Torrential rain poured down.
At the port of Onigashima, silhouettes of ships loomed through the downpour. Large groups of Beast Pirates were gathering under their respective captains, ready to board and sail away the moment Kaido gave the order.
On the cliff above, Kaido stood with his hands behind his back, expressionless as he looked down at the subordinates assembling below.
"About that brat Yamato…"
He spoke coldly, his tone carrying through the rain. "The matter I told you to handle—did you take care of it?"
"It's done, my lord."
Sena, the Drought—one of the Three Calamities—nodded behind him and answered in a low voice:
"Last night, while she was asleep, I secretly switched out her explosive cuffs and drugged her. She won't wake up for at least two days."
"Good."
Kaido cast one last look toward the rain-drenched palace. Something like reluctance flickered in his eyes, but he quickly hid it and said coldly, "Time's up. We're leaving."
"Yes, my lord."
Sena followed him a few steps, then couldn't help asking softly, "My lord… Yamato may be rebellious, but he is still your son. Are you really going to leave him behind like this…?"
"It's because he's my son that I'm not taking him."
Kaido didn't turn back. His cold voice carried through the rain:
"Isn't he always yelling about wanting to join the Marines? Fine. I'll give him that chance. Better than dragging him along only for him to be a liability—and a traitor—when the great war breaks out."
"If the war ends and we win, I'll drag him back myself and he'll continue being my son."
"But if we lose…"
Kaido let out a low, icy laugh and said nothing more. He quickened his pace and left.
"..."
Sena watched his back, her expression complicated. He hadn't finished the sentence, but she knew perfectly well what the rest of it was.
If they lost, father and child would have nothing to do with each other ever again.
The Beast Pirates would likely be wiped out. And Yamato—already within the Marines—would at least carry on the Beast Pirates' legacy and the bloodline of the Ogre race.
But…
Sena sighed softly, her gaze drifting past the rain toward the distant horizon.
The tide of the era was crashing in. Every pirate in the New World now stood at the edge of life and death.
But…
Would that stubborn, prideful old man really do as Lord Kaido wished—take responsibility, lead the charge, and complete the only plan with any hope of victory?
…
"That's basically how it was, Lord Nao."
On the steps, Yamato spread her hands and grimaced.
"That night after Aunt Sena visited, I suddenly passed out in the dungeon and slept for days. When I woke up, Onigashima was completely empty. I have no idea why that man didn't take me with him this time…"
"Eh, whatever!"
She suddenly brightened up, grinning happily. "It's a good thing anyway! Lord Nao, if it weren't for this, I wouldn't have been able to wait here for you—and I wouldn't have the chance to become a Marine!"
"Become a Marine?"
Nao was helping him remove the Seastone handcuffs, and he couldn't help but laugh at the comment. "So that's your plan from here on?"
"Of course! It's been my dream forever, Lord Nao! Were you even listening to me earlier?!"
The white-haired girl shot him an annoyed glare.
With a crisp clack, Nao removed the last piece of the cuff and tossed it aside. He smiled.
"I didn't mean it that way. I just figured you wanted to follow me through the New World—keep chasing down that bastard father of yours."
"Eh??!!"
Yamato froze, then slapped her forehead in regret. "Oh—right! Why didn't I think of that…?"
She lifted her head, eyes full of hope, staring eagerly at Nao.
"Really, my lord? You're willing to take me with you?"
"Of course…" Nao wiggled a finger with a playful smile.
"—Absolutely not."
"What the heck!"
Yamato instantly deflated, her energy dropping by half. "I knew it… You've been a lone wolf for years. How could you possibly take a burden like me along…"
Nao burst into hearty laughter. The more he looked at Yamato, the more likable she seemed. This kid is definitely more sensible than Luffy.
He casually tossed something to her. Yamato hurriedly caught it, opened her palm, and found a permanent log pose. She blinked in confusion.
"What's this?"
"A Pose to Akuro Island. That's where the G-5 Branch base is."
Nao explained while standing up. "Head straight to G-5. Look for Vice Admiral Molly—she's the Base Commander and an old friend of mine. I'll call ahead and explain your situation."
"You're quite strong. At least at Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral level. You can train there for a while. If you want to transfer to Headquarters later, you can apply anytime."
A G-5 Branch Permanent Log Pose!
Yamato's eyes lit up instantly. She held the log pose like a precious treasure and carefully tucked it into her clothes.
When she noticed Nao getting up, she realized something and spoke with a reluctant tone:
"Lord Nao… you're leaving already…?"
"Mm. Time's tight—I need to go."
Nao glanced toward Wano, then turned back with a smile. "Oh, right. The World Government will probably act soon and send Marines to take over Wano. G-5 will most likely be the vanguard. You're familiar with this place—stay close to Molly and help her out."
"First, it'll make the takeover smoother and reduce civilian casualties. Second, it's a rare chance to earn merit. It'll help your Marine career a lot."
"Don't worry, Lord Nao!"
Yamato puffed out her chest proudly and smacked her hand against it. "I definitely won't disappoint you! And I definitely won't let down the name Natsuya!"
Damn… almost forgot about that…
Nao rubbed his forehead and looked back at her, wanting to say something—but stopped.
Forget it. This kid finally escaped her cage. No point crushing her enthusiasm. Let's just hope that when Gion and the others see the name "Natsuya," they don't get the wrong idea…
Nao waved at Yamato one last time, then turned around. His body erupted into lightning and shot into the sky, disappearing into the distant horizon as Yamato watched reluctantly.
…
Half a month later.
A rumor began spreading quietly through the New World, causing quite a stir.
Kaido, one of Sea Emperors, had abandoned his base Onigashima and led the entire Beast Pirates deep into the New World—vanishing without a trace—
all because he feared the White Dragon, Nao.
Without the protection of the Beast Pirates, the Marines began deploying forces to take over Wano. The brutal reign of Kurozumi Orochi officially came to an end.
Since Kozuki Oden's heir, Momonosuke, had vanished without a trace, the position of Wano's shogun was inherited instead by his daughter, Kozuki Hiyori.
When the Marines found her, Hiyori had been living under the alias Komurasaki in a pleasure district, enduring humiliation for years for the sake of restoring her country.
The day she had dreamed of for so long arrived suddenly and far earlier than expected. Completely overwhelmed, she broke down into sobs, clinging to Denjiro beside her.
On April 1st, a grand ceremony was held in the Flower Capital.
Kozuki Hiyori, restored to her true identity, attended in ceremonial dress beside Denjiro and officially inherited the title of Shogun of Wano. She also announced that Wano would formally join the ranks of World Government member nations, gradually lift its trade restrictions, and begin integrating with the world to improve its economy and the lives of its citizens.
After the ceremony, under the supervision of Molly and Yamato, Kurozumi Orochi and many notorious, tyrannical nobles were executed.
The entire Flower Capital erupted in celebration. A wave of good news spread from the capital to the shabby little teahouse in the rundown town, to the dangerous forests in the mountains, and even farther to Kuri, Udon, and other distant regions…
Wano—
This country that had shut its doors for a century… finally saw the first light of dawn.
..
Splash!
Waves crashed against the cliffs of a remote island reef. On a massive boulder atop the cliff, Nao sat cross-legged, staring at the endless blue sea before him, brows tightly furrowed.
By now, it was already mid-April.
Nearly a month had passed since his meeting with Yamato.
For the entire month, he had been wandering the depths of the New World, searching everywhere for any trace of the Beast Pirates.
Of course, something like this couldn't rely on one person alone. It required strong intelligence support—so he had immediately instructed Marine Intelligence to help him gather every possible lead on Kaido's group.
But strangely…
Despite the Marines' growing influence in the New World in recent years—and despite the sheer size of the target, large enough to make hiding almost impossible—
After more than half a month, both he and the intelligence network had found nothing. It was as if Kaido and all his men had vanished from the world the moment they left Onigashima.
"Forget it."
After a moment of silent thought, Nao shook his head and made up his mind.
The pursuit of the Beast Pirates would have to be put aside for now. He had no intention of wasting more time playing hide-and-seek with Kaido across the vast ocean.
Rather than that, he might as well change targets and deal with the Whitebeard Pirates first. It was part of his plan anyway—just a matter of switching the order.
Among the other two Emperors, the Whitebeard Pirates were undeniably the hardest to deal with. For many years, the world viewed them as a force on a completely different level from the Charlotte Family or the Beast Pirates.
But as far as Nao was concerned, the difference wasn't that big at all.
With his overwhelming stamina and physique—and the large-scale destructive potential of a Logia—
as long as he could take down Whitebeard himself, who was no longer in his prime…
The remaining members of the Whitebeard Pirates—Marco the Phoenix, Vista the Flower Sword… all those commanders famous throughout the New World—even if their reputations were great and their numbers many…
To him, they posed no real threat.
Perhaps only if two Emperor-level, Admiral-class top-tier fighters teamed up to besiege him would things become troublesome.
…
That settled it.
Nao's eyes narrowed slightly. He stood up from his rest, lightning wings forming behind him.
Just as he was about to leave the island and head toward the Whitebeard Pirates' territory, the Den Den Mushi in his coat suddenly rang.
"Could it be… news about Kaido?"
He frowned slightly as he pulled out the Den Den Mushi, assuming it was the intelligence division calling. He answered the call casually with that question.
But the next moment, he noticed the Den Den Mushi's face morphing into that of a very familiar old man: twisted mustache, explosive afro, and an ugly old pair of black-rimmed glasses…
"Mr. Sengoku?"
Nao was surprised. "Strange. How come you have time to call me today?"
When he had requested intel on the Beast Pirates from Headquarters, Sengoku had fully supported him.
However, the old man was the Fleet Admiral, swamped with work. Normally, a Vice Admiral from Intelligence handled communication—he very rarely spoke with Sengoku directly.
Now Sengoku was calling him personally. Could it mean Kaido's location had finally been found?
"It's related to Kaido… but also not related."
Sengoku sighed helplessly, his weary, bitter voice coming through. "We were all deceived, Nao…"
Deceived?
Nao raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Whether it was rumors outside or our assumptions here at Headquarters, everyone believed Kaido left Onigashima because he feared your arrival and didn't want to face you directly—so he ran."
"So these past days, the Intelligence Division has been searching mainly in the deep, remote islands of the New World."
Sengoku sighed again. "But in reality, Kaido took the Beast Pirates… to Whitebeard's territory. He personally boarded the Moby Dick to negotiate with Whitebeard."
"Whitebeard?"
Nao's eyes widened, then he immediately understood. "You mean—"
"That's right."
Sengoku said solemnly, "They've joined forces. I don't know what Kaido offered or how he persuaded him… but that proud man, Edward Newgate, has chosen to ally with the Beast Pirates."
"And that is only the beginning. According to the latest intel, many great pirates of the New World—some even legends from the previous era—are gathering at the Whitebeard Pirates' base. You understand what that means, don't you, Nao?"
Bang!
On the other side, Sengoku slammed a fist on the table. Teeth clenched, his voice dropped low and heavy:
"A decisive battle! They want a battle to settle everything!"
"Big Mom's death terrified them, Nao! They know that if they keep fighting separately, they'll only be devoured one by one by you and the Marines—there's no future for them!"
"So these monsters, unwilling to let the Great Pirate Era end, have united for the same purpose!"
"I don't know how long they've been plotting this from the shadows, nor how many pirates they've already pulled into their camp…"
"But one thing is certain."
"An unprecedented war is about to erupt."
Sengoku's voice grew more and more solemn. "I can't explain everything over the phone—we'll discuss it when you return. In short, Nao…"
He paused, lifting his head to gaze around the conference hall—Tsuru, Gion, Aokiji, Akainu… all the high-ranking officials of Headquarters watching him with tense, expectant eyes.
Sengoku took a deep breath and spoke with solemn gravity:
"No… White Dragon, Admiral of Marine Headquarters—
It's time for you to come home."