One Piece: The Legend of Beasts

In an inconspicuous tavern on a West Side street, Kalpa was alone, lying on a worn wooden table, tapping the edge of the table boredly, staring blankly at the empty surroundings. Even when a buzzing fly kept flying in front of him, his drooping eyelids never blinked.

As the reputation of the Rocks Pirates has grown in recent years and their sphere of influence has gradually expanded, it has attracted countless young people who want to make a career to join. Kalpa is naturally one of them. This young man, who was born into a wealthy family, ignored his family's strong opposition, took all his savings, preemptively stole his family's speedboat, and headed for the island he had always dreamed of visiting.

He thought he could easily get ahead with his family background, but he encountered setbacks after arriving at Beehive Island. Not to mention going on an expedition with the main force, he couldn't even gain a foothold on the island. He could only rely on his own little money and borrow money from other pirates to open a tavern.

Even so, Kalpa still had a hard time. Due to the old decoration materials, mediocre food and remote location, there were few customers who patronized the tavern. He couldn't even afford to hire a waiter to help, and could only keep company with some rats and flies.

If the situation continues like this, we will have to close down in a few days. At the same time, we will have to face a swarm of creditors coming to ask for money. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

In addition, more than half a month ago, Beehive Island suffered an unprecedented attack, which destroyed most of the towns on the island. As if it was God's mercy, Kalpa's tavern escaped the disaster by chance, but he, who always lacked a sense of security, soon developed a strong sense of crisis, and spent every day, night, and every moment in fear.

——It’s so horrible… There’s blood everywhere… It’s the first time in my life that I’ve seen so many people killed… I wonder if it will be my turn soon…

Thinking of the piles of corpses he had witnessed in the town that day, Kalpa shuddered involuntarily. With his trembling sweat-soaked right hand, he picked up a wine barrel on the table and desperately drank a few gulps of it, trying to ease the fear in his heart.

The wine was not bad to drink, it could even be said to be cool and sweet, but Kalpa felt that it tasted so bitter that he wanted to cry. His already dull face became almost bloodless, and the pressure accumulated in his body did not get relieved but became even heavier.

——I should have found a job in my hometown instead of becoming a pirate! I ended up in such a miserable situation. This is definitely not a solution!

——… That’s right! I might as well find a small boat and sneak away when they aren’t paying attention. I’m sure there will be a place for me to stay somewhere else!

Kalpa was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the door of the tavern slowly opening and then quickly closing with a bang. A figure walked in with heavy but unhurried footsteps.

"Boss, give me a pot of Tian Tian wine."

A calm voice without any ups and downs came out of the man's mouth. It should be a happy thing that a customer came to the store with a sluggish business, but Kalpa's face was still listless, and he had no interest in who the visitor was.

What's more, the other party walked into this shabby shop and suddenly asked for a top-grade wine, which made him suspect that this guy was looking for trouble, and he felt unhappy.

——What bad luck! Just send him off casually...

With this thought in mind, Kalpa played with the empty wine barrel in his hand and said in a very cold tone without even looking up, "I'm sorry, but we don't have the kind of wine you mentioned. Please find another place."

As soon as he said this, he began to regret it, secretly cursing himself for being reckless. After all, Beehive Island was where pirates settled. If the visitor was a villain known for his brutality, he would be in trouble once he heard this. Thinking of this, beads of cold sweat began to flow down his forehead.

Fortunately, the man didn't seem to notice what Kalpa said. He just walked to the opposite side of him and sat down on a chair. He looked at an unopened bottle of beer on the table and squeezed out a few words with a barely perceptible smile, "Isn't there a ready-made one...? Although it's not what I want, it's okay to make do with it for now..."

Without waiting for the other party to agree, he reached out and grabbed the bottle of wine, opened the bottle cap and poured it into his mouth. The wine slid down his throat into his stomach. A warmth slowly spread from his stomach to his limbs, making him feel indescribably comfortable. He couldn't help but exclaimed, "Oh ha ha! It seems bland at first, but it has a unique flavor when you taste it carefully!"

The other party's ruthless evaluation did not make Kalpa feel dissatisfied. Instead, it aroused his curiosity. He raised his head from the table and began to look at the uninvited guest carefully.

The man in front of him was very burly, and just sitting there he looked like a small mountain. He had layers of cloth tied on his head, which perfectly covered the area above his forehead, making him look quite funny, but his rough and ferocious face made Kalpa unable to laugh no matter what.

In addition, after observing for nearly a minute, Kalpa always felt as if he had seen him somewhere, but for a moment he could not remember anything.

"Speaking of which, Boss..."

After placing the empty bottle heavily on the table, the man casually wiped off the wine stains on the corners of his mouth, and with a drunken face, he began to look around the surrounding environment and muttered, "Your store... seems unexpectedly deserted. The walls are covered with mold. It reminds me of a few old friends."

—Did you notice this just now?!

Kalpa was speechless at his slow reaction and couldn't help but complain a few words, but when he accidentally glanced at the other's eyes full of nostalgia and melancholy, he swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

For some reason, he gradually developed some interest in this newcomer. Perhaps it was because he had lived alone for a long time that made him particularly eager to have an endless conversation with someone who was willing to talk to him.

So after a brief silence, Kalpa took a deep breath, made sure he would not tremble due to excessive nervousness, opened his mouth, tried to keep his voice calm, and asked word by word: "Um... sir, there are obviously better choices, why do you choose to patronize this tavern of mine?"

As if caught off guard by his sudden question, the man was stunned for a moment. After a while, the man slowly moved his eyes to the owner of the tavern - the young man with two mosquito-repellent mustaches on his lips. He observed him for a long time as if he had discovered a rare treasure, and then smiled and replied: "Do I need to come up with a reason to go for a drink? If I have to give one... it's probably just a spur of the moment."

The man's answer, which was so casual that it could even be described as perfunctory, made Kalpa feel a little amused and helpless. If he had not suspected that the other party was of some importance, he would have inevitably said a few words to him.

But the next moment, Kalpa was surprised by what the turbaned man said: "Wine is more important to me than the source of life! If I drink a sip... no, just a drop of it as motivation, I can exert power beyond the limit in battle! Even if I encounter an opponent who is much stronger than me, I can fight to a draw in a short time!

"To put it in terms of your human behavior, it's probably because you unknowingly unleash all of your potential in order to obtain what you desire most! It's precisely because of this that I'm willing to deal with creatures like humans!"

The man became more and more excited, dancing from time to time, and was obviously a little drunk, and the spit from his mouth splashed on Kalpa's face. But Kalpa had no time to pay attention to these, just fixed in his seat like a sculpture, staring blankly, and even roughly filtered out the slightly weird parts of the other party's words. Suddenly, some voices emerged in his mind and echoed continuously.

——Why did I become a pirate? To make a name for myself?

——No... I have other options! To make money? No, I don't put that first because I have a rich family!

——What on earth...what on earth is this for? !

Perhaps it was because his brain was paralyzed by alcohol. Kalpa's mood became upset like the waves of the sea. He was no longer under any control. He slammed the table heavily and revealed his true feelings in a nearly roaring voice: "The truth is not what you said! The so-called desire is just a product imposed on us by our elders. What they want, people like us have to act according to the will of those guys. We have no freedom and ideals at all! Those who fight for such illusory things are just fools who spend their lives as puppets!"

His voice became louder and louder as he became more emotional. Even the two mice hiding under the bar counter that were stealing cheese were frightened and ran back to their holes. The man in the turban listened to him quietly. His face was as calm as a pool of autumn water, and his muscles did not tremble at all.

When the pitiful tavern owner was gasping for breath because of his hysterical cursing, the drunkard finally spoke coldly: "Are you shouting so loudly all of a sudden? Do you want your boring trivia to be known to the whole world? Or..."

He leaned forward to the table, staring intently at the distraught young man, and said word by word: "Are you eager to change your life that is manipulated by others?"

The drunkard's words were like a thunderbolt that broke through the sky, instantly striking Kalpa's heart that was haunted by loneliness and anxiety, slowly waking him up, and new ideas emerged in his mind.

——…Right! Everything is to gain everyone’s approval, to let everyone know that I am not a loser who only eats my parents’ food! And to let those two people know that I am a man they can be proud of!

——To be known all over the world with the name of Kalpa, this has been my dream since I was a child!

Thinking of this, he no longer felt confused at all. The fatigue that had accompanied him all year round also disappeared without a trace at this moment, and his body and mind suddenly felt extremely comfortable.

No matter how bumpy the road ahead is, no matter how many times he is denied along the way, he will carry out his beliefs to the end.

Kalpa raised his head again, a look of gratitude in his eyes. He stretched out his right hand and said to the guest whom he had met too late, "Although I don't know your name, I must express my sincere gratitude to you... I have decided that starting from tomorrow, this tavern will be officially closed, and I will live my life at the pace I am good at!"

After hearing what the other party said, the man was a little stunned and thought he had misheard. But when he saw Kalpa's serious face, he knew that the guy with the curly beard was serious. So he also stretched out his right hand and shook the young man's hand tightly, with a slightly regretful smile on his face: "Oh, hehe! It seems that I can't drink that kind of wine just now in the future!"

"What's so difficult about that? I have several boxes secretly hidden at home! Of course, the prerequisite is that you have to pay me a high fee first!"

"I didn't realize you were so greedy, you bastard!"

"Aren't all businessmen like this?!"

As the two were chatting and laughing, there was a dull thud and the door of the tavern was pushed open again, causing the drunk and Kalpa to look at the pirate wearing a cowboy hat at the door.

"Huh...Huh...I've been looking for you for a long time, and you end up here drinking!"

The man held the door frame with one hand and tried his best to straighten his back to ensure that he would not fall down due to fatigue. His thin face was full of excitement, as if he had suddenly picked up 100 million berries on the ground. He took a few deep breaths and said loudly, "Kaido! The results of the cadres' meeting have come out! Big news! Don't dawdle! Come quickly! We are going to the 'Valley of the Gods'!"

"Kaido?"

Kalpa was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized something. He immediately turned to look, only to see the drunk man unraveling the cloth wrapped around his head, revealing a pair of iron tower-like horns. His messy black hair hung down and hung on his forehead. He smiled awkwardly at him, "Oh, haha! I can't drink in peace without hiding my identity in advance!"

——Good boy, so this is what you have decided on!

The corners of Kalpa's mouth twitched, but he didn't say anything. He simply had nothing to say.

"Well, let's say goodbye here. Assuming I can return safely, I will come to your house for a drink."

After saying this, Kaido stood up and strode towards the door. After exchanging greetings with the pirate, he followed him quickly on the narrow street without looking back.

Looking at the two people's backs gradually going away, Kalpa felt inexplicably melancholy in his heart, and his mind was still repeatedly pondering the young man's last words.

——Returned safely...? What on earth was that guy thinking? What was the big event about? Could it be another expedition... Oh no! That bastard wanted to eat a free meal!

Kalpa realized this and immediately felt something was wrong, so he ran out of the door without saying anything. But before he ran a few steps, he accidentally saw a golden figure on the chair where Kaido had sat, which was particularly dazzling in the dark environment.

"That is......?"

The innkeeper stopped and turned around to stare at the golden statue. The surface of the golden statue exuded a brilliant golden glow, and it was not difficult to see that it was made of real gold.

The symbolic pair of horns and the mace on his shoulders are almost identical to Kaido's appearance.

"That guy must have left it here... Humph, he's really nosy."

Kalpa said this with a barely perceptible smile on his face. He walked straight forward, held the golden statue in his palm, stared at the ferocious face that looked exactly like him, and murmured, "If I keep owing this favor, I will lose face."

A cold wind blew in from outside the door, blowing away the remaining dust and garbage on the ground, but it could not blow away the determination that was firmly rooted deep in his heart.