Kaido swallowed the entire bowl of rice in a single gulp. He looked down at the small girl, Otama, who was staring up at him with wide, curious eyes. Looking at her, he felt a flicker of the conviction that had brought him here. In this entire country of Wano, a land he found to be drowning in incomprehensible foolishness, this child was one of the few individuals who had earned his genuine admiration.
Her resilience, her inherent kindness—it was a stark contrast to the hollow pride of the samurai and the despair of the common folk. This was why he had chosen her. She was more of a princess than Kozuki Hiyori ever was, and she had the strength of character that Yamato, for all their power, sorely lacked.
"Worororo!" he laughed. "Hey, kid, is there any more?"
Otama was startled for a moment, then shook her head. But as if remembering something, she quickly pulled a few small, misshapen fruits from her worn-out clothes. "Um... I picked these up in the forest," she offered enthusiastically. "If you're still hungry..."
Before she could finish her sentence, her own stomach let out a loud, embarrassing rumble. A deep blush spread across her small face.
Kaido glanced at her, a faint smirk on his lips, but he feigned simple curiosity. "Fruits? No need. But, kid, it looks like you've been hungry for a long time."
Otama shook her head vigorously, a determined smile plastered on her face. "It's okay! I'll have rice to eat when I go back home!"
The brave front was paper-thin. The way she bit her lip betrayed the lie, but Kaido continued to pretend he didn't notice. This strength, this refusal to show weakness even when starving, was exactly what he was looking for.
"Is that so?" he said casually. "Kid, what's your name?"
"I'm Otama!"
"Otama, do you live all by yourself?"
She smiled and shook her head. Perhaps sensing that the giant man before her meant no harm, she seemed happy to finally have someone to talk to. "There's also Komachiyo! He's a really powerful lion-dog."
She looked left and right, then tilted her head. "That's strange, he's not here right now. He must have gone off to play in the forest."
"I see," Kaido rumbled. He knew perfectly well where the creature was; it was still sleeping soundly behind a nearby hill after getting a taste of his Conqueror's Haki.
"I have some sake here, kid. Want a sip?" Kaido offered, gesturing to his massive gourd.
Otama looked at the sake gourd, which was easily twice her height, her face a mask of curiosity. Seeing her interest, Kaido uncorked it. The strong, pungent smell of alcohol wafted out, and Otama, leaning in for a sniff, immediately recoiled, her head spinning.
"It smells awful... Is this sake?"
"What, you've never had it before?"
Otama shook her head and replied with the serious air of a little adult, "I'm still a child. I can't drink sake!"
"Wrororo... Then when you grow up, I'll treat you to a drink," Kaido laughed heartily.
Otama beamed as if he'd just made a solemn promise. She nodded firmly. "Mm-hmm! I'll grow up very quickly!"
After that, Kaido fell silent, his gaze turning toward the sun as it slowly dipped below the horizon. Otama followed his gaze, and the two of them, one impossibly large and one incredibly small, watched the sunset in a strangely harmonious silence, bathed in its golden light.
After a moment, Otama seemed to remember something. Her expression grew tense with a hopeful sort of anxiety. "Um... Uncle, can I ask you a question?"
"Uncle!?" Kaido turned his head, amused by the title. "Go on, what's the question?"
"You're a pirate from the outside, right?"
"Why? Does that have to do with your question?"
"If you're a pirate from outside," she began, her voice filled with anticipation, "do you know a man named Ace?"
"Ace?" Kaido mused. "Are you talking about 'Fire Fist' Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?"
Otama's eyes instantly lit up like lanterns. She raised both hands, making a motion of flickering flames. "Yes, that's him! It's Ace! Ace can use ninjutsu; he can make his whole body catch on fire! It's amazing!"
"Oh, so you know Fire Fist Ace," Kaido said, genuinely surprised. "I wouldn't have thought it. He's a famous pirate out on the seas."
Otama looked even more excited. "So Ace really is that amazing!" Her eyes twinkled as she stared at the setting sun. "Then I have to grow up quickly and become an excellent kunoichi, so I can go out to sea and become a pirate, too!"
Kaido's gaze turned sharp, his amusement giving way to a calculated interest. He took a large gulp of sake before asking, "What, a kid like you wants to become a pirate? Are you dissatisfied with your country?"
The question stunned Otama. Why did she want to become a pirate? She had never really thought about it before. The first time she met Ace, she just realized that being a pirate was an amazing thing, so she decided she wanted to be one, too. As for her country...
Otama's expression suddenly became downcast. Seeing his chance, Kaido pressed his advantage, his voice a low, guiding rumble. "It seems this country isn't doing so well. Even a child like you has to wear such tattered clothes and can't even get enough to eat."
"That's not true!" Otama retorted, her eyes wide with defiance. "Wano Country is a very beautiful place! It's just... it's occupied by a group of demons right now. That's why it's become like this. When the samurai of the Kozuki Clan return, they'll definitely drive all the demons away!"
"Oh," Kaido grunted. This was exactly what he wanted to hear. A sly smile crept onto his face. "The Kozuki Clan! So, kid, you also like to place all your hope for salvation on other people, huh?"
His words seemed a bit too complex for Otama to fully grasp, and she looked at him with a thoughtful frown. But it no longer mattered. The seed was planted. The next words were the key.
"Worororo... I used to be like that, too," Kaido said, taking another sip from his gourd. He wiped his lips and stared out at the sea. "I chose to trust others three times in my life, but unfortunately..."
He paused, letting the weight of his words hang in the air.
"The first time, when I was about your age, I was born in a kingdom called Vodka..."
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