311 - One Piece: Red Dragon of the Rocks Era (Patreon)

311 - Meeting Imu and Another Clash

Caius did not need Michael specifically. For now, though, Michael was the right person for the job, so Caius offered him the chance.

If Michael refused, Caius would dispose of him. He would not lose sleep over it.

Having made the offer, Caius kept eating and waited for an answer. Michael could not tell how much the decision mattered to him.

Michael let out a long breath.

"Then I'll be counting on you, Lord Caius."

Michael understood his position. He accepted the offer without much hesitation.

If he returned to Joy Boy empty-handed, he would be punished, and his rivals would make the most of his fall. He had a family to protect as well as himself.

Caius was a reasonable choice. Their conversation had made his intentions clear enough, and Michael decided to take the risk.

"Good. You won't regret it, Michael."

Caius smiled.

Now he had someone capable to handle matters in the capital. Better still, Michael knew how to think for himself.

They spoke a little longer, then parted. Michael, still wrapped in bandages, glanced back at the place before finally walking away.

...

A month passed.

By then, word had spread through the Great Kingdom that an extraordinarily powerful fighter had joined the Amatsuki family. Nobles began courting the family, hoping to catch his attention.

Those visiting the capital made a point of calling on the Amatsuki estate every day, hoping to meet Caius.

They never saw him. Instead, they found Amatsuki Mitsuaki looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

His peers wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. But this was the Amatsuki estate, and Mitsuaki was Caius's father-in-law. They kept their tempers in check.

Caius was rarely at the estate during those visits. After spending too much time indoors, he had taken to walking the capital.

He turned into a narrow street, then stopped when someone called out behind him.

"You there. Wait a moment."

A girl's voice rang out.

Caius recognized her presence. At last, he had found Imu.

"Can I help you?"

"You've been following me. Is there something you wanted to ask?"

"Or did you only come to see whether the stories about me are true?"

Caius kept his tone light. He wanted to know why Imu had approached him and what she understood about the kingdom around her.

"You noticed me, then. Most people would at least introduce themselves before asking questions."

Imu sounded unimpressed rather than embarrassed.

She had come to see the fighter everyone in the capital was talking about. At first glance he seemed ordinary enough; only the power beneath that calm exterior set him apart.

"Fair point. I'm Caius. And you are?"

He watched how she chose to answer. He knew what Imu would become one day, but in this era her choices were still her own.

"Imu. And you don't act much like the great warrior people are afraid of."

Despite the challenge in her words, she smiled.

"Walk with me for a while. You knew I was following you, and you came this way anyway. We can talk while we see the city."

"You noticed that much. All right, Imu. Lead the way."

Caius agreed. Their conversation could tell him how Imu fit into the kingdom's power structure. He had no reason to refuse.

They walked through the streets together. Most ordinary residents did not know Caius by sight, though plenty noticed Imu beside him. Word of the meeting eventually reached Joy Boy.

The king did nothing for now. He was waiting for the right moment; once he knew who had aligned with Caius, he intended to deal with them together.

Neither bought much. Their households already had what they needed. Instead, they talked at length about the world, Joy Boy, the nobility, and the kingdom's future.

On more than one point, their conclusions aligned.

Caius found that unsettling. Had conversations like this helped shape the Celestial Dragons who would rule eight hundred years later?

Three more months passed. Their conversations grew more candid, and their political understanding deepened. Then Joy Boy made his move.

He had finally decided to test Caius.

One night, more than thirty pseudo-limit-breakers arrived outside the Amatsuki estate. They did not enter. Aware of Caius's strength, they waited for him to come out.

Inside, Caius gently moved Toki's arm aside and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Of all the times to show up, they had chosen the middle of the night. He was tired, and they were becoming a nuisance.

'Better to deal with them quickly.'

'Wait.'

'More than thirty pseudo-limit-breakers?'

Joy Boy was willing to spend a great deal on a mere test. Still, these were only pseudo-limit-breakers. They were nowhere near enough.

Caius pulled on his nightclothes, took Longquan from the wall, and vanished from the room. A faint breeze stirred Toki's face.

Outside, he appeared before the waiting fighters and motioned for them to follow. He walked toward the edge of the capital. Acting on Joy Boy's instructions, they followed him.

About half an hour later, Caius returned without a mark on him. He went back to bed and drew Toki into his arms.

The place where they had fought was another matter. They had gone to an uninhabited island far from the capital, one the kingdom had intended to develop. Now the island was gone beneath the sea.

It had been large enough to hold a powerful kingdom of its own. Caius had sunk it in less than ten minutes of fighting.

The battle stunned the fighters who learned of it. Caius had overwhelmed his opponents, and he had done so without using his full strength.

Joy Boy, who had watched the entire fight, drew a different conclusion. He was excited. Caius had not advanced beyond the limit-breaking level after all. That meant there was still a chance to kill him.