Hearing Leno's casual assessment, Yamato's eyes bulged. She stamped off the ground and shot toward him like a streak of light.
The Air boomed, the ground split, and her kanabo crackled with arcs as it ripped the air and smashed down at Leno.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Snapped from his reverie by the sheer force of it, Leno actually flinched—then threw a punch on instinct.
"Boom!"
The air in front of them warped. The collision erupted into a sky-punching shockwave as lightning crackled madly around them.
The blast flattened everything nearby; thunderheads rolled over Onigashima, and lightning stitched the sky.
"Whoosh!" Yamato's body pinwheeled away like a shell, shattering pillars along her path before crashing into a heap of rubble.
'Crap! I used too much force.'
Leno quickly flashed over in pursuit.
Through the roiling dust, Yamato lay limp in the debris, blood at her nose and lips, eyes unfocused.
'Whew… good. she's okay.'
He grabbed her by the collar, hoisted her up, and in a blink they were gone.
The commotion had been too big. If the Beasts Pirates caught wind that he'd just thumped their heir, this trip would became more… complicated. Leno wasn't in the mood to let his nice, quiet voyage get derailed.
At a stone forest by the inner sea of Onigashima—
"You've recovered already? Not bad."
Watching Yamato struggle into a sit, Leno's face showed genuine approval.
"Are you mocking me, you jerk?"
"No, really—you're strong. Ever thought about going out to the sea?"
"To the sea?" The words seemed to hit a raw nerve. The shackles on her wrists clanked; her shoulders trembled, fingers whitening on the club.
"My name is Yamato, Kaido's son. Since I was eight, he's kept me in chains—kept me from leaving this island, from going out to the sea!"
"His son, huh? You sure?"
Leno asked playfully, staring at the prominent curves on Yamato's chest.
"Where exactly are you looking, you creep?!"
Catching his eyes, Yamato flushed with anger and hefted the kanabo for another swing. Leno raised a hand to calm her and nodded for her to continue.
"It's all his fault—Kaido. That guy is my father. He's the one who's kept me locked by his side."
Brushing a tear from the corner of her eye, Yamato's gaze burned with hate.
"He imprisoned me on this island, slapped exploding cuffs on my wrists that blow if I cross the shore—left me no choice but to rot here for life."
"All because I'm Kaido's son. If… if only—"
Her strangled rasp and clenched fists vented helpless rage and despair.
"Oh? It's all Kaido's fault? Then beat him."
"Huh? B-beat… Kaido? N-no way. I can't—!"
The instant that dragon's vast body flashed across her mind—those murder-red eyes—the thought shattered. She crumpled, trembling.
"Yamato, forget your wrists for a second. Has your heart been shackled too? Really think about what you want—what kind of person you want to be."
Leno pressed a palm to the fullness at her chest, looked into her eyes, and spoke softly.
He wasn't copping a feel—he was cracking the knot in her heart. Otherwise, her Conqueror's Haki would never truly break through.
"My heart…"
With her head down, Yamato saw again the pages of Oden's notes: a boundless world; heroes roaming the seas as free as the wind.
Her head snapped up. A blazing light burst in her eyes; her aura surged; air curled her hair in a sun-bright halo.
"Vmm!" Conqueror's Haki spilled from her in a rolling tide. Bright arcs danced everywhere.
"Ever since I was caged here, I pinned it all on my father—the cuffs, the death of my dreams, being 'Kaido's son.' I used that to talk myself into giving up."
Taking a deep breath, Yamato turned to face the wide-open sea, and spread her arms as she slowly closed her eyes.
"I admit it. I was the one chaining my own heart. But now—I'm awake. I'm going to sail the sea. I'll see this vast world for myself. I'll live free, like Oden."
Clap, clap, clap…
Smiling wide, Leno walked to her side.
"Welcome…. Welcome to the Adventurers, Yamato. Let's circle the globe together—see the wide seas and the colorful world!"
"Eh? Ehhh—!"
"You… I…"
"Say no more, I understand everything. From now on, we are partners."
Leno said enthusiastically, holding Yamato's hand with a beaming smile.
"But I—"
"Relax, don't worry... With me around, there is nothing to worry about!"
Thump!
At her limit, Yamato dropped him with a single punch.
"You bastard, let me finish speaking!"
"These exploding cuffs are still on my wrists."
Clank, clank. She raised both hands and stared helplessly at Leno.
"Oh, that's it?"
Leno got up, stepped forward, and grabbed the shackles on Yamato's wrists. He instantly applied Ryuo, and with a little force…
"Crack." "Crack."
The cuffs shattered and fell. Yamato stared dumbly at the pieces.
"They… they just broke?"
She lifted and shook her hands again and again. When it finally sank in—the shackles that bound her for so many years were gone—her eyes filled…
"Hahahaha… I'm free. I'm free!"
As she laughed, tears began to fall. Suddenly, Yamato hugged Leno tightly, her voice choked with sobs.
"Thank you, Leno. I thought I'd be chained here forever, die on this cursed island. But you—you saved me!"
Feeling the powerful pressure on his chest, Leno's eyes narrowed slightly, and he gently patted Yamato's back.
"Please—if anything, I should be thanking you."
Before Leno could enjoy the feeling for long.
"Hey! Idiot Leno—what do you think you're doing, you big pervert?"
Hearing this voice, as cold as a winter wind, Leno's body instantly stiffened. He then quickly released Yamato.
"Ahem... well, you guys are back so soon, haha~"
"Yeah. So fast we might've interrupted your good time?"
Nami's gaze was a pair of knives. She stalked up to him.
"What nonsense are you talking about? What good thing? This is a new crew member I just recruited. Her name is Yamato. Let's all get to know each other."
Leno introduced her, his eyes darting around. Robin was watching him with a half-smile. Nojiko and Kuina were also staring at him with dark expressions.
Being stared at by them, Leno felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. Fortunately, Ulti promptly broke the suffocating atmosphere.
"Young Master Yamato, you are…?"
T/n:
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