One piece: I,Akaino will not die easily

"Speaking of which, that Silver Bream from Wano has been inside for almost half a day now. Is Lord Kaido planning to keep him for lunch?" A pirate standing at the outer perimeter of the cave loudly inquired of his companion, who had just emerged from within.

Who would have thought that the horn-helmeted companion would have a face of utter despair? He raised his thumb and waved it toward the back, saying, "That chatterbox from Wano is still inside introducing our captain to his country. He's already gone from the Thirteenth Squad all the way down to the First Squad..."

"I take back what I said... Being able to make Lord Kaido listen to local customs and traditions with such interest for half a day is also a talent. If it were me, I'd have been sent flying with a full-force home run ages ago." The sentry knew his boss's temperament all too well.

To put it nicely, Kaido was unpredictable. To put it bluntly, he was a madman.

Yet that grinning chatterbox inside was truly a rare talent. It seemed this was why Wano had sent someone barely strong enough to survive on the battlefield to negotiate an alliance with the Beasts. If he could save his life with words, why rely on force?

"Then I'll go ask Lord Kaido if he wants to keep Wano's envoy for lunch..." The horn-helmeted pirate pondered. After all, being able to chat and laugh with Lord Kaido for so long, wasn't sharing a meal the natural next step?

At the cave's deepest end, the atmosphere had undergone a subtle shift. The imposing pirate, Kaido of the Beasts, was currently sitting cross-legged on the ground, hunched over with his chin resting on his hands, listening intently as the silver bream-like chatterbox before him excitedly continued his endless storytelling.

Kaido had initially been listening with serious intent, searching for flaws in the so-called "envoy's" speech. But from the moment the other man had started rattling off at full speed—beginning with the Thirteenth Squad and now reaching the Third—neither Kaido nor the few figures hidden in the shadows had found a single inconsistency.

Everything Silvermaru Gin said about Wano's Guardian Thirteen Squads, from their overall structure down to the unique details of each squad, was airtight.

It was, without a doubt, the kind of meticulous, well-established military system that a great nation should possess.

Yet, Kaido couldn't shake off a sense of unease. The content was indeed as detailed as he had demanded—each of the thirteen squads had been introduced in precise detail. But it was too detailed. Too perfect. The fact that no flaws could be found was, in itself, the biggest flaw. The terrifying instinct of the Beasts was warning him: something was off.

At last, Kaido found a problem. Though the envoy had been speaking fluently the entire time, when he got to the Fourth Squad, there had been the slightest hesitation.

Narrowing his eyes, Kaido interrupted, "Hey, that Silver guy. At the very beginning, you said that out of all the squads in the Thirteen, you as the Third Squad Captain were the weakest. What? Are you saying you're even weaker than the Fourth Squad? That's the medical unit, isn't it?"

"..." The samurai from Wano visibly froze, his expression hesitating.

"What's the matter? Why aren't you speaking? Keep going. Or what, did we finally catch you in a lie, and now you can't make something up?" A voice came from the shadows, muffled and indistinct.

A cold smile appeared on Kaido's face. He knew it. How could a story be that flawless? In the end, he had managed to catch the slightest anomaly.

The Third Squad Captain let those words go in one ear and out the other. Everything was proceeding exactly as the Vice Admiral had predicted, but this was also the most dangerous part of the plan.

He lifted his head and clenched his teeth. "It's not that! It's just that this matter involves a national secret. I cannot—"

Before he could finish speaking, a massive spiked kanabo whizzed past his face, smashing into the solid ground beneath him.

In an instant, the tough stone floor was gouged open, leaving a pit nearly half a meter deep from the sheer impact.

Lindemann barely managed to steady himself, sweeping his sleeve to disperse the dust cloud. He hadn't even seen when Kaido had made his move—yet now, the great pirate was leisurely drinking from his sake gourd.

"You've got guts, at least. Whether you live to walk out of this cave depends on your next words." Kaido glanced at the ever-smiling samurai from Wano.

"This matter... is something that even most of the squad captains are unaware of. I only know of it because I am the final disciple of Old Master Yamamoto." Silvermaru Gin slowed his speech, but his tone grew deeper. "Does Lord Kaido recall the information I provided earlier about the Eleventh Squad—the specialized combat unit?"

"As I mentioned before, the selection of the Eleventh Squad Captain differs from the other squads in Wano. The title of Kenpachi is given only to the strongest swordsman, aside from the Shogun. Their selection process is through deathmatches."

"Of course, I remember. You said that this generation's [Zaraki Kenpachi] earned his position a year ago by killing the previous captain in direct combat," came a voice from the shadows, different from the crude voice that had spoken earlier. This one extracted key information with pinpoint accuracy.

Lindemann carefully observed Kaido's expression. He noticed that despite the interruption, Kaido showed no trace of displeasure.

[It seems like the ones who remain hidden in the shadows are the real executives of the Beasts Pirates,] Lindemann thought to himself.

Silvermaru Gin nodded. "You must have heard of Ryuma Kenpachi's reputation overseas."

"The Dragon-Slaying Swordsman? I've heard of him," Kaido mused after a moment.

The Third Squad Captain's voice carried a tinge of reverence. "Precisely. Because the position of Kenpachi changes so frequently, stronger swordsmen emerge every few years to challenge the title. But this is where the true terror of the Fourth Squad Captain, Unohana Retsu, comes in."

He left that statement hanging at just the right moment. Kaido, intrigued, leaned in. "Terror? Keep going."

"The Kenpachi system was established by Shogun Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni to forge an ever-stronger military force for the future. Ten years ago, the first Kenpachi only stepped down because no one in Wano dared challenge her anymore."

"No way?" Kaido exaggerated his reaction, gulping down more sake. He wasn't actually that surprised, but the story was well-structured and convincing.

If the Wano samurai had answered perfectly, without flaw, Kaido would have been even more suspicious. But the fact that slight irregularities could still be explained logically was exactly the kind of psychological warfare that made his doubts fade.

"That's exactly right! The captain of the medical unit—the Fourth Squad—is none other than the First Kenpachi!" Silvermaru Gin nodded solemnly.

"Silver, keep going, keep going!" Kaido plopped down beside Lindemann, his beast-like instincts finally relaxing as he casually gave the fox a nickname.

"I am the Third Squad Captain, Silvermaru Gin~"

"Silver, tell me about the Second Squad!"

"I am the Third Squad Captain—fine, whatever makes you happy..." Lindemann slumped in defeat.

"How strong is your Shogun, really?" Kaido, now as curious as a child, kept pressing.

That hit a nerve. Lindemann slapped Kaido's knee, eyes blazing with unshakable pride. "Come, come, let me tell you about [Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni] the Shogun! One word: STRONG!"

"..."

For the first time, Kaido was stunned. Then, he burst into laughter.

"Tell me, tell me! What kind of man is this Shogun, that you admire him so much?"

Kaido grinned, swigging more sake as he eagerly listened to Silvermaru Gin's enthusiastic praise.

--------------------------------------------

you can support the work and read more than 40 adv chapters plus 2 chapters a day at the same time on patreon(link in the SYNOPSIS)

patreon.com/iamsuzu