Eiichiro Oda's One Piece is known, among other things, for its great world-building aspect. This has also been reflected in the characters, as we have seen that even most of the supporting characters, including the villains, have amazing stories. The most recent episode of One Piece told us the story of King, presented in the shadow of his epic clash with Zoro, in which King lost. Now, in this article, we will not focus on the battle, but we will present you King's story, as you will discover how and when King met Kaido, who would soon become his captain.

Born 47 years ago into a lunar tribe, King was taken by the World Government and held at the Third Research Institute in Punk Hazard, where he was experimented on due to his heritage. Kaido was himself a research subject there at the time, and when he had a blast, he asked King, then named Alber, to come with him and be part of his future pirate crew. After Kaido said they would change the world, Alber agreed and escaped; he was also given the nickname King shortly after.

In this article, we've gathered everything we can to provide you with a complete, detailed, and in-depth guide—as always—on this intriguing subject, as we'll explain how it fits into the story. The article will focus on King and his early life, as well as his relationship with Kaido, his captain. As you might expect, the article will contain plenty of spoilers, so be careful how you approach it.

King was saved by Kaido during an experiment in Punk Hazard

King was born 47 years ago as Alber to a lunar tribe somewhere along the Red Line; Mary Geoise had not yet been constructed. When he was young, the World Government kidnapped him and imprisoned him in a Punk Hazard laboratory to conduct experiments on him. When Kaido, another prisoner, broke free, he acknowledged his race and told him they would never let him go, claiming to have witnessed the experiments on his resistance. He admitted he was leaving and considered creating a crew, asking him what he would do.

Kaido replied that he was the only person capable of changing the world, and Alber agreed when he asked if he thought he could. Once they were free, the two set fire to the structure and left. When Kaido asked him to reveal his name, he acknowledged that he was incredibly strong and suggested calling himself "King," urging him to stand by his side and promising that he would not let anyone capture him.

Later, when Kaido questioned him about his belief that he was in the presence of the new Joy Boy, who would bring about the world he desired, Alber replied that the stories were just that—legends—and that he desired nothing more, while making it clear that he was grateful to Kaido for saving his life. He went on to say that until he made him the Pirate King, he was the strongest and would never be defeated.

He was present when Kurozumi Higurashi came to Kaido 26 years before the story begins, suggesting that he and his crew settle in Wano Country and form an alliance with Kurozumi Orochi, which his commander approved. The Beasts Pirates fought the Gekko Pirates in Ringo 21 years before the story begins, killing all but the captain.

Three years later, in Udon, Kaido's group engaged Kozuki Oden and his followers in battle. They were ultimately defeated, imprisoned in the Flower Capital, and then boiled to death after being accused of treason against the shogun. After Oden's death, the king ordered Kuri Castle set on fire. One day, Kaido informed him that Yamato had begun discussing Joy Boy and that he had no idea where he had heard about it.

His team's captain stated that he knew who the man he was waiting for was, too, indicating that he would be the one to beat him, in response to the All-Star's remark that Oden seemed to be planning to open the borders of Wano Country in preparation for his arrival. King then retorted with a smile that he would never show up. He left Onigashima two years before the story begins, along with Kaido and other members of the crew.

King's loyalty to Kaido was unwavering

As you can see, King and Kaido have an exceptionally close bond, as Kaido essentially saved King's life and gave him a new purpose in life. This is why King was so loyal to Kaido. They met about 30 years before the story begins, and since then, King has enjoyed deep trust from Kaidou and, being unwaveringly loyal to his Governor-General, is always willing to carry out missions on his behalf. When Big Mom and her children arrived in Wano Country, King quickly attacked and sent his ship to the bottom of the sea, on his own initiative and not on Kaidou's orders.

King also immediately lent his sword to Kaidou so he could behead Orochi with it as soon as the shogun protested Kaidou's takeover of the Flower Capital, despite receiving no direct instructions to do so, proving the great degree of trust and knowledge of another present between the two of them.

Another demonstration of King's loyalty to his Governor-General was when he forcefully and immediately rejected Big Mom's offer to join her crew, despite her willingness to forgive King's transgressions against him.

Kaidou, despite considering King one of his close allies, did not give him any special treatment, as he agreed to give the lower-ranking Tobiroppo a chance to challenge any crew member he wanted for his position, as an individual's power determines the crew's hierarchy; this is something King, on the other hand, never complained about. King, at one point, came to believe that Kaidou was Joy Boy, but that's a whole other story.