Beasts

The return trip was faster than the journey there. Kaido seemed to have deliberately quickened his pace, and by the morning of the second day, they had crossed the Red Line once more and returned to the New World.

After eating aboard several Marine warships and prison ships along the way, the group arrived at an island in the latter half of the New World on the afternoon of the third day.

"Boss Kaido, you're back."

The moment they arrived on the island, a burly black-haired man in a Punk-style jacket ran over.

"Deke, why are you here? Where's King?"

Seeing that the one greeting them was not King as expected, Kaido asked in confusion.

"Several pirate ships of unknown origin have appeared in the waters around our territory. Lord King led the brothers out to investigate."

Although he was only fourteen, the powerful King was already a bona fide officer within the Beasts Pirates, where strength reigned supreme.

"Unknown pirate ships? How many?" Kaido frowned.

"About ten, including one large pirate ship. Judging by their course, they most likely came from Hachinosu Island," Deke continued his report.

"Hachinosu Island..."

Taking out a Den Den Mushi from his clothes, Kaido dialed King's number.

"Peroro~ Pero—this is King. Mr. Kaido, have you returned already?"

King's voice soon came from the Den Den Mushi's mouth, and its face took on King's expression.

"Did that guy accept the invitation?"

"No.

Zayn is busy raising his precious children, so he refused."

"Still, this trip wasn't entirely fruitless. No, I should say there was an unexpected gain."

Kaido glanced at the three little ones, who were constantly looking around beside him, and the frustration of failing to recruit Zayn had long since vanished from his heart.

"Is that so? Then I'm looking forward to it. Things are settled here, and we're preparing to head back."

King replied as she looked at the enemy ship burning fiercely before her.

"Well done!

So, whose people were those?" Kaido's voice turned cold.

"They're from a Pirate Crew John recently recruited. They were probably sent to test our strength. It looks like they've been planning some major move lately."

"John...

That bastard took most of Rocks's treasure back then. Everyone has been keeping an eye on him these past few years, yet he still dares to provoke me!"

After learning about the situation on King's end, Kaido hung up the Den Den Mushi.

After glancing toward Hachinosu Island, he turned and instructed Deke:

"Deke, take the three of them to their quarters first. Then find someone to carry those chests to the warehouse. I'm going to sleep."

"Got it, Boss Kaido. But these little ones are...?"

Deke was somewhat at a loss. Kaido had brought back treasure before, and he had brought back Marines before, but this was the first time he had brought back children.

Looking at the three little ones, who had not said a word since arriving on the island, he muttered to himself:

Could they be Boss Kaido's daughters? No, no, Boss's daughters couldn't possibly be this cute... Hiss—could they be princesses kidnapped from some kingdom?!

Deke looked at Ra's seemingly expensive silk dress, along with her dignified bearing, and became increasingly certain of his guess.

"This blond little one is called Ra. From now on, she's an officer of our Beasts Pirates!

The other two are her younger sisters." Kaido offered no further explanation, merely tossing out those words before leaving.

"An officer?!"

Deke jumped in fright.

This little girl is only around ten, isn't she? She looks so delicate that I could probably scare her into tears just by raising my voice, yet she's an officer!

King had been fourteen when she fought the entire Pirate Crew into submission and became an officer, which had already been shocking enough.

Yet this one was only around ten, and a girl at that... It was far beyond Deke's imagination.

Could she be some kind of special Devil Fruit user? Could she really be Boss Kaido's daughter?!

"Hey! Punk uncle, quit spacing out and take us somewhere to rest already.

We've been floating around in the sky for days. I'm exhausted!"

Oshi was still unused to referring to herself in feminine terms before strangers. Perhaps she was embarrassed, or perhaps it was to preserve the last shred of stubborn pride in her heart.

"Oh! Right, right."

Deke came back to his senses and did not mind Oshi's strange self-reference.

After instructing several passing pirates to move the treasure chests Kaido had brought back into the warehouse, he led Ra and her sisters toward the base.

Whatever. Boss Kaido said she's an officer, so she's an officer.

"Mr. Deke, is it? My name is Ra, and these are my younger sisters, Osiris and Obelisk."

Seeing Deke's stiff gait, whether from nervousness or something else, Ra took the initiative to ease the atmosphere.

"The three of us have only just arrived. Could I trouble you to introduce Captain Kaido's Pirate Crew to us in detail?"

W-What a pleasant voice! And she's so polite!

Deke silently crossed the possibility of Kaido's daughter off his list.

"No need to be so polite. Just call me Deke, haha~"

Ra's gentle-sounding voice dispelled the tension in his heart, and Deke gradually became more talkative.

"Our Beasts Pirates were only founded by Boss Kaido last year. When I joined, there were barely over twenty people.

Over the following year, Boss Kaido challenged Pirate Crews everywhere and recruited the pirates he defeated. That was how our numbers slowly grew.

Now the Beasts Pirates have over five hundred members, five large ships, ten small ships, and control three islands in the surrounding area!"

Deke's tone was filled with excitement and pride. As one of the oldest members of the crew, he had personally witnessed the growth of the Beasts Pirates. Their development to this point was inseparable from his countless bloody battles.

But honestly, the current Beasts Pirates could not be considered a notable force in the New World.

Not to mention supreme sea overlords like Golden Lion and Whitebeard.

Even second-tier forces like Silver Axe King Straight had far more pirates and vastly larger territories than the current Beasts Pirates.

It could not be helped. The Beasts Pirates had only been established for a little over a year, and their foundation could not compare to those great pirates who had begun seizing territory and dividing the spoils immediately after Rocks's death.

Those pirates had already developed for four or five years.

Why hadn't Kaido joined the scramble for the New World back then?

Unfortunately, Kaido had been in a confused period after being passively graduated from the Rocks Pirates and directly stepping into the unfamiliar New World.

He had had no idea what he wanted to do, so he could only roam the world, picking fights with the Marines and the World Government to rack up achievements.

It was not until he met King on Punk Hazard last year, while still in that muddled state, that Kaido remembered he ought to start his own venture.

Thus, the Beasts Pirates entered the field late, after Kaido's predecessors had already eaten their fill and wiped the table clean.

"So you were one of the pirates Kaido defeated back then too?" Obe asked.

"No. I joined voluntarily because I admired Boss Kaido's strength.

Also, call him 'Boss Kaido' or 'Captain Kaido,' Blue-haired girl."

Deke seemed to revere Kaido greatly and was somewhat displeased that Obe had called Kaido by name.

"Tch~"

Obe turned her head away and stopped paying attention to Deke.

"By the way, what exactly is your relationship with Boss Kaido?"

In the end, Deke could not suppress his curiosity. He stopped walking, crouched down, leaned his head toward Ra, and quietly asked.

"The three of us sisters were accidentally stranded on a deserted island. Captain Kaido happened to pass by and invited us.

After talking things over with Captain Kaido, I agreed." Ra explained with a smile.

"?"

Ra spoke as though it were perfectly ordinary, making Kaido sound like a warmhearted uncle who had happened to pass by and taken in three poor little girls stranded outside.

But to Deke's ears, something about it sounded completely wrong.

Th-That's supposed to be Boss Kaido?

In Deke's mind, forget taking in children—if their captain did not eat children alive, that was already good enough.

For a time, the atmosphere fell silent once more.