Lucci likely never expected that the two psychic attacks he landed on Yamato would actually help her regain some clarity.
However, even though Yamato had briefly regained some of her senses, she still couldn't completely escape Oden's influence. The conflict between the two opposing wills inside her led to a split in her personality, creating a dual identity.
For now, the personality that idolized Kozuki Oden had the upper hand, but her genuine personality hadn't been erased. She would continue to battle the negative side within herself.
Putting aside Yamato's transformation for now, Kaido had once again received an invitation from Yuri.
Kaido had already realized something had gone wrong in the Combat Laboratory. The sound of cannon fire from the laboratory was loud enough to reach even Kaido in Udon. But when he met with Yuri and learned that the Omnitrix had been stolen, he was shocked.
After hearing the whole story from Yuri, Kaido mused, "That must have been... the Shadow Army."
During the great war in Wano, Kaido had indeed encountered the Shadow Army.
Yuri's expression gave nothing away, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Even though the laboratory had been attacked and the Omnitrix stolen, his face showed no sign of anger. Kaido secretly admired his composure. This man, even after such a sudden and critical event, could still maintain an unreadable expression.
It was clear that Yuri was genuinely worthy of being Wano's king. Under his rule, Wano had grown far more potent than during the reign of the Kozuki family.
Currently, they were inside Yuri's palace.
Although Wano had become a modern metropolis, it remained a monarchy. In the heart of the City of Law stood a massive royal palace, where Yuri governed everything in Wano.
The two were speaking in Yuri's study. With a calm voice, Yuri said, "Yes, it seems they've always been here."
"Shadows... Perhaps our conversation is being watched even now by them," Kaido remarked coldly. "Those guys must have been hiding in the shadows of Wano. That's why we haven't been able to find them despite several searches."
"I have the same thought," Yuri responded. "That's why I urgently created the Rift Generator. This device can emit a special signal that shields everything within its range, preventing any external surveillance."
"Rift Generator?" Kaido was surprised, not because of the device itself, but because of Wano's terrifying level of technology. To be able to create such a device immediately after last night's attack—Yuri's scientific capabilities were truly astounding.
Yuri smiled. "Kozuki Oden's actions exposed him, but in the end, he failed to obtain the Omnitrix. I'm sure he's furious now. I wonder how he's doing."
"He can't be in great shape. Otherwise, he would've already charged out," Kaido said with a severe expression, recalling Oden's past battle with Gol D. Roger.
Though the world believed it was Himura Kenshin who had slain Oden, which was true, by that time, Oden had already been severely weakened.
Oden's actual fight had been against Roger, and Kaido could vividly remember the power they had displayed in that battle. In today's world, it is unlikely anyone could rival that strength.
Kaido knew he was strong, but even he didn't believe that his current self could match the intensity of their battle back then.
If Oden returned now with his undying Shadow Army, would they be able to handle it?
"But... it won't be long, Kaido," Yuri said as he stood up and sighed, "Just a few more years."
Although it seemed far away, they would undoubtedly live to see Kozuki Oden's return. They were bound to witness it.
Kaido remained silent. He wasn't a native of Wano. If things went south, he could simply leave.
Still, nobody wanted to retreat in shame. He understood that Yuri sought to recruit him for his power, hoping to unite their forces against Oden when the time came.
"By the way, do you know who the other group fighting the Shadow Army was?" Yuri asked.
Kaido sneered. "Who else but the World Government?"
Though they hadn't seen Lucci using telekinesis, it was apparent. After all, only the World Government could pull off something like this.
First of all, just acquiring information about the Omnitrix was a challenge. The only people who knew about the Omnitrix were the scientists in the Combat Laboratory, which meant one of them must have been a spy. Pirates certainly wouldn't be capable of infiltrating a scientist as a mole. Most pirates didn't even have their scientists, let alone ones to send as spies. Only the World Government, with its vast resources, could achieve something like that. They had spies in every profession through their CP units.
There was no need to delve into power dynamics. Based on this fact alone, they could be certain the culprit was the World Government.
However…
There was still no evidence.
Without concrete proof, Wano couldn't act on speculation alone. They couldn't sever ties with the World Government based solely on a guess.
As for the spy, he was likely already dead by now.
"But judging by your expression, Yuri, it seems the World Government didn't gain much either?" Kaido asked.
Yuri shook his head. "I'm sure they didn't get the Omnitrix. My cannons likely obliterated that agent, but I don't know if the Omnitrix was destroyed or sank into the ocean. I've already dispatched teams to dive and search, but so far, no clues."
Kaido frowned. "Can't you make another one?"
"As I said, creating the Omnitrix requires a large amount of materials, and all the experimental data was destroyed during the attack. It's impossible to produce another one in the short term," Yuri sighed. "I had hoped to perfect it quickly and use its data to optimize our resources. But now… it seems that won't be possible."
Kaido clicked his tongue in frustration. The Omnitrix had been fascinating, and its loss was a significant blow.
He then asked, "Alright, Yuri, let's get to the point. Why did you call me here?"
Yuri smiled. "Indeed. If the World Government shows no honor, then we needn't be righteous either. Kaido, would you like to steal the Shikon Jewel shards from the World Government?"
?!
Kaido's eyes widened as he stared at Yuri. "What do you mean?"
Yuri's smile grew. "The World Government tried to steal the Omnitrix from me. So now, we'll steal the Shikon Jewel shards they've hidden. It's only fair, right?"