The terrified confession of the Beasts Pirates' grunt hung in the air, thick and heavy with implication.
Onigashima.
Lord Kaido's headquarters. The name itself was a legend, a synonym for insurmountable power and a graveyard for fools. The crew exchanged uneasy glances. This was a line that, once crossed, could never be uncrossed. To attack an Emperor's fortress was to declare war on the world itself.
Ace, however, saw only the path forward. A grin, sharp and predatory, spread across his face. He had a fire in his eyes that had nothing to do with his Devil Fruit.
"Well, you all heard him," Ace declared, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "We were already planning on paying Kaido a visit. And our ship is just about ready." He cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing the finality of his decision. "They just gave us the perfect reason to speed up the schedule. We set sail immediately. We're hitting Onigashima, and we're getting those kids back."
"Ace, wait!" Deuce grabbed his captain's arm, his expression a mixture of exasperation and genuine concern. "Think for a second! This isn't one of our usual brawls. You can't just charge in with your fists on fire. This is an Emperor's stronghold! And more importantly," he emphasized, his voice dropping, "we're not just fighting, we're on a rescue mission. The children have to be the priority!"
Jerry stroked his chin, nodding in agreement with Deuce's caution. "He's right, Ace. A frontal assault is what they'll expect. But that doesn't mean we don't go." He looked from Deuce's worried face to Ace's determined one. "We just have to be smart about it. We can use your penchant for causing a scene to our advantage. You and the main force will be the hammer, drawing every eye on the island. While you create the biggest distraction this country has ever seen, Deuce can lead a small, stealthy team to locate and extract the children. It's a classic pincer movement."
Jerry's logic was sound, appealing to both Ace's desire for action and Deuce's need for a plan. Though in his heart, Jerry knew that plans rarely survived contact with a battlefield, especially one involving "Fire Fist" Ace. Still, it was a necessary step.
Internally, Jerry was running his own calculations. This was a massive gamble, but a calculated one. Skull's intelligence reports from before they entered Wano had mentioned Kaido was away on an expedition. Furthermore, Jerry's own fragmented knowledge from his past life suggested Ace and Kaido had never actually crossed paths. If that timeline held true, the island would be without its king. It was a huge 'if,' but it was the best hand they had. Even if we can't win an all-out fight, he thought, we should be more than capable of raising hell and getting away clean.
With a rough strategy in place, the crew moved with renewed purpose. The final repairs on the Piece of Spadille were completed with frantic energy. The ship was pushed back into the water, its sails catching the wind as the sun began to set. They left Amigasa Village behind, leaving the anxious villagers with a promise to return with their children.
The journey to Onigashima was short, a straight shot across a dark, churning strait. As they sailed, the island grew on the horizon, a sight that would have frozen the blood of lesser pirates. It wasn't merely an island; it was a monument to brutality. A colossal skull, larger than any mountain, formed the island's central mass, its hollow eyes staring out at the sea with an ancient, malevolent emptiness. Two immense, curving horns, carved from the very rock of the island, jutted from its peak, piercing the clouds like a devil's crown.
"So that's Onigashima," Mihar murmured from the crow's nest, his voice tight. "It's… even more intimidating than the stories."
Deuce, clutching the rough map drawn from the villagers' descriptions, confirmed their course. "It has to be. Straight ahead. Looks like they already know we're coming."
He was right. As they approached the shore, figures began to gather on the beach. A patrol had clearly spotted their unfamiliar ship and sounded the alarm.
By the time the Piece of Spadille dropped anchor in the shallow coastal waters, a welcoming party of dozens of Beasts Pirates was waiting, weapons drawn. Their leader, a burly man with a thick beard and small horns sprouting from his forehead, stomped forward.
"This is the sovereign territory of the Beasts Pirates!" he bellowed, his voice amplified by a misplaced sense of authority. "Who are you to trespass here? State your names and your purpose!"
Ace stood on the bow of the ship, stretching his arms nonchalantly. "You're the only ones here?" he asked, his tone dripping with disappointment. "What a letdown. We didn't come all this way to play with small fry."
Before anyone could react, Ace's body erupted into a torrent of fire. With an indomitable war cry, he launched himself from the ship like a human meteor, landing on the beach in an explosion of flame and sand that sent the front line of enemies scattering. He was a blur of motion, a force of nature unleashed.
"Well, the captain's started the party!" Skull yelled with a wild grin. "It'd be rude not to join in!"
With a unified roar, the Spade Pirates followed their captain's lead, leaping from the ship and charging into the fray.
The ensuing battle was brutally one-sided. The pirates of the Spade crew were a seasoned, elite force forged in the fires of the Grand Line. The guards of Onigashima, accustomed to ruling through fear and overwhelming numbers, were utterly unprepared for such a ferocious, concentrated assault. In the first minute alone, the beach was cleared.
They didn't stop. With Ace leading the charge like the tip of a spear, they pushed inland, a whirlwind of destruction cutting a path directly towards the massive torii gates that marked the entrance to the central complex. Reinforcements poured from the surrounding buildings, but it was like trying to stop a tidal wave with a bucket. They were swept aside, their numbers meaning nothing against the pirates' coordinated fury.
Amidst the chaos, Jerry remained a calm anchor. While expertly dispatching any enemy who got too close, his primary focus was inward. He closed his eyes, activating his Observation Haki, and the world transformed into a tapestry of life signatures. He saw the chaotic red sparks of the enemy soldiers, scattered and panicked. He saw the bright, steady flames of his crewmates. And then, farther in, clustered together in a fortified building, he saw them: a group of small, flickering blue lights, faint with fear. The children.
"Deuce!" Jerry shouted over the din of battle. "I've got them! North-east, in that large dojo-like building with the tiled roof!" He also scanned the rest of the island for overwhelming threats. Just as he'd gambled, there was no sign of Kaido or the All-Stars. There were, however, two auras significantly stronger than the rest. One was moving towards their position from deeper within the fortress, and the other… seemed to have just returned and was on the coast behind them. "My Haki is clear! Kaido and his top commanders aren't on the island!"
"That's the best news I've heard all year!" Deuce yelled back, relief washing over his face. "This might actually work!" He grabbed Mihar and a few others. "You heard him! We're on rescue duty! Everyone else, keep their heads down!"
As Deuce's team peeled off, slipping into the alleyways, the main battle began to wind down. The streets were littered with the groaning forms of Beasts Pirates. The few who remained standing kept their distance, unwilling to charge into the meat grinder again. The surrounding buildings were smashed and broken, many of them burning with fires started by Ace's rampage.
Just as a lull fell over the battlefield, a new, powerful presence made itself known.
"Who are you people?" a strong, clear voice rang out from a rooftop at the corner of the main street. "You break into my home, destroy everything… Have you not caused enough trouble for one day?"
Every head snapped up. Standing there against the backdrop of the burning island was a tall, imposing figure. She had long, flowing hair that graded from white to turquoise, a pair of crimson horns, and was dressed in a striking white and red samurai-style outfit. In her hands, she held a massive, black kanabō club.
Jerry's eyes widened slightly. The appearance, the horns, the weapon… there was no doubt. He knew exactly who this was. He also knew this was the perfect opportunity.
"Hey! Are you Oni-Sensei? Oni-Sensei, is that you? Its me Yoshito Kikuchi!" Jerry shouted up, waving his arms enthusiastically.
The woman, Yamato, blinked in confusion. " Oni-Sensei? Yoshito Kikuchi? Who are you talking about?"
"Ahaha, my mistake!" Jerry slapped his forehead dramatically. "I meant Kaido! Big fan!" He shot a quick, subtle wink towards the alley where Deuce had disappeared, signaling him to hurry. He needed to keep this powerful newcomer distracted.
[GT: I just now realize the meaning of most meme saying Kaido is great teacher, not only for teaching Luffy, but also from GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka, like Great Teacher Oni or Great Teacher Kaido.]
Yamato observed Jerry, her head tilted. "I don't know you. Why would you call my father 'teacher'?"
"Oh, it's just a nickname!" Jerry said with a breezy laugh. "You know, as a fishman, I heard Kaido ate the Fish-Fish Fruit. Then that would make him quite the catch, wouldn't you say?"
Scratching her head, Yamato reflexively gave away the most crucial piece of information. "If you're looking for my father, you're out of luck. He and the All-Stars are away on an expedition. They aren't on the island."
"So you are Kaido's daughter," Ace stated, stepping forward. He could feel the immense power radiating from her, a strength that dwarfed everyone else they had fought so far. This was no grunt.
"I am!" Yamato declared, before catching herself, her expression shifting dramatically. "Wait, no! That's not right! I am not his daughter! I am Kozuki Oden!"
"Oda?" Jerry blinked, feigning confusion. "Like, the writer?"
"What Oda? I don't know any Oda!" Yamato shouted back, shaking her head vehemently. "I am Oden! The man who was going to open the borders of this country!"
"Ohhh, that Oden!" Jerry said, a crooked grin spreading across his face as he saw Deuce's team slip out of a building far down the street with a gaggle of children in tow. "The hero! Wow, it's an honor. Can I get your autograph?"
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