With music echoing through the halls and alcohol flowing freely, the banquet quickly descended into raucous celebration. Pirates laughed loudly, drank without restraint, and tore into mountains of meat, the atmosphere growing more heated by the minute.
Naturally, a gathering of the Yonkos could not be held in the same performance hall as the rest of the pirates. Instead, they convened in a private VIP chamber, where the food and sake were even more extravagant than those outside.
The room itself was not crowded. Only the core elites of each Emperor's crew were present.
From the Red Hair Pirates, Shanks brought only Benn Beckman, Yasopp, and Lucky Roux.
Big Mom was accompanied by Katakuri, Smoothie, and Cracker.
Marco arrived with Ace, Jinbe, and Jozu.
Kaido tilted back his sake gourd and let out a thunderous laugh.
"Worororo! I honestly thought none of you would come! I never imagined the day would arrive when all four of us sat at the same table. This is truly rare! When news of this spreads tomorrow, it'll shake the world! Worororo!"
Shanks sampled Wano's distinctive sake, a relaxed smile spreading across his face.
"I'd heard Wano's sake had a unique flavor. Turns out the rumors weren't exaggerated."
Kaido laughed again, clearly pleased.
"Worororo! If you like it, drink as much as you want. When you leave, I'll send you a few dozen jars. How about that?"
Shanks waved the offer away.
"No need. I live by one rule—drink today while there's wine, and enjoy today while it lasts."
With that, he lifted a massive sake bowl nearly a meter wide and drained it in one go.
Nearby, Ace gnawed on a huge beef leg, speaking through a mouthful of meat.
"Still… why did Kaido call all of us here anyway? What's he plotting?"
"Who knows," Marco replied calmly. He barely touched the alcohol, opting instead for lighter drinks. Though he couldn't guess Kaido's true intentions, he decided not to rush to conclusions. For now, he would simply observe and see what Kaido was really after.
Suddenly—
Thump, thump, thump.
A series of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. The next moment, a young woman burst into the room.
She wore a sleeveless white kimono patterned with blue designs, tightly fitted to her figure. Two diamond-shaped markings adorned her chest, while a thick shimenawa rope was tied firmly around her waist. A flowing red skirt covered her lower body, and red-strapped geta clacked against the floor beneath her bare feet.
Her long hair cascaded in a striking gradient—white at the crown, fading into green, then blue at the tips. It was parted neatly in the middle, with soft side locks framing her face. Two crimson horns curved upward from her head, unmistakably demonic. The hair at the back was tied into a ponytail with twin orange hairpins, and golden earrings swayed gently at her ears.
Kaido's eyes lit up slightly at the sight of her.
"So you finally showed up, Yamato."
In truth, Yamato had always despised banquets and celebrations. Every time, Kaido had to send someone to drag her here. This time, however, she came of her own accord—and that alone put him in an unexpectedly good mood.
Yamato completely ignored Kaido, her gaze snapping straight to Ace, who sat across the table. Her eyes lit up as she shouted joyfully,
"Ace! It really is you! Hahaha—who would've thought I'd actually see you here in Wano?!"
Before anyone could react, she dashed straight toward him.
Marco instinctively evaluated her strength.
Yamato — Zoan-type, Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Ōkuchi no Makami form. Estimated strength: Strong Yonko Commander level.
Marco sighed inwardly. So she really is stronger than Ace at this point…
In the original timeline, Yamato and Ace had once fought, but back then she'd been restrained by seastone cuffs, unable to unleash her full power.
"Ace! Long time no see!"
Ace grinned just as widely, rising to meet her. The two embraced like old comrades reunited after years apart.
Kaido watched the scene, one eye twitching slightly. Still, seeing how close Yamato and Ace were sparked a thought.
'If Marco won't agree… then what about Fire Fist?'
Ace had talent, Conqueror's Haki, and no small amount of potential. A son-in-law like that wouldn't be bad at all.
After separating, Ace turned to Yamato and said cheerfully,
"Oh, right—let me introduce you. This is Marco, the Captain of the Phoenix Pirates."
Yamato's eyes immediately sparkled. She grabbed Marco's hands without hesitation and spoke excitedly,
"I know you! You're Phoenix Marco—the one who took over after Whitebeard died! I read all about you in the papers! You fought that old geezer for twenty whole days, didn't you?! That's incredible! I can't even last half a day against him!"
Marco smiled helplessly.
"You must be Yamato. Ace has mentioned you before."
"Really? Ace talked about me?!" Yamato nearly bounced in place. Then her expression turned earnest as she leaned forward.
"But that doesn't matter! Marco—take me out to sea with you! Just like Oden sailed with Whitebeard! Let me join your crew!"
That was the final straw.
"YAMATO!" Kaido roared, slamming his voice across the hall.
"Do you even hear yourself?! Without my permission, do you think you're going anywhere?!"
Yamato stiffened. Her gaze dropped briefly to the seastone cuffs around her wrists. Though the sea stone itself was low purity and didn't restrict her movements, she knew what truly bound her—high explosives hidden within. If she left Onigashima, they would detonate.
Still, her longing for freedom burned brighter than fear.
She faced Kaido head-on.
"I just want to go out to sea! I want to see the world! Why won't you let me?!"
Kaido clenched his fists. For a fleeting moment earlier, he'd thought she had changed—obediently attending the banquet, no resistance. But now it was clear she was exactly the same as ever.
He snorted coldly.
"Hmph. Fine. Wanting to go on an adventure isn't impossible."
"Really?!" Yamato's face lit up.
Kaido's lips curled into a grin as he turned his gaze toward Ace.
"Worororo… Yamato, you and Fire Fist seem quite close. If you marry him—and Fire Fist becomes my son-in-law—then I'll allow you to go out to sea."
"A-A-A-AH?!"
Ace froze, staring at Kaido in pure disbelief.
'How did this suddenly become my problem?!'
Just moments ago, Kaido had been trying to rope Marco into becoming his son-in-law—so how had he ended up in the line of fire now?
Yamato exploded the moment she heard that.
"Hey, old geezer, what nonsense are you spouting?!" she snapped furiously. "I'm a man! I'll become a man like Kozuki Oden—don't lump me in with women!"
"A… man?"
Ace blinked in surprise, his gaze drifting—quite involuntarily—to Yamato's well-defined chest. No matter how he looked at it, nothing about her seemed remotely male.
Kaido's eye twitched violently.
"It's this late and you're still spewing this ridiculous nonsense?!" he thundered.
Yamato planted herself beside Ace, her posture unyielding.
"I've never changed," she declared. "Ever since Oden died eighteen years ago, I made up my mind—I will live as the man Kozuki Oden was."
The veins on Kaido's forehead bulged dangerously.
"Yamato," he growled, "you know the consequences of defying me. And you will address me as Father."
"No way!" Yamato shot back instantly. "Why would I ever call you that, you old geezer?"
Kaido's teeth ground together, veins throbbing as if they might burst. Her words were nothing short of treason to his ears.
Big Mom, meanwhile, watched with dark amusement.
"Mama mama mama~ Kaido, looks like your daughter doesn't listen to you at all!"
"Hmph. She's been hopeless for years," Kaido grumbled irritably. Beatings, imprisonment, threats—none of it had ever worked. Yamato's stubbornness left even him at a loss.
Shanks, however, found the entire exchange endlessly entertaining. He laughed openly.
"Looks like she's got quite the personality! Kids her age all go through a rebellious phase. I've got a daughter too—never listens to me, even calls me by my full name."
Kaido shot him a sidelong glance but said nothing.
"As long as they're healthy and happy, that's what matters," Shanks added casually. "No need to take it so seriously."
Big Mom raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"Mama~ Red Hair, you have a daughter too?"
Shanks smiled, a rare warmth in his expression.
"Mm. She's nineteen this year."
After that, Yamato plopped down right next to Ace, leaning in eagerly.
"Ace! Tell me everything—your adventures, your fights, the seas outside! Ever since you left last time, no one's been around to tell me stories anymore!"
Kaido watched this unfold, his brow darkening as he prepared to bark at her to move—
"Kaido-sama," King suddenly interrupted, stepping forward. "Orochi has arrived."
Kaido's expression instantly turned cold.
"Orochi?" he muttered. "Why is he here? I didn't invite him."
King's eyes were filled with disdain.
"He likely heard about the banquet and came uninvited. Shall I have him removed?"
Kaido waved a hand dismissively.
"Forget it. Since he's already here, let him come."
"Yes."
Moments later, a grotesque figure shuffled in—large-headed and wide-mouthed, his square face topped with a crooked crown on one side and a topknot on the other. Purple hair framed his head, an upward-curled mustache sat beneath his nose, and his leering expression was enough to make skin crawl.
Behind him followed three figures: a samurai clutching a sword, a long-eared man, and a breathtakingly beautiful woman.
The atmosphere in the room subtly shifted.
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