"Yamato... why is she here?" Jack stared up at the massive silhouette, his mind swirling with shock and confusion.
As he watched her hover in the air, Jack noticed that Yamato's beast form was distinctly different from Kaido's. She was adorned with ethereal, white flame clouds that wrapped around her body like flowing silk ribbons. Jack remembered very clearly that when Kaido transformed into a dragon, he didn't possess these divine-looking white clouds.
"Jack, you seem to be having a pretty rough time down there," Yamato said, peering down at the ground to tease him. "Are you feeling a bit weak today, or what?"
The moment she spoke, everyone on the battlefield froze. Ashura Doji and his samurai were particularly stunned. The voice echoing from the clouds wasn't the deep, gravelly roar they expected—it was clearly the voice of a woman.
"Yamato! You... watch your mouth!" Jack's veins bulged in his neck, and he immediately lost his composure.
"Hahaha! Did I hit a nerve? It's okay, Jack, I won't tell anyone you're struggling," Yamato laughed, her draconic voice booming.
Jack was so livid his head felt like it was about to start smoking. What did she mean by 'hitting a nerve'? That was pure nonsense! What he hated most was Yamato's sharp tongue; she had a knack for taking something minor and twisting it into a rumor that made him look ridiculous.
"Young Master, I think that's quite enough," Haruko spoke up from her perch on Yamato's back. Standing on the massive dragon, she appeared tiny—hardly more than a speck to those watching from the ground. She knew if they pushed Jack too far, the fallout would be a nightmare to manage.
"Just a joke, just a joke. Alright, time to get down to business," Yamato said, ignoring the furious Jack. She turned her glowing eyes toward the large, pink-haired man standing defiantly among the rebels.
"You're Denjiro, right? I'll give you one chance. Surrender now and pledge your allegiance to the Beasts Pirates. Otherwise, I think you know exactly what's going to happen next," Yamato declared.
Hearing her ultimatum, the furious Jack suddenly went quiet, watching with narrowed eyes.
Ashura Doji looked up at Yamato's dragon form, his face filled with disbelief. "You're not Kaido... who are you?"
He couldn't wrap his head around it. Why was there a second giant dragon? Did the Beasts Pirates truly have another monster as powerful as Kaido hidden away? There had been no rumors of such a thing. It was simply unbelievable.
"You don't need to know who I am. You just need to know that it's time to make a choice," Yamato said, lowering her head. her massive presence pressed down on the area like a literal mountain.
Looking at the dragon, which was every bit as enormous as Kaido, Ashura Doji's expression turned grim. He raised his katana, his resolve hardening. "There's nothing more to say. Come on then!"
He understood perfectly that words were useless now.
"Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, I see. Jack, take your men and move further back," Yamato said indifferently, glancing at her subordinate.
Jack didn't argue. He signaled his men and retreated to a safe distance. Simultaneously, Haruko leaped down from Yamato's back and moved away from the strike zone. Seeing the area clear, Ashura Doji became instantly vigilant, his entire body tensing for the coming impact.
Yamato's golden eyes glowed with a cold, predatory light. Without warning, a gigantic dragon claw shot toward Ashura Doji with incredible speed, moving so fast it looked like it would pierce straight through the earth.
"Dodge! Now!" Ashura Doji shouted to his men, leaping into the air. He gripped his sword with both hands, coiling Armament Haki around the blade before slashing out with everything he had.
Clang!
The blade and the dragon claw collided, sending sparks flying in every direction. Ashura Doji was instantly drenched in sweat, his entire body trembling under the sheer weight of the blow.
"You've got some strength and decent Haki, but it's not enough," Yamato's voice rang out. The blocked claw suddenly surged with renewed force, pressing down ruthlessly.
Boom!
The earth exploded beneath them. Ashura Doji vanished into a thick cloud of dust and debris.
"Boss!" the samurai cried out in terror.
In that same instant, a figure burst through the smoke, leaping high into the air. Ashura Doji slashed fiercely at Yamato's scales. Another loud clang echoed, and sparks showered down, but Ashura Doji's face twisted in horror. How can her skin be this hard?!
Whoosh!
A fierce wind rushed past his ear as a sharp claw reached for him once more. Ashura Doji raised his sword to block, but the impact sent him reeling. He flew through the air like a ragdoll, smashing hard into the side of the mountain.
"Denjiro, as one of Kozuki Oden's vassals, is this really all you've got?" Yamato asked, her voice tinged with nonchalance.
"Shut up!" an angry voice barked from the wreckage.
Ashura Doji emerged from the rubble, blood streaming down his cheek. He gripped his sword tightly, his face a mask of pure fury as he charged at Yamato. He poured a massive amount of Haki into his blade—an advanced application known as Ryuo. He knew that to break through Yamato's ironclad defense, he had to bypass the exterior and attack her from the inside.
"Oh? Ryuo? A smart decision. But I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed," Yamato said, watching him charge.
As she swiped her claw at him, a violent burst of red and black lightning erupted from her body. In an instant, the shockwave of Conqueror's Haki washed over the battlefield. All of Ashura Doji's men rolled their eyes back and collapsed into unconsciousness.
Blade and claw collided once more. Ashura Doji desperately unleashed his Ryuo, trying to sink his Haki into her. However, he was shocked to find that his power was being met by a secondary, internal defense. His Haki was being blocked almost entirely.
How can this be? Ashura Doji couldn't believe it. Even if she was using Armament Haki, it shouldn't be this effective against an internal strike. It was as if she had a layer of Haki protecting her vitals as well.
As he struggled to understand, Yamato exerted her full strength, pinning him down with her claw.
Thud!
The ground shattered, fissures spider-webbing out across the terrain. This time, Ashura Doji couldn't dodge. He was crushed into the dirt, vomiting a mouthful of blood as several of his bones snapped under the pressure.
"That's enough," Yamato said, lifting her claw. The move had nearly cost him his life.
In the center of the crater, Ashura Doji lay broken and bleeding, his aura flickering out.
"Are you for real? She defeated Denjiro that quickly?" Jack's subordinates were speechless. Jack had been locked in a stalemate with the man for ages, yet Yamato had finished the job in minutes. The gap in power was staggering.
"Cough... damn monster..." Ashura Doji muttered, his consciousness fading.
Yamato ignored him. She shimmered, reverting from her dragon form back into her human self. She turned toward Jack and smirked. "Jack, this guy wasn't even that strong. How come you couldn't take him down? Are you sure you aren't just getting weaker?"
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