The basements of Onigashima had been built purely for storing weapons and munitions.
First underground level.
Primarily stocked with swords, firearms, and artillery.
The air was thick with the metallic tang of rust and gun oil, mixed with the dry scent of wood crates and the faint sweetness of sealing wax.
Second underground level.
Reserved for cannon shells, gunpowder, and chemical supplies.
Here, the air carried a sharp sulfuric sting, undercut by a faint bitter-almond note.
An environment like this was utterly unsuitable for long-term human habitation.
But Bai Feng didn't care.
"I'll sleep here tonight."
He casually found an empty patch of floor on the second level and sat down cross-legged.
The Queen stood nearby, looking conflicted.
"Brat… you really want to live here?"
Bai Feng opened one eye.
"Do you have a problem with that?"
The Queen clicked his tongue, slightly annoyed.
"You make it look like our crew's dirt poor—can't even arrange proper lodging for you."
"Compared to comfort, I prefer leyline energy. If it bothers you that much, build me a proper underground room later. For now, you can leave."
With that, Bai Feng closed his eyes and began quietly savoring the steady influx of leyline energy flowing into his body.
From Wano's current perspective, Onigashima appeared to be an isolated island offshore.
But in truth, both Wano and Onigashima were parts of the same colossal mountain.
Wano occupied the broad mid-slopes of the main peak.
Onigashima was the summit of a secondary peak.
With seawater submerging much of the connecting ridges between them, the two appeared separate.
Because of this, Onigashima—being a peak summit—actually possessed denser leyline energy than most of Wano's interior nodes.
The Queen stared at Bai Feng's face.
That expression of genuine enjoyment wasn't fake.
A complicated emotion stirred in him.
After lingering silently for a while, he turned and left to report to Kaido.
Nothing eventful occurred that night.
After absorbing leyline energy all evening, Bai Feng stretched comfortably the next morning, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
The pungent smells of gunpowder and chemicals?
Please.
As a newborn Xeno'jiiva, he could treat volcanic magma like a beverage. The chemical harm there far exceeded anything present here.
When he exited the basement, a pirate was already waiting outside.
Bai Feng vaguely recognized him—one of the men who had received Kaido yesterday.
"Where is the Queen?"
The pirate—Dodogama, one of the early members of the Beasts Pirates. His combat talent was average, but his seniority was high. He currently served in a role similar to one of Kaido's guards.
As a veteran, he understood the Beasts Pirates' survival rule well:
The strong devour the weak.
If this child were truly just an ordinary kid, he wouldn't have been assigned to wait for him specifically, nor would the kid dare speak Queen's name without honorifics.
Thus, Dodogama adopted a respectful posture.
"Lord Queen is having breakfast. Shall I take you there?"
Bai Feng glanced at him in mild surprise.
No "looking down on the kid" cliché incident.
Since the man showed respect, Bai Feng saw no reason to provoke him.
"Lead the way."
Moments later, Bai Feng entered Onigashima's main dining hall.
For a pirate crew with a fixed stronghold, having a mess hall wasn't strange.
He had arrived early. The hall was filled with pirates eating.
He spotted Queen instantly.
The massive man was hugging a huge iron bucket, ladling red bean mochi soup into his mouth spoonful by spoonful.
Ignoring the curious stares around him, Bai Feng walked straight up.
"I need you to forge a weapon for me."
The Queen didn't stop eating. He merely rolled one eye toward him.
"You're living in the armory. Just grab whatever you want."
"I need a weapon for training. The armory's options are either the wrong size or too light. I need a custom one."
"Fine. Let me finish eating first."
His response sounded perfunctory.
But Bai Feng knew better.
Since Queen's Devil Fruit had been modified, he would instinctively feel affinity toward Bai Feng.
There was no visible stat screen—but as long as Bai Feng's request was reasonable, the Queen wouldn't refuse.
Bai Feng then turned and picked out enough breakfast for four or five grown adults.
As Queen swallowed another mouthful of soup, he suddenly shouted across the entire hall:
"This brat's name is Bai Feng! He's the new intern recruited by Boss Kaido! You bastards better be careful! He's not someone easy to mess with!"
The dining hall instantly exploded into uproar.
Every pirate present had clawed their way up from mountains of corpses and seas of blood—yet none of them had reached senior officer rank.
And now this milk-scented brat appeared out of nowhere and became an intern?!
In most crews, "intern" meant an outsider below regular members.
But in a structured top-tier crew like the Beasts Pirates, intern was merely a title—functionally, it meant candidate for senior officer.
The pirates voiced loud, barely concealed complaints.
In summary:
Unconvinced.
Unacceptable.
Bai Feng quietly listened while finishing every bite of food in front of him.
Then he stood.
"I heard all your complaints!"
"You're not convinced? Fine!"
"I'll set up a challenge in the castle plaza shortly!"
"Anyone who thinks I'm unqualified—come fight me! Let's see whether I deserve the position!"
With that, he turned and walked out.
Despite his small frame, his presence was overwhelming.
Several pirates instinctively stepped aside as he passed, watching him leave.
Queen sighed softly and downed the last of his red bean mochi soup.
"Forget it. I'd better forge that brat's weapon first."
"Wouldn't want him going into a fight without something suitable."