Chapter 193: Oden’s Journal, Joy Boy

Late at night, Kaido, King, and Jack sat around a table, sipping sake and chatting idly.

With Tom officially joining the Beasts Pirates, Kaido was in a good mood. Gaining such a skilled craftsman meant the crew's naval combat capabilities would see significant improvement.

As the thought of the sea train crossed his mind, Jack suddenly leaned forward and asked,

"Kaido-san, if we were to build a sea train line between the mainland of Wano Country and Onigashima, what do you think the World Government would do?"

Kaido's face darkened. He shot Jack a sharp look and replied in a peculiar tone,

"What did you just call me? Kaido-san? After what you've been up to with Yamato, you still have the nerve to call me that? You little punk!"

"Bang!"

Kaido's massive fist came crashing down on Jack's head, leaving a large bump. Despite the pain, Jack just grinned and shrugged it off.

"Alright, let's compromise. I'll keep calling you -san, and you can call me your son-in-law."

"You brat!"

The room almost came down as Kaido swung again, but Jack dodged, still smirking. Kaido glared at him furiously and bellowed,

"Listen, you punk! You'd better treat Yamato well! I don't care if you have other women, but if you dare abandon her—"

Jack raised a hand and cut him off with a chuckle.

"Relax, Kaido-san. If I ever make her angry, Yamato would probably kill me first."

Kaido blinked at the response, then nodded thoughtfully.

"Fair point. Guess I don't need to worry too much about that."

Shaking his head, he waved Jack's earlier question aside.

"As for the World Government, the sea train isn't exclusive to Tom. Just invite one of his apprentices to help with the design—or better yet, bring them all in. The World Government isn't going to declare war on us over a little suspicion."

Jack nodded, then pressed further.

"Kaido-san, how much longer do we have to keep building our strength? Are we really not strong enough to challenge the World Government yet? Just how powerful are they?"

Kaido closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment before answering,

"Whether it's technology or sheer force, the World Government is undoubtedly the most powerful entity in the world. Defeating them in terms of technology is impossible. They've ruled this world for 800 years.

"The only way to topple them is by gathering a crew of immensely strong individuals. And I'm not talking about ordinary pirates—those are nothing more than fodder. We need fighters at least on the level of middle-ranking officers. Only people with that kind of strength can shrug off gunfire and fight for extended periods."

Kaido locked eyes with Jack and spoke with unusual gravity.

"Jack, devil fruits can enhance strength, but to reach the pinnacle of power in this world, mastering haki and physical prowess is non-negotiable.

"Take Garp, for example. His fists—you've felt them before, haven't you?"

The mention of Garp made Jack's face twist. Memories of that blackened fist and the excruciating pain it caused made him grimace.

Kaido chuckled darkly.

"Painful, wasn't it? If our Beasts Pirates had even a few fighters as strong as Garp, I'd wage war on the World Government right now. But we don't. So, we wait and keep building our strength.

"A human body holds limitless potential, but most people can't even take the first step. Even the World Government, with all its resources, can't produce too many top-tier fighters. People's lifespans are limited, after all.

"So, we wait. Patiently."

"Glug, glug..."

Kaido drained his sake and turned to the others.

"You've heard about Joker becoming a Warlord, right? That position will make certain things a lot easier for him. He's even connected with a member of the World Government's scientific division, which has significantly improved the development of artificial devil fruits.

"With these artificial fruits, I can create countless Zoan users."

Jack wiped his mouth and asked, sounding unimpressed,

"So your plan is to wait until we have enough artificial Zoan users to challenge the World Government? How long will that take? Don't tell me you're waiting for your grandkids to grow up, Kaido-san."

"Shut up!"

Kaido pulled a worn journal from his pocket and tossed it to Jack.

"I'd say we need about ten more years. This journal... It says I'll be defeated by Joy Boy in ten years."

Jack blinked in confusion as he flipped through the journal.

"A diary? Seriously? Who even writes diaries these days?"

Kaido leaned back and explained,

"This is Kozuki Oden's journal. His wife, Toki, had the powers of the Time-Time Fruit and could send people into the future.

"Yamato found this journal and gave it to me. It contains records of several events, some of which have already come true. But others... I don't know.

"I want to see for myself. If I'm not Joy Boy, then who is?"

Kaido's tone grew somber as he stared at the ceiling.

"In ten years, our forces will be ready. If I lose by then..."

"Smack!"

"If you lose, just retire!" Jack snapped the journal shut and tossed it aside.

"If Kozuki Oden was so good at predicting the future, why didn't he change it? Why'd he let you kill him? His son's dead, too. What, does he have a secret love child or something?"

Jack scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Give me a break, Kaido-san. Reading this nonsense will rot your brain. Predicting the future? Don't make me laugh! His whole family's dead. What's next, resurrection?"

Still, something nagged at Jack's mind. After a moment, he asked,

"Kaido-san, King, this Joy Boy you're talking about—who is he, really?"

Kaido and King exchanged a long, complex glance before Kaido finally answered.

"Joy Boy isn't a single person. He's a symbol. A spirit."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"I was expecting something grand. Joy Boy, huh?"

He puffed out his chest and pounded it loudly, declaring,

"Kaido-san, King, just let me train with you every day! In a few years, I'll lift the entire Red Line with one hand!"

That night, for reasons unknown, Kaido and King, both in their transformed states, carried a giant mammoth and disappeared into the night sky. Meanwhile, in the northwest corner of Wano Country, a strange tremor created a massive pit, trapping a group of bandits mid-robbery and saving hundreds of villagers.

-----------

The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg