"Young Master, since Blackbeard has already defected from the Whitebeard Pirates, where do you think he will go next? It's impossible for him to stay in the New World; the Whitebeard Pirates won't forgive him for breaking their iron rule," Haruko pondered aloud.
"Exactly. So he will definitely leave the New World and head to the First Half of the Grand Line. He'll build up his strength there and then return to the New World with the presence of a king," Yamato said, nodding confidently.
"But even if what you say is true, Young Master, if Blackbeard is just building strength in Paradise, when would he ever return? These things are uncontrollable, right? It could take years or even over a decade. Can a man like him afford to wait that long?" Haruko questioned.
"Haha, Haruko, you don't understand. The opportunity has already arrived, so everything is about to change. In other words, these seas are about to become restless again," Yamato laughed.
This time, Haruko caught the underlying weight in Yamato's words.
"Haruko, fate favors those who possess both ambition and patience. Blackbeard's defection is just the beginning of the storm, not the end of it," Yamato said softly, swinging her long legs over the side of her seat.
"Could the big event you mentioned before... be referring to this?" Haruko asked, her eyes widening as she realized the potential scale of the situation.
Yamato simply gave her a playful wink. "What event are you talking about, Haruko?"
"No, it's nothing," Haruko replied, shaking her head as a faint smile flashed across her face. Sometimes, she truly felt that her Young Master had the mysterious ability to predict the future.
As the days passed, the matter of Blackbeard's defection from the Whitebeard Pirates became increasingly serious. It wasn't just about one traitor; news began to spread that the Red-Haired Shanks, another of the Four Emperors, was also making moves. Just two days ago, Red-Haired Shanks had sent an envoy to meet with Whitebeard.
"Young Master, Blackbeard defected, so why would a man like Red-Haired Shanks pay so much attention to it?" Haruko was very surprised to hear the news. No matter how she looked at it, this appeared to be an internal matter that had nothing to do with the Red-Haired Pirates.
"Well, although Blackbeard's current status and position are vastly different from a Yonko like Red Hair, they actually both came from the same era. You could even say they are enemies who understand each other's true nature very well," Yamato explained after a moment's thought.
"Young Master, do you mean Red-Haired Shanks considers Blackbeard a serious rival?" Haruko felt this was a bit of an exaggeration.
"A potential rival, perhaps. After all, Blackbeard was indeed very low-profile before this incident happened. But being low-profile doesn't mean being ordinary; it can be a sign of endurance and hiding one's edge. Red Hair likely noticed that potential long ago," Yamato nodded.
Thinking carefully about it made Haruko's scalp tingle. In that case, Blackbeard was like a predatory beast that had been hiding under Whitebeard's wings for decades.
"The times create heroes, and now the right time has come. Alright, let's head back to Wano Country. The Marines should be making their moves next, so we'll just wait and watch the show unfold," Yamato said, stretching her arms. If the Marineford War truly couldn't be avoided, then so be it. "I just hope that guy Ace doesn't give Blackbeard the opportunity he's looking for," she thought silently.
Wano Country, Onigashima.
Although the Beasts Pirates were busy expanding their scale and increasing their numbers, they were always paying close attention to the major events happening in the New World. A defection within a rival Yonko's crew was certainly not something they would ignore.
"That old man Whitebeard is getting senile. To let even a single subordinate defect... it's a disgrace to the title of the Four Emperors," Kaido laughed unceremoniously as he listened to the report from King.
"It is indeed shocking for such a thing to happen to the Whitebeard Pirates," King remarked with a hint of emotion.
Everyone on the sea knew that the members of that crew called Whitebeard "Pops." They all respected him as a father and treated one another as true brothers and sisters. For a murder of a comrade to occur in a crew that functioned like a family was truly a strange turn of events.
"What's there to be shocked about? That old man is the same as always—all that talk about sons, and in the end, he was still betrayed. Excessive trust only leads to one's own harm." Kaido snorted, though his tone was surprisingly light. "That guy called Blackbeard is quite bold. If someone like that did such a thing under my command, I would hunt him to the ends of the earth!"
"You could certainly do that, Big Brother, but Whitebeard can't, right? He's so old now. Even if he chooses to fight, how much of his former strength can he actually exert?" Queen said flatly.
It wasn't that he looked down on Whitebeard's power, but the man was in his seventies. Even for the "Strongest Man in the World," it was estimated that just one major battle would nearly exhaust what was left of his lifespan. And if Whitebeard were to fall, the entire New World would be thrown into absolute turmoil.
"Just die sooner, old man Whitebeard," a complex light flashed in Kaido's eyes. After a pause, he seemed to remember something. "Where is that brat Yamato? Is she back yet?"
Hearing Kaido ask, King smiled slightly. "Big Brother, you finally asked about the Young Master. I thought you weren't interested in her whereabouts."
"King, what nonsense are you talking about?" Kaido glanced sideways at his subordinate.
"The Young Master is on her way back, but she already sent the treasures she collected home a few days ago. That includes a Zoan Type Devil Fruit," King continued.
A hint of surprise flashed in Kaido's eyes. "That brat's luck is quite good, it seems." Then, he added, "Pay close attention to this situation and see what moves Whitebeard makes. Since even Red Hair has intervened, there will definitely be a follow-up."
Although Kaido wasn't usually interested in politics, his intuition told him this was far from over.
"Understood. I will keep a close eye on the situation," King nodded.
A few more days passed, and Yamato and Haruko finally returned to the rocky shores of Wano Country.
"This trip really lasted a long time. Is it really that much fun outside, Yamato?" Black Maria asked with a warm smile as they reunited.
"Well, the time spent sailing at sea can be a bit boring, but it's great once you finally land on an island. You should know by now—I found quite a lot of treasure this time," Yamato laughed.
"I didn't expect you to take such a liking to treasure hunting, Yamato. It's a bit of a surprise," Maria noted, nodding her head.
"Actually, I just tried it out and grew to like the thrill. However, it's more accurate to say I like visiting the islands themselves. Unknown things are always attractive to me," Yamato explained. As she spoke, she gave a nod to Haruko.
Haruko walked to the side and opened several large chests.
"These are... gemstones! I see," Maria said, immediately understanding where the accessories Yamato was wearing had come from.
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