Kaiba Gōzaburō—who was he?
Founder of Kaiba Corporation, a self-made businessman and politician.
Keep in mind that Kaiba Corp was not just a famed card-playing company—it originally built its empire on cold, hard weapons manufacturing.
Although the original series didn't dive into Kaiba Corp's arms-era history, the anime's additions and expanded lore clearly show its outrageous scale: testing weapons on small countries, launching orbital platforms—it was a massive operation fueled by staggering resources and networks.
And Kaiba Gōzaburō? His name became synonymous with treachery. Eventually, he died a violent death—betrayed and killed by his adopted son Seto Kaiba (famously known as the "Dragon Cancer"), and driven to suicide.
You Ming couldn't recall the exact details from the original—whether it was exposure or self-inflicted—but he remembered enough: the man was definitely no hero.
> "Ugh…"
Hearing even the vaguest hints about that era made You Ming's teeth ache.
> "Here's a weapons baron who caused countless tragedies and took many lives… and now he's the backbone of a rebellion against the Great Demon King? That's absurd."
Next to this heavy hitter, Keith was just a glitchy cheater and street thug.
> "What's the point of building a rebellion around this bullshit?"
> "Hard to find a worse joke, huh?" Keith admitted with a nod.
Looking at Keith's rough, scuffed-up face, You Ming found him mildly amusing in a twisted way.
> "So, aside from Gōzaburō… who else is here?"
> "Like?" Keith asked.
> "Like maybe that over-the-top American president?"
They both cracked a wry smile—Keith's face took on a strange, introspective look.
> "In any case, it can't just be Kaiba Corp running the show here—he's only been dead a short while."
You Ming remembered that Gōzaburō was alive at the time of the power grab. From Kaiba's rise to power to the Duel Kingdom era, only about a year had passed.
> "What if — Kaiba Corp here wasn't the one Gōzaburō founded?"
That caught Keith's attention—he stared ahead at the metal interior of the elevator.
After a soft jolt, the elevator halted, and a disinfectant mist filled the space. The doors slid open to reveal a new scene emerging from the sea of corpses: steel.
Inside the factory-feeling chamber, seemingly endless corridors ran under harsh overhead lighting. Cameras, automatic gun turrets, and barricades underlined the impregnable defenses.
From the hall's depths came the echo of heavy footsteps.
CLANG… CLANG… CLANG…
A flash of green heralded the arrival of a commander-robot:
> "Sergeant Mecha."
You Ming recognized the model—but Keith greeted it like an old friend:
> "Hey, Ōta, I'm back."
Keith addressed it casually—but the robot clearly wasn't amused.
> "I heard, Keith. You returned with nothing."
Keith shrugged.
> "I'm new here—I can't conjure everything the boss wants out of thin air."
He slapped his shoulder, adding:
> "But I brought someone back with me. Don't ask me what's happening—people are dying for no reason…"
The robot's voice crackled with derision:
> "Enough. Your excuses aren't needed. Your usefulness ends here."
It drew its command blade, and the turrets and barricades automatically cleared a path.
> "Lord Noah is expecting you. Tell him your excuses in person."
It melted into the shadows as the two men watched.
You Ming glanced at Keith with a teasing sigh:
> "Looks like your popularity isn't what I thought."
> "Well, he's an executive—elite with a robot guard. I'm just a thug."
You Ming smirked, unimpressed—it was still a Duel Disk world, after all.
> "Tell me about him."
Keith nodded.
> "His full name is Ōta Sōichirō—director of Kaiba Corp's weapons factory."
> "Oh…"
You Ming hadn't heard the name before.
> "He's one of Kaiba Corp's five major shareholders—nicknamed the Big Five."
> "Now I get it."
To duelists, "Big Five" likely conjured one thing: the Five-Headed Dragon card. Each head represents one shareholder.
But looking at the actual men—it was painfully clear: the cards were more useful than the shareholders.
> "But he's not someone to ignore."
Keith warned him as mechanical footsteps echoed down the corridor.
> "That 'Noah Lord'? He's the real founder of Kaiba Corp here."
You Ming blinked—Wait, "Noah"?
He knew that name—but it shouldn't be.
> "Naya! Naya!"
Strolling to the end of the corridor, they entered a room. Instantly came a raspy cry:
> "Someone—someone!"
A black crow fluttered in and landed on a boy's hand.
> "Naya! Naya!"
His pale green eyes and steel wrist-D uniquely set him apart.
> "Keith, you're back—your report arrived." he said as he gently smoothed the crow's feathers.
> "I'm sorry, I didn't find anything in the Crimson Ruins."
> "It's fine, Keith—crimson ruins are just legends. Not finding anything is no tragedy."
The boy exuded an elegance beyond his years.
> "Kaiba Naya…"
That one name confirmed it.
> No more resurrected re-jousting—this was the real deal.