Evening Raid

Julian gained over two hundred small-time pirates pledging allegiance just from drinking at a tavern. He assigned them to various departments and had Pablo properly arrange and train them. All their old bad habits had to be corrected, or else it was confinement and toilet scrubbing.

He brought out the ranking system—Apprentice Crew Member, Regular Crew Member, Senior Crew Member, Elite Crew Member—and had them take the assessment directly. Most were at the level of Regular Crew Members and got thoroughly beaten by the Logistics Officer administering the test. Only a young man named Passat showed some real skill, at the Senior Crew Member level.

Pablo matched their pay to their strength and handed out manuals for the other pirates to study. Julian ordered Bob and Cleo, both Bomb-Bomb Fruit users, to begin preparations for establishing the Seventh Division. When Julian was ready to set sail, he would promote them. All divisions received the same treatment: each Division Captain had their own ship, stationed with their own division members, with considerable autonomy.

Julian basically didn't micromanage. He let them train and develop on their own. In fact, he wished they could pull together an entire reinforced regiment—why would he restrict their growth?

Julian continued drinking with several Division Captains. George flattered him, saying, "Captain's reputation has already spread across the four seas. From now on, any pirate crew hearing the Captain's name will kneel in submission."

Allison chimed in, "Brother George speaks very well," while inwardly grumbling: There goes that bootlicking bear again, stealing my lines.

Julian was delighted, thinking to himself: As expected from the old crew—they know how to talk. He said aloud, "Brothers, don't worry. In time, we'll all be famous across the seas and dominate the world."

George eagerly refilled Julian's cup, and Julian accepted every drink without refusal. He declared, "Everyone, let's not go home until we're drunk." After the feast, Julian and the Division Captains staggered back to the ship.

Julian returned to his room reeking of alcohol, pulled Beatrice into a kiss, then lay down to sleep. He said to her, "Wake me tonight. I have business to handle." Beatrice nodded. "Rest well, Julian. I'll call you."

Julian closed his eyes and began snoring loudly. But Pablo was extremely busy. A large crowd of low-level pirates and commoners lined up at the dock, wanting to join the Flame Dragon Pirates. They saw the crew as wealthy and loyal, unwilling to continue their aimless lives.

As ordinary citizens, they had no money year-round. Farming meant paying taxes to the king and nobles; doing business meant the same. Everything boiled down to one word: poverty. Better to join a pirate crew and take a gamble—who knew, it might pay off. Pablo began sorting them, separating ordinary people from those with skills for unified training. At around eleven o'clock, Beatrice walked softly to Julian's side and said gently, "Julian, it's eleven at night. Time to get up." She shook the snoring Julian. He opened his eyes to see her charming figure, then scooped her up to explore the meaning of life.

By midnight, Julian left the room, transformed into his Fire Dragon Beastman Form, and flew out of the ship toward the king's palace. Mid-flight, he muttered, "This kingdom is a World Government member nation—there must be plenty of Devil Fruits." Flying through the air like a meteor, he soon reached the palace.

Julian instantly activated his Earth-Earth Fruit ability, entering Elementalization. He turned into a small clump of dirt and burrowed toward the king's treasure room. Moving through the ground like an Earthwalker, he was incredibly fast. Soon he found the palace's treasure vault. The palace guards had no way to detect Julian tunneling through the earth. Once he located the treasure room, he emerged from the ground and saw mountains of small gold coins and Berries before him. Julian wrapped them all up in earth.

Then he searched for famous swords, Devil Fruits, gold, and Berries—things he was no longer very interested in. After his earth encased all the Berries and gold, he absorbed them into his body. He then found a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia and three famous tachi, which he also collected.

Two fruits. Julian examined them, pulling out the encyclopedia to compare. The first was a Paramecia: the Steel-Steel Fruit, which allowed full-body steel transformation and control over nearby steel for fusion or attacks. It was a very powerful Devil Fruit.

Paramecia users had all kinds of abilities depending on their development. This fruit was clearly slightly stronger than the Stone-Stone Fruit. Julian picked up the second fruit: a Zoan, the Ox-Ox Fruit, Common Zoan Bison Form—just an ordinary water buffalo. Julian didn't even pass that up, wrapping it in earth and storing it in his body.

He also found the king's journal, detailing his daily life. Julian scoffed, "Corrupt as expected—partying every night, living it up." The journal recorded the secrets and reports of various ministers, along with locations of discovered mines.

Julian had no interest in that. He left the boring stuff behind. The three tachi and a Golden Two-Handed Sword—he packed them all.

He didn't plan to stay long. After buying supplies for the voyage, he prepared to leave. This island was a highly developed commercial nation, and Julian intended to let his crew practice on the noble territories. What kind of pirates didn't rob?

Julian returned to the ship with the money and two Devil Fruits. He went to his third-floor treasure room and released all the Berries and gold. Instantly, a huge pile of Berries appeared. He had spent only a few hundred million Berries at the auction last time, leaving most of his funds. Now he added over two billion more Berries, plus several hundred million in gold coins and bullion.

Julian burst out laughing. "I have no interest in money. But your money is so easy for me to move and turn into mine. This Earth-Earth Fruit ability of mine, with nowhere to settle, is truly insidious."

He added, "I hope there's something good on this island for me to buy." Then he had an idea: instead of buying slaves from the Slave Trader, he would just rob them. Why buy when you can take? Julian decided to recruit people tomorrow to free the slaves and expand the fleet. That was enough for today. He knew the island had a thriving slave trade.

Planning ahead, Julian said, "When we get to Sky Island, I'll turn all those Sound Shells into speakers. Joy Boy had the Drum of Liberation, right? I won't just make the Drum of Liberation into music—I'll compose a World Song, a Slave Song. Then I'll be even more impressive than Joy Boy."

He thought to himself: Kaido wants to surpass Joy Boy, doesn't he? I'll sell him the speakers. Taking two vials of blood isn't too much, is it? Joy Boy's Drum of Liberation had a sound wave of about five hundred Sound Shells, and he needed Gear Five to play it, consuming massive stamina and lifespan. My Drum of Liberation is just the switch.

Then I'll add five thousand more Sound Shells, ten thousand. When Kaido hears the Drum of Liberation at that volume—ten times louder than Luffy's Gear Five version—who's the real Joy Boy will be up for debate.

Julian mused: Kaido's physique and Haki are at their peak, and his combat power is maxed out. But his conviction crumbled. When he escaped from Punk Hazard's World Government research facility, he rescued King and confidently said, 'I am the one who can change this world.' After taking over Wano and defeating Kozuki Oden with strategy, his Dao heart was shaken by Oden.

Later, he often asked King, 'Am I really the one who can change the world?' By then, Kaido's faith was wavering. He had heard Oden's dying words: 'In twenty years, someone will come to liberate Wano—a warrior who brings laughter to this sea.' Kaido's Observation Haki must have picked up Oden's final words to the Nine Red Scabbards.

At first, Kaido confidently believed he was the Joy Boy of this era, destined to change the world. But later, he realized he wasn't Joy Boy and couldn't change it. Joy Boy would come to Wano in twenty years to defeat him.

Kaido felt an unspeakable pain. But he wasn't without ideas. If he wasn't Joy Boy, he could become stronger than Joy Boy and defeat him in twenty years. Yet he found he couldn't bring laughter to others—only fear.

So what did he do? He used counterfeit Artificial Devil Fruits so that even when people were sad, they could only laugh. Eventually, he kept doubting himself, asking King, 'Can I really change this world?' The loyal King always affirmed, 'Captain Kaido, you are definitely the one who can defeat Joy Boy.'

Julian said, "No problem, Kaido-sensei. You're only missing a Drum of Liberation speaker compared to Joy Boy. I, Julian, can sell you one. I'll even add a speaker to play the World Song."

He thought: Selling these two speakers to Kaido-sensei will definitely get me Seastone in return. Maybe even a batch of Wano geishas.

Julian continued, "I'll also sell two speakers to the World Government. Call them replicas of Joy Boy's power. Those five senile old men will definitely give me two Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits."

Then I'll upgrade the Drum of Liberation to a High-Burn Version 2.0, with sound waves equal to two Joy Boys. Sell it to Kaido-sensei, take two vials of blood. Sell it to the World Government, and those five old geezers will have to cough up two more Mythical Zoans.

Julian laughed. "With the Drum of Liberation, anyone can be Joy Boy." He thought about stealing the Rubber-Rubber Fruit. If Luffy didn't have that fruit, would his grandfather Garp tie him to a kite and drop him from five hundred meters? Would he die on impact?

Koshiro's daughter Kuina died falling down stairs from the second floor. Luffy fell from a five-hundred-meter kite at age six and didn't die. Then Garp punched him off a six-hundred-meter cliff, and he was fine. How powerful was the Nika Fruit?

Kuina was the daughter of a Great Swordmaster, twelve years old, and died falling down stairs from the second floor. And you say Luffy is a Monkey D.? Look at Monkey D. Dragon—the sandal print on his face was from Garp's slipper. Their family isn't much tougher than normal people. Monkey D. Dragon's face was scarred by Garp's slipper and never healed.

On Hachinosu Island, Shiryu of the Rain ambushed the deserter Koby. Garp took the hit for Koby and was severely wounded by a single slash. But Shiryu's sword was the cursed Thunderstorm Blade, with a blood-draining ability. One thrust through the chest.

The Monkey D. family's defense is only slightly above average. Their strength lies in high attack power and incredible combat talent, learning and growing in battle. The war in Wano wasn't just because Kaido taught well—the Monkey D. family has maxed-out combat talent.

Every one of them is a combat genius. Luffy's incredible vitality comes from the Human-Human Fruit Mythical Zoan Nika Form. That was Julian's analysis.

This fruit requires firm conviction and a will filled with wild calls. In short, Nika is similar to the Shandia of Sky Island—savage primitives.

Julian said, "I still need Luffy to test the waters and get intel on Void King Im. Kaido also wants to change the world, turning Celestial Dragons into slaves thrown into battle. I need to encourage Kaido to fight Im."

Eight hundred years ago, Im fought two-on-one, defeating Joy Boy and killing Poseidon. And Poseidon's Devil Fruit was the Fish-Fish Fruit Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon Form. That means Joy Boy and Poseidon were teammates eight hundred years ago, and both died. Julian said, "How is Joy Boy supposed to play this game now?" Then he added, "If Im kills Joy Boy, will I even be safe on Sky Island?"