With Yamato tense and Kaido eager, Gusion spoke: "It's simple. Even if you deny it, you're still respected in the Beasts Pirates, someone with status. That's why they call you 'Young Master' and hesitate to touch you."
He placed rocks in the mining cart and continued, "And deep down, subconsciously, you know your status, which is why you scolded the alpaca-man without a second thought—because you knew he wouldn't dare retaliate."
Yamato was stunned—she hadn't realized that helping Gusion could be such a complicated issue.
But once someone points it out, you can't help but think. Yamato recalled her words:
"Don't touch my friend!"
That phrase ended the conflict, and it implied something: she assumed that calling Gusion her friend meant the alpaca-man had to stop.
Unconsciously, she'd put herself in a position of authority, able to command the Beasts Pirates' guards. But she was supposed to be Oden—she shouldn't have that authority.
"No... I didn't think that far. I just didn't want to see you get hurt. Seeing someone hurt my friend made me angry, that's all."
Yamato said, but her eyes lacked conviction, a hint of self-doubt creeping in.
Gusion didn't push further, recognizing there were two sides to what Yamato did. Even if she weren't Kaido's daughter, she'd probably have intervened for a friend.
"Still, I'm happy you said that. But while mining, I thought of something else."
Gusion smiled.
Yamato shivered at the word question but replied anyway, "Can't we just mine quietly? Or tell me more stories about the outside world—just no more questions!"
Gusion relented, "Let me say this one thing, then I'll tell you a legend from my hometown."
At the mention of stories, Yamato's interest returned. "Alright, go ahead."
Gusion thought Yamato was pretty easy to cheer up—after all, she was only sixteen. He said, "You told me that after you started challenging Kaido and lost, you were always sent to prison—usually here. Maybe it's a coincidence, but I feel Kaido is actually fulfilling your wish."
"Huh? Kaido is fulfilling my wish? What do you mean, Gusion-dono?"
Yamato looked bewildered—she couldn't imagine how this time he could make her doubt herself again.
"You told me your idol, Oden, was sent to the quarry at age ten, and later became head stonemason. Isn't this giving you a chance to relive your idol's path, since you call yourself Oden?"
Gusion smiled.
"Huh? I never thought of it that way. I'm supposed to become head stonemason here, not just dig rocks!"
Clearly, she thought her mistake was not following Oden's actions closely enough.
On Onigashima, Kaido's expression was odd. "I never thought of it like that..."
He sent Yamato to Udon simply because there were only two prisons, and the castle one was pointless. Out of sight, out of mind, plus forced labor, so Udon was his only real option. He never intended for her to relive Oden's path.
"It doesn't matter what you think—the question is what Yamato thinks right now."
Maria smiled. "Looks like she's about to fall into another trap."
Kaido, not wanting to reveal his slow wit, kept quiet.
In Udon Prison, Gusion said, "Maybe I'm overthinking, but objectively, Kaido is cooperating with your cosplay, and working hard at it. But I think it's letting you go further down the wrong path."
Yamato puffed out her cheek in annoyance. "What do you mean, wrong path? Oden is—"
"A true hero, right?"
Gusion cut in. "A hero who abducts women?"
Yamato was stumped. She'd spent all night wrestling with why her idol did such bad things—surely everything he did should be good.
But after Gusion's example with her father, she realized it really was wrong—downright monstrous.
"About this prison—Yamato, you said Kaido abused you, made you hide and starve. But you also said Udon's food is good and you often come here to eat. So, why does Kaido send you here instead of starving you on Onigashima?"
Gusion's question struck at her soul.
She'd only really starved early on, when she first called herself Oden, and Kaido locked her up and forbade anyone to feed her.
Later, a kind crew member who fed her was executed for disobeying Kaido.
But after a year or so, things improved. From age eleven onward, every time she lost to Kaido, she was sent to Udon, where she could eat.
Those years were when she grew rapidly, becoming strong enough to fight Kaido longer.
"What are you saying?" Yamato asked, faintly sensing the answer.
"My theory is Kaido realized you were growing and couldn't starve, so he sent you to Udon, knowing you could work for food."
Gusion spoke seriously.
He wasn't making this up—based on Kaido's own childhood, it made sense.
Back then, Kaido would let himself be captured by the navy just to get a good meal before escaping...
So, it was entirely possible he set things up so Yamato could eat and grow stronger.
It was like a father and daughter fighting, the daughter refusing to eat, but the father secretly putting more money in her piggy bank so she could eat out.
Of course, Kaido and Yamato's situation was more complicated, and his methods much more hardcore.
In Kaido's mind, prison was a restaurant. Sending his daughter there was perfect—after all, that's how he'd grown up.
On Onigashima, Black Maria smiled at Kaido. "Is that true?"
Kaido turned away, not letting her see his face. "That's just the kid's imagination. I'm just punishing Yamato, those are the rules."
"Oh~ so he's overthinking," Black Maria teased, smiling. She hadn't even considered Kaido was so thoughtful.
Even she, as careful as she was, had only thought Kaido wanted to reform Yamato.
Kaido kept a straight face, watching the broadcast, waiting for Yamato's reaction.
Back in the prison, Yamato struggled. "No way... That bastard would actually think about that? I thought..."
"You thought your idol Oden's spirit was watching over you, letting you eat?"
Gusion interrupted, teasing.
Yamato frowned. "I wouldn't say that..."
But then she stopped, realizing that a few days ago she would have, and did, think that way.
What was happening to her? She'd just reflexively argued with Gusion, which meant doubting her idol and questioning her Oden identity.
"My father Kaido is too crude—he'd never think so carefully, letting me treat prison as a cafeteria. No way he'd go to such trouble!"
Yamato insisted.
"Oh? Then let me ask: do you really know what kind of person Kaido is?"
Gusion smiled. "You know everything about Oden, someone who was a stranger to you, but you barely know your own father."
Yamato was annoyed. "Of course I know—Kaido is my greatest enemy. As a samurai, I have to know my enemy to defeat him."
"Really? Then do you know what your father did before coming to Wano? Do you know what legends are told about him?"
Gusion asked.
"Huh? When he brought me here, I was a kid—I don't remember. How could I know?"
Yamato looked confused. "Do you know?"
"Of course. Your father is one of the Four Emperors, a famous figure on these seas. Ask any Beasts Pirates member or Wano official and they'll know his stories."
Gusion wasn't lying. Beasts Pirates and adventurers all knew Kaido's exploits—far more famous than Oden.
He continued: "Kaido, as a pirate, has challenged the navy alone and been captured 18 times, tortured over a thousand times, and sentenced to death 40 times. But every time, he broke the chains, shattered the guillotine, or snapped the spears. He's sunk nine prison ships—no one's ever been able to kill him, not even himself."
He summarized Kaido's achievements, then pointed out the key: "There's a saying—Kaido is the world's strongest creature. But why was the strongest creature so easily caught?"
Yamato was shaken. She'd never heard of her father's younger days—the feeling was strange, knowing her father was already a legend before she was born.
Gusion's words stunned her—her father was that strong?
"Why? If he got caught, how could he be the strongest?"
Yamato asked.
"People say he let himself get caught—because he was hungry."
Gusion looked into her eyes before pushing the cart of ore to trade for food tickets. "Hungry. I'm going to have breakfast."