Chapter 268: Second Visit
“Is this the Seven Warlord that Boss Kaido has been waiting for?”
“That face looks intimidating…”
“I heard he and Boss Kaido are old acquaintances; they knew each other before Boss set out to sea.”
“Really?! There’s actually this kind of connection!”
……
Although Hana-zō and his group had already visited Fenrir Island once before, it was after all just an informal meeting, and he left in a hurry without even holding a formal banquet.
Therefore, most of the people present were still seeing the true appearance of this legendary new Seven Warlord for the first time.
Hm, as expected of Kaido’s compatriot; this face doesn’t look like it belongs to a good person at first glance—probably eats at least two kids per meal~
“Hey~ Kaido, you bastard, it’s been a year and you’ve gotten even stronger; you’re practically a monster.”
With a wave of his hand backward, he had the crew members on the ship drop anchor properly, and Hana-zō unceremoniously gave Kaido an elbow to the ribs.
Feeling the solid sensation transmitted through his arm, and the other’s expressionless face with no reaction, he couldn’t help but sigh at the other’s tough physique.
“Uro-ro-ro! Because there are just too many monsters in this sea~”
“If I don’t hurry up and turn into a monster myself, how am I supposed to fight them?”
Releasing the other’s shoulder, Kaido also began to size him up more carefully.
After a year apart, Hana-zō clearly looked more weathered, with many more obvious scars on his body; it seemed the New World was quite tempering.
However, overall, Hana-zō’s body was clearly much more solid than before, exuding a sharp and rugged aura—his temperament was worlds apart from the green rookie he was a year ago when he first set out.
Just like growing from a fresh college graduate into a competent adult in society.
“So, how is it? The New World isn’t boring, right?”
“Ah~ Far from just not boring—it’s downright fascinating.”
Touching a wound on his face that hadn’t fully healed yet, Hana-zō revealed a smile that didn’t match his amiable demeanor at all.
Ever since parting with Kaido last time, he had done as he said back then, leading his crew members to sail island by island following the pointer, recording this sea with his own eyes and body.
Of course, considering the simple folkways of the New World, he hadn’t skimped on mingling with the local natives and other fellow travelers along the way.
Fortunately, Hana-zō’s luck was good; he didn’t run into any opponents he couldn’t handle right away, but rather encountered foes he could just manage each time, like the protagonist of a growth novel…
During this time, his development of his Devil Fruit Ability and his own Haki had both steadily improved, and after defeating a long-famous Great Pirate, his fame exploded in the New World.
Afterward, due to his tour-group-like actions and his record of almost never attacking the Navy, Hana-zō caught Sengoku’s eye and received an offer to become a Seven Warlord.
“Uro-ro-ro! When I saw your name on the Newspaper’s Seven Warlord list back then, I was shocked.”
“By the way, why did you agree to become some bullshit Seven Warlord for the World Government?”
“Nothing much, just simple mutual utilization.”
Unlike Kaido, Hana-zō, as a complete pragmatist, had no mental aversion to cooperating with the World Government.
Back when he was in the Woka Kingdom, he had dealt plenty with those nobles rotten to the core.
Though he found those fat-headed, big-eared stupid pigs disgusting in his heart, he wasn’t someone swayed by personal emotions.
If cooperating with them was profitable, then cooperate.
When the benefits were squeezed dry, then kick them away.
“Ever since you beat me last time, I’ve been thinking of finding a powerful Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit to prove that Mythical Zoans aren’t necessarily stronger than Ancient Zoans.”
“But after over a year, traveling many places, I barely encountered any Devil Fruits, let alone rare Ancient Zoans.”
“And right then, I received the Seven Warlord invitation, so I figured I’d use the World Government’s power to help me search.”
“…”
“Ancient Zoan… You’re still hung up on that?”
Hearing the other’s words, Kaido paused his steps slightly, then sized him up from top to bottom once more.
He hadn’t expected the other to still remember that cocky joke of his from back then: “Mythical Zoans are stronger than Ancient Zoans.”
Seeing the other’s serious expression, Kaido couldn’t help but voice his true thoughts:
“Whether Mythical Zoan or Ancient Zoan, in the end, the Ability User’s own strength is what truly matters.”
“Those Devil Fruits with their bizarre abilities are just icing on the cake; one’s own Haki is the power that reigns supreme over all.”
“?”
“Ha?”
Hearing this, Hana-zō also stopped and widened his eyes at the other.
“I remember you weren’t saying that back then!”
Back then, he and Kaido had reunited after a long time, and he was proudly showing off his newly acquired rare Ancient Zoan power… but Kaido countered by transforming too, into an even rarer Mythical Zoan.
Then his Ancient Zoan Stan Kong got clubbed back to normal by the other’s Mythical Zoan Paleon.
Kaido’s smug expression was still fresh in his mind even now.
“Eh? Is, is that so?”
“Uro-ro-ro-ro! Don’t sweat the small stuff—the banquet’s about to start!”
“You there, has the wine been brought over?”
……
Fenrir Island Banquet Hall.
Since it had been a long time without a formal banquet, and the recent damp weather, even after emergency cleaning, there was still a faint musty smell in the hall~
But fortunately, with countless fine wines and delicacies continuously brought in, the aroma of food instantly pushed out that incongruous musty scent.
“Gulp gulp gulp~”
“—Ha!”
Hugging a wine barrel and downing the alcoholic beverage inside in one go, Kaido let out a satisfied shout.
Wiping the wine stains from the corner of his mouth, Kaido reached for another new wine barrel.
Ever since Wright brought the wine, Kaido had been chugging barrel after barrel like this, as if he couldn’t spare time even to talk.
Seeing Kaido like this from his seat to the side, Hana-zō couldn’t help but feel curious in his heart.
Though people from their Woka Kingdom mostly loved alcohol, they didn’t drink like this… Kaido’s drinking style he had only seen in those prisoners released after serving their sentences.
Those prisoners in the kingdom’s prison, with no connections and not touching a drop of alcohol for years, would often rush not to home but straight to the nearest tavern upon release, downing drinks one after another like Kaido, desperately.
Many criminals didn’t die in prison or on the execution ground, but instead fell in the tavern closest to the prison on their first day of freedom—a kind of dark humor.
『Could it be that Kaido was doing some alcohol abstinence training before?』
With some doubt, Hana-zō also took a shallow sip of the pale blue alcoholic beverage in his cup…
