Wano Arc – Onigashima
The arrival of the Souta Kiryuu Pirates at Onigashima stirred the territory of the Beasts Pirates into chaos.
The Beasts Pirates were notoriously lax in their management, their massive numbers riddled with spies. Both the World Government and the Marines had long infiltrated their ranks. News of a transaction between the Souta Kiryuu Pirates and the Beasts Pirates spread quickly back to Marineford.
The Five Elders and Sengoku the Buddha grew wary, fearing that the Beasts Pirates and the so‑called God‑Slayer Souta Kiryuu might form an alliance to hatch some grand conspiracy.
Wano Country, deep within the latter half of the New World, was naturally fortified and nearly impossible to invade. Even if the Marines wished to interfere, they were powerless. A large‑scale Marine invasion of the New World would almost certainly provoke retaliation from the Yonko.
Red‑Haired Shanks, upon hearing of it, was deeply troubled. The reckless Kaido of the Beasts and Souta Kiryuu, both infamous for stirring up disasters wherever they went, seemed poised to plunge the seas into turmoil again.
···
As the golden ark descended above Onigashima, Queen the Plague narrowed his eyes at the flying vessel. Wano's waterfalls and natural fortresses meant nothing before Souta Kiryuu's crew. With Bartholomew Kuma's Paw‑Paw Fruit having already set markers within Wano, Onigashima could well become Kiryuu's playground in the future.
Queen had never approved of their arrival. But since Kaido himself was arranging a deal for artificial Devil Fruits, he had no grounds to oppose.
"Worororo! Souta Kiryuu, brat! Do you sell this flying battleship? I'd love to build myself an air fleet like that old ghost Golden Lion Shiki!"
Kaido's eyes gleamed at the sight. With an aerial armada, his forces would be unstoppable. Once, the Rocks Pirates had dominated the New World, thanks in part to Shiki's Float‑Float Fruit and his skyborne fleet, making Rocks D. Xebec the ruler of the seas. Later, Shiki alone ascended into legend as one of the great pirate overlords.
"Heh, that depends on what you've got to offer!"
Souta Kiryuu landed with his crew as the Ark Maxim was folded and stored away inside Bege's fortress body by the inflatable‑like power of Kibakun.
Immediately, the All‑Stars squared off against Kuma, Enel, and Hancock, neither side willing to show weakness. When Boa Hancock released a ripple of Conqueror's Haki, even King the Wildfire was taken aback. They hadn't expected Kiryuu's ranks to hold yet another kingly presence.
The Flying Six glared at Lafitte, Law, and Bege's men, battle intent simmering in their eyes.
"Name your price. Whatever you want, I'll take it by force!" Kaido bellowed, his gaze lingering briefly on the mysterious Empress. Not only did he desire the ship, but its production secrets.
"You think you're the only one who can steal? Let's finish our trade for the artificial Devil Fruits first," Kiryuu replied coldly. He wasn't about to sell a fleet before setting the proper contingencies. One day he might release flawed models filled with hidden weaknesses—but not today.
"Hmph! Then let's see how good these so‑called fruits of yours really are." Kaido grunted. He wanted both the warship and the fruits. If Souta Kiryuu named a price, he would gladly plunder even the Celestial Dragons themselves.
"Our artificial Zoan Fruits come in two types—perfect and ordinary. The perfect versions guarantee a full transformation, though they tend to differ slightly in coloration. The ordinary versions offer only a twenty to thirty percent chance of success. Failures become 'Gifters'—warriors who can do nothing but laugh."
Kiryuu explained, while Capone Bege brought the cargo forward.
"This time we've brought only two perfect fruits. Test them, as we agreed." He tossed one to Kaido directly.
"Same price as natural Devil Fruits, plus the blood of Devil Fruit users as payment. Don't think I don't know where your Lineage Factor is harvested from," Queen sneered. As a former MADS scientist, he understood well how Vegapunk, Caesar, and Judge had pursued their research. To demand three hundred million berries for something made from blood samples was, to him, daylight robbery.
Kiryuu's tone was flat: "Then don't buy."
Kuma had already set Paw‑Paw markers across Onigashima and even in the Flower Capital below. Even without this trade, they could raid Wano's seastone mines whenever they wished. With the Paw‑Paw Fruit, the Fortress‑Fortress Fruit, and the Clear‑Clear Fruit in their arsenal, smuggling would never be an issue.
"Worororo! Enough, Queen. If this creates an army of Zoan users, neither money nor seastone matters." Kaido roared with laughter. He pointed at a Headliner. "You. Eat it."
The man swallowed the Perfect Zoan. Within a minute, a wolf's howl echoed through the hall as a towering green wolf appeared.
"Green Wolf. Decent result," Kiryuu remarked coolly. That one had clearly been made from CP9 agent Jabra's Zoan lineage.
"Worororo! Holdem! How strong is he?" Kaido barked.
"Governor‑General, his strength seems on par with a natural Zoan!" Holdem shouted back after exchanging dozens of blows with the new wolf‑man. He was thrilled—perhaps now he could climb toward the Flying Six's rank himself.
"Worororo! Souta Kiryuu! From now on, every Perfect Zoan you make—I'll take them all!" Kaido bellowed in delight. His dream of a Devil Fruit army was now within reach. He even summoned more men to try the inferior models.
Meanwhile, Bege's fortress body was already swallowing crates of refined seastone ore, completing the exchange.
Even the flawed fruits, with only a two or three in ten chance of success, were priced at fifty million each. A single Zoan soldier cost one to two hundred million on average, with countless failures left laughing madly. Still, sheer numbers could overwhelm.
Kaido was satisfied. The Fire Festival would proceed without incident—no battle today.