"The ambassador of Wano? What kind of thing is that? I won't meet him! Get lost!"
A towering and burly figure sat with his back to the crowd. His slightly messy black hair was casually draped over his shoulders. Even when seated, he was still far taller than most people.
His wild and unrestrained tone carried an arrogance that seemed to place no one in the world in his eyes, as if he were an eternal demon god.
"...But, Boss, you previously said you were interested in Wano!" The subordinate who came to report hesitated for a moment but still decided to remind his boss.
"Hmm? I said that?" The demon-god-like man was momentarily dazed. His muscular left arm was covered in tattoos resembling dragon scales, and as he raised his hand, they stretched and expanded, making the massive dragon coiling around his arm seem alive.
He paused, then took a few large gulps from his gourd. "Then let him in!"
The Wano ambassador was carefully observing the entrance of this enormous cave. It was clear that the axe-hewn marks on the rock were man-made rather than a marvel of nature.
The men standing on either side of him were clearly not good people—broad-shouldered and muscular, the Beasts Pirates' crew members stared at the samurai in the middle with ill intent.
However, the slightly slender silver-haired samurai kept smiling, as if he hadn't noticed the malicious gazes surrounding him.
"Hey! That guy, Gin? You're pretty damn lucky. Boss is willing to meet you."
The first burly man who had walked into the depths of the cave returned, knocking his shoulder against the massive iron club he carried.
The samurai carefully adjusted his attire, ensuring even the smallest detail of his outfit was perfect. "Thank you for informing me, brother. Also, I am Ichimaru Gin, Third Division Captain under the command of Guardian General Yamamoto Genryūsai of Wano."
"...Guardian General Yamamoto Genryūsai? What is that?" The Beasts Pirates' fighters exchanged puzzled looks. After all, Wano was an unfamiliar country to them.
"Tch, what a long-winded name!" One of the big men impatiently adjusted his horned helmet.
Meanwhile, another burly pirate wearing earrings scrutinized the handsome Wano samurai and nodded. "I bet this little pretty boy would be amazing in bed."
"The hell?! Stay away from me!" The surrounding pirates all took a step back simultaneously, looking at the man who spoke with visible unease.
Inside the massive cave, dim torchlight flickered. From the island's outskirts to the cave's interior, the security grew more and more relaxed. By the time they reached this inner sanctuary, not a single guard was stationed.
Such an absolute lack of defense meant only one thing—absolute power. No intruder could leave this place alive.
Candles and torches lined the dark tunnel leading into the depths of the cave. The navy's top spy followed the pirates calmly, walking straight toward the end.
"This is...?" Even someone as mentally strong as Lindemann couldn't help but be slightly stunned.
The flickering torchlight cast shadows on the cave walls, and a massive figure with horns swayed in the fire's glow—resembling a man-eating beast wandering through a labyrinth, like the Minotaur of legend.
The eyes of the Beasts Pirates' members were filled with pride as they knelt on one knee.
"Lord Kaido, the Wano envoy has been brought in."
The towering and muscular demon god slowly stood up, nearly reaching the top of the cave.
His upper body was bare, with a deep purple robe loosely draped around his waist. A thick shimenawa rope secured his dark green hakama.
No proof of identity was needed—his overwhelming presence said it all. His boundless arrogance ignored everything, his dominance sweeping across the world.
For the first time, the spy saw the legendary pirate who ruled the New World—Kaido of the Beasts.
A rumbling voice echoed from above, carrying an invisible pressure that made it hard to breathe.
"You're the Wano envoy?"
"I am Ichimaru Gin, Third Division Captain under the command of Guardian General Yamamoto Genryūsai of Wano. It is an honor to meet you, Lord Kaido."
Lindemann repeated the lines he had rehearsed countless times, bowing deeply.
He felt his cheeks twitching. Although Sakazuki had already told him: Kaido was an out-and-out monster.
Even though the fox had mentally prepared himself, truly facing Kaido head-on made him experience an almost suffocating sense of oppression, allowing him to deeply understand the vast gulf in strength between them.
"Weak, too weak. Is this how incompetent the ambassador of Wano is?" The Behemoth seemed to lose interest. Wano was renowned worldwide for its powerful swordsmen, said to be teeming with masters.
Yet in his eyes, the silver-haired samurai before him was nothing more than a pet.
"As expected of Behemoth—Lord Kaido," Lindemann slowly gathered his thoughts from the shock just now. He had believed that under Sakazuki's half-year of rigorous training and guidance, his strength had improved considerably. But in the New World, a place crawling with monsters, he was still far from being considered a true expert.
At Marine Headquarters, Lindemann could at least hold his own against officers of rear admiral level. But in the New World, this lawless land, even a vice admiral from headquarters could end up in a ditch if they weren't careful.
Strength was an undeniable shortcoming, and it was also the weakest aspect of his role as an ambassador. However, [Ichimaru Gin] wasn't worried. Instead, he chuckled and flattered Kaido:
"To recognize at a glance that I'm merely an insignificant figure—truly worthy of Lord Kaido's reputation. It seems that old man Yama's eye for people is still as sharp as ever."
"Scram. I have no interest in talking with a weakling." The Demon God seemed somewhat disappointed. He had heard that Wano was not just a land of the weak.
This was precisely why he had developed an interest in that isolated, barbaric nation.
Yet before he could even send someone to make contact with Wano, they had taken the initiative to seek him out first.
The colossal pirate, akin to a Demon God, lowered his gaze to this fox-faced man who wore a mischievous grin, feeling an impulse to swat him away.
Then, as if something had occurred to him, he suddenly muttered, "Or perhaps… you're not really an ambassador from Wano at all?"
A chilling killing intent surged from all directions. Beyond the violent murderous aura in the open, there seemed to be hidden phantoms lurking in the shadows.
Lindemann, on the contrary, relaxed. A single wrong word here would mean instant death—or perhaps being flattened and used as jam on Foxy's toast.
But Vice Admiral Sakazuki had once taught him that the more dire the situation, the calmer and more composed an intelligence officer must be. Only then could one keenly spot flaws and opportunities from the opponent's words and actions.
Kaido's suspicion stemmed from his perceived lack of strength—so the key to breaking out of this predicament had to be found there.
"But it's precisely because I am a small fry that Captain-Commander Yamamoto entrusted this mission to me, avoiding the attention of the Wano daimyos."
A self-proclaimed weakling from Wano's Thirteen Court Guard Squads, using this bizarre attitude of taking pride in his lack of strength, successfully dispelled Kaido's killing intent.
The silver-haired pet spread his hands and shrugged.
"If that battle maniac, Kenpachi, had been assigned this mission, the first thing he would've done upon meeting Lord Kaido—would be to take a swing at you just to see how tough you are."
These words reignited the Demon God's interest.
"You people from Wano have warriors who can fight?"
"We have many," [Ichimaru Gin] nodded, "but very few with brains. Either they are rigid retainers of noble families, or else they are reckless battle junkies. That's why intelligence is such a rare and valuable trait."
The fox tapped his temple with a finger, glancing meaningfully at the figures standing behind Kaido.
"My strength ranks at the very bottom of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, which is why I am stationed in the Third Division, a support unit mainly responsible for assisting the Eleventh Division."
The fox remained unperturbed, candidly admitting his lack of strength.
"But a person's talents are not solely determined by their power, are they?"
"…" Kaido lifted his eyelids slightly, still harboring some doubts. He then pointed at the silver-haired fox:
"Tell me about your Thirteen Court Guard Squads."