The scorching sun hung high in the sky.
Its harsh rays beat down on the Udon quarry.
Miners, stripped to the waist, labored with hunched backs, hauling massive ore, sweat pouring from their bodies like rain.
"What's with the dawdling!"
A miner merely paused to catch his breath, and the next second, a whip lashed across his back.
Snap!
The Beasts Pirates guards were all tall and burly, and a single, forceful lash tore the miner's skin open, the sweat flowing into the wound causing him to cry out in agony.
The massive ore on his back became too much to bear, and the miner collapsed to his knees.
The Beasts Pirates overseer, seeing this, grew even angrier, lashing the miner again and again.
While whipping him, he also berated him, "Still daring to slack off, still daring to slack off!"
Sweat mixed with blood, flowing down, the miner was in unspeakable pain, wishing for death, able only to utter pathetic pleas for mercy.
"Master, please stop!"
"Master, this one knows his mistake, this one will get up now!"
…
The miner gritted his teeth, his legs trembling, slowly, bit by bit, struggling to stand.
He knew that if he didn't get up, the overseer would truly beat him to death here.
"Heh… tui!"
The overseer spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the miner's face, cursing, "Just like the Myo-o said, you're all cheap bones, you won't move unless you're beaten."
The other miners dared to be angry but dared not speak, each lowering their heads, silently hauling ore.
Afraid that if they stopped for even a moment, the whip would fall on them.
After cursing, the overseer quickly retreated back into the air-conditioned room.
This damned heat!
But thankfully, he had a high-temperature allowance!
The air conditioning was something Queen had specially researched at Noro's request, and Noro's office at this time, it was no exaggeration to say, could freeze a penguin to death.
The air conditioner's outdoor units all faced the quarry outside!
Noro sat in a soft executive chair, able to see everything that happened in the quarry through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.
Watching the miners struggling like ants outside, a mocking smile curled on Noro's lips.
Stussy held a frozen watermelon slice to Noro's mouth, and Noro opened his mouth to take a bite, but his gaze didn't leave the quarry below.
At first, Stussy couldn't understand why Noro liked watching the people of Wano being tormented so much, but she had slowly grown used to it.
What did she care? It wasn't her being tormented.
They were pirates, after all. This was standard operating procedure.
And if the miners below worked hard, it was equivalent to sending Beli to the treasury of her, the Minister of Finance.
At this moment, the Den Den Mushi on the desk next to her rang, and Stussy answered it casually.
"Oh, oh, okay."
Saying this, Stussy handed the Den Den Mushi to Noro. "It's Kaido!"
Noro couldn't help but laugh.
Kaido had initially let Stussy join the pirate crew because he wanted to hear Stussy call him captain.
But two years had passed, and Stussy still called him Kaido.
In moments of passion, she had called him, "Good captain, no more~"
Noro took the Den Den Mushi. "What's up, Kaido?"
Kaido's voice came from the Den Den Mushi. "Noro, come to the Flower Capital."
"Alright, I'll be right there!"
Noro didn't ask anything else, putting away the Den Den Mushi and transforming into a Tengu Serpent, flying towards the Flower Capital.
Arriving at the palace that had been rebuilt for Kaido in Wano, he could smell the sake from a long distance away.
This sake dragon was drinking even during the day!
But thankfully, the current Kaido wasn't like the Kaido of later years, who went on a drunken rampage as soon as he drank.
Before Noro had even sat down, a beautiful palace maid had brought tea to the table.
Noro picked up the teacup, took a sip, and asked Kaido with a smile, "What's the matter? What did you want to see me about?"
Noro's wish from when he transmigrated had been fulfilled, and he was now living his dream every day.
His mood was so cheerful that he had a smile on his face for everyone.
Kaido picked up his sake gourd and took another swig, then let out a drunken burp, asking in a drunken voice, "Noro, when are we going on another expedition? I'm bored to death in the Flower Capital."
In the year on Baltigo Island, although they hadn't gone anywhere, Noro and King were by his side. If he wanted to drink, someone would accompany him, and if his hands itched, he could find Noro to fight.
It was good in Wano, the territory was bigger, but there was no one to drink with, and no one to fight. He was drinking alone every day.
The affairs of Wano?
Sorry, he couldn't handle any of it.
On the second day in the Flower Capital, he had urgently transferred Matty Tao over from Ringo.
Noro propped up his chin, looking at Kaido meaningfully.
Was he drunk or not? Truly drunk or pretending?
"I asked you a question," Kaido felt like he had been seen through, and he couldn't continue acting.
Noro still had a faint smile on his face. "Wait a little longer, wait until we recruit some more people."
In the past year, the main goal of the Beasts Pirates had been to rebuild Wano, so they hadn't gone to sea.
Of course, they hadn't recruited any new people in Wano either. They weren't worthy. They were only fit to mine.
Therefore, the Beasts Pirates currently still only had eight thousand pirates.
Later, the Beasts Pirates had also built an armory on Onigashima.
Noro certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to build the armory on his own territory. Onigashima, to the people of Wano, was like a place of exile.
Eight thousand pirates spread across six regions, plus one island, was already stretched thin. They really didn't have any extra troops to go on an expedition.
Kaido's fighting strength could bulldoze, but to fight was to actually occupy, not just stick a flag in the ground and call it a day.
"Still waiting!" Kaido's words were filled with disappointment.
Noro nodded lightly. "Wano is basically stable now. Each region can spare a little bit of troops. If you're really bored, go recruit some people in the waters near Wano."
"Alright!" Kaido responded sullenly.
He knew that Noro loathed the people of Wano, so he went to the trouble of going abroad to recruit.
"Kaido, do you want to become the Pirate King?" Noro asked suddenly.
Kaido thought he was really drunk and had misheard.
Seeing Noro looking at him leisurely, he realized he hadn't been mistaken.
But he was still puzzled. "Pirate King?"
Noro knew that there wasn't a concept of a Pirate King yet, so he explained,
"You've seen the red Poneglyph in Wano. There are four red Road Poneglyphs in this world. Each Poneglyph records a coordinate. Connect the four coordinates, and the center position is the final place that no one has ever been to in eight hundred years—Laugh Tale!"
"As long as we reach Laugh Tale, we'll be the first pirate crew to conquer this entire sea, and you'll be… the Pirate King!"
Kaido laughed, a disdainful laugh.
"Why is reaching the final island being the Pirate King? It's ridiculous!"
"Uh…"
Noro couldn't explain this.
He was also very curious why. He didn't even know who had made the rule.
Kaido saw that Noro was stunned, and he laughed even louder, his eyes flashing with arrogance and confidence.
"But, Noro."
"If there really is such an island, then the first to reach that island will only be…"
"Me, Kaido!"
"Wororororo…"
===
Hello there, this is your friendly neighbor, Sp1ced!
Want to read ahead and unlock all extra chapters + other stories?You can join here: Patreon.com/Sp1ced
I stock up chapters before posting (around 50+ extra chapters at a time, not including those already posted) and have automated daily uploads, so even if I'm on break or dealing with an emergency, updates will continue without interruption.
Your support is will not be wasted. Hope you stay for a long time ^_^