"Wonderful! My name is Kozuki Oden! Can you tell me about the world outside?" Yamato burst into the room, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she looked at Anne.
Anne froze, staring at her with a confused expression. Kozuki Oden? Isn't that the name of that fool of a shogun?
Why was this woman claiming to be him? She turned, baffled, to her uncle.
Karl was equally speechless. Kaido's parenting methods were… seriously twisted. With a sigh, he explained to Anne the whole story between Kozuki Oden and Yamato.
Yamato was curious that this stranger actually knew about her, but she didn't care much—after all, she had been imprisoned on Onigashima for eleven years (Oden had been executed around the year 1502, when Yamato was eight; now it was 1513). Today, for the first time in over a decade, someone from the outside world had come to the island. She couldn't contain her joy.
"Anne, I'll let you talk to her. I'm going to get some rest," Karl said.
"Alright, Uncle~"
"So your name's Anne? What a pretty name," Yamato said warmly.
Anne studied the older girl—just a few years her senior—and thought she sounded oddly similar to how she herself used to think as a child. Soon, the two were chatting animatedly about Anne's adventures across the seas. From time to time, surprised gasps and laughter drifted out into the courtyard.
"It's all that bastard Kaido's fault!" Yamato fumed. "He locked me up here on Onigashima and put this explosive collar on me—if I try to leave, it'll blow up! Otherwise, I'd have gone to sea long ago!"
"Yamato, do you really want to go out to sea that badly?" Anne asked, a little skeptical. With Yamato's pure, trusting nature, she'd probably be scammed within a week.
"Of course I do!" Yamato's eyes lit up with passion. "I've read Kozuki Oden's journal—his life was amazing! I want to travel the world just like he did!"
Anne blinked, then asked bluntly, "I have to ask—why do you worship that fool of a shogun so much?"
"Oden's not a fool!" Yamato shot back immediately. "He was the greatest samurai who ever lived! His dream was to open Wano's borders to the world. Even though he's gone, I'll inherit his will and make that dream come true! But first, I need to grow stronger—I can't beat Kaido yet. But I won't give up!"
Anne sighed. "Then tell me this, Yamato—everyone in Wano are Oden's people, right?"
"Of course!" Yamato said proudly.
"Then think about it," Anne pressed. "Oden was Wano's shogun, yet he abandoned his people and sailed away, leaving the country unprotected. That's what allowed Orochi to ally with Kaido and enslave Wano. When Oden came back and saw his country in ruins, he had a chance to defeat Kaido—but he gave up, just because of one ridiculous deal Kaido offered him. And then he spent five years dancing naked in the Flower Capital, destroying his own reputation and the faith of his people. Even his own retainers couldn't understand him. Tell me, if that's not foolish, what is?"
Yamato fell silent, unable to argue.
"Wanting to open Wano isn't wrong," Karl said as he stepped out, his tone calm. "But that's not something Oden—or you—could accomplish alone. Opening Wano's borders would shake the balance of the world. It's not something that can be done just because one man wills it."
He continued, "Oden's mistake was oversimplifying the problem—and acting irresponsibly. He never truly cared for the people who depended on him. That's why Wano became what it is today."
Karl frowned slightly. Oden had known a great war would erupt twenty years later, yet he still rushed to open Wano prematurely. Even if he'd succeeded, what then? It would've been meaningless. It would've been far better to protect the nation and build strength for the coming storm.
Yamato listened in silence, lips pressed tight, her eyes downcast. Finally, she muttered stubbornly, "Still… Oden was brave. He was the finest samurai of them all…"
Karl sighed, then glanced at the explosive shackles on her wrists. "Do you want me to remove those?"
"You… you can do that?" Yamato's eyes widened. "Kaido said if I ever left Onigashima, they'd explode! Even trying to break them would set them off! That's why I've been trapped here all these years!"
"Relax," Karl said, drawing his black blade, Xinting Marquis. "For me, this is easy. Come—let's go to the shore."
Yamato followed eagerly.
"You ready?" Karl asked, his hand steady on the hilt.
"Yes! I'm ready!" She thrust out her wrists.
In a blur of motion, Karl sliced cleanly through the shackles—then, in the same instant, hurled them far out to sea.
BOOOOM!
The explosion tore through the air before Yamato even realized what had happened.
"That bastard Kaido! He really meant to kill me!" she screamed in fury, trembling as she stared at the smoke rising over the water.
The thunderous blast drew the attention of King and Queen, who immediately came rushing over, thinking Yamato had triggered the explosion by escaping.
"Lord Yamato! What happened!?" they demanded.
"Lord Karl, did you remove Lord Yamato's shackles?" King asked. He already knew the answer—no one but Karl could've freed her without injury.
"That's right," Karl said evenly. "Don't worry, she's fine. Honestly, Kaido's too cruel—what kind of father puts real explosive shackles on his own child? What a disgrace. Tell him if he's got a problem, he can take it up with me."
"…Understood, Lord Karl," King said with a weary nod.
"Lord Yamato," he added, "though your shackles are gone, I still advise you not to leave Onigashima just yet. At least speak with Lord Kaido first."
"Why should I!? That bastard tried to kill me! I'll never forgive him!" Yamato roared, seething.
At that moment, a thunderous dragon's roar shook the sky—Kaido was coming.
He had been drinking comfortably when the explosion went off. Thinking a fight had broken out, he immediately transformed into his azure dragon form and soared toward the noise.
"KAIDO, YOU BASTARD! YOU REALLY TRIED TO KILL ME!"
Yamato, seeing him appear, completely lost control of her rage. She leapt high, weapon in hand—her massive kanabo, Takeru—and charged straight at him!
Kaido, still tipsy and dazed, didn't even have time to react.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Yamato's weapon crackled with Conqueror's Haki as she brought it down with all her might.
The blow landed squarely—sending Kaido crashing out of the sky!
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