Kaido: Devil Fruits Go Crunch, Sengoku Can Kiss My Ass

Hachinosu was not far from Saint Sebastian. By speedboat, it took around four hours.

At that moment, warships flying Marine or World Government flags were docked at ports all over the island.

Teams of Marines in white uniforms patrolled back and forth through the streets.

As for Kaido, he had already slipped onto the island before dawn.

You could call him cautious, yet he had come running to Saint Sebastian all by himself.

You could call him reckless, yet he actually knew to disguise himself, somehow getting hold of a tattered black cloak to wear.

But... wearing it made no difference, because he was covered in Nine-Tails' chakra cloak.

At the highest point of the back mountain stood a stone temple. On its roof stood a burly man holding binoculars, observing the town below.

"Report."

A man in a Marine uniform climbed up from beneath the eaves, walked over to Sengoku, and respectfully said, "Other than Kaido, no traces of any other Rocks Pirates members have been found for the time being."

Sengoku slowly lowered his binoculars, his brows knitting slightly. They had hidden themselves deeply indeed. Even the Marines scouting every corner had failed to find the slightest clue.

What was their plan? Had they sent Kaido ahead to gather information? Or was Kaido merely bait?

As he pondered, Sengoku suddenly remembered something and cursed, "That bastard Ochoku chose such a critical moment to play dead."

Yeah. If Ochoku had provided intelligence on the Rocks Pirates, would he still need to sit here waiting for prey to walk into his trap?

"Tap, tap, tap, tap."

Another Marine leaped onto the roof and lowered his voice. "Report. Kaido has approached the Marine temporary base. Should we go on alert?"

Sengoku raised his binoculars again and adjusted the focus. He saw that pale red figure darting nimbly through the shadows around the base.

He watched for a while before slowly giving the order. "Continue observing. Don't alert the enemy. The lead actor in this grand show hasn't appeared yet."

"Yes, sir."

More than three hours later.

Inside the Marine temporary base.

Kaido had infiltrated the base and hidden in a secluded corner piled with clutter, scanning the outside through the gaps between wooden crates.

After staying there for a long time, he reached a conclusion.

There were too many lookouts outside. Open guards and hidden sentries were arranged in overlapping layers, while the patrol routes left almost no blind spots.

Finding where the Devil Fruit was stored without alerting anyone was simply unrealistic.

The moment he moved, he would be discovered.

There was only one option left: force his way in.

If the Marine base only had some fodder, that would be fine. But if there were strong fighters here, this operation could basically be declared a failure.

Yet if he did not force his way in and continued waiting for an opportunity, the operation would likewise fail once the World Government's mysterious organization arrived.

"Hah..."

Kaido let out a heavy breath and decided to go all out.

He had already come this far. He would never accept going home empty-handed.

Once he made up his mind, Kaido stopped waiting passively.

He moved quickly, grabbed a lone Marine soldier, covered the man's mouth with one hand, and dragged him into a secluded corner.

"You only get one chance," Kaido said in a low, vicious voice. "Tell me where the Devil Fruit is."

The Marine soldier trembled all over, terror filling his eyes.

He instinctively nodded frantically, indicating that he was willing to talk.

It was not that he was disloyal to the Marines, but for a few thousand Beli a month, there was no way he was willing to throw his life away.

Kaido slowly released his hand, and only then did the Marine soldier tremble as he whispered, "It's... it's in the Marine base warehouse... that's also where the guards are the thickest."

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Kaido did not hesitate. He knocked the Marine soldier unconscious with a punch.

Then he sprang out and rushed toward the warehouse without stopping.

This time, he did not bother hiding anymore. He charged straight in.

A piercing alarm rang out, echoing across the entire Marine base.

Kaido quickly dealt with the Marines guarding the warehouse and entered.

An exquisite wooden box sat on a table in the center.

"Hahahaha! Perfect!" Kaido rushed to the table and flung open the lid.

A black fruit with spiral patterns lay quietly inside.

"Th-this is... the legendary Devil Fruit?"

Kaido's hand trembled slightly, excitement in his voice. Then, with almost no hesitation, he picked up the fruit and shoved it into his mouth.

The fruit's skin cracked between his teeth, and a strange taste spread through his mouth.

"Is it tasty?"

A voice drifted faintly from the warehouse entrance.

Kaido's movements abruptly froze.

He instinctively turned around and immediately spat out what was in his mouth.

"Ptooey! What the hell is this? It's crunchy, like plastic." Kaido cursed as he wiped his mouth.

Sengoku stood at the warehouse entrance with his hands behind his back, a calm expression on his face. When his gaze fell upon the bitten fake fruit on the floor, the corner of his lips curved upward slightly.

"Of course." He nodded lightly and explained gently, "Because it is made of plastic. What do you think? Pretty convincing, right? The texture and patterns are exactly like the real thing."

Kaido's face instantly darkened.

Honestly, he should have been grateful that Sengoku was not the sort of twisted bastard who enjoyed that kind of thing.

If it had been someone else, they might have wrapped a lump of shit in plastic and put it in the box. The damage would not have been great, but the humiliation would have haunted Kaido for the rest of his life.

"You bastard." Kaido cursed as he violently swung his spiked club forward.

"Don't be impulsive, Kaido."

Sengoku stepped forward twice and slowly said, "I don't think we need to start fighting the moment we meet. What you seek by joining the Rocks Pirates is strength, isn't it? And you risked your life to come to the Marine base and steal a Devil Fruit."

"I believe you desperately want a Devil Fruit of your own."

"Why are you yapping so much? Eat my club!"

Without another word, Kaido swung his spiked club at Sengoku.

"BOOM!"

A thunderous explosion erupted inside the warehouse, and thick dust billowed up.

Sengoku's figure flew backward out of the dust. He flipped through the air and landed steadily in the open area outside.

Kaido followed close behind, swinging his spiked club.

"Kaido, you bastard, listen to me!" Armament Haki coated Sengoku's arms as he raised them to block the second blow hurtling toward him.

"Can't understand you. Take this!" Kaido's third strike followed immediately.

As Sengoku dodged, he continued, "I can give you everything you seek. Whether it's strength or a Devil Fruit."

"Strength? Devil Fruit?" Kaido's voice was full of undisguised mockery. He swept his club out again. "Don't think that just because you can turn into a little golden man, you're Ron!"

"Bang!"

Kaido's spiked club smashed solidly into Sengoku's body.

Under the impact, Sengoku's figure was violently flung sideways, crashing through a wall as dust rose once more.

This time, Kaido did not pursue him. He looked toward the dust, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly, then turned and ran.

"See you later."

"Whoosh!"

A figure suddenly shot out from the dust, arcing through the air before landing in front of Kaido.

Sengoku's expression had completely darkened. He slowly tore off his justice coat and casually tossed it aside, then reached up to loosen his tie.

"Stubborn beyond redemption. In that case, I can only send you into that sunless prison."

As his words fell, Sengoku's body began to radiate dazzling golden light.

His body swelled at a visible rate.

A gigantic golden Buddha rose from the ground where he stood, then looked down upon Kaido below.