It turned out Jack was still too young and naive—Kaido's sharp eye for talent was as reliable as ever.
Ginrummy was quite capable. Despite her petite frame, she possessed agility paired with decent strength—a rare combination, not just among women but even compared to most men. Although she couldn't hold a candle to Yamato, with some training, she could become a mid-level officer.
As for Sheepshead, he was even stronger than Ginrummy. With proper guidance, he could at least make it to the rank of a Shinuchi. Both Sheepshead and Ginrummy had proven to be promising recruits discovered during this war.
The two were young but had shown exceptional courage when facing the Whitebeard Pirates, even managing to hold off a captain from one of Whitebeard's allied fleets.
While Kaido dismissed the strength of that captain as negligible, for most pirates, such a figure was akin to a revered "father." With the right training, these two could rise to become valuable mid-level officers—a critical need in the understaffed Beasts Pirates. Handing them over to Jack seemed the best way to speed up their development.
As for raising them himself?
"Don't make me laugh!" Kaido snorted. "I, Kaido, am too busy! Not only do I have to keep my numerous secretaries happy, but I also need to train Ulti and Page One from time to time. Where would I find the time?"
After the banquet, with most matters settled, Kaido decided that Renske needed significant reconstruction after the war. King volunteered to oversee things.
Kaido didn't stop him. Though Jack might be stronger in raw power, he lacked King's mobility and composed demeanor. King was a much steadier presence.
Jack didn't object either. If anything, it meant he could return to his beloved Black Maria sooner rather than later.
However, Yamato was proving to be... problematic.
Keeping her around was an annoyance. Perhaps he could ask King to look after her for a few days? Or sneak back to Onigashima himself? Worst case scenario, he could drop her into the sea midway and let the Fish-Men escort her back.
But fate had its own plans for Jack.
The next morning, Kaido summoned both Jack and Yamato to his quarters.
"Time to get going," Kaido instructed. "I hear things have been a little restless lately, but with Queen and Black Maria around, it should remain peaceful enough."
"As for me, I won't be heading back just yet—I need to make a trip to the North Blue to find Joker."
Hearing this, Jack silently offered three seconds of mourning for his "brother from another mother."
Yamato, on the other hand, practically leapt with excitement.
"Hey, Dad! What did you just say? You're going to the North Blue? Take me with you! I've never been there before!"
Kaido frowned, his tone stern. "I have important business there, Yamato. Stop fooling around and return to Onigashima with Jack. The world outside is dangerous—the Marines and the World Government have a strong presence in those regions. It's too risky to bring you along! Isn't that right, Jack?"
Kaido shot Jack a pointed look.
Caught off guard, Jack hesitated but eventually nodded.
"Kaido-sama is right. The Marines and World Government have significant power outside the New World."
"But..." Jack added, smirking mischievously, "Kaido-sama is so strong that even they wouldn't dare to provoke him. And with his ability to fly, the trip to Doflamingo's territory is always discreet—there's no way the government would notice. So, bringing Yamato along wouldn't be much of an issue, would it?"
Kaido's smile froze.
Yamato, however, beamed with delight.
"See? Jack said it's fine! You just don't want to take me!" Yamato started theatrically wailing. "Poor me, losing my mom when I was so young. And now, even my dad doesn't care about me! Oh, how tragic my life is—"
BAM!
Before Yamato could break into song, Kaido swatted Jack aside with a single blow.
"Fine! You can come, Yamato! But shut up already!" Kaido grumbled begrudgingly.
Moments later, Yamato was riding on Kaido's dragon form, cheering as they soared into the sky.
Watching them vanish into the clouds, Jack rubbed his sore jaw, spitting out a chipped tooth.
"He even used Haki... That really hurt," Jack muttered. "And why her? I've never been allowed to ride on his back!"
Still, as Kaido and Yamato disappeared into the distance, Jack couldn't suppress his grin.
Yamato gone meant peace and quiet for at least three months, even if Kaido flew at top speed.
Excitedly, Jack gathered his subordinates and set sail back to Onigashima.
...
Out on the open sea, a Marine battleship with a dog-headed figurehead moved leisurely across the waves.
On the deck, Kuzan lay sprawled on a deck chair, an eye mask over his face.
"Vice Admiral Garp," Kuzan drawled lazily, "we're in Beasts Pirates territory. If we don't speed up, we might run into Kaido. That'd be a real headache—can't kill him, can't capture him."
"If it were up to me, we'd have caught Whitebeard by now. But since we didn't, let's just leave, yeah?"
"Shut it, you brat! Go back to sleep!"
Garp barked, stomping his foot in frustration. "How was I supposed to know that old geezer would avoid the usual route and sail through Beasts Pirates' waters instead?!"
He grumbled, "If we return without results, we'll have to deal with Sengoku's nagging and his bad breath!"
"Whatever you say, Vice Admiral. I'm taking a nap," Kuzan replied, yawning.
Meanwhile, Jack's ship sailed steadily back toward Onigashima.
As the days stretched into weeks, Jack's frustration grew. His mornings were no better, plagued by certain... desires. Staring out at the sea, he fantasized about reuniting with Black Maria.
But just as he was lost in thought, Rim's panicked voice jolted him back to reality.
"Jack-sama! There's trouble ahead!"
"Huh?" Jack grabbed the spyglass Rim handed him. Through it, he spotted a dog-headed Marine ship. On deck, a burly man wearing a dog hat stood tall, while another man lounged on a chair.
Jack lowered the spyglass, his expression darkening.
"That's Marine Hero Garp... and the ice guy, Kuzan!"
Turning to his crew, Jack barked, "Turn the ship around. I'll handle this myself."
"Why are the Marines here?"
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg