Chapter 5: Beast-like Slaughter
"Precious Metals, huh? What those swine are planning is a real pain, but let's get this banquet started!"
Rocks headed out of the Castle, calling to Charlotte Linlin, who was munching on Dessert, "Linlin, tell Streusen to get started! Today's a real party, we need endless Delicious Food and Fine Wine!"
"Mama mama mama! Of course, Streusen's already on it!" Charlotte Linlin mumbled, stuffing a Mousse Cake into her mouth.
"Hey, kid, you look very cocky."
Kaido was immediately sized up after stepping off the BIGMOM Pirates' ship.
They had malicious looks on their faces, sizing up this guy who obviously looked like a newcomer.
Kaido remained expressionless at their taunts. He simply tightened his grip on his Spiked Club, then with a sudden burst of speed, he dashed through the group of pirates. A violent explosion erupted behind him as he stopped, leaving nothing but mangled limbs and torsos where the pirates had stood.
"Pathetic."
With that, he hoisted his Spiked Club and headed deeper into the Island. That woman had said the strongest on the Sea were gathered here – that was why he'd come.
"Hiss, such fast speed, such terrifying explosive power..."
"That kid's definitely something else. Wonder where Charlotte Linlin dug him up."
"Another interesting one, huh? This year's Blood Banquet is shaping up to be quite a show."
Several pirates nearby murmured, watching Kaido's retreating figure.
"Captain Rocks and the others are here!"
A tsunami of cheers erupted from the center of the Island.
"The rookie selection's starting! Let the festivities begin!"
The announcement echoed across the Island, instantly igniting a frenzy.
Soon, Rocks and his officers took their places on the High Platform overlooking the Venue, each settling into their seats to observe the pirates below.
"First of all… welcome to Honeycomb Island!"
Rocks' voice boomed, silencing the tens of thousands in the Venue. His gaze swept over the pirates gathered below, a grin stretching across his face, a hint of madness in his eyes.
"Your presence here means you've passed the first stage, you've been recognized by my Captains. But that's not enough to join the Rocks family. Only ten of you will make the cut.
Use any means necessary, any method you can think of. If you're one of the last ten standing, you pass! And a word of warning: wanting to join the Rocks Pirates means you're ready for anything. Failures and cowards will be considered enemies of the Rocks Pirates and executed on the spot! Now then, let the show begin! Hahahaha!"
Rocks' maniacal laughter echoed through the Venue. Among the thousand newcomers, only a few clueless individuals remained oblivious. The rest instantly became wary, eyeing their neighbors – from this moment on, everyone was a potential enemy!
The clueless ones were on the verge of collapse.
All that was revealed in their eyes was panic and fear.
They screamed inwardly, *What the hell!*
During recruitment, no one mentioned joining the Rocks Pirates meant surviving a brutal test like this! Ten out of a thousand? That means almost everyone here is going to die!
Looking at the fanatical pirates around them, and the jeering pirates around the Venue feasting on Grilled Meat and Fine Wine, the clueless ones finally understood. They were just part of this Blood Banquet!
To prevent any frightened escapees from spoiling the show, Golden Lion Shiki slammed his hands onto the ground, activating his Devil Fruit Ability and raising a massive Earth Wall around the Venue, trapping everyone inside.
This development sent the clueless pirates into further panic.
But many powerful and confident pirates in the crowd remained unfazed.
They saw this as a golden opportunity. Catch Rocks' eye, and fame on the Sea wouldn't be far behind.
To further ignite the newcomers' savagery and spice up the banquet, Rocks declared no holds barred. Nicholas could already picture the carnage to come.
"Hahaha! What an interesting little guy! Reminds me of when I first met Linlin."
"Hahaha, this is really interesting, then let me start the beginning of this carnival!"
With a roar, Kaido hoisted his Spiked Club and began attacking everyone around him indiscriminately.
"Are you insane?!"
"Damn it, another lunatic! Just my luck!"
The sudden attack sent several unfortunates flying like cannonballs into the crowd, triggering immediate chaos.
The brief chaos erupted into a deafening roar of slaughter. Swords clashed, shields and Great Axes collided, Gunsmoke from Firearms and Bullets filled the air, Zoan Devil Fruit Users roared, explosions rocked the crowd, and colorful Smoke billowed upwards. The 'actors' in this grand banquet were pulling out all the stops.
Bang!
Bang bang!
Figures blurred across the Venue, Spiked Club rising and falling, each swing felling more innocents.
Pirates fighting one moment were headless corpses the next.
Even seasoned pirates paused in their own fights, noticing the beast-like figure and instinctively giving him a wide berth.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, and a Bullet struck Kaido in the head, spraying blood.
Just as everyone thought the Monster was finished, Kaido snapped his head towards a sniper hundreds of meters away, who still wore a triumphant smile from the kill.
He hurled his Spiked Club at the sniper with a deafening roar. The club tore through the air, obliterating everything in its path, and impaled the sniper.
Having dealt with the ambush, Kaido tilted his head, twisted his fingers at his temple, and plucked the Bullet from his head.
He flicked the Bullet, killing a nearby pirate, and a bloodthirsty grin returned to Kaido's face. He was a wild Beast unleashed.
The scene stunned the pirates in the Venue and caught the attention of Rocks and his crew on the High Platform.
"Hahaha! What an interesting little guy! Reminds me of when I first met Linlin." Rocks chuckled, watching the carnage unfold below.
"Tch, another Monster brat?" Shiki scoffed.
"Gurarararara! Seems like the Sea's crawling with Monsters these days." Whitebeard hoisted a massive wine jug and took a long swig.
(End of Chapter)