Garp had been happily chatting with Bella when he suddenly noticed something in the background.
"Wait, is that Yamato? Cain, are you two in Wano right now?"
"Long time no see, Grandpa Garp!"
Yamato immediately leaned into view and waved enthusiastically.
"Cain really is here with me!"
"Oh! Yamato! It has been a while!"
Ace squeezed into the frame as well, still holding the tiny sun in one hand.
"I didn't expect Cain and the others to head over there. Are you about to fight Kaido? Want me to come help?"
"More or less."
Yamato scratched her head, but her attention was immediately drawn toward the little sun in Ace's hand.
Her eyes lit up.
"Hey, Ace, is that little guy like Bella?"
"If you come over, can you bring him too?"
Yamato grinned brightly.
"I want to do what Cain and Uta did and make that little guy my kid!"
"Huh?"
Ace froze.
"W-Wait, what?! Yamato, what are you saying?!"
He started fumbling the little sun between his hands and nearly dropped it, his entire face turning bright red.
Ever since the creature appeared, Ace had been wondering what kind of relationship he was supposed to have with it.
He had even considered simply following Cain's example and becoming its father.
But if Yamato was saying that—
didn't that mean…
'Is she confessing?!'
'No, no, no! That can't be it! Yamato would never say something like that!'
Ace violently shook his head, then looked back at her with a stammer.
"Y-Yamato, are you… are you saying that you—"
"What's wrong, Ace?"
Yamato tilted her head.
"Is the connection bad? Why do you keep cutting out?"
Before Ace could finish, Garp shoved his head out of the frame.
"Quit interrupting my conversation with Bella!"
Unfortunately, before Garp could resume talking, Thor launched another attack.
This time he had transformed into an enormous salamander nearly a hundred meters long, his body covered in slick mucus as he charged straight toward Garp and Ace.
"BIG BROTHER CAIN!"
"So Thor's a Devil Fruit user too—whoa, this stuff is slippery!"
"Wait! Don't come over here!"
Chaos erupted immediately.
The salamander's mucus splashed all over Garp and Ace, making everything impossibly slippery.
Garp lost his grip on the Visual Den Den Mushi.
Unlike an ordinary communication snail, the visual model was much larger and harder to hold. The instant it slipped free, everyone scrambled to catch it.
The image spun wildly.
The poor Den Den Mushi's eyes rolled in circles.
Then the connection cut out.
Uta puffed out her cheeks and looked toward Cain.
"Your little brother really likes you."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"I'm starting to get jealous."
Cain laughed awkwardly.
There wasn't much he could do about Thor's enthusiasm.
Still, he would have to go see the giant eventually.
For the moment, however, Cain was much more interested in what Yamato had just casually said.
…
"Huh? Why did I say that to Ace?"
Yamato tilted her head at Cain and Uta's expressions, clearly confused by the question.
"Isn't it obvious? I want a little kid like Bella."
"You two obviously aren't going to give Bella to me, so asking Ace is my only option."
She nodded firmly.
"Besides, I want to prove something to Kaido."
"If I ever become a father, I'll definitely be better at it than he was!"
Cain and Uta stared at her.
Neither knew what to say.
Apparently, Yamato had absolutely no idea how devastating those words had sounded from Ace's perspective.
There was still a very long road ahead.
Naturally, Uta had no intention of letting such entertaining material go to waste.
"You can't be the father, though."
Uta smiled mischievously.
"That's Ace's role."
"If you really want to treat the little guy as your child, then you'd have to be like me."
"You'd be the mom."
"Oh!"
Yamato immediately nodded.
"That works too! I can be the mom!"
Cain hurriedly sat up.
"But you and Ace aren't in the same kind of relationship as me and Uta."
Yamato looked even more confused.
"What kind of relationship?"
"If I become the same as you two, then I can be that little guy's mom?"
Cain went silent.
What was he supposed to say to that?
Yamato really was hopelessly innocent when it came to this kind of thing.
He and Uta exchanged a glance.
Then Uta apparently decided explanations were unnecessary.
She cupped Cain's face in both hands, turned him toward Yamato, and said,
"This kind."
Then she kissed Cain on the lips.
Bella immediately squeezed her eyes shut and swayed from side to side.
"Shameless, shameless! Bella isn't looking!"
Yamato was visibly stunned.
Then she noticed Bella loudly claiming not to look while secretly peeking through a narrow slit between her eyelids.
Yamato couldn't help herself.
"So cute…"
She remained frozen for several seconds as heat slowly rose into her face.
Embarrassment and shock churned through her mind.
Then suddenly, she lifted her head as though she had reached some profound conclusion.
Yamato clenched both fists.
"I'll study hard!"
Cain and Uta stared at her.
"…Huh?"
Study?
Study what?
Yamato, meanwhile, was already thinking excitedly to herself.
'Ace, just wait!'
'I'm going to become an amazing parent!'
'First, I'll start by copying how Cain and Uta normally act around each other!'
…
"Achoo!"
Ace sneezed while burning away the remaining salamander mucus clinging to his body.
He rubbed his nose.
That short conversation with Yamato had already made up his mind for him.
He needed to go to Wano and help out.
Unfortunately, Ace had absolutely no idea what kind of "danger" was waiting for him there.
Garp, meanwhile, had finally managed to "put Thor to sleep."
He didn't even have time to rest afterward.
He needed to talk with Sengoku immediately.
Cain confronting Kaido was no small matter.
If Cain actually defeated Kaido, the consequences would spread far beyond Wano.
It wasn't that Kaido falling would necessarily be a bad thing.
The problem was that the Marines and World Government had built countless plans around the current balance of power.
If Kaido suddenly disappeared from the board, everything would be thrown into chaos.
They needed to discuss it properly.
As for Cain losing?
Garp never even considered the possibility.
With that settled, he hurried off toward Sengoku.
Ever since the old man started treating Sphinx Island like his retirement home, Sengoku had become completely shameless.
He occupied Garp's room.
Ate Garp's snacks.
And somehow lived an even more carefree life than Garp himself.
…
Several minutes later, back in Wano—
the atmosphere inside the shogun's residence had completely changed.
Cain's weapon was pressed against Kyoshiro's throat.
His voice was cold.
"I'd been leaving you alone because Yamato still needs you to keep the people of Wano stable."
Cain narrowed his eyes.
"But I didn't expect you to expose yourself first."