Chapter 286: Seizing
“Mmm…”
After listening to everyone’s opinions, Kaido nodded noncommittally.
To be honest, he was a little surprised that the people present were all conservative about settling in Wano Country… this was somewhat unexpected.
Regarding Wano Country, he had heard some rumors when he was in Rocks Pirates. Although that country had always been in a state of isolation, it seemed to hide secrets that could influence the direction of the world.
“Mr. Kaido, you mean…”
Seeing Kaido with his arms crossed and not speaking, Marco and the others also stopped their chatter and looked at him.
They were only giving their suggestions now; the final decision still rested with Kaido himself, as he was the captain.
“…”
“Let’s leave it at that for now. I’ll consider this matter further.”
Kaido frowned, surprisingly not making a decision on the spot as he usually did. After everyone dispersed, he went to La’s residence alone.
It was still the same ordinary house with a large backyard.
Compared to the luxurious private residences of other mid-level executives, who casually built on their own territories, the true core members of the Beasts Pirates, including Kaido, were quite simple or… casual in their daily lives.
It wasn’t that they were deliberately trying to appear so, but they were simply too lazy to spend time on such things. After all, as pirates, they didn’t need to maintain an image of integrity and incorruptibility.
Rather than being meticulous about their daily desires for food, clothing, housing, and transportation, Kaido and the others preferred to pursue grander things.
Arriving at La’s door, Kaido looked at the two-story small building in front of him, which was only slightly taller than himself. He didn’t knock but walked around to the backyard.
After walking dozens of steps and crossing a low wall less than two meters high, Kaido finally saw La standing with her back to him in the yard.
Today she wasn’t wearing her usual plain white long skirt, but a simpler, more rustic country-style skirt, similar to those worn by the girls he occasionally glimpsed harvesting wheat in the fields on the island.
A wide-brimmed straw hat covered most of her profile, with the area above her lips hidden in shadow. Her long, golden hair was casually draped behind her, tied with a golden hair tie near the ends.
Compared to four years ago, La’s figure was now more slender and mature, fully embodying a young girl’s physique.
However, her demeanor hadn’t changed much. Even with just a simple back view, even dressed as plainly as a village girl, she could still attract all eyes like a black hole just by standing there.
“Captain Kaido, please enter through the gate this time.”
La’s ethereal voice finally shed its last trace of childishness. Unlike the strange voices of Aoxi and the others, who were still going through puberty, La’s current voice was one that could completely cleanse the soul.
Even Kaido was momentarily stunned by this elven voice… In recent years, because La had almost completely let go of matters concerning the pirate crew and was fully immersed in her leisurely world of tending to her garden, her meetings with Kaido and the others had become less frequent.
The last time they met was several months ago.
At that time, he had come to her for advice on a private matter, and without paying attention, he had crushed several of her carefully tended orchids while stepping over the two-meter-high wall.
Then, he had gone out to sea for several months under the guise of an inspection trip.
“Cough~”
Coughing awkwardly, Kaido obediently pushed open the iron gate in the center of the courtyard wall and squeezed into the yard.
Stepping onto the shallow lawn, Kaido curiously looked around.
He found that the scene here was completely different from his last visit. The colorful flowers had been removed, replaced by various melons and fruits and vegetables.
This ordinary courtyard seemed to have its own rhythm, and regardless of the external season, the land here always produced various crops according to the owner’s wishes.
“Counting the time, there should be a few more months until that child is born.”
“So, what is the reason for your visit this time?”
La, by the tea tree, stopped picking tea leaves, untied the hem of her skirt, and poured the collected tea leaves into an iron pot beside her.
Without immediately starting to stir-fry the tea, she directly picked a small handful of freshly picked leaves and brewed a cup for Kaido.
“Tell me what it’s about?”
A large white porcelain teacup was placed on the stone table in front of Kaido, who was sitting on the ground. La then took off her straw hat and sat down in a wicker chair opposite him.
Looking at the tea leaves in the cup, which had already fully unfurled with some unknown technique, Kaido took a small sip. After the fragrance and bitterness of the tea suppressed his complicated thoughts, he spoke:
“I’m considering the matter of Wano Country.”
“Mmm.”
La nodded, quietly waiting for Kaido’s further explanation.
“Someone came from Wano Country today, saying they hoped the Beasts Pirates would settle there and become a faction supporting their new Shogun, suppressing the ‘samurai’ stirring up trouble within the country.”
“In return, we can freely mine ore, set up factories, and capture laborers within Wano Country…”
These were already extremely lenient terms, almost to the point of selling out the country. From this, Kaido could guess how unstable the foundation of the new Shogun, named Kurozumi, was.
“As far as I know, Wano Country has quite skilled artisans and many rare ores, including Seastone… just as you joked back then.”
“If we take over that place, our plan will surely take a big step forward.”
“…”
“So why are you still hesitating?”
After listening to Kaido’s lengthy explanation, La had a rough idea of why he had come to see her, but she still wanted Kaido to state it himself.
“Mmm…”
“I’m thinking that if we follow the other party’s proposal and enter Wano Country, we will most likely have to fight the local ‘samurai,’ and their combat power is not to be underestimated.”
Kaido had seen a few samurai who had left Wano Country when he was in the Rocks Pirates. Almost every one of them was at the level of a Swordmaster, and their Haki cultivation was quite impressive.
“Of course, with our current strength, we wouldn’t be afraid of those guys, but I’m wondering if it’s worth it for just one Wano Country.”
“Furthermore, if we succeed, how should we handle Fenrir?”
“Wano Country is surrounded by natural barriers. Once the pirate crew migrates there, it won’t be easy to move out on a large scale. At that time, our defense will surely be weakened.”
“Not only that, but we can’t fully trust what that old woman said. She’s likely hiding something we don’t know.”
It was like an intermediary selling a house; the negotiator would only say good things. The hidden complexities could only be understood after stepping into them.
“In comparison, we’ve been managing Fenrir for many years, and all the facilities are complete. It might not be much worse than Wano Country.”
“Once the Beasts Pirates mobilize, regardless of the outcome, it will consume a lot of manpower and material resources, and even affect our current favorable situation…”
After saying so much in one breath, Kaido, feeling a bit dry, drank the tea in front of him and then pushed the cup to La, signaling for a refill.
Gulp gulp~
The second brew of tea was filled again. La put down the kettle, brought the noticeably lighter-colored tea back to Kaido, and then sat down again.
“Mmm~”
After listening silently to Kaido pour out all his thoughts, she was once again sure of the purpose of his visit.
“The latter part of your words, is that what Wright and the others used to persuade you?”
La spoke.
“That’s right.”
Kaido nodded directly in admission, then added:
“But their concerns are not unreasonable. After all, we are no longer the small pirate crew of a few hundred people we were back then. We need to consider these things carefully…”
“No.”
La shook her head upon hearing this.
“Captain Kaido, that’s not the point.”
“Meticulously calculating gains and losses, elaborating on pros and cons in detail… that’s what Wright and the others should do; it’s their duty.”
“For these matters, you only need to listen; you don’t need to think along their lines.”
“As captain, you only need to do one thing: clarify what you want.”
“Clarify what I want…?”
“Yes.”
La retracted her lazy gaze and instead looked directly into Kaido’s eyes with her crimson irises.
It was then that Kaido noticed that a faint golden eyeshadow had appeared around her eyes without him knowing when.
La had never had a habit of wearing makeup. This eyeshadow must have formed naturally… as if a mark of her transition to adulthood, this touch of gold at the corners of her eyes made her gaze and demeanor more sacred and majestic than before.
“You want Wano Country, don’t you?”
“If you want it, then take it.”
Looking into Kaido’s eyes, La said calmly:
“Samurai, conspiracies, secrets… none of that matters.”
“In the end, it’s just a country. If you want it, reach out and take it. If there’s resistance, crush it with strength. It’s that simple.”
…
