Yamato's response completely disrupted Kuzan's train of thought. It wasn't that she said something wrong, it was that she was too right.
"Battles between peers are supposed to be heated."
That was Akainu's exact wording. The problem was: how did Yamato know that? Neither of them held back during the battle on Punk Hazard; even the landscape was permanently altered. Besides, that sentence was more like a private exchange.
Unless Yamato had been right next to them during that fight, how could she possibly know something like that?
Moreover, the two of them had been fighting using their full strength from start to finish. For Logia users, Observation Haki was far more important than Armament Haki. Using it to predict and move their bodies ahead of time was their best means of dodging attacks.
To hide from the Observation Haki of two Admirals and be unaffected by magma and extreme cold. This wasn't just a matter of being strong. It was downright absurd.
"Mind reading? Is your Observation Haki that unique?"
If Kuzan had to guess, that's the only thing he could think of. There have been people with mind-reading abilities before, but that shouldn't apply to Yamato. The only thing he could think of was that her Observation Haki had some unique properties.
Unlike the more standardized Armament Haki, Observation Haki sometimes developed unique powers.
"Nope, I don't have any mind-reading abilities. If I did, I would've escaped from my father's evil clutches a long time ago."
"Then how did you know those words? Has your information network gotten that terrifying?"
Kuzan couldn't even imagine that the person who said those words was another "Kuzan." That possibility was far beyond his scope of imagination.
"No way, no intelligence operation could possibly achieve that. By the way, using ice for a prosthetic must be quite troublesome, right? Have you considered getting an artificial limb? Though it might be a bit inconvenient in battle, after all, prosthetics can't elementalize."
"Then, you must be able to read minds. Don't tell me you also know that my comeback to him was 'That's because you're fucking magma.'"
Kuzan's expression stiffened. For the first time, he felt like his thoughts had been completely seen through. Having his own words said out loud before he could say it felt awful. He had only ever said that line to Camel, so there's no way she should know it.
"Can't really remember, don't sweat the details. It's just a coincidence. Anyway, you're not a Marine anymore, right? Want to switch careers and become a pirate?"
"Are you kidding? I just came by to say hi to an 'old acquaintance.' Even though I'm not a Marine anymore, I have no interest in pirates who pillage."
"Don't be ridiculous. Pillaging is something only the lowest of pirates would do."
"Lowest of pirates… But in the end, you're still pirates. Doing whatever you want like this isn't really the way either. Even if I said I wanted to join you, could you trust me?"
"Someone who's been a Marine for decades. Nobody in their right mind would feel at ease about that."
"I never intended to trust you anyway…"
"…What did you say?"
Yamato's words left Kuzan even more confused. He felt like their line of thinking weren't even on the same plane. Recruiting someone you don't trust? It was absurd no matter how you look at it.
"Ahem, ahem. What I meant was, let me break down the benefits of joining us. First, let's assume you're an undercover agent. That means your true identity is still a Marine.
From the Marines' perspective, my father is now the most troublesome pirate out there. So wouldn't the opportunity to stab him in the back be extremely valuable?
You could gain my father's trust, then wait for the right chance to betray him."
"Hold up, let me process this. Are you teaching me how to backstab your father???"
"It's a little weird… but yeah, that's basically it."
Unfortunately, Kuzan couldn't read minds. If he could, he'd know what Yamato was really thinking: betraying Kaido sounded like a good idea in theory, but carrying it out was ridiculously difficult.
Even Yamato herself might not succeed in ambushing Kaido, let alone Kuzan, who was weaker than her. Sure, his ability could counter Kaido's, but the chances of him successfully taking Kaido down were practically zero.
Assuming Kuzan even wanted to betray Kaido.
Ice alone isn't enough to instantly kill Kaido, and completely restraining him isn't realistic either. With his strength, he simply couldn't launch an effective sneak attack, it would only enrage Kaido further.
When that happens and Kuzan runs off, Kaido's attention will shift due to his rage, and she'll be able to enjoy a new period of peace. That is Yamato's true intention.
Besides, the Beasts Pirates don't consist of just Kaido alone. Even if Kuzan tries to make a move in other battles, they have the ability to stop him.
Whether Kuzan's betrayal is real or fake, whether he's truly left the Marines or just trying to be an undercover agent, it doesn't matter at all. She just wants Kuzan to be a shield.
If Kuzan really doesn't want to be a Marine anymore, then let Kaido drill this "newcomer." No matter how you think about it, there's nothing to lose.
As his biological daughter, Yamato knows Kaido's abnormal strength all too well. With the Beasts Pirates growing stronger as a whole, that's the only reason she dares to do something like this.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Otherwise, there's no way you guys could get close to him. Oh, and Uncle Queen's bounty is still only alive, and he's unusually cautious all the time. This is a great opportunity to catch him alive."
Far away in Onigashima, Queen suddenly shivered, feeling as though something filthy had set its eyes on him. Yamato wasn't selling out Queen, she was just fishing. According to Onigashima's defense protocol, one of the three—herself, Kaido, or Arceus—would always stay behind to guard Onigashima.
No matter who it is, Kuzan doesn't have the power to take anyone away in front of them. Queen, in this case, is just a plump, juicy bait. He might get frozen for a bit, but nothing serious will happen. His own life-preservation tricks would be enough to hold out for a long time.
"Do you even know what you're saying?"
"Of course. Haven't you always wanted to learn our secrets? This is the perfect chance, you'd better hold it."
Onigashima does hold secrets, but ever since Arceus made his move openly during the Summit War, the mysterious veil over the Beasts Pirates has started to lift. Arceus simply didn't want to make too big of a scene and preferred to quietly search for the plates.
However, as more plates return, his actions have grown bolder. Queen's scapegoat era is bound to end eventually. To be precise, many within the World Government have already figured it out. They just don't want to announce it, nor are they willing to accept the even scarier truth.
Of course, the timing of that announcement isn't up to Yamato. So her words were once again only half-spoken. Even if Kuzan decided to join them, it still wouldn't be realistic to enter Onigashima directly.
But that doesn't affect Yamato much. Kaido roams around all the time anyway. As long as it's within Beasts Pirates territory, her "Ice Substitute" plan can proceed smoothly.
Yamato's unconventional thinking nearly brought Kuzan's thoughts to a halt. Right in front of him, she was telling him: We suspect you, but we don't mind you joining us, and even went as far as laying out specific steps for stirring up trouble.
If it weren't for the fact that her identity wasn't an issue, he would have to wonder if Yamato was an undercover agent for some organization.
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