"Kaido-sama, you can talk all you want, but can you stop grinning like that?"
"It's creeping me out! Gives me goosebumps every time!"
Kaido shot Jack a blank look, then glanced at the spiked kanabo resting beside him. Jack immediately grabbed his own weapon, the Hassaikai.
"Come on, let's be civilized about this! We can talk like adults!"
"Otherwise, I've got two clubs, and I'm not afraid to use them!"
"Get lost!"
Thud!
A massive azure dragon grabbed an enormous mammoth by its trunk and soared into the sky. The dragon's flight was wobbly and laborious, but it managed to head towards Wano.
The other pirates barely reacted, turning their attention back to the stage where performers continued their show.
The northernmost region of Wano, Ringo, was a desolate and unforgiving land. It was a place of wild, uneven terrain, jagged mountains, and winds that churned up endless clouds of yellow dust. Few could survive in such harsh conditions.
As Jack grew older and stronger, Kaido found it increasingly challenging to handle him. If they fought on Onigashima, Kaido might knock Jack out, but the island itself would probably be destroyed in the process.
Thus, the barren wasteland of Ringo became Kaido's ideal training ground for Jack.
Boom!
Jack crumpled to the ground. Wiping sweat off his brow, Kaido bellowed:
"You brat! Thinking you can rebel against me? You're ten years too early!"
"Come back when you're ready!"
"Damn it, Kaido! You're seriously going all out?!" Jack groaned, curling into a ball. The brutal beating left him thoroughly aware that Kaido had been holding back during his previous "lessons."
His entire body ached. Whether it was Haki, physical strength, or battle experience, Jack realized the gap between him and Kaido was enormous.
"I still have a long way to go," he muttered. "Maybe more sea voyages will help. Yeah, more voyages!"
After a long while, Jack finally sat up, still wincing.
"Can I ask one thing? Next time you grab me, can you not carry me by the butt? It really hurts!"
"If you don't transform, I won't grab you like that."
Kaido's blunt response almost made Jack choke. He wisely chose to stay silent, though he fumed inwardly.
Both of them eventually lay on the ground, staring up at the night sky. Kaido sprawled in a "大" shape, while Jack mimicked him.
The breeze was gentle, and the silver moonlight bathed the barren land. The stars, scattered across the sky like radiant jewels, added a surreal beauty to the desolate scene.
Pointing upward, Kaido spoke.
"Jack, do you see that?"
"The brightest star in the night sky?" Jack guessed.
"Leading me closer to you?"
Thunk!
Dodging the club Kaido hurled at him, Jack followed the direction of Kaido's finger. Squinting, he eventually noticed a faint star near the moon, its light barely visible.
"Oh... I see it now," Jack muttered.
"Exactly," Kaido said, his tone unusually somber.
"No matter how bright a star is, it fades into insignificance under the moon's glow. And we, Jack, are those stars. The World Government? They're the moon. Only together can we outshine them. Alone, no one can challenge the moon."
Jack frowned. "I don't agree! What about the sun? Isn't it a powerful individual too—"
"I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Don't look so serious!" Jack backpedaled, grabbing his weapon in case Kaido lunged at him again.
Kaido's expression darkened.
"Even Gol D. Roger became Pirate King... and look where that got him."
"He died," Kaido said flatly, cutting Jack off.
Staring at the sky, Kaido continued.
"I don't know what Roger saw on Laugh Tale. But whatever it was, it drove him to sacrifice his life and trigger the Great Pirate Era."
"And I know this much: with our current strength, we're no match for the World Government."
Turning to Jack, Kaido's gaze was fierce and unwavering.
"People call me a monster, Jack. But by my standards, your talent alone qualifies you as a monster among monsters."
"One day, you might surpass me. You might surpass everyone and stand at the very top of the seas."
"But strength alone isn't enough. Not against them."
"They have numbers. Allies. Even the strongest monster is just a stepping stone without a crew, without comrades."
Kaido stood, raising his arms towards the heavens.
"To win, we need to gather power. All of it. Enough to launch a world-shaking war and crush our enemies!"
"Only then can I become Pirate King. Only then can we reshape this world!"
Jack stared at him, wide-eyed, as Kaido turned back to him.
"So until then, we endure. Do you understand, Jack?"
Jack nodded mechanically. "I get it. Mostly. Though I gotta say, you've been reading some serious literature lately. Your speeches used to be... less sophisticated."
Thud!
"Brat! I'm not joking here!" Kaido roared.
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg