"Foreseeing... the future."
As soon as Ragnar praised Charlotte as a capable person, King's pupils shrank sharply.
"Charlotte Katakuri!"
Only then did King realize it.
He immediately understood why Ragnar had silently stopped him with just a look.
Thinking back on what he nearly blurted out—words that could've been foreseen by Katakuri and relayed to Charlotte Linlin—cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
King might be the big boss of the Beasts Pirates, a faction that revered strength and had no shortage of ruthlessness. He didn't fear Charlotte Linlin the way Charlotte Cracker did.
But he did fear his own slip of the tongue ruining Ragnar's entire plan.
"My lord… I truly apologize!" King said quickly, bowing his head with unease.
"You're talking about the guy with the white scarf, right?"
Yamato stepped forward, casually resting her mace on her shoulder.
"Ragnar, has he cultivated Observation Haki to the point where he can also see the future, just like you?"
"The pillar of the Big Mom Pirates... can indeed foresee the future," Ragnar replied.
Unlike his earlier tension, Ragnar showed a rare trace of warmth when replying to Yamato.
Perhaps it was because he had observed the changes in her after setting out to sea.
While subtle, her ideals and her understanding of Kozuki Oden—and even her view of the navigation log—had begun to shift.
That alone pleased him.
"But the future he sees... isn't as far, nor as wide as mine."
Yamato chuckled, clearly amused.
But before Ragnar could reply, she abruptly shifted the topic:
"We?"
"Auntie Linlin, who do you think truly holds sway over the New World now?"
"'We'... heh. That 'we' refers to our family—not the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates combined."
Ragnar and Kaido remained silent at her words, but their calm expressions said enough.
They were clearly thinking the same thing.
Friendship was one thing.
But the Grand Line was vast, and the throne of heaven belonged to only one.
It would never be left to Charlotte Linlin.
As for Kaido's old debts? Well, just dragging out the lurking Kizaru earlier was repayment enough for now. He could settle the rest later.
"I see..."
King wiped his sweat, now fully understanding.
Ragnar hadn't only stopped him from speaking—he had also been stopping Yamato.
Compared to what Yamato had just said, King's near-miss paled in significance.
All he had intended to say was a few words of praise.
But Yamato?
She had already peeled back the layers of Ragnar's real plan: to treat a Yonko like Charlotte Linlin as a disposable chess piece, using her to clear out the remaining four Marine strongholds from G2 to G5.
"Just how far into the future can he see...?"
King turned to Ragnar, a deep respect flickering in his eyes.
This boy, less than half his age, was orchestrating moves at a level he couldn't yet fathom.
"Ragnar," Yamato called again, stepping forward, "let me ask you something."
"If you want to become a king—then go," Ragnar replied before she could continue.
"You don't object?"
"I still want to become Kozuki Oden... to free Wano."
"Aren't you afraid that once I set sail, I'll form my own crew—find my own companions—and one day stand against you?"
Yamato stared at him.
She understood right away.
Ragnar had already foreseen this question long before she asked it.
King quietly moved aside.
This was no place for him to interfere.
Not in this conversation between the prince and princess of the Beasts Pirates.
Even as Kaido's second-in-command, this was above him.
"Twenty-six years... Twenty-six years!"
Kaido grinned, his voice thick with irony.
"Do you know how I spent those twenty-six years?"
"I was under the 'care' of this filial daughter for twenty-six years... and now it's finally your turn!"
He watched the pair in front of him—Ragnar and Yamato—with amusement and anticipation.
There was even a trace of pride on his face.
He had long since become a hands-off boss, having entrusted the mighty Beasts Pirates to Ragnar.
Even his filial daughter had been tossed over to Ragnar—along with the headache she brought.
"What reason do I have to stop my sister from going to sea?"
Ragnar gazed calmly at the vast sea before him.
"Sister…"
Yamato's expression didn't change, but her heart trembled slightly.
"Ragnar."
"You're completely different from Kaido."
"When I face him… I can beat that bastard without mercy. But when it comes to you… can I really raise my hand?"
In that moment, Yamato questioned herself again and again.
The struggle within her soul dragged on endlessly.
Whether she found her answer or not, even she couldn't say.
"Pirate King…"
"I've already understood it."
"In the Grand Line, there are many kings. But there is only one Pirate King."
Yamato took a deep breath.
"If I become that king… what will you do?"
She stepped forward and stared directly into her brother's eyes.
But Ragnar didn't look away. Instead, he met her gaze head-on.
"Kings of different blood should die. But family… is different."
Ragnar locked eyes with Yamato—those gem-like eyes shimmering with resolve—and smiled faintly.
While Yamato was still lingering on the words "family is different", Ragnar raised his palm toward the New World's sky.
A streak of silver light tore through the darkness.
Under the bright moonlight, a mace glinting with icy brilliance descended slowly into Ragnar's open hand.
"Take it."
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