Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Taming Kaido
Iron Shield Earl was fuming, ready to curse out loud. If he survived this mess, that idiot strategist was getting a bullet to the head. Mermaids? That’s why the Hell Pirates were after them? What a load of garbage!
He desperately wished his good-for-nothing son would pull one of his classic screw-ups and not deliver the mermaid. Maybe the kid would go full playboy, defy his father’s wrath, and elope with her to some romantic hideaway. Anything but show up now.
But survival came first. He needed a plan—fast. Either stop his son or convince the Hell Pirates to grab this horned warrior and leave.
"Well, damn! So this fierce, godlike warrior is one of your crew? My apologies, I was blind as a bat! I’ll have doctors and medical supplies brought over pronto!"
The earl plastered on his best groveling smile, hoping to slip away for a moment to call his moron of a son and scream, Don’t you dare show up!
Golden Lion Shiki raised an eyebrow at the earl’s quick surrender. He’d been itching to knock the guy around, but this groveling act made it clear: the earl was just another noble spooked by the Hell Pirates’ reputation.
Truth was, the Hell Pirates didn’t even know Kaido. And since Kaido was invading someone else’s country, it’d be a bit awkward for Shiki to slaughter a well-meaning, nation-protecting earl over a beat-up kid—especially one with such a good attitude.
Kaido, meanwhile, felt the rubble pinning him down lift away. He’d been seconds from bursting out with raw fury, but the sudden freedom threw him off, nearly making him swing at thin air.
Then he saw him—a golden figure chomping a cigar, radiating pure dominance. Someone had saved
him?As the earl scurried off, Shiki didn’t bother stopping him. Hard to hassle a guy who’s just defending his land and knows when to bow out.
"Oi, kid! You dead yet?"
Shiki eyed Kaido, who was panting heavily, and tossed him a bottle of Laboon-brand healing potion.
"Drink up. It’ll patch you up."
"Who the hell are you?"
Kaido caught the pale green vial, eyeing it suspiciously. He didn’t know this guy, but he chugged it anyway. Poison? Pfft, he wasn’t scared of that!
The potion hit like a cool wave, soothing his battered body and easing the exhaustion from his earlier rampage.
"Jahaha! I’m Golden Lion Shiki, top of the Hell Pirates, the New World’s overlords, with an 800-million-Belly bounty! So, kid, wanna join us?"
"You’ll eat whatever you want, as much as you want. Money? We’re swimming in it. See that golden island up there? All ours. We’ve got powerhouses galore, and a runt like you? You’d be scraping the bottom of the barrel!"
Shiki knew the way to Kaido’s heart: food, cash, and a chance to challenge the strong. How else do you rope in an eight-year-old monster?
"Hmph! Bottom of the barrel? You think you’re tough? I’m the strongest in the whole damn army!"
Kaido grabbed his spiked club and stood, glaring at Shiki. Free food and piles of gold sounded sweet, but calling him weak? No way he’d let that slide!
"Jahaha! Let’s see what you’ve got, kid. I won’t even draw my swords!"
Shiki grinned, lazily nudging his twin blades, with a taunting finger. His provocation was dialed to eleven.
"You bastard! I don’t care if you saved me—I’m not holding back!"
Fuming at the insult, Kaido charged, swinging his club with all his might.
Shiki smirked. A faint pink aura coated his hand as he grabbed the club mid-swing. With a casual squeeze, the weapon—Kaido’s trusty companion for months—crumbled.
Before Kaido could react, Shiki, still chomping his cigar, grabbed the kid’s chin and flicked him with a single kick, sending him crashing back into the rubble. The sheer ease of it left Kaido stunned.
So strong! Stronger than anything he’d ever faced! This was the power he craved!
"Oi, kid. Interested yet? Or you gonna let these ants gang up and kill you? What a waste—dying young before you’ve seen the real world. And to weaklings, no less. Pathetic!"
Shiki blew a smoke ring, his voice dripping with smug confidence. He was practically begging for a photographer to capture his coolness for tomorrow’s headlines.
...
Brook and the crew leapt down, eyeing Kaido, who’d just taken another beating from Shiki. Hotheaded brat? Nothing a few good thrashings couldn’t fix.
"Kaido, I’m Brook, captain of the Hell Pirates. I’m officially inviting you to join as a rookie crewmate. Free food, free lodging, and a guaranteed path to power. What do you say?"
Brook extended a bony, icy hand. The other fighters loomed behind him, their glares promising to turn Kaido into mincemeat if he refused.
Kaido felt their strength—each one a monster in their own right. His very cells screamed warnings of their power.
Gulp.
Even fearless Kaido swallowed hard.Slowly, he reached out, grasping Brook’s hand, officially joining the Hell Pirates as a rookie.
"Captain Brook!"
At over three meters tall, Kaido was hoisted up by the 2.7-meter Brook, who nodded approvingly. This headstrong kid needed some serious training!
Yonko character card collected: +1!
...
Meanwhile, Iron Shield Earl was sweating bullets, unable to reach his useless son. His panic spiked as the sound of a carriage rolled in.
"Father, quit bugging me with the Den Den Mushi! I’m here, and I brought the mermaid, just like you wanted!"
Viscount Nass crowed with pride, thrilled to have made it in under an hour. His voice carried far—too far.
Fishmen Tom and Tiger snapped their heads around. As fishmen, terms like "mermaid" hit them like a thunderbolt. Too many of their kin had been enslaved, their tragedies etched deep.
The earl’s face turned green. He wanted to throttle his idiot son. Yelling it out like that? Might as well paint a target on their backs! How did he raise such a fool?
Brook’s gaze shifted, his joy at recruiting Kaido fading. He sensed Tom and Tiger’s racing pulses and uneven breaths.
Normally, he might let it slide. But this? Trafficking a mermaid? He had to stand up for his fishman crewmates.
Besides, Fishman Island was on Brook’s radar as a future stronghold. This trip included a stop there to snag those two Poneglyphs. Saving this mermaid wasn’t just right—it was strategic.
As the Hell Pirates’ heavy hitters turned their predatory gazes toward them, the earl’s heart nearly stopped.
"You’re no son of mine! I disown you—we’re done!"
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