"What's wrong with her? And why is it so chilly in here?"
Two hours later,
Ulti walked out of the room, rubbing the back of her neck uncomfortably.
At a glance, she spotted the white-haired dog girl sitting beside Moses, hugging her knees with her chin resting on them, radiating negativity.
Moses withdrew from his meditative state of perceiving the Breath fluctuations of all things. After the world corrected itself, he noticed that the Breath frequency fluctuations of everything around him had become unusually active.
Each session of Breathing Technique meditation deepened his understanding of these universal Breath fluctuations.
His comprehension and control over natural forces also grew more effortless.
And now, with Yamato—such a large "lightbulb"—sitting beside him, her body unconsciously gathered Breath fluctuations of cold energy due to her Mythical Zoan ability, the Okuchi-no-Makami.
It was an instinct unique to Mythical Zoan users.
A faint mist of frost lingered in the air around them, dotted with sparse, tiny ice crystals floating about.
Moses glanced at her and said,
"Since you're awake, go take a shower. You reek of sweat. And while you're at it, wake Xiao Pei up. We'll all have lunch together later."
"Oh, alright."
Ulti responded and headed back to Page One's room to fetch him.
Less than a minute later, a few sharp slapping sounds echoed from the room, followed by Page One's pained yelp. Only a real older sister would do something like that.
"Hey, Moses, do you think I should still be Oden?"
At that moment, Yamato exhaled sharply, blowing away the frosty mist in front of her. She turned her head toward Moses, her eyes filled with confusion.
"If I don't become Oden, what should I do in the future? If I'm not Oden, I won't have a reason to help Wano open its borders. Yamato is Kaido's son—Wano's enemy. Kaido won't let me set sail either. So what should I do?"
Moses reached out and ruffled one of Yamato's white dog ears, which had extended outward in her hybrid form.
"What do you want to do in the future?"
"I want to go out to sea and have adventures. I want to fulfill the promise I made to those three samurai to open Wano's borders. They saved my life. I remember one of them had tattoos on his back—something like... crossed swords."
After saying this, Yamato shook her head again. "But Kaido won't let me leave. And there are the explosive shackles. He said if I leave Oni Island, the shackles will detonate.
I can't beat him either, so I can't help Wano open its borders."
Yamato fell silent again. "Everything I want to do... I can't do any of it."
At this, she suddenly looked up at Moses, desperate for an answer.
"Then tell me, what should I do?"
Moses met her gaze and asked,
"Do you still want to be Oden?"
Yamato instantly fell silent. After a brief pause, she shook her head lightly.
"I want to be myself. Oden had his own life experiences—I haven't lived through any of them. No matter how much I call myself Oden, in the end, I can never truly become him."
"Then let's talk about opening Wano's borders. If you want to help Wano open up, it's both simple and difficult at the same time."
The moment Yamato heard this, her eyes lit up. She urgently grabbed Moses' shoulders and pressed, "How?!"
"Simply put, you should go plead with Kaido now. Tell him you no longer wish to be Oden, but you still want Wano Country to open its borders. Say you're willing to work for him in the future, on the condition that he entrusts Wano's governance to you."
Yamato's eyes widened in surprise, then filled with confusion as she asked doubtfully:
"Would he agree to that?"
"You'll have to ask him to find out. Kaido values talent greatly. You're his daughter, a Mythical Zoan user, and incredibly strong—he might just agree."
"And if he refuses?"
"Then take the hard path—leave Wano and venture out to sea. When you're strong enough to defeat him in the future, return and drive him out."
"Hmm, you'll help me then, right?" Yamato's eyes lit up. "If he refuses, will you help remove these shackles?"
Yamato immediately jumped up and ran toward the door, but just as she reached it, she turned back in a hurry to put the shackles back on where they lay on the sofa.
Then, with a silly grin at Moses, she hastily opened the door and dashed out.
Moses exhaled deeply, glancing at the diary she'd left on the sofa. He picked it up and tossed it onto the low table beside the couch.
Out of sight, out of mind.
A few minutes later, Ulti emerged, drying her hair and wearing a blue dress. She plopped down beside Moses.
Grabbing the water pitcher from the table, she gulped down several large mouthfuls.
"Moses, do you think Yamato will succeed?" Ulti asked curiously. "I overheard your conversation while soaking in the bath."
Moses chuckled. "If it were anyone else from Wano, there might be a chance. But for Yamato? The odds are practically zero."
"Because she's Kaido's daughter?"
"Exactly."
Moses said calmly:
"People tend to hate the crow along with its nest. Yamato inherently carries Kaido's mark—the brand of a tyrant. Even if she succeeds in the future, she won't come to a good end in the long run."
"This ancient country has always had its noble families preserving their influence. Combined with its isolationist policies, power here is an intoxicating thing. They'll resent Yamato, Kaido's daughter, deep down—no matter how well or poorly she rules. They'll smile to her face while scheming behind her back. The slightest misstep could lead to her tragic downfall."
"Is there any other way then?" Ulti pressed.
"Yamato isn't cut out for it."
Moses had no desire to elaborate further.
Yamato wasn't suited to be a ruler. She lacked the ruthlessness and resolve required. All she had was her passionate idealism.
Her intentions were commendable.
Moses wouldn't dismiss her dreams, even if they were dreams without a future.
At noon,
Moses and the Ulti siblings went to the mess hall for lunch. After eating, the siblings were taken back to their morning training grounds while Moses went to the shores of Oni Island for a diving workout, then returned to his room to await King's message.
Around six in the evening.
The person he'd been waiting for arrived.
In the living room.
King's first words were an accusation:
"Was it you who put those words in Young Master Yamato's mouth?"
Moses wasn't surprised by the question—after all, Yamato had no real friends in this pirate crew.
The moment he arrived, Yamato underwent a change. Anyone with eyes could guess what had happened, let alone King, who served as the strategist in the Beast Pirates.
The next second,
King spoke up, praising Moses: "You've done well. Lord Kaido is very pleased with Young Master Yamato's current transformation."
"Did he agree to Yamato's conditions?"
"No, he refused. Young Master Yamato's demands were too naive. Lord Kaido would never do such a thing. The people of this country only need to obediently submit to our rule."
"What about her?"
"She challenged Lord Kaido at the slightest disagreement and got beaten again. But Lord Kaido was in a good mood today, so he went easy on her. She's already been taken back to her room to recover."
"By the way, Lord Kaido said that if you have time, you should go and talk some sense into her. Do well, and he'll reward you. You haven't eaten a Devil Fruit yet, have you? Our pirate crew's treasury still has some in stock."
As he spoke, King pulled out a stack of paper scrolls from his robe and tossed them onto the table, saying indifferently:
"These are forging notes on crafting famous blades from this country, taken from Orochi. I couldn't understand them, so I just took everything he had."
"What about the forge? The materials? I want to forge."
Moses fired off questions one after another, surprising King, who then replied:
"There's a weapons factory outside the main base on Oni Island. I'll have someone take you there later. I'll authorize a batch of precious Sake Iron Ore and other metal materials for you. If you run out, you can exchange more by trading the weapons you forge."
Moses nodded. Equivalent exchange—he liked that. Then, looking at King, he asked:
"Finished?"
King: "Finished."
"Oh, then you can leave. Don't interrupt me while I read these notes."
With that, Moses ignored King, walked over to the sofa, sat down, and began carefully studying the forging notes.
King glanced at Moses silently, his lips twitching violently beneath his helmet. Furious, he flicked his sleeve and left.
The Hundred Secrets of Blade Forging by the Gutche Clan
Shimotsuki Blade Notes, Volume Five
Kurozumi Hundred Weapons, Volume Six
The Self-Cultivation of a Master Swordsmith
...
Scroll after scroll of forging notes were flipped through, detailing various forging techniques, insights, and formulas for the alloy ratios of rare metals.
Some content was repetitive.
Other parts were strikingly novel.
From time to time, Moses' eyes lit up.
He continued reading scroll after scroll.
Time passed slowly.
As he finished the last scroll of forging notes belonging to the Shimotsuki Clan, Moses exhaled deeply.
"The contents of these notes all subtly mention Flowing Sakura."
Rubbing his temples, Moses closed his eyes slightly, cross-referencing the knowledge with his own forging skills.
Different forging techniques collided, evolved, and integrated in his mind.
After a long while, Moses opened his eyes.
A flash of understanding passed through them.
He summarized his own interpretation:
"The forging of Great Grade Blades and above indeed cannot be separated from Haki. By using Armament Haki to guide the internal veins and patterns of the material, through repeated hammering and Haki conduction, the weapon's efficiency in channeling Haki energy is enhanced. By sensing and guiding the weapon's innate spirit through the Breath of All Things, the material and spirit are ultimately unified into one."
Armament Haki is the manifestation of vitality and willpower. Using a swordsmith's Haki to temper weapon materials ultimately allows the weapon's physical form and spiritual essence to merge as one.
The fusion of form and spirit.
The conduction of Armament Haki is what this country refers to as Flowing Sakura—an advanced technique that allows Armament Haki to flow within the body.
Indeed, Armament Haki is the threshold for forging a Great Grade Blade.
In Moses' memory, black blades have only appeared twice, and both were of Great Grade or higher quality.
These were the Great Grade Blade "Autumn Water" and the Supreme Grade Blade "Night." There also seemed to be another Supreme Grade Blade, the "First Generation Demon Splitter."
As for weapons below Great Grade, black blades were virtually unheard of.
So, was it due to the weapon's Haki conduction efficiency?
In this world, black blades were akin to polishing walnuts—users would gradually saturate their Armament Haki into the weapon, inch by inch, to further enhance its quality and compatibility with its wielder.
"Next, it's time to focus on awakening Armament Haki."
Moses' physical fitness had already met the requirements.
Awakening Armament Haki was also quite simple for him. By engaging in physical clashes with those who possessed Armament Haki and sensing its formation, he could more quickly tap into it through his own bodily control.
The reason he hadn't awakened it earlier was simply because there was no need to rush. Awakening it prematurely wouldn't be of much use if the quality wasn't sufficient.
After organizing these knowledge notes, Moses tied them together with a string, placed them in a treasure chest, and stored it in a corner of his bedroom.
With nothing else to do, Moses left the room with Bear Cub and began wandering through the palace buildings.
A short while later, Moses arrived at a secluded spot on the first floor, facing a long staircase descending into darkness.
On either side of the stairs, a row of red lanterns stretched downward, casting a crimson glow over the underground passage.
"Quite the morbid taste—like the entrance to hell."
Without dwelling on it, Moses descended the stairs.
His crisp footsteps echoed through the silent corridor as he stepped down the wide staircase.
After descending nearly a hundred meters, Moses reached a metal door. His senses detected numerous breathing rhythms of living beings inside.
Curious, he pushed open the door and entered.
Beyond it was a long hallway.
The floor and walls were made of an unknown silver-white material.
As he walked further and turned a corner, a spacious area of about two hundred square meters came into view.
Three rows of densely packed cylindrical containers lined the space—ten in each row. Thick cables ran beneath each container, which were filled with a pale-red solution. Inside floated various dismembered limbs of different creatures.
Bubbles gurgled within the containers.
Some of the severed limbs even had tiny flesh buds wriggling on them.
Moses walked past them with an indifferent expression.
Bear Cub, trailing behind him, felt nothing at all.
Soon, they arrived at another metal door.
Upon opening it, the space beyond was suddenly filled with noise.
It was a spacious laboratory, where over a dozen researchers in white coats were working.
Some were conducting experiments, while others huddled in small groups, deep in discussion.
The arrival of Moses and Bear Cub immediately caught the attention of a few.
A plump figure, round as a ball, hurried over.
"Hey, kid, who let you come here?"
The massive Queen glared at Moses with hostility:
"This is my lab, private territory. No one's allowed in here except for Kaido—not even King can enter without my permission."
"You wanna be turned into research material?"
Moses gave him a sidelong glance.
「Appraisal」
Combat Rating: B-
"Go ahead and try. Whether I end up as material or not, I don't know. But one thing's for sure—if you dare lay a hand on me, I'll smash this place to pieces."
The corner of Moses' lips curled slightly as he beckoned to Bear Cub. Understanding him perfectly, Bear Cub immediately pulled out a baseball bat and handed it over.
Moses gripped the handle, smirking at Queen, who stood five meters away. "Wanna test that theory?"
Queen's face flushed red and then paled. He gritted his teeth before suddenly bursting into laughter, slapping his bald head.
"Ha! Look at me—I've been so busy I forgot we're family,
right, Young Master Moses?"
Moses arched an eyebrow, his smirk deepening.
"Family, huh? Family's good. So since we're family… mind if I take a look around your lab now?"
Queen's face darkened as he ground out through clenched teeth:
"No."
Moses let out an "Oh," then tightened his grip on the bat and slammed it down onto the ground with a loud "Boom!" A half-meter-wide crack instantly spiderwebbed across the silver-white floor.
"How about now?"