Chapter 178: The Ogre Princess, Yamato!
Meanwhile, in the tumultuous waters of the New World, on the ominous, skull-shaped fortress island known as Onigashima.
The atmosphere, usually filled with the earth-shattering clamor of revelry, the wild, drunken laughter of thousands of pirates, and the thick, cloying smell of cheap alcohol and roasted meat, had completely vanished.
It was as if a heavy, suffocating blanket of dread had been cast over the entire island, extinguishing the fires of celebration.
This oppressive silence was all because two days prior, Kaido, the invincible "Strongest Creature in the World" and Captain of the Beasts Pirates, had returned in a state that shocked the heavens. He was severely injured, bleeding from wounds no one thought possible on his indestructible body. This unprecedented event caused everyone—from the lowliest Waiters hoping for a SMILE fruit to the elite Headliners—to become tense, walking on eggshells lest they provoke the wounded dragon.
And today, a messenger ship from the Flower Capital finally docked, its crew rushing over in a panic to report news that would shatter the fragile peace!
Suddenly, a roar filled with boundless, apocalyptic rage erupted from the depths of the Skull Dome.
"ROAAAAAAAR!!!!"
It sounded like ten thousand thunderclaps echoing simultaneously over the island. The sound wave was physical; it blasted outward, instantly drowning out the crashing waves and the howling wind.
"What did you say...?!!"
The entire island of Onigashima trembled violently under this roar. Dust fell from the ceiling of the massive Performance Floor. Sake cups shattered in the hands of pirates miles away. Countless weaker pirates, the Pleasures and Waiters, broke out in cold sweat, their knees buckling uncontrollably under the crushing pressure of the Emperor's Conqueror's Haki that leaked out with his fury.
In the center of the gloomy, cavernous hall, that gigantic figure, built like a demon god carved from ancient stone and dragon scales, suddenly stood up from his massive throne.
A terrifying aura, dark, purple, and suffocating like thick sludge, swept out like a tsunami!
"That trash Orochi... is dead???"
Kaido's voice was filled with disbelief and a towering fury that seemed to heat the air itself. His scars throbbed, and his veins bulged like pythons across his chest.
"Yes... Yes, Governor-General Kaido!"
The messenger knelt on the cold stone floor, his forehead pressed so hard against the ground it bled. He was shaking like a sieve, wishing he could dissolve into nothingness.
"News came from the Flower Capital just now! Orochi was publicly executed in the street! And... and the samurai of the Generals Mansion, the elite Mimawarigumi... were all wiped out in an instant! Not a single survivor!"
"Who was it??" Kaido bellowed, the sound vibrating in the messenger's very bones.
"I... I don't know! We only know it was a group of outsiders! They possessed strange powers we've never seen!"
"Outsiders..."
Murderous intent boiled in Kaido's bloodshot dragon eyes. The alcohol in his system burned away instantly, replaced by the cold, brutal clarity of war.
"Good! This is truly excellent! Do they really think anyone can challenge me just because I suffered a minor defeat? Do they think the name 'Kaido' is a joke?!"
He violently grabbed the massive, spiked iron club, "Hassaikai," leaning beside his throne. The metal scraped against the stone floor with a screeching sound that made everyone cringe. He pointed the weapon at the two equally terrifying figures standing silently in the shadows below.
"King! Queen!"
"We are here!"
King the Wildfire, tall and imposing in his black leather uniform with flames dancing eternally on his back, and Queen the Plague, the massive, rotund cyborg brachiosaurus-man puffing on a cigar, knelt on one knee simultaneously. Their expressions were grave, sensing the shift in the era.
"Gather all Headliners and Gifters! Wake up the Numbers!" Kaido's voice was like a judgment from hell, leaving no room for failure.
"Immediately, gather the personnel and head to the Flower Capital!"
Kaido swung his club, the wind pressure alone shattering a nearby stone pillar into dust.
"Those bastards who dare to run wild on my territory... I'll have them ground into meat paste, inch by inch!!! I will remind this world why they fear the Beasts Pirates!"
...
The unrest in the Flower Capital temporarily subsided with the swift and brutal takeover by the Mink Tribe warriors.
Under Nekomamushi's solemn guarantee to protect the citizens and distribute food, the panic quelled. Seeing this, Suzaku wasted no time. He knew resting was not an option while the main threat still lived. He immediately set off with his core combatants on the journey to Onigashima to finish the job.
However, the geography of Wano Country was far more complex than imagined. The path to the port where the heavy ships to Onigashima were docked required them to pass through a different region, a stark contrast to the Capital.
As they passed through a desolate and ruined piece of land, a gigantic factory complex, resembling the skeleton of a dead metallic monster, appeared before everyone.
This was Udon, Wano Country's largest prisoner quarry and weapon factory.
The air here was thick, filled with choking gray dust and the heavy, metallic scent of despair mixed with industrial smog. Unlike the silent, hidden repression of the Flower Capital, the despair here was openly exposed, raw, and bleeding.
Countless ragged and emaciated prisoners, wearing heavy collars that would explode if they left the designated zones, worked under the cracking whips of the overseers. They mechanically repeated the motions of chipping and moving heavy stones. Their eyes were vacant, hollowed out by hunger and torture, as if their souls had long been drained away by the endless labor. They were husks of men, living only to suffer.
"Another one of Kaido's masterpieces."
Nami frowned in deep disgust, covering her nose and mouth with her hand to block the stench. She looked at the scene that resembled a living hell, her heart aching for the suffering people, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her Clima-Tact.
Just as they were about to bypass the area to save time, several oppressive figures blocked their path, emerging from the gatehouse like trolls.
Leading them was a corpulent man with a bizarre, grotesque physiology. The strangest thing was that a living elephant head grew directly out of his chest. The elephant's eyes blinked independently, and its long trunk restlessly swung back and forth, dripping mucus. This was the Chief Warden of the place, a Headliner of the Beasts Pirates, Babanuki.
Beside him stood a man holding a long sword and carrying two flintlock pistols, known as Daifugo, whose legs were fused with a scorpion. Next to them was an alluring woman with six arms and a monkey tail, the Headliner Solitaire.
They were all users of artificial Devil Fruits, the SMILEs. Members of the Beasts Pirates' core strength, the "Gifters." Their bodies were a grotesque mockery of nature, animal parts fused haphazardly with human flesh, creating biological abominations.
"Stop! Who are you people?"
Babanuki's voice came simultaneously from his own mouth and the elephant's mouth on his chest, creating a comical, jarring stereo effect that grated on the ears.
"This is the vital area of Udon; no loitering allowed! This is a restricted zone, you rats!"
Nami stepped forward, her chin slightly raised. Despite the intimidating appearance of the enemies and the gruesome environment, she showed no fear. She announced loudly with a hint of a victor's arrogance, backed by the monster trio behind her.
"We are the Suzaku Pirates. Starting today, Wano Country is our territory. Kaido's rule is over."
She pointed her weapon at them, her eyes flashing with determination.
"If you know what's good for you, open the path quickly, and don't force us to fight. We're in a hurry to kick your boss's ass."
As soon as she said this, the guards at the quarry entrance were stunned for a moment. The silence stretched for a second before they burst into earth-shattering laughter.
"Hahahahaha! What did she say?"
"Wano Country is their territory? Did you hear that joke?"
"Where did this Little Girl come from? Is she dreaming? Or is she drunk?"
"Daring to talk nonsense like that on Governor-General Kaido's turf! She must have a death wish!"
Babanuki was laughing so hard he was doubled over, clutching his stomach. The elephant head on his chest also made mocking "puru puru" sounds, its trunk shaking with mirth, spraying saliva on the ground.
They had guarded Udon year-round and knew little about the outside world; information from the seas hadn't yet reached their remote area, and they hadn't heard the news from the Capital yet. To them, Kaido was a god, and challenging him was insanity.
"Interesting, truly interesting!"
Babanuki finally stopped laughing, wiping a tear from his eye. His eyes turned fierce, filled with the cruelty typical of the Beasts Pirates.
"Perfect, the quarry happens to be short on strong laborers. We've had a lot of deaths recently due to exhaustion."
He cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing ominously.
"Capture them all! Throw the men in the mines until they rot, and... well, we can have fun with the women later. Let them learn the consequences of spouting such arrogance in front of the Beast Pirates!"
However, just then, a clear, energetic, and resonant voice came without warning from nearby, interrupting the standoff.
"Hey! You guys! Are you here to defeat Kaido too?"
The voice was loud, brimming with a vitality that seemed completely out of place in this gloomy, dust-filled prison.
Everyone looked toward the sound and saw a tall figure quickly approaching from the shadows of the quarry entrance.
That was a woman... who was extremely visually striking.
She was tall, standing well over eight feet, towering over Nami and the ordinary guards. She had long, cascading hair that transitioned beautifully from pure white at the roots to teal and then to azure at the tips, tied into a bold, messy ponytail that swayed with her energetic movements. A pair of crimson Devil horns on her head highlighted her non-human lineage—the blood of the Oni.
She wore a simple yet form-fitting white sleeveless kimono with a red hakama, the fabric strained slightly against her muscular frame. She was belted at the waist with a massive purple and white nio-daisuki (shimenawa), perfectly outlining her breathtaking, flawless figure and athletic build.
However, the most jarring detail was on her wrists.
This heroic and peerless beauty wore extremely heavy handcuffs, thick metal rusted with age, seemingly made of solid Seastone. They were connected by a broken chain that dangled as she walked.
Clank. Clank.
The sound of the heavy metal was the only music accompanying her entrance.
"If so, can I join you?"
She stepped forward, ignoring the guards. Her clear golden eyes sparkled with unconcealed excitement and anticipation. There was no fear in her gaze, only a wild hunger for battle and freedom.
"My dream is also to defeat Kaido and liberate Wano Country! I've been waiting for someone like you for twenty years!"
Nami blinked, completely taken aback. She scrutinized the woman up and down, taking in the horns, the outfit that strangely resembled Oden's style, before her gaze landed back on the handcuffs.
She couldn't help but retort, her logical navigator's mind struggling to process the contradiction.
"Huh? Team up with us?"
Nami pointed a trembling finger at the woman's wrists.
"Didn't I just see you wearing handcuffs? And judging by the look of them, those are Seastone! You're already a prisoner; how can you defeat Kaido if you can't even use your powers? You're helpless!"
"Hahahaha! Oh, this!"
The woman carelessly shook the shackles on her wrists. They made a heavy, dull clanking sound that echoed against the rocks. She smiled brightly like the sun, completely unbothered by the restraints that would cripple a normal user.
"It's alright! Don't worry about trifles like handcuffs!"
She flexed her arms, the muscles rippling beneath her skin, showing explosive power despite the suppressive metal.
"Although when I first put them on years ago, they did make me feel a bit weak and drained... but now I've gradually gotten used to them! I treat them like training weights! I can exert my full strength normally now! I can still smash my father!"
She spoke these outrageous words with a serious expression, as if she were simply commenting, "The weather is nice today."
Nami opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She was momentarily paralyzed by the sheer absurdity.
Used to handcuffs? Used to Seastone?!
Nami's brain felt like it was crashing. Seastone emits the same energy as the sea. It drains the stamina of Devil Fruit users, making them unable to move, let alone fight. It is the absolute weakness of all ability users.
And she says she got 'used to it'?
What kind of monstrous statement is that? Is she saying she overcame the fundamental law of Devil Fruits through sheer willpower and physical conditioning? Just how strong is this woman physically if she can treat Seastone like mere jewelry?
Chief Warden Babanuki, standing nearby, was completely speechless. The vein on his forehead throbbed. He rubbed his forehead painfully and shouted in a helpless, frustrated tone, clearly tired of dealing with this specific headache.
"Young Master Yamato! Please stop fooling around!"
The elephant on his chest trumpeted in annoyance, swinging its trunk violently.
"Governor-General Kaido ordered you to reflect here in the cave! Please stop speaking such treasonous words in front of outsiders! If he hears this, he'll beat you again, and we'll get blamed for letting you out!"
"Young Master?"
Nami keenely seized on that keyword. Her eyes instantly widened in shock, her pupils dilating.
Kaido's subordinates... call this woman "Young Master"?
Not "Princess"? But "Young Master"?
And this woman, who is apparently Kaido's child, is repeatedly claiming she wants to defeat Kaido?
In an instant, countless points of absurdity—the family drama, the gender confusion, the monster strength that defies Seastone, the treason against her own father—flooded Nami's brain like a tsunami.
It caused her mind to crash on the spot, her brain short-circuiting, unable to decide where to even start complaining about this ridiculous situation.
[Akarin Note:
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