Flower Capital, Inside the General's Mansion
Kaido held a wine gourd in one hand and the latest newspaper in the other.
"Huh?" He suddenly saw an interesting report.
The report detailed the legendary Vice Admiral of Naval Headquarters, Garp, leading his men to invade Hive Island, the headquarters of Four Emperors Blackbeard. To rescue his captured men, Garp challenged Blackbeard and his imperial cadres alone. Although his men were rescued, Garp himself was seriously injured, captured, and his fate remains unknown.
Kaido smiled sinisterly. "That Blackbeard is quite something! Not only did he overthrow the old man Whitebeard in the war two years ago, but now even Garp, an old powerhouse, has fallen into his hands! While it's glorious to win by overwhelming numbers, this is war! Only the victor has the right to speak!"
He exhaled a long breath of alcohol, raising his head. "Roger, Whitebeard, Garp—these heroes of the sea have all left! There is no place for them in the new era!"
"Now is my time!"
In today's sea, Kaido looks down on Blackbeard, who rose to power through deceit and trickery. He believes that in the face of absolute strength, all schemes are futile.
As for his ally, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido initially valued her, but after her defeat on Onigashima, he saw her as old and weak.
Among the Four Emperors, the only one who commands Kaido's respect is the red-haired Shanks, who has risen to the top. Shanks reminds him of a young Roger, though Kaido believes Shanks isn't as powerful as Roger in his prime.
As for the Warlords and Supernovas, Kaido doesn't take them seriously. No matter how strong these smaller pirate groups are, they lack the means to compete with him.
Reflecting on this, Kaido looked at the report again and noticed a familiar name.
"It's quite surprising that Kuzan would defect to Blackbeard. He was one of the few strong men in the Marines! Did he really attack his former mentor to join the pirates?"
He took a sip of wine, smiling. "Someone who once believed so firmly in justice has fallen so completely; even a fool can see he has an agenda! Blackbeard is good at deception, but even he can't hide this forever! It's fascinating how these two use each other!"
Despite his rough exterior, Kaido is a strategic pirate. He used Orochi to deal with Oden and capture Wano Country. Though his strategies might seem simple to others, they were more than enough to deal with the straightforward Oden.
Based on the report and his knowledge of the two, Kaido mused, "I wonder which of them will achieve their goal first!"
After reading the report, Kaido tossed the newspaper aside, stood up, wandered a few steps, and left.
In the Flower Capital
There is a secret attic where Nico Robin is imprisoned. Since her capture, she has been guarded as a prisoner of the highest importance. Sentries and patrolling soldiers surround the area, and even beasts in the nearby streets keep watch. This shows how much the Beasts Pirates value her.
After declaring her surrender to Kaido and cooperating, Robin received high standards of treatment, including fine clothing and food. However, she was not allowed to leave the room or have any contact with the outside world, with no freedom at all. The soldiers guarding her served both as surveillance and protection.
Robin's room is filled with stacks of paper, brushes, and ink. Three huge sheets of paper with strange words printed on them hang on the screen in front of her. These are the historical texts of the road signs that even the Four Emperors desire. In addition to the two copies confiscated from the Straw Hat Crew, there is another copy held by the Beasts Pirates, which was also brought here.
Robin's task is to stay in this room, translate these historical texts word for word, and copy them onto paper.
In the past, Black Maria from the Flying Six would often check on her work and give her minor punishments. The pain and humiliation from the Onigashima War were still vivid in her mind. When Jhin entrusted Nico Robin to Black Maria for discipline, she gladly accepted, saying, "It is a woman's nature to hold grudges!"
Compared to the cunning Robin, the mature and wise Black Maria is equally difficult to deceive. The two sophisticated women have engaged in a psychological game.
Currently, Black Maria has not returned from sea, and other real cadres are taking care of Robin, but they cannot deal with her effectively and are easily fooled.
Today, however, it was Kaido himself who visited.
When Robin saw his huge and burly figure, she immediately recalled the terrifying scenes from the Onigashima battle. The memory of powerful allies falling under his mace one after another filled her with fear and powerlessness.
For a moment, Robin's pupils trembled, and her body shook slightly.
Kaido came on a whim, unable to find any subordinates to talk to. He decided to visit the world-famous scholar to see what made her special.
Seeing her unconcealed fear, Kaido smiled. "Oh, do I scare you? Are you afraid I'll eat you?"
Robin's pupils shrank. She took a deep breath and regained her composure. "No, I'm just surprised that the Four Emperors pirate would come to this remote house in person."
Kaido laughed. "Oh haha, it depends on who lives here! It's not too much to have someone as important as you before me! It's a pity my place is messy and not suitable for someone as elegant as you!"
Ignoring his teasing, Robin continued calmly, "Did you come here to inspect the work today?"
"That's my subordinates' job. I don't have time for that!"
Kaido walked to the screen with his wine gourd and studied the three historical texts.
Proudly, he said, "Three road sign historical texts, plus you, the only archaeologist in the world. It seems I have the throne of the Pirate King within easy reach, don't you think so?"