CHAPTER 263: [263] : KING OF SOULS? THE GREAT FILIAL PIETY OF YAMATO! THE VOICE OF ALL THINGS!

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"SKY SOVEREIGN-SAMA! PLEASE, HAVE MERCY! I WAS ONLY ACTING UNDER DOFLAMINGO’S ORDERS!" Caesar wailed, a mess of snot and tears as he begged for his life.

"Tch. Caesar, you haven’t changed a bit," Queen sneered with contempt.

Back at Vegapunk’s MADS research institute, while Vegapunk focused on research that could bring peace to the world... he, Queen, Vinsmoke Judge, and Caesar were all dedicated to the mass production of weapons of slaughter.

And among them, Caesar was the most insane.

As the user of the Gas-Gas Fruit, Caesar’s research focus, besides the artificial SMILE Devil Fruits, had been on the development of notoriously horrific poison gas weapons.

For a guy like him to claim he was forced by Doflamingo to conduct these experiments—he was lying through his teeth.

Suddenly—

"YOU LITTLE PUNK! SKY SOVEREIGN IS THE MAN WHO KILLED ME, AND YOU DARE TO SPEW LIES IN HIS PRESENCE?"

Kaido’s voice thundered, making Caesar tremble with terror.

Kaido... The man even Doflamingo feared to his very core.

Just hearing his name made both him and Doflamingo tremble from their souls!

And now, listen to what Kaido was saying!

Sky Sovereign killed Kaido, and then brought him back to life.

WAS THIS MAN EVEN HUMAN??

Resurrection was a feat that no science, no technology, could ever achieve—yet this man had done it.

In the world of science, anything could be researched, anything could be realized—except for bringing the dead back to life; that was an impossible task.

What was a miracle? Resurrection was a miracle!

Sky Sovereign Rowen was the man who created miracles.

"Caesar, you better start talking straight. Otherwise, I’ll throw you into the sea to feed the fish,"

Jack glared, his eyes wide, looking at Caesar with undisguised threat.

Rowen hadn’t killed Jack, nor had he taken his physical energy.

Only for the sake of his video deception, he had separated his Elephant-Elephant Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Model: Mammoth fruit, taking the ability.

After the war, when Jack saw Kaido’s soul and learned that King and Queen had pledged their allegiance to Rowen, his own loyalty to Kaido, which was no less than King’s, led him to immediately join as well.

Rowen had also returned the Mammoth fruit to Jack, restoring him to his peak combat strength.

This Devil Fruit was useless to Rowen, better to let Jack regain his strength.

Though Jack’s combat strength was at the bottom among Yonko Commanders, he was at least stronger than Marine HQ Vice Admirals and most Emperor crew commanders.

And though Jack’s brain wasn’t the sharpest, to the point of saying "Bring the ship alongside" even against an impossible opponent, his loyalty was impeccable, and he was extremely honorable—with a very good reputation within the Beasts Pirates.

With Jack’s joining, the process of absorbing the remnants of the Beasts Pirates had been much smoother.

"I-I’LL TALK, I’LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING!" Caesar stammered, his resolve completely broken.

"Atone for your sins here. If your research produces results that help Rowen win the final war—your crimes might be lessened. According to your crimes, even if you’re not killed, you should spend a lifetime in prison. How much your sentence is reduced depends on your future performance,"

Franky stated, looking at Caesar with a villainous expression.

"I-I understand," Caesar sighed in relief. Though he still had to earn his reduced sentence, at least his life was spared.

"Momonosuke, is it?"

Rowen turned his attention to the final figure Jack had brought.

At this moment, Momonosuke no longer had a human form, being placed in a container.

"Th-The experiment had a slight accident," Caesar’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat.

After Sky Sovereign Rowen’s meteoric rise, Doflamingo had completely panicked, forcing him to conduct more efficient, insane research.

This boy, who had just happened to eat a SMILE fruit—an artificial fruit based on Kaido’s own Azure Dragon form, which granted the power to become a dragon—had become a key research subject.

Though not as powerful as the real Azure Dragon Fruit, it could at least control Flame Clouds.

This discovery, different from the original story’s timeline, was the result of Caesar’s frantic research after being pushed by Doflamingo.

This was, of course, a very valuable research result, and Caesar had focused his research on Momonosuke. And then... he had become this.

"The bloodline of Kozuki Oden, Kozuki Momonosuke."

Rowen hadn’t expected Momonosuke to end up in such a pathetic state.

Compared to the ’Momonosuke must die’ sentiment among fans on Earth, this was far more miserable. But at least he was still alive.

Rowen held no goodwill for the Kozuki Family.

Whether it was this Momonosuke, or that self-indulgent, naked-dancing idiot Kozuki Oden, in Rowen’s view, their suffering was purely self-inflicted.

"Kozuki Oden’s son? Was he sent to the future by the Time-Time Fruit?" Kaido, on the other hand, had a high opinion of Kozuki Oden.

After all, this world had its own values, and Kaido was a man who valued strength above all else.

Though Oden was an idiot, he had mastered Haoshoku Coating and was one of the peak powerhouses of his era, worthy of standing on the world’s center stage.

Even a not-yet-fully-matured Kaido hadn’t been absolutely certain he could win against him, which was why he had resorted to conspiracy to gradually dismantle Oden’s power base in Wano before striking the final blow.

The scar on Kaido’s chest was a permanent reminder left by Oden.

"Well, he can still use the Flame Clouds. He can serve as a figurehead in Wano Country," Rowen thought of the Soul King from the world of Bleach.

"Ace, what’s the situation in Wano Country?" Rowen asked, taking out a Transponder Snail.

"With Yamato’s help, we have completely taken control of Wano Country. Kurozumi Orochi has been captured by us," Ace’s voice came from the Transponder Snail.

"Yamato..." Hearing this name, Kaido sighed.

Death was a unique experience for any living being.

’A man on his deathbed speaks good words.’ Having experienced death, even a war maniac like Kaido now felt a greater degree of affection for his daughter.

Of course, Kaido himself was very good to Yamato.

Not only did he respect her thoughts, calling her ’Son’, but even when Yamato frequently tried to kill him, he only locked her up.

"YOU’RE ROWEN?? THE GUY WHO KILLED THAT BASTARD KAIDO?? OH, RIGHT! THANKS FOR SAVING ACE!" Yamato’s excited voice came from the snail.

Kaido’s face instantly fell.

Even as a Flame Elemental Homie, he could feel his face change.

This was what you call "Great filial piety."

King and the others pretended not to hear.

"Yamato," Rowen smiled.

Ace’s good friend and Kaido’s daughter.

User of the Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami.

More importantly, Yamato had already preliminarily mastered Haōshoku Coating! This was after being locked up by Kaido for so many years—her talent was unimaginable.

A very worthy, powerful combatant to train.

Though a bit unfilial, with her good friend Ace around, Yamato was very trustworthy.

The friendship between Ace and Yamato was one of the regrets of the original story—now, it was also made up for.

"Honestly, Yamato, you idiot," Hearing Yamato’s words, Ace’s face turned a little red.

He was a bit embarrassed. Because he was saved by Rowen and the others, but he had never said ’thank you’.

Between men, the words ’Thank you’ were really hard to say.

Ace had chosen to completely entrust his life to Rowen, to fight to the death for him. To use his actions and his life to repay Rowen’s great kindness.

But hearing Yamato loudly thank Rowen for saving him, Ace slowly took a deep breath.

"Though it’s a little late, but... thank you for your care, Rowen," Ace smiled.

"Don’t worry about it," Rowen smiled.

"What’s next, Rowen?" Ace asked for instructions.

"Find Kozuki Hiyori, who has taken the name Komurasaki—and restore the Kozuki Family’s status in Wano Country," Rowen said with a calm smile.

"Really, Rowen?!" Yamato’s joyful voice came through.

"Afterwards, I will bring Kozuki Momonosuke to Wano Country and liberate the people there—" Rowen was not concerned about who nominally became the so-called shogun of Wano Country.

Momonosuke, in his current state, could serve as a figurehead, while Kozuki Hiyori becomes the new Shogun.

Afterwards, Wano Country would naturally become an affiliated nation of the Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet.

Yamato was the best candidate to be stationed in Wano Country for the Sky Sovereign Grand Fleet.

Of course, what Rowen needed most was the ’Desire for Liberation’ there.

After obtaining that, he would see if it would continue to make the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika release even stronger power.

And on Momonosuke, there was another ability.

"Plunder."

Rowen activated his ability.

——

—[Successfully plundered: The Voice of All Things (Special)]—

——

Momonosuke possessed the special Trait to hear the Voice of All Things.

It was, in a way, recycling waste.

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