18: The Beast Pirates' Information

Lying on the bed, Kaido reflected on the events of the day. Just this morning, he had been transmigrated into this world. Now, as the infamous Beast Kaido, he felt an immense pressure weighing down on him. After all, his subordinates were all incredibly powerful in their own right.

As their leader, he had to ensure that his strength surpassed theirs by a wide margin.

"Tomorrow, I'll test myself against the Tailed Beasts," Kaido muttered to himself. That was the only option. If he sparred with his subordinates, his current weakness would surely be exposed.

"Ah, I wonder how much of Kaido's true power I can actually wield," he sighed. The fusion of his new soul with this new body would take time to adapt. It wasn't as simple as it looked in stories.

It felt like that iconic moment in Dragon Ball, where Son Goku and Captain Ginyu switched bodies. Neither of them could fully utilize the other's strength, resulting in awkward battles.

"Governor, are you in there?" came Bailey Huang's voice from outside the door.

"Come in," Kaido replied.

The door opened, and Bailey stepped in, followed by several pirates pushing massive food carts laden with dishes. The pirates quickly set the food on the table and then exited the room without a word.

Bailey stayed behind, her arms full of thick stacks of documents. In her cheerful and youthful voice, she said, "Governor, these files detail all the pirates in the Beast Pirates crew who have bounties exceeding 100 million berries, or those with equivalent strength."

"Governor, please enjoy your meal while I slowly go through the reports with you," she added with a polite smile.

Kaido nodded, biting into a large piece of meat. "Hmm, start by listing everyone's age, bounty, and abilities. Let's begin with you."

"Yes, Governor," Bailey replied without hesitation. "Bailey Huang, Beast Pirates' Shinuchi and your personal secretary. I'm 24 years old, have not consumed any Devil Fruit, and am proficient in various martial arts and assassination techniques."

Kaido paused mid-bite, looking at her in astonishment. "You're 24? You're that old already?"

Bailey, wearing her signature mask, looked no older than a little girl—almost like a child cosplaying as a pirate. The revelation left Kaido genuinely surprised.

"Yes, Governor. I've been at your side for more than ten years now," Bailey said in her sweet, bubbly voice.

Kaido studied her carefully before speaking. "Take off your mask."

"My mask?" Bailey's voice faltered slightly, her cheerful tone dipping into uncertainty.

"If it's inconvenient, then forget it," Kaido said, waving it off as if it weren't a big deal.

"It's fine," Bailey replied, regaining her composure. With a soft sigh, she reached up and slowly removed the mask.

Kaido stared at Bailey Huang's face, his expression unreadable. Her features appeared severely burned, resembling a desiccated zombie, completely devoid of moisture or vitality.

Bailey avoided meeting his eyes, fearing rejection. Memories of Kaido's disdain for her as a child surfaced, making her even more anxious.

Kaido frowned slightly and said, "I'm sorry."

"No, no, Governor Kaido, there's absolutely no need to apologize!" Bailey quickly interjected, her voice trembling. "If not for you, I would have died over a decade ago."

Her tone turned fearful as she continued, "I was sold as a slave to Udon when I was a child. It was King who carried out the punishment there. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have survived back then."

"King did this to your face?" Kaido asked, startled. He had always wondered why her face was disfigured but never expected it to be caused by one of his own men.

"Yes," Bailey replied softly.

Kaido rubbed his temples before asking, "You're 24 now, right? How is it that your body hasn't aged a day since then?"

"You don't remember, Governor?" Bailey was surprised but explained honestly. "Back then, after enduring the punishment, I was on the verge of death. It was Master Queen who saved me using a poison—APTX4869—but it also halted my body's growth."

Kaido let out a heavy sigh. What kind of crew is this? he thought to himself. The Beast Pirates weren't just dangerous—they were outright insane. No wonder the original Kaido was so fond of trying to kill himself. His crew was a collection of lunatics.

Looking at Bailey's face, Kaido finally understood why she always wore a mask. Trying to reassure her, he said, "Don't worry. I know someone—he has the powers of the Op-Op Fruit. If we get the chance, I'll ask him to treat you."

"Thank you, Governor," Bailey said gratefully, her voice regaining its usual cheer. She put her mask back on, and with her bubbly tone, she sounded as adorable as ever.

"By the way, do you have a bounty on your head?" Kaido asked.

"Yes. I've followed Master Jack on several missions in the past, but my bounty is only 55 million berries," she replied. She pulled a wanted poster from the stack of documents and handed it to Kaido.

Kaido glanced at it. Bailey's masked face adorned the poster. Without commenting further, he motioned for her to continue.

Bailey nodded and began her report. "Let's start with the All-Stars. First, Master King, the Wildfire. He's 46 years old and the second strongest in our crew, right after you, Governor. His bounty is 1.472 billion berries. He possesses the power of the Ancient Zoan Pteranodon Fruit."

Kaido took King's wanted poster and couldn't help but feel a little irritated. Seriously? King's bounty is so close to mine?

His mind drifted to the Big Mom Pirates. Their second-in-command, Katakuri, was hailed as the "perfect man" by his family, but even his bounty barely exceeded 1 billion. Compared to Big Mom's 4.3 billion, the gap was immense.

Bailey continued, "Next is Master Queen, the Plague. His bounty is 1.32 billion berries. Like Master King, he's also 46 years old and possesses the Ancient Zoan Brachiosaurus Fruit. Master Queen is particularly fond of experimenting with viruses."

"And finally, Master Jack, the Drought. His bounty is 680 million berries. He's only 23 years old and wields the power of the Ancient Zoan Mammoth Fruit. He's a role model among the younger generation of the Beast Pirates."

Jack only has a bounty of 680 million? Kaido thought, tossing Jack's wanted poster aside without further comment.