Chapter 89: 088. Onigashima!

"Is it really you?"

Ulti eyed him suspiciously, finding it hard to believe since she had never seen him before. However, when she noticed the horns on his head, she blinked in surprise.

"A member of the Oni race?"

"Correct." Kaido grinned. "You two are as well, though that kid's bloodline seems impure—he doesn't even have horns."

Ulti rolled her eyes. "That doesn't matter. The fact remains that Pay-Pay is my little brother."

Kaido nodded approvingly, pleased with her response. He wasn't some weak-minded racist.

"Then come with me."

As he spoke, Kaido turned his gaze to Moses, satisfied with the boy's decisive actions earlier.

"Kid, you're coming too."

It wasn't a request but an outright command.

"What if I refuse?"

Hearing Moses' words, Kaido laughed and strode forward, his towering presence exuding overwhelming pressure.

"I'll break your legs, drag you back in chains, and starve you for a month. By then, you'll agree willingly."

Moses' lips twitched.

At that moment, Ulti darted in front of Moses, placing herself between the two. She glared at Kaido with fury.

"We'll go with you. But can you promise not to hurt him? Moses saved me and Pay-Pay."

Kaido ignored her, his piercing gaze still fixed on Moses as an intimidating aura radiated from him.

"Your decision?"

"I'd rather not have my legs broken."

Moses flashed a grin.

Kaido's lips curled into a smirk, impressed by Moses' composure and lack of fear. He burst into laughter.

"Wororororo! I like clever brats. You've got guts, kid."

Then, he added with another laugh,

"You three—no, four—wait for me at the edge of the island over there. I've got some old acquaintances to meet. I'll be back soon to take you with me. Wororororo!"

Pointing in a direction, Kaido's body expanded grotesquely. In a single breath, he transformed into a terrifying, serpentine azure dragon—hundreds of meters long—with the head of a dragon, antlers of a deer, body of a snake, paws of a tiger, claws of an eagle, and tail of a fish. The majestic Eastern dragon coiled into the sky.

Moses watched as Kaido flew toward the direction he had come from.

A flicker of something unreadable passed through his eyes. "Is he going to get his ass kicked?"

He wasn't worried about Garp.

Meanwhile, Ulti stood dumbfounded, muttering in awe, "Was that… a dragon?"

"Yeah. A Devil Fruit User. The Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon—a Mythical Zoan-Type."

Moses added silently, "One of the most powerful Zoan fruits, and the most suitable Devil Fruit for Hiyori."

Too bad he couldn't obtain it.

Seconds later, deafening roars of pain and maniacal laughter erupted in the distant sky. Hurricane-force winds, dark clouds, and wild lightning surged upward, painting a scene of apocalyptic terror.

Suppressing a pang of guilt, Moses realized that leaving with Kaido might just make Garp lose his temper.

If he ran now, he could probably escape Kaido's clutches.

But this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Wano was a land brimming with "treasures," and missing out would be something he'd regret forever.

Of course, that was only if the risks weren't too great.

Although Kaido wasn't a good person and was prone to mood swings, he had one hobby—collecting talented individuals. He possessed extraordinary tolerance for quality talents. Given that his current appearance was highly deceptive, Kaido probably wouldn't pose any threat to him.

The timing, location, and circumstances were all favorable.

If he didn't dare take even a little risk, he wouldn't deserve to be a possessor of Conqueror's Haki.

Once he got what he wanted, he could just find an opportunity to escape.

At that moment, Ulti snapped out of her shock and urgently said to Moses:

"We should leave quickly. That monster Kaido is fighting someone. Let's wait for him at the edge of the island over there."

As she spoke, she grabbed Page One's hand and prepared to leave. Moses then asked, "Don't you have anything to take from your home?"

Ulti tilted her head and suddenly laughed:

"We're so poor we're almost starving to death. What valuable things could we have? All that's left are some useless, tattered clothes."

After saying that, Ulti hurriedly added, "Let's go quickly. I can already hear Kaido howling in pain."

Moses heard it too. It seemed his grandfather's Iron Fist was still as formidable as ever.

Immediately, he went with Ulti to the edge of the island.

Upon reaching their destination, the trio—plus a panda—began waiting patiently.

Terrifying roars and explosions continued from the opposite side of the island.

Half an hour later...

A wounded, monstrous azure dragon flew over, laughing maniacally. With a thunderous crash, it landed on the shore, its right dragon claw grabbing Moses and the others before soaring straight into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.

A dozen seconds later, Garp arrived at the scene. Though his shirt was slightly torn, he looked full of vigor and satisfaction. He clicked his tongue:

"That dragon brat runs fast."

But then his eyes widened, filled with shock.

An almost disbelieving groan escaped his lips: "Why was Moses with Kaido?"

Garp's composure instantly shattered.

His Observation Haki uncontrollably continued to sense.

A few seconds later.

With an expressionless face, he cursed:

"Harm shouldn't extend to family, you damn worm. Just you wait."

Garp no longer cared why Moses had been taken by Kaido. All he knew was that his home had been raided—and that was all he needed to know.

Through Observation Haki, he sensed Kaido had already flown far away, beyond pursuit. Expressionless, he turned and headed back toward the warship.

...

The sensation was different from flying on his own. The wind whistled past his ears—not loud, but incredibly fast.

Moses could sense that the wind around Kaido was under his control, transforming into a force that continuously accelerated their flight.

After flying for a long time, Kaido had been observing the kids in his grasp with Observation Haki, focusing particularly on Moses (the panda didn't count). Not just their aura strength, but even the feel of their bodies in his grip told him much. Suddenly, Kaido spoke:

"Kid, your name's Moses, right? How old are you?"

At the same time, Kaido came to a stop, hovering steadily in the sky, surrounded by dark flame clouds, his serpentine dragon body coiling in midair.

He spread his right claw before his eyes.

Kaido's gaze fixed on Moses as he demanded:

"Age."

"Twelve."

"Worororo! You're good. Very good. From now on, you're with me."

Moses didn't answer, silently lowering his eyelids instead.

Kaido paid no mind to this scene. He had seen plenty of talented brats before. Now that this one had fallen into his hands, he had plenty of ways to bring him under his control.

Wealth, power, beautiful women.

Or trust, friendship.

He had all of these things. One day, he believed, this boy would become his right-hand man, fighting by his side to conquer the world.

"Let's make it official. I'm Kaido, known as the King of Beasts. I will become the strongest in the world—and your future boss."

Kaido laughed wildly. "Wororororo! Kid, introduce yourself properly."

"Moses. No title."

Kaido wasn't bothered by Moses' "aloof" demeanor. In his eyes, the "strong" were entitled to their own quirks.

The next moment,

He manipulated his flame clouds to place Moses in the grasp of his other dragon claw, holding him separately as he soared through the sky with his serpentine body, flying toward the distance.

The difference in treatment brought by strength was immediate.

Moses didn't refuse. Staying in a "private room" was definitely more comfortable than sharing a crowded space.

As time passed, Moses recognized that Kaido was flying along the Calm Belt, heading toward Reverse Mountain.

It seemed he intended to fly over Reverse Mountain and enter the New World directly, taking a shortcut to Wano Country, deep in the New World.

The journey was long. They ate once a day. When mealtime came, Kaido would catch a sea king—at least a hundred meters long—from the Calm Belt, roast it with his flames, and then bring everyone down for a feast.

When thirsty, they drank the blood of sea beasts.

A primitive, savage existence.

Two days later, Kaido led them over Reverse Mountain.

Three more days passed.

In the distance, a medium-sized island formed by seven small peninsulas came into view.

The island had two particularly remarkable peninsulas.

The central peninsula was covered in strange rock formations and breathtaking scenery, with several exceptionally beautiful landscapes.

Kaido flew past several of the peninsulas before finally landing on a smaller island, separated from the other six.

The island was peculiar.

At its center stood a massive rocky mountain shaped like the horned skull of a monstrous creature.

Onigashima.

They landed at the mouth of the skull-like rock formation.

Kaido released Moses from his dragon claw. After five days, he finally had the chance to stand on solid ground again.

Bear Cub wobbled over and plopped down beside Moses, his voice thick with exhaustion. "Bear hungry."

Moses turned to look at Kaido, who had already reverted to his human form. The man grinned.

"Come on, I'll take you all to a feast."

A group of people, having spotted Kaido's return, rushed forward eagerly.

At their head was a tall, powerfully built man wrapped entirely in black leather attire, his head encased in a black horned helmet.

Most striking were the large, powerful black wings on his back and the flames burning fiercely at the back of his head.

"Lord Kaido, you're back. Did you enjoy your trip?"

Kaido laughed.

"King! It went well. Found a few promising recruits—especially this Moses kid. He's strong. I'm in a good mood. Get the feast ready."

King the Wildfire, the current All-Star of the Beasts Pirates—effectively the second-in-command of the crew.

Kaido briefly introduced Moses, the Ulti siblings, and Bear Cub before instructing King to lead them inside the skull to find accommodations.

This level of regard was exceptional.

Even King seemed slightly surprised, his brow lifting thoughtfully beneath his mask.

Once Kaido finished his instructions, he left.

Stepping through the skull's mouth into Oni Island, they were greeted by a long stone staircase ascending before them. Flanking the steps were rows of vermilion torii gates resembling archways, with strings of crimson lanterns hanging on either side.

Admittedly, the sight gave off the eerie sensation of entering the gates of hell—an overwhelmingly sinister Sense Perception.

Truly worthy of its name as Oni Island.

At the top of the stairs lay a spacious wooden hall, with an upper loft on one side. King, leading the way, remarked coolly:

"This is the banquet hall. After you freshen up and rest, come here."

The interior of the skull was constructed like a labyrinth of wooden palace-style structures, blending timber and stone. The mountain's hollowed interior had numerous light shafts carved into it, keeping the space surprisingly bright.

Soon, walking along the wide wooden corridor on the second floor, King stopped before a wooden door. Sliding it open, he revealed a suite—three bedrooms, a living area, and two bathrooms.

"You'll stay here from now on," King stated flatly from the doorway.

Moses surveyed the well-equipped layout with curiosity.

"Does everyone who joins get such nice accommodations?"

King replied coldly:

"Only those recognized by Lord Kaido—those with the potential to become strong—are assigned high-tier quarters like these."

"Only future officers of the crew are given priority lodging here."

The whole setup was so systematic it almost gave Moses the impression of stumbling into a pyramid scheme.

King added, "Fresh clothes will be delivered by the wardrobe division later. Go wash up first—you reek."

Moses' expression darkened, but Ulti immediately fired back—proof that her defiance had been there since childhood:

"Try living rough every day, eating charred raw meat when hungry and drinking fish blood when thirsty, then talk. Don't spout nonsense if you don't know."

King listened silently to Ulti's retort. Once she finished, he responded calmly:

"Since you've said your piece, I'll add this: Here, strength reigns supreme. Those without power should know their place."

Before the words fully left his mouth, his right leg blurred into an afterimage, lashing toward Ulti's abdomen.

Moses' eyes flickered, recognizing that King was holding back. Yet, he pushed off the ground, appearing midair before King in an instant. The blade Cold Dew traced a dazzling arc in his right hand.

Simultaneously—Clang!

A spark erupted from King's neck as the formidable impact disrupted his attack, forcing his right foot back a step.

King touched the stinging spot on his neck, then turned his head slightly, his cold gaze piercing through his goggles. Suddenly, he laughed.

"Not bad. At your age, having the strength to make me retreat is impressive. No wonder Lord Kaido values you."

"Keep growing stronger, kid. Fight tooth and nail to become Lord Kaido's right-hand man."

The next instant, King appeared right in front of Moses, his massive hand clamping onto Moses' shoulder with terrifying force.

"However, you're not yet qualified to face me."

With those words, he grabbed Moses by the shoulder, spun around, and hurled him away.

Moses' body became a blur as he was sent crashing toward the rocky wall on one side of the room.

Regulating his Breath, Moses controlled his body mid-air, using the momentum to twist around. His feet slammed heavily against the wall, dispersing the force through it—crack! crack! crack!—spiderweb-like fissures spread across the surface.

Locking eyes with King, Moses channeled his strength and kicked off the wall with all his might—Boom! In an instant, he closed the distance between them, appearing right before King.

Cold Dew in hand, he thrust with ruthless precision toward King's eyes.

Seeing this, King sneered coldly:

"Pathetic."

He swung his fist without hesitation.

As the punch aimed for his head, Moses twisted nimbly in mid-air, redirecting Cold Dew. His left hand braced the hilt as he drove the blade with both hands straight into King's fist. Simultaneously, he whipped a devastating roundhouse kick at King's head.

Clang!!

A deafening metallic clang resounded.

Moses was sent flying back from the impact.

King stared at the thin trail of blood on his fist, disbelief coloring his voice:

"How... is this possible?"

Moses chuckled lightly:

"Why wouldn't it be?"

(End of Chapter)