsters pick on a sweet, innocent little girl like this!? You’re heartless!! If you’re gonna attack someone, go after Roger too!!”

“If you were truly an innocent little girl, you wouldn’t have been able to block that attack!!”

“So that’s Nue… I see. Up close, she really does just look like an ordinary girl… but she’s a threat. We need to nip this in the bud, immediately…!!”

Aboard the Navy ship were Vice Admiral "Hero" Garp and Admiral Sengoku the “Buddha”—two of the highest-ranking and most powerful forces in the Navy.

Garp’s trademark “Fist Meteor” was coming at us with absurd speed, and Sengoku had transformed his body into a giant golden Buddha and was launching shockwaves. Total cheat codes. I think it’s the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Daibutsu. Same Mythical Zoan-type class as the fruits Kaido and I have… though I still don’t get how a “Buddha” qualifies as an animal. Is it even a living thing…? Well, no point nitpicking Mythical Zoans. Especially not coming from me—it’d just bounce back like a boomerang. Either way, having both of them here is seriously rough!!

“You two grown men ganging up on a tiny little girl—aren’t you embarrassed!? I’m reporting you to the Navy!!”

“Muahaha, you’re no actual girl anym—BUH!!?”

“Say that again and I’ll punch you, Queen!!”

“You already did!!”

“Hmph! You can throw tantrums all you want, but playing the kid card only when it’s convenient isn’t gonna fool me! You’re already a full-grown adult!!”

Tch… of course Garp saw right through me…!! A lot of regular marines, even if they talk tough, subconsciously hold back when they think they’re fighting a child. I was hoping Garp might go easy on me, since we’ve got some history… but no such luck. Sengoku’s not the type to fall for antics either. It’s frustrating, but looks like I’ll have to go all-out here.

Sigh… “I really wanna fight, but this time we’re making a run for it!! — Dark Cloud of Peace!!”

“Hmm… a smokescreen!?”

“Tch… we can handle it, but it’ll make maneuvering a pain…!!”

I conjured a dense black cloud between our ship and the Navy’s to obstruct their vision. Sure, Garp and Sengoku can probably see through it with Observation Haki, but their helmsmen and lookouts can’t. If we can force them to issue constant orders just to keep the ship going, that’ll stretch them a bit.

But we’re not done yet.

“Now for my signature move!! ‘Unknown Entity’… ‘Terror from the Rainbow UFO Swarm’!!”

“!!”

“Wahhh!! Admiral Sengoku!! The UFOs are firing a barrage from above!!”

“It’s the enemy’s ability!! Don’t panic!! Stay calm and counter it!!”

“Looks like Nue’s power’s grown again!! Fist Fist… Meteor!!”

“King!! Cover the cannonfire!!”

“Got it…!!”

Next, I sent another swarm of UFOs barreling toward the Navy. If this keeps Garp and Sengoku fully occupied, that’s perfect. Let’s see if they can protect the rest of their fleet too. If they can, they’re welcome to try. I left Garp’s cannonfire to King and took to the skies.

Then, as the final prep for our getaway, I launched a few “seeds” and flew toward Kaido, Shiki, and Roger.

“Wave Slash!!”“Divine Departure!!”“Grrraaahhh…!!”“!! Kaido!!”

Ah—Kaido’s getting wrecked. And not just by Shiki—did Roger hit him too!? Guess he really did pick a fight with Roger as well? Though honestly, Kaido seems like the type to attack even an ally if he’s strong enough. Either way, I dove after him, catching his massive body just before he fell into the sea.

“Ghh…!! Those bastards…!!”

“Hahh… Fighting Roger, then Shiki, and Sengoku and Garp… Yeah, that’s rough even for you…”

“Hahh… Hey, Nue… Don’t tell me you’re planning to run, are ya…!?”

“That’s right, Nue!! Stop playing with just the Navy—get over here and face us too!! I’m getting jealous!!”

“Shut up, Shiki!! Don’t you dare look at me with those creepy eyebrows!!”

"No human rights for weird eyebrows!? You seriously hate my eyebrows that much!?"

No, it’s not like I actually hate them. I just mess with him for fun. Honestly, that might be even worse—wait, crap! Shiki’s launching seawater at us again. As usual, that Fuwa Fuwa no Mi is ridiculously broken in a sea battle. If we can't stop Shiki, he could easily sink our ship. This is way too stacked against us.

Kaido still looks like he wants to keep fighting, but it’s smarter to pull out for now. Luckily, the Roger Pirates are holding their own. Plus, I can leave just my UFOs behind to keep up some pressure.

"...Just settle for hitting them once and be done with it, okay? If you actually get caught by Garp and Sengoku, you’re not getting away."

"Tch... Damn bastards..."

Kaido’s barely hanging on, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Well, duh. There’s no way he could handle Shiki right after fighting Roger for half a day and losing. Even I've been pushing myself—squeezing in quick bites to eat, catching short breaks—but it’s brutal. If I let my guard down even for a second, I could pass out. Fighting like this? No way we’re winning.

Even Kaido must realize that by now. He’s sobered up after the Roger fight, so his head’s clearer. He was grinding his teeth so hard it was practically audible, but eventually—

"...We’ll hit 'em once, sink a ship, and pull out...!! Nue, use your powers too."

"Already done. I figured you'd say that, so I set it up ahead of time."

"...Good. Let’s move...!!"

"Okay, Captain~!!"

Following Kaido’s captain’s orders, I finished my little setup, and together we struck back with a single blow.

---

The Marines, facing off against the Golden Lion Pirates, the Roger Pirates, and the Beasts Pirates all at once, naturally targeted the Beasts Pirates first—since we were the most worn down. But then—

"...!! That presence...!!"

"This is...!!"

Even through the black storm clouds, the two seasoned Marines leading the fleet could use their Kenbunshoku Haki to sense the general position of the ships, the enemies, and even incoming UFO attacks, allowing them to respond in real time.

But they immediately noticed something else—the presence that had clearly been Nue just moments ago had completely vanished.

Disappearing from the range of their Haki wasn't anything unusual in itself. Simple even. But in this situation, where visibility was awful, that simple trick was a serious threat.

If it were an enemy without long-range attacks, they could’ve ignored it. But against someone who could strike from a distance, they couldn’t afford to. If they couldn’t sense the attack coming, they'd take serious damage.

Especially if the attack targeted a ship they weren’t on—then there was little they could do to stop it.

"...Garp!!"

"I know!! It’s coming!!"

But they moved—no, they could move.

Had Nue and Kaido gone for a ship further back, the two wouldn’t have been able to respond in time. They kept up their attacks on the front lines, trusting the Marines on the other ships to hold out.

And they could move because—

"!!"

"Mmgh...!!"

—they were the targets.

The attacks hit their ship directly.

A barrage of heat beams and projectiles rained down. Garp and Sengoku split up, each countering the incoming attacks by either deflecting them with their own Haki-clad strikes or guarding against them head-on.

But even so, in that brief clash, Kaido and Nue made their escape, retreating with their ship.

What stuck with the two Marines wasn't frustration over letting them get away. It was something deeper—an unmistakable reaffirmation of the threat those two posed.

"...They retreated, but neither their bloodlust nor their hostility have dulled... They're even more dangerous than we thought..."

"If they'd charged at us like usual, we could’ve just beaten them down... But the fact that Kaido actually chose to retreat... I didn’t see that coming..."

Sengoku recalled the reports on Kaido and the Beasts Pirates: how they'd charge into enemy fleets, cause massive casualties, get captured, go wild in prison, and somehow always escape. It was part of why this encounter had been seen as a rare opportunity. Maybe they'd charge recklessly again and get captured.

But it hadn’t gone that way. Exhaustion from the fight with Roger played a part... but if the Beasts Pirates had been at full strength, Marine casualties would have been far worse. In a way, it was lucky.

Garp understood it even more intimately—not just from reports, but from firsthand experience.

He was one of the legendary Marines who fought against the Rocks Pirates. He knew Kaido and Nue’s true danger. Both of them had slipped through his fingers before.

And now, even while half-dead, the sheer force of Kaido’s Haki had passed the point where any kind of mercy was possible. Smarter tactics—using Roger’s crew as a distraction to escape—was something the old Kaido never would have considered. Maybe it was Nue’s influence. Or maybe Kaido was finally starting to show the instincts of a true captain rather than just a thug.

Either way, it wasn’t good news for the Marines, the civilians, or the World Government.

"...We just let two monsters slip through our fingers..."

“—Hey, Garp!! Don’t let your guard down!! The Golden Lion and Roger are still in action!! The UFO threat isn’t gone either!!”

“Yeah... The Beasts Pirates were just a sideshow. The real targets are still out there...!!”

Yes—encountering the Beasts Pirates had been sheer coincidence. The Navy’s real mission was to stop Roger and the Golden Lion from joining forces. Their priority had always been elsewhere.

But... Garp couldn’t help but feel that this may have been their only chance.

While the Beasts Pirates were still in their early stages, still relatively weak—this was perhaps their last real opportunity to nip the threat in the bud.

---

The battle that took place in the New World—became one of those legendary clashes only a select few knew the true scale of.

Roger’s crew, Kaido’s Beasts Pirates, the Golden Lion’s forces—and the naval fleet led by Admiral Sengoku and the hero Garp. Despite the ferocity of the fight, none of the factions walked away with a decisive victory. For the Navy, it had been dangerous, but also a rare opportunity. And if nothing else, preventing Roger and the Golden Lion from taking each other out or forming an alliance made the mission a success. Even if the soldiers on the ground grumbled in frustration, it was a win nonetheless.

But more than the Navy, more than the Golden Lion who had failed in his recruitment attempt—there was someone else who was seething. Someone who felt this outcome as nothing short of a bitter defeat.

---

“Dammit... I lost again...!! How the hell am I this weak?! This is bullshit!!!”

“Yep, yep. Same old, same old. Don’t let it eat you up too much, alright?”

—New World, Desire Island. Inside Kaido’s manor—the Beasts Pirates’ hideout and his personal quarters—I sat across from Kaido, the two of us drinking not long after returning from battle.

Whenever he loses, Kaido tends to spiral at least once. That’s why I always make sure to drink with him afterward. ...If you say the wrong thing to Kaido in this state, he might literally kill you. His subordinates, I mean. I’m fine, but who knows what’d happen to the others. And we can’t afford to lose more of our already scarce crew.

...Though, to be honest, even I get a little irritable and frustrated when we lose. A few drinks help smooth things over. So really, this works out for both of us.

With Kaido ranting and me nodding along, we both drank our fill.

“To lose to that soft-ass Roger... and then have him show me pity on top of it!! Doesn’t that piss you off too?!”

“Well yeah, of course it does. But we lost. Gotta own it and move forward. Next time, we kill him. Easy.”

“Hell yeah!! Next time, I will kill him!! But to do that... I need to get stronger...! Still—”

Oh? Normally Kaido would just end things there: get stronger, kill them, done. But this time, he trailed off—actually thinking for a second. What now? Something crazy again? Not that anything he says surprises me at this point. Especially when he’s drunk. He can get completely incoherent, though he listens to me more than anyone else.

Kaido downed another drink, then, in a surprisingly calm and serious tone—not angry or emotional—he spoke:

“...We’re short on manpower.”

“Huh?”

“If we keep losing, we’ll never grow our forces. We’ve gotta avoid unwinnable battles and pick the fights we can win, or this crew’s never gonna get any bigger... It doesn’t matter if you, me, King, and Queen survive—if that’s all that’s left, what’s the damn point?”

“...Wait, seriously? You just now figured that out?”

I blinked in surprise at Kaido’s sudden moment of clarity—so grounded, so... rational. I’d honestly assumed he knew that already, and just didn’t care. I mean, yeah, Kaido’s reckless, but he’s not stupid. He’s survived all kinds of insane battles by sheer force of will. I thought he was wrecking the crew with full awareness of the consequences. Guess not... though to be fair, I’ve been doing the same thing, so I can’t exactly talk. Maybe now’s a good time to start planning things properly, together. Might even write up a real strategy document later.

Kaido’s voice rose again:

“I was too obsessed with reputation!! But... yeah. Getting payback can wait. In the end, the one who survives is the one who wins...!!”

“Whoa... you’re more sober now than when you’re actually sober.”

“Don’t mock me. You think I’m wrong?”

“Sorry, sorry. —But yeah, I think you’re right. There’s no such thing as cowardice in a pirate’s fight. Sometimes, retreating is the strategy.”

I agreed without hesitation. We’ve seen what a successful pirate crew looks like. That guy—he was terrifyingly strong, sure, but he still did everything he could to avoid the Navy’s pursuit. He always had a plan.

Maybe we need to follow that example, even if just a little. The power gap between us and the other monsters is definitely shrinking. Even if we can’t win outright, we’ve reached a point where we can hold our own—at least for a while.

But that edge can be erased entirely if we’re outnumbered. Kaido knew that. That’s why he now spoke with such serious conviction.

“It’s fine if we’re strong—but if our numbers stay this low, we won’t be able to deal with those smug bastards. Your ability helps pad the count, but there’s a limit to that too.”

“Yeah, my UFOs are great in group fights, but once someone really powerful shows up, they get wiped out fast.”

“Exactly... It’s annoying, but we need more weapons. More soldiers. Without that, we’re not gonna stand a chance against Roger, Whitebeard, or that damn Linlin. But if we build up, get our forces ready... then I can take them one-on-one—or better. At that point, it’ll be all up to my strength. That’s no problem...!”

I nodded in agreement. Still, the fact that he can boldly claim he’s stronger than those monsters one-on-one—now that’s Kaido for you. Your average pirate would talk about needing numbers to take down a beast or relying on tricks and strategies—cheap little schemes to get by.

But Kaido’s different. Sure, he uses schemes too, but in the end, he relies on his own strength. Pure, raw power. All those plans? Just steps to becoming the strongest pirate crew in the world—and tools for crushing his rivals with his own hands.

He’s no noble warrior. He’s a battle-hungry brute who enjoys fighting, but also a realist. He doesn’t suppress his desires or hold back his will—and he doesn't tolerate anyone who tries to interfere. Very pirate-like—or rather, very Kaido. I don’t know what others think of him, but personally? I like it. It’s exciting. It’s fun.

"Hmm? So what now?"

"...We expand the crew. I hate to say it, but the old hag was right. We need to gather more soldiers, more weapons, more ships. Everything it takes to build the strongest army."

"So no more reckless charges?"

"If it’s just you and me, then who cares. As long as we don’t burn through our crew, that’s all that matters. —Not being able to go wild is annoying, though."

...Wait, isn't that basically the same as before...? No, no—he did say no more charging in with a whole crew. That’s already an improvement!! If it’s just one or two of us charging in, then there’s no crew to lose, so it’s totally fine!! Perfectly logical!!

"First off, we’ll strengthen the guys we already have—and ramp up scouting. We need more capable officers. And if we find someone strong, don’t kill ‘em. Try to make ‘em join us. Let King and the others know, too."

"Roge~r. I mean, not that this is all that different from what we’ve been doing."

"We do it more. Break their spirits—torture, whatever it takes. If we break ‘em right, they’ll make good soldiers! Even kids—if they’ve got potential, we take them in! Train them from a young age and they might grow up to be as strong as Linlin’s brats!"

"That’s true, but... only the ones with real potential, right? I mean, we’ve let kids in before, but we don’t keep the ones that’d just end up dying... Still, it is fun to scare them. I like kids."

Kids are pure, you know? So full of potential... Not in a weird way, okay? I’m just clarifying that in my head because Kaido had that nasty grin on his face. Seriously though, I don’t dislike children. Even when we attack towns, I don’t go out of my way to target kids. Unless there’s a reason or a goal—then it’s different. —Huh? Kaido’s got his hand on his chin, tilting his head like he’s deep in thought. What’s up with him? He’s staring at me.

I tilted my head back at him, wondering if he was just thinking something dumb again, when Kaido, dead serious, finally said:

"...Now that I think about it, all of Linlin’s kids are at least pretty strong."

“Huh? Well... I mean, they are Linlin’s kids, so yeah. At the very least, they’ve got to be stronger than your average child.”

What’s he going on about all of a sudden...? It’s obvious, isn’t it? Then again, it is Kaido. Maybe he’s about to go off on one of his unreasonable rants again—especially since we’re talking about Linlin, whom he despises. Well, whatever. I’ll just nod along. Nothing surprising here—just one of those common conversations.

“...Then that means my kid would be strong too, right?”

“Hmm? Well... logically, yeah, probably. Whether it’s Whitebeard, Roger, or Garp, their kids all turned out strong, didn’t they?”

I answered casually, sipping from my bottle. Honestly, bloodline isn’t something you can completely ignore. Sure, there are exceptions, but generally speaking, strength and talent do get passed down. It’s just how biology works. Even beasts do it—mating the strongest males and females to produce offspring that’ll survive. Some even fight for that very reason. Humans are no different. Not every kid inherits greatness, but if the blood’s there, they’re bound to get something. Even if it’s just the worst traits from their parents, it’s still inheritance. And when you look at the children of monsters like them, it’s not hard to believe they’ll grow into monsters themselves.

—So, if Kaido did have a child...

“...Then your kid would turn out strong too, right?”

“Gulp gulp... pahh... Mmm~ yeah, I guess my kid would be pretty strong too. But... what’s with the line of questioning? What’s this about?”

“...Then, if you and I had a kid... wouldn’t that be the strongest kid ever?”

“Eh? ...Pfft—hahaha!! Heheh, ahh... okay, I’ll give you that one! If Kaido and I had a kid, they’d probably be insanely strong... ahaha! That’s a good one!! What a joke!”

“—So. Why don’t we make one?”

“Yeah, that’s funny. Honestly, not a bad—...huh?”

And in that moment, my mind just... shut down.

My brain completely failed to process the words. I froze up, mid-laugh, with a smile still plastered on my face.

...Huh? Did I just... Did I hear what I think I did? And did I nod just now...? No, wait—better double-check. Still smiling, I tilted my head and asked,

“Uhh... sorry, what was that just now—?”

“We’re making one!! Why not give it a shot!? You and me—we’re gonna make the strongest damn kid this world’s ever seen!!!”

“.....................”

...Okay no, I didn’t mishear that. He really said it. He actually said it. Wait, WHAT!?

“EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?”

From the very depths of my soul, I let out the loudest scream of my life, hit by the single most ridiculous, most outrageous shock I’ve ever known.