"Why do I feel like you just want to fight again because you're itching for it?"
Kaido said he would go and help Yamato draw fire, but something about it just doesn't sit right. Given his usual behavior, it would already be considered him exercising restraint if he didn't just throw Yamato straight into the crowd, let alone doing something as kind as this.
Knowing his temperament, the most likely reason was simply that he wanted to fight.
"How could that be? I'll choose a special method. This method doesn't require fighting, but the effect would be the same."
Kaido rolled his neck, then picked up a bunch of wine jars, seemingly struck by a new idea.
"You're not... planning to go have a drink with Shanks, are you?"
"Yeah. Speaking of which, that kid obtained the position of Emperor of the Sea in an incredibly short time."
"We've fought a few times, but it was never satisfying."
"This time, I'll just go have a proper drink with him. Worororo!"
Kaido understood the Marine's mentality very well. If the Four Emperors fought among themselves, the Marines wouldn't necessarily be too concerned.
While their battles can lead to significant repercussions, they also presented an opportunity—a good chance for the Marines to weaken the Four Emperors.
So from the Marines' perspective, fights between the Four Emperors weren't a bad thing. As long as they managed the situation properly, they could even reap significant gains.
But if two Emperors of the Sea just sat together for a casual chat, then the Marines would have every reason to be nervous.
None of the current Emperors of the Sea were easy to deal with. Even a single one going on a rampage was enough to give the Marines a headache.
Overall, Marines were strong, more than capable of handling an emperor's crew, but the sea was vast. Their high-ranking officers and elite soldiers were spread across different regions, and they also had to protect the World Nobles.
Without prior preparation, the Marine branches scattered across the seas could only issue warnings—beyond that, they wouldn't be able to do much.
If two of them joined forces to make a big move, it would be enough to keep the Marines overwhelmingly busy.
The Marines kept surveillance on the Emperors of the Sea, but they had no way of eavesdropping on their every word and action. If Kaido and Shanks sat together for just ten minutes, the Marines' full attention would be drawn to them, fearing that if something big really happened, they wouldn't be able to handle it.
A thief can keep stealing, but no one can keep guarding forever. The seas were currently in turmoil, yet a delicate balance remained.
If the Marines took the initiative to attack an Emperor of the Sea, and no external forces interfered, they could eliminate their target. But they couldn't guarantee they'd be able to keep them from escaping.
If Kaido or Charlotte Linlin managed to escape after their operation, then Marines across the world would have to be on high alert for these monsters launching indiscriminate attacks. While Marine Headquarters and Mariejois might not fear their attacks, the kings across the world would be driven crazy by them.
Moreover, this had always been their policy. That was why the higher-ups of the World Government tacitly accepted such situations. However, if they were to actually let something like this happen and alarm the one in the Room of Flowers, they would undoubtedly be labeled as incompetent.
"His personality isn't exactly the type to have a friendly chat with you."
"No problem. If he refuses, next time I'll bring his daughter along and see if he wants to chat then."
Kaido wasn't planning to use Uta to threaten Shanks. Rather, Shanks was afraid of Uta seeking him out. In his eyes, Uta's current life was far better than following him to become a pirate.
Being a world-renowned diva was far better than being a wanted criminal. Although they kept in touch, Shanks had constantly dodged Uta's requests to meet in person.
For the Beasts Pirates, Uta also brought more benefits, so naturally, they intended to maintain the situation as it was.
Kaido understood exactly what Shanks was worried about, so he had no fear of being turned down.
"But there's still one problem."
"What is it?"
"Should I drink first and then fight, or fight first and then drink?"
In a way, Arceus hadn't guessed wrong about Kaido's intentions. He hadn't given up on fighting, nor had he given up on drinking—he planned to do both at the same time.
Amidst a burst of maniacal laughter, Kaido left Onigashima. He even deliberately flew two circles around the Marine surveillance ships before heading toward Shanks' territory.
...
The next day, at Marine Headquarters, in Sengoku's office.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is a follow-up report from Surveillance Ship 174. Since leaving Onigashima at noon yesterday, Kaido has yet to return. His current destination is unknown. Report concluded."
At first, it was just an ordinary report and didn't draw much attention at Marine Headquarters. Their desks were still piled with reports on the impact Yamato had caused in East Blue, and they were in the midst of deciding their next course of action.
Kaido's movements only made them suspect that the Beasts Pirates were planning something big. After all, someone as important as Yamato suddenly appearing in East Blue made no logical sense.
Sengoku simply couldn't understand—what in East Blue could possibly interest the Beasts Pirates?
It wasn't unusual for an Emperor of the Sea to be restless, and Kaido running around everywhere was an even more common occurrence. Compared to that, there were other things giving Sengoku an even bigger headache.
"Garp! Look at this! It's your family again! Can't your family ever stop causing trouble?!"
Luffy's wanted poster was laid out flat on Sengoku's desk. A bounty of this level normally wouldn't warrant Sengoku's attention. Even though his bounty was ten times the average bounty in East Blue, it was only eye-catching within East Blue.
"Attacking a Marine branch in East Blue—what a fine grandson you have!"
The only reason Luffy's wanted poster was even on Sengoku's desk was because his grandfather was Garp. As a Marine hero, Garp had a son who was now the world's most notorious criminal, an adopted grandson who was the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and now his biological grandson had become a pirate with an initial bounty of 30 million.
At this moment, Sengoku was venting his fury at the Den Den Mushi, as Garp had rushed off to East Blue as soon as he received the news and was now completely unreachable.
"Bwahaha! I got it! I'm already in East Blue! I'll capture him right away!"
"Cut the nonsense! Don't try to fool me! Garp, you should know what happened in East Blue by now, right?"
"Ah, you mean Kaido's daughter? Yeah, that's a big problem. Do you have any updates on her?"
To Sengoku, Luffy wasn't even the real issue right now. Compared to him, Yamato—whose whereabouts were currently unknown—was the real problem.
He felt that, between Garp's grandson and Kaido's daughter, Luffy should be the more well-behaved one.
Trying to capture a specific pirate was never easy. The vast sea made it difficult for the Marines to locate their targets.
"Not yet, but—"
Before Sengoku could finish his sentence, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door. A slightly panicked intelligence officer pushed the door open and entered.
This was something Sengoku had permitted—if there was urgent intelligence, formalities could be ignored, and they could report directly to him.
"Fleet Admiral! Surveillance Ship 277 has sent a report! Just now, Red-Haired Shanks and Beasts Pirates' Kaido made contact! Kaido has yet to leave, and there are no signs of battle on the island—"
"What did you say?!"
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