Six months passed in the blink of an eye. This brief period felt both fleeting enough to be disorienting and long enough to alter many people's memories. During this time, the Kuri region of Wano Country was undergoing earth-shaking changes.
With Kaidou's weapon factory beginning large-scale recruitment, the living conditions in Kuri significantly improved. The factory implemented a "996" work system—though the hours were long, the generous wages caused the local residents' standard of living to skyrocket. This change sparked a consumption boom throughout the region, with shops lining the streets and bustling markets, painting a picture of prosperity in Kuri.
Amid this flourishing scene, people gradually forgot the former Daimyo, Kouzuki Oden, and Kaidou's name began to take root in Kuri. However, not all news was good.
The health of Wano Country's Shogun, Sukiyaki, was deteriorating. Over the past six months, he had fallen ill frequently, and even the country's most renowned doctors were at a loss. Daimyos from various regions offered precious medicinal herbs, but they could not halt the worsening of the Shogun's condition.
Kaidou's announcement of a 100 Platinum bounty for Devil Fruits sparked a treasure hunt frenzy across Wano Country.
From Kuri to the entire nation, countless people, dreaming of instant wealth, scoured the land for the legendary Devil Fruits. Over six months, nearly all of Wano Country was turned upside down, but the rarity of Devil Fruits left the vast majority empty-handed, with only a handful of lucky individuals achieving their goal.
One day, a thin mist enveloped the area below Oden Castle. A middle-aged man in traditional kimono cautiously approached the castle gate, his steps unusually careful, pausing every few steps to glance around. His kimono, though clean and tidy, had faded with time, and there were a few inconspicuous patches on the sleeves.
"Halt! What is your business?" a guard Samurai at the gate barked sharply, his spear slightly raised.
The man flinched at the sudden challenge, nearly stumbling to the ground. "I... I'm here to claim the bounty," he stammered, his voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.
"Claim the bounty?" The lead Samurai eyed him suspiciously, then his eyes lit up. "You found a Wizard Fruit?" His voice rose sharply, drawing curious glances from the other guards.
"Y... yes." The man nodded nervously, his hands unconsciously clutching the hem of his kimono, knuckles white from the strain. His eyes darted uneasily, never meeting the Samurai's gaze.
"Show it to me," the Samurai commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. He took a step forward, his tall frame casting a shadow over the man.
"Wh... what are you going to do?" The man retreated two steps warily, a flicker of panic in his eyes. His right hand instinctively pressed against his chest, as if guarding something important there.
The Samurai snorted coldly. "I'm doing you a favor. Some tried to deceive Lord Kaidou with fake fruits before, and they were all executed." He made a slicing motion across his neck. "The scene was... tsk tsk."
"Mine is absolutely real!" the man hastily defended himself, his voice turning shrill with agitation. His face grew even paler, beads of sweat the size of peas rolling down his cheeks.
Just then, a deep voice came from behind him: "You have the Wizard Fruit?"
The man spun around to see a tall figure with black wings sprouting from his back, entirely shrouded in dark clothing, staring at him. The man's eyes gleamed with dangerous light beneath the shadow of his hood, like a predator lurking in the night.
"Lord King!" The guard samurai immediately bowed respectfully in unison.
"You have the Wizard Fruit?" King ignored the samurai and confirmed again with the middle-aged man. His voice wasn't loud, yet every person present could hear it clearly.
The man trembled all over, nearly losing his balance. Trembling with fear, he carefully pulled out a fruit with spiral patterns from his bosom. The fruit shimmered with a strange luster under the sunlight—it was indeed a genuine Devil Fruit. His movements were cautious, as if afraid he might drop the fruit with the slightest carelessness.
King took the fruit, his slender fingers gently tracing the patterns on its surface. After careful inspection, he nodded slightly: "It is indeed the Wizard Fruit. Come with me to claim your reward." His voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"Really?! Thank you, Lord King!" The man excitedly bowed in gratitude, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. A faint, barely noticeable glint flashed in his eyes, but he quickly resumed his submissive demeanor.
King observed the man impassively. Though he appeared to be an ordinary person with average strength from the outside, King's keen sense of smell detected over a dozen different blood scents mixed on him—a detail ordinary people would find difficult to notice, and only King's Devil Fruit ability allowed him to detect it.
Passing through several heavy iron doors, they arrived at the finance office. A few oil lamps lit the room, casting flickering shadows on the walls. King briefly ordered the staff: "Give him five hundred Platinum."
"As you command, Lord King." The finance personnel immediately responded, swiftly preparing the reward. The room was filled only with the crisp sound of gold coins clinking and the man's rapid breathing.
When the man received the heavy money bag, his hands trembled slightly. He bowed deeply to King once more, then quickly left the finance office.
After obtaining the Devil Fruit, King headed directly toward where Kaidou was—at this time, Kaidou was most often training in the training room.
Kaidou was performing high-intensity physical training while wearing high-purity Seastone bracelets. Sweat continuously dripped down his robust muscles, forming puddles on the ground. After six months of adaptation, the resistance of the Beasts Pirates captain to Seastone had significantly improved. From initially struggling to even stand when using low-purity Seastone, to now requiring high-purity Seastone to feel its suppressive effects—this progress surprised even himself.
When King pushed open the training room door, Kaidou was lying on his back on the floor, catching his breath. "King, what is it?" he asked between gasps.
"Brother Kaidou, someone came to exchange a Devil Fruit for the bounty. I brought the fruit along the way," King respectfully presented an exquisite wooden box.
Kaidou immediately sat up upon hearing this, his weary expression vanishing completely. He took the wooden box and examined it carefully, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "This was truly hard to come by. Including those collected from Flower Capital, we've only obtained five Devil Fruits in six months. It seems Wano Country's reserves are indeed running low."
Over the past six months, three groups of people had come to exchange bounties with Devil Fruits, while Flower Capital had contributed two. These fruits were respectively: Zoan-type Mythical Beast Form: Great Monk, Zoan-type Common Species: Tiger Form, Paramecia-type Mellow-Mellow Fruit, Paramecia-type Curl-Curl Fruit, and this newly acquired fruit.
"According to the Devil Fruit encyclopedia compiled by Queen, this should be the Zoan-type Pig-Pig Fruit Common Species: Boar Form," King added appropriately.
Kaidou nodded with satisfaction: "Store the fruit properly and deliver it to the storage room at Onigashima Base later."
"Understood. The base construction there is nearly complete anyway, so I'll inspect the progress while I'm at it," King carefully stored the wooden box.
"Mm, make it quick." Kaidou stood up, stretching his limbs as he reminded, "The Flower Country operation is about to commence."
"Finally beginning?" King's tone carried anticipation.
"Yes, finally beginning." Kaidou's expression suddenly darkened, his fists unconsciously clenching. "Those useless fools! They've dragged on for so long without any obstacles! King, while you're at it, inform Bullet and the others to commence operations immediately."
Kaidou's furious roar echoed through the training room for a long time.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "LegendaryTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!