For the first time in many years, Arceus heard that a CP9 defector had managed to escape here and even wanted to join the Beasts Pirates. Whether the defector had any hidden agenda was still unknown.
To bait the enemy, an appropriate bait had to be used. It couldn’t be too strong, or it would scare the enemy away, so Kaido wasn’t suitable for this role.
The bait also had to be valuable enough; otherwise, the enemy wouldn’t take the bait, and it also couldn’t be too weak, or it would be easily consumed.
The ideal candidate within the Beasts Pirates who wasn’t extremely powerful but had significant value was Queen.
Not to mention, the “only alive” capture order was enough of a reason.
“Queen, you haven’t forgotten about that incident, have you? It’s been over a year, almost two, and there’s still no resolution.”
“Lord Arceus, the World Government planned out that matter very secretly and didn’t mention it much afterward. When eavesdropping, Omanyte didn’t hear any similar information, so there isn’t much I could do.”
If the World Government genuinely wanted to hide something, they could. For example, Rocks gradually disappeared from the public eye under their manipulation. Outsiders find it very difficult to uncover the secret operations of CP0.
If it weren’t for Omanyte, they might not even have been able to obtain all that information earlier.
To be precise, Omanyte was now no longer Omanyte, it had already evolved into Omastar.
Its appearance hadn’t changed much from its Omanyte form, except that its shell now had a neat row of spikes.
Its round, childlike eyes had become narrow, making it look somewhat frightening. Its tentacles had grown longer and thinner, and its mouth now had cross-shaped fangs in its mouth. With these new fangs, it also gained a new ability: biting.
Since Water Gun was no longer effective against Queen, it has switched to physical attacks. Recently, Omastar had been practicing Spike Cannon.
In a way, its evolution was partly driven by Queen.
“So here’s your chance. I’m handing this rookie to you. Find out what’s going on behind the scenes, and then decide for yourself whether to bring him back or not.”
“Don’t worry, Lord Arceus. I’ll take care of it.”
“He’s at Scotch’s place. Hurry up. Don’t bother with a ship; fly there yourself.”
All high-ranking officers capable of flying could travel much faster than ships, including Queen. Although he was the slowest flyer among the officers, he was still quicker than a cumbersome ship.
When time was of the essence, this was the best choice. As for stamina consumption, for a Zoan User, this level of consumption was negligible. Kaido flies around the world every day and still has plenty of stamina.
Although Kaido’s flight method was more energy-efficient than Queen’s, the additional stamina consumption was something Queen could handle.
At Arceus’ command, Queen began his overtime fieldwork.
…
On the island guarded by Scotch, everything seemed as usual, except for a pirate ship belonging to Who’s-Who docked at the port.
In a small wooden cabin on the island, a few people were sitting. The leader had long pink hair covering his eyes, with two horns like those of a bull sticking out from the sides.
He wore earrings, a flamboyant red suit, had a slender build, and a cigarette in his mouth.
This was Who’s-Who, who was waiting for the answer. After thinking it over, he chose to join the Beasts Pirates.
He had no other intentions; he simply wanted to protect himself. He had already offended the World Government, so Marines and the World Government were no longer safe places for him. With his own strength not being enough, he needs a suitable backing.
Ordinary pirate crews were meaningless. As a former CP9 member, he knew more about the World Government’s background than most. Currently, only three pirate crews in the world could make them think twice: Whitebeard, Big Mom, and the Beasts Pirates.
The Red Hair Pirates were on the rise and very prominent, but he had a “blood feud” with Red-Hair. In Who’s-Who’s view, if it weren’t for Shanks, he wouldn’t be in this situation.
The first pirate crew to be ruled out was Big Mom’s. She was the most unstable of the three major pirate crews, and it was a purely family-based crew. Unless one was her child or in-law, one couldn’t reach the top.
Although Whitebeard was strong, his “draw” with Kaido has changed public perception.
This is often the case when rookies challenge veterans. If the rookie loses, it is considered natural. If they draw, everyone thinks the rookie is remarkable, and if they win, it’s even more astonishing.
In contrast, if an older generation expert wins, it’s expected. Whether they draw or lose, it would affect their reputation.
Moreover, the Beasts Pirates were the fastest-rising among these pirate crews. As long as one had the strength, they could climb up the ranks without needing to be a son or marry in; officer positions were purely earned through strength.
For Who’s-Who, being a pirate was entirely forced upon him. He preferred living under such order, and the Beasts Pirates’ order suited him best.
But he had been here for several days already, and Scotch hadn’t given him an answer, only telling him to wait.
“Boss, are we really going to…join the Beasts Pirates? Achoo!”
A burly man tightened the cotton coat around him. He didn’t like the cold Winter Island.
He had lost count of how many times he had asked Who’s-Who if he had really made up his mind.
Besides him, there were also twin girls dressed like Catwoman; they were Who’s-Who’s subordinates, known as the CAT’S, officers of the Who’s-Who Pirates.
“That’s right, it’s already been several days, and they haven’t given us any response.”
“Wait, whether it’s the dangerous New World or those guys, we need a backer.”
Just then, the cabin door opened, and amidst the snowstorm, Scotch walked in.
“Follow me. Lord Queen wants to see you, only you.”
Pointing at Who’s-Who, Scotch turned around and left, and Who’s-Who got up to follow. In intelligence reports, Queen was considered the third-in-command of the Beasts Pirates. Hearing that it was Queen who had come, Who’s-Who felt somewhat valued.
But upon meeting Queen, he felt that his eyes were full of impatience. Queen wasn’t as friendly as he had imagined.
“So you’re the one who wants to join us, huh? Let me ask you, where’s your joining fee?”
Queen’s tone was unfriendly. Faced with someone who made him work overtime and even fly for a few days, he was already holding back from cursing.
“Joining fee…”
“What, you don’t even understand this basic rule? Pirates don’t just join empty-handed.”
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