Kaido, who had been about to retort, froze the instant he heard that name.
The words stuck in his throat as his bell-like eyes locked onto Yamato.
Facing the terrifying pressure steadily rising from Kaido's body, Yamato did not retreat in the slightest. Instead, with the same stubborn ferocity, she glared right back at him.
"So then—where exactly did you learn the name Joy Boy?"
"From Robin and Tenma," Yamato replied. "And before that… I also overheard conversations between you and Uncle King."
Kaido searched his memory for those two names, then muttered in a low voice,
"So… it was that Ohara survivor Tenma took with him."
He looked back at Yamato, his gaze sharpening.
"Then do you actually know what the name Joy Boy represents?"
"I didn't before. But now I do."
Yamato straightened her back and spoke firmly.
"Joy Boy was a great man who truly existed in the past—and at the same time, he is the savior destined to change this world in the future."
"Wororororo!"
Kaido suddenly burst into raucous laughter.
"What a pity! As a defeated man, I'm already disqualified from being Joy Boy. And that brat Tenma—no matter that he's the General of Wano—he absolutely will not be Joy Boy either!"
Yamato's brows instantly knit together, about to demand an explanation, when a familiar presence suddenly rose behind her.
Even without relying on Observation Haki enhanced by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Yamato knew immediately who it was.
Seastone could suppress abilities and weaken Haki, but it could not completely seal the perception of top-tier powerhouses. Kaido sensed it as well. He casually withdrew his gaze from Yamato, grabbed the wine jar again, took a swig, and stared straight into the dark corridor ahead.
Just as he sensed—
Accompanied by the woman named Robin, the man who had personally crushed the alliance between him and Linlin—the prime culprit himself—Tenma, stepped out of the shadows, one step at a time.
"Kaido."
Tenma's voice was calm as still water, yet it carried undeniable penetration.
Kaido showed no courtesy at all. As if life and death no longer mattered, he slammed the empty wine jar heavily onto the ground.
Even under extreme seastone suppression, that raw brute force still cracked the hard floor, sending fragments flying.
"So you didn't kill me like you did that crazy hag Linlin—kept my miserable life just so you could come here and humiliate me?!"
Boom!
A Conqueror's Haki almost tangible in form erupted from Kaido's body. Though suppressed by seastone and unable to cause physical destruction, that kingly aura—lofty and contemptuous even within a prison—was displayed in full.
"I don't have such low tastes as humiliating a fallen king," Tenma said calmly as he stepped up to the bars, meeting Kaido's feral gaze head-on.
"If you just died like that, it would be a waste. Don't you want to see those grand ambitions and long-held wishes of yours realized with your own eyes?"
"Whether it's Joy Boy's ideals—"
"—or the great secret Roger spoke of before his death: ONE PIECE."
Kaido had first learned of Joy Boy's world-changing ideal while imprisoned by the Navy, from King—who had been a fellow captive at the time.
Upon learning that Joy Boy was the prophesied child destined to overturn the world, Kaido—then lost and uncertain—arrogantly saw himself as the future "Joy Boy," vowing to become the one who would ignite a global revolution.
Just as he had always wanted to change this unbearably dull and rotten world.
From that perspective alone, Kaido's value alive was indeed far greater than Charlotte Linlin's—who only knew how to eat and reproduce.
Not to mention that purely in terms of strength and terrifying potential, killing Kaido to seize his Devil Fruit or extract his rare lineage factor would never compare to the strategic value of subduing a top-tier Yonko.
Tenma's victory this time looked effortless, but it was undeniable that there was an element of ability suppression involved.
In a fair one-on-one duel, the dominance of this so-called "Strongest Creature" was an existence that could plunge anyone on the seas into despair.
Hearing Tenma's words, Kaido immediately understood what he was getting at. His expression twisted not with joy, but with anger, his voice rumbling like thunder:
"You want to drag me onto your pirate ship?!"
It sounded more like a wrathful interrogation than a question.
Facing the pressure-laden gale mixed with fury, Tenma didn't even blink.
"Before you built the infamous Beasts Pirates, weren't you once just a subordinate on someone else's ship too? The Rocks Pirates."
Kaido's expression changed sharply, surprise flashing across his face. He clearly hadn't expected this young man to know so much ancient history.
But recalling Tenma's unfathomable planning and airtight intelligence work, he quickly accepted it.
"So what? You want to become the next Rocks?"
There was little respect in Kaido's tone when he mentioned his former captain—only the indifference reserved for a relic discarded by time.
"Why not surpass Rocks?" Tenma countered calmly.
"Why not finish the path of domination that even he couldn't walk to the end?"
"You want to be king of the world?"
"That supreme throne—tell me, who on this sea wouldn't want to sit on it at least once?"
At this moment, Tenma was brimming with ambition, the fire in his eyes even fiercer than Kaido's.
"I've never claimed to be some pirate. Compared to that illusory 'Pirate King,' a tangible World King, firmly held in one's hands, is far more meaningful—don't you think?"
This was the second time—after Dragon—that Tenma had so openly revealed his ultimate vision to another person.
Having already risen to the position of Wano's General, driven by unrestrained ambition, his pursuit would never be limited to ruling just a corner of the New World.
Ignoring the storm raging in Kaido's heart, Tenma dropped his final bomb:
"I heard everything you said to Yamato earlier. You claimed I absolutely cannot be Joy Boy. What kind of logic is that?"
Beside him, Yamato's previously calm gaze sharpened like a hawk's, locking onto her dispirited father behind the bars.
Under normal circumstances, even as a prisoner, Kaido's pride would never allow him to explain himself.
But now, recalling the discussion about the "World King," the Governor of the Beasts gave Tenma a deep look—then suddenly stretched out his calloused hand.
"Enough talk. Bring the booze first."
Tenma's lips curled slightly. He took the exquisitely crafted flask Robin had prepared and activated the Float-Float Fruit.
The flask hovered steadily into Kaido's grasp.
Kaido snatched it, took a massive gulp, and the fiery liquor surged down his throat. A faint flush immediately surfaced on his pale face.
"Wororororo…"
After a burst of his signature laughter, Kaido abruptly fell silent. With drunken eyes still sharp, he stared at Tenma beyond the bars.
"Kid—do you believe in that so-called legend?"
Without waiting for an answer, Kaido continued, as if opening a long-sealed box of memories.
"When I was young, the Navy threw me into Vegapunk's lab as a guinea pig. That's where I met that freak, King."
"From him, I heard the ancient secrets passed down through the Lunarian race."
"Over eight hundred years ago, this sea was dragged into a cataclysmic war."
"Who was right, who was wrong, how it all started—I don't know, and I don't care."
"But the outcome is obvious. The current World Government and those Celestial Dragon pigs won, and now they sit on everyone's heads taking dumps."
"And back then, the man who dared to confront the World Government head-on—the one leading that group—was named Joy Boy."
"That name is even recorded in a hellhole like Laugh Tale."
"Joy Boy lost completely. But before he died, he unwillingly left behind a prophecy."
"He said that eight hundred years later, a new Joy Boy would appear, finish his unfinished dream, and turn this world upside down."
"And from that moment on, the name Joy Boy became synonymous with 'savior.'"
By the prophecy's count, that time was now.
Kaido's gaze turned meaningful as he stared at Tenma, as if trying to see through his very soul.
"I once tried to work with Kozuki Oden. That idiot refused. After I killed him, I got even clearer information."
"Wano had to remain closed. It had to wait twenty years—for Joy Boy to arrive and open its borders."
Hearing this secret, Robin and Yamato exchanged glances, then simultaneously turned their eyes toward the General they trusted so deeply.
If opening Wano was the requirement, Tenma had already done it cleanly within just a few years of taking control.
"Even if things aren't exactly as Oden said, you should know—Roger's crew really went to Laugh Tale."
"They know Joy Boy's true secret. That part can't be wrong."
"Eleven years from now—that's the real moment when the true Joy Boy will appear."
"The Wano you've occupied is nothing more than a checkpoint the savior is destined to pass through."
"So you are definitely not Joy Boy. And as the defeated one, I'm even less qualified."
Throughout Kaido's drunken monologue, Tenma kept smiling, never interrupting once.
He understood perfectly—this was exactly the mental collapse Kaido experienced in the original story.
From roaring confidently at King that "the only one who can change the world is me," to later growing despondent in Wano, believing that "Joy Boy is the one who will defeat me."
Even King eventually despaired, thinking no one could beat Kaido—so "Joy Boy would never appear at all."
It was like believing yourself the chosen one, only to be crushed by reality and told you weren't worthy.
Reduced to a gatekeeper, waiting in agony for the real protagonist to arrive—there was hardly a more vicious curse.
Because Kaido worshiped strength above all, he treated that damned prophecy as a thrilling challenge.
Only the one who could crush him, liberate Wano, was worthy of being called Joy Boy.
Listening to Kaido and confirming his memories, Tenma let out a soft laugh—tinged with disdain.
"What legends. What destiny. Believe in it and it exists; don't believe in it and it's bullshit."
"And who the hell decided that anyone who changes the world has to use that unlucky name?"
"That so-called Joy Boy—when you strip it down—was just a loser from eight hundred years ago."
Tenma's smile cooled, his tone turning domineering.
"Rather than saying I'm not Joy Boy, it's more accurate to say I couldn't care less about being Joy Boy."
"What was his ideology? Freedom? Equality? Don't make me laugh."
"As long as there's strength and weakness in this world, true equality will always be a joke."
"You, Kaido, a hegemon in your own right—believing in this laughable fatalism. Don't you feel that cheapens you?"
"True kings write their own legends, carve their own names into history for future generations to worship!"
"Not imitate a failure. Not wait to be buried by trash like the World Government!"
Each word Tenma spoke struck Kaido's heart like a heavy hammer.
The haze in Kaido's eyes vanished instantly. The long-dormant blood of a king roared back to life, that long-lost heat surging through his veins.
"Even if I hadn't intervened—after secretly controlling Wano and learning of this prophecy—would you really accept it quietly?"
"Of course not. Right?!"
Tenma answered his own question without pause.
"Just like you always did—building the Beasts Pirates, dealing weapons. At the end of the day, didn't you just want to ignite a massive war across this world?"
"If our goals are both chaos, why not join hands?"
"Let's drag those Celestial Dragons—born high above everyone, drunk on luxury—off their pedestals and grind them into the mud!"
Kaido's mouth split into a savage grin, his teeth flashing white.
"Well said! Drag those noble trash down! Only violent war can test the true value of this world!"
Knowing Kaido's nature as a war maniac, Tenma cut straight to the point.
"So—what's your decision?"
"I am interested in your war," Kaido said grimly.
"But let's be clear—my ideals don't mix with yours."
"I want a world where there's no noble or lowly—only whose fists are harder."
"And you? You're probably not interested in that. You just want to climb to the top and rule."
Tenma neither denied nor affirmed it.
"What comes after taking power is empty talk. But at least right now, the forces under my command can grind your Beasts Pirates and that crazy hag's crew into the dirt."
"Winner is king, loser is dust. If you believe strength decides everything, then proving your worth in the coming war is exactly what you should do—don't you think?"
Kaido fell silent for a moment, snorting thick breaths through his nose.
"I don't work for free."
"But if the war is big enough, wild enough—I don't mind joining in for some fun."
"Don't worry. The scale will be beyond your imagination. What you gain depends on your own ability."
After saying that, Tenma gestured to Robin.
"Open the locks."
As the seastone shackles were removed, the weakness vanished instantly.
Kaido rolled his stiff neck, his bones crackling like popping beans.
That mountain-like body stepped out of the cell, and a terrifying pressure spread at once.
Yamato's eyes went wide. She planted her hands on her hips, faint arcs of Conqueror's lightning flickering at her eyes—clearly ready to throw down if he made one wrong move.
"Relax. Since your dad agreed, he won't go back on it. He still has that much pride as a strong man."
Tenma patted Yamato's shoulder to calm her.
Kaido snorted disdainfully.
"Before the war starts, what I do is my own business."
"Of course."
Tenma shrugged indifferently, then changed the subject.
"But before that—you need to come with me to one place."
Wano Core Region – Underground Classified Research Facility
The place was brightly lit, filled with cold metallic textures and the pungent smell of chemical reagents.
Massive machines hummed as several top scientists bustled around a gigantic glass tank.
Inside the tank was a mysterious golden liquid, glowing brilliantly.
Submerged within it—
Was Charlotte Linlin's massive, bloated body.
Her eyes were closed, as if merely asleep, trapped in a bizarre state of "pseudo-death."
Of course, this wasn't revival. Pure gold extract had forcibly locked her cellular activity.
Her soul was long gone—she was truly dead. But the lineage factor within that body remained terrifyingly active.
This was precisely to allow scientists to extract her monstrous genes and conduct all manner of inhuman research.
To be fair, the results from these mad scientists were astonishing.
The information density contained within Big Mom's lineage factor was so vast that even experts who had climbed a new tech tree were left awestruck.
"Subarashii! This is art!"
"The strength of this lineage factor completely breaks human limits—far more terrifying than even the Giant race!"
Now devoted to lineage research, Caesar Clown clung to a microscope, trembling with excitement and shrieking incessantly.
"Enough screeching. Can it be done or not?"
Komps, standing nearby, asked impatiently.
"Shurorororo! Are you questioning my genius?!"
Caesar straightened up, boasting arrogantly.
"I've perfectly cracked the lineage combination chain—compatibility over eighty percent!"
"Replicating BIG MOM's natural destructive strength and that invincible iron-balloon physique will be child's play!"
Komps nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Implant this gene sequence into the mechanical embryos. The resulting war weapons will have Yonko-level durability. They'll be our ultimate trump card."
Caesar's eyes rolled eagerly.
"By the way—can the first-generation mechanical legion be deployed already?"
He couldn't wait to show the world his masterpiece—especially to let that damned Vegapunk know who the real number-one scientist was.
"Tenma said once Whitebeard makes a move, these weapons will get their debut."
"And even if Whitebeard doesn't come—the Fire Festival won't be without their performance."
As one of the main creators, Komps' eyes also gleamed with fanatic fervor.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.Part One is officially complete — and it's now available
Go check it out and dive into the full experience.
Claim early access here: [email protected]/voidink08
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews unlock 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.