Cover Story: Daughters Arc Part 1 – "Oh no, it's Big Sis!"
"The lollipop is gone… In the yard, little Nami stared blankly at her empty hands, then suddenly burst into tears. Ace, hiding behind a tree, held his stomach trying hard not to laugh. Proudly, he glanced at the candy in his hand and was just about to pop it into his mouth when—thump!—a heavy fist landed squarely on his head."
"'Who hit me?!' Ace almost burst into tears from the pain. He turned around angrily, only to see Nojiko standing there, hands on her hips, her face full of fury. He instantly turned pale with fright, dropped the lollipop, and bolted away as fast as he could…"
...
"...Lord Kaido has been incredibly kind to me.
Sonic gritted his teeth, desperately using both hands to resist Nao's right hand, which was gripping him tighter and tighter. "How could I possibly tell you Marines such important information…"
"Oh?"
Though Nao's smile remained gentle, his gaze grew ice-cold as he suddenly exerted more strength.
Sonic's face turned bright red in an instant. His feet kicked helplessly in the air as his breathing grew ragged.
"Here's the thing. I'm in a hurry to get to HaLL Island, and I didn't bring my men. I don't have the time or energy to escort you—and this whole ship full of wanted criminals—to Impel Down."
Nao stared into Sonic's eyes and smiled slightly:
"You'd better answer me honestly while I'm still in a good mood. That way, I might still let you go…"
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you!"
Faced with the choice between the terrifying deep-sea prison or a slim chance at survival, Sonic instantly gave in. He cried out hoarsely, "I'm suffocating—put me down first, put me down!"
Thud.
Nao finally released his grip, dropping Sonic onto the ground. Gasping for breath, he said:
"The Poneglyph is now standing on the highest mountain of Har Island, guarded by the Charlotte Family. But they can't take it away either. The Whitebeard Pirates are in a standoff with them, and a bunch of other pirate crews also want to share in the spoils."
"Guarded by the Charlotte Family?"
Nao frowned. "What about Karina's crew?"
"They're dead. All of them."
Sonic swallowed hard. "That woman had been hiding with her Devil Fruit ability, dodging detection. But one of her officers couldn't take it anymore—sold their location for a high price to Big Mom."
Nao instantly understood.
There's always the risk of betrayal from within…
The Karina Pirates were probably caught off guard in their sleep last night by the Big Mom Pirates who had tracked them down, and they were completely annihilated, huh?
"Who's leading the Charlotte Family's forces there?" Nao asked again.
"Katakuri, and his younger brother… what's his name again? Snickers? Something like that…"
Sonic wracked his brain but couldn't recall, and simply gave up:
"Anyway, the Poneglyph fell into their hands last night. But just as they tried to retreat with it, a group of CP agents intercepted them."
"The two sides fought and chased each other across the island all night. The battle was loud enough for everyone to hear. By sunrise, Katakuri had managed to reclaim the Poneglyph—but by then, it was too late to leave."
This lined up with what Nao had guessed earlier. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he asked:
"And the Whitebeard Pirates? Who did they send? As far as I know, they shouldn't care much about Road Poneglyphs."
He recalled—
Back when Roger became Pirate King, in his final year before surrendering, he had shared drinks with Whitebeard under a cherry blossom tree.
That day, Roger had offered to reveal the location of the final island, Raftel. But Whitebeard flatly refused, showing no interest at all.
Why, after so many years, had the Whitebeard Pirates suddenly involved themselves in the struggle over the Road Poneglyph?
"…That, I did hear something after joining under Lord Kaido, from that fatso Queen."
Sonic wiped the cold sweat from his brow:
"From the start of the year until now, the Big Mom Pirates and Whitebeard's crews have clashed several times. Some underhanded tricks were used. This time it's probably just pure retaliation—they don't want Big Mom to get what she wants."
"As for who they sent… Whitebeard dispatched three whole divisions. With the second division captain's spot still vacant, the first division captain, Marco, and the fifth division captain, Vista, have both arrived."
"I see." Nao straightened up, everything clear in his mind now.
He looked in the direction of Hall Island, thinking quietly. Sonic, after wrestling with himself for a moment, finally gathered the courage to speak cautiously:
"Um, Vice Admiral sir, I've told you everything, not leaving a single detail out. I swear, I'll turn my ship right around and stop that bastard Queen from going to Hall Island. I won't cause you any more trouble…"
"…"
Under Nao's sidelong gaze, a chill crept down Sonic's spine. But gritting his teeth, he still forced himself to finish:
"You said it yourself—you don't have the time to send me to Impel Down. So why not show some mercy and let us go this once?"
"It seems you still don't know me well enough..."
looked at him with a half-smile and spoke leisurely:
"If you'd asked around, you'd know—I've never had the patience to arrest pirates and haul them off to Impel Down. I always handle things in the simplest way possible."
"You..." Upon hearing Nao's words, Sonic's eyes widened. He instantly understood everything. "Damn it, you dare to mess with me..."
With death looming before him, Sonic's fear turned to fury, his ferocity ignited.
He suddenly leapt up from the deck, his body transforming—hairy legs sprouting from his waist, arms turning into pincers, his form shifting into a half-man, half-scorpion monster as he lunged furiously at Nao.
"Too slow."
Nao had expected this all along, but never took it seriously. Seeing the attack, he merely shook his head, drew the Wind Sword without hesitation, and with a single sweep of sword energy he severed every pincer and limb that lunged his way—then thrust the blade straight into Sonic's abdomen.
Dark purple, eerie blood gushed from the wound. Sonic's face turned deathly pale, his body frail like thin paper.
Yet when he looked at Nao, his eyes lit up with a mix of savagery and madness.
"You've fallen for it…"
Sonic fixed his gaze on Nao, bloody lips twisting into a grotesque laugh.
"If you won't give me a way out, then you can die with me!"
As his words fell, his body convulsed violently. His stomach split open, spewing thick, purple-black liquid reeking with deadly poison.
A dense aura of Armament Haki swirled within it.
"Self-destruction?"
Nao realized instantly. He quickly twisted his wrist, intending to pull his blade out and get away, but in the end, he was a little too late.
Boom!
The moment he pulled the Wind Sword free, Sonic's half-man, half-scorpion body erupted with a muffled roar—then exploded completely.