"Is it your father?"
Moses followed up curiously, "How did he threaten you?"
"He said..."
Yamato stole a glance at Moses, then quickly averted her eyes, burying her head in her knees—though her ears turned slightly red.
A muffled voice followed.
"When exactly are we leaving? I don't want to stay here for even a second longer."
Seeing she didn't explain further, Moses didn't press the issue and simply smiled.
"Tomorrow night. We'll leave as soon as it gets dark."
"Really?" Yamato's eyes suddenly lit up, her face brightening with excitement. "Good! Then I'll really look forward to tomorrow."
"Moses, will it just be the two of us and Bear Cub tomorrow? What about Ulti and the others? Are they coming with us?"
"I haven't asked yet. I'll check with them before we leave tomorrow night."
"Alright, you should go back and sleep. I haven't closed my eyes in days—I need to recharge properly."
"Got it. Rest well, then."
Yamato eagerly climbed off the bed and left the room.
Moses and Bear Cub went to wash up.
After cleaning up, Bear Cub placed the four Great Grade Blade-quality weapons in the corner of the bedroom.
Moses and Bear Cub then lay down and drifted into a comfortable sleep.
The next day, before dawn had even broken, Moses and Bear Cub arrived at the shore of Oni Island near Kuri.
Using Observation Haki to confirm no other presences were nearby, Moses merged with Bear Cub, transforming into a white-headed eagle before taking to the skies.
Before long, Moses reached the wooden cabin where Ushiwakamaru and the others were staying.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Two figures—one large, one small—were engaged in a "fierce" battle within a nearby grove. Kawamatsu effortlessly parried every slash Ushiwakamaru delivered.
"Wrong. The force was too weak just now—that swing could've been heavier."
"Hmm, good. You're learning fast, Ushiwakamaru. Wrong again—your blade technique here needs variation. Don't be rigid."
"Good, good. Not bad."
Moses perched on a tree branch, his presence blending seamlessly with the surroundings as he observed the swordsmanship lesson below.
He nodded occasionally in approval.
Ten minutes later, Kawamatsu delivered a powerful reverse slash, sending Ushiwakamaru flying backward—marking the end of the lesson.
At that moment, Kawamatsu looked up at Moses, curiosity in his eyes. Noticing this, Moses leaped down from the tree, shifting into a Panda Person mid-air. The moment he landed, Bear Cub wriggled free from his mouth.
"Lord Moses, you're here at this hour—does that mean we're setting off?"
Kawamatsu's face was alight with excitement. Having lived this long, this would be his first real voyage out to sea.
His heart was practically bursting with anticipation.
Moses nodded. "Tonight, once it's dark, I'll come back from Oni Island to take you all away from here."
Ushiwakamaru climbed to her feet in the distance, dusting herself off before approaching Moses with a smile.
"You're here."
"Make your preparations today. I'll come for you tonight. Oh, by the way—there's one more person joining us. She's Kaido's daughter."
Moses met her gaze as he spoke.
Ushiwakamaru's expression shifted slightly. Pressing her lips together, she gave a small nod. The atmosphere among them grew heavy for a moment.
Studying Ushiwakamaru, Moses said...
"Her name is Yamato. By the way, six years ago, she should have spent some time in the prison cell with your father. There must have been a meaningful connection between your father and her."
"What?" Ushiwakamaru's eyes widened in surprise. "She knew my father?"
"When I spoke with her before, she mentioned that three 'so-and-so' samurai from Wano had once saved her life. Those three samurai were incredibly strong, and one of them had a tattoo of crossed swords on his back—exactly matching the Shimotsuki Clan's Crest. If I had to guess, that person was your father. Even if not, he must have been related to your family."
"As for whether it's true or not, you'll find out when the two of you meet and talk."
Hearing this, Ushiwakamaru's expression turned curious. Kaido's daughter actually had a special bond with his father? But if it really was his father, then it made sense.
After all, that was his father.
While watching Ushiwakamaru, Moses also observed Kawamatsu's reaction. At that moment, Kawamatsu exhaled and looked at Moses seriously.
"Kaido is Kaido, and his daughter is his daughter. As a samurai, I won't hold grudges against others."
Moses nodded and said to Kawamatsu,
"Since we'll be traveling together later, I wanted to give you a heads-up first. Kaido is Kaido, and Yamato is Yamato. Their personalities are worlds apart. Yamato is pure-hearted, and I don't want any unpleasantness during the time we spend together."
"Of course, if you can't accept it, just say so. When I come back tonight, I'll only take Ushiwakamaru with me. That way, we won't risk any conflicts during the journey that might damage our relationship."
It had to be said—Yamato held far more weight in Moses' heart than Kawamatsu and Kozuki Hiyori combined.
Just then, Kozuki Hiyori, who had approached from a distance, bit her lip upon hearing Moses' words.
"Lord Moses, please rest assured. Hiyori knows her place."
Moses nodded, then turned to Ushiwakamaru with a solemn expression.
"You're different. You'll be coming with me in the future. If you have any dissatisfaction, don't keep it bottled up—just tell me directly."
Ushiwakamaru shook his head and looked at Moses earnestly.
"Kaido is the one I'll defeat in the future. My goal is only Kaido, not some Yamato. Moses, don't worry—I won't make things difficult for you."
Nodding, Moses patted Ushiwakamaru's shoulder and said with equal seriousness,
"Trust me, Yamato is a great person. Once you get to know her, you won't dislike her."
Hearing this, Ushiwakamaru grew intrigued. "Someone you hold in such high regard? Now I'm even more interested. By the way, since she's Kaido's daughter, is she strong?"
At this, Moses laughed and said,
"She's just over a year older than you. Right now, you're no match for her—she's much stronger than you are at this stage."
A fighting spirit flashed in Ushiwakamaru's eyes.
"Then I've decided—before I defeat Kaido, I'll defeat her first."
Hearing this, Moses chuckled. "Then do your best."
Ushiwakamaru paused, thinking to himself—so this Yamato must be really strong. Then, looking at Moses with determination, he declared,
"I will definitely defeat her."
Moses smiled as he looked at Kozuki Hiyori and said, "Since it's decided, pack your things. I'll come tonight to take you away from here."
Hiyori nodded firmly. "Hiyori will wait for you here. Please stay safe too."
"Alright, I'll take my leave now. See you tonight."
Moses glanced at Bear Cub.
A few seconds later, a white-headed eagle soared into the sky and vanished from sight.
Hiyori watched Moses fly away before turning to Ushiwakamaru with a troubled expression. "Brother Ushiwakamaru, does Lord Moses dislike me?"
Ushiwakamaru gave her a sidelong glance. "I don't like you either. Crybabies are annoying."
Hiyori blinked rapidly as tears welled up in her eyes.
Kawamatsu, standing nearby, grew furious and rolled up his sleeves to punch him. But in the next moment, Onimaru pounced and bit down on Kawamatsu's arm.
"Ah—my hand! You damn fox, let go! Not again, it hurts!"
Instantly, the atmosphere turned lively—clearly this scene had played out many times over the past few days.
...
Half an hour later, Moses returned to Oni Island.
With time to spare, he headed to the forging room.
As soon as he entered, he saw a new batch of ores already in place. His lips twitched. "Who noticed my stock was empty and replenished it?"
Not one to waste, Moses sorted the ores and signaled Bear Cub to begin work.
Time slipped by unnoticed as Bear Cub devoured all the rare ores in the room, refining them into various alloys stored within its belly.
After bidding a final farewell to the forging room, Moses returned to his quarters for meditation and Breath training to gather energy for tonight's departure.
With each rise and fall of his Breath, the fluctuating frequencies of the surrounding environment became perceptible, and his own rhythm synchronized with them.
The earth, wind, moisture, plants—all resonated.
Moses' aura shifted between heaviness, lightness, ethereality, and vibrant vitality.
Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki flowed silently through him, guided by Qi Circulation Throughout the Body and Spirit-Flesh Convergence, moving in harmony with his Breath.
Though distinct, the two energies coexisted in perfect unity.
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, the sun outside sank toward the western horizon.
Dinnertime arrived.
Moses and Bear Cub ate their final meal in the dining hall before returning uneventfully to their room. Standing by the window, Moses watched the enormous "fireball" at the edge of the sky slowly dip toward the sea.
Before long, the door creaked open.
Ulti and Page One sneaked in, with Ulti carrying a black bag.
Spotting Moses, Ulti exhaled in relief and patted her flat chest. "Thank goodness you're here, Moses! Quick, tell us what kind these two fruits are!"
Moses didn't need to turn around to know. Their unique Breath frequencies burned like suns in his perception.
Still, he was surprised. Though he knew Ulti had stolen two of Kaido's Devil Fruits in the original timeline, he hadn't expected her to be this bold again.
Pachycephalosaurus and Spinosaurus.
Moses recognized the two Devil Fruits instantly—he'd seen them not long ago.
At that moment, he explained the abilities and effects of these two Devil Fruits to them.
After listening, Ulti nodded seriously with her little brain.
At the same time, she began explaining to Moses how they had obtained the items.
"The latest novels are first published on 69shuba!"
"During training today, I overheard that woman Black Maria talking about the location of Kaido's treasure room and how both she and Jack got their Devil Fruits from Kaido. She even showed off her Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit ability, the Glossy Rose Ancient Tarantula."
"Heh, Xiao Pei and I took advantage of mealtime to snag two of them. Let's see how she acts all high and mighty in front of us after this."
As she spoke, Ulti held out the two Devil Fruits. "Moses, you haven't eaten a Devil Fruit either, right? Pick whichever one you want."
Moses raised an eyebrow, noticing the earnest expressions on both Ulti's and Page One's faces.
"Do you two realize that if Kaido finds out you stole his Devil Fruits, he'll hang you up and whip you without a second thought?"
"Not scared. Devil Fruits are precious. Once we eat them, they'll become part of us. At worst, Kaido will just beat us up—as long as we don't die, it's fine." Moses couldn't help but laugh at Ulti's self-satisfied, clever look.
"Kaido must be really unlucky to have you two siblings around."
"Heh, I've already stolen them, and I'm not giving them back. Hurry up and pick one—the other one's for Xiao Pei."
"Big sis, you should take the other one. You're stronger than me. Eating it will help you protect us better," Page One quickly interjected.
But the next moment, seeing Ulti's sharp glare, he immediately shut his mouth.
Such was the natural sibling hierarchy.
"Moses?"
Noticing Moses hadn't taken one yet, Ulti found it odd, assuming he was just being polite. She shoved the brownish Spinosaurus Devil Fruit into his hand.
"Don't hesitate, Moses. A lady keeps her word—if I say it's yours, it's yours."
Amused and touched, Moses looked at the Devil Fruit in his hand and patted Ulti's head.
"Let me tell you something first."
"I'm leaving tonight. That's right—I'm running away. I plan to leave the Beast Pirates behind."
"What about you two? Any thoughts?"
Moses asked Ulti and Page One.
Ulti blinked, then answered without hesitation, "Xiao Pei and I will go with you. You're the only person here we can trust."
"What about Yamato? Doesn't she count?"
At this, Ulti's eyes flickered, and she tilted her head playfully.
"Yamato doesn't count. She's totally unreliable and a bit of an airhead."
Pfft!
Moses couldn't hold back his laughter. "Aren't you afraid Yamato will beat you up if she hears that?"
"Tch, I'm not scared of that freakishly strong gorilla girl. She's just older than me. If we were the same age, I'd make her cry for her mommy."
Having gotten the siblings' answer and hearing Ulti's jab at Yamato, Moses chuckled. He then turned to Bear Cub, who was lying on the bed.
"Give me that Devil Fruit I gave you earlier."
Bear Cub tilted his head to look, then pulled a treasure chest from his mouth. Opening it, he took out the "Absorb-Absorb Fruit."
Page One stared at Bear Cub in surprise before turning to Moses. "Bro, do you have one too?"
Nodding, Moses recounted what he and King had been up to a few days prior.
After hearing the story, the siblings understood but grew curious.
Why was Moses bringing out the Devil Fruit he had chosen now?
"Ancient Zoan-types like the Pachycephalosaurus and Spinosaurus Fruits—to be blunt, I don't think much of them. In my eyes, their value isn't top-tier, just average. Though between the two, the Spinosaurus Fruit is slightly better. It's carnivorous, after all."
"But this Absorb-Absorb Fruit, even though it's a Paramecia-Type, I can sense its extraordinary potential. That's why I took it that day."
Moses walked over, took the Absorb-Absorb Fruit from Bear Cub, and turned to the siblings.
"Since you've chosen to follow me, the two of you should decide who gets to eat this fruit."
Page One quickly shook his head in refusal. "Bro, I won't eat it. I prefer Zoan-Type Devil Fruits. If I were to eat one, it'd only be a Zoan-Type. Probably."
Seeing Page One's "firm" stance, Ulti looked at Moses and asked, "Is the Absorb-Absorb Fruit powerful after eating it?"
"Power depends on how you develop it and your own strength. A Devil Fruit can determine your lower limit, but not your upper limit."
"Then I'll eat it."
Ulti took the Absorb-Absorb Fruit and bit into it. Her face immediately scrunched up, turning pale.
Gulp.
Moses chuckled. "Better a short pain than a long one. Take big bites."
Ulti took a deep breath and devoured the fruit in three large bites.
Seeing his sister consume the Devil Fruit, Page One turned to Moses. "Bro, if you're not eating it, can I have the Spinosaurus Fruit?"
Moses patted his head and offered two choices. "If you eat it now, you'll become an ordinary Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit User. But if you wait, I might be able to find you a Mythical Zoan or something else you'd prefer. Think it over."
Faced with this decision, Page One glanced at Ulti. "What do you think, sis?"
Ulti, breathing heavily as she tested her new ability, smacked him on the head in frustration. "Are you stupid? With Moses, we won't face any real danger. And if we ever do, what good would a basic Ancient Zoan be? How old are you? Eating one now would still leave you weak. Better to wait for something stronger. Can't even do simple math—utterly hopeless."
With that, as Page One pondered, she handed the remaining two Ancient Zoan Fruits back to Moses. "You take these. Do whatever you want with them."
"Alright, I'll take them then."
Without a word, the Merit Points from both fruits were drained.
[Merit Points +100,000]
Moses tucked the two Devil Fruits back into the chest and tossed it to Bear Cub. "Keep it safe."
Bear Cub opened his mouth wide and swallowed it whole.
"So, how does it feel? Your new power?"
Moses turned to Ulti with a question.
Ulti glanced around and soon spotted four weapons in the corner. She walked over and slapped her palm onto the spiked club.
In the next moment,
a black luster spread from the point of contact on her palm, swiftly covering her arm up to the shoulder in the blink of an eye. After that, the spread slowed down noticeably.
Once Ulti let go, she pressed her other hand against the now-blackened arm, sensing something unusual.
Seeing this, Moses gripped her forearm, assessing her ability. "As expected, your arm has already attained the toughness of a Great Grade Blade. How's the flexibility?"
Ulti flexed her blackened fingers, which moved just as naturally as a normal hand.
"This arm of mine
now has the flexibility of my original arm and the strength of a spiked club. It's incredibly powerful. I feel like this arm is just ridiculously strong now."
"Of course it is. Did you think the spiked club you touched was some cheap junk? That thing's a Great Grade Blade in quality."
"Hehehe, so my arm is basically a Great Grade Blade now? I really am strong. With this arm, even Yamato won't be able to break it, right?"
"Absolutely."