Pirates and Dragons (Two-in-One)

"Big sister, aren't we waiting for Oshi?"

On the way to the southern forest, Ra and Obe walked one after another.

"No need. She's been busy all morning, let her rest for a bit. Besides, I've already left her a message, so there's no need to worry," Ra replied with a smile as always.

"Oh, okay, okay."

Looking at Ra's unchanging smile, Obe couldn't help but shiver.

The ruins weren't too far from the camp, and the two arrived at their destination without walking for long.

Obe pointed to a stretch of ruins ahead, almost integrated with the surrounding environment, and said, "Big sister, we're here. This is where Oshi and I came this morning."

Quickening her steps to the ruins, Obe looked back and found Ra standing still, her eyes fixed on a certain direction in the sky.

"Hmm? What are you looking at, big sister?"

"Nothing. By the way, is this the ruin? It looks quite ancient."

Ra shifted her gaze back to the ruins in front of her, gently stroking the heavily weathered stone wall, trying to guess its age.

"Is this pattern… a cross? Is this ruin related to religion, or is it just a decorative pattern with a similar shape?"

As her fingertips traced the cross relief on the stone wall, its ends resembling waves, Ra was surprised to see such a familiar religious symbol in another world.

Following the moss-covered stone path, the two arrived at what appeared to be a church. This seemed to be the best-preserved building in the ruins.

Stepping over the cracked but still intact door, Ra immediately noticed something unusual beneath her feet the moment she entered the nave, before she could even look around.

"Hmm? It seems empty underneath."

She stomped lightly twice more, and the sound confirmed her guess: there must be a basement or some kind of space beneath the church.

Creating underground rooms wasn't uncommon in church-like buildings, but it was rare to have them directly beneath the main hall.

Just as Ra was about to look around for an entrance, her pupils suddenly constricted, and she immediately ran out of the hall.

"What's wrong, big sister? Why all of a sudden…"

Obe, who had been quietly following behind Ra, quickly chased after her. When she reached the outside of the hall, she saw Ra standing in the center of the empty courtyard, staring at the sky above the island.

Obe followed her gaze and then saw a sight that made her eyes widen in astonishment…

"What the heck?! What is that thing?!"

Obe stared at the distant sky with wide eyes as a colossal creature, estimated to be hundreds of meters long, plummeted from the clouds and crashed straight onto the island, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

"Is that… a dragon?! That's a dragon, right! This… Big sister, what kind of world have we come to?!"

Obe's usually calm expression had completely fallen apart. What was this? Yesterday it was survival, and today it had suddenly become… well, something else entirely!

Ra didn't answer Obe's question, she just quickly hurried in the direction where the dragon-like creature had fallen. At this moment, Obe also noticed that the place where the dust was rising was near their camp.

"Oh no, Oshi!" Obe realized and immediately followed.

New World, Marine G5 Branch.

"This is bad! Kaido has escaped again!"

As the base alarm wailed, an officer dodged and weaved, frantically passing by soldiers who were in disarray, and rushed straight towards the branch chief's office.

"Hoo… hoo~~ Ba, Vice Admiral Bartos. Kai, Kaido has broken through the branch's prison and is wreaking havoc outside!"

Ignoring protocol, the officer pushed the door open and then, gasping for breath, reported loudly.

"Oh~ As expected of a monster from that pirate crew. Is he treating our Marine base as a regular cafeteria? What a nuisance~"

Bartos, the branch chief of G5, merely put down the newspaper he was holding and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, complaining. The middle-aged Marine's expression showed no panic or surprise, and his tone was as lazy as usual.

"Quick, quick, please give the order to fight back, Vice Admiral Bartos!" the officer urged anxiously.

"Hmm, got it~

Order all soldiers to find places to hide and try to minimize casualties.

Kaido will leave on his own after causing a ruckus for a while."

Vice Admiral Bartos's order left the officer stunned.

"Yes… Huh?!

Hide, hide well? Aren't we supposed to reorganize and capture him?

If we let Kaido run wild like this, our Marines…"

"Lieutenant Gunn, isn't it~

I recall you were transferred from Headquarters to Marine G5 Branch just last month?"

Vice Admiral Bartos didn't let the other man continue, instead asking a seemingly irrelevant question.

"Yes, Vice Admiral."

Although he didn't know why the Vice Admiral was suddenly bringing this up now, Gunn's serious and earnest nature prompted an immediate response.

"Hmm… Did you make some mistake at Headquarters?" Another nonsensical question.

"No, Vice Admiral!

Officer Alberich said I'm brave in combat, dare to be the first, and am upright, but I lack experience, so he transferred me here for training!"

[Disobeys orders, lacks team spirit, doesn't understand human relationships…

Tsk! They dumped this blockhead on me~

Alberich, is it? I've got your name!]

Vice Admiral Bartos, a seasoned veteran, immediately understood the official jargon from the other officer and cursed inwardly.

"Lieutenant Gunn, you're new here, so you're not familiar with the situation.

The pirates in the New World can't be compared to those guys playing house in 'Paradise' and the Four Blues.

In fact, the purpose of our G5 Branch isn't to capture New World pirates, but to serve as a symbol.

Hmm… You know what a scarecrow is, right? Our G5 Branch is the scarecrow the Marines have erected in the New World."

Bartos got straight to the point, knowing that if he was even slightly vague with someone like Gunn, the lieutenant might not understand.

"I don't understand, sir.

Isn't the existence of the Marines to capture pirates?

The pirate is right outside now, and I can't just turn a blind eye!"

The Marine named Gunn still stood tall, refusing to back down.

[This is really troublesome~ This kid.]

Gunn's textbook response, typical of a hot-blooded rookie recruit, made Bartos's eyebrows twitch.

But considering that the lieutenant was already an officer at his age, he was likely the son of some high-ranking official at Headquarters, making him someone not to be offended lightly.

With no other choice, Bartos sighed and said sternly:

"Alright, I'll go organize the capture. You stay here and report the situation to Headquarters.

Oh~ Right.

The magnetic fields in the New World are chaotic, and Den Den Mushi might be affected. If you can't get through, remember to try multiple times.

Make sure to report the situation here to Headquarters. This is your mission, understand?"

As he spoke, he took out a peculiar-looking Den Den Mushi from his pocket and handed it to Gunn.

"This is a dedicated Den Den Mushi for contacting Headquarters. Don't use yours or any other, as they can be eavesdropped on."

Patting Gunn on the shoulder, Vice Admiral Bartos then quickly departed.

"Yes! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

Lieutenant Gunn solemnly took the Den Den Mushi and gave a perfect military salute towards his retreating back.

[Speaking of which, are Den Den Mushi affected by magnetic fields? They didn't teach us that in training…]

Without overthinking it, he immediately dialed the number for Marine Headquarters.

"Moshi moshi, this is G5 Branch. Moshi moshi…"

In the adjacent office, Vice Admiral Bartos leisurely lit another cigarette, took a puff, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring~

"Troublesome people just keep coming one after another~

And Kaido, what's with him? If he wants to eat, he should just eat on a warship~ Why come to the base?

Headquarters is watching, so I have to make a move.

Sigh~ So bothersome~"

"Hoo~~ snore~~ Hoo~ hiccup! Mmm~"

Outside the base, Kaido, having caused quite a ruckus, had collapsed to the ground and begun snoring loudly. Yet, no Marine dared to approach him.

"Hey, he looks like he's asleep. Should we capture him now?"

A Marine soldier, hiding behind a wall, whispered.

"And then he wakes up, finds himself locked up, and causes another ruckus? Besides, the prison in the base is gone now."

Another, noticeably older soldier, squatting beside him, replied irritably. He then lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall, taking a drag.

"So, we'll wait for him to wake up and leave on his own?"

The young soldier mimicked his senior, squatting down against the wall.

"By the way, Senior, can I have one too?"

"Yeah. Let's just leave it at that. It's been like this the last few times. Just keep an eye on him... Hmm? Only two left, here, take them all."

The older Marine fumbled in his pocket, tossing the entire pack of flattened cigarettes to the other man before taking a deep drag from his own.

"Sigh~ Looks like we'll be working overtime tonight cleaning up the base."

"Yeah, sigh~"

Time ticked by, but Kaido showed no signs of waking, making it difficult for the tense Marine soldiers around him.

Just as some soldiers were about to let their guard down, a fast-moving black shadow suddenly appeared in the sky.

The shadow grew closer, its form becoming clearer.

"Is that... a bird?!"

A soldier rubbed his tired eyes, trying hard to make out the figure.

"No, it's not a bird! It's a Pterosaur! A black Pterosaur! A Devil Fruit user?! Is it coming for Kaido?"

Another soldier with glasses recognized the approaching creature.

"Sergeant Major, what do we do?"

"This, I..."

The situation had taken an unexpected turn, and he hesitated, unsure whether to risk informing the Branch Commander.

But before the Sergeant Major could make a decision, the black Pterosaur had already landed.

Upon landing, the Pterosaur's size gradually shrank, finally transforming into a man over three meters tall, clad in black leather, wearing a full-face mask, with wings on his back engulfed in flames.

In his hand, the man held a Vivre Card.

"Hiccup~ Mmm, is that King? What are you doing here?"

Kaido, sensing the other's presence, slowly woke up.

"Mr. Kaido, I've found traces of that person. Your Den Den Mushi wasn't connecting, so I came to find you myself."

The masked man, named King, replied. His voice sounded surprisingly young.

King's answer was concise, not revealing much information.

"Hmm? I see."

Mentioned of important matters made Kaido a bit more sober. He then stood up, patted himself down, and fumbled out a drunken Den Den Mushi...

"Hiccup! Mmm~ In that case, let's go, King."

Putting away the Den Den Mushi, Kaido unleashed his aura and transformed into a colossal azure dragon hundreds of meters long, kicking up a large amount of sand and rocks before soaring into the sky.

"They're gone..."

The soldiers hiding in the distance let out a collective sigh of relief as they watched the massive figure depart.

Vice Admiral Bartos, who had been engrossed in reading the newspaper, appeared at this moment. He glanced at the messy surroundings, his eyebrows twitching involuntarily.

"Tsk~ This is why I hate these Zoan-type Devil Fruit users. They always make a mess of the surroundings whenever they transform. Sigh~ I wonder if the repair funds will be approved this time. What a hassle..."

He pulled out a luxurious cigar from his pocket and lit it.

"Inhale~~~ Exhale~ Hmm? Did I forget something?"

Inside the Base Commander's Office—

"Moshi moshi, this is Marine G5 Branch! Moshi moshi..."

"Uro-ro-ro-ro-ro~ You're saying that guy is in South Blue right now?"

Kaido let out his characteristic laughter upon hearing King's report.

"That's right. Our people learned from an underground intelligence network that he's been wandering around South Blue for the past three years.

He seems to have recently stopped on a small island near the Calm Belt."

King relayed the rest of the information to Kaido.

"In that case, I'll go to South Blue myself.

Shiki might be planning something big soon, so we need to increase our strength here."

"Then you go ahead, Mr. Kaido. Some unfamiliar pirate ships have been appearing near our territory lately, so I need to head back.

Also... I don't really feel like seeing that guy right now. Here's an Eternal Pose to that island."

Saying that, King took an Eternal Pose from his pocket and handed it to Kaido.

"Hmm~ If you don't want to go, then go back.

Don't hesitate to sink those guys' ships if you see them. My territory isn't a place you can just waltz into!"

With that, Kaido grabbed his Flame Cloud and flew towards the Calm Belt...

"I wish you a smooth journey, Mr. Kaido."

King watched Kaido's departing back for a while, then turned and flew back the way he came.

Kaido's cloud-riding speed was quite fast, and in just a few hours, he arrived at the sea area near the edge of the Calm Belt.

He planned to pass directly through the Calm Belt to reach South Blue.

The sea breeze blowing towards him was stripping away his already limited drunkenness bit by bit.

The journey was undoubtedly boring. With nothing to do, Kaido felt a bit listless and even a little drowsy.

But fortunately, it wasn't long before a uniquely shaped dog-headed warship appeared in his sight.

Kaido recognized the owner of this warship. It was the Marine hero who had participated in the suppression of Rocks at "God Valley."

He had also clashed with him a few times; he was a very strong Marine.

[Oh? Garp? Perfect, something to do.]

Thinking this, Kaido gathered a breath of Dragon Breath and spewed it at the warship from a distance, then immediately pulled up his dragon body and rushed into the clouds above.

"Kaido! You bastard!"

Garp, who had also noticed Kaido long ago, directly punched away the Dragon Breath and then roared angrily at the sky.

Another failed capture attempt, and the Roger Pirates had escaped. He was in a foul mood.

"Garp, the sake at your Marine branch is too awful~ Remember to have them prepare better wine next time!

Uro-ro-ro-ro-ro~"

Dodging a few cannonballs thrown by Garp, Kaido unleashed another Dragon Breath, then ignored the situation below and sped away.

With the Eternal Pose, he didn't intend to fight Garp to the death right now.

"Tsk! These remnants of Rocks have indeed become a troublesome bunch.

Did the death of that guy not bring peace to the seas, but instead create a greater storm?"

Garp, dispelling the breath again, stared at Kaido, who was already far away in the clouds, his annoyance growing.

"Notify the entire ship, head to Marine G5 Branch immediately."

"Uro-ro-ro-ro-ro~"

After firing twice, Kaido was in much better spirits, and most of his travel fatigue had vanished.

Looking up at the unobstructed night sky, the moon and stars were exceptionally clear.

"This is great~ The moon tonight.

Just you wait! Marines, the World Government, and those high-and-mighty scum!

I will become the strongest in the world and turn this world upside down!"

After a night passed, Kaido, above the clouds, had reached the depths of the Calm Belt.

Just as he was about to find an island to stop and have a drink, he suddenly sensed something. His powerful Observation Haki immediately spread out to probe below, but he found nothing.

However, Kaido wasn't going to give up. He looked in a direction outside his line of sight, his intuition telling him that the source of that abnormal feeling was in that direction.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kaido drove his Flame Cloud towards that area.

ps: Kaido's height is 7.1m.

King is around 15 years old at this time, and based on deductions from the anime, his height should be around 3-4m.