Kaido the Hero

"Quickly, get closer! Turn the camera toward that man—closer!" Morgans shouted, directing the Reporter Bird. He had a feeling this was another huge scoop. He'd already thought of tomorrow's headline: "Great Pirate Kaido Becomes a Hero?"

The image drew closer and gradually came into focus. It showed an extremely handsome man in a white coat, holding a child in one arm. Outside the royal city, in a gathering place for commoners, all the residents were watching the giant screen. A woman who looked quite young recognized the man at a glance. She couldn't help covering her mouth, hardly able to believe it.

"Clarence! And Krell!" the woman cried. Tears welled in her eyes. Although Krell had grown a lot, those eyes and that familiar hair color made him instantly recognizable.

"Maria, what's wrong?" a woman beside her asked. Seeing Maria so worked up, the people around them—some her neighbors, most other residents of the royal city—looked on.

"That's Clarence!" the young woman cried. She was so overwhelmed. Her husband had left to search for their missing child, and she'd heard nothing from him since. She'd waited nearly ten years and was about to give up, thinking he was dead. She never imagined that at such a crucial moment, he would appear and bring their child, Krell, home.

"Clarence? Isn't he your husband, the one who died? How is he still alive?" Their neighbors were astonished. They knew a little about Maria's situation. Her husband, Clarence, had supposedly died in an accident, and they'd even attended his funeral. Many others remembered Clarence, too. He'd been a well-known doctor in that area, and he'd had a gentle disposition.

Now, she decided not to hide the truth. "To search for Krell, who'd gone missing, Clarence faked his death and took on a new identity. I've been out of touch with him for nine years. I never imagined—never imagined—that he was still alive, and that he'd brought back Krell."

Many people heard Maria's words, including families who'd lost their own children. The disappearance of young children was common in the royal city, but now everyone felt that something was wrong. There was something suspicious going on.

Clarence began his speech, telling his own story first before going into greater detail about the kingdom's crimes. "For a hundred years, the nobles and high-ranking officials of this kingdom have carried on a vile practice. In this country, known as the Pet Kingdom, they turn people into pets. Human pets aren't slaves. Slaves are still human, but human pets aren't even considered human. They steal children too young to remember, raise them like pets, let them grow up alongside animals, play with them, and eat pet food. In the end, they produce pets that satisfy the nobles' desires—pets that only look like people, with no humanity. That is the truth behind the nobles' crimes in this kingdom, and the truth behind the disappearances of young children." Clarence spoke through his tears.

Everyone was stunned. They hadn't imagined that such a powerful country concealed a crime that would shock the world. It was even more infuriating than slavery. Slavery was simply the strong dominating the weak, and its evil was primarily expressed through the vast slave trade. But human pets were something utterly inhuman.

Krell slipped from his arms and fell to the ground. Then, like a pet, he got down on all fours and curiously looked around. Clarence lifted him back up. The scene played out before everyone's eyes. "As you can see, Krell has been raised as a fox. He can't even speak anymore. There are many children like him in this kingdom." As he spoke, he turned to look behind him.

The Reporter Bird took flight, and the camera turned toward the scene behind the man. What a sight it was: hundreds of children ran about, rolling on the ground and playfully tumbling over one another like pets. The marks of their treatment as animals seemed visible on them. Beneath their adorable appearance lay a deep-seated evil, written in blood and tears.

Then Clarence looked at Kaido. "Lord Kaido, thank you for saving this country, wiping out all the nobles and their underlings, and freeing these children." Clarence was full of gratitude. "You're the hero of this country."

Kaido was even more confused. He'd only come here to kill someone—how had he become the hero of this country? And how had he killed all the nobles and freed these children? He'd been fighting here the whole time. He hadn't done anything else.

Kaido wasn't the only one confused. The people watching the broadcast were baffled, too. They'd been watching Kaido fight this whole time. How could they have missed that?

After thinking it over, Kaido called out, "How do you know I did it?" He needed to get to the bottom of this, or it would keep bothering him.

"Your subordinates told me," Clarence said. "They were masked, so I don't know what they looked like. Their identities won't be exposed."

My subordinates? Kaido thought. He waved at the Beasts Pirates members watching them from nearby. Seeing their captain beckon, they all ran over and gathered in front of him.

"Boss, what do you need?" one of the pirates at the front asked. "Are there any other members of ours on this island?" Kaido asked. "No, everyone's here."

Kaido sensed something was off. "Where did you hear that the king of this kingdom could control Devil Fruit users?" "I think it was a drunk. He accidentally spilled a bottle of booze on me, and to make up for it, he told me. But after I got the information, I couldn't find him anywhere," said Jerry, the man Teach had doused with booze, thinking it over.

"Idiot." Kaido understood everything now. Someone had used him like a pawn. He slapped Jerry, sending the pirate flying. No wonder it had seemed so strange. King Brady hadn't shown any ability to control Zoan Devil Fruit users during the battle, yet Kaido had kept watching out for that very trick. It turned out to be a lie.

This was a live broadcast, and many people heard their conversation. Most didn't understand what it meant, but some sharp viewers realized that someone had used Kaido as a pawn. They'd lured him here with false information and sparked a war between him and the Kate Kingdom, while secretly slaughtering all the kingdom's nobles and handing the credit to the Kaido they'd manipulated. The kingdom's crimes, now laid bare, were likely what had set everything in motion.

Kaido was furious, though. No one liked finding out they'd been used.

"What did my subordinates say?" Kaido ground out, his teeth clenched as he spoke. Anyone could see he was angry. Clarence didn't notice. He already admired Kaido immensely and saw him as a savior. "Um, can I say it here?" Clarence asked uncertainly.

"It's fine. Go ahead." Kaido folded his arms, radiating confidence in Clarence's eyes.

"All right. They said you were interested in this country's beast-taming techniques, and that they'd be very useful to you." Clarence spoke excitedly. "As the hero who freed this country from its evils, I hope you'll protect us. This country no longer has the strength to defend itself against outside threats, Lord Kaido."

Kaido's frown eased. Beast-taming techniques—not bad. But he was still angry. This was the compensation from the person who'd used him, and it clearly wasn't enough. "Anything else?"

"Yes." Clarence suddenly remembered. He'd almost forgotten. He reached for the bag on his back and opened it. "There are three Devil Fruits in here for you. All the evil nobles and their underlings in the noble district have been wiped out, and the district still holds wealth worth hundreds of billions of belli. Add in the kingdom's century-old reserves, and the total should be at least a trillion belli. He told me to make sure you didn't forget, Lord Kaido." "He also said you'd meet again someday."

As Kaido listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. His anger vanished all at once. Without a moment's hesitation, he made his decision. "I, Kaido of the Beasts, hereby declare that this island is now my territory! My pirate flag will fly here, and I'll protect the people of this island. I won't let anyone invade it!" Kaido laughed heartily. Though he'd been manipulated, what he'd gained made it nothing worth worrying about. He'd inherited the full resources of a great nation without the slightest resistance, and the ordinary nobles had all been wiped out.

Those who understood what had happened were envious. They wanted someone to use them like this, too. A colossal fortune worth a trillion belli had fallen into Kaido's hands with such ease.

At Kaido's words, Clarence shouted excitedly, "Kaido the Hero!"

"Kaido the Hero!" The people outside the royal city and in the kingdom's border towns shouted along. Aside from a handful, everyone considered Kaido the hero who had saved their country. But what did knowing the truth change? This kingdom couldn't withstand any more upheaval. It needed a powerful force to protect it, and Kaido was undoubtedly the best choice. He'd demonstrated his strength in the battle. The fear they'd felt before had now turned into awe.

No one had expected events to take such a turn. The Great Pirate Kaido had become Kaido the Hero, and he'd easily gained a territory and enough money to build it up. Everyone was astonished and envious.

But wealth stirred the heart. Many people had their eyes on this enormous fortune, and some pirates were already on the move. Kaido still had many challenges ahead.

A few, however, were more interested in Teach, the man who'd planned all of this. He was mysterious and powerful. A plan like this needed someone like Kaido, the perfect candidate. A false tip had been enough to convince Kaido. Someone else would never have fallen for it.

One thing was certain: Kaido was about to take off, and the Beasts Pirates would rise rapidly.

At Marine Headquarters, "I never expected things to change so drastically. Fate really does play tricks on people, and there are still so many hidden secrets," Tsuru sighed. "Should we investigate the person who used Kaido?" someone asked.

"No. It'll be difficult to find him. We have no leads, and we don't have any spare intelligence agents to send out right now. Leave it for now. He'll show himself eventually." Tsuru shook her head.

"Should we get involved in the Kate Kingdom?" Someone had their eye on the treasure. "The Beasts Pirates will definitely expand rapidly now. Should we try to contain them? We could replenish our military funds, too."

"It won't work. Kaido has already won the hearts of the people in that country. The Marines would be invaders, and we don't have the strength to take on Kaido," Kong sighed. He was just as tempted by the treasure. "Plenty of others will have their eyes on Kaido. Let the pirates fight among themselves."

Pet Island, Kate Kingdom, the ruins of the royal palace. "Hahahahaha!" Kaido laughed excitedly, basking in the cheers of the crowd.

"Are we still fighting?" Garp asked. "No. Let's take a look around the island," Roger said with a smile. Now, none of them felt like fighting—not even Kaido.

"Haha, Roger, you'd better watch out next time," Garp laughed. Then he turned and walked away. Spotting his cloak on the ground, he picked it up, shook off the dust, and tossed it over his shoulder as he strode off.

"Garp, I won't go so easy on you next time," Roger retorted. He slid his sword back into its sheath. With no desire to fight, the members of the Roger Pirates followed behind him.

Kaido watched them leave. He wasn't in the mood to fight now, so he immediately called over his crew and told them to hurry to Pet Island. He wasn't stupid. He knew plenty of people would be after the fortune in his hands, and there would be more battles to come. Fortunately, his territory wasn't far away, so they could reach the island quickly.

In the western district, where the streets ran red with blood, "Buggy, why are you taking so much treasure? It all belongs to Kaido. If he finds out, he'll give you a serious beating," Shanks, the red-haired youth beside him, said to Buggy. "There's so much of it. What's wrong with taking a little? You took plenty yourself, didn't you?" Clown Buggy glanced at Shanks.

Both of them were carrying two large bundles. They'd been watching the battle when it suddenly stopped. Then they heard about the kingdom's horrific crimes, and the moment they learned there was treasure worth hundreds of billions, Buggy excitedly dragged Shanks over.

"But this place is terrifying. There's blood everywhere, and everyone's dead. Who killed so many people in such a short time?" Buggy said, still frightened. His body trembled despite himself.

"Haha, don't worry. The person who did it has already left." Seeing how scared Buggy was, Shanks patted his shoulder reassuringly.

Footsteps sounded. The smile quickly vanished from Shanks's face, and he warily watched the way ahead. Four people suddenly appeared before them: three men and a woman. Two of them were carrying huge bundles of treasure, just like they were. Shanks and the man at the front exchanged a glance as the two groups passed each other.

"Who were those people?" Buggy asked. "They were here to steal treasure, just like us." "I don't know, but I have a feeling we'll meet again someday," Shanks replied, though Teach's face rose in his mind. "I just have a feeling we'll meet again."

Elsewhere, "Boss Teach, why do you seem so interested in those two kids from earlier?" Mobius turned to Teach and asked.

"They're apprentice pirates with the Roger Pirates. And don't call them kids—you're about the same age as them. In terms of strength, they're no weaker than you." Teach smiled and glanced at Mobius. "They might both become major figures someday."

"I didn't expect them to be with the Roger Pirates, but I won't be any weaker than them in the future," Mobius said with a confident smile. "Haha, ambition's a good thing. Then you'll have to work even harder. Their foundations are much stronger than yours. You're still just a half-baked rookie," Teach said with a laugh.

Teach's words kindled Mobius's fighting spirit. After all, he was still a boy.

What happened today was bound to shake the whole world. First, Kaido invaded the Kate Kingdom and fought its king in the royal palace. Then the Marine hero Garp and the Roger Pirates appeared, and the three sides clashed. The battle ended when Clarence called out to them, and the crimes hidden among the kingdom's nobles were exposed. In the end, Kaido emerged as the biggest winner. He became the kingdom's hero, gained a large island well suited to serve as his base, and inherited the kingdom's century-old resources and all the nobles' riches.

The chain of events would have a profound impact on the world and might even change the balance of power in the New World.