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Chapter 152: Strong, Young, and Invincible
🕑 Added 2024-11-11 16:25:04 +0000 UTC“Rumble, rumble.”
Kaido transformed into his Azure Dragon form, using his powerful Flame Clouds to lift the entire Onigashima Island. The wrecked island began to slowly ascend into the air. Of course, Kaido made sure not to disturb the ground near the The Sun and Moon Pirates.
On the battered Onigashima, over ten thousand pirates gathered, gazing longingly at the ground that grew further and further away beneath them. This was their stronghold, built over ten years. Today, they were being driven from their home.
“Let’s go. As losers, just staying alive is already the best outcome,” said one pirate.
The entire Beasts Pirates crew followed the ascending island, heading towards the distant sky. Silence spread across the thousand-strong pirates. An oppressive and gloomy atmosphere settled over them.
The Beasts Pirates—an unprecedented and crushing defeat. Something they had never faced before. This single battle had destroyed their pride as one of the Emperor crews. Their eyes, once filled with arrogance, were now empty and lost.
“Boss, where are we heading?” King approached Kaido.
“We’ve got plenty of islands and territories under our rule. Let’s just pick one of those,” Queen suggested. “But the most important thing is that we stay off the sea for a while.”
“???”
The others looked at Queen, puzzled.
“Look, we lost, sure. But we’re one of the Four Emperors. Losing to the The Sun and Moon Pirates isn’t the end of the world. But if the rest of the world finds out we were utterly defeated in less than a day, that’s going to be embarrassing as hell.” Queen explained.
“If we wait a bit, at least we can say we fought for days and nights before losing. It’ll be easier on our pride.”
“That actually makes a lot of sense.”
“If the other pirates hear that we lost in just a few hours, how could we ever face them again?”
“It would be disastrous for our reputation and authority over the kingdoms we control.”
The officers nodded in agreement until King quietly pointed out, “News King Morgans is still in Wano.”
“.....”
The buzz of chatter abruptly died. The officers slumped, their heads drooping in dismay.
Kaido shuddered. “Does this mean the world will soon know I was beaten by Kuke in just a few hours? How will anyone respect me after that?”
“Am I going to be stripped of my title as one of the Four Emperors?” Kaido worried.
“Well, maybe we can just wear masks from now on to hide our faces,” suggested one of the Headliners.
“If they can’t see our faces, it won’t be as embarrassing,” he added.
King, always wearing his mask, felt a bit better. “I’m always in a mask anyway—nothing to worry about here.”
“Hey, King, got any extra masks?” Queen asked with a sheepish grin.
“Scram!” King barked.
The officers of the Beasts Pirates tried to find humor in their misery. Only Jack sat quietly in the corner, his spirit utterly crushed.
Seeing this, Kaido yelled, “Jack, what are you sulking for?”
“What are you all afraid of? It’s just a defeat. What’s so terrifying about it? I’ve been beaten countless times, but I’m still an Emperor of the Sea. As long as we’re alive, we’ll get our chance. We can win it back next time. The last one standing is the true winner!”
Kaido’s words, filled with bravado and power, echoed across Onigashima.
The once defeated pirates felt a renewed sense of strength. Their fighting spirit started to come back.
“That’s right.”
“Even the Pirate King, Roger, had times when he fled.”
“Roger failed plenty of times. He barely escaped death more times than we can count. This is nothing!”
“Whitebeard too—his previous crews were defeated and disbanded. Compared to them, our situation is much better.”
“We’ll train harder, grow stronger, and then surpass the The Sun and Moon Pirates!”
“ROAR!”
The pirates of the Beasts Pirates roared wildly, trying to console and rally themselves after their crushing defeat.
“Not bad.” Kaido finally smiled.
Very good.
There was still hope for them. A future where they could regain their honor.
Kaido raised his fist and shouted, “One day, we’ll stand before the The Sun and Moon Pirates again. And when we do, we’ll surpass them and defeat them!”
“Surpass them! Defeat them!”
The deafening roar echoed across the sky.
“But Kuke is only twenty years old. The The Sun and Moon Pirates’ members are all really young.” Jack’s dispirited voice cut through the cheers.
Kaido: “.....”
King: “.....”
The officers: “.....”
Kaido slowly lowered his fist, while King quietly polished his sword. The officers closed their mouths and silently dispersed.
The cheering pirates looked at their officers, confused.
What happened?
A very frustrated Kaido turned away. Everyone heard their captain curse in irritation as he kicked a large boulder, sending it flying.
Kaido walked off silently.
He had no energy left to console his subordinates. His own spirit had already shattered.
“Twenty years old… twenty years old…” Jack’s words echoed in Kaido’s mind.
Boom!
Kaido slammed his head against a wall, shattering it.
“He’s not only stronger than me—he’s also so much younger. How is that fair?”
Kaido accepted defeat.
From then on, he never spoke of surpassing the The Sun and Moon Pirates again.
How could he? Kaido thought about his own age—almost fifty. He was already at his peak, and it was hard to grow stronger. In a few years, his power might even start declining.
But Kuke?
He was only twenty.
Kaido wept bitterly.
“Why is my fate so miserable? First, it was Rocks. After Rocks died, Roger showed up. Then, even after Roger died, Whitebeard was still around. Finally, when Whitebeard was getting old, now there’s Kuke—the most terrifying of them all…”
Kaido drank himself into a stupor.
The officers also drank themselves into oblivion.
In his drunken haze, Kaido suddenly remembered, “Didn’t that old hag and Whitebeard provoke Kuke as well?”
Kaido instantly sobered up.
“The old hag wants Kuke’s genes? She’s crazier than me.”
“Whitebeard thinks he’s the strongest man alive? He’s in for a rude awakening.”
Kaido started to feel a sense of schadenfreude.
“If they all suffer, my misery won’t seem so bad.”
Kaido desperately wanted to see others share in his misfortune, to heal his wounded spirit.
Buru Buru Buru—
Right at that moment, Big Mom’s Den Den Mushi rang.
