Kaido slammed his massive mace to the ground, exhaling steam from his nose like a raging bull. He roared at the top of his lungs, his voice reverberating through the banquet hall.
"Alright, you scallywags! The party has started! Let's get wild!"
"Yeah—ohhh!" the Beasts Pirates erupted, their excitement reaching fever pitch as they cheered.
In an instant, the banquet descended into chaos. The Beasts Pirates seized their drinks, laughing uproariously, smashing tables, and causing a ruckus. They took over the space, consuming food and drink with abandon, their loud voices filling the air. Doflamingo's men and the maids and dancers hired to entertain them could only watch in terror, shrinking back from the riotous scene. They forced smiles, trying to placate the rowdy pirates, but their expressions betrayed their fear.
Meanwhile, Kaido slouched back in his seat, his gaze shifting to Doflamingo's top officers seated on his right—Trebol, Pica, and Diamante—all watching the Beasts Pirates with cautious, tense expressions. Fixing his eyes on Pica, the most muscular of the three, Kaido grunted and jabbed a finger in his direction.
"You! Big guy!" he barked. "Where's your weapons factory?"
Pica blinked, momentarily stunned to be addressed by the Emperor himself. Realizing Kaido was pointing at him, he rose quickly to his feet. "Uh… L-Lord Kaido, we—"
"Shut up!" Kaido cut him off, grimacing. "What's with that voice? It's horrible!"
Pica's eyes widened as he instinctively clamped a hand over his mouth, his face reddening. Despite his intimidating physique, his high-pitched voice had always been a sore point. Normally, anyone who dared mock him would pay dearly for it. But this time, with Kaido looming over him, Pica swallowed his pride and remained silent, not daring to show even a hint of offense.
Kaido waved him off impatiently. "Go check if Joker's still alive. If he's not dead, bring him back here."
Pica nodded vigorously, relieved to escape Kaido's direct scrutiny, and hurried off in the direction where Doflamingo had been flung. Kaido leaned back, signaling Black Maria for another bowl of sake, which she promptly poured, her smile unwavering.
As Kaido turned his attention back to the table, his sharp eyes landed on Trebol. "You there, ugly bastard! I asked you a question—answer me!"
The Donquixote officers exchanged nervous glances, each wondering if Kaido's insult had been meant for them. Trebol, though visibly shaken, swallowed hard and opened his mouth to reply. Before he could say a word, Sasaki, one of the Tobiroppo and an imposing figure in his own right, lost patience and hurled a sake bottle at Trebol's head.
"Idiot!" Sasaki snapped. "The Governor asked you a question—are you deaf?!"
Trebol winced as the bottle hit his forehead, blood trickling down from the impact. Shaken but desperate to avoid further angering Kaido, he stammered out a reply, detailing everything he knew. He covered every aspect he could think of, hoping that thoroughness would appease Kaido. Despite his efforts, however, his sloppy appearance—particularly the thick snot running down his nose—only deepened Kaido's disdain.
Before Trebol could finish, Kaido, growing irritated, swung his club, sending Trebol sprawling to the floor.
"Where are the artificial Devil Fruits?" Kaido demanded, his tone laced with impatience. "Bring them here."
Diamante, realizing the urgency, gestured frantically to his men. Within moments, they brought out a batch of artificial fruits, placing them in a neat line on the table in front of Kaido. Diamante hesitated, then lifted one of the artificial Devil Fruits—a red apple-like object with orange-yellow circle patterns—and held it out to Kaido with trembling hands.
Kaido studied the fruit closely, lifting it between two fingers. He had heard plenty about its effects and side effects from Doflamingo before, but this was his first time seeing the real thing up close.
"Hey, you," Kaido said, turning his gaze toward Diamante. "Are you a Devil Fruit user?"
Diamante gulped, nodding quickly. "Yes, Lord Kaido… I have a Devil Fruit ability."
Kaido snorted in irritation, waving his hand dismissively. "Then bring me someone without abilities."
Diamante sighed in relief and immediately ordered two of the non-combat staff forward. The two ordinary men stepped up, their faces ashen and trembling as they were ushered to Kaido's table.
Kaido tossed the artificial fruit at one of the trembling men. "Eat it," he ordered, his voice brooking no refusal.
The man, who had been hoping to stay in the background, felt every eye on him as he shakily picked up the fruit. Heart pounding, he muttered a few prayers under his breath, closed his eyes, and took a large bite. The taste was strange and unfamiliar, but he forced himself to swallow, bracing for the worst.
Seconds passed, and to his surprise, he felt no immediate pain or discomfort. Instead, he felt a strange, invigorating energy coursing through him. His eyes shot open, filled with wonder as he looked down at his hands—only to see they had transformed into scaled claws. He glanced down at his legs, horrified to find they had turned into four scaled limbs.
"Ahhh! M-My body!" he screamed in shock, watching his transformation unfold.
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