Arceus had no interest in the so-called Pirate King, but Kaido was different. His dream and goal didn’t conflict. Kaido’s goal was to start the largest war the world had ever seen, and this didn’t clash with his desire to become the Pirate King.
For the current members of the Four Emperors, each believed that their captain was destined to become the new Pirate King.
To reach the final island, the Road Poneglyphs were indispensable. Kaido already possessed two of them, putting him far ahead of the other pirates.
Whenever it involves Road Poneglyphs, he always asks Kaido first.
“You can decide this matter yourself. I thought you wanted to start a war with that old hag.”
“Is there really a need to make the exchange so soon? I was planning to get it using another method later. Or did the people you sent out find the fourth one?”
Kaido was well aware that Charlotte Linlin had one of the Poneglyphs, though she remained ignorant of the fact that Kaido did as well. Neither the interior of Wano Country nor the Zou Island on elephant’s back are places the Big Mom Pirates have ever set foot.
Kaido could have chosen to exchange with her before, but he didn’t do so, even though she was once like a big sister who had taken care of him. Despite their current business dealings, he would not hold back when their goals conflict.
The method he referred to was naturally outright robbery. For him, it was a thrilling prelude to war.
“No, there’s been a bit of a problem…” Arceus explained the situation briefly, though Kaido’s response was somewhat unexpected.
“Oh, that’s no problem. Just make sure you give her a fake.”
“A fake?”
“Yeah. We’re pirates, aren’t we? I get that you’re usually big on honest deals, but this is different. Remember when you brought back everything from Ohara? Thanks to that, we can translate the Poneglyphs.”
“Guess how that old hag plans to translate it?”
“The Three-Eye Tribe?”
“So you know! That woman’s got a half-blood daughter from the Three-Eye Tribe. It’s said that after awakening, their third eye can uncover hidden secrets. She’s probably banking on that to decipher the Poneglyph.”
“I’ve no clue if that little girl can pull it off, but one thing’s for sure—she hasn’t awakened yet.”
“We’ve got more than one Poneglyph in our hands, right? Most of what we’ll give her are true rubbings, but mix in some content from ordinary Poneglyphs too. She won’t be able to tell the difference.”
Charlotte Linlin wouldn’t trust the copied Poneglyph, and copying it is also not something that anyone could do. The complex patterns are such that even a single mistake in writing would completely distort their meaning. Even if it’s a rubbing, video proof would be necessary, as Photoshop technology isn’t widespread on this sea, and any video would be presumed authentic.
The Poneglyph stones were massive, far too large for a small sheet of paper to capture. This was precisely the opportunity Kaido saw for manipulation.
The Beasts Pirates had been collecting Poneglyphs for some time, occasionally coming across ordinary ones. By mixing one fake among nine genuine copies, they can make it impossible for those who don’t understand the language to decipher them.
“But… make sure to carry one genuine copy. That old hag’s kid won’t be so easy to fool. If she accepts it right away, give her the fake. If she starts making demands, hand over the real one.”
“You don’t need to teach me something so basic. I know how to handle this.”
“Worororo! Of course, I trust you to get it done. Still, when it comes to trades between pirates, I’ve got way more experience than you.”
Before Kaido could say more, a sudden explosion rang out.
Boom!
The deafening explosion made Arceus pause. Something about it didn’t seem ordinary.
“What happened?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Punk Hazard blew up. Looks like the whole island is about to be launched into the sky.”
“You blew up Punk Hazard?”
“Worororo! While it does sound like something I’d do, this time it wasn’t me. I’m just out for a spin. Still, I’ve got to admit, the sight is spectacular.”
At the moment, Punk Hazard was engulfed in smoke, with a large amount of chemical gases dispersing into the air. Even Kaido and Hydrachton found the smell irritating. Hydrachton flapped its wings to disperse the toxic fumes before flying far away.
Kaido wasn’t lying—this time, he truly had come out for a spin, looking for battle-worthy locations or potential recruits.
But as he passed by, Punk Hazard inexplicably exploded on its own.
From the rising smoke, it was evident that the explosion had originated within the island. Uninterested in this environment, Kaido chose to distance himself from the scene.
“Alright, deal with whatever it is you’re doing. I’m hanging up now,” Kaido said abruptly, cutting the call. Perhaps he was worried about being delayed.
Following Kaido’s instructions, Zeraora quickly prepared two sets of Poneglyph rubbings—one genuine and one fake. Then, with these in hand, Zeraora was ready to set off for Whole Cake Island.
“Wait, Zeraora. Take me with you.”
“What do you want to come along for?”
“I’m the duchess of Zou Island. I may not enjoy handling administrative affairs most of the time, but protecting the other Minks is the responsibility of the duchess of Zou Island. If trouble arises, it is something I should face.”
He didn’t say anything further, simply taking Setsuna with him as they vanished from Onigashima. As long as the target’s body could withstand it, carrying another person didn’t affect Zeraora’s speed. Setsuna’s physique clearly meets the required standard.
…..
Not long ago, on Whole Cake Island, things were playing out just as Hitsugisukan had said. Pekoms was pleading with Big Mom, trying to buy time.
While Pedro and Zepo were sailing earlier, their search had shifted to the plates and Poneglyphs needed by the Beasts Pirates. It was their own decision to infiltrate the Big Mom Pirates, though they underestimated the island’s level of security.
Charlotte Linlin had taken extra precautions to safeguard the Poneglyph after Roger had once managed to steal the information on it.
Facing these thieves, she naturally wants to make them pay the price.
“Step aside, Pekoms! You’re humiliating yourself like this!”
“Please, Mama! I beg you to spare them just this once!”
Ignoring the angry shouts around him, Pekoms remained on his knees, crying as he pleaded. He knew that on Whole Cake Island, Charlotte Linlin reigned supreme. Convincing her was the only way Pedro and Zepo might survive.
“Pekoms, the fact that I haven’t killed them outright already shows my mercy. They must participate in this game. It is the rule of the Big Mom Pirates.”
A roulette wheel was brought forward by Homies, its surface decorated with drawings of limbs and numbers. Though it resembled the reward roulette of the Beasts Pirates in appearance, this was a punishment roulette. What the punishers paid was a part of their body or a portion of their lifespan.
As a member of the Big Mom Pirates, Pekoms understood all too well what that meant.
He has no power to stop Charlotte Linlin, so he did what little he could—stalling for time and pinning his hopes on the phone call from earlier.
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