"Th-That is... a dragon?!"
Kaidou in dragon form grasped the fiery clouds, floating in the sky. His massive figure was hidden among the clouds. Although the pirates of the Beast Pirates and the citizens of Wano Kuni were accustomed to this sight, it was Iscariot's first time seeing such an enormous creature.
In a rough comparison, she seemed smaller than a scale on that monster's body.
"Yes, that's Governor Kaido, the captain of the Beast Pirates, and one of your future bosses. There's no such thing as quitting around here; once you're in Wano Kuni, there's no turning back."
Shaina had emphasized this many times on their way back. Though she had mentally prepared for it, it was evidently not enough.
"He's just a Fruit Ability user, Governor Kaido's just bigger than most. There's a variety of abilities, nothing to be surprised about."
Emmalyn thought Iscariot was shocked by Kaidou's beast form. In fact, she wasn't. After all, Shaina had displayed the demeanor of an ability user throughout their journey, and she had grasped a general understanding of ability users from the pirates.
What shocked her was the person swimming in the water, or rather, the person trying to escape.
Because of the great fire caused by Dorlo, she naturally had some aversion to flames, so she couldn't help but have mixed feelings seeing the splashes in the sea.
"Did they do something wrong?"
"Let me see... Oh, it's Miss Yamato. No, that's the governor's daughter, just part of the governor's training for her."
Emmalyn casually mentioned the word 'training,' blending fun with learning. However, it was well known that Kaidou's idea of fun was primarily his own. He would never miss the opportunity for an all-rounded physical workout like swimming.
"Daughter..."
"That's right, his biological daughter. However, Iscariot, there's some bad news I should tell you."
"What?"
"The big sister may act tough on you, but she seems quite fond of you. If all goes as expected, you might be training alongside the young miss."
Pierman knew Mandfeish well, even having some insight into his private feelings. Meanwhile, Emmalyn was quite familiar with Shaina, except for the true features behind her mask. Shaina hadn't hidden much from her, including some lifestyle habits.
Hence, she could somewhat guess Shaina's plans. Listening to Emmalyn, Iscariot felt a bit lost. The glow of the flames and the faint cries echoing in her ears made her question her life.
At the same time, she wasn't the only one in doubt. By the shore, Maria was immensely grateful for her inability to enter the water. Otherwise, she would also be escaping with them in the sea.
But given Kaidou's habits, he wouldn't favor any over the others. Since Yamato and Jack were training with such hell-level difficulty, surely the same sort of trial awaited her.
The unknown terror was often more terrifying, and in the water, some were more conflicted than her inside, like Jack.
Among all creatures, mermaids were the fastest swimmers. Although Fish-Men weren't as fast, they were among the best in the sea. However, at that moment, Jack realized he couldn't catch up with Yamato.
Kaidou's orders forbade them from diving, which nullified the biggest advantage of the Fish-Men. Jack's inclination towards defensive strategies meant his speed wasn't great.
Fish-Men also had another advantage. Their pupils had a certain difference compared to humans. In the water, they developed a thin membrane that protected their eyes from splashes.
Therefore, he could see the splashes erupting ahead, with Yamato swimming swiftly toward her destination in freestroke.
As a Fish-Man, losing in a freestyle swim to another species felt strange. But when considering that she was Kaidou's daughter, it suddenly felt reasonable.
Soon after, a streak of fire almost grazed past his behind.
"Faster! Aren't you ashamed that you swim slower than a battleship?"
"I'll complain to my adoptive father! This wasn't what you said at the start!"
"Huhahaha, if you have the energy to argue, it means you still have potential. Yamato, swim faster!"
Their initial training goal was merely to swim a few laps around Ghost Island. However, Kaidou felt their swimming was too leisurely, so he slightly increased the difficulty for them.
Diving could indeed avoid Kaidou's flames, but they didn't do it because if they dove, Kaidou would switch to using wind blades and lightning.
Compared to those, the controlled flames were the most 'gentle' attack.
After Yamato and Jack got back on track, Maria faced her climbing challenge. For someone with the Spider-Spider Fruit, climbing wasn't complex, though it consumed energy and helped hone her fruit ability.
At the end of the day, the three of them lay drenched on the ground. Though Maria hadn't been in the water, her clothes were still soaked with sweat, as was their daily routine. To Kaidou, training that didn't end in fainting was considered gentle.
After their training ended, Kaidou returned in human form.
"It's still not enough, Yamato. Do you really think you'll set out to sea by yourself like this?"
"What are you talking about, Father? I'm determined to set out on my own. Not seeing this vast sea for myself would be a regret."
Instead of getting furious upon hearing Yamato's goal to set sail, Kaidou held his composure.
At this time, she didn't shout about being Kozuki Oden, and the Hundred Beasts' control over Wano Kuni had deepened. Even if Kaidou didn't stay here, the Hundred Beasts possessed enough power to guard Wano Kuni, ensuring the main base was exceptionally stable.
In this situation, he naturally didn't need to force Yamato into a captive-like existence, although he was a bit dismissive of her words.
"You're far from it. As you are now, you can't possibly set sail alone. Enemies at sea won't stop just because you faint. Don't even dream about it until you're strong enough, and your adoptive father won't relent either."
Sailing under someone else's watch or sailing by oneself held completely different meanings. This was one of Yamato's goals.
"Someday, I'll defeat you!"
"Huhahaha, if you can, go ahead and try. But to help you achieve that goal sooner, you can add some solo training for yourself tomorrow."
Having always trained with Jack and Maria had become a 'burden' for Yamato. She could handle far more than the two of them.
"Huh?!"
"This was your own choice. There's no taking back words you've spoken. Oh, by the way, from your adoptive father's message, you have new allies."