Amid the howling wind, black and red lightning crackled wildly. The sheer force of the Conqueror's Haki was so intense it seemed like it could tear apart the damp, steel prison.
The big, blond man with a whip was drenched in cold sweat, struggling under the overwhelming pressure of his boss's Haki. His huge, blubbery body clung to Kaidou's arm, his trembling jowls quivering as he pleaded:
"You went through so much trouble to capture them—don't waste it all with one swing!!"
"Kaidou-sama, calm down!!"
Daren braced himself against the slick, bloodstained floor, gasping for air as he lifted his gaze toward the ridiculous figure.
Aside from the whip, the man's head was bald with just a golden mustache above his lip. He wore sunglasses, and with his rotund frame and exaggerated expression, he looked absurd.
His left arm was a mechanical prosthetic, and his right bore dark tattoos reading "QUEEN" alongside the Beasts Pirates' emblem. He wore black-and-white overalls, and even in urgency, his tone carried a rhythmic, almost "rap-like" cadence.
This was Queen the Plague—one of the All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates.
Like Vinsmoke Judge, he had once been part of MADS, an illegal research group led by Vegapunk. In addition to his formidable combat power, he was also a mad scientist known for creating deadly mechanical weapons and horrifying pathogens.
Hearing Queen's desperate words, Kaidou glanced at the two blood-spitting, barely-conscious men—Daren and Bullet. He gritted his teeth and growled in fury:
Breathing heavily, Kaidou withdrew his Conqueror's Haki. Then, in a burst of frustration, he slammed his kanabō into the ground, leaving behind a massive crater.
As Kaidou's Haki receded, both Daren and Bullet collapsed, their bodies slumping like sacks of wet mud against the wall.
Yet in that moment, Daren was surprised to notice... after taking several consecutive hits from Kaidou's Conqueror's Haki, his own perception of his Haki's strength had become slightly clearer.
At the same time, within his "Perception" talent, a new entry appeared on his self-compiled "attribute panel":
Status: Extremely Weak
Physique: 70.112 (+0.777)
Strength: 68.339 (+1.891)
Speed: 67.991 (+1.310)
Fruit: 77.197 (+0.915)
Armament Haki: 30.119 (+1.851)
Conqueror's Haki: 50.017 (+0.630)
The boosts to Physique, Strength, Speed, Fruit, and Armament Haki were gains from his fierce battle against Douglas Bullet. This text is hosted at noⅴelfire.net
But now, injured and drained, he was in an extremely weakened state.
As for the Conqueror's Haki stat, Daren had estimated it based on the power of Kaidou's multiple outbursts, as well as his own past observations of Garp and Roger. It wasn't entirely accurate.
Yet what truly caught him off guard was the fact that each time he endured a blast of Kaidou's Haki, his own Conqueror's Haki seemed to strengthen—bit by bit.
Was it possible that he was gradually adapting, building resistance to its impact?
That thought made Daren's expression turn strange as countless ideas flashed through his mind.
Seeing his boss finally cool off, Queen let out a long sigh of relief...
He glanced at Daren and Bullet, his beady little eyes shifting quickly before he suddenly chuckled.
"Kaidou-sama, why not leave them to me?"
"With my methods, I doubt it'll take more than a few days before they're howling in pain and begging to give in. By then, they'll be the ones pleading to join your crew."
Kaidou's fierce, vertical pupils fixed on Queen with suspicion.
"You sure about that, Queen?"
Queen let out a cackling laugh, nodded, lit the cigar clenched in his teeth, and took a satisfied puff. He struck a pose to show off his muscles.
"Don't worry, I always get results!"
His tiny eyes gleamed like he was looking at a couple of fascinating toys. Inwardly, a thought crossed his mind:
These two might actually make excellent test subjects.
Kaidou paused for a moment, then gave a nod of approval.
The New World's situation was shifting rapidly, and there was no end to the matters piling up.
Daren and Bullet both had immense potential and strength. If brought over to his side, they'd no doubt become powerful assets in his quest for domination. But Kaidou couldn't afford to pour all his time and energy into these two brats.
According to the latest intel, that bastard Roger had recently made contact with Whitebeard, prompting top-tier Marine forces to move into New World waters. Several of the Beasts Pirates' outer forces had been caught in the crossfire, suffering unnecessary losses.
Kaidou needed to quickly reorganize his forces and territories, and more importantly, find out what exactly Roger and Whitebeard had been discussing.
Compared to him, those two knew far more about this sea's secrets.
Back in the day, it was Whitebeard who passed on Rocks' invitation to him, leading him to join the Rocks Pirates as an apprentice.
The battle at God Valley had broken out far too suddenly. There were still many secrets about Rocks he hadn't had time to uncover... Maybe Whitebeard and Roger knew more than he did.
If they got there first and uncovered the legendary treasure...
That thought made Kaidou's face grow dark. He hoisted his massive, spike-covered kanabō and turned to his two "prisoners," his voice cold.
"In ten days, I'll return."
"By then, brats... give me your final answer."
With that ultimatum delivered, Kaidou lifted the kanabō and, dragging his massive body, stomped out of the prison—each step echoing with a heavy boom.
He climbed the crooked stairs, passing through tunnels carved out of the mountainside. Along the way, numerous pirates dressed in animal pelts and wearing horned helmets bowed respectfully as he passed, though his expression remained grim and unreadable.
Kaidou ignored them entirely, making his way past heavily guarded checkpoints until he finally reached the surface.
Before him stretched a barren wasteland. Not a single blade of grass grew, and yellow-brown dust whirled in the wind.
In the distance, massive black structures and furnaces glowed with fiery red light. The clanging of metal and the hiss of bellows echoed faintly, while thick black smoke spiraled into the sky.
Suddenly, a dark figure dove from high above, gliding swiftly through the air. Black wings flared and beat gently as it landed in front of Kaidou.
"Kaidou-san, those two didn't agree?"
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