Chapter 220: Yamato's Choice!
"BANG—!!!"
Yamato crashed heavily onto the charred ground. The Kanabō flew from her hand, sending gravel scattering.
Her silver hair was disheveled, chest heaving violently, blood seeping from her forehead. Her gaze was a mix of unwillingness, shaken resolve, and a trace of confusion.
"Was Lord Oden... really wrong?"
"Was what I believed in all this time... really just a foolish obsession..."
The air still held the scent of scorching fire. Ace walked over slowly, the flames on his body gradually extinguishing. He didn't press the attack but stood quietly before her, looking down at the enemy whose battle intent had scattered.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly grinned. "Hey, Yamato, do you hate Kaido?"
Yamato was startled, then her eyes turned sharp as she gritted her teeth and growled low, "Of course I hate him! That bastard... has imprisoned me in this hellhole for over ten years!!!"
Ace nodded, as if confirming something.
The next moment, he spun around violently, his right fist igniting with blazing fire, blasting straight toward the towering dragon statue behind him—
"BANG!!!"
Flames exploded with a deafening roar. The dragon head statue symbolizing Kaido's authority shattered instantly, stone chips flying and dust rolling.
Yamato's eyes widened, staring blankly at this shocking scene, as if some invisible shackle in her heart collapsed along with it.
"He actually smashed that statue?! That's Kaido's symbol..."
Ace turned back. Sunlight fell on his dust-streaked face as he grinned brightly, his expression open and light. "See? Don't you feel much better?"
Yamato was stunned, then suddenly burst out laughing—"Pfft!"—the heavy haze in her eyes seeming to tear open a crack in an instant.
"You... are a really strange guy."
By the distant ruins, Enel facepalmed helplessly, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Sigh... really can't understand the brain circuits of these idiots."
"Whatever, let them be."
The sun slanted westward, the afterglow spilling over the dilapidated ruins of Onigashima.
Ace and Yamato sat on the broken walls, gazing at the shimmering sea horizon in the distance.
Flames dissipated, battle intent returning to silence.
"So you're also someone who couldn't choose their father," Ace said, looking into the distance, his tone low but filled with unspoken resonance.
Yamato looked down at the heavy Seastone handcuffs on her wrists, forcing a bitter smile. "Yeah... being born as Kaido's daughter isn't an honor for me, but a misfortune."
Ace patted her shoulder gently, his tone suddenly becoming passionate. "But you can still choose your own path!"
"Just like me... even though 'demon blood' flows in my veins, I can still become the person I want to be!"
Yamato froze, a faint light surfacing in her eyes. "Do you... really think so?"
Ace grinned, sunlight on his face. "Of course! And I have a super strong big brother—Roy!!!"
"He's the man who defeated Whitebeard and Shiki the Golden Lion!"
"Did you know? Those two were on the same level as Kaido!!!"
Yamato's eyes widened abruptly, speechless with shock. "Wh... What?! Whitebeard? Golden Lion? As strong as Kaido?!"
Ace continued proudly, "Yeah! And I have a little brother too—Luffy!"
"Let me tell you, he's super amazing! He can turn into a giant dragon just like Kaido, covering the entire sky with his dragon body!"
Yamato was completely dumbstruck, murmuring, "Your brother... can turn into a dragon too...?"
Ace laughed loudly. "The outside world is a hundred times crazier than you imagine!"
"There's a free sky, a vast ocean, countless wondrous islands,"
"And friends, nakama, and 'dreams' belonging to everyone themselves!"
Yamato listened entranced, her eyes shining with unprecedented brilliance and longing. "Ace... can you tell me more?"
Ace nodded without hesitation. "Of course! There are tons of stories, too many to finish!"
They sat in the sunset glow, chatting about everything under the sun, seemingly detached briefly from the heaviness of this isolated island.
Although in the end, Yamato still couldn't take off the explosive handcuffs and couldn't embark on a journey immediately, that seed had quietly sprouted in her heart.
She watched Ace and Enel's figures receding into the distance, her eyes burning with unprecedented determination and desire.
She clenched her fist gently, secretly swearing an oath: "Ace... Roy... Luffy..."
"One day—"
"I will set out to sea too!
To see... that vast, boundless world you spoke of!!!"
Having settled the abducted children properly, the setting sun shone on the ruins, illuminating the messy battlefield.
Ace crossed his arms, laughing at the sky. "If Kaido comes back and sees his statue smashed, his armory burned... he'll probably be so mad his horns will blow off! Hahahaha!!!"
Enel walked over dragging the unconscious Caesar Clown, dust kicking up along the way.
"This guy..." Enel frowned slightly. "Roy mentioned him to me once. Seems like the Beasts Pirates' 'Artificial Devil Fruits' were created by him."
Hearing this, Ace's face darkened slightly. He narrowed his eyes at the "genius scientist" looking utterly wretched on the ground.
"Artificial fruits, huh... take him back and let Big Brother Roy decide how to deal with him."
The two returned to the warship deck.
"SPLASH—!!!"
The seawater was sliced open like a blade as the warship cut through the waves.
The dark shadow of Onigashima gradually sank into the horizon, leaving only a gray silhouette under the setting sun.
Ace stood by the stern railing, gaze still fixed on the distance, lost in thought.
After locking Caesar in the brig, Enel walked over slowly, glanced at Ace, and smirked teasingly. "What, fought once and got attached to that woman?"
Ace snapped back to reality, face flushing red. "Hah? No way!!!"
After a long silence, "I just think... she's also a pitiful person harmed terribly by her own father."
He clenched his fists, burning with anger. "Putting explosive Seastone handcuffs on his own daughter?! How can there be such a father in this world!!!"
Enel raised an eyebrow, asking with a half-smile, "What kind of handcuffs... did you say?"
"Explosive Seastone handcuffs!" Ace glared.
Enel huffed a laugh, saying casually, "I looked just now. That thing is indeed an explosive device, but it's definitely not Seastone."
"If it were really Seastone, could Yamato have fought you so fiercely? She'd have been on the ground unable to get up long ago."
Ace froze, replaying that intense duel in his mind.
Indeed, every strike from Yamato was merciless. Did that look like someone suppressed by Seastone?
Enel shrugged, his tone cold with mockery. "Though, Kaido is poisonous enough."
"Actually putting a bomb on his daughter to keep her from stepping foot off Onigashima for over ten years."
Ace stood frozen, the image of Yamato gritting her teeth to hold back tears flashing in his mind.
"...Damn it."
He cursed in a low voice. "That kind of person... doesn't deserve to be a father at all!!!"
The Next Day—
"WORORORORO!!!——!!!"
Giant dragon claws landed heavily, kicking up waves of dust.
Kaido transformed into human form and strode onto Onigashima with the Three All-Stars, in high spirits. "This time was truly refreshing! That old bone Whitebeard's wine collection, treasures... really nice!"
King nodded, tone cold. "That old guy Wang Zhi dared to mock us; he's probably lying on Hachinosu drinking porridge right now."
Queen laughed until his belly shook. "Even his valuable Maneki-neko (beckoning cat) was swiped by me! Mwahahaha!"
Jack, panting while carrying three large chests: "And the Seastone weapons he hid... we brought 'em all back!"
The four stepped through the gates of Onigashima excitedly—
The next second, all their faces froze.
"..."
Dead silence.
Looking around—broken walls, charred ground, smoke swirling. There were even fragments of the scorched giant dragon horn statue on the ground.
Kaido's face twitched violently. "Where... is this?"
The Three All-Stars drew their weapons in unison, killing intent soaring to the sky. "Someone broke into Onigashima?!!"
"THE ARMORY!!!" Kaido's face changed drastically. He sprinted in, rampaging straight into the depths of Onigashima.
Empty laboratory, overturned medicine bottles, crushed glasses, and a "Caesar-brand slipper" left on the floor with a snot bubble...
"THE ARMORY—BURNED!!!"
"CAESAR—GONE!!!"
"THE STATUE—DECAPITATED!!!"
Kaido roared at the sky, emitting a furious bellow that shattered Onigashima: "AAAAHHH!! WHO WAS IT?!!"
Just then, footsteps sounded.
Yamato walked out slowly from behind a stone pillar emitting black smoke, still covered in ash marks and light injuries from battle.
Kaido took one look, rarely suppressing his anger, his tone actually somewhat concerned:
"What happened... to you? Did someone bully you?!"
Yamato looked up at him, her face unprecedentedly serious. "Kaido, I figured it out."
Kaido paused. "Oh?"
Yamato took a deep breath, her words hitting the ground with force. "I can... stop trying to be a man like Kozuki Oden!"
Hearing this, Kaido was completely stunned. Dragon eyes moist, he laughed at the sky. "HAHAHAHA!! Good!!! Yamato, you finally—"
"BECAUSE I'VE DECIDED TO BECOME A MAN LIKE ROY!!!"
"..."
The air was silent for a full three seconds.
The smile on Kaido's face crumbled bit by bit. Eye twitching, he almost slipped and fell, grabbing a broken statue support to steady himself. His face was black as the bottom of a pot. "You... who... did you say???"
Yamato's face was full of adoration, eyes sparkling. "ROY!! I heard he's stronger than you and defeated Whitebeard and the Golden Lion!!!"
"..."
"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU HEAR THAT NAME?!!!!!"
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