The festival was over.
The sun had long since risen, and Onigashima was a scene of chaos. All across the island, pirates stirred from their slumbers, groaning at aching heads and churning stomachs, hoping that their vague memories were just bad dreams, and in some cases wondering just who they had woken up next to.
And like every great army after a great celebration, the captains - the Headliners - were ready for them.
As they woke, groaning and cursing, they searched their quarters with trembling hands, until they found the hangover tinctures they knew to keep hidden there. One gulp, and a few moments retching, and they strode out to take charge; their mouths tasting like sewage, and in no mood for funny business. Unlike their lessers, they could not get away with acting slovenly.
Strolling along the streets of the Main Floor, King could see it all.
He watched the lowly Waiters groaning as they trudged to their duties, Headliners barking and snapping at them. Slaves were hard at work too, clearing up the mess left by the previous night's festivities, and generally handling the menial tasks even Waiters considered beneath them.
There was no real need for him to be there. The Headliners had a handle on things, as they generally did. He had half-expected some trouble in the Red Light district, but there hadn't been any save for that mess for that Deku fellow. Beyond that, it was just the usual unfortunates stumbling out of the brothels, hurrying away lest they be charged for another night. He had seen one unfortunate pirate run screaming down the street, while his former hosts giggled and blew kisses after him.
Yes, Onigashima met all the demands. One sometimes had to be careful where one visited.
He paused for a moment, watching a group of pirates working a wall. There was a very large hole in it, shaped vaguely like a very large human. He peeked through it, and saw a line of similar holes, running through the buildings behind it; all the way to the outer wall.
Exactly as Kaido had described. Yamato had disturbed his night with Black Maria, forcing him to teach her yet another violent lesson. In no mood to sleep, and with Black Maria having taken herself back to her quarters, Kaido had settled instead for King's lounge.
It had been a long night, but a good one, all things considered. King feared Kaido as all the Beast Pirates did; but he also understood him, as few in all the world did. That was probably why Kaido sometimes liked to drink with him, especially when he was in one of his moods. He even mused that Kaido was something akin to a comrade, perhaps even a friend.
And he had been, King had known. His relationship with his daughter had long tormented him. She was his only family, the one person he could not bring himself to kill. But instead of accepting his love and benevolence, or at least obeying him, she was bent on imitating Kozuki Oden.
King understood why, and Kaido knew that he did; though neither had said a word. There had been something different about that man, something special. He was not surprised that Yamato had admired him, yearned to be like him. To live in his legend was to escape from this place, if only in her own mind was an understandable desire.
He had something like it too, once.
But Yamato did not understand. She could not understand, because she had not endured what he and her father had endured. She had not suffered as so many of the Beast Pirates had suffered. She did not know the world for what it was. Until she did, she would never understand her father's dreams, let alone value them.
He sighed. There was nothing he could do about it, and the work crews were about their tasks. If they kept up, they would have the walls repaired by nightfall, and there would be no sign that any of it had happened.
He strode off, ignoring the fearful eyes that followed him. Slaves lowered their heads, pirates snapped to their tasks, and Headliners snapped to attention as he passed. The latter he acknowledged with a quick nod, silently encouraging their efforts as he strode on.
Satisfied that there was nothing more to see on the Main Floor, he headed for the nearest stairs, and down to the lower floors. The sooner he completed his rounds, the sooner he could get down to the docks and check on the ships, then head back up to his lounge to relax for a bit before Kaido summoned him. There would be orders, no doubt; and the faster they were carried out, the better.
Then, as he reached the lower corridors, he saw something he did not expect.
There were pirates down there, but they were not hard at work. They were standing or sitting around, scratching themselves or rubbing at their heads.
King did not say anything. He did not need to. He just strode along, the pirates scattering hither and thither as he passed, some of them shouting in terror. So it was, as he strode along the corridors into the armory, and then out into the docks.
This didn't make sense. They shouldn't have been mooching around, not even on the day after the Golden Festival. He had expected to find Spytand Malice down there, scaring them into order. But there was no sign of him.
King strode along the docks, until he reached a familiar set of ships; the ships of Malice's fleet. They were in good order, as usual, with the crews finishing up their morning checks. Some of them were hanging around on the docks, and turned to look at him as he approached.
King knew them well. Many species and both genders; and a fair few Gifters. Most were muscular, all were hard-eyed. Those without claws and teeth had spiked bracers and pauldrons, their belts and bandoliers festooned with weapons. Around each neck hung a red scarf, the same as Malice wore.
Hard cases, one and all. The kind of pirates who could cope with a man like Malice. The kind of pirates only Malice would take on.
"Where is your commander?" King demanded, stopping in front of them.
"Don't know, Lord King," replied one of them; a square-faced pirate with a scar running down over his right eye.
"What do you mean, you don't know?" asked King, with exaggerated calm.
"We don't know where he is, Lord King," another cut in, a black-furred mink, a weasel by the look of it, with nicked ears. "He hasn't been down here all morning. The Headliners went looking for him, but they haven't come back."
Now that was odd. He had known Malice for years; ever since he had recruited him on Dressrosa. This was not like him, not at all.
Something was wrong.
He turned on his heel, and strode off across the docks; towards the main entrance. He strode up the main stairs three at a time, pirates scattering out of his way as he ascended.
At the top of the stairs was the assembly hall. It was a large, vaulted chamber, the walls lined with bulletin boards, and the ceiling festooned with loudspeakers. It was in this place that pirates gathered to check the bulletin boards, and figure out where their units had been assigned for that day; and over the following months. It was currently deserted, and well it should have been; for the early afternoon shift was still ongoing. During shift-change, it would be utter pandemonium.
King paused a moment, glancing around on the off-chance of a Headliner; someone who might have seen Malice. But there was no one around.
Except there was.
There was a Waiter over by one of the bulletin boards; a young girl with blonde hair. She was working at the board, pulling out the various name plaques and sliding them back in again, whispering to herself all the while.
Behind his mask, King's lip curled. She was only young, from the look of her, but only Headliners or above were allowed to arrange the bulletin boards. Surely she must have known that?
Apparently not. And he was going to have to correct her.
He moved behind her, moving as quietly as he could. She continued her work on the board, blissfully unaware of his presence.
"...no, they can't go straight on sea duty! They should go over…here! And these guys…no, it'll take them that long to get back! Maybe…these guys instead…!"
"Ahem."
"Eep!" The girl let out a shriek, and dropped several plaques on the floor. "Hey! Don't make me jump like…that."
She paused, as she looked him up and down, like she had never seen him before.
"Oh wow, Lord King!" she exclaimed. "I've never seen you up close like this! You really are tall huh."
King regarded her for a moment. She looked even younger up front than she had from behind. A little young to be a Beast Pirate.
"What are you doing with that bulletin board?" he asked, gently but firmly. "Don't you know only Headliners can alter it?"
"I'm doing it for Lady Ulti!" declared the girl, apparently unperturbed despite him towering over her.
It was… impressive, in its own way.
"I'm in her crew, see?" the girl said, showing the marking on her shoulder to confirm her words, "And this whole schedule just doesn't make any sense! It'll drive her nuts! So I'm fixing up so it'll work!"
His curiosity piqued, King knelt down and looked up and down the board. Now that he came to it, there was nothing obviously wrong with the schedule. It was tidy, efficient, something akin to what he saw on Marine boards inside battleships
Though when he saw those last, most of them were on fire, or about to be.
"What was wrong with it before?" he asked, as the girl finished picking up the dropped plaques and sliding them into place.
"Well you see, Lord King, they had it all messed up!" The girl began pointing all over the board.
"They had these guys coming back from sea duty and going straight back out again! That's no good, because they'll get stinking drunk and they won't be good for sailing for a couple of days, and the ship will need a week of down time anyway; unless they take another one, and the guys really don't like sharing their ships, so there'll be a brawl and stuff'll get broken and half the guys'll end up in the hospital. So I put them on Torii guard duty instead, to give'em time to settle down."
She pointed to another set of plaques.
"And over here, they were gonna send these guys out on guard duty over in Wano. But that's dumb, because Lady Ulti wants to go to Dressrosa next week, and she only likes that crew for her flagship. If anyone else tries to handle her, they'll get it wrong and drive Lady Ulti nuts! And she has been in a bad enough mood since Yamato made off with her new boyfriend! So I put these guys on the garrison run instead, and her fave crew on dock duty, so they're ready any time!"
"Hmm…"
That much made sense. Like any pirate of any note, Ulti had a flagship built, armed, and furnished to her own precise wishes; and like any pirate of note, she was extremely proud of it. No two ships were alike, and to handle a ship like that a crew had to not only be good, but to know their ship well.
And Ulti was particular about such things; more so than any of her fellow Flying Six.
"You seem to know your business," he said. "I'm impressed."
And he was. He had never seen anyone manage a schedule like this, especially not one so young.
"Thanks!" exclaimed the girl, blushing, her blonde hair covering her eyes. "Lady Ulti says I'm good at this!"
"And so do I. But I didn't get your name."
"Oh, it's Bao Huang, my lord!" She snapped to an approximation of attention.
King looked over the board again.
"How did you come to be here, Bao Huang?" he asked. "You seem young to be a Waiter."
And fearless, or at least without care to look up at him with only the minimum of respect.
"Yeah, well, they said that but they took me on anyway! I wanted to be a pirate so I could have all the sweets I'd like! But the dumb orphanage in Kano I was in didn't have any, so I snuck out and climbed on the first boat out of here! And guess what, it was Lady Ulti and Lord Page One's ship! Haven't looked back sense, even though a lot of guys around here have been mean and stupid!"
"Did they treat you badly?" he asked, nearly losing control of his calm, eyes narrowed.
"No worse than I got in the orphanage, but you have to be quick on your feet round here!"
That much was true. For all her bouncy manner, the girl was clearly not stupid. She had a talent, and one he could use.
"Come with me, Bao Huang. I might have a use for you."
"Oh? Am I gonna be made into a geisha or a courtesan? The guys keep saying that'll happen to me one day."
"No. I'd like your help in organizing our operations for the near future. You're obviously good at that sort of thing, so here's your chance to take it further."
"Can I have all the sweets I want?"
He mentally went over the excess gold that his pirates had. Hardly an expense considering some of the others.
"By all means."
"Okay!" Bao Huang beamed. "I'm happy to be your lead scheduler and secretary!"
"Don't jump the gun, small one. You've only just begun to…"
"Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring. Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring."
King paused, and pulled out his transponder snail.
"This is King."
"Message from the Prison Mine, my lord, please come at once."
King tensed. Whatever it was, it was important. Important enough to have him return to his lounge and receive it in person. But his snail handlers knew their business. Anything that important was too important to risk someone eavesdropping.
"We shall have to go the quick way. If you'll excuse me."
He bent down and scooped up Bao Huang. The girl blinked in surprise as he carried her out of the hall, through a room and onto a balcony outside. Once outside, he spread his wings, and leapt into the air. Bao Huang gasped as they flew, his black wings carrying them onward and upward; into the vast space of the Skull Dome.
"WHEEEEEEEEEE!" shrieked Bao Huang, making his ear ache.
"Can't you keep it down?" he retorted.
"THIS IS SO MUCH FUUUUUUN!"
King groaned. This girl was starting to get on his nerves. He would have to do something about that personality of hers, if she was to be his scheduler.
And how could she be so innocent, in a place like this?
Fortunately, it did not take him long to reach a window near the Dome's crown, entering the upper tower, and the open verandah of his apartments. Two pirates were on guard, snapping to attention as he came into land, and set Bao Huang gently down.
"Wow, that was something else! It would have taken me half the day to climb all the stairs to get up here!" she exclaimed, bouncing with excitement. "I'm gonna like working for you, Lord King!"
"HUUUUH?!"
The two pirates' chins hit the floor. King rolled his eyes, and strode off towards the snail room; Bao Huang falling in beside him.
"You are about to see the Snail Room," he said, as they strolled along the elegantly-decorated corridor. "It is where I receive my messages. If a message is given as urgent, it means it is for my ears only. Tell me of such a message, and I will return to recieve it, or else I'll tell you what to do. Understand?"
"Sure! Gotta watch your privacy in this place! Lord Queen loves to eavesdrop!"
He certainly did. Which was why such elaborate measures were necessary.
"Lord King, why are those guys sniffing sugar?"
King glanced where she was pointing. They were passing the main lounge, where several of his officers were about their usual pastimes.
It was, in fact, not sugar.
"Because they want to," he replied.
"Can I try some?"
"Not till you're older." A lot older.
"Awww man!"
Mercifully, they reached the snail room. The guard on the door snapped to attention, then opened the door for him. King acknowledged him with a nod, and strode inside, Bao Huang hot on his heels.
The snail room was a large square room; the floor lined with racks, upon which transponder snails stood. Handlers sat at desks below the racks, every so often picking up a snail, listening, and taking down its message; or else reciting a message to go out. Others hurried up and down the desks, taking in messages or handing them out. Some even communicating with others on the other end of the line.
Eyes glanced at him as he strode down the middle. But King waved at them to stay down, and they kept on with their work. They understood how important it was; to him, and to the Beast Pirates.
His destination was an enormous desk at the very center of the room. The desk was set on a turntable, allowing its occupant to swivel round and see whatever was going on. The desk was festooned with paper and snails, and at the tall, spiked-encrusted throne behind it, sat a small, bald pirate, as small as Bao Haung actually but far older. The Chief Handler, Pedro.
"My lord!" Pedro greeted him, jumping down from his chair. "An urgent message from the Prison Mine. They've found Spytand Malice."
The chief was not talking very loudly; but the entire room went silent.
"What are you listening in for?! Get back to work!" yelled the chief, through a loudhailer set into his throne. The handlers quickly did so, hunched over their desks, heads down.
"What do you mean, they've found him?" King asked, incredulous.
"They've found him half-dead in a crater, my lord," Pedro went on. "They swear he came falling out of the sky and crashed, just like that."
On instinct, some part of King wanted him to crater Pedro's head just for lying to him like that. Only, King could not bring himself to believe that they were lying; not about something like that. And he had known Pedro for years. The Headliner wouldn't dare to lie to him.
But it made no sense! How did Malice get all the way out there?
"What condition is he in?"
"They said he looks like he got run over by a battleship, Lord King," replied the chief. "He'd been in a fight, and got badly hurt. They're taking care of him in the Executive Tower."
"Have they any indication of what happened?"
"Not much, my lord. They said he's been thrashing and babbling; going on about Yamato and a Deku."
Yamato and Deku.
The plot was thickening. But how did they manage to knock Malice all the way to Udon? He could almost believe Yamato could do it, but not after a fight with her father, and not in her shackles.
Unless…
"Did they tell anyone else about this?" He asked, leaning down to whisper into Pedro's ear.
"Vice-Warden Daifugo swears that he hasn't, my lord."
"Warden Babanuki isn't back yet?"
"He says not, my lord."
King gritted his teeth. Daifugo lacked the imagination for scheming, as did Babanuki. But Queen was the master of Udon province, and not someone either could afford to alienate. If Queen learned that Malice was there…
"Send a message to Daifugo. Tell him to keep Malice alive. Also, call in any Headliners not on duty or high; I have a mission for them."
"At once, my lord."
King turned and strode out of the chamber, Bao Huang toddling after him.
"Wow!" she declared, as the door was closed behind them. "Intrigue and adventure! On my first day!"
King glared at her. She really was innocent. She either had no conception of what this meant, or she didn't care.
"Yes, an intrigue," he said. "I last saw Malice last night, chasing a man named Deku. Now he is in Udon, near death, and muttering about Yamato and Deku."
"Sucks for him that he landed in Udon," commented Bao Huang. "Everybody knows he hates Lord Queen's guts and wants to kill him. If Lord Queen got his hands on him in that state…Yikes."
She trailed off. King stood, silent, fists clenched. Spytand Malice, the only member of the Flying Six he could actually rely on, was lying half-dead in the Prison Mine. Half-dead, and helpless, in Queen's own province; with nothing and no one to protect him.
"You like Lord Malice, don't you Lord King?" mused Bao Huang innocently.
King glowered at her, but could not bring himself to reply. If he was capable of normal emotions, if he was anything other than King the Wildfire, then he might have admitted to liking Spytand Malice. The man was a pile of human wreckage, it was true. But they were similar, enough so to make him worthwhile. He thought the way King himself did; or as close as a mere human could manage, anyway.
"He is valuable to me," King said. That was the most he was ever going to say. "And he is in terrible danger."
"Well, he's not really. Lord Queen's not there, and Warden Babalun's not there either. He only left at lunchtime."
King paused, taken by surprise.
"You're sure?"
"Oh yeah! I always watch the ships going in and out! Lord Queen hasn't left, and Warden Bababoony left at thirteen-hundred twenty-two hours; just after lunch!"
King blinked.
"You noticed that too? And his name is Babanuki."
"Oh yeah, I notice everything! In the room back there, there were two hundred snails and forty handlers! Of the handlers, twelve had blue eyes, six had…!"
"I need something more relevant!" snapped King. "I need to know what happened to Spytand Malice!"
"Oh?" Bao Huang paused a moment. "Well, there was a huge battle sight on the western beach! I saw it when we flew around the Dome!" King blinked.
"There was?"
"Oh yeah! Craters! Rocks smashed up! Somebody really threw down!"
King was stunned. No one had reported any such thing. Then again, few bothered to go out there, or had any particular reason to. Nothing but sand, a few forests, and the coast behind the mountain range surrounding Onigashima.
And…Yamato's room was on the western side of the Dome… closest to the beach past the mountains.
"Are you sure?"
"Honest! I wouldn't lie to you Lord King! Not when you promised me cookies!"
King blinked, stunned by the comment. Then he noticed the faces peering around the doorframes, watching him in utter disbelief. He glared at them, and they disappeared.
"If you saw this battle, why didn't you report it?"
"I didn't see the battle, Lord King! Just the place afterwards! With you just now I might add!"
"And you didn't mention this… why?"
"You didn't ask, and I was having a lot of fun flying up here with you! Plus you looked like you were super busy and didn't want to get in the way of your urgent business!" she chirped. The Lunarian sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose..
"Come with me."
He strode back down the corridor to the verandah, Bao Huang hurrying after him. The guards snapped to attention as he entered.
"I have summoned some of my Headliners here," he said, curtly. "When they get here, tell them to wait in the lounge, but don't get high. Understand?"
"Yes, Lord King! But we are on the top of the tower, we're already pretty high!" King took a deep breath.
'Gods save me.' He'll let this pun slide. Once.
"In the meantime," he looked down at Bao Huang, ignoring her question. "I'm going to have to go all-out. Brace yourself."
Without further ado, his body began to change. He relished the looks of awe and fear on his subordinates' faces as he transformed; the wingbones bursting from his arms, his mouth lengthening into a long, narrow beak.
"That's so cool!" Bao Huang bounced up and down, eyes bright with wonder. "That's the best dinosaur transformation of them all, Lord King!"
King sighed. He was going to have to do something about this girl's personality. He had no idea what.
"Hold on to me," he ordered. Bao Huang did so, grabbing onto his coat and holding tight. With that, he ran across the verandah and leapt out of the window. His wings spread, catching the air currents, bearing him through the sky. He dropped down, the air whooshing past as he swooped over the Main Floor, and out through the main entrance; pirates scattering with cries of terror, Bao Huang cheering like a child at a carnival.
Then he was out, in the afternoon sunlight, well as much sunlight that can phase through the overcast clouds. He dropped one wing, and banked towards the west. There, down below, he could see the western side of Onigashima; wreathed though it was in volcanic smoke.
"You said it was down there?" he asked once again. "The western beach?"
"That's the one, Lord King!"
He swooped, beating his wings in long, slow thrusts. He was fast in this form, fast enough that he could reach anywhere in Onigashima in mere minutes; and even fly all the way to Wano. That was what he needed now. Time was of the essence.
He slowed as he dropped down through the smoke, beating his wings to slow and hover, as he reached the western beach.
It was as Bao Huang had said. The sand was plowed up and cratered, rocks shattered, trees uprooted. There had indeed been a mighty battle there. Not the mightiest he had ever seen - not he, who had seen Kaido fight - but quite a battle, all the same.
And he saw something else.
He dropped down, landing with practiced skill, and setting Bao Huang down on the sand. He waddled across the beach, his body returning to his Man form and made for longer strides, and stared down at what he had seen.
Yes, he was right. It was indeed a pair of handcuffs, with a key in one of the locks.
His eyes widened, his heart stopping.
Seastone handcuffs. Very worn. Very beaten. And open.
Yamato's cuffs.
"Impossible…" he whispered. Yet there it was. Yamato had somehow gotten her cuffs off. Her seastone cuffs that if forcibly destroyed, would explode.
But how? How was it possible? Those cuffs were Queen's own work; nigh-impossible to pick. How could she have gotten free?
He reached down, rather awkwardly, and slid the key from the lock. Yes, there was no doubt. This was indeed the key, the one and only key. The key that was supposed to be in Kaido's pocket.
She could not have gotten it. Someone else must have gotten it for her. This Deku character must have gotten it somehow. He must have sneaked into Kaido's room and made off with the key.
Yes. It made sense. When Kaido had stopped by his lounge the other night, he had been wearing only a bedsheet. His trousers must have been in his bedroom; unattended, and unnoticed.
Impressive. Was this Deku a ninja? He had heard of them pulling off such heists. But it had been a while since any of them dared to infiltrate Onigashima. It was news to him that there were any of them left alive.
He looked up across the sea. The sun was high in the sky, just beginning its journey down to the horizon.
North, northwest, and northeast. All lead towards Wano. South only lead to the falls that would fall into the Grand Line.
Malice must have realized. He must have followed one or both of them to this place, and tried to stop them. They had fought him, and either Yamato or this Deku knocked him all the way to Udon.
And then…
"They're gone…" he said, the truth chilling him to the bone
"Who, Lord King?" asked Bao Huang as she trotted by his side.
"Both of them," he said. "Yamato and Deku. They defeated Malice, and fled from this place."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
He stuffed the cuffs and the key into his pockets.
"Grab on, we must return."
(X)
Bao Huang did as she was bidden, grabbing onto King's coat as he took off.
This was easily the best thing that had ever happened to her. Nothing like this had ever happened at the orphanage. Being on Ulti's flagship had been kinda fun, with Ulti bouncing around, and making Page One's life a misery. And while life in Onigashima could be a scary place at times, there was plenty of fun too; when she could find it.
None of it compared to this. Nothing could compare to flying. To be up in the sky, with the cool air rushing past, and the sea and the land down below. She could never imagine that Onigashima could be so magnificent, or that those big, dumb pirates could look so small and scared; when King swooped down and sent them scattering.
But soon enough, they were back in King's quarters; high up on the tower inside the Skull Dome. It was a place most Beast Pirates could only dream of entering. And yet there she was, little Bao Huang the orphan, whom King himself had selected as his personal scheduler.
Or at least, that was where she fully intended to end up. Onward and upward, to power and glory, and all the sweets she could possibly want!
She stood on the verandah, watching as King returned back to his human form. Or at least, to his human-looking form. Bao Haung was fairly sure that humans didn't have big black wings like that. Or had fire around their necks. She had heard all the rumors about King's origins; but didn't at this stage know what to make of them. To be a good observer, you had to have something to observe.
And King had revealed little or nothing about himself.
"Come with me."
Bao Huang obeyed, following him along the corridor again. This time, King led her into a large, well-appointed office; with a desk big enough for a dozen pirates to feast off of.
"This is my office. Wait here until I return, and say nothing of this to anyone."
Bao Huang was taken aback.
"But what about our schedule…?"
"Later!" He sounded more than a little worried. "Just…here!"
He grabbed something from off the desk, and thrust it into her hand. It was a bag, with something inside.
"Your reward! So just stay here! I'll be right back!"
He strode out, and the door slid shut; leaving her alone.
Bao Huang stood where she was, feeling herself deflate. It had been so much fun, hanging out with King like that. People acted like he was some kind of terrible monster, but he didn't seem that way to her. It had been…nice, flying with him like that.
Yet there she was, all alone once again; an inconvenience to be put aside.
Oh well! At least she had something to eat! That was more than she had on some days, even back at the orphanage! She opened the bag, wondering what treats could be inside.
"Bleagh!"
Rice crackers. Plain, bland, boring, rice crackers.
This would not do. She had been promised sweets, not boring old rice crackers. But of course, King was distracted, and not himself. He was probably worried about that guy Malice, and about what had happened to Yamato. From the looks of things, she had done a bunk with that Deku guy, the one who had been creeping about the night before. She had thought about mentioning it to King, but he seemed to have it figured out on his own.
So of course, with all that on his mind, King had - in a moment of confusion - not given her the sweets he had promised. Since that was blatantly true, it stood to reason that there must be some sweets around the place, somewhere.
But where?
Bao Huang clambered up the desk via the steps on his chair, like climbing a ladder,, and looked around. The walls were lined with bookcases, filled with books she didn't recognise, and probably could not ready anyway. She looked around, looking for a place where King might hide his sweets. Sweets were tasty, and people around here would steal them; so he would have to put them somewhere safe.
Safe…like that chest on the top of the bookcase.
Bracing herself, Bao Huang stepped carefully over the desk, and clambered onto the bookcase. She climbed, forcing herself not to make a sound, or to disturb any of the heavy-looking tomes, until she reached the top, and opened the chest.
It wasn't sweets. It was a fruit, but a fruit of a kind she had never seen before.
And fruits were sweet! Yes! This was the reward King had meant to give her!
Beaming, she lifted it out of the chest, and joyously bit into it.
"Yuck! It tastes awful!"
(X)
King strode along the corridor, as fast as his long legs would carry him. Being six meters tall, that was fast indeed.
This was bad, very bad; and it was about to get worse. But as bad as it was, there was only one thing to do.
It did not take him long to reach Kaido's pleasure hall. The doors clunked open, and he strode inside.
The pleasure hall was as it always was. Kaido sat on his throne, pouring down sake as if it were about to be banned. Queen sat nearby, draped with courtesans, while Jack was guzzling rum almost as fast as Kaido. Musicians sat off to one side - provided by Black Maria, from the look of them - while lesser courtesans poured drinks and brought new bottles.
On Onigashima, when one got above a certain rank, the festivities never stopped.
"Well well if it isn't King!" proclaimed Queen; smiling a most unpleasant smile. "The King of the Bling! Come and join the fun!"
His courtesans laughed, though not with any great malice, and added their calls for him to join in. King stood where he was, wondering what on earth he was going to say, and trying not to lose his temper.
"ALL OF YOU QUIET!"
The musicians stopped playing, and the hall fell silent. All eyes were on Kaido, as he set an empty sake gourd down, resting his cheek on his mighty fist. He was wearing a purple robe, with his rope belt over it. And for all the sake he had clearly drunk, his eyes were quite clear. He didn't look mad, only expectant given King's display.
"King, what is the matter?" Kaido's voice was a low growl. "Why are you standing there looking at me like that?"
He was the only one on the whole island who dared do so. Just as Kaido was the only one who could read his mood, his thoughts, so readily. He knew, from one look, that something was badly wrong. And he was nowhere near drunk enough to have lost his wits. King wasn't entirely sure that was even possible.
"Kaido…Yamato is gone."
For a moment, a horrible chill descended on the hall. And then Queen burst out laughing.
"Buhahaha! Don't be stupid King!" The portly All-Star rolled back and forth, slapping his thighs. "He's just licking his wounds, that's all! We all heard the spanking Kaido gave him, even down here! Shame you had to miss it!"
"Besides, he can't have escaped," Jack cut in, having finished his latest rum bottle. "His cuffs would have gone off; loud enough for the whole island to hear."
For a moment, King wondered how long they were going to keep referring to Yamato as male. The joke, for him, had worn thin long ago.
He took a long breath, and reached into his pockets, drawing out the cuffs and the key. He reached out his hands, and dropped them on the floor. The sound rang across the chamber, like the tolling of a funeral bell.
For a few moments, there was silence. All eyes were upon the cuffs and the key. Mouths hung open, spilled drinks dripped unnoticed.
"Wha…." Queen's jaw hit the floor.
Jack's eyes were as wide as plates.
Kaido just stared, his hand patting frantically at his pocket, where the key should have been. He grasped something, and pulled it out.
It was a piece of rubble, from the stones Yamato had smashed as she invaded her father's room. It was about the same size as the key.
All eyes were now on Kaido.
(X)
Kaido's mind was blank.
How could this have happened? How was this even possible? Why was the key on the floor down there, and not in his pocket?
It had been switched, obviously. But who or what could have done it? Who would have the skill to approach him unseen? Who would have the nerve to even take it?
Then he remembered. The fog of memory cleared just a little, just enough for him to remember.
A possum…a possum carries its young…nine presences, moving as one.
He had sensed something, just before Yamato attacked him. A small, vague presence he had been too drunk to sense clearly. He had wondered what it was, and decided to club a new window in the wall.
But then Yamato had come, and he had forgotten all about it. Once she was down, and he had said what he wanted to say, he had gone to King's lounge. His sake had been brought to him, but his trousers were still there, where he had dropped them.
No one would have dared go near them. No one would even have entered his quarters without permission. No animal dared enter his presence.
None but them. The Nine. Nine presences he did not know, yet moved around as one. They had not fled before him, as all other animals did. And he had not sensed them since that moment.
The Nine, whatever it was, had done it. The Nine had sneaked into his chambers while he was busy with Yamato, just after Black Maria and her ladies had withdrawn. There would have been no one there, no one to see it.
She had tricked him. His daughter had tricked him. She had never wanted to defeat him. She had only been distracting him. That look on her face…was all a lie.
Something terrible awakened inside him, rising like a volcano, burning away the drunkenness, clearing his mind, sobering him in moments.
He had been robbed.
Here, in his own castle, around his women and his strongest warriors.
That...whatever-it-was…had done something no one had ever done. It was the stuff of legend, a feat worthy of the heroes of ancient times. To have snuck into the lair of the King of the Beasts, and stolen a key from his discarded trousers.
Not blueprints to a deadly weapon for him to unleash upon his enemies.
Not battle plans for a vital invasion to expand his territory and resources.
Not even treasure for funds.
Not even a rare and powerful Devil Fruit.
Just one…stone…key.
His blood boiled. Not since he was a child, the Hero of Vodka, and his own King had sold him into to the World Government to be experimented on; all so that he might sit among the World Nobles at the Reverie. The King, and all the people of Vodka, whom he had suffered and bled to save from their enemies.
They had betrayed him.
And his own child had betrayed him. She had plotted with that thing and tricked him. And now they were both gone.
He could see his courtiers creeping away from him. He could sense their terror, their utter, soul-bending dread. Queen was sweating, his courtesans whimpering, Jack crouching like a cornered animal. Only the faithful King stood tall, awaiting his lord's will; but even his eyes were afraid.
They were right to be.
His blood ran hot, burning like fire in his veins. She was gone. His daughter, the one thing he truly possessed, the one living creature he could truly feel any kinship with, had been stolen from him.
He felt his power rise. It was a good feeling, a good feeling. He felt it rise, up through the walls around him, through the rocks of Onigashima. He could feel the storm clouds churning, hear the thunder roar, sense the waves crashing against the shore.
And right that it should. For what was Onigashima if not his lair? What was the thunder for, if not to crash and roll and roar? What was the ocean for, if not to churn and lash and beat itself against the rocks? What were his Beast Pirates for, if not to destroy his enemies, gather in their treasure, and make their women howl?
All these things he had! All these things he had built for himself! He was the Lord of Onigashima! The True King of Wano! The King of the Beasts!
And yet…
His most precious possession….
"I…have been… robbed."
He threw back his head, and roared. Red light blazed from his body, as his flesh turned blue. His Conqueror's Haki erupted, his power pouring out of him, rushing over the island like a tidal wave. Stone walls groaned, wood cracked, glass shattered, and doors flew off. Pirates slumped unconscious, their wills overwhelmed. Only the strongest still stood, even as his fury buffeted them like a typhoon.
All around the island, the thunder roared. The lightning flashed and cracked, turning the sand to glass. The clouds roiled, and the sea churned, the waves hurling themselves against the shoreline; as if the heavens and the sea cried out in protest.
(X)
In distant Wano, the people cowered in their homes, praying to Gods they feared had abandoned them, begging to be spared nature's wrath. The Shogun's palace was in chaos, the servants lying where they had fallen; their burdens dropped to spill on the floors. Down in the kitchens, the cooking fires burned out of control, untended and unnoticed. In the Royal chambers, the Shogun Orochi himself lay stunned upon the floor, his unconscious courtesans sprawled over him, his sake bottles pouring away, unheeded as they foamed from the mouth.
(X)
In the forests of Kuri, the animals fled north; cawing and crying as they went. The villagers of Amigasa came out of their houses, staring in disbelief, wondering what fresh horror had emerged to torment their land.
Among them was a hermit, whom they called Tenguyama Hitetsu. Beside him was his ward, the young girl they called Tama. They knew, better than any of them, what was raging in the distance; though even they could not truly see it.
"Mr. Tengu! W-What's going on?!" Tama cried out, as she hugged the long-nosed figure.
Hitetsu felt a chill to the bone as he hugged the girl to him, staring out of his hut as deer, boar, and many other animals ran north, trampling each other in their haste. He hugged her tightly, even as he shivered in fear; a fear he had not felt since he had gone by another name, long ago.
"Hold onto me little one. Just hold me. All will be well."
Kozuki Sugiyaki steeled himself, forcing himself not to be overwhelmed by dread, and the old shame. Whatever he had done, however he had failed, he could still protect this girl.
He had to protect this girl.
(X)
In Hakumai, Ashura Douji stared at the distant sky, shuddering as he saw the crimson lightning.
"What the hell… is this?" The fat pink haired bandit spoke aloud with his men as they hid from the cold. They too felt the chill and the fear…
(X)
In Udon, in the dreaded Prison Mine, Kawamatsu stared through the bars of his cell, gazing out to the heavens as many of the slaves and wardens froze in fear from this unseen wave, a select few gawking at the blood-tinged heavens.
"Kaido…" He muttered, his throat dry after not speaking for so long.
(X)
In the Executive Tower, Spytand Malice's eyes fluttered open, staring bloodshot at the window of his sick-room.
The red lightning coursing through the heavens, this pressure… caving in on his chest.
Fear laced through him.
"He… he knows…!?"
"L-Lord Malice?" The nurses, men clad in white spiked garb, looked on in horror as he began to shake.
"Get me out of h-" Malice coughed, blood gushing from his mouth. The nurses leapt on him, holding him down.
"Get me morphine! Malice has gone manic!"
"Let me go! Let me go!" Malice thrashed, blood coughing through his nose and mouth as he felt hands push him down, and a needle being injected into who knows where. "He's going to kill meeeeee!"
(X)
In the Flower Capital, the Yakuza Kyoshiro gazed up at the night sky, watching the red lightning dance.
"This presence…" Denjiro frowned, feeling shivers of that nostalgic dread. "What just happened down there… in Onigashima…?"
(X)
Not far away, the oiran Komurasaki sensed it.
Her fingers froze, her shamisen falling to the floor. She wrapped her arms around herself, all dignity forgotten, as the old terror washed over her heart. She could vaguely hear the thuds outside, as her maids and attendants fell to the floor, their souls overwhelmed.
"This feeling…" she gasped, as the memories rose. "This…the same as…!"
The night when her home had been destroyed. The night when she had lost everything.
Back when she was Hiyori.
(X)
All of them knew, as no others in Wano could. All of them understood what was being unleashed.
For they knew, as did no others, the fury of Kaido.
(X)
On Onigashima, the roof of the pleasure hall erupted; showering the island in debris. All eyes yet seeing stared skyward, as the great and terrible serpentine form emerged, rising up into the tormented sky, its body coiling over and around itself, stretching for miles. Below, Onigashima was bathed in crimson; the crimson of demonic fury.
The face of the dragon looked down, fire whipping around claws that can rend any ship in two. A mane of black hair swaying behind him. He saw his All-Stars. King, Queen, and Jack all stood, gazing up at their master; with the eyes of men who had seen their own doom, and had gone beyond fear. The thunder, red and blue arcing behind him as flames licked his maw through razor sharp fangs…
He was barely able to contain his fury as his slitted yellow eyes bore into them.
"Gather the Six to me. Right…now."
They did not move. They did not need to. The Flying Six had seen all, heard all and felt all. They had already come, stepping over and around their fallen subordinates, their eyes fixed upon the nightmare in the sky above them.
"What the hell's going on?!" Who's Who screamed. "My men were repairing my lounge and then people started falling over themselves unconscious!"
"What is happening?" demanded Black Maria, struggling to maintain her composure. "Why is Lord Kaido in this form?"
"Why's he acting like this!?" cried Ulti, clutching her arms and shaking. "What gives?!"
Kaido's eyes burned redder than the deepest crimson.
"WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK!?"
His power erupted, and it took everything that they had to remain standing.
"You all will speak only when spoken to, and you breathe only when I allow it!"
Ulti let out a whimper, and glomped onto Page One, as the dragon's eyes fell upon them. The Strongest Creature in the World glared at them as all of them froze in terror, like rabbits before an angry and rabid wolf.
"I see only five!" it roared. "Where is Spytand Malice!?"
"He is hurt, Lord Kaido!" called out King, the massive dragon's eyes turning towards him. "He tried to stop Yamato and Deku from escaping, but they defeated him, and hurled him to Wano! He lies there, in the Prison Mine!"
"Deku? The fuck's a Deku!" Queen cried out.
The dragon looked away, gazing across the sea towards Wano.
"See to it that he does not die!" Kaido growled, his slitted eye going towards Queen, who froze on the spot. "I will not suffer him to die until he has explained himself! Understand?".
"R-Right! He'll be a-okay in no time Lord Kaido!" whimpered a cringing Queen, forcing himself to salute. "He'll be brought back healthy as a horse! No funny business!"
"Wait, what!?" Page One asked, as he tried to disentangle himself from a wailing Ulti. "Malice fought Yamato!? What gives!?"
Kaido's head snapped to him, and for a second, no one moved. There was a blur, a blast of air pressure from a motion that everyone save King and Queen could see.
In one instance, Page One was there, the next, he was crashing through the wall into the ground over the horizon of the tower, a crater in rock with barely a sign that he was there in the first place. Ulti was stunned, wanting to scream, but unable too, her hand over her mouth as her brother laid there unconscious.
"Did you all… mishear me?" he hissed.
He waited for them to speak, for them to breathe.
"I said, you will speak only when spoken to. King and Queen answered my questions. I did not give anyone else permission. Did I?"
Those that could nodded, the others, they were on their knees, barely able to remain conscious with his glare on them.
"Then, I will ask, how did this happen?"
"Yamato left with the help of one called Deku!" King called out to them, his voice carrying over the roaring thunder and cracking lightning outside. "Malice tried to stop them! And they all but killed him!"
Kaido's growl reverberated like thunder.
"Where did they go? Where could they have gone, answer me! All of you!"
"Surely the Torii Gate should have spotted them right?!" Sasaki asked, sweating buckets just to stand. "There's no other way out! Not past the whirlpools!"
"Obviously Wano! No way they would have survived the falls!" Black Maria called out, shivering under her kimono. "And Mogura Port Outpost would have seen them!"
"Have the men stationed there on high alert!" King bellowed. The blonde Oni nodded, pulling a Transponder Snail from her obi.
"I'll go to the Gates myself." Jack assured, but his voice was shaky. "And if they missed them, they will be punished, rest assured Lord Kaido!"
"Regardless! We will find this thief!" Kaido roared. "We will hunt them to the ends of Wano, and tear every province apart if need be! No house shall be left unsearched. No stone unturned. Every corner and cave and hovel in Wano will be thoroughly inspected! My foolish daughter, in her obsession with Kozuki Oden, will seek to rally a resistance! If any try to hide them, or aid them, kill them on sight! And their families too for good measure!"
"No way… So… Dekyun was…" Ulti muttered to the side, she was fortunate Kaido didn't hear her.
"In addition! If any of the Flying Six brings this thief before me, they shall be allowed to challenge the All-Stars, and fight for a place at my side! Let that be an incentive!" Kaido seethed, Who's Who and Sasaki perking up and Queen groaning loudly. "I want them both! Alive!"
"Sir…!?" uttered Jack, shaking in terror. "Wh…what is he!? This Deku who is able to send Malice all the way to Udon with a single blow… he…. He mus-"
"We do not know!" the Dragon King went on. "He is a being like no other! A being with nine souls, that stole my daughter from me! Nevertheless, we will find him! And he better be alive…" His voice got low, and everyone felt cold.
"And you will bring him before me…"
The eyes of the dragon glowered down at them. As Kaido spoke with all the malice and hatred in his being.
Now, for the first time in a long time. Not since Vodka.
It became personal.
"This Deku…is mine!"
(X)
So yeah, angry ass dad is angry for his daughter running away with some schmuck who stole from him. More at 11.
Big thanks to Juubi-k for writing this up, and IKnowNothing for checking over it.
Also, for my people, if you so desire, I can upload the Omakes and Apocrypha from Spacebattles onto here via a separate Fanfic story for you all to read. Each entry will be tagged by it's name, as well as the Spacebattle's writer in question. And best of all, I'm one of em too! They're lots of fun!
Would you like to see them? Let me know in the reviews.