When Kaido finished speaking, the expressions on his commanders' faces turned strange. Of course, they all knew who Kozuki Hiyori was, though they knew her by her courtesan name, Komurasaki. She was the most beautiful woman in all of Wano Country, a beauty so great that even Queen the Plague drooled at the thought of her. It was a shame she had given herself to that worthless shogun, Orochi.
But why would Big Brother Kaido suddenly be interested in her? And why send Jack and Who's-Who to bring her here? Could it be that he was also taken by her beauty?
No, that didn't seem right. If Kaido was truly interested in women, he wouldn't have ignored Black Maria for so many years. At that thought, everyone's gaze shifted to Black Maria, whose expression had indeed turned ugly, her face filled with resentment.
Ulti gritted her teeth. "Why are you bringing that Komurasaki here, Kaido?" she snapped. "What right does a woman like that have to even be in your presence?"
Kaido wasn't angered by Ulti's disrespect. He knew that while his subordinates could be reckless and foolish, their loyalty was absolute.
"Don't jump to conclusions, Ulti," he said calmly. "I have my reasons for bringing her here. You'll understand soon enough. Jack… what are you still standing around for?"
Jack's body tensed up immediately. "Yes, Big Brother Kaido! I'll go get the woman now."
"Good," Kaido grunted. "And by the way, if Orochi tries to stop you, bring him along too. I still have a use for his strength… for now."
After Jack and Who's-Who left, Kaido turned to his most trusted commander. "King, find my idiotic daughter and tell her to meet me at the port. And bring me the key to her handcuffs. The rest of you, wait here for my return."
As his words fell, Kaido transformed back into his massive dragon form and soared into the sky. His commands left the remaining officers confused, and King's brow furrowed. He could clearly feel that his captain had changed, but he couldn't understand why. All he could do was obey the order.
The sea wind howled around the port at the entrance to Onigashima. The pirate grunts worked nervously, not daring to slack off for even a second. The reason was simple: their governor, the absolute ruler of the island, Kaido of the Beasts, was sitting on the distant shore. He was staring out at the sea, a huge sake gourd and his spiked kanabo resting beside him. A small Beasts Pirates ship was docked nearby.
As everyone wondered why Lord Kaido, who rarely showed himself to the lower ranks, was waiting here, they heard the rapid sound of footsteps followed by an angry roar.
"Kaido! Go to hell!"
A figure descended from the sky, swinging a spiked club identical to Kaido's. It was a young woman wearing a Hannya mask, with long silver hair and red-strapped geta sandals. Handcuffs were locked around her wrists.
Kaido didn't even turn his head. He simply grabbed his own kanabo and, with a swift turn, swung it behind him.
Boom!
Yamato instinctively raised her weapon to block the attack. An incredible force, far greater than anything she had ever expected, slammed into her. Intense pain shot through her entire body, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood. Her mind went blank. She couldn't understand what had just happened.
To become Kozuki Oden and drive Kaido out of Wano, Yamato challenged her father every chance she got. Although she was severely beaten every time, her injuries were always superficial. Because of this, she had always believed she could one day defeat him, that she was just missing that one little bit of strength. But now…
Yamato's body was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing through several buildings before finally coming to a stop.
"Ugh!"
The anger and unwillingness in her heart made Yamato struggle to get up. But as she tried, more blood gushed from her throat, and the overwhelming pain forced her back to the ground.
"How can this be?" she choked out. "The gap between us… it's this huge! Damn it!"
Heavy footsteps approached. A massive figure slowly emerged from the dust. Yamato looked up, and the moment her eyes met her father's, her entire body trembled. It was still Kaido, the man she hated, but his eyes were completely different. The look of disappointment she was used to was gone. Now, they were icy and held no emotion at all. Yamato felt a chill run down her spine. She knew, with absolute certainty, that if she raised her weapon again, he would kill her.
He'll kill me!
A deep, primal fear swept through her. The Kaido standing before her no longer felt like her father. He was a stranger who wanted her dead. The feeling reminded her of the moment she realized her explosive handcuffs were real—the moment she understood that her father was truly capable of killing her.
Kaido looked down at the foolish girl who was so obsessed with becoming Kozuki Oden. He felt no fatherly affection, only cold disdain.
"You've always complained that I took away your freedom," he said, his voice flat and empty. "So now… I'll give you two choices."
Wiping the blood from her mouth, Yamato used her club to struggle to her feet, glaring angrily at the man in front of her.
"One," Kaido stated. "Forget your dream of becoming that idiot Oden, and live obediently as my daughter."
"Never!" Yamato spat back, her voice full of defiance despite her injuries. "Kaido! I will drive you out of Wano Country, save this nation, and become Oden!"
As expected. Even when she could barely stand, she clung to her foolish ambition.
"Then you only have the second path," Kaido said. He took a key from his pocket and threw it onto the ground in front of her. Yamato stared at it, stunned.
"Do you see that ship?" he asked, gesturing to the vessel docked at the port. "That's your second choice. Since you won't choose the first path, then from this day forward, you are no longer my daughter. As a final act of what was once a father-daughter bond, I will let you leave Wano. That ship will take you to Whitebeard's territory. Aren't you friends with that brat Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates? Go find him. But from now on, we are nothing to each other. Whatever you do on the seas has nothing to do with the Beasts Pirates."