"Woo ho ho——"
Far ahead in the New World, a winter island lay buried beneath freezing winds and endless snowfall.
Within a vast metal fortress, its walls rimed with frost, a figure trudged inside. His arms, face, and body were modified with steel, resembling a humanoid machine. Snow clung to his frame as he stepped cautiously across the frozen floor.
The person was Scotch, nicknamed Iron Boy, a cyborg and high-ranking member of the Beast Pirates, tasked with protecting one of Kaido's favorite islands.
In addition to being a former member of the Tobiroppo along with Hanafuda, but after being defeated by Page One and despite having vacant positions, he decided to leave that position.
Scotch halted, bowing low. His voice trembled with respect
"Scotch… Where is Kaido-Sama?"
Said the Figure Before Scotch he was nearly six meters tall, clad in a uniform reminiscent of a prison guard. His body was tightly wrapped, concealing his form, but the massive black wings unfurled behind him like a shadow of death. The air itself seemed to freeze around him, his aura colder than the blizzard outside.
This was King the Wildfire, the Fire Calamity, first among the Three Disasters of the Beasts Pirates. His bounty exceeded 1.39 billion Bellys, a testament to his infamy.
Cruel, merciless, and feared across the seas, King's reputation was that of a living calamity. His gaze alone was enough to silence the trembling cyborg before him.
Even among his own, if provoked, King the Wildfire would kill without hesitation. Mercy was not in his nature.
Inside the snow‑covered fortress, the masked guardian Scotch bowed low, his voice cautious. "Mr. Kaido is drinking. Do not disturb him… Lord King, here is today's newspaper."
King's piercing eyes narrowed behind his mask. "What is it?"
Scourge extended the paper with both hands, trembling slightly. "Reports say that in the first half of the Grand Line, a user of a rare Mythical Zoan appeared. He caused a massive commotion. The Navy has already placed a bounty of 400 million Bellys. I thought Lord Kaido would be interested…"
King raised an eyebrow, taking the newspaper casually. His gaze fell upon the front page.
The image showed a monstrous silhouette—horns gleaming, scales burning, body engulfed in abyssal fire. King's pupils contracted, a flicker of surprise breaking his usual composure. "This creature… its a Dragon But from other Myths Indeed rare Mythical Zoan indeed."
His eyes scanned the bounty poster. "The former vice‑captain of the Straw Hat Pirates… Butcher Ren."
King's tone was calm, almost amused. "One man destroyed an entire Navy fleet and killed a Vice Admiral. Interesting."
Scotch ventured carefully: "I heard he's left the Straw Hats. Perhaps… we could recruit him?"
King's wings shifted, his aura colder than the blizzard outside. "Men like that don't bend easily."
He said no more, but the thought lingered.
In this sea, there are always hard‑core men who do not fear death. Over the years, countless arrogant pirates had challenged the Beasts Pirates, refusing to bow their heads.
Most were crushed, their crews destroyed or absorbed into Kaido's ranks. Many of Kaido's current officers had once been captains themselves, subdued and folded into the empire of beasts.
"There's nothing wrong with you. Go down."
"Yes…"
The cyborg Scotch withdrew, leaving King the Wildfire alone with the newspaper.
Soon, King entered the vast hall. The air was heavy with sake and menace.
At its center sat a monstrous figure, horns jutting from his head, muscles exaggerated like a beast from the wild. His aura alone made the fortress tremble. Cross‑legged, clutching a massive gourd of wine, he drank deeply.
This was Kaido of the Beasts—one of the Four Emperors, bounty 4,611,100,000 Bellys. The strongest creature on land, sea, and air.
King approached, bowing slightly. "Kaido-Sama…"
Kaido wiped the wine from his mouth, eyes narrowing. "King, what is it?"
King spread the newspaper and bounty poster across the floor. "In the first half of the Grand Line, a man has appeared. A Mythical Zoan user. His power is considerable. I thought you'd be interested."
Kaido leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "Oh? Hey, hey, hey… A bounty of 400 million at such a young age?"
His gaze locked on the image: a colossal beast wreathed in flames, scales glinting, horns piercing the sky.
Kaido's lips curled into a grin. "A Black Dragon…? What an interesting guy."
King's flames flickered behind him, casting long shadows across the snowy hall. His voice was steady, but his words carried weight."
"Before he even became a Devil Fruit user, his bounty was already 200 million. That kind of potential is rare. Now, with a Mythical Zoan ability, he's far more dangerous.
"Mr. Kaido, shall I go to the first half of the Grand Line and bring him in?"
Normally, King would not waste his gaze on rookies. No matter how high their bounty, if they had not endured the baptism of the New World, they were destined to be crushed.
But Ren was different. His bounty had doubled after becoming an ability user, and he had slain a Vice Admiral almost immediately after setting out. That alone demanded attention.
Perhaps, King thought, Ren could be subdued, thrown into the battlefield of the New World, and forged into a weapon.
Kaido rose to his feet, his towering frame like a demon‑god, sake gourd in hand. His presence alone made the fortress tremble.
He drank deeply, then laughed. "Wororo...No need to rush. That kid isn't peaceful. Sooner or later, he'll come to the New World on his own."
King's eyes narrowed. "With his strength, he should break through without issue. But he's already killed a Vice Admiral. If he keeps stirring trouble, the Navy will focus on him."
"He could fall into their so‑called 'paradise' before reaching us. A newcomer like him should be baptized with overwhelming strength early. If we crush him, then recruit him, the chances of conquering his will are higher."
King's tone sharpened. "And if we hesitate, another Emperor may seize him first—like Fire Fist Ace three years ago. Losing him to another crew would be a blow to us."
Kaido's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with predatory interest. "Wororo… a boy with such strength at his age, wielding a Mythical Zoan… If we can break him, he could become the Fourth Calamity. Stronger than Jack, even. Better than those weaklings who glare at my banners but lack the strength to carry them."
The hall fell silent, the weight of Kaido's words hanging heavy.
Kaido's booming laughter shook the snowy fortress. "Just think of it as a little exercise, Worororo…!"
A pirate with a bounty exceeding 400 million, wielding a rare Mythical Zoan ability—such a prize was worth Kaido's personal attention. For years, he had dreamed of forging an army of Zoan users, a beastly legion to wage war against the world itself.
Yet regret gnawed at him. Among all his trusted lieutenants—King, Queen, and Jack—not one possessed a Mythical Zoan. Even his own blood had betrayed him.
Now, finally, Kaido had found a candidate. Butcher Ren, a monster in his own right, strong enough to annihilate a Vice Admiral and a fleet. Kaido's mind was set: Ren would be taken under his command, no matter the cost.
Kaido's mood shifted suddenly. His face twisted with anger as he gulped down more sake.
"Damn it! It's all because of that unfilial son Yamato! I, Kaido, governor of the Beasts Pirates, don't even have a single Mythical Zoan user under my command!"
His voice cracked, rage spilling into despair. He slammed the gourd down, tears streaming in grotesque exaggeration.
"Woooo! That idiot Daugther! I gave her the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami, a Mythical Zoan I worked so hard to obtain! And what does she do? She worships that bastard Kozuki Oden! Shouting every day that she'll become Oden, that she'll defeat me… Woooooo!"
The mighty Emperor of the Sea sobbed openly, sake mixing with tears, his monstrous frame shaking like a child denied a toy.
King stood silently, wings folded, his expression unreadable behind the mask. "..."