Chapter 23: Kaido Takes Action

King proved what true cruelty was. Even with Jack's incredible physical resilience, it took him an entire night of rest before he could get out of bed after their last training session.

From that day on, King regularly grabbed Jack and soared into the skies, only to toss him down like trash. At first, this took place over Onigashima, but soon, King began taking Jack to the remote areas of Wano, specifically Ringo, where there were fewer witnesses.

Ever since Kaido recognized Jack as a fellow "Oni," his regard for Jack had deepened. He instructed King to train Jack more rigorously in his free time and made a point of reiterating Jack's status to the Beasts Pirates.

This only fueled the disdain of the senior officers. Privately, they vowed that the moment Jack reached an age where Kaido would trust him with leadership responsibilities, they'd challenge him—no matter what.

To these battle-hardened officers, who had fought tooth and nail to earn their ranks, Jack was nothing more than an oversized oaf who had gained his position solely due to Kaido's favoritism. They couldn't accept someone like that standing above them.

Though Jack wasn't privy to their thoughts, he wasn't oblivious either. Having lived two lives, he could easily guess their intentions. After all, they were all working under Kaido to prove their strength. Why would they bow to a kid who wasn't even Kaido's blood?

So, Jack chose to ignore their hostility. He rarely interacted with them anyway—just a few times a year. He figured he could endure it for now.

One day, after another grueling high-altitude exercise, King carried Jack towards Kuri. From the sky, Jack could see smoke rising from the factories, massive deforestation leaving the land barren. The rivers, once pristine, now ran black with pollution.

Jack hesitated, but he couldn't hold back anymore. "King, if we keep letting this happen, the factories will completely ruin Kuri's environment! The water will be poisoned, the air polluted—people will suffer from disease. That can't be good for our rule!"

"And I've heard we've forbidden the people of Kuri from using weapons. How are we supposed to recruit new members here if they're left defenseless?"

"Hm?" King glanced at Jack, shook his head slightly, and descended to the ground.

The moment they landed, a group of samurai wearing traditional kimonos and sporting chonmage hairstyles rushed at them with drawn swords.

"They've found us! There's no point in running now!"

"Kill them! Slay the devils of the Beasts Pirates!"

"Jack," King said coldly, pointing at the charging warriors. "These people are nothing but slaves—ants we can crush at will." Drawing his massive blade, which dwarfed even Jack, he lunged forward.

With a swift slash, the battle was over. Bloodied corpses littered the ground.

"See that, Jack?" King said as he wiped his blade clean on the nearest body. "Give them weapons, let them become warriors, and they'll rise against us. These people hate the Beasts Pirates with every fiber of their being. Starving them, leaving them thirsty—it's the only way to keep them in line."

"Remember, Jack: sympathy and pity have no place among us."

Jack quickly nodded. "Got it, King. I understand."

But inwardly, Jack couldn't agree. Kaido and the others believed in ruling Wano through brute force and fear—a strategy Kurozumi Orochi enthusiastically supported. The harsh laws and cruelty only reduced the people of Wano to livestock, ripe for slaughter.

This was no way to rule a country. Temporary plundering? Fine. But Kaido often spoke of Wano's strategic importance to the Beasts Pirates. He even planned to overthrow Orochi when the time was right and seize full control of the nation.

Yet violent tyranny was the least sustainable form of governance, as history had shown time and time again. Tyrants never met good ends.

Jack wanted to discuss this with Kaido—to suggest a path that would strengthen the Beasts Pirates in the long term. But before he could do that, he needed to stand on equal footing with Kaido. No, he needed to earn Kaido's respect—not just by relying on favoritism, but through undeniable strength.

Until then, nothing would change.

As King grabbed Jack again and took to the skies, Jack glanced at the fallen samurai below and sighed. What a waste. Those men could've been valuable recruits, strong assets to their cause.

They landed at the gates of the tallest building in Bakura Town. A group of pirates scrambled to greet them.

"King-sama! Jack-sama!"

"Is Kaido inside?" King asked.

"Yes, right this way!"

The lackey hesitated at the door, clearly nervous. Kaido wasn't the most approachable when drunk, and interrupting him could lead to a rather painful "reward."

King, unbothered, pushed the door open. A strange odor hit them, making Jack gag slightly. But when he saw what lay inside, his irritation turned to envy.

Tall, beautiful women lounged around Kaido, their long legs stretched out as they reclined next to him.

Kaido sure knows how to enjoy life… Jack thought wistfully.

"Kaido-sama!" King called.

"Mm… King. You're here." Kaido lazily waved the women off. They got up, dressed, and walked past King, who didn't even spare them a glance. Jack, however, gave King a cheeky look.

Seriously? Not even a glance? Are you even a man? I can't touch them, but I'd at least sneak a peek!

"King," Kaido said, stepping outside. "I'll leave Kuri in your hands. It's time for me to check on the new recruits."

He grabbed Jack roughly and leapt into the sky.

"Uh, Kaido-sama, aren't we going back to Onigashima? This isn't the right way…"

"Oh, didn't King say you're fine jumping from 5,000 meters? Let's see how you handle 6,000 today."

"Kaido-sama… I'm touched. I could cry…"

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