Chapter 103 Bullet, I Heard You Are Not Convinced?

"Kaido, you're one of the Four Emperors, after all. They call you the strongest creature in the world, yet you were embarrassed by some young upstart."

The pirates nearby fell silent for a moment, before loud chatter erupted.

"What? The captain of the Red Hair Pirates was an intern on Bullet's ship?"

"Shanks? I heard he once narrowly beat the world's greatest swordsman!"

"No matter how strong the Red Hair Pirates are, they only have nine crew members. But this time, Kaido brought over a thousand men!"

As the discussion grew louder, Kaido smirked slightly. Bullet's blatant, provocative gaze was starting to grate on him, and his voice turned cold.

"Bullet, what are you trying to say? Are you going back on your word?"

The hulking man glanced around and let out a booming laugh.

"Kaido, I admit you're strong, and your tactics are impressive," Bullet said. "You've earned the title of leader of the Dragon Pirates."

He paused before continuing, "But I won't follow your every order. From now on, we're equals, jointly leading the Dragon Pirates."

Kaido locked eyes with Bullet, both of them standing firm. Around them, heavy hitters like Shiryu of the Rain, the colossal Vasco Shot, and a dozen other vicious pirates formed a loose circle, watching the standoff closely.

After a long, tense silence, Kaido finally smiled.

He had won his earlier bet and was now the nominal leader of the Dragon Pirates, but he knew that the crew was far from loyal. These weren't ordinary men—they were hardened criminals, either escaped from Impel Down or ruthless pirates who had long terrorized the New World.

Every pirate here had a bounty exceeding 100 million Beli. And then there was Bullet, a battle-obsessed maniac who respected nothing but strength.

Even without Bullet or Aokiji, the combined strength of the pirates on Beehive Island could rival that of the Beasts Pirates or Big Mom Pirates.

If Kaido wanted to assert his authority and make them obey, he would need to show overwhelming strength.

And that was fine by him. After his recent battle with the Red Hair Pirates, his body had undergone a powerful transformation. The fusion of his Devil Fruit abilities with the blood of Deathwing had left him stronger than ever.

Though his clothes were in tatters, and he looked like he'd been through hell, he felt more energized than ever and eager for a real fight.

Kaido's grin widened. "It seems you're not convinced yet."

"In that case... let's settle this with another fight."

Bullet blinked, momentarily taken aback, but then his face split into a wide grin as he cracked his knuckles. "A duel? I didn't want to take advantage of your condition, but since you're the one asking for it, prepare to be beaten to death."

"This time, it'll be a decisive battle between the two of us!"

Kaido shook his head slightly. "No, you've got it wrong."

He turned his gaze to the gathered pirates and, with a calm tone, said, "You all are coming up too."

"If anyone else is dissatisfied, feel free to step forward."

The crowd erupted in shock.

"Kaido! Are you insane?"

Aokiji's expression shifted, and he quickly walked over.

Leaving Bullet aside, the combined bounties of these eight people easily exceed one trillion Beli! In terms of power, they're no weaker than Vice Admirals of the Navy.

Even with his help, Aokiji wasn't confident he could handle so many enemies at once. Besides, he had just gone through a major battle with the Red Hair Pirates.

Though they ultimately won, it hadn't come without heavy costs. He, along with Kizaru and Kaido, were all seriously injured.

Kaido, in particular, had gone head-to-head with Shanks and suffered several severe wounds.

Aokiji glanced at Kaido on the deck, his heart filled with an inexplicable unease. As a Marine infiltrating the pirates, he had finally earned Kaido's trust. If Kaido died here, all of his efforts would be for nothing.

Meanwhile, "Big Barrel" Vasco Shot chugged his wine and sneered.

"All together? This guy's treating us like we're some weak, worthless fish! He doesn't even take us seriously!"

Shiryu of the Rain exhaled a puff of smoke, his right hand gently resting on the sword at his waist. A bloodthirsty smile curled across his lips. "Killing the world's strongest creature... that's a feeling I want to experience."

The Evil King Pizarro stroked his beard and laughed wildly. "Don't forget, this lunatic attacked the World Government under the name of the Dragon Pirates and seized the Heavenly Tribute. Capturing him would be a perfect gift for the Celestial Dragons."

Bullet, silent for a while, finally spoke slowly.

"You want to take us all on? You're truly a man on par with me. I didn't think you'd have the guts to say something like that. I've been underestimating you."

He added, "But fighting alone isn't much fun. How about we raise the stakes and bet on the spoils we've both brought back?"

"Kaido, don't blame me for taking advantage of your condition. Since you're the one proposing this duel, you won't regret it, right?"

This time, Bullet's side had brought back 120 billion Beli in loot, while Kaido's side had returned with 200 billion. Anyone with eyes could see this was hardly a fair deal.

Kaido, his face unreadable, simply nodded. "A bet? Fine, I agree."

"If you win, I'll hand over the 200 billion Beli behind me.

"But if I win..."

Bullet let out a sigh and spoke seriously, "Madness."

"You couldn't beat me in your prime, let alone now with your injuries. But fine. If you win, I'll have nothing more to say. I'll respect you from now on. Of course, that's impossible. The moment you agreed, your defeat was sealed."

"To die in battle is the best fate for a warrior like you. You have my respect, but don't worry—I won't hand you over to the World Government. I'll kill you with my own hands."

"After this battle, I'll lead the Dragon Pirates and use this 300 billion Beli to create the strongest army the world has ever seen. Then I'll rule the seas!"

"From that moment, the world will enter the era of Bullet!"

Pizarro, Vasco Shot, Catarina, and the others couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Kaido sighed slightly.

"Is that so? We're very different, Bullet. Unlike you, I won't kill you."

"Even though we don't exactly get along, you'd make a valuable ally in my plans to dominate the world."

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