Chapter 97
New World.
On an unknown island.
Above the island, dark clouds loomed, and thunderous roars echoed, heralding an impending storm.
Resting against the island's coast was a massive pirate ship, a testament to the might and terror it carried.
Sitting on a rock is an incredibly tall and burly man.
He has long, black hair flowing down like a shawl, dragon-like horns adorning his head, a beard resembling a dragon on his chin, and a dragon scale tattoo on his left arm.
His upper body is bare, revealing an X-shaped scar on his right abdomen. He wears a purple jacket with two gold chains hanging from the hem, dark green wide trousers, a shimetsu rope around his waist, and a purple fluffy cloak, giving him a fearsome appearance like a 'demon' come to life.
This imposing figure is none other than Kaido, one of the Four Emperors and the Governor-General of the Beasts Pirates!!!
Not long ago, he was about to attack the Whitebeard Pirates, who were heading to Marine Headquarters to rescue Ace, but his plans were thwarted by the Red Hair Pirates.
The chilling news about a mysterious figure named Carnes which he received from the Red Hair Pirates left Kaido deeply unsettled.
Deep in thought, Kaido's mind grappled with the gravity of this new information.
His subordinates, Jack, one of the three Calamities, and two others, Queen and King, puzzled over Kaido's uncharacteristic reaction.
They were intrigued by the impact that this Carnes person seemed to have on their formidable leader.
"Brother King, Brother Queen, do you have any knowledge of this Carnes the red-haired guy spoke about?
It managed to make General Kaido compromise with Redhair and even appears to have inflicted serious mental trauma on General Kaido."
Jack, one of the three Calamities, asked Queen and King with bewilderment under the massive ship.
Queen glanced at Jack and, truth be told, he didn't know either. He was just as curious as Jack because this was the first time he had seen Kaido showing anxiety and vulnerability over a mere mention of a name.
"I'm not sure, but... General Kaido is taking it very seriously, so there must be something special about this Carnes fellow," replied Queen thoughtfully.
He then shifted his gaze to King and asked, "Hey, you, the pervert who enjoys torturing others, do you have any knowledge of him?"
King shot an angry look at Queen. Normally, he would have retorted with a few choice words, but at the moment, he didn't have the inclination to do so.
However, when it came to Carnes, even though he had been following Kaido for many years, King was completely clueless.
If it weren't for the red-haired man mentioning Carnes not long ago, he wouldn't have even known about this person's existence.
Let alone understanding what had transpired between Kaido and Carnes.
Meanwhile, Kaido's mind was ablaze with thoughts about Carnes.
Just then, a group of his subordinates rushed to the coast bringing the information he had requested about this mysterious figure.
"General Kaido."
"General Kaido."
"All the information about Carnes that you asked; we have it for you.
"These are all the available intel on him."
As soon as Kaido, heard the name Carnes, he snapped out of his daze and quickly took over the reports about him.
"Carnes?"
"Gale Emperor?"
With each word he read, Kaido's grip on the newspaper tightened until he saw the wanted poster for Carnes.
His eyes contracted violently as he examined somewhat familiar and unfamiliar photos that appeared before his eyes.
"A completely new wanted poster..."
"It's him! It's really Carnes!!!"
"He's alive!"
"No, it's impossible, Carnes is supposed to be dead, this must be a forgery, and even if he's alive, he shouldn't look so young!!!"
"Or perhaps could it be... a Devil Fruit? Has he found a Devil Fruit that grants eternal youth???"
"So... the red hair was telling the truth? Carnes somehow managed to rejuvenate himself and regain his youth..."
Fury boiled within Kaido as he struggled to process the implications of Carnes' existence.
His once stoic demeanor shattered, revealing a rare vulnerability, even to his trusted subordinate, King.
"Damn it... you should have died in that battle like that monster, Rocks!!!"
Kaido let out a furious roar, his anger evident to all who witnessed it.
King observed Kaido's mental state, noticing the constant internal struggle he was experiencing.
It was an unprecedented sight, leaving King and the others unsettled, as they witnessed their mighty leader grappling with his past demons.
The mysteries surrounding Carnes had stirred something within Kaido that threatened to shatter the very foundations of his fearsome persona.
"General Kaido... What on earth happened?" King inquired, taking a step forward.
Kaido glanced at King but showed no intention of answering.
"King, go and get a Den Den Mushi and help me contact that old woman!" Kaido demanded.
"Yes, General Kaido," King replied promptly.
After a brief wait, King returned with the Den Den Mushi and proceeded to call one of the Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin.
Soon the Den Den Mushi was picked up, and the voice on the other end imitated Charlotte Linlin's.
"Who is it?" the voice inquired.
"It's me, King!"
"King?!"
Charlotte Linlin's surprise was evident in her voice upon hearing King's name.
"Pass it to me," Kaido interjected, and King handed over the Den Den Mushi.
"Linlin..." Kaido looked at the Den Den Mushi and then spoke.
"Ma Ma Ma Mama...", Big Mom responded with a laugh.
"I was genuinely surprised to hear your voice. It's been so many years since we last spoke, Kaido!"
"However, I doubt you called just to catch up," she continued, her tone shifting.
"Tell me, did you call me to say your last words!!"
"You're still as annoying as ever, old woman," Kaido retorted.
Instead of getting angry, Big Mom laughed at Kaido's remark.
"So, what do you want?"
Kaido took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "That guy Carnes... he's still alive, and he's back!"
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