The azure dragon soared through the sky, quickly leaving the "mainland" behind and flying out over the sea.
From his lofty vantage point, Bai Feng looked down and saw a circular island rising from the ocean.
Around its perimeter stood a ring of mountains, and at its center was a gigantic humanoid skull crowned with two horns.
At the very top of the skull was a gap. Kaido carried him straight through that opening.
After passing through several meters of rocky "ceiling," the view suddenly opened up.
Inside stood a massive Japanese-style castle built along the inner wall of the skull. Its carved beams and painted rafters bore more than a few similarities to the ancient Chinese architecture Bai Feng had seen in his pre-previous life.
In front of the castle lay a wide plaza. Numerous pirates bustled about—some transporting supplies, others lounging and chatting leisurely.
When they saw Kaido returning from the sky, they reacted as if it were perfectly ordinary and continued about their business.
Scattered around the plaza were several two- or three-story buildings, likely the living quarters of ordinary pirates.
Unfortunately, Kaido gave Bai Feng little time to observe. He flew straight toward the castle.
During the descent, the massive dragon body rapidly shrank, transforming back into human form before landing steadily on the rooftop terrace.
Several pirates who had long been waiting stepped forward to greet him.
They all noticed Bai Feng perched on Kaido's shoulder, but none dared ask questions. Instead, they reported something more important.
"Captain Kaido, that Gol D. Roger has apparently reached the legendary final island and found the ONE PIECE. The World Government has officially crowned him 'Pirate King'!"
As he spoke, the pirate handed over a newspaper enlarged to several meters wide.
Kaido took it and began reading.
Moments later, the faint trace of satisfaction on his face from recruiting Bai Feng faded. His brows slowly furrowed, and a heavy pressure began to radiate unconsciously from him.
Seated on Kaido's shoulder, Bai Feng also read the contents.
He wasn't particularly concerned about Roger becoming Pirate King—he had known that long ago from his pre-previous life. What interested him more was the timeline.
The date printed on the newspaper read: Sea Circle Calendar, January 14, 1517.
1517?
Wasn't that the year Ace set sail?
Could it be that the timeline he remembered didn't perfectly align with reality?
Bai Feng searched through his memories.
Soon, he found the answer.
The timeline he had known in his previous life was deduced by fans based on clues from the Skypiea arc. Oda had never officially released precise dates. A discrepancy wasn't surprising.
At that thought, Bai Feng silently reminded himself:
Don't grow arrogant just because you know the plot. This is the real world. Just like my previous life—the true shape of the world has never been limited to what's shown in anime, manga, or games.
After finishing the newspaper, Kaido neither raged nor complained. He merely chuckled calmly.
"Worororo… That bastard Roger's got some skill."
"Pirate King, huh?"
His voice was low. There was little envy in it—more a beast's greed upon spotting prey.
"The legendary ONE PIECE… Since you've got it now, I'll just take it from you later. Wororororo!"
He casually tossed the massive newspaper aside. The thick pages struck the wooden floor with a dull thud. The pirates present all revealed greedy expressions at Kaido's words.
"Governor, is Roger our next target?"
"No rush. Before I go looking for Roger's trouble, there are other matters to deal with."
Setting aside the issue of Roger's coronation, Kaido strode forward. His heavy footsteps alone rumbled like minor earthquakes.
Before long—
Kaido brought Bai Feng into the castle and into a spacious chamber resembling a council hall.
One man stood there wrapped entirely in leather, even his face hidden beneath a full helmet and mask. His build was tall and powerfully muscular.
The other wore suspenders over a round body shaped like a ball, small sunglasses perched on his nose, a cigar clenched between his teeth, and blond hair styled into a braided queue.
They had clearly been waiting for some time.
Perched on Kaido's shoulder, Bai Feng quietly observed them and labeled them in his mind:
King… and Queen.
"Mr. Kaido!"
"Boss Kaido!"
They greeted him, likely having waited specifically because of the newspaper, prepared to discuss the crew's next move.
But Kaido raised a hand to silence them. Instead, he grabbed Bai Feng from his shoulder and casually tossed him to the ground.
Bai Feng's small body twisted nimbly midair before landing smoothly without injury or even stumbling.
The display drew King and Queen's attention.
The two men—both over six meters tall—along with Kaido at over seven meters, formed a towering ring around Bai Feng, who stood barely over a meter tall. The oppressive presence rivaled the time in Bai Feng's previous life when he had been besieged by Brachydios, Glavenus, and Bazelgeuse all at once.
But Bai Feng was the Sapphire Star. He had solo hunted Forbidden monsters. This level of pressure felt like nothing more than a passing breeze.
"Huh? The brat's got some guts."
The Queen muttered in mild surprise. Even King's eyes flickered faintly.
The Queen turned to Kaido.
"Boss Kaido, what's the deal with this kid?"
"Worororo… A lucky brat who ate a top-tier Devil Fruit. Oh, and he's the so-called Aragami from Wano's folk legends."
"I see…"
The Queen nodded—then froze.
"Nani?! This brat is Aragami?!"
His spherical body bent low as his fleshy face loomed in close, scrutinizing Bai Feng up and down with blatant suspicion.
He simply couldn't believe that the mystical Aragami whispered about in Wano was this little kid.
"Worororo… He's a Devil Fruit user. Wano folks are ignorant—rumors spread easily."
Kaido chuckled and walked to the main seat of the chamber—a massive sofa built to match his proportions—and sat down.
"Alright, brat. Time to prove that modification ability of yours. The one you said would astonish me."
Standing in the center of three towering giants, Bai Feng's youthful face remained perfectly calm, completely unfazed even as Queen's fleshy face hovered nearby.
He even lifted a hand and pointed directly at Queen.
"How about choosing him as the first subject?"