The Momotaro Rice Ball was a miraculous gadget from the Doraemon world.
Using the Inventor System and by studying O-Tama's Dango Fruit, Luo Xing had successfully recreated it.
"Used to tame beasts?" Pejiwan looked puzzled.
The Beasts Pirates were full of beastly fighters — who needed taming? No one there dared disobey the Consort now. Even the Calamities followed his orders.
Luo Xing explained, "It's not for you. It's for the Minks."
"Little Peji, gather the rest of the Flying Six and pick fifty Gifters. One hour — meet at Wano's harbor."
Pejiwan's eyes flashed with excitement. "You mean we're attacking Zou? Awesome — I'll gather the men right away!"
He ran off, eager and pumped. After days of training his power rating had climbed from 5,000 to 6,000 — he was itching for action.
An hour later, at Wano's harbor, Fuz-Fu, Undead Maria, Runmie, Pejiwan and the others assembled, backed by fifty battle-ready Gifters. Every one of them was an animal-type user who had taken Monster Cells. Just standing there, their ferocious auras sufficed to intimidate ordinary folk.
Luo Xing nodded in satisfaction. The force wasn't huge — under sixty — but each fighter's bounty was in the hundreds of millions of Berries; some Flying Six members likely tipped a billion. A strike force like that could crush most nations in the New World, save for the Four Emperors themselves.
"Set sail!"
At Luo Xing's order the warship bearing that terrible force steamed toward Zou. Thousands of Beasts Pirates lined the docks, cheering their lord on. Some even promised a victory feast when they returned.
To many, Luo Xing's prestige in the crew now nearly equaled Kaido's. Even Yamato couldn't rival his influence in some respects.
After the ship slipped beyond the horizon and the crowds thinned, one lone figure remained on the pier — a towering man seven or eight meters tall, with iron maskwork, thick limbs and long tusks: Drought Jack, one of the Calamities.
Normally, a veteran Calamity wouldn't linger to see a sortie off. Kaido's other lieutenants like Quain and Inazuma hadn't come. Jack's presence, and the fact he hadn't left, meant something else entirely.
Jack wasn't there out of admiration. He was sulking — furious and resentful.
It had started when Pejiwan, after taking a Monster Cell, had reached parity with Jack in raw power. Then Fuz-Fu and others had eaten the higher-grade Monster Cells and, astonishingly, their ancient Zoan fruits evolved to Mythical Zoan levels. Jack, meanwhile, remained an ancient Zoan.
By combat strength, those Flying Six who reached Mythical tier had clearly outclassed him. Among the Calamities, perhaps only Flame-Warden Yin could match or surpass them.
Jack had always prided himself on brute strength. How could he not be tormented?
He had even slipped into Luo Xing's lab several times to beg for a Monster Cell. But the Consort told him bluntly: it wasn't his turn yet. Jack left empty-handed.
Then came another blow. Luo Xing's purge of Wano had only taken Quain with him; Jack had not been invited. Now the expedition to Zou left Jack behind again.
This was an intolerable slight. Jack had led the charge in countless assaults — why was he being sidelined?
A burning certainty took root in him: he would not let this stand.
He clenched his giant fists and swore, "I'll prove my strength. I'll prove my worth."
Jack stormed to Onigashima.
"Kaido!" he bellowed as soon as he reached the palace. Kaido, half drunk from a night's drinking, squinted and burped. "Hmm? Jack, what do you want?"
"Lord Kaido, I don't want to go to Zou," Jack said fiercely. "I want to raid the Celestial Dragons' Sky Gold!"
Kaido blinked, impressed. This was the first time Jack had shown foresight. If Luo Xing returned from Zou with a horde of tamed Mink warriors, Kaido's coffers might run low again. Jack intended to fill that gap.
"Good thinking, Jack," Kaido said, sitting up and shaking off the wine. "Alright. You go plunder. But beware — we've already hit Sky Gold twice. The Navy may reinforce the convoy."
Jack beamed. "Leave it to me, Lord Kaido!"
He left without hearing the warning. To him, a few extra Marines were nothing; he was Drought Jack, after all.
What Jack didn't know was this: the Navy hadn't added a whole fleet to Sky Gold's defense — but they did add one person. A muscular man named Sakazuki had been assigned to the job.
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