Infinite Anime [173-175] (Patreon)

Chapter 173: Loli Ulti

"Mr. Kaido, are we taking a ship to sea?"

Gusion looked at the massive vessel before him, asking in surprise.

At Byakuya Port, a giant ship was docked at the pier.

The ship's bow was shaped like a terrifying monster with six horns—just like the ones on Kaido's head. The hull was covered in hundreds of cannon ports, likely making its firepower even stronger than most warships.

"If we're not taking a ship, what else would we take?"

Kaido gave Gusion a suspicious look, as if doubting his strategist's intelligence.

Gusion's expression was odd. "I thought we didn't have a main ship. After all, Mr. Kaido always just takes people flying whenever he goes out."

Kaido was taken aback at that, recalling that it was indeed the case. Even though he had this formidable warship, he rarely used it.

After all, he could fly himself and even become gigantic. Usually, when heading out, he'd just have his officers stand on his back and take off directly—fast and convenient, and there was no need to worry about protecting a ship during a fight.

At this moment, King explained to Gusion, "It's different this time. Onigashima's destination, the Sky Island, is far from Wano. Flying all the way would waste a lot of stamina, especially since we have a large group going this time."

This time, the Beasts Pirates had a luxurious lineup. King, the leader of the All-Stars, was naturally going as the guide, and Kaido himself was also personally leading the expedition, since it involved the Poneglyphs. No one could guarantee the Big Mom Pirates wouldn't make a move.

Besides, they also wanted to recruit Issho, so Kaido's personal presence was a sign of sincerity. And if the negotiations failed, he could suppress Issho himself.

Jack the Drought and Queen the Plague, the other two All-Stars, stayed behind to guard Wano, preventing anyone from sneaking in.

In addition, three of the Tobiroppo were coming along, enough to handle most enemies below the level of an Emperor's right-hand man.

There were even more Headliners—over a dozen.

"Mr. King, we're heading out to fight, so why are there kids with us?"

Gusion curiously asked King, while Kaido had already gone to the bow to drink—this old drunkard was rarely fully sober.

Among the group, Gusion noticed two little ones. The taller one was a girl around ten years old, wearing a white dress, her long dark blue hair cascading down her back with two small white horns poking out from the sides—very cute.

The shorter one was a boy around eight, timidly hiding behind his sister and clutching her skirt. He wore green pants with coiled buttons and a white-and-green hat, two horns extending from under it. His bright eyes darted around, watching the crowd.

"Sis, they all look so fierce... I'm scared."

The boy, seeing the tall officers moving about the ship, clung closer to his sister, his little hand sweaty from fear.

"Don't be so spineless! We're Devil Fruit users now—what's there to be afraid of?"

The girl tried to sound brave, scolding her brother. But if you looked closely, you'd see fine sweat on her own forehead—she was clearly nervous too.

King followed Gusion's gaze and saw the pair. He explained, "That's Ulti and Page One, siblings Kaido-san brought back from a recent trip. Apparently, they're the same race as Kaido. I asked him about it, but he didn't explain in detail."

Gusion now understood their identities, marveling at how time changes things—it could turn Yamato, who should be nearing thirty, into a girl, and once-girls into little kids.

In the original story, by the time Luffy arrived in Wano, Ulti and Page One were already among the Tobiroppo. Now, though the Tobiroppo still existed, three of them were faces Gusion hadn't seen in the original.

He figured that in seven or eight years, Ulti and Page One would take their places, either after the others were squeezed out or killed in battle.

The story never said whether these two were Oni, but judging by their appearance, they were most likely the same race as Kaido.

The siblings were the children of a pirate who knew Kaido, Hanafuda. After their father died, Kaido adopted them.

Eavesdropping on the siblings, Gusion learned they'd only been in Wano for ten days, but yesterday, they ate Devil Fruits—both powerful Ancient Zoan types.

Ulti thought she was lucky to have stolen two Devil Fruits and shared one with her brother, making them both fruit users.

But Devil Fruits are never so easy to steal—let alone two rare Ancient Zoans at once. It was clearly arranged by Kaido.

Ulti was clever. As a pirate's daughter, she'd learned early about survival of the fittest.

She knew that if she and her brother didn't get stronger, they'd be eliminated in the cruel Beasts Pirates, so she'd risked stealing the fruit.

But after they ate them, they were quickly discovered, which led to this scene—Kaido threatening to take them to sea and feed them to the fish.

This terrified the young Page One, who now couldn't swim after eating a Devil Fruit and thought they were doomed.

Gusion, finding the nervous children amusing, walked over to Ulti. "Why didn't you just ask Mr. Kaido for a Devil Fruit?"

Ulti looked up at the tall, black-clad man before her, a bit intimidated, but still shielding her brother. She raised her head and met Gusion's gaze, feigning bravado. "Do you think I don't know what kind of place this is? Lord Kaido would never give a fruit to a kid. In life's big decisions, you can never let others choose for you!"

Gusion was a bit surprised. "Who taught you that?"

"My father—a great pirate."

Ulti lifted her slightly chubby chin with pride.

"I haven't heard of your father, but that's a good point. So, do you think you'll be fed to the fish?"

Gusion grinned, amused by teasing the kids.

"I... I won't let Page One be fed to the fish. I stole the fruit, so punish me—throw me in!"

Ulti said, trying to suppress her fear.

"Sis... no, I don't want you to be fed to the fish—"

Page One started to cry. "I-It was me who stole the fruit, feed me to the fish!"

Slap—

Ulti turned and gave Page One a slap, knocking him to the ground. "Don't talk nonsense! I'm the one who stole it. You're too soft and timid—you'd never dare steal a fruit from Lord Kaido!"

She turned back, meeting Gusion's gaze. "You must be important here. If you're going to punish someone, punish me. Page One is a good kid—he won't hold a grudge."

Gusion raised his hand toward Ulti, making her sweat even more and tremble.

But the expected blow never came. Instead, his hand landed gently on her head, ruffling her hair.

"Alright, I'm just kidding. Mr. Kaido isn't so petty, and I'm not going to feed you to the fish."

Gusion smiled. "Those two Devil Fruits were put there for you anyway. But you're right—in a survival-of-the-fittest world, only by getting stronger can you protect those you care about."

He looked at Page One, who had just stood up, wiping away his tears. "Train hard and get strong. Don't waste those rare fruits."

Up at the bow, Kaido, feeling the sea breeze, put down his sake jug and muttered, "Such a nosy kid."

Those two fruits really were for Ulti and Page One—the last of his race and the children of an old friend. He'd raised them as his own.

As for Ulti eating the fruits without his permission, Kaido didn't mind. He liked people with guts and a desire to get stronger.

Saying he'd throw them to the fish was just to teach them a lesson—not to be so reckless in the crew.

Taking them to sea was Kaido's own plan. He believed Oni should grow strong on the battlefield, not in a greenhouse.

With him there, nothing serious could happen. It was better to let the kids see the world and toughen up—maybe in ten years, they'd become his powerful new helpers.

"Really... you're not going to throw us to the fish?"

Page One asked timidly. He remembered seeing Gusion at the recent meeting on Onigashima and figured he must be a big name in the crew.

"If you keep crying, maybe you will be."

Gusion joked, making Page One quickly stop his tears.

"Mr. Gusion."

At this point, a tall, slender man in red clothes with a cherry-colored long sword came over, speaking respectfully, "We're about to set sail. If you're not busy, could you come to the cabin? There's something I'd like to ask you."

Gusion was surprised. They hadn't had much interaction before, so he wondered what this was about.

This man was Who's-Who, who had joined the Beasts Pirates four months ago. With his strength and the fact he'd brought his own crew, Kaido had promoted him to the Tobiroppo.

Before him, there were only five Tobiroppo—his arrival expanded the group.

He was formerly a CP9 agent. A year ago, while transporting the Gum-Gum Fruit, he was robbed by Red-Haired Shanks. With the mission a failure, he was thrown in jail, then escaped and formed his own pirate crew, seeking revenge.

After failing against Red-Haired, he joined the Beasts Pirates, ate the Saber Tiger Ancient Zoan Kaido gave him, and got even stronger—claiming to be even more talented than Rob Lucci.

At least at this point, he was Lucci's senior and much stronger.

"Of course. Lead the way."

Gusion agreed. With Kaido on board, he had nothing to fear—he was curious what this former CP agent wanted to talk about.

Inside the cabin, Who's-Who grew serious. "Mr. Gusion, I suspect there are CP agents among the Beasts Pirates."

Gusion yawned. "Is that even a suspicion? Isn't it obvious?"

He'd thought Who's-Who had some big secret to reveal, but this was old news to him.

If there weren't spies, his actions in Wano wouldn't have gotten out, and his bounty wouldn't have risen so much.

So in a way, he should thank those spies for the publicity.

Chapter 174: Teacher Kaido, Teach Me Advanced Conqueror's!

"You know!?"

Who's-Who was shocked by Gusion's reply. "If you knew, why didn't you catch them?"

Gusion looked at him speechlessly. "Dude, I heard you used to work for CP9. Did you guys really get spy training?"

Now it was Who's-Who's turn to be confused and a bit indignant. "Mr. Gusion, what do you mean? Sure, I failed one mission, but that was just bad luck running into an Emperor. I'm a professional!"

"Professional... To be honest, I can't help but roast you CP types."

Gusion sighed. "Why do you spies act so high-profile? Take CP0 for example—afraid people won't know who they are, dressed all weird and flashy, everyone can spot them from a mile away!"

"Everyone can spot them?"

Who's-Who was confused.

"Yeah, I just mean they're obvious. Your whole spy system is a joke. The higher the rank, the more flamboyant. The lower-level agents at least try to keep a low profile."

Gusion continued, "As for who the spies are in the Beasts Pirates, I've got a good idea. As for Wano's civilians, I'm not sure, but don't worry about them."

Who's-Who was a little offended but also curious. "Why not?"

"Because it doesn't affect us. If the World Government really wants to infiltrate, there are too many ways—they'll find out anyway."

Gusion explained, "Actually, the World Government raising our bounties is just more free publicity. In the end, this level of spy activity can't shake our foundation—what matters is strength."

"I see... So you had it under control all along. Those agents are just clowns compared to your insight."

Who's-Who, as a former insider, knew how to flatter.

"But you really were unlucky—working so hard for years, then one failed mission and straight to jail."

Gusion sighed. Honestly, Who's-Who had rotten luck, and his story showed the World Government's stupidity.

The fruit Luffy ate wasn't actually the Gum-Gum Fruit. There was no such fruit in the Devil Fruit encyclopedia. What he really ate was the Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Zoan, Nika Form.

This fruit was the legendary Sun God Nika ability, a fruit with the name of a god.

Eight hundred years ago, the user was Joy Boy, a member of the Great Kingdom that opposed the World Government's founders. He awakened the fruit and fought like the Sun God Nika.

After Joy Boy's defeat, the World Government, fearing the fruit's legacy, erased its name from history but always sought to obtain it.

But the fruit seemed to have a will of its own, deliberately evading them for 800 years.

Who's-Who had gotten the fruit, but bad luck led to Red-Haired Shanks robbing him, with predictable results.

Shanks took the Nika Fruit, and Luffy ended up eating it.

When Gusion saw this part of the plot in the End Space, he found it absurd.

Especially after Luffy awakened Nika—he felt the story lost its meaning, as if Luffy's hard work was worthless and he was just a vessel for Nika, with everyone seeing him as the chosen one not for being Luffy, but for inheriting Joy Boy's will.

Gusion didn't like it—the Luffy he once admired as a kid had become a goofy, toon force clown, as if possessed.

And Joy Boy himself, with all the Great Kingdom's advanced strength, still lost to the World Government. Gusion imagined another "Oden" situation...

As for that hidden history, Gusion didn't dwell on it for now. After giving Who's-Who a little tip, he left the room.

The New World's weather changed even faster than the Grand Line's, with all kinds of bizarre sights.

Gusion felt that even if he didn't get his desired Devil Fruit this trip, it was worth it—such adventures had always been his childhood dream.

Those hundred-meter sea kings leaping from the water were a spectacle, and their meat was delicious.

Once, a sea king rammed the warship, and Kaido killed it with one swing. Gusion couldn't help but drool... ah, no, envy.

"Mr. Kaido, since there's nothing to do on the ship, I'd like some training. Could you help me out?"

After dinner, Gusion clinked cups with Kaido and voiced his wish.

"Training?"

Kaido set down his sake. "I see your Advanced Armament and Observation are pretty good—what else do you want me to teach?"

"I want you to use Advanced Conqueror's Haki, the coating technique, when sparring with me."

Gusion said. He didn't know if he had Conqueror's aptitude, but once his bounty rose, he was sure he'd have it.

So, before then, he wanted to learn as much as possible about it—otherwise, if he awakened it after leaving this world, he'd have no teacher.

"Awakened Conqueror's, have you?"

Kaido frowned. "There are more and more Conquerors these days..."

He'd been complaining for years, seeing more and more kids in the New World with Conqueror's Haki, making it feel less special.

"I'm not sure. I've triggered it once by accident. I want to learn systematically—maybe it'll unlock my potential."

Gusion explained—Conqueror's Haki was hard to control. Even those with the talent might never trigger it in their life.

And just triggering it once didn't mean you could use it at will. It needed guidance.

For example, Luffy's Conqueror's was unreliable—after two years with Rayleigh, he could finally use it at will, but only to knock out small fry.

"I see. Maybe you really do have the talent. Let's see."

Kaido didn't doubt him. Conqueror's was like that—unpredictable at first, and he'd felt some resistance when using Conqueror's against Gusion before.

Kaido was a man of action. Without waiting for Gusion to say "wait a sec," he stood up, grabbed his spiked club, and swung.

Bang—

And Gusion lost consciousness.

His last thought was, "Kaido really doesn't know how to hold back after a drink..."

…

Dressrosa, Donquixote Family

On the castle terrace, the sea breeze rustled the tea set and a man's hair.

A tall man in Hawaiian vacation clothes lounged in a chair, reading a newspaper. His eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses.

"News these days gets more ridiculous every day. Less and less believable."

Doflamingo muttered. Lately his mood had been terrible, mainly because a punk named Gusion had wrecked his business.

As an underworld king and Celestial Dragon, he'd once ruled both the light and the dark—living well indeed.

In the New World, only the Emperors could truly trouble him—he could get whatever he wanted.

Even the Emperors, like muscle-brained Kaido, could be used.

The artificial Devil Fruit scheme was his idea, and he'd made a fortune off the supply chain for years. Everything was fine, until two months ago, when Kaido suddenly said he was done with the Devil Fruit business.

At first, Doflamingo was confused. Then, he was terrified, realizing Kaido might have figured out the artificial fruits were a scam.

Kaido was a brute who didn't care about consequences, so Doflamingo worried a dragon might show up and torch his castle any day.

Plus, his officer Pica was still in Wano, adding to his anxiety.

This tension lasted over a month, until Kaido asked him to send a batch of water treatment equipment, for just 100 million Berries.

Doflamingo was frustrated, but relieved—at least Kaido wasn't after his head. Money could be earned back, but a lost life was gone forever.

So he contacted Caesar, quickly arranged the shipment, and settled things.

"All because of this guy... Gusion..."

Doflamingo glared at the face in the newspaper. If not for Gusion, Kaido would never have realized the artificial fruit scam, and he could have kept raking in money for years.

He wanted to kill Gusion, but didn't dare—he was Kaido's favorite. If he tried, Kaido would flatten him in an instant.

But swallowing this was hard.

"Doffy, the person you wanted is here."

A family officer's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Send her in."

Soon, a bizarre woman wrapped in black bandages arrived on the terrace.

"You're the infamous Cursed Killer? Here for my job?"

Doflamingo eyed the petite woman. Her raw strength wasn't much by New World standards, but many had died to her strange powers—she could defeat even stronger foes if they let their guard down.

"You pay. I work. Simple as that."

Black Lily replied coldly. Recently, she'd struggled through the New World to reach Dressrosa, and now needed a big ship to travel further.

Doflamingo, to her, was a good tool—and she could guess who he hated most.

"You have a good underworld reputation. But answer me: do you dare challenge an Emperor?"

Doflamingo's eyes narrowed. Failure in assassination could bring trouble, so he had to check her professionalism.

"I said—you pay, I work. If I fail, it has nothing to do with you."

Black Lily's voice was flat as a machine.

"Alright. I'll give you a ship, sailors, and a navigator. Go kill this man."

Doflamingo pointed to Gusion's picture. According to his information, Kaido was likely out of Wano, making it a good time to strike.

He didn't know that Gusion was actually on this trip, not staying behind.

"Give me three months. You'll see his death in the papers."

Black Lily's tone was calm. In truth, she had no intention to kill Gusion—she just wanted a ship to reach Sky Island, Celestial Summit.

Based on her understanding of Gusion, he'd never miss such an event, and he was the most influential explorer in this world—she needed to ally with him to deal with Body Killer.

Chapter 175: I Kneel Before the Calamity!

Doflamingo watched Black Lily leave, sipping his tea.

He didn't really expect a killer of her level to succeed—Gusion's own strength was average, but surrounded by pirate big names.

Even for a pro like Black Lily, it would be hard. But it was worth trying—if it worked, great.

As for being traced—he wasn't worried. Black Lily had a good underground rating. She might blame him, but with no evidence, he could deny everything.

If anyone could be set up that way, he'd have been dead long ago.

It was just a gambit—if it paid off, fine; if not, no loss.

Meanwhile, Black Lily left the castle, thinking even a genius like Doflamingo was easy to fool in this pirate world.

But Doflamingo had no idea—she just wanted transportation. She would seek out Gusion, not to kill, but to cooperate.

Body Killer was dangerous and had grown stronger in this world for months. If the rumors were true, he might possess a seed. Who knew how powerful he'd become?

Also, from what she'd gathered, Body Killer already had influence in the Navy and backed by a huge force. She couldn't shake him alone.

Honestly, she wasn't that loyal to End Space—she just held a grudge against Body Killer from last time, and always paid back her debts.

Currently, the only other explorer with real influence was Gusion. She had to ally with him.

As for benefits—she was sure her intel would satisfy him. She wanted Body Killer dead; Gusion could claim the unique treasure.

…

Gusion awoke from his dazed state, rubbing his aching head—already wrapped in a top-grade bandage.

Using his appraisal skill, he saw this bandage was a purple-quality healing item, providing long-term recovery—amazing.

Checking his life force, Gusion sighed—he was really not tough. One hit from Kaido and he was out.

He used Seimei Kikan to heal his wounds quickly, but restoring his energy would require a big meal.

He went up to the deck and found the pirates holding a banquet—standard fare. He removed his bandage and joined in, feasting.

With the Seimei Kikan skill, Gusion had to eat enormous amounts of high-quality food daily to boost his stats.

At sea, nothing beat the meat of sea kings—top-tier ingredients, sometimes even legendary quality.

Luckily, Kaido had just hunted one down. The meat was delicious and very nourishing.

After a few bites, Gusion felt power surging through him—no wonder the strong kept getting stronger, with such good food.

"Yo, you're awake? Your body's so weak—not even as tough as Yamato!"

Kaido staggered over, sitting beside Gusion and slapping his shoulder with a laugh.

"It's that Mr. Kaido's attacks are too strong..."

Gusion's bones ached under the blows. "But I did learn something. Let's try again after the banquet."

He could only say, Kaido's methods were magical—his spiked club could make anyone enlightened with one hit.

Luffy fought Kaido: one hit—Advanced Armament; two hits—Advanced Conqueror's; three hits—Fruit Awakening. Gusion believed he'd master Conqueror's Haki techniques soon enough.

He really did feel something.

When Kaido coated his club with Conqueror's and struck him, he felt something deep inside his soul clash with Kaido's Haki.

He tried to recall that feeling—maybe he really did have the aptitude, just needed guidance.

And the most direct guidance was clashing with another Conqueror's user.

Since it's called Conqueror's, it means those with the talent never submit. When they meet another, their spirit instinctively resists.

Gusion drank and chatted with Kaido, while King stood nearby, silent and pensive.

Gusion guessed it was about the Lunarian race. Someone had leaked that there were Lunarians on Sky Island, which Gusion figured was a lie, but it still worried King.

Because of this, Gusion was sure the leaker was an explorer, and that they were targeting him.

The bounty posters had made it clear to all explorers in this world—he had become the Beasts Pirates' The Thunderstorm, and King was their top officer. Using the Lunarians as bait would lure out King—and, by extension, the whole crew and Gusion himself.

But Gusion couldn't figure out why—why would another explorer risk so much to draw him in?

The One Piece world was vast—couldn't everyone mind their own business?

With their strength, explorers in the New World could be killed at any time—stirring up trouble here was dancing on a knife's edge.

Even Gusion, as reckless as he was, didn't mess around in Wano—he chose to cooperate with Kaido for protection. In the New World, brute force would just get you killed.

He thought the other explorer was courting death, but someone strong enough to reach the New World shouldn't be stupid—so there must be a reason worth risking everything for.

It wasn't arrogance—he just didn't believe any explorer could scheme against Kaido or King. The real target had to be him.

After a long time, Gusion realized the only explanation—his Origin Seed.

According to the End Space, the Seed was unique and would always attract covetous eyes.

From his own experience killing Setsuna to obtain it, he knew that if another explorer killed him, they could claim the Seed and gain its unique power.

Back in the Kengan world, every explorer got a Seed-related quest—anyone with brains could guess he had it in the end.

If any explorer met someone from Endspace in another world, or shared the info, he could be targeted by high-level explorers or other Space elites.

Gusion smirked. If they were after his Seed, they wouldn't be weak—they'd be a big catch.

"What are you thinking? Drink up!"

Kaido raised his bowl, snapping Gusion out of his thoughts.

…

Meanwhile, not far away, a small ship passed the Beasts Pirates' warship. When its crew spotted Kaido and Gusion, their faces turned pale.

"Shit, turn! It's Emperor Kaido!"

The people on the boat shouted, trying to escape as far as possible, afraid of being noticed.

One of them was a third-level explorer from Endspace. After hearing about Sky Island, he'd wanted to sneak into the New World, but had run into Kaido almost immediately.

What shocked him most was the man drinking with Kaido—someone not from the original story, but recently seen on a wanted poster.

He hadn't believed it, but now he saw it with his own eyes—the Beasts Pirates really did have a Fourth Calamity, that damn explorer.

This Gusion guy was cheating—while everyone else was fighting their way up, he'd just cozied up to Kaido. Who could compete with that?

Just then, he felt a chill, sensing several gazes.

Looking back, he saw three mighty figures at the bow of the massive ship watching them.

Kaido, drunk at the bow, muttered, "Why's there another little boat coming this way? Sink it."

King thought this was normal—in these seas, newcomers got no mercy. It was a lesson in who ruled here.

Gusion used his scan skill on the other captain, confirming he was an explorer—not quite human, with a third eye like Pudding.

He put down his jug, stood up, and said, "I want to try a new move."

"I'll come with you, Mr. Gusion—maybe grab some treasure from their boat."

King put down his food.

"I'll trouble you, Mr. King."

Gusion didn't refuse—he knew King was looking out for him.

King spread his wings, grabbed Gusion, and took off toward the little ship.

"Goddammit! Shameless!"

The explorer on the ship cursed. "Come on, 1v1! Why are you bringing King, huh?!"

But Gusion ignored him. When King let go, he landed heavily, smashing the deck.

"Not bad. Good for testing my blade."

Gusion grinned at the three explorers on board—all level three, with around 55 points in total stats.

Months ago, he couldn't have beaten them. But now, he'd upgraded everything.

He unleashed his Mazuko, fully activating his thunder breathing—thunder crackled as he prepared to claim their loot, but something unexpected happened.

"We kneel before the Calamity!"

One explorer dropped to his knees. "There are two Devil Fruits on board—offerings to the Beasts Pirates! Please spare us!"

Gusion, who was about to fight: ???

Even explorers from End Space were this spineless now?