One piece: Establishing a Pirate Family

Chapter 129: Kaido

The time had come to April 27th, and the entire Beehheive Island was bustling with activity.

Charlotte arrived alone on Rocks' flagship, Sword of Gibek.

The Sword of Gibek was Rocks' main ship, constructed entirely from the legendary Adam Tree. It had cost Rocks an astronomical amount of wealth to gather the necessary materials from the dark world. To achieve this, he had even resorted to plundering the dark world itself.

As Charlotte stepped onto the ship, many of the senior cadres were already present—Whitebeard Edward Newgate, Golden Lion Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, Ochoku, John, and Silver Axe were all gathered at the bow.

Rocks stood near the helm, toying with a recording pointer in his hand, his sharp gaze landing on Charlotte.

"Charlotte! Don't tell me you're the only one from the Eighth Division?" Rocks asked, his tone sharp and his expression unreadable.

"That's right! I'm the only one here, and I'm more than enough. Or did you think I'd bring the women from my crew to the battlefield?" Charlotte retorted without a hint of fear.

Rocks fell silent at his words, his expression darkening, but he said nothing more.

The tension in the air was palpable, and the atmosphere froze.

Sensing the unease, the Golden Lion quickly stepped forward to mediate.

"What's the big deal? Charlotte doesn't have many people in his crew, and most of them are women. Are you suggesting we send a group of women to the battlefield? Wouldn't that make the Rocks Pirates a laughingstock? One Charlotte is more than enough. Don't you agree, Captain Rocks?"

The Golden Lion's intervention eased the tension considerably.

"That's right! Charlotte's crew has the smallest number of people. Asking him to send women into battle would be ridiculous," Whitebeard Edward Newgate chimed in, his deep voice cutting through the silence.

With the support of two of his top cadres, the others joined in to defuse the situation.

Rocks snorted coldly but decided to drop the matter. He turned his attention elsewhere, choosing not to press Charlotte further.

Charlotte, unfazed, found an empty wine barrel to sit on. Pouring himself a drink, he began sipping it leisurely, showing no concern for the earlier exchange.

Seeing this, Shiki approached him, casting a sidelong glance at Rocks before whispering, "Kid, why are you so confrontational with Rocks? Do you have a death wish?"

Charlotte didn't bother responding, simply sipping his wine with a calm demeanor that only seemed to irritate the Golden Lion further.

Feeling the futility of pushing the matter, Shiki eventually gave up and joined Charlotte in drinking, lighting a cigar as he did so.

The sight of Charlotte and Shiki sitting together raised eyebrows among the other cadres. Ochoku, John, and Silver Axe exchanged knowing glances, their expressions tinged with curiosity and suspicion.

Even Charlotte Linlin turned to Kaido, who stood silently behind her, his massive frame looming with his signature mace resting on his shoulder.

Kaido's piercing gaze was fixed on Charlotte, studying him without saying a word.

Charlotte noticed Kaido's stare and couldn't help but scrutinize him in return. Despite being around the same age, their statuses within the Rocks Pirates were vastly different. While Charlotte was a high-ranking cadre, Kaido was merely a trainee pirate.

Kaido, at this stage in his life, was far from the fearsome governor of the Beast Pirates he would later become. His strength was mediocre compared to the legends he would grow into. Though he had mastered the three colors of Haki and had decent physical skills, he had yet to obtain the mythical Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.

Charlotte eyed Kaido with intrigue, speculating whether the legendary dragon fruit was currently in Charlotte Linlin's possession. After all, it was she who would gift it to Kaido in the original timeline, forging a debt of gratitude between them.

"So? Are you interested in that Kaido kid?" Shiki asked, breaking the silence.

Charlotte glanced at Shiki, then shook his head.

"I'm just curious. What race is Kaido?" Charlotte replied, fabricating an excuse.

"You don't know? He's from the Ghost Clan," Shiki said, looking at Charlotte with surprise.

"The Ghost Clan?" Charlotte repeated, feigning ignorance.

"Yes! There are countless races in this world, and humans are just the majority. You've got giants, fish-men, snake-necked people, and more. Kaido belongs to the Ghost Clan. Before joining Rocks, he was actually a general in the Kingdom of Woka. How he ended up as a pirate, I don't know."

Shiki took a drag from his cigar, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

Charlotte nodded thoughtfully, though he already knew Kaido's story. Kaido had been sold out by the king of Woka to the World Government in exchange for a seat at the Reverie. Betrayed and furious, Kaido escaped captivity and joined the Rocks Pirates after encountering Whitebeard on Beehive Island.

Shiki, oblivious to Charlotte's foreknowledge, continued drinking in silence.

The two of them sat together on the wine barrel, creating an oddly united front. This scene didn't go unnoticed, fueling further speculation among the other cadres.

"Set sail!"

Rocks' commanding voice suddenly rang out, pulling everyone's attention.

The Sword of Gibek creaked as its sails unfurled, and the ship began its journey toward the Valley of the Gods.

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