It's not unreasonable to say that even a rabbit will bite when it's anxious.
It was hard to believe that this timid fisherman, who always cowered and obeyed Larson and the others, had been hiding a bomb on him, ready to go off at any moment.
Originally, the bomb was meant as his last resort — something to drag a few of them down with him if Larson and the others decided to kill him and Jem. But now, it was being used in this situation.
Kaido, despite his fear, acted decisively.
The reason he dared to kill Jem and Roberta earlier was based on the assumption that he could do it quietly and then slip away unnoticed.
But the moment Roberta escaped the blast, all of those illusions shattered.
Roberta gave him a harsh slap — snapping him back to reality.
Behind them, King and Queen stood in shock, amazed at how quickly their boss's demeanor had changed. Their own expressions shifted just as fast. After all their years following Kaido, if they had learned one thing, it was how to change their expressions in a flash.
Quietly, Queen closed the door to ensure no one outside could witness what was happening inside.
Then, the three of them plastered smiles on their faces as they approached Roberta.
"Stop!" Roberta ordered, halting their advance.
Kaido's face stiffened, but he forced a smile. "Boss Luo, that was just a little performance we prepared for you. Please don't take it to heart. Also, if you could just put down the thing you're holding…"
Kaido wasn't afraid of the bomb itself, but the noise it would make when it detonated.
Roberta sneered, "Weren't you quite imposing just a moment ago? Where's that energy now?"
Kaido was silent for a couple of seconds. He recognized the bomb in Roberta's hand — a common type on the market. It wasn't particularly powerful, but its key feature was that even the slightest impact would set it off.
Even if it did explode here, it wouldn't seriously hurt them. But there was no doubt the bomb would go off the moment he tried anything.
After a brief pause, Kaido suddenly spun around and slapped Queen across the face.
Queen, stunned, stood there, looking at Kaido in confusion. "Boss! Why did you hit me?"
Kaido clenched his teeth and glared at him. "It's all your fault! You insisted on showing Boss Luo that stupid act to scare him!"
Queen blinked rapidly. He caught on quickly and, in the next second, threw himself at Roberta's feet, crying bitterly. "Boss Luo, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault. I just wanted to play a harmless prank on you. Please don't be mad, I didn't mean it!"
Kaido was satisfied with Queen's performance and gave a secretive wink to King.
King hesitated, torn between his pride and the urgent situation. His instincts told him not to stoop to such a level, but the current crisis left him no choice.
He gritted his teeth and, in a flash, mimicked Queen's actions, throwing himself at Roberta's feet.
Jim, watching from the side, was completely dumbfounded. What was happening? Were these the same people who, just moments ago, had been threatening to kill them?
Somehow, the situation had flipped. Even Roberta seemed confused.
He hadn't expected the bomb he pulled out to hold this much power.
Looking down at King and Queen groveling in front of him, Roberta hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.
...
...
Kaido was growing more anxious by the second. He feared Roberta might accidentally set off the bomb.
He wanted to grab it, but Roberta was wary of him, and he didn't dare make a move.
But doing nothing wasn't an option. If Roberta left now, she would almost certainly reveal everything that had happened here.
On the other hand, if she didn't leave and the bomb went off, the result would be just as catastrophic — their plans would be exposed either way.
It was an impossible situation.
Roberta was equally terrified. He could tell that the scene Kaido and the others had put on earlier wasn't an act.
What "performance" was Queen talking about? It was just their pathetic attempt to make him out to be a fool.
But now, he didn't know what to do.
Kaido, along with Queen, blocked the door, as if cutting off his only way to survive.
In the tense atmosphere, Roberta broke the silence: "You probably don't want the people outside to find you."
Kaido thought to himself, do you really need to say that?
Roberta hadn't finished speaking: "You're also worried that I might leave and expose your location after I'm gone."
Kaido thought, so you've figured it out too.
Judging by Kaido's expression, Roberta knew she was right.
He continued, "Even if I don't set off this bomb, you'll still be exposed because those people asked us to lead the way. If we don't come out soon, they'll definitely come looking for us."
Kaido's expression soured, his frustration clear.
This was exactly what he feared the most.
"I have a solution."
Roberta turned toward Kaido. His legs were trembling in fear, but he remained steady, facing Kaido.
"Let Jem go, and I'll stay as your hostage. That way, you can be at ease."
"Roberta, what did you just say?"
Jem couldn't believe his ears.
A smile crept onto Roberta's face. "Brother, I won't abandon you this time."
"You..."
Tears welled up in Jem's eyes.
"But I said those things to you earlier..."
"I don't care. We're brothers. If I brought you here, I'll make sure you get out safely," Roberta said, then turned to Kaido. "How about it?"
"This is a pretty good idea," Kaido replied gravely.
At this point, he didn't have many other options.
Letting Jem go out to calm down Whitebeard and his crew, while keeping Roberta as a hostage, seemed like the safest course of action for now.
"But how do I know he won't betray us the moment he gets out?"
Kaido's eyes narrowed. He hadn't forgotten that these two had been fighting earlier. What if Jem didn't care about Roberta's life?
"Don't worry."
Roberta seemed confident. "We're brothers. I trust him."
Jem, deeply moved, said, "Roberta, trust me."
He then turned to Kaido. "As long as I don't expose your location, you'll release my brother once they're gone, right?"
Kaido smiled, "Deal."
For the first time, he felt a glimmer of relief.
Jem sighed, "Roberta, I'm going out then."
Roberta nodded silently.
Under everyone's gaze, Jem walked to the door and pushed open the wooden cockpit door.
Sunlight streamed in, momentarily blinding Jem.
He stepped outside and, after a brief pause, slowly closed the door behind him.
The light gradually faded, and finally, the door shut.
But the moment it closed, Jem's voice erupted from outside, frantic and loud: "Someone's coming! They're coming! Someone's here to kill me!"
Damn it! You said you'd kill me earlier, and now I can finally get my revenge!
Inside the room, Kaido: "..."
Roberta: "..."