The Beast Soldier at the north gate stiffened.
Most of Onigashima recognized King on sight. The Beasts Pirates' hierarchy was steep and unforgiving; subordinates memorized the faces of upper-tier cadres to survive. Failing to spot danger in this crew usually meant a swift end.
He stood roughly six meters tall. Standard doorways scraped his shoulders, and other large men subtly stepped back when he entered a room. He wore solid black. His double-breasted coat shifted smoothly with his movements, tailored sharply to his massive frame.
A mask and goggles concealed his face, as they always did. The crew knew better than to ask why.
Massive black wings rested against his back. They were rigid and heavily plumed, the dark feathers absorbing the ambient light. A steady flame burned at his shoulders, the hallmark of his Lunarian blood.
The Beast Soldier jogged forward. He forced a smile, hunching his shoulders in submission, and spoke quickly.
"Master King! The captain brought you up at last night's banquet. We didn't expect you back so soon."
King looked down at him. High above, the Sky Screen display updated with floating text:
Second-in-command of the Beasts Pirates. Flame Disaster — King (Lunarian Clan). User of the Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Mythical Beast, Phoenix Form.
"Understood," King said. "Drink less before your next gate shift."
The soldier hit his knees instantly, pressing his forehead to the stone path. He didn't move until King had passed. Only after the second guard tapped his boot and pointed at the retreating black figure, now a hundred meters down the road, did he lift his head.
"He's gone," the second guard said. "Stand up."
"He knew my name."
"He knows everyone's name. That isn't a good thing."
King walked through Onigashima. Soldiers who spotted him early ducked down side passages. Those who noticed him late pressed their backs flat against the walls or darted into adjacent doorways. Nobody ran in panic, but nobody stayed in his path.
His visit to Buggy's territory played on loop in his mind. The Infinity Castle defied gravity and standard engineering. Nakime controlled its shifting interior, reconfiguring walls and floors at will. The moving stronghold floated somewhere over the ocean, housing hundreds of thousands of people. Without a Vivre Card, finding it was impossible.
After the Iron and Blood Massacre, Buggy's scattered forces—the Joker Pirates—had consolidated in the sky. They sat in the upper atmosphere, watching the world's remaining powers search for them.
Shanks was the only leverage point. The Red-Haired Pirates held the life card, but they had withdrawn from the world stage. Marine intelligence channels stayed completely silent on the reality of that disappearance.
King pushed the thought aside.
"King, you're back early."
The voice was relaxed, carrying a trace of amusement. He recognized it immediately. Only one person on Onigashima spoke to him without a subordinate's groveling or Kaido's heavy authority.
He stopped.
She stood in a sunlit courtyard between the main structures, away from the fortress noise. Her white kimono and gradient hair—fading from white at the roots to green, then deep blue at the ends—drifted in the clear wind. She carried her weapon at her side.
Red horns curved upward from her brow, and orange pins held a loose side-ponytail in place. She watched him, waiting for him to speak first.
The Sky Screen notes materialized above her:
Kaido's son — Yamato (Demon Clan). Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Mythical Beast, Ōkami.
"The Infinity Castle is worth visiting," King said. "The architecture is unlike anything on the surface. You'd find it interesting. They use spatial folding for the interior. The apparent volume doesn't match the external structure."
Yamato narrowed her eyes, leaning in slightly. "Spatial folding. How large?"
"Large enough to house hundreds of thousands of crew members without crowding." He paused. "The city moves continuously. Conventional navigation can't track it without a life card."
"Impressive engineering." She glanced toward the interior of Onigashima, fixing her gaze on the heavily avoided wing containing Kaido's personal quarters. "The old man wants to see you. He mentioned it twice at the banquet. That counts as emphatic for him."
"I know. I'm heading there now."
"Good. I'm heading in the opposite direction."
She turned away. Her wooden clogs clicked sharply against the stone path as she walked off.
King watched her go. The ongoing clash between Yamato and Kaido was a natural phenomenon within the Beasts Pirates. It was a cycle of structured coexistence interrupted by brief, destructive violence. For them, this counted as progress.
Yamato wanted Wano. She wanted the closed country, its history, and its people, and she despised Kurozumi Orochi's rule over it. She aimed to become Wano's guardian, the sole barrier between the nation and the crushing weight of the Beasts Pirates' occupation.
Kaido refused. Orochi still held administrative value, and Kaido's plans for his heir fundamentally conflicted with Yamato's desires.
King estimated the issue would resolve itself within a few years. Kaido wouldn't change his mind, but circumstances would eventually eliminate the obstacles. Orochi's value to the crew had an expiration date. Yamato's did not.
The heir to the Beasts Pirates would eventually rule Wano. It was just a matter of time.
King resumed his path toward Kaido's quarters.
Onigashima operated on a single currency: strength. The hierarchy and the ranking battles stripped away all pretense, institutionalizing raw power. It was brutal and transparent, a far more honest system than the outside world.