A hundred nautical miles from Dressrosa—
The ocean waves surged under the bright sunlight. Fish leaped from the sea, and seabirds soared through the sky.
A pirate ship, dozens of meters long, cut through the waves, leaving white crests in its wake.
On the ship's bow, King the Wildfire of the Beasts Pirates stood on the deck, his gaze fixed forward, flames swirling behind him. The other pirates kept their distance, not daring to disturb this fearsome figure of the New World.
Beside King stood a towering woman, over two meters tall, wearing a Hannya mask and dressed in a sleeveless white kimono.
Her long hair, tied into a ponytail with two orange hairpins, transitioned from white at the roots to green and then blue at the tips. Two strands fell naturally over her chest.
Atop her head were two crimson oni horns, and golden earrings dangled from her ears, swaying gently with the rocking of the ship.
What made her stand out even more was the kanabo she carried—reminiscent of Kaido's own, but with rounded protrusions instead of sharp spikes.
She was none other than Yamato, the self-proclaimed son of Kaido.
A user of the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Okuchi no Makami—a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
Though Yamato appeared to be staring forward like King, her eyes, hidden behind the mask, darted around excitedly, taking in the vast sky and open sea.
Even though the ocean here looked no different from the waters near Onigashima, to her, it felt different—like freedom.
For years, she had been imprisoned on Onigashima, never able to experience the outside world.
Aside from her dream of defeating her father and liberating Wano from the Beasts Pirates, she had always longed to set sail—to venture into the vast ocean, ride the waves, and meet people from all over the world.
Now, while her departure from Onigashima wasn't exactly as she had imagined, at least she had left.
—
"Yamato, we're almost at Dressrosa. Don't forget what you promised."
King's deep voice broke the silence.
Yamato's wandering gaze halted for a moment. She hesitated before responding softly:
"I know. I haven't forgotten."
They were, of course, referring to the marriage alliance with the Thunder God Pirates.
After Sanders defeated Whitebeard, Kaido had planned to send Yamato to Dressrosa to secure an alliance.
However, the conflict with the Whitebeard Pirates over territory had delayed those plans.
Now that the war had settled, King was personally escorting Yamato to Dressrosa.
He hadn't intended to come himself.
But after considering the options—
Queen was holed up in Onigashima, obsessed with his experiments.
Jack was too reckless.
The Tobi Roppo lacked the status for such an important task.
Crocodile, a recent recruit, had ties to the Snow God Pirates that made things complicated.
In the end, King had no choice but to handle the matter himself.
It's not like Kaido would go himself—
That man was a hands-off leader, spending his days either drinking or attempting suicide.
Though recently, he had actually been training—
Perhaps because of Sanders' overwhelming strength.
Or maybe because his fight with Whitebeard hadn't gone as planned.
—
"Don't even think about running away," King warned, his voice firm. "You know what will happen if you try."
King's warning rang out.
Under her Hannya mask, Yamato pressed her lips together.
She knew the consequences.
Before leaving, her father—Kaido of the Beasts—had already warned her.
If she tried to escape, the people of Wano would suffer even harsher oppression.
For the sake of Wano, and to finally set sail, Yamato had agreed to this arranged marriage with the Thunder God Pirates.
Before this, she hadn't even understood what a marriage alliance truly meant.
Throughout her life, she had always believed she was a boy, and Kaido had raised her as one.
—
"Does Kaido even know if that newly crowned Emperor will accept this? Aren't you afraid Sanders will refuse?"
Yamato suddenly asked.
King's tone remained indifferent.
"You should call him Father, not just Kaido."
Hearing this, Yamato pressed her lips together again but didn't argue.
"Father?"
That man—who only ever "educated" her with Thunder Bagua—had never fulfilled the role of a real father.
She had long since grown accustomed to Kaido's brutal discipline.
And because of it, she had become strong.
Within the Beasts Pirates, aside from Kaido himself and King, no one could stand against her.
Even against King, she believed she could hold her own.
"That's not for you to worry about. Your only job is to go to Dressrosa."
King stated firmly.
Even he found this situation frustrating.
His original plan had been to first establish communication with Sanders, negotiate the terms, and then discuss marriage and an alliance.
But Kaido? He didn't care at all.
He had simply ordered King to take Yamato to Dressrosa immediately.
And if Sanders refused the marriage?
Then they would just settle the alliance—and leave Yamato there, letting Sanders "educate" her.
When King heard that, he was completely speechless.
If Kaido had ever considered letting someone else educate her, maybe their relationship wouldn't be so disastrous.
Kaido's version of parenting involved nothing but Thunder Bagua.
Even King, a man who enjoyed torture and brutality, found it excessive.
That was Thunder Bagua.
How many people in the world could withstand it?
Still, King agreed with sending Yamato away.
Every so often, she would cause trouble, challenging Kaido, declaring her intent to drive out the Beasts Pirates and liberate Wano.
It was annoying.
King had long been sick of hearing this "Oden-wannabe" run her mouth.
By sending her out into the world, maybe she would finally realize that the sea was full of powerful warriors—
Not just Kozuki Oden.
Maybe then, her mindset would change.
Setting aside her ridiculous fantasies, King did recognize her strength.
If Yamato fought for the Beasts Pirates, their power would rise to another level.
Yamato remained silent.
But inside, she was thrilled.
She didn't care about some marriage alliance.
All that mattered was—
She had finally left Onigashima.
If I stay with the Thunder God Pirates… I'll still be able to sail the seas freely, right?
She had other plans as well.
After countless battles against her father, she understood how terrifyingly powerful he was.
Kaido was one of the strongest figures on the sea.
And under him were countless formidable warriors.
If she wanted to liberate Wano, she couldn't do it alone.
She needed allies.
She needed help.
—
The Thunder God Pirates seemed like a good option.
Sanders was strong.
He had been a Marine once.
Maybe, deep down, he still had a sense of justice.
If they refused to help her?
At least she had escaped Onigashima.
She had reached the open sea.
That alone was worth it.
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T/N:
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