“g, g…”

  Vodka Kingdom

  Ihe spacious royal pace, heavily armed Marines held thick iron s, tightly restraining a tall, rugged yet youthful-looking boy. Their expressioense, allowing no room for carelessness.

  “Hey, hey, what are you doing?”

  The boy—his hands bound and horns protruding from his head—frowned slightly. Though he wasn’t struggling, he g the Marines surrounding him before looking up at the kied ohrone. His tone remained calm:

  “Your Majesty, I don’t recall itting any crime.”

  The king gazed down at the t youth, a mix ret and resolve in his eyes.

  “Kaido, you should join the Marines.”

  The king’s voice was firm despite the obvious reluce.

  “This nation is too small to tain someone like you. Keeping you here is a luxury we ot afford.”

  “That’s right,” a Marine Rear Admiral said, stepping forward and handing a dot from the Wovero one of the kingdom’s officials.

  “As long as you hand over Kaido, this nation will be grahe right to participate in the World Summit.”

  Of course, participation wasn’t the only iive; the kingdom feared offending the Wover, well aware of the disasters that could follow.

  Kaido raised an eyebrow, his tone ced with sarcasm.

  “So, I’m just a political pawn, huh?”

  Yet, he didn’t seem angry. Gng down at the s binding him, he said with a hint of amusement, “Was it really necessary to tie me up like this?”

  Turning to the Rear Admiral, he asked bluntly:

  “Is this how the Marireat their ‘rades’?”

  Just as a certain “someone” had oold him, Kaido realized that in the eyes of kings and rulers, soldiers were mere tools. And indeed, his exceptional performance had attracted the Wover’s attention soohan expected.

  The Rear Admiral coughed awkwardly.

  “Apologies… it’s just a precaution to prevent you from resisting.”

  He had heard the rumors about this boy: though uen years old, Kaido was already the stro warrior in the Vodka Kingdom. Not only had he naturally awakened Observation Haki, his physical strength was monstrous—far beyond what should be possible at his age.

  Kaido’s expression remained calm.

  “Fihe me go.”

  His tone carried an air of fidence as he tinued, “Joining the Marines means I get stronger, right? That sounds great. I’ve been bored out of my mind in this dull try anyway.”

  He smirked.

  “Now untie me. Otherwise, when I bee an Admiral, I’ll make sure you lot toilets every day!”

  “Hey, kid, don’t get cocky!” one of the Marines retorted. “Being an Admiral isn’t as easy as you think. Admirals are the highest bat forarine Headquarters—true ‘monsters’!”

  The other Marines nodded, clearly a Kaido’s overfidence.

  “Is that so?” Kaido sneered, his muscles tensing as veins bulged across his arms.

  “G! G!”

  With a sudden surge of power, he she thick iron s.

  “What?!”

  “He broke the s?!”

  “This… this monster!”

  The Mariared in shock, uo believe what they were seeing. As the broken s cttered to the floor, Kaido looked up at the panicked king, who seemed terrified that Kaido might retaliate. Then, turning his gaze to the equally stunned Rear Admiral and the sweating Marines, he began walking toward the exit.

  “Let’s go, Marines… I’ve had enough of this pce.”

  For years, Kaido had remembered the lessons taught to him by a certain someone. While honing his body and mastering Observation Haki, he had deliberately hidden his full capabilities to avoid uention. If he wished, none of these Marines would stand a ce against him.

  …

  Three Days Later, Marineford

  A Marine warship approached the colossal Marine headquarters.

  “Boom, boom…”

  In the distahe t fortress came into view.

  “Kaido, get ready. We’re almost there,” the Rear Admiral called out to the horned boy, who was drenched i after an interaining session.

  Over the past three days, the Marines had e to uand the true meaning of “monster.” Kaido’s insatiable appetite required numerous resupplies, and his trainihods were extreme beyond belief. Blindfolded, he had even ordered the Mario shoot at him—allegedly to sharpen his Observation Haki. Yet, even when bullets found their mark, his body showed no signs of injury, a testament to his incredible resilience.

  “Almost there?” Kaido wiped his brow, eyeing the massive fortress ahead. “So this is Marine Headquarters?”

  His sharp gaze caught sight of something unusual along the distant shore. Broken warships were piled together, and loud crashing sounds echoed across the docks. Squinting, he saw figures in training, their fists relentlessly pounding the vessels.

  “Those are deissioned warships,” the Rear Admiral expined.

  “The mahere is Vice Admiral Garp, known as the ‘Iron Fist.’ He uses warships as pung bags, refusing to use Haki. It’s his way of f unparalleled strength.”

  The Rear Admiral spoke with admiration. He had tried Garp’s training regimen himself but couldn’t ha. Without Haki, his fists ended up bloodied, leaving him incapacitated for days.

  “Garp’s relentlessness has given him iron fists that terrify pirates everywhere.”

  “Tch…” Kaido clicked his tongue, unimpressed. “Warships as pung bags? That’s b.”

  He recalled a different se: a certain “someoraining with pure seastos, using the Red Liself as a pung bag. pared to that, warship training seemed like child’s py.

  “You brat!”

  Several Marines scowled at Kaido’s dismissive too them, Garp was a hero—humble, kind, and immensely powerful. Hearing Kaido mock him so openly made their blood boil.

  Bleam