16: The God Behind Kaido?

Kaido gazed at the three Tailed Beasts standing before him and spoke directly, "Earlier, I summoned Kurama and Shukaku. Kurama told me that, at most, I can only summon three Tailed Beasts at a time. So, I want to ask you—is there any way to summon all nine of you at once?"

"Summon all nine of us?" Matatabi, the Two-Tails, chuckled mockingly. "Hey, kid—Kaido, was it? Don't overestimate yourself. Being able to summon three of us simultaneously is already an impressive feat. Now you want to summon all nine Tailed Beasts? Dream on."

Son Goku, the Four-Tails, remained calm as he explained, "You don't have enough chakra to summon all of us at once. Don't forget—your world doesn't even have the concept of chakra."

"True, there's no chakra here," Isobu, the Three-Tails, interjected, "but your world has energy similar to it. If your strength reaches the level of the old man, the Sage of Six Paths, maybe then you could summon all nine of us at once."

Son Goku smirked and added, "You're already pretty strong. Among humans, at least, you're exceptional. Other than the Sage of Six Paths, his two brothers, and his sons, very few humans could ever hope to reach your level. Keep training and pushing your limits. Maybe one day you'll summon more of us together."

Isobu glanced at their surroundings and teased, "This world seems interesting, though. If the summoning time weren't so limited, I wouldn't mind wandering around for a while."

"The Sage of Six Paths' level, huh?" Kaido muttered, furrowing his brow.

He knew that the strength levels in the One Piece world were formidable. However, even the strongest individuals, like Whitebeard or the Pirate King Roger, would likely only measure up to someone like Madara Uchiha or Hashirama Senju from the Naruto world. As for reaching the Six Paths' level, such power didn't seem to exist in this universe.

Kaido thought back to his past life, where many fans loved speculating about power levels. Some argued that the Five Elders were secretly strong enough to annihilate Whitebeard or Roger. However, Kaido knew that if the Five Elders truly possessed such power, the Four Emperors would have been wiped out long ago.

Being a diehard One Piece fan in his past life, Kaido also understood that Oda, the creator of the series, had meticulously balanced power levels to avoid breaking the story's dynamics. No one character could defeat two Emperors simultaneously, which ensured a cap on the strength hierarchy. The Admirals and the Four Emperors were established as the pinnacle of power in this world.

Matatabi's voice pulled Kaido out of his thoughts. "Well, Kaido, any other questions before we leave?"

Kaido frowned slightly. The Tailed Beasts were undeniably powerful, but if he could only summon three at a time, it wouldn't be enough to overwhelm the other pirate crews completely. Even with the addition of the Tailed Beasts, the Beasts Pirates couldn't dominate the New World without question.

Matatabi seemed to grow impatient. "If that's all, we're heading back. Unless it's for a battle, don't summon us unnecessarily. Waking us up for trivial reasons puts me in a really bad mood."

"Wait a moment!" Kaido quickly interrupted as the Tailed Beasts prepared to leave.

His understanding of the contract with the Tailed Beasts was still murky. That golden finger of his—the mysterious cheat ability—had appeared suddenly and then disappeared just as abruptly. While Kaido had successfully summoned the Tailed Beasts and they didn't seem particularly hostile toward him, there were still too many unknowns. At least they weren't rejecting his summons outright, which was a good sign.

Kaido turned to the three beasts, gesturing toward the pirates standing behind him. "Is there a way for my subordinates to summon you as well?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, all three Tailed Beasts burst into uncontrollable laughter. Their booming, guttural chuckles echoed across the sea, filled with a mixture of amusement and disdain. Their eyes glinted with mocking derision.

"Kyahahahahaha!" Matatabi was the first to break the silence, her sharp voice laced with sarcasm. "This kid… he actually thinks his underlings could summon us? What a joke!"

Son Goku snorted, his tone dripping with condescension. "Do you really believe your crew could handle summoning beings like us? Kaido, I thought you were smarter than this."

Isobu joined in, his laughter slightly more subdued but no less mocking. "Your subordinates? Summon us? Now that's the funniest thing I've heard all day."

The pirates standing behind Kaido could feel the weight of the Tailed Beasts' ridicule, and a tense silence enveloped the crew. None dared to speak, unsure whether to feel insulted or relieved by the beasts' apparent lack of interest in them.

Kaido, however, remained unfazed, his mind racing as he considered their laughter and what it might reveal about the Tailed Beasts' true nature.

"Stop joking around, Kaido," Matatabi sneered, baring her sharp fangs in a cold smile. "Form a contract with humans? Don't make me laugh."

"Exactly," Son Goku added with a disdainful chuckle. "There's no way we'd ever follow a human's orders. You think those weaklings could sign a contract with Tailed Beasts like us? They're not even worthy."

"It's impossible," Isobu chimed in, his tone calm but firm. "Let's set aside the fact that we'd never agree to a contract with humans. Even if we did, they wouldn't have the strength to summon us. Look at that one over there." Isobu glanced at King, standing silently nearby. "This guy might have the power to summon us. But even then, we'd never agree to a contract with him."

The rest of the pirates stood frozen, unsure how to react to the Tailed Beasts' blatant scorn. King, however, bristled at their words, his eyes narrowing in frustration. Despite Isobu's subtle acknowledgment of his strength, the thinly veiled disdain was infuriating.

Kaido, unfazed by the tension, turned to the Tailed Beasts and asked directly, "Then how did you form a contract with me in the first place?"

"Oh, you don't even know?" Matatabi's voice dripped with surprise.

"Chosen without realizing it, huh?" Isobu muttered, his deep voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

"Chosen?" Kaido's brow furrowed as the word echoed in his mind.

Son Goku stepped forward, his tone shifting to one of slight amusement mixed with gravity. "It's not like we wanted to form a contract with you. There's a force—something beyond even our control—that compelled us to bond with you. It allows you to summon us across dimensions."

"What?" Kaido's eyes widened, shock rippling through him as he processed Son Goku's revelation.

"You really didn't know?" Son Goku continued, shaking his head. "There's a god behind you—a higher being. Put simply, you're a human chosen by a god."

"A god?" Kaido's expression shifted dramatically. Could it be that his reincarnation into this world wasn't a coincidence but the result of divine intervention? Was there truly a god orchestrating all this?

Behind him, the Beasts Pirates stared in stunned silence. The Tailed Beasts' words carried immense weight, and as they sunk in, Kaido's already towering figure seemed to loom even larger in their eyes. The man chosen by a god. None of them doubted the Tailed Beasts' statements—not after witnessing their overwhelming power firsthand.

Kaido, lost in thought, muttered to himself, "So… gods really do exist in this world?"

Isobu's voice cut through the silence, cold and steady. "Of course gods exist. Do you think you'd be capable of summoning us without divine intervention? In our world, the Sage of Six Paths was considered a god. Perhaps the god behind you intends to shape you into this world's equivalent—a god in your own right."

Kaido stood still, his mind racing as the implications sank in. If there truly was a god guiding him, then everything—from his rebirth to his newfound powers—was part of a grand design. A design he was only beginning to comprehend.

The Beasts Pirates, meanwhile, could only stare at Kaido in awe. The revelation had left them in no doubt: their captain wasn't just a mere man—he was a being destined for greatness, chosen by the divine to reshape the world.

Kaido's gaze shifted back to the Tailed Beasts. Determination burned in his eyes as he resolved to uncover the truth about the god who had chosen him—and to wield the power bestowed upon him to its fullest potential.