Hearing Yamato's answer, Haruko rolled her eyes. "Then why did you say all that to them just now?"
"It was just a figure of speech. In reality, my Idiot Old Man's head isn't something anyone can just casually take," Yamato said, spreading her hands with a shrug.
Haruko opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. Yamato spoke as if Kaido's head was nothing more than a common object.
"Yamato, you really shouldn't say things like that in front of Lord Kaido, or he'll just get angry again," Maria chuckled. She knew that while Yamato constantly clashed with her father, their relationship wasn't as simple as it appeared. Yamato hated Kaido's methods, but she didn't criticize him or oppose him directly; she mostly just used her sharp tongue to annoy him. Despite her words, Maria knew that if someone actually tried to kill Kaido, Yamato would be the first one standing in their way with her club.
"Who cares about what he thinks? The more he hates hearing it, the more I'll say it. I don't want him to be comfortable anyway," Yamato stated bluntly.
Maria and Haruko exchanged a glance and shook their heads helplessly. They chalked it up to a classic case of rebellious adolescence.
"Alright, everything is settled. Let's head back," Yamato said, stretching her arms above her head. She turned and began the trek back toward the Headquarters, her long hair swaying behind her.
The others followed suit, leaving the coast behind.
In a dilapidated village within the region of Kuri, Ace slowly woke from his coma.
"Was I defeated?" Ace muttered, staring up at the tattered, thatched roof of the hut. The memories of the battle came rushing back. He had lost, and it hadn't even been close. He had been utterly crushed.
"Damn it... is the gap between us really that huge?" Ace clenched his fists, the sheets beneath him crinking. He felt a wave of frustration wash over him. He had never experienced such a disastrous defeat on his journey through the Grand Line. It was a massive blow to his pride.
"Haki... I'm still too weak in that area," Ace reflected. He was quick to realize his shortcoming. In the New World, Haki was a common power, and the true elites were masters of it. Although his Mera Mera no Mi was a powerful Logia Type, he had only possessed the fruit for a short time. He hadn't developed its potential enough to overcome a superior Haki user.
"I am still too weak," Ace whispered. Having been humbled by Yamato, he finally understood the weight of his own inexperience. Now, more than ever, he felt a desperate hunger to grow stronger.
"Big Brother Ace, you're awake! That's wonderful!"
A little girl's voice, full of surprise and joy, rang out from the doorway. A girl with purple hair walked in, looking no older than five or six. She wore a patched Kimono and had a cute, hopeful expression on her face. This was O-Tama, a resident of the starving village.
"O-Tama, you're here," Ace said, sitting up and forcing a small smile for her.
"Yes, Big Brother Ace! It's so good that you're okay. When your friends brought you back a few days ago, you were badly hurt. Everyone was so worried," O-Tama said, sitting down beside him.
"Sorry for scaring you, but I'm fine now," Ace reassured her.
O-Tama nodded happily and stood up. "I'll go tell everyone you're awake!" She turned and ran out of the hut as fast as her small legs could carry her.
As she left, the smile faded from Ace's face. A look of worry settled between his brows. He had come to Onigashima to defeat Kaido and save the people of Wano, but he had failed before he even saw the man.
"In the end, it's just my lack of strength," Ace realized, his emotions swirling.
Footsteps sounded again, and O-Tama returned with the rest of Ace's crew. They were overjoyed to see him sitting up. "Ace, thank goodness! we were worried sick!"
"Sorry, guys. I'm okay now," Ace said.
"Oh, right, Ace—that woman told us to pass a message to you," one of his companions remembered. He relayed Yamato's words about becoming stronger if he truly wanted to save the country.
Ace fell silent after hearing the message. He understood exactly what she meant. On this trip, he hadn't even managed to see Kaido because a subordinate had stopped him. If he rushed back now, he would just repeat the same mistake. Without real strength, he didn't even have the right to stand before an Emperor of the Sea.
"I'm sorry, O-Tama. I couldn't defeat Kaido," Ace said, looking the girl in the eye. He had promised her that he would defeat the tyrant so that she and the villagers could finally eat their fill.
O-Tama quickly shook her head. "It's okay, Big Brother Ace! Even if you can't do it right now, I believe you definitely will in the future!"
Ace felt his fighting spirit reignite. "Haha, thank you, O-Tama. You're right. Even if I can't do it today, I'll definitely do it later."
Relieved to see their captain back to his old self, the crew began making preparations. A few days later, after Ace had fully recovered, they were ready to leave Wano and continue their voyage.
"O-Tama, we have a promise. I will come back here and defeat Kaido," Ace promised her at the shore.
"Okay! I'll wait for you!" O-Tama shouted back, her eyes teary. "And when I become a seductive Kunoichi, you have to let me join your crew!"
"No problem. It's a deal," Ace laughed. He and his companions boarded their ship, waving as they sailed farther and farther away from the isolated country.
News of their departure traveled fast and soon reached Onigashima.
"Is that so? He's already gone," Yamato said, nodding when she received the report.
"I wonder what kind of growth he'll achieve now. I'm looking forward to seeing it," Yamato murmured to herself. Her interaction with Ace had been brief, but she had said what needed to be said and given him a hard lesson in the reality of the New World. Now, it was up to him to learn from it.
"Yamato, your attitude toward that young man is a bit special, isn't it?" Maria asked curiously.
"Is it? Maybe a little," Yamato replied. "He's a promising newcomer, that's all. It's a shame I'm not like my Idiot Old Man; I don't have an interest in taking on subordinates."
She knew Kaido's style. If he had caught Ace, he would have beaten him into the ground and demanded he join the Beasts Pirates. If Ace refused, he would have been thrown into the Udon Mining Camp to perform hard labor until his spirit broke or he died.
"That's true. Lord Kaido certainly wouldn't have let a rookie like that escape so easily," Maria agreed.
"Young Master, why don't you want more followers?" Haruko asked.
Yamato looked at her and smiled warmly. "Why would I need them? I already have you and Maria by my side, don't I? That's more than enough for me."
Hearing this, Maria and Haruko exchanged a soft glance, smiles tugging at the corners of their mouths.
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