"Kaidou of the Beasts!?"
Dragon blinked, utterly dumbfounded.
Kaidou of the Beasts... was a pirate!
Sure, Kaidou's overall strength was undeniably top-tier. Whether it was his mastery of his Devil Fruit, raw physical combat, or control over Haki, he was without question one of the strongest figures in the sea.
Even Dragon, with power on par with an Admiral, would take a hit if he faced Kaidou head-on. Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruits give a close-combat boost that most Logia users just can't match.
But setting politics aside, Kaidou as a teacher?
What kind of joke was that?
The Marines were filled with accomplished mentors and prodigies. What qualifications did Kaidou have to be compared to the instructors of the Marines?
There was Zephyr-sensei, Chief Instructor of the Marine Officer Training Camp, who had raised countless Marine "monsters"—the now-celebrated "Golden Generation" was entirely his legacy.
Then there was his own father, Garp. Sure, Garp's teaching style could be described as... "improvised," but as long as you had the grit and focus, you could still learn deeply powerful techniques from him.
Admiral Sengoku was a paragon of balance—with no real weaknesses except maybe a lack of flight—and his vision and strategy were unmatched. Under his tutelage, any Marine would thrive.
And let's not forget the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines, Kong.
In his eighties now, he had personally trained the three pillars of the Marines—Garp, Zephyr, and Sengoku. A living legend!
How could Kaidou even compare to these giants?
Why on earth would Daren go out of his way to learn from him?
"You're not seriously saying that, are you, Daren?" Dragon said incredulously. "Kaidou's a pirate, and you expect me to believe he's capable of teaching anything worthwhile?"
Daren only smiled, calm and cryptic.
"You don't have to believe me, Dragon. But I'll be honest with you—my recent power spike? It's thanks to Kaidou's... 'teaching.'"
"If you get the chance, go to Wano Country. See for yourself."
"In my opinion, Kaidou might actually be a better 'teacher' than even Zephyr-sensei or Vice Admiral Garp. A true 'great instructor.'"
"That so…" Dragon eyed him suspiciously.
Could Kaidou really help improve one's strength?
It sounded absurd, but Daren didn't look like he was joking. So Dragon silently made a mental note.
If he ever faced Kaidou in a proper match, he might take some damage—after all, hand-to-hand was Kaidou's specialty.
But with his own power, he was confident he could survive, even in defeat.
"If I get the chance, I'll head to Wano and see if Kaidou really is the 'great teacher' Daren says he is..."
Dragon kept the thought to himself.
Far away in Wano Country, Kaidou remained blissfully unaware that, because of one offhand comment from Daren, an onslaught of headaches was heading his way.
"Wait... you said Kaidou's in Wano Country?"
Dragon paused, just now processing the implication. A flicker of surprise crossed his face.
"Yeah," Daren nodded. "The Beasts Pirates have already taken over Wano. They've set up large-scale weapons production lines. That formerly isolated country... it's Kaidou's turf now."
With that confirmation, Dragon couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.
"This is going to complicate things..."
As a former top Marine, Dragon was well aware of Wano's complex political situation.
If a power-hungry figure like Kaidou had really seized control of the country, any Marine operation there would require far more caution and planning.
Dragon took a long drag from his cigar and shook his head, forcing the turbulent thoughts down.
He looked up at the Vice Admiral across from him, a wave of emotion flickering in his chest.
The young man who had once walked out of North Blue was now a leader who could stand on his own.
And him?
The grand ambitions he had once dreamed of... now felt so distant.
"So, about that Queen of the Pleasure District—Stussy..."
Dragon asked, sounding him out.
Daren chuckled. "If I said we were just good friends, would you believe me?"
Dragon rolled his eyes hard.
Yeah, right.
You're already at the "taking your clothes off" stage!
One's a Marine infamously labeled a disgrace, the other is the sultry Queen of the Pleasure District...
If you told me nothing happened between you two, I'd rather believe Kaidou really is a great teacher.
Daren just smiled without saying a word.
Stussy hadn't noticed Dragon sneaking into the Pleasure District.
Even with Observation Haki, perception isn't infallible. After all, both Sabo and that creep Wapol had managed to infiltrate the Room of Flowers deep within Pangaea Castle, right under the noses of the Five Elders and Imu.
Dragon's strength aside, he hadn't released a trace of killing intent. If not for Daren's own Observation Haki, which had been significantly refined under Katakuri's "training," and enhanced further by his biological magnetic field sensing ability, he might not have picked up on Dragon at all.
"But Dragon, you didn't just come here to spy on my personal life, did you?"
Daren flicked the ash from his cigar and raised an eyebrow.
A smile tugged at the corners of Dragon's mouth.
"No, I came for something important."
"But before that, I want to introduce you to someone."
"A partner. A comrade who shares my ideals."
As his words fell, a towering figure appeared in the room without a sound.
Daren's pupils contracted slightly.
So fast—it felt like teleportation.
There wasn't the slightest disturbance. It was as if he had materialized out of thin air.
Noticing Daren's subtle reaction, Dragon smiled, clearly proud.
"This is—"
"Bartholomew Kuma," Daren cut in, his eyes fixed on the towering figure in glasses.
The man before him had an enormous build. Daren and Dragon were both around three meters tall—standard for top-tier Marines—but even standing next to this guy, Dragon looked small.
The man stood there like a great bear, his massive frame casting a shadow that filled the room with pressure.
But the most striking thing wasn't his size—it was the aura he gave off.
Gentle. Quiet. Calm. Polite.
A future member of the Shichibukai.
The prototype for the Pacifistas.
The Nikyu Nikyu no Mi user.
The future "Tyrant," Bartholomew Kuma.
But at this point in time, Kuma hadn't yet earned that fearsome title. He was still an unknown.
"You... know who I am?"
Kuma smiled warmly, scratched his head, and extended a hand to Daren.
"Nice to meet you, Daren-san."
Daren glanced down at the enormous, calloused hand. He could faintly see the soft pink paw pads in the center of the palm.
This guy isn't going to slap me halfway across the world to some random hellhole, is he?
He hesitated, then smiled and took Kuma's hand.
And in the very next second—
Something strange happened.