Yamato stopped in front of Ace, her golden pupils fixed on him with an intensity that made the air feel heavy. "Portgas D. Ace, are you serious about wanting to take Kaido's head?"
"Of course I am," Ace replied without a second of hesitation.
He had held onto this resolve ever since he witnessed the miserable state of the country. If Kaido wasn't defeated, the people of Wano would continue to starve, and their bodies would continue to be left exposed in the wilderness.
"That's a good answer, but you can't do it. You are still far too weak right now," Yamato said, shaking her head.
"How would I know that without trying? Besides, who are you? What's your relationship with Kaido?" Ace demanded.
Yamato offered a faint, mysterious smile. "Me? You'll find out once you defeat me, though I seriously doubt you can do that."
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you looking down on me?" Ace's expression darkened as his temper flared.
"In terms of raw strength? Yes, that's exactly what I mean," Yamato admitted directly.
Ace's face turned cold, his body beginning to shimmer with intense heat. "Then let me see how strong you really are! Let's see if you have the right to say such things to me! Fire Fist!"
Without holding back, Ace launched a massive Fire Fist straight at Yamato. The roaring pillar of flame moved with enough force to incinerate anything in its path.
But the next second, everyone stood stunned.
Yamato raised her spiked club with a single arm and swung it in a casual arc. The burning Fire Fist was shattered instantly, turning into a harmless spray of sparks that scattered into the wind.
Hiss!
"How is this possible? She blocked the Captain's attack so easily!" Ace's companions gasped, their faces pale with shock.
Even Ace felt a jolt of disbelief. To block a Fire Fist so casually required a level of power he hadn't anticipated.
"What's wrong, Ace? Is this all the power you have?" Yamato stood her ground, pulling out a cigarette with her left hand. "Your little flames are only good for lighting my cigarette. Do you want to do the honors?"
"You bastard! Are you insulting me? Flame Ring!" Enraged, Ace's entire body transformed into a raging inferno.
A swirling, tornado-like vortex of fire erupted, reaching hundreds of meters into the sky. The heat was so intense it scorched the ground to glass as it enveloped Yamato.
"Ararara, he still had a move like that," Maria said. She pulled out her pipe and casually used a nearby stray flame to light her tobacco.
"It's useless against the Young Master," Haruko added flatly, not even bothering to shield her eyes from the glare.
"The power is decent, but it's a bit too flashy," Yamato's voice rang out clearly from the center of the fire. "It's impractical, really—only good for dealing with small fry."
In the next heartbeat, a massive hole was blasted through the fiery tornado. Streaks of red and black lightning burst forth, and a figure was sent flying out of the smoke.
Bang!
Ace slammed directly into a distant mountain wall. The impact sent rocks tumbling down as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Ugh..." Ace groaned. He felt as if he had been struck by a falling mountain; every bone in his body ached with a dull, throbbing pain.
His eyes were wide with confusion. How had she located his real body so accurately through the flames? Moreover, her weapon hadn't even touched him, yet the force had sent him flying as if he'd been hit by a physical blow.
The fiery tornado quickly dissipated, leaving behind scorched earth that hissed with white smoke.
"Are you confused? Are you wondering why my weapon struck your real body without even touching you?" Yamato asked as she slowly walked toward him.
Ace climbed out of the rubble, his chest heaving. While he didn't speak, his desperate expression made it clear he wanted an answer.
"This is the advanced application of Haki, known as Ryuo. I even infused a bit of Conqueror's Haki into the strike. You have the Color of the Supreme King too, don't you?" Yamato asked cheerfully.
Ace's pupils contracted. "How did you know I possess Conqueror's Haki?"
"Your Haki is too weak, though, let alone your mastery of the Supreme King's color," Yamato continued, ignoring his question. "I doubt you can even control it freely yet. That's why I said you are far too weak."
This time, Ace didn't get angry. He fell silent, absorbing her words. More than one person had told him his Haki was lacking, which meant it had to be true.
"Ace, grit your teeth now. This next move is going to hurt a lot!"
Yamato tightened her grip on her spiked club. Threads of golden lightning spread across the metal, reflecting in her sharp, determined eyes. Ace snapped back to his senses and tried to react, but his vision suddenly blurred.
A flash of golden light crossed the field. Ace was launched like a cannonball, smashing through a small hill and passing straight through to the other side. He didn't stop until he had shattered several small peaks in succession.
"Ace!" "Captain!"
"Overestimating himself," Haruko sneered, watching the dust settle.
"He's still just a child," Maria said with a gentle smile. "It's already very impressive that he managed to reach the New World and find Wano Country at his age."
"Even so, he is far inferior to the Young Master," Haruko countered.
By the age of eighteen, Yamato already commanded a bounty of 1,300,000,000. Her strength was undeniable. While Ace was remarkable, he simply couldn't compare to her. He was still green, a rookie who needed his sharp edges polished by the true powerhouses of the sea.
"Take him and leave," Yamato told Ace's companions as she shouldered her club. "Don't stay in Wano for too long. This is not a place you are ready for yet."
The crew members didn't wait to be told twice. They scrambled toward the wreckage of the hills. "Ace! How are you?"
They pulled their captain from the debris. He was battered and unconscious.
"He's alright; his life isn't in danger," the ship's doctor reported after a quick check.
Once they confirmed he was alive, the tension among the crew eased slightly. "The priority is leaving. That woman is too powerful; we're no match for her."
They quickly reached a consensus and began retreating toward their ship, carrying Ace between them.
"Hey! Take a message to your Captain for me!" Yamato called out, stopping them in their tracks. "Tell him that if he truly wants to take Kaido's head and save this country, he needs to become much stronger!"
The pirates exchanged surprised glances, wondering why an enemy would offer such encouragement. However, they didn't linger. They boarded their ship and departed as fast as the winds would take them.
On the shore, Yamato and her companions watched the ship disappear over the horizon.
"Yamato, is this really alright?" Maria asked, turning to her.
Yamato laughed heartily. "What's wrong with it? They came looking for trouble, so I beat them back. That's enough, isn't it? There's no need to wipe them out completely."
"Young Lord, are you truly willing to let someone take Lord Kaido's head?" Haruko asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.
"What nonsense are you talking about, Haruko?" Yamato chuckled, leaning on her club. "How could that happen? Even if he's a brute and a villain, he's still my father! If someone wants to take his head, they'll have to deal with my club first."
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse