For a second, Jaeger's expression darkened, skepticism flickering across his face. He grabbed her by the chin, lifting her head to force eye contact, searching for any hint of deception or mockery.
But there was none. Just confusion, fear… and a desperate, almost automatic desire to please.
A realization struck him. He ran his thumb across her cheek, thoughtful.
"Yamato… why did you call me that?"
She hesitated, her brows furrowing in uncertainty. "I… I don't really know. It just… felt right. I want you to be happy. I want to make you happy. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"
He watched her for another long moment, the pieces clicking into place.
A slow sigh escaped his lips as he stroked her head, his touch almost gentle for once.
So this is it. The trauma, the constant punishment—her mind was protecting itself, blurring out the agony and all the memories too painful to hold.
What remained was something simpler, almost primal—a survival instinct reduced to pleasing him, clinging to the one path that wouldn't hurt.
It wasn't love. It wasn't devotion. It was pure, helpless adaptation.
And it made her even easier to break.
A shadow of a smile curled at the corner of Jaeger's mouth, equal parts satisfaction and twisted affection.
He knew this wouldn't last...the side effects would fade, the old Yamato would surface again soon. But for now… he couldn't help but enjoy it.
He kept stroking her head, his voice dropping to something almost gentle.
"Yeah… you made Daddy really happy."
Yamato's eyes lit up, a fragile happiness blooming across her tear-stained face. For a moment, the pain, shame, and humiliation faded, replaced by a pure, naïve joy—like a child starved for approval.
She smiled up at him, lips still sticky, her whole being radiating a broken, desperate sort of happiness.
chu
And Jaeger, satisfied with the sight, leaned in and pressed a rough, possessive kiss to her forehead—his "good girl" echoing like a brand.
For now, that was enough.
--
Elsewhere
Aizen accepted a pouch of Senzu Beans from Jibril, tossing one immediately to Kaido.
In an instant, the wounds Jaeger had left on Kaido—bones crushed, organs caved in, spirit shattered—were swept away. His breath steadied, strength returned, flesh and pride knitted whole again.
"…What the hell kind of power is this?!" Sengoku muttered, unable to hide the shiver crawling down his back. "Is this some secret weapon of the Celestial Dragons?"
Kaido barely heard him. He didn't care about miracles, nor the world's stares. His massive fist pressed to his chest, where the pain had just faded.
"Yamato…"
It wasn't his own defeat that haunted him now.
He could picture exactly what Jaeger was doing.
That bastard—worse than any monster. And Kaido had never shied away from evil. But Jaeger made even him feel like a small-time thug.
He wanted to storm in. To tear Jaeger apart. To rip the heavens open if that's what it took.
He didn't move.
He just slumped to the ground, fists trembling, gaze hollow.
Saitama strolled up beside him, casually placing a hand the size of a dinner plate on Kaido's beefy shoulder. "Be open-minded," he offered, voice bizarrely gentle.
"I've heard Jaeger's a total scumbag, but… if you and your daughter are still breathing, maybe that's the happiest ending you'll get."
"…."
Kaido said nothing.
Of course Jaeger was a scumbag. Every newspaper in the world ran tales of his scandals. But Kaido? He only had himself to blame.
If he hadn't tried to rob Jaeger of the Heavenly tribute...drawn in by the legend of the Ancient Weapon, none of this would've happened.
Now most of his men were dead. His crew was ruined. Even his life was no longer his own.
And he wasn't the only monster here. That bald guy in the cape—Saitama—was a walking apocalypse. Even Rocks, Kaido's old boss, couldn't compete.
He clung to one small comfort: King had survived, as had Black Maria and—somehow—Yamato.
But the bitterness returned.
"…Why am I the only one who always suffers?" he muttered, voice ragged.
He needed someone to take it out on.
But Jaeger? Untouchable. Sengoku? Not worth the effort. Orochi? Dead. Kozuki Oden? Long gone. His old crew? Scattered ashes on the wind.
A new, darker thought flickered.
Oden's wife… and kid.
Were they still alive?
Kaido's lips twisted into a grin more wolfish than human.
"…Oden, forgive me. Your wife and brat will be safe—after all, their new backer is a Celestial Dragon. That's a blessing, right?"
Several hours later…
With a whirl of wind and bone, Eriri descended upon Onigashima, astride a dragon's skull. Her hair whipped wildly, blue eyes flashing with disbelief.
"Unbelievable! Saint Jaeger… bullying a girl like that?! That's just evil! I thought he was our leader!"
Aizen—standing calmly nearby, posture perfect—gave a faint, unreadable smile.
"Jaeger rarely shows personal interest in anyone. Maybe this was his way of sharing rewards… or maybe he simply wanted to play his own game."
Eriri deflated, glancing down. She hadn't contributed at all during the mission—just burned Jaeger's energy, hitching rides on her ridiculous bone dragon.
Nearby, Black Maria stirred, pale and teary-eyed, saying nothing as she looked in Yamato's direction, heart leaden. King sat stone-still, arms folded, his once-proud gaze now hollow.
His thoughts spun. Kaido—his hero—might soon be Jaeger's father-in-law? What did that make King, an orphaned Lunarian, with the Celestial Dragons sniffing around for new experiments?
And then the group chat erupted.
[Chat Group]
Uchiha Miyuki: Wait—Yamato got f* to death by Jaeger?!
Esdeath: No, she's tough as nails. She inherited Kaido's physique. Stronger than most men, easy.
Jibril: Huh?
Luo Hao: …
Eriri: Wait! So my body's not even on Yamato's level?!
Kasumigaoka Utaha: Pfft—your flat-chested struggle is your own fault. Even Sakura's got you beat.
Eriri: AHHH! You damn cow—stop bullying me!
Luo Hao: Pirate World girls are born with hacks. Even I might lose in a contest with Yamato.
Luo Hao: Saitama, how about you fight Aizen next?
Saitama: Eh? I was thinking that too. But Aizen refused.
Luo Hao: Huh?
Esdeath: Isn't Aizen supposed to love battle?
Aizen: I dislike unnecessary combat.
Yamamoto Mei: No one believes that! You set instant-kill records in the anime!
Aizen: …
Miyuki: Did you back out because you saw Saitama's chat log stats?
Yamamoto Mei: Ha! Called out! The shady mastermind finally meets his match.
Aizen quietly exited the chat with a faint, bitter smile.
He hadn't declined out of cowardice, but out of respect for the obvious gap between them.
He preferred duels of intellect and evenly-matched power, not certain annihilation.
At that moment, Aizen noticed Jaeger returning.
"Yo! Hope I didn't keep you all waiting!"
Jaeger strode in, radiating good spirits. Behind him, Yamato followed, transformed—a gentle, docile shadow at his side, clutching his hand like a nervous student.
"Saint Jaeger… did you convince her?" Eriri asked, eyes wide at the new, timid Yamato.
"More or less." Jaeger's tone was lazy. "After a day of pain, a softer touch works wonders. Couple hours of emotional overload, and her mind's filled with nothing but me. She probably doesn't even remember her old man."
He reached down, stroking Yamato's snowy hair. She leaned in, nuzzling his palm like a pet, nothing like the defiant wild child from before.
"Isn't this just brainwashing?" Eriri grumbled, giving Jaeger a scumbag-glare.
"Brainwashing? Please. Her IQ wasn't winning awards anyway," Jaeger shrugged. "At most, she's got some memory loss. A little remedial study and she'll be fine."
Eriri was speechless.
This guy really is the final boss villain of our whole group…
Just then, Kaido rose, slow and stiff.
"You're saying her memories were wiped, and now her whole world revolves around you?" His voice was low, shaking.
"Exactly," Jaeger said. He turned Yamato toward Kaido. "Do you remember who that is?"
Yamato shrank behind Jaeger, peeking at Kaido timidly.
"…That weird uncle seems… kind of familiar…"
No trace of the former warrior—only a lost girl clinging to Jaeger's side.
"…Maybe forgetting is best," Kaido muttered, exhaling hard. At least she'd be spared the shame of being crushed. At least, as the consort of a Celestial Dragon, she'd be safe—better off than she'd ever been as his child.
But the bitterness was still there. And Kaido wasn't about to wallow in it alone.
He looked at Jaeger, a wicked glint in his eye.
"Say, Jaeger… Is Kozuki Oden's family still alive?"
Jaeger raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. You thinking revenge?"
"Damn right I am. Let's go."
Kaido sprang skyward, his body ballooning into a massive dragon, Oden's corpse wrapped up like a trophy.
Jaeger just grinned. This had been his plan all along, keeping Oden's family alive as leverage. With everyone present, it was time to settle things.
He turned to Aizen, Eriri, and Saitama.
"This mission's almost over. Head back to your own worlds if you like or hang around a few days. There's still about six left on the clock."
"I'm gone! Thanks, Boss Jaeger!" Eriri shot her hand up, no desire to stay a second longer in this lunatic world.
"I'll stick around," Saitama grinned. "Ever since I joined this group chat, I've wanted to spar with you!"
Jaeger laughed. "Looking forward to it."
Aizen smiled, unflappable as ever. "I think I'll wander. It's my first time world-hopping."
His gentle mask never slipped—unless you looked closely.
And then—Sengoku.
"Admiral Sengoku." Jaeger's voice was polite, but Sengoku nearly jumped out of his skin. He'd seen everything: Kaido, Wano, Oden's fate… Jaeger's overwhelming power. He'd considered revenge for Garp, but now that idea seemed laughable.
Could Jaeger be about to install him as governor of Wano? Would he be forced to serve, like Akainu? Could he betray Garp's memory like that?
Sengoku was so deep in thought he didn't see the gleaming golden blade—Hermes—materialize in Jaeger's hand.
Aizen sighed quietly beside him, almost pitying.
"God Avoid—!"
Those were the last words Sengoku ever heard.
His head soared through the air, eyes wide, mind forever trapped in shock. Even in death, he didn't understand—why?
Jaeger's voice was casual.
"Sorry. Changed my mind."
He watched as Hermes, his Noble Phantasm, absorbed Sengoku's legend. A new weapon was about to be born.
"Besides," Jaeger added, "Kaido makes a much better admiral. And this way, I don't have to worry about some moralistic fool plotting revenge for an old friend."
He turned to Kaido, who hovered above in dragon form, still reeling.
"What do you think, Father-in-law? Admiral of the Beasts—has a nice ring to it, yeah?"
"N-Nani—!"
Kaido nearly fell out of the sky. He dropped, shifting back to human form so fast he almost stumbled.
"I—Kaido! Admiral of all beasts! I pledge absolute loyalty to Jaeger-sama!"
Once, he was a Yonko—now he bowed low, pride stripped away.
King watched, stunned—his hero had become Jaeger's lapdog. But when Jaeger's gaze flicked over, King dropped to one knee in terror.
"From today on, you are Vice Admiral of Navy Headquarters, King," Jaeger intoned. "You can use the Naval Science Division to restore your clan. The World Government will protect your people."
King's head slammed the ground as he stared up, trembling. "King will follow you, Jaeger-sama, until death!"
"Good," Jaeger said, satisfied. He looked back at Kaido, lips quirking into a wry smile.
"Let's go. Time to pay the Kozuki family a visit. After all… I did promise Oden I'd look after them. And as a Celestial Dragon—well, I always keep my word."
•••
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