One Piece: The Legend of Beasts

The sky was clear and cloudless, and the sunlight shone on the sea, making it sparkle like a layer of golden silk. A huge black ship was sailing slowly, creating ripples on the sea, and following the ocean current to the southern waters of the New World.

Kaido stood on the bow, motionless, quietly looking at the boundary between the sky and the sea. At this time, he especially liked to come to this position and enjoy the sea breeze, which made him feel refreshed and more comfortable in the battle that could happen at any time.

It wasn't just the idiots who frequently provoked them just to show off, nor was it the navy and CP who were more annoying than fleas. What he cared about most was the man he was going to meet in a few hours.

——Gao Lude Roger, whether your strength is just a false reputation, let me verify it myself!

"Hey! Wu......"

He turned his head and was about to say something, but found that the place where the helmeted boy had been standing was now empty, so he took back the words that had just come out of his mouth.

The two companions who had talked and laughed with him for the past three years were not around now, which made Kaido a little uncomfortable. An indescribable feeling of loneliness arose in his heart.

——I wonder how those two guys are doing now...

Just as Kaido was lost in thought, a slight sigh came from behind him, and the voice seemed to carry a hint of melancholy.

He turned around and saw that Newgate had leaned against the side of the ship below, staring blankly at the Mukumochi in his hand, as if he was recalling many events from the past.

"I heard that you had a lot of dealings with Roger in the past?"

Kaido jumped down from the bow and landed steadily on the deck. He asked the man whom he also regarded as a strong rival, "Can you tell me a little about his deeds?"

Newgate raised his head and glanced at him, then slowly shifted his gaze to the sky. After a while, he slowly spoke: "There is nothing much to say about that guy's story. Like us, he is just a common pirate on the sea. As I said before, at most we are friends through fighting."

At this point, his tone revealed some emotion: "That guy made me even more eager for something that I had always dreamed of."

Kaido blinked his eyes and asked with interest: "Based on my understanding of you, it shouldn't be treasure or other personal belongings, right?"

In his value system, a person chooses to go to sea only for two things: wealth and fame.

The vast majority of pirates who treat robbery as a daily routine will naturally focus on increasing the bounty to enhance their own reputation.

Roger's bounty is 2.6 billion, a number that makes countless pirates jealous. It is second only to Rocks in the world, so it is not surprising that he is the target of ambitious guys.

"family."

Newgate answered calmly, as if he was talking about something normal, but Kaido was surprised and stood there with his mouth wide open. After a long while, he was sure that he had heard correctly, and stepped forward with a malicious smile: "It's too bland as an ideal. And speaking of 'family', you and Stussy or Guroliosa will have many opportunities in the future, right?"

"What are you thinking? It's not a blood relationship."

Newgate glanced at him, then his eyes returned to Kurogane's blade, an intriguing smile appeared on his broad face, "Since childhood, this idea has never been eradicated from my mind. In a non-member country, due to the ravages of pirates and human traffickers, people suffered a catastrophe, and the streets were full of homeless orphans. I was born in this country and inevitably became one of them. No matter who you are, you will naturally have a stronger yearning than ordinary people for something you have never had, right?"

As Newgate said these words, Kaido gradually stopped smiling and instead showed an expression of disbelief.

He never imagined that this pirate, who was famous all over the New World, would have such an unknown past.

Before the young man could recover from his surprise, Newgate continued, "But I have traveled on the sea for decades, and even became the second in command of the world's largest pirate group, but I still cannot find the answer. In order to gain benefits, people are deceitful and have no trust in each other. I once doubted the authenticity of the so-called 'family'.

"It wasn't until I met Roger that I realized there were such fools in the world. He was forced into trouble by our fleet several times. Unlike normal people, he didn't try to escape. In order to protect his companions behind him, he would exert 120% of his strength to fight us to the death. As a result, every time he miraculously survived.

"If companions give Roger the motivation to fight because they are important people that he cannot do without, then family may be a deeper concept."

As he spoke, Newgate wrapped Kusugawa in layers of cloth, tied it behind his back with a rope, and then tied it around his chest. He casually placed his arms on the side of the ship and slowly closed his eyes. A ray of warm sunlight sprinkled on the deck, illuminating the face full of stories and emotions. "They understand each other, rely on each other, and trust each other without hesitation. At the same time, there is no distinction between high and low status. Even if they make a small mistake, they can be tolerated. I think this is the kind of person who can be called 'family'."

The ship began to rise and fall with the surge of the waves, and Kaido couldn't help but feel his emotions surge along with it. He lowered his head and pondered in silence.

He has never even seen his biological parents and has been living a wandering life since childhood. The concept of companions does not exist in his mind at all, and he just wants to solve all problems by himself.

It wasn't until he met that man on the rainy street that Kaido's values ​​changed slightly.

Although he later learned that the other party's actions were to take advantage of him, the time he spent in the Woka Kingdom could never be erased from his mind.

Perhaps, as Newgate said, something that one has never had always arouses a stronger desire in one's heart, even if that thing is false.

——Family?

Thinking of the woman who called herself his sister and always wanted to protect him, the group of little kids who quarreled all day long but were not annoying, the chef who brought strange ingredients from outside every now and then, and the two guys who got along well with him, a smile appeared at the corner of Kaido's mouth, whether intentionally or not, and his ferocious eyes gradually softened.

——Maybe, I will find such a guy.

On the other side, Beehive Island.

"Not enough, not enough, give me another bowl!"

The tavern was filled with a strong aroma of wine. Setsu was sitting on a chair with her legs open, eating rice in big mouthfuls. From time to time, she would grab a piece of barbecue on the table that was bigger than her head and quickly stuff it into her mouth, gobbling it up ravenously, then take a big gulp from a wine barrel.

The whole process took only ten seconds, leaving the surrounding guests stunned. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would not have believed that this seemingly charming girl would eat in such an exaggerated way. She was not inferior to Lingling, the biggest eater on the island!

Capona ran back and forth between the kitchen and the dining table at his fastest speed, like a streak of lightning, making people wonder whether his speed exceeded the limits of human beings.

Whenever he arrived at the table, he would hold a bowl of steaming hot rice in his hands. After he placed the rice on the table for just a moment, he would immediately pick up the empty bowl and rush back to the kitchen, and in the blink of an eye, he would rush out with the bowl in his hand.

Someone with a curious mind counted on his fingers and found that this series of processes was repeated at least eighty-five times, not including the times that were missed due to dazzlement.

——If she continues like this, this store will be completely taken over by her. Don’t the boss and his family have any complaints?

In fact, the backbone of the pub, Pete and his follower Green, looked at the girl's eating attitude like a whirlwind, not only did they not show any dissatisfaction on their faces, but they stood by with their hands hanging down with a smile on their faces. Sometimes when they saw that the wine was almost gone, they would take the initiative to pour her a large glass of wine, and their movements were very neat.

If you get closer to them, you can see that their smiles are not very natural, as if they are about to cry in the next second. As the number of empty wine barrels gradually increases, the muscles on their faces tremble more violently.

They had no idea how many times they had experienced this suffocating feeling, as if they were facing the end of the world.

Whenever Setsu came to patronize the tavern, most of the ingredients in the warehouse would meet a tragic end, forcing them to close the business for a while and restock from outside.

At this time, the two could only pray silently in their hearts that she could fill her stomach as soon as possible. However, the girl had no intention of stopping and kept asking the boss to serve the food.

It seemed like several centuries had passed before Seorizu leaned back in his chair, rubbed his round belly, and said with a satisfied look on his face, "I'm finally full. Thank you for the treat!"

Hearing her say this, Peter breathed a sigh of relief, approached her with a smile on his face, and asked cautiously: "Is the food in our restaurant still suitable for Big Sister's taste as always?"

"Well, of course!"

Setoori Tsu nodded affirmatively and said with a smile, "I'll come to your place tonight and have a good meal!"

"This... I'm afraid it's a bit difficult." Pete said with a sad face. As expected, the amount she ate this time would cause them to close for several days.

"Then we can only go outside the town to find something to eat."

Seorizu looked down at the empty barrel, a hint of drunkenness on his face, and muttered to himself, "I always feel like something is wrong, as if something is missing."

Capona, who was exhausted and collapsed on the ground, slowly got up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said with a smile: "That's because Boss Kaido is not here. I always see you two here together."

Seto's pretty face turned slightly red, and then she turned her head away and said nonchalantly, "I just... I just asked him to accompany me to drink. It just so happens that Kaitaro can drink a lot, right?"

——Your expression has already betrayed you.

Peter wanted to say this, but fortunately, after three years of running a tavern, he was well versed in observing people's expressions. He coughed twice and changed the subject, "Calculating the time, Mr. Kaido and his men will soon reach their destination, right?"

Capona immediately understood and followed his words, saying, "Maybe. I wonder if their conversation went well."

"It would be nice if I could go with you."

Setoorizu put his head on the table, puffed his cheeks and complained, "In the end, I'm the only one drinking here."

"There's nothing we can do about it."

Capona consoled him, "Ms. Lingling's children are too young, and Mr. Uno has to guard Beehive Island, so let's just put up with it for now!"

"Lord Silver Axe arrived at Rocky Harbor not long ago. How about I ask him to have a few drinks with you later?"

"No. I don't know him very well."

Setoorizu sighed and rejected Pete's suggestion, "Thank you for your kindness, I am satisfied that someone is willing to accompany me to relieve my loneliness."

Capona placed his hand on his chest and bowed, "It is the duty of the three of us to serve the eldest sister."

"Boss Pete, I heard that Lord Silver Axe brought back a mythical beast species from this expedition?" Green, who had been silent all this time, suddenly asked his companions.

"That's what they say, but no one has ever seen it with their own eyes."

Peter replied nonchalantly, "Besides, such rare treasures are not casually displayed to little people like us."

"I think so." Green lowered his head, looking a little lost.

The corner of Peter's mouth twitched: "It's a pity that Boss Kaido happened to be away, otherwise he would be the most suitable person to eat that fruit."

"Two mythical beasts?"

Capona glanced at the drunken girl beside him and smiled half-heartedly, "I wonder if this is a coincidence?"

"Bulu Bulu..."

At this moment, the Den Den Mushi in Green's pocket rang rapidly. He took it out and looked at it, then bowed to his two companions with an apologetic smile and said respectfully, "Brother Capona, Boss Pete, it's an acquaintance calling. I'll go out and answer the phone first!"

Peter raised his eyebrows and asked with great interest, "Could it be the lover you met a while ago?"

"Ah! It's... it's her... hehe...!" Green scratched the back of his head embarrassedly, with a coy look on his face, and it seemed that the other party was most likely right.

"That Green who has been following me has also welcomed spring!"

Pete laughed and patted his shoulder, "Go! Don't waste other people's time!"

"Yes!"

Green smiled brightly, carefully holding the Den Den Mushi in his hand, and ran out the door.

"I didn't expect that guy to be the earliest among the three of us."

Capona sighed towards the door, his tone revealing envy, then looked around the store and saw that there were only a few customers left. So he said to Setsu, "Fortunately there aren't many customers in the store today, and there are some helpers. We are both free, how about we have a drink with you?"

Seorizu's eyes lit up, and he straightened up and shouted excitedly, "Really? Don't regret it!"

Peter smiled bitterly: "Be prepared, our drinking tolerance is not as good as Kaido's."

"Nothing! I'm almost the same!"

Capona and Pete looked at each other.

——What do you mean by almost the same? They are absolutely on par with each other, okay?

"Then, let's celebrate the triumphant return of the ghost boy and his gang in advance!"

Setoorizu propped himself up, held a heavy wine barrel high in the air, and shouted in a drunken voice, "Cheers!"

"cheers!"

The three of them knocked the barrels together, making a clear and pleasant sound, and then gulped down the liquid inside, and then talked endlessly about the interesting things that happened at sea. When Seorizu mentioned her embarrassing experience overseas, the two were stunned, and then burst into laughter.

At this moment, the pub suddenly became lively, with laughter and joy rising and falling, as if it would never stop.

"Finally I saw the island."

Stussy's gentle voice came from the lookout on the mast. Hearing this, Rocks jumped lightly to the bow, followed her gaze and took a look through the telescope. In the lens, a flat island on the sea gradually came into view, and a green patch of land was seen from afar.

"It is exactly the same as what the pointer marked. It is definitely Prairie Island."

Newgate, who was standing next to him, took out the recording pointer from his pocket and looked at it. The pointer was pointing straight ahead.

"Let me wait."

Kaido subconsciously clenched his right hand that was holding the mace, and a look of unusual excitement flashed across his face.

"Hey, if you want to fight him, remember to do it after the conversation is over." Newgate couldn't help but remind him that if that young man attacked the other party right away, it would definitely be seen as a signal of declaring war on Roger's pirate group.

"Anyway, let's find that guy first to confirm the situation."

As soon as he finished speaking, a long ringing sound of Den Den Mushi came from Rocks. After he took out the Den Den Mushi and answered the call, Roger's usual bold and rough voice immediately rang out from the microphone: "Hahaha! Sorry, Rocks, something unexpected happened yesterday so I didn't contact you. In order to avoid being hunted by the government, I had to cut off the signal and take the most secret route... Let's get back to the topic. We have been waiting for you on the island for a long time. We will meet at the only place surrounded by strange rocks! As long as everything goes well, we will have a chance to overthrow the government completely!"