Chapter 97: Beastly will and Success!

King let out a tortured scream, collapsing onto his knees, his body curling up as the intense pain coursed through him.

"Is something wrong?" Kaido's expression shifted, clearly troubled.

Edie, however, remained unruffled, though he hadn't fully tested this theory before. Today was his first real trial, yet he exuded an unshakeable confidence.

"As you know, those with Devil Fruit powers can't consume a second fruit, or it disrupts the altered bloodline factor, leading to inevitable death." Edie continued, "But with this exact replica of his own ancient Zoan fruit, King's bloodline won't conflict. Instead, he's battling the animal spirit of the fruit itself, pushing him toward awakening. If he can dominate it, he'll achieve something extraordinary."

Kaido, skeptical, muttered, "And if he can't?"

Edie chuckled. "Then the fruit's spirit will consume him. Either way, we'll find out soon enough," he added with a wry smile, "the will of an ancient beast is no small adversary. You'd better hope he pulls through."

As they spoke, King writhed on the floor before unleashing a piercing screech, a sound inhuman and sharp, more suited to the ancient Pteranodon he was becoming. His transformation went wild as he morphed into a monstrous human-beast form, his Pteranodon beak splitting the air with a shriek. Wings erupted from his back, smashing through the roof as he broke free, soaring above the Flower Capital in an uncontrollable frenzy.

"It seems he's escaping," Edie noted with a calm sip of tea.

Kaido clenched his jaw. Though Edie might not be concerned with King's fate, Kaido valued his trusted subordinate. Rising abruptly, he demanded, "What's our next move?"

"Fight him. If he's not contained, the Flower Capital will be reduced to ruins," Edie replied thoughtfully. "Just know, this awakening is something King has to face alone."

The advice was cold, but Kaido took it in stride, transforming into his Azure Dragon form and launching through the window. He had spent recent years ruling the Flower Capital, and he wasn't about to let it be destroyed now. Meanwhile, Edie stepped outside, observing the situation with curiosity, hands casually tucked into his lab coat pockets.

Kaido's dragon jaws snapped around the frenzied Pteranodon, dragging King outside the city limits. In seconds, the sky exploded with their violent clash. King's animalistic fury was relentless, his strength escalating in ways even Kaido hadn't foreseen. Like a beast set free, King tore at Kaido with abandon, using his beak and claws with savage intensity, his Lunarian flames blazing with newfound ferocity.

"Impressive," Edie observed from a safe distance, joined by Chenlong, who remarked, "His power has surged to an astonishing level. Is this the strength of Zoan awakening?"

"Indeed," Edie replied, analyzing the fight. "His durability alone has multiplied, regenerating at speeds we've rarely seen. Even those jailer beasts at Impel Down don't compare to an awakened ancient Zoan with Lunarian heritage."

HISS~!

There was a deafening scream, and the sound pressure alone caused a strong wind.

Along with the strong wind, Thunderous Haki was swept in all directions... 

"Conqueror's Haki?" Edie's eyes flashed with surprise. 

King originally didn't have Conqueror's, but now he actually awakened Conqueror's Haki while undergoing the awakening trial. 

Although it is still weak, it is just an unconscious explosion.

 Kaido was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Oh hahaha... Conqueror's Haki~!" 

He was very happy. As his Right Hand Man, King should have such strength! 

Edie is quite reliable. If it weren't for his awakening method, King would never be able to awaken Conqueror's. 

In the sky, Kaido was growing more impressed, though he remained cautious, watching King's unleashed ferocity with satisfaction. "King! Don't let an animal's will overpower you!" he bellowed, his booming voice challenging King to rise above the primal beast within. The brutal battle continued, their clashes tearing through the skies and echoing across the land.

Finally, after nearly an hour of fierce combat, Kaido unleashed a powerful blow that sent King crashing into the ground, creating a massive crater on the city's outskirts. Smoke billowed as dust filled the air, obscuring their view.

Edie, with a mild expression, commented, "It's nearly been an hour. If he doesn't regain control soon, we'll have to consider it a failure."

Just as Edie was contemplating the outcome, the dust began to settle, revealing King's silhouette. He had reverted to a new, evolved hybrid form, kneeling but composed, breathing heavily as black Cloudy Flames encircled him. Kaido descended in his human form, his eyes filled with scrutiny. "King... is it you?"

King, still catching his breath, stood and nodded. "Yes, Lord Kaido. It's me Alber... I am myself."

Kaido's tense expression broke into a proud grin. "Well done! You really are my right hand!" He looked up to Edie, calling out, "Your methods worked, Edie! This Awakening Method is unlike anything I've ever seen."

Edie floated down, tossing a syringe to King. "Now that you've awakened, let's collect some data." King didn't hesitate, drawing a sample of his own blood and returning it to Edie.

"Thank you, Doctor. I feel far stronger than ever," King said, his voice filled with newfound resolve.

Edie nodded approvingly. King was now the formidable lieutenant that Kaido deserved, far surpassing the strength he'd once had in the original storyline.

Kaido looked at Edie, unable to hide his curiosity. "Can this method be applied to others?"

Edie's smile turned sly. "Only Zoans are suitable. The awakenings for Paramecia and Logia are entirely different. Are you up for it? Awakening the Azure Dragon fruit will be a much greater challenge."

Then, with a deliberate pause, he leaned in, explaining, "Imagine two wills in one body—both capable of control. So, what makes one a king and the other a horse? Who rules?"

Kaido's brow furrowed, uncertain of Edie's point.

"The answer is instinct," Edie continued. "It's that primal urge to conquer and tear apart anything in its path. Humans, too, are animals—survivors against nature, fighting and hunting to dominate."

"So… it's about taming?" Kaido's gaze sharpened. "King overpowered the beast within the Pteranodon. His fighting power grew because he became the king, and the beast became the horse. Is that Zoan awakening?"

With a nod, Edie replied, "Precisely. So… care to tame the Azure Dragon's Mythical will?" His tone was playful, but his meaning serious.

Kaido remained silent, weighing the risk. King's awakening had been a violent struggle, and his Azure Dragon form could potentially devastate all of Wanokuni if he lost control. But backing down wasn't his style.

"Who do you think I am?" Kaido snorted. "I'm in—but how much will it cost?"

Edie laughed. "King's awakening was 5 billion, but your Azure Dragon? That'll be 50 billion. Pay up, and it's all yours."

Edie knows that Kaido can't handle the Awakening right now but Kaido isn't the type to back off so lets charge him some money to delay it in a nice way. 

Kaido's scowl deepened. This was extortion—but he couldn't pass up the chance. With a begrudging sigh, he said, "Fine. I'll get the money to you." Internally, he wondered if Edie was bleeding him dry intentionally, hoping Yamato would one day bring this "vampire" of a scientist into the family.

At that moment, a squadron of Kaido's crew approached, led by a towering figure adorned with ivory tusks and a steely gaze. "Kaido-sama," the young man said, bowing.

"This is Jack, my newest commander," Kaido introduced. Jack eyed Edie with barely contained awe.

Edie smirked. "Fifteen, aren't you?" He had assessed Jack's age on sight, leaving Jack slightly baffled but nodding. Is this some power of science? he thought, unsure of what to expect.

Jack shifted, his expression serious. "Kaido-sama, we found something."

"Oh?" Kaido's gaze sharpened.

"I tracked the scent through the Inland Sea and discovered ancient Wanokuni's ruins… and a Poneglyph."

Kaido's eyes gleamed. With all 4 of the Poneglyphs collected, the final coordinates of Laugh Tale would be revealed. Only Gol D. Roger had ever made it there, where the legendary One Piece lay waiting.

"Good work, Jack." Kaido's grin widened.

But Jack wasn't done. "In addition, I discovered something else… an enormous battleship. It might be Pluton, the ancient weapon."

Kaido froze, his eyes widening, and Edie arched a brow, though he already knew about Pluton's location from his knowledge of the One Piece world.

Noting Edie's calm demeanor, Kaido smirked. "Not interested in studying it yourself? Perhaps we could waive the 50 billion fee if you want Pluton?"

Edie chuckled, already turning to leave. "Let's talk when you actually unearth it." He waved dismissively, signaling Chenlong to follow him.

Kaido watched him go, resigned. It looked like the 50 billion would be leaving his pocket after all.

Edie continued through the Flower Capital, heading to Caesar's artificial Devil Fruit lab. Alongside him, Chenlong muttered, "Sir, if the information about Pluton is true, perhaps I should—"

"No need," Edie cut him off. "Activating it would require reading ancient text, and the process is… complicated." He didn't need Pluton yet, not without Nico Robin's help to decipher it.

Caesar soon arrived to escort Edie to the test fields. They had rented 100 acres to cultivate experimental crops over the past year, and now, the golden grains towering three meters high stood as evidence of their success. These "grains" were enormous, each kernel the size of a fist and dozens of times larger than ordinary rice.

Edie picked a few kernels to examine. "What's the yield here per acre?"

"Doctor, it's a miracle!" Caesar chortled. "The fields have become legendary here. The villagers even come to pray for blessings."

Caesar explained the different crops grown in separate experimental fields. Unaltered grains yielded about 130 kilograms per acre, the standard for Wanokuni. But with Edie's modified high-yield crops and fertilizers, they now produced a staggering 8,800 kilograms per acre.

Edie's eyes sparkled at the numbers. If these yields continued, they could surpass the myth of a 10,000-kilogram yield. This was what true progress looked like.

Finally, he mused, "Whitebeard should consider selling food!"