Chapter 90: 089. Banquet! Child of Oni!

All things in existence possess their own Breath frequency fluctuations. Though King's defenses stem from his racial abilities, they are difficult to breach through ordinary means.

Unless one employs high-level Haki to surpass his limits—such as Conqueror's Haki Infusion.

However.

By synchronizing his own Breath frequency fluctuations with King's through Disguise, Moses could interact with him using the same "power," much like how water blends seamlessly with water.

Thus, even if he couldn't pierce through King's body directly, Moses could still bypass the innate defenses granted by his racial abilities.

Appraisal

Strength Evaluation: B

King merely relied on his physical prowess to suppress Moses—a man who coasted by on racial gifts alone.

Neither outstanding nor lacking.

He knew many things.

But mastered none.

Moses stood casually, yet his posture betrayed readiness for another clash at any moment.

Behind his mask, King's expression darkened before he took a deep breath, his tone eerily calm.

"You're strong. But remember—arrogance doesn't grant longevity in this world."

Moses chuckled. "No need for your concern, Lord King. If I ever fall to another, it'll simply mean I was outmatched."

"Hmph!" King turned to leave, then paused. "Don't forget the banquet later. Kaido won't be pleased if you're absent."

As King walked away, Moses exhaled sharply, muttering, "That bastard's fists pack a punch. He was clearly aiming for me."

Indeed, as a high-ranking officer, King wouldn't stoop to petty squabbles with Ulti. If he truly wanted to discipline a brat, he wouldn't dirty his own hands.

Just then, Ulti approached with Page One in tow, bowing her head apologetically.

"Sorry… I caused trouble for you again."

Anyone could see King was second only to Kaido in this crew. By defending her, Moses had made an enemy of him.

Moses blinked. "Just an apology?"

Ulti looked up, confused. With a grin, Moses added, "You'll handle my laundry while I'm here."

She sighed in relief. "Deal. But… shouldn't you apologize to him? This wasn't your fight."

Moses waved her off. "Did you forget King's words? Strength dictates everything here. Weaklings live as beasts of burden—the strong thrive."

Ulti pondered this. Wasn't this just like that accursed island? In the end, survival still demanded relentless effort.

Yet, her cheeks flushed as she met Moses' gaze.

"Moses… are we friends?"

He raised a brow at her expression. "Want me to watch your backs?"

Ulti bit her lip. Having grown up in such a world, she knew the value of a strong ally when one lacked power.

"I want Page One and me to acknowledge you as our big brother. From now on, we'll follow your lead. You don't need to protect us too much—just help us avoid being bullied by those we can't resist.

Will you?"

Ulti stared intently at Moses with her wide eyes. Her request wasn't excessive—she just wanted to live peacefully with her younger brother.

In this unfamiliar place, the only one she could rely on was Moses, who had arrived with her and had caught Kaido's favor.

This was, in a way, an instinct for survival.

Would Moses refuse? Would this count as poaching from Kaido's ranks?

The answer was—

"Forget about being my little siblings. But you two seem alright. We'll still live together—as friends."

Ulti's expression fell at first, but when she heard the word "friends," her eyes immediately curved into a lovely arc, and a genuine smile spread across her face.

"Yeah, we're friends. Best friends for life."

With that, she smacked Page One's head. "Hey, Pagey, call him 'big bro' from now on. Moses is just like me—your older brother now."

"Quit hitting my head, sis. I'll turn stupid," Page One grumbled helplessly before glancing at Moses shyly and calling out, "Big bro."

Moses gave Ulti and her brother a strange look, especially Ulti. She really knew how to seize an opportunity—quick-witted indeed.

This time, Moses didn't refuse.

After checking out the three rooms, Moses chose the one with a window overlooking the sea to share with Bear Cub, while the siblings took the remaining two rooms for themselves.

Before long, a woman knocked on the door and respectfully delivered several sets of fresh clothes.

Moses, Bear Cub, and Page One squeezed into one bathroom to wash up, scrubbing each other's backs, while Ulti used the other bathroom.

Once cleaned up, they gathered in the living room, chatting on the sofa. Time flew by, and after about an hour, a young man arrived to summon them, saying the banquet was ready—sent by Lord King.

Walking down the spacious hallway, they soon reached the first floor.

The massive banquet hall was already packed with noisy pirates.

Moses scanned the room with the guide but recognized very few faces—even those he might have known were just kids now.

Their arrival didn't draw much attention since they were newcomers, and hardly anyone knew them.

Still, some sharp-eyed individuals noticed the unfamiliar faces but dismissed it—after all, their Captain Kaido had a habit of picking up random kids to raise.

Especially in recent years.

Like that nearly five-meter-tall oni girl, Black Maria.

Or that four-meter-tall hardheaded fish-man kid, Jack.

Then, Moses spotted King on the second-floor balcony, waving them over. The guide immediately turned to them and said,

"Right this way, sirs. Lord King is calling you upstairs."

Though Moses had no idea what Kaido was scheming, he knew better than to resist—he didn't have the strength to flip the table yet.

No doubt, even though King was the one waving, this had Kaido's approval.

They ascended the wooden staircase at the side of the hall to the second floor.

When they reached Kaido's area, the first thing they saw was the man himself, seated at the head of the table.

Next was King, followed by a rotund, bald man shaped like a ball—though not entirely bald, as a long golden braid hung from the top of his head down to his waist.

A few tall young men and women sat below.

Glancing down at the three who had changed into clean clothes, Kaido's eyes flashed with satisfaction as he motioned for Moses, Ulti, and Page One to step forward to the edge of the loft.

Then he strode over himself.

Looking down, the hall below was packed with his subordinates. Kaido cleared his throat—not loudly, but instantly, the room fell silent.

The pirates all looked up at Kaido and noticed the three newcomers standing beside him.

Pleased with the scene below, Kaido suddenly burst into wild laughter, his black hair whipping behind him:

"Wororororo! Listen up, brats! Today, I've got some good news—I'm taking in three new kids as my own!"

He gestured toward Moses and the others.

"That's right—Moses, Ulti, and Page One! From today onward, they're my children!

Cheer all you want!

Celebrate all you want!

Enjoy the welcoming feast to your heart's content!"

With the announcement made, Kaido turned and strode back to his seat, guzzling down liquor without a second thought for the trio's reactions.

The pirates below were stunned at first, but soon erupted into deafening cheers, their roars shaking the heavens.

They didn't know why Lord Kaido had made this decision, but if he said it, they'd play along.

After all, Kaido was the absolute king here—the undisputed ruler.

At this moment, Ulti turned to Moses in confusion, and he too looked bewildered.

Just what kind of scheme was Kaido playing at now?

Kaido drank deeply, then ordered someone to guide Moses and the others to the low tables on either side of the loft, his eyes gleaming with triumph.

Originally, he had only planned to throw a welcoming feast—not actually adopt them. He wasn't like that freakishly strong old man Whitebeard or that collector hag Big Mom, playing house like children.

But after King had come to him earlier and mentioned how Moses had managed to trade blows with him—even landing a sword strike—Kaido couldn't stay calm.

A born swordsman prodigy.

He suspected Moses had already grasped the Breath of All Things—otherwise, injuring King wouldn't have been so easy.

He knew better than anyone just how tough King's racial defenses were.

He hadn't expected Moses' talent to be this exceptional. The destructive power of a top-tier swordsman was something he understood all too well, and so he decided to secure Moses' loyalty properly.

In his crew, the greatest honor he could bestow was making someone his child.

Besides, Moses was still young—younger than that rebellious brat of his—so there was plenty of time to mold him. That's why he'd done this.

As for Ulti and her brother, they were just extras. Though they had some connection to their deadbeat father, there was no need to go this far. Bringing them back at all was already the greatest Blessing he could offer.

As for whether the three of them agreed—in Kaido's mind, that wasn't even a question.

There was nothing a good beating couldn't solve.

And if that didn't work?

Then he'd just hit them again.

Kaido was a firm believer in the "stick first, talk later" approach to education.

Noticing Moses, who was eating with his head down nearby, didn't object either, Kaido grinned triumphantly.

But then his eyes fell on Yamato eating behind the low table beside Moses, and his mouth twitched as his mood instantly soured.

Ungrateful child.

He cursed inwardly while taking a large gulp of strong liquor.

Moses devoured the grilled meat and various delicacies on the table, paying no mind to Kaido's random claim of fatherhood since he hadn't verbally confirmed it on the spot.

He simply treated it as drunken rambling.

There was no need to openly reject it and bruise Kaido's ego—getting beaten up over it wouldn't be worth it at all.

Let him have this small victory for now.

Having reasoned it out, Moses cared even less.

He focused entirely on the feast before him, shutting out the outside world as he wholeheartedly enjoyed his meal.

Just like Bear Cub at the neighboring table, whose mouth hadn't stopped moving since arriving.

After the meat on the table had been replenished five times, Moses finally had enough and turned to see a horned girl around thirteen or fourteen glaring at him while eating.

Her long, gradient hair transitioned from white at the roots to green and then blue at the tips.

Parted down the middle, the strands at her temples naturally draped over her chest, while the rest was tied into a ponytail. A pair of small, crimson, upward-curving oni horns adorned her forehead.

Her delicate, pretty face complemented the form-fitting white sleeveless kimono she wore, adorned with intricate patterns, paired with a crimson pleated skirt.

Sitting cross-legged on a cushion, her feet clad in wide wooden sandals were visible.

Surprisingly, however, shackles connected by a short length of chain adorned both her wrists.

"Why are you glaring at me like that?"

Moses swallowed his mouthful of meat, looking exasperated.

Yamato finished chewing but continued staring silently.

Somehow, Moses detected a hint of defiance in her gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"Mute?"

Yamato kept glaring while stuffing her face with meat from her own plate.

Moses gave up, ignoring her to focus on his meal.

Half an hour later, Moses was still eating, his stomach showing no sign of fullness.

His energy, however, had fully replenished.

Meanwhile, the girl next to him seemed stuffed, her eyes rolling back as if the food had lodged in her throat.

In the end, she admitted defeat.

"Pathetic," Moses muttered under his breath.

BAM! A hand slammed onto the table.

Yamato finally spoke, her glare turning hostile.

"Who are you calling pathetic?"

"Whoever responds."

For a moment, they locked eyes—one indifferent, the other seething.

Neither backed down.

The entire room's attention shifted to them—one was Kaido's biological daughter, the other his newly claimed foster son.

Kaido merely watched blearily, utterly unconcerned.

And since Kaido didn't intervene, no one else dared speak up.

Eventually, Yamato gritted her teeth, pulled out a spiked club from under the table, and stormed off.

Unfazed, Moses glanced at the chubby man downstairs performing absurd dance moves and rapping noisily on stage before leaving as well.

Bear Cub swallowed the entire table along with its contents in one gulp and hurried after Moses.

Noticing this, Ulti and her brother followed suit.

Descending the stairs and reaching the first floor, Moses walked through a long corridor until he emerged outside Oni Island, taking in deep breaths of fresh air.

Before long, he arrived beside a rocky outcrop by the shore. Gazing at the endless expanse of the sea, Moses pondered silently.

Given the speed of Garp's warship, if he came to "rescue" him, the time he could stay here wouldn't be long.

He needed to think carefully about this.

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached. Moses turned to see King walking toward him. Moses curled his lips and asked,

"What are you doing here?"

"Kid, are you planning to run away?"

King spoke coldly, his tone carrying an unmistakable threat—as if he would pounce on Moses the moment he said the wrong thing.

"Without even a boat, how the hell would I run? Swim the whole way? Ever think to use that brain of yours?"

Moses retorted in exasperation.

A chilling aura instantly radiated from King ass the flames behind his head roared to life. His voice turned icy as he said,

"Starting tomorrow morning, someone will take you to the dedicated training grounds for cultivation. From then on, you'd better focus on nothing but your training."

With that, King turned and left.

Moses scoffed but said nothing.

Seemed like he really had to go tomorrow. If he didn't deal with these people, he wouldn't have any freedom afterward.

-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there 

patreon.com/QueenTL

Thanks!