Chapter 149: Unexpected Questions

BAM!

Kaido's massive body crashed to the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth and leaving the Beast Pirates frozen in terror. King, barely hanging on to consciousness, stared blankly at Kaido lying beside him, his eyes devoid of emotion. Queen's round eyes bulged comically, still trying to process what he was seeing. He turned back towards the rear of Onigashima, as if holding onto some last, desperate hope.

"That can't be our boss. He doesn't have the horns, doesn't carry the spiked kanabo. That's definitely not our boss."

"Ah... ah… ah…" Jack struggled, his mouth hanging open, making noises like a drowning man. His limbs jerked involuntarily, completely out of his control.

"It's really Kaido, the Governor," Black Maria whispered, her gaze fixed on the blood-covered figure marked by dragon-scale tattoos. Who else could it be but Kaido?

But as she looked over at Kuke, her mind filled with disbelief. He was standing there, his clothes torn, revealing a perfect, muscled physique with no visible injuries. Both men were supposed to be Emperors of the Sea—how could there be such a massive difference between them?

"Our boss... lost?"

"It's over."

"We're done for. It's all over."

All of the Beast Pirates' officers seemed to lose their spirit. They fell to their knees, staring down in despair. Their boss had fallen, and with him, their hope.

The All-Stars lay sprawled across the battlefield—only Black Maria was still standing. The rest? Defeated, utterly.

Kuina and the rest of Kuke's crew eyed their opponents, Kuina especially frustrated. She was the kind who craved battle, and this had ended way too soon.

Stussy walked forward, her voice soft but mocking, "I told you to enjoy the fight while it lasted."

Kuina bit her lip, looking back at her. "But... the Captain ended it too fast."

"Captain didn't finish that fast," Stussy replied.

Kuina frowned, her face full of questions. Less than five hours had passed, and the fight was over. That seemed pretty fast to her. They hadn't even reached their limits. Kuina glanced at Kaido—the so-called Strongest Creature—feeling a bit cheated. Was this really all he had?

The silence was deafening.

The crew of the Sun and Moon Pirates stood with pride, their eyes filled with fiery determination. In contrast, the Beast Pirates were utterly deflated, their gazes dark and empty. Even the reckless Jack, after all his twitching and struggling, lay still, like a lifeless puppet.

Kaido and King lay side by side, staring at each other, their expressions a perfect mirror. How did we end up like this? their eyes seemed to say.

"This really is the end," Kaido thought, the unfamiliar sting of fear clawing at him. He had hoped that, even if he lost, his crew could still turn the tide. Perhaps he could make an escape.

But he hadn't anticipated losing in just a few hours.

Nor did he expect King and the others to go down so quickly.

"The Sun and Moon Pirates aren't opponents you can just overwhelm with numbers. They're monsters—every single one of them," Kaido thought, a chill running down his spine. And it had all started because he had been the one to provoke them.

"Captain, you really won," Yamato said, staring at Kuke in shock, her eyes wide. "How did you do it so quickly?"

Kuke raised an eyebrow.

Yamato burst out laughing, a silly grin spreading across her face. She lifted her kanabo onto her shoulder and swaggered over to her fallen father.

"Ha! You old bastard, looks like you've finally met your match! I always thought you were so strong, but you lost so fast!" Yamato taunted, grinning wildly.

Kaido's face turned a shade of green. His tiger-like eyes flared, and a menacing aura erupted from him.

Just then, Kuke stepped forward, positioning himself between Kaido and Yamato. There would be no sneak attacks today.

Kaido's aura vanished instantly. He eyed Kuke warily, his heart sinking further. He had hoped to recover enough strength to launch a counterattack, maybe even escape, if his crew backed him up. But his crew was in even worse shape than he was.

"Tsk, tsk…" Yamato shook her head, clicking her tongue.

Kaido's lips twitched. Enough already, he thought.

He wanted to roar, to shout—he was still Yamato's father, after all. But before he could react, Kuke glared at him.

"Back off."

Kuke's Conqueror's Haki surged, forcing Kaido's aura back into his body. Kaido winced, lowering his head in defeat, his face pale.

I've recovered some strength, but this guy's recovered even more, Kaido thought miserably. His endurance and resilience already surpass mine, and now his recovery rate too?

What kind of body is this? Kaido refused to believe that a human could possess such a physique. His pride, the one thing he relied on, had been shattered completely.

"Come on! Stand up and fight our Captain! Weren't you always acting so tough when you were dealing with me?" Yamato taunted from behind Kuke.

This was a moment she had dreamed of since she was eight. Standing there, seeing her father humiliated—even if it wasn't by her own hands, it still counted.

Kaido panted, his gaze cast downward, saying nothing.

"Admit it already. I'm with the Captain now. There's nothing you can say to change that."

Kaido's breathing grew heavier, his gaze vacant. He looked up at Yamato—his "daughter"—then at Kuke. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Despite the rage boiling inside him, Kaido knew he had no right to tell Yamato to come back.

"Yeah, I lost," he muttered.

The words echoed across the battlefield, reaching even the Beast Pirates who still harbored some last shred of hope.

He lost.

Kaido himself admitted it.

"I'm a loser. And losers don't get to make demands. Everything here is yours if you want it," Kaido said, his voice heavy with resignation.

He couldn't escape. There was no point in bluffing anymore.

Instead, he surrendered. Kaido, in his strange, twisted way, was familiar with both arrogance and defeat.

Kaido opened his arms wide, then collapsed onto his back, surrendering entirely.

"Finally acting like an Emperor of the Sea," Kuke said approvingly. He'd expected Kaido to be stubborn, clinging to his supposed immortality.

Hearing Kuke's words, Kaido's lips curled up in a faint smile.

Being praised by the man who had defeated him—someone he now respected—felt oddly good. It reminded him of his early days, back when Captain Rocks had once praised him. He'd been so excited, he couldn't sleep for three days straight.

Kaido mentally chastised himself. I'm not a rookie anymore. I'm an Emperor of the Sea, a monster of the ocean. How could I let a simple compliment affect me?

"Too bad your attacks were like soft little taps. It got boring," Kuke added.

Kaido: "..."

"Really, Captain? Was the old man's attack really like this?" Yamato punched Kuke's chest lightly.

"Pretty much."

Kaido coughed up blood and shut his eyes, pretending to be unconscious.

Kuke's eyes swept over the defeated officers of the Beast Pirates.

Each of them lowered their heads wherever his gaze landed, trembling slightly—even King.

"King," Kaido said quietly to his most trusted subordinate, "if he wants you, follow him."

The victor takes all.

Kaido had done the same thing in the past, building his crew from defeated pirates.

And King? He knew his value. A powerful warrior and a rare Lunarian—any Emperor would want him.

King clenched his jaw, his hand inching towards the sword at his side. He had made up his mind: if Kuke wanted to take him, he would resist with everything he had, even if it cost him his life.

But as Kuke's gaze passed over him, King tensed, ready for anything…

Only for Kuke's eyes to move on without even stopping.

King felt foolish, his bravado turning into a cruel joke.

"Two on one, and you still couldn't beat our Vice-Captain. Who'd want you?" Yamato scoffed.

King's face turned beet-red beneath his shattered mask, utterly humiliated.

"Not even interested in the All-Stars?" Ulti muttered, watching the scene.

The All-Stars—those high and mighty figures she had once looked up to—they were nothing compared to Kuke.

A strange surge of pride filled her chest.

Their Captain chose her. He hadn't chosen the All-Stars.

In Kuke's eyes, she was worth more.

That feeling of being acknowledged, of being valued, sparked a fierce loyalty in her. A willingness to fight and die for the Sun and Moon Pirates.

Kuke's eyes finally settled on Black Maria.

Her heart pounded.

"So, will you join me now?" Kuke asked. He had extended the offer before the battle, and now, again, after it.

Two invitations.

They felt entirely different.

Black Maria's lips trembled. She stared at Kuke, her mind swirling.

After a long silence, seeing no response, Kuke frowned slightly and asked,

"By the way, are you Kaido's wife?"

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DONT FORGET POWER STONE 

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