"No!"
Yamato shook her head, lowered her wolf fang club, raised both hands toward the Konoha Pirates, and said in a deep voice, "Let them take me away! If my life can be used to end the war in Wano Country, I'm willing to sacrifice myself for it just like Lord Oden!"
"Yamato!"
Fire Fist Ace gritted his teeth, wanting to stop Yamato.
As Yamato's friend, Ace absolutely didn't want to see Yamato follow in Kozuki Oden's footsteps; once she fell into the hands of the Konoha Pirates, her life and death would be uncertain!
"Ace, don't stop me."
Yamato cut off what Ace was about to say next, her voice carrying an unquestionable firmness and steel: "Just like Lord Oden back then chose to sacrifice his own life to end the war, I'm also willing to learn from Lord Oden and become his successor!"
"But Captain Oden…"
Fire Fist Ace felt Yamato didn't have to learn *that* part; even if they fought to the death, that was still an option, instead of just waiting to be slaughtered like this. The outcome of Kozuki Oden's sacrifice in Wano Country was something she had already clearly seen…
Unfortunately…
Yamato's resolve was set.
The daughter of Hundred Beasts Kaido chose to abandon resistance and voluntarily surrender to the Konoha Pirates for the sake of Wano Country's safety.
"You can do with me as you please."
Yamato walked up to the Konoha Pirates and explained her situation very honestly: "But, I'm wearing shackles that Kaido left on me. As soon as I leave Wano Country, these shackles will explode…"
These shackles were child's play to the Konoha Pirates.
The people of the Konoha Pirates didn't deliberately make things hard for Yamato either; Orochimaru and Senju Tobirama only drew some of Yamato's blood as experimental samples.
Because they already had blood samples from Yamato's father, Hundred Beasts Kaido; what they cared more about in Yamato was the Bloodline Factor of the Mythical Great-Mouth True God Fruit within her body.
"You may leave…"
The Konoha Pirates very magnanimously released Yamato, announcing that she could leave together with everyone present, with not the slightest intention of imprisoning her.
"Huh?"
Yamato hadn't expected to be released.
"Thanks a lot!"
Fire Fist Ace instantly appeared at Yamato's side, grabbing her and getting ready to leave this place, Wano Country. He really didn't want to see Yamato get mixed up with the Kozuki Clan people any longer!
Those bastards…
Had actually just been discussing selling Yamato out!
The Whitebeard Pirates would never think of abandoning a crewmate!
"Don't rush."
A voice called out to Fire Fist Ace.
"Fire Fist Ace…"
"There's one more thing…"
"Help us deliver a message to Whitebeard…"
"Tell him to have everyone under his command ready to participate in the final decisive battle! This war will determine the ownership of the entire New World Sea Region…"
"No, it should be said…"
"It will determine the ownership of the entire ocean…"
"I will."
Fire Fist Ace turned back to look at the crowd of Konoha Pirates and the army of White Zetsu. His expression was grim as he nodded to them.
This kind of thing…
He had known about it for a long time.
He just didn't expect it to come so fast!
He had to hurry back to the Whitebeard Sea Region and notify Pops and the others to get ready!
Yamato, a little nervous, glanced at Ace's hand gripping her wrist before speaking in a low voice: "Didn't expect them to challenge the Whitebeard Pirates so soon…"
"That's only natural…"
Fire Fist Ace wasn't surprised at all.
Because among the Pirate crews, only the Whitebeard Pirates were left to face the Konoha Pirates…
"Little girl."
"You got one thing wrong."
"It's not us challenging the Whitebeard Pirates; it's them coming to challenge us…"
Red Sand Sasori interrupted the exchange between Fire Fist Ace and Yamato, speaking coldly: "Everyone on this ocean has the right to participate in this final decisive battle against Konoha. The Whitebeard Pirates are only one of them…"
"The World Economic News Agency will publish the rules for participating in the decisive battle in an upcoming paper…"
"Go back and get ready…"
"This decisive battle will be the world's final doomsday, and also the world's very first hope…"
"…"
These guys…
Are they planning to challenge the whole world?
Fire Fist Ace stared at Red Sand Sasori, then swept his gaze over the Konoha Pirates, but couldn't read anything from their faces; he could only see that their eyes seemed calm and peaceful, as if they didn't care at all about what Red Sand Sasori had just said…
"…"
Fire Fist Ace clenched his teeth, then could only carry Yamato and leap away from this place.
Except…
They didn't leave immediately.
Yamato made a trip to Ghost Island, the Hundred Beast Pirates' base, to tell Plague Disaster Queen that she was about to join the Whitebeard Pirates. Plague Disaster Queen was so furious his head hurt, but he still couldn't stop Yamato's actions.
"Brother Kaido…"
"I've failed you…"
Plague Disaster Queen could only kneel on the ground, bawling, watching Yamato and Fire Fist Ace leave together.
The Hundred Beast Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates had been fighting for so long, the two sides were practically mortal enemies, and yet the young master of the Hundred Beast Pirates was actually going to defect to that old geezer Whitebeard!
Who knows…
Whether that old geezer Whitebeard would go hard on her…
In fact.
The news that Hundred Beasts Kaido's child chose to defect to the Whitebeard Pirates didn't cause much of a stir; Edward Newgate, Whitebeard himself, didn't hold any hatred over his past clashes with Hundred Beasts Kaido, and instead warmly welcomed Yamato's joining.
By comparison…
What Whitebeard was far more concerned about was the message Fire Fist Ace brought back.
Just as Fire Fist Ace rushed back to the Whitebeard Sea Region, the latest newspaper had just been issued, detailing the rules for the Konoha Pirates accepting challenges from the whole world.
"Those monsters…"
Whitebeard's massive hand held the newspaper. As he looked at the rules printed on it, his eyes involuntarily narrowed, his expression growing particularly heavy: "To actually lay down rules like these… they really are a bunch of madmen…"