Sea Era 1479.
"I hear that freak is coming to Hachinosu."
"Not bad. He fought his way alone from Paradise to the New World and gave the Marines plenty of trouble."
"Took him long enough, though. We heard about him two years ago. The Marines are useless. They couldn't catch one little brat, and he treated their Marine Bases like free cafeterias."
"Haha, never mind that. This year's Recruitment Tournament should be interesting."
"Maybe. There's still time before the tournament. If he puts on a good enough show, the Rocks Pirates might recruit him early."
"Just like they did with Pluton."
"Either way, I'm looking forward to meeting that brat Kaido."
The Rocks Pirates kept a close eye on young pirates with potential and invited the most promising ones to join them.
Kaido had Oni blood. At ten, he had become the strongest warrior in the Vodka Kingdom.
At thirteen, two years ago, his fortunes had changed.
The king of the Vodka Kingdom had sold Kaido to the Marines in exchange for a seat at the Reverie. Kaido had escaped soon after, earning a bounty of seventy million Beli.
That alone was enough to attract the Rocks Pirates' attention.
But first, he had to reach the New World.
The Rocks Pirates weren't going to travel to Paradise just for one young pirate.
After hiding from his pursuers all along the way, Kaido had finally reached the New World.
Once he arrived, everything became easier. The Marines pursuing him didn't dare venture deep into the New World. These days, it belonged entirely to the Rocks Pirates.
The losers had to know their place.
Thanks to the Rocks Pirates' influence, Kaido's journey from there went remarkably smoothly.
There were still plenty of fights, of course, but Kaido's strength let him carve a