The silhouette of the Red Hair Pirates' ship had long since vanished over the horizon, but Kaido's thunderous words still seemed to hang in the air, a devil's murmur carried on the sea breeze.
Behind him, his most powerful subordinates—King, Queen, Jack, Who's-Who, Black Maria, Ulti, Sasaki, and Page One—stood in silent reverence. They had witnessed everything, and the awe in their eyes was absolute. They looked upon the man they called governor, father, and elder brother not merely as a leader, but as a force of nature, a living god.
In stark contrast, Katakuri and Doflamingo were completely paralyzed by shock, their minds struggling to process the sheer scale of the revelations they had just heard. Nearby, Kozuki Sukiyaki, the traded prisoner at the center of this exchange, was pale with a fear so profound it seemed to drain the very life from him.
Kaido finally pulled his gaze away from the empty sea, his eyes landing on Sukiyaki with a look of grim satisfaction. Without turning his head, he spoke, his voice a low rumble directed at the Warlord beside him.
"Joker," he began, "you're a smart man. You should know what can be said outside of Wano and what must remain unsaid, right?"
A violent tremor shot through Doflamingo's body. His face, usually a mask of arrogant amusement, was now a canvas of pure terror. Every hair on his back stood on end, yet he managed to force his signature, unsettling smile. "Of course, Kaido-sama! Fufufu, some things are best kept as secrets."
"Good," Kaido grunted. "Our cooperation has been very satisfactory so far. If that day we spoke of truly comes…" He finally turned, his immense form casting a shadow over Doflamingo. "I expect you to still be standing right here, just like this."
"Of course!" Doflamingo replied instantly, his voice unwavering despite the fear clutching his heart. "I have been looking forward to that day with great anticipation."
"Very good," Kaido said, turning his attention back to his commanders. "King, I'm leaving Wano Country in your hands for now. Queen, you'll take Caesar, Judge, and Joker here on a tour of your research facilities. I need to be away for a while. Don't worry, I'll be back before the appointed day."
"Understood!" King and Queen responded in unison, their loyalty absolute.
Kaido's gaze then settled on Sukiyaki. He reached out with a massive hand and grabbed the former shogun, who offered no resistance. Sukiyaki seemed resigned to his fate, believing his execution was at hand. "Remember your promise, Kaido," he said, his voice trembling but firm. "Do not harm Hiyori and the others."
A deep, guttural laugh erupted from Kaido's chest. "Worororo! You've got it all wrong, Sukiyaki. In fact, my target was you from the very beginning…"
"!!!"
A flash of shock crossed Sukiyaki's face, but it was too late to react. A single, almost casual punch from Kaido sent him into unconsciousness. Then, as Katakuri watched with a surprised expression, Kaido's body began to contort and expand, scales erupting from his skin. He transformed into a colossal azure dragon, his serpentine form blotting out the sky.
He turned his monstrous head toward the Big Mom commander and roared, his voice shaking the very foundations of the island. "Brat, go tell Linlin I want to see her!"
————
Meanwhile, in the South Blue, on the peaceful island of the Sorbet Kingdom.
Inside the small church where Kuma and Ginny once lived, Yamato stared anxiously at the piece of paper in her hand. It was Ace's Vivre Card, and it was shrinking, its edges smoldering like a dying ember. Her heart hammered in her chest with every passing second.
Just then, the church doors burst open and Bonney rushed in, followed by the rest of their small crew.
"How is it?" Bonney asked, her voice sharp with urgency.
A short time ago, the world had been shaken by the news: Portgas D. Ace had been captured by the Marines. His public execution was scheduled to take place in just seven days. Upon hearing this, Yamato had made her decision without a moment's hesitation. She was going to save Ace.
Her first step was to contact Marco the Phoenix, hoping the Whitebeard Pirates would tell her where Ace was being held. But the answer she received was not what she had hoped for.
"Thank you for the offer, Yamato-chan," Marco had said kindly over the Den Den Mushi. "But this is a family matter for the Whitebeard Pirates. You have your own adventure to follow! Don't worry about us. We are the Whitebeard Pirates, and we will definitely rescue Ace."
It was clear. Whitebeard did not want her involved. Without the Yonko's help, Yamato had no way of finding out where the Marines were keeping her friend. As despair began to set in, Bonney had spoken up. After confirming that Yamato was serious, that she truly intended to storm a Marine stronghold to save Ace, Bonney had said, "I know how to find out where he's being held." Then, she had run off alone.
Yamato had been surprised. She knew Bonney was only a ten-year-old child, even if her Devil Fruit allowed her to appear older. Though Bonney knew more about the world than she did, could she really discover the location of the World Government's most important prisoner? It was her only hope, and she clung to it.
Fortunately, Bonney did not disappoint. As she skidded to a halt inside the church, her expression was grimly serious. "Yamato-nii, I found out. They took Fire Fist Ace to Impel Down three days ago."
The information, as it turned out, came from the notoriously loose-lipped Sentomaru. Because of their shared connection to Dr. Vegapunk, Bonney and Sentomaru had known each other since childhood, and she knew exactly how to pry information from him. Yamato didn't question the source; she just needed the name.
"Impel Down?" she asked. "What kind of place is that?"
Despite having been at sea for over a month, Yamato's knowledge of the world was still full of massive gaps. Bonney quickly explained that Impel Down was the world's most impenetrable underwater prison and described its approximate location on the Grand Line. Hearing the details, Yamato's expression hardened with resolve.
Perona, who had been floating nervously nearby, panicked completely. "Captain Yamato, you can't be serious!" she shrieked. "You're not actually thinking of going to Impel Down to save him, are you?!"
"Ace is my best friend," Yamato stated, her gaze firm. "The reason I went out to sea was to find him. I have to go. Don't worry, I can handle this alone."
"No, Captain, I'm going too!" the usually quiet Red said immediately, stepping forward. "You're our captain. We can't let you go on a dangerous adventure alone while the rest of us hide."
Diaz hesitated for a moment, then clenched his fists, a fierce look on his face. "Damn it all. I've lived longer than I ever expected to anyway. Captain Yamato, count me in!"
Seeing the crew's two strongest fighters agree to such a suicidal plan, Perona was on the verge of tears. If she had known they were all this crazy, she would have stayed with Moria-sama! She spun towards Bonney, desperate. "Hey, Bonney, do something! Talk some sense into them!"
Bonney's expression was also grim. She knew better than anyone that attacking Impel Down was a death sentence. But as she looked up and met Yamato's unwavering eyes, she understood there was no changing her mind. Seeing Yamato open her mouth to argue, Bonney quickly cut her off.
"No, we're all going together," she declared. "Yamato-nii, with your understanding of this sea, you probably wouldn't even be able to find Impel Down if you went by yourself."
In that moment, the ten-year-old Bonney seemed more like the captain of the crew than the twenty-six-year-old Yamato. Yamato wanted to refuse, to protect them, but she knew Bonney was right. Alone, she would never rescue Ace. But taking her crew with her felt like leading her first comrades to their deaths.
What should I do?
For the first time since leaving Wano, Yamato felt utterly useless. Who could possibly help her now? After running through every possibility, her mind settled on the one person she had spent her life hating.
She picked up the Den Den Mushi.
"Purupurupuru… Purupurupuru…"
The call connected. "Yamato-chan, don't worry about Ace's situation…"
"No, Marco-nii, it's not that…" Yamato interrupted, her voice tight. "Can you… can you help me contact Kaido?"
There was a long pause on the other end. "...Understood. Wait for my news."
Half a day crawled by before the Den Den Mushi rang again. When Yamato answered, it wasn't Marco's voice she heard, but one that was painfully, incredibly familiar.
"Young Master Yamato. Kaido-sama is not in Wano Country at the moment."
Yamato's body trembled. It was King. "I understand," she whispered. "I'm sorry for bothering you, King-nii."
"It's no bother," King replied, his tone as impassive as ever. "However, Kaido-sama already anticipated your situation. He left a message for you. He wants you to go to a specific location and find a man named Blueno. He will help you."
As she listened to the instructions from the man she called father, delivered by his most loyal servant, a single tear traced a path down Yamato's cheek.
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