Bang!
The sharp crack of a gunshot snapped Yamato back to reality. Through the haze of the Flower Capital, she watched as Kozuki Oden finally fell. The man who pulled the trigger was none other than her father, Kaido.
As for Oden's nine retainers, they had already fled toward Kuri, carrying out their lord's final wish to escape and survive.
"Quick, after them! Don't let a single one get away! Kill them all!" Orochi screamed in a fit of hysterical rage, his voice cracking.
Orochi's subordinates immediately scrambled to give chase. Kaido, however, remained indifferent. To him, the only real threat was Oden himself. Now that the legendary samurai was dead, the retainers were nothing more than stray puppies—incapable of causing any real trouble for the Beasts Pirates.
"It's finally over," Yamato whispered. She stood up, took one last lingering look at the execution platform, and turned to leave.
From his seat, Kaido's gaze drifted toward the rooftops. He caught a fleeting glimpse of Yamato's back as she disappeared into the distance, his eyes flickering with a complicated light.
In the afternoon, Yamato was back at her residence, mentally preparing for her next training session. Her peace was interrupted by the heavy, rhythmic thud of footsteps.
"Old man? Why are you here?" Yamato asked, genuinely surprised by Kaido's sudden appearance.
Kaido looked down at the girl. She had changed so much in just one year, and he felt a surge of grim satisfaction. "Yamato, you saw the execution this morning, didn't you? Tell me—what are your thoughts on it?"
"I don't have any. I'm not going to criticize how you do things, Old Man. I only have one goal, and that's to keep getting stronger. That's all there is to it," Yamato replied instantly, her voice flat and determined.
Hearing her answer, Kaido burst into a thunderous laugh. "Worororo! What an arrogant brat you've become! Fine, do whatever you want. I'm looking forward to seeing the day you actually become a powerhouse."
"Don't worry, Old Man. I'm going to surpass you," Yamato said with a sharp smile. A brilliant, piercing light erupted from her pale gold eyes, and her small frame suddenly radiated an astonishing pressure.
"You certainly talk big, Yamato. Surpass me? You?" Kaido's brow twitched, and his smile turned ferocious. His eyes shot out sharp rays of light. "Don't forget who I am. I'm your father!"
Suddenly, a staggering wave of Haki exploded from Kaido, descending upon Yamato like a physical weight. In that instant, Yamato felt a crushing pressure. She knew exactly what this was: Kaido's Conqueror's Haki.
Under the shroud of this overwhelming power, Yamato's body began to tremble uncontrollably. Her hair stood on end, and an primal fear sprouted in the depths of her heart.
"Yeah... that's right, you damn Old Man! I'm going to surpass you! What, are you saying I'm not allowed to?" Yamato screamed, throwing her head back and pushing against the invisible weight of Kaido's will.
Hum!
At that exact moment, a secondary wave of Haki erupted from within Yamato's own body, clashing violently with Kaido's.
Conqueror's Haki!
Kaido's pupils constricted slightly. He felt the familiar vibration of the "disposition of a king." As expected, his child possessed the same innate potential.
After shouting her defiance, Yamato felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her trembling stopped, and the fear vanished, replaced by a new, mysterious sense of power coursing through her veins.
Could it be... Yamato's heart leaped with joy. Even though she knew this was bound to happen eventually, the thrill of awakening her Haki right now was exhilarating.
"Worororo! Truly my child! Yamato, keep growing. I'll be waiting for the day you actually try to surpass me," Kaido laughed heartily. He withdrew his aura, turned on his heel, and walked away.
Watching him leave, Yamato rolled her eyes. Considering he had just helped her unlock her Conqueror's Haki, she decided not to dwell on his usual nonsense.
Only after Kaido had vanished did Black Maria step out from behind a pillar, her face deathly pale. In the courtyard, the maids and servants had all fainted. Maria herself had nearly lost consciousness, feeling as if someone had struck her across the head with a massive hammer.
"Maria, are you alright?" Yamato asked, noticing her friend's shaky state.
Maria shook her head slowly. "I'm fine, just a bit dizzy. Everyone else just... collapsed."
"Oh, don't worry about them. They'll wake up soon," Yamato said reassuringly before turning back to her training.
The effects hadn't been limited to the courtyard. Out on the streets, many citizens had suddenly fainted, leaving witnesses bewildered.
"What's going on? They were perfectly fine one second and then they just dropped! Is it a plague?"
"Don't just stand there, go find a doctor!"
That night, Oden Castle in Kuri went up in flames, the smoke rising like a funeral shroud. The fire announced the absolute end of the Kozuki Clan's rule in Wano.
Standing on her roof, Yamato looked toward the horizon. Despite the distance, she could see the faint, flickering glow of the burning castle.
"Twenty years is a very long time," Yamato whispered to the wind. "Come then, future chosen ones. I'll be waiting for your arrival!"
She looked up at the moon, her long hair dancing in the night breeze. Her eyes burned with a light that outshone the distant fires.
Late that night, Onigashima.
A massive azure dragon descended from the storm clouds, landing in the center of the island before shifting back into his human form.
"Lord Kaido!" the subordinates shouted, surrounding him instantly.
Kaido gave a curt nod and strode toward his hall. His expression was dark, suggesting he was in a foul mood. Close behind him, a black figure resembling a giant bird of prey dropped from the sky, transforming into King.
"Big Brother, you seem a bit on edge," King noted as he sat down across from Kaido, who was already chugging a massive bowl of sake.
Kaido glanced at his first mate. "I saw Oden's son."
"Kozuki Momonosuke? He's the same age as the Young Master, isn't he? What about him?" King didn't understand why a mere child would upset Kaido.
"Hmph. To think a coward like that is Oden's son... the Kozuki family has no future," Kaido snorted. He subconsciously touched the cross-shaped scar on his abdomen, his irritation growing.
He had respected Kozuki Oden as a warrior, but seeing the man's son—a boy who could only tremble in fear—felt like a disgrace to Oden's memory. By comparison, his own daughter, also only eight years old, had ten times the courage.
King understood now. "Well, they are as good as dead now. Why let it bother you? Besides, while Oden was a formidable figure, he couldn't compare to you, Big Brother. It's only natural his child can't compare to yours."
Hearing this, Kaido's expression softened. He thought back to the moment Yamato's Haki had flared up against his own, and his mood finally began to lift. With a daughter whose potential could eventually command a bounty of 3,000,000,000 or more, the future of the Beasts Pirates looked brighter than ever.