In the New World, within the borders of Wano Country, the atmosphere at the General's Residence was heavy with silent conflict. Ever since Otama had accepted her new life as Kaido's daughter and the Great General of Wano, her heart had been a battlefield of guilt and gratitude.
She knew Kaido had treated her with kindness. He had transformed Wano from a wasteland ravaged by Orochi into a land where people finally had food to eat and clean water to drink. The prisoners had been freed, families had been reunited, and the starvation that once gripped the Flower Capital was a fading memory. Yet, every time she looked at her master, Hitetsu, who had lost his mind and become a mere shell of himself, the weight of her parents' deaths pressed down on her. She felt like a traitor for calling the man who conquered her country "Father."
To cope with this internal torment, Otama threw herself into her training. She pushed her body and mind to the limit, hoping that one day her own strength would be enough to protect Wano without relying on anyone else. Her progress was staggering. Part of it came from the Kurozumi bloodline flowing through her veins, but much of it was due to the incredible potential of her Devil Fruit.
In just six short months since becoming General, Otama was no longer the helpless little girl who lived on scraps. Her swordsmanship was becoming refined, and her mastery over her Devil Fruit abilities was growing daily. Even at the tender age of six, she could easily outmatch many of the adult samurai in the region. Beside her, her older sister and closest companion, Baby-5, was also growing stronger.
Usually, the two of them would be outside training under the sun. However, Kaido and the core members of the Beasts Pirates had recently left Wano on a mission. As the acting Great General, Otama had to stay within the safety of the residence. She spent the afternoon in the Flower Capital with Baby-5 and Monet, eating desserts and sharing stories. Over the months, Otama had realized that while Monet could be intimidating at first glance, the Snow-Snow Fruit user was actually quite gentle once you got to know her.
While they were chatting, a sudden, heavy wave of drowsiness washed over Otama. Her vision blurred, and her head felt heavy. As she struggled to stay awake, a familiar voice cut through the fog in her mind.
"Otama! Otama!"
She snapped her eyes open and gasped. The scene around her had changed instantly. Standing right in front of her was her master, Hitetsu. He wasn't the confused, broken man she saw every day; he looked sharp and focused, though his eyes were filled with a terrifying rage.
"Master!" Otama cried out, her heart leaping with joy. She rushed forward to hug him, but she didn't find a warm welcome. Instead, Hitetsu drew his blade in a flash.
The cold steel bit into her skin. A sharp, stinging pain erupted across her abdomen as blood began to soak through her clothes. Otama stumbled back, staring at him in utter shock.
"Why, Master? Why would you do that?" she sobbed.
"You dare ask me why?" the figure of Hitetsu hissed. "I should be asking you. Why did you acknowledge that demon Kaido as your father? Why did you steal the position of General from the Kozuki Clan?"
Otama's face turned deathly pale, and her breath hitched in her throat. "No... it's not like that! I did it for the sake of Wano and the people. If the Kozuki Clan ever returns, I'll give the position back to them immediately. I promise!"
"Is that so?" Hitetsu sneered, throwing a sword onto the ground at her feet. "If you mean that, then take this blade and go kill Kaido right now."
Otama looked down at the weapon, her hands trembling. She hesitated for only a second before shaking her head firmly. "No, Master. I can't do that. I know he has done bad things, but he has been truly kind to me. If it weren't for him, the people of Wano would still be starving. He closed the weapon factories and gave everyone their lives back. I won't kill him."
The figure of her master didn't respond. Instead, two more shapes emerged from the darkness behind him. Otama's heart nearly stopped.
"Father! Mother!" she screamed. She forgot the pain in her stomach and ran toward them, desperate for their embrace. But as she reached them, her mother didn't reach out to hold her. Instead, she delivered a stinging slap across Otama's face.
"You ungrateful child," her mother spat. "How could you call that thief your father? We don't have a daughter like you. If we mean anything to you at all, take that sword and end Kaido's life."
The world seemed to go silent. Otama stood there, her head bowed, as the shadows deepened around her.
"What's wrong? Do you really love that monster more than us?" her father's voice boomed.
"You're a disgrace!"
"I should have let you starve to death in that village!"
The cruel words pelted her like stones, but Otama didn't break. She slowly lifted her head, her eyes burning with a sudden, fierce clarity as she stared at the three figures.
"You aren't my master," she said, her voice cold and steady. "And you aren't my parents."
The three figures seemed to freeze, their expressions twisting into masks of pure rage. "What did you say?"
Otama stood up straight and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I know that if my master and my parents knew I accepted Kaido, they would be upset. I know they would be angry. But I also know one thing for certain. My mother and father would rather starve themselves to death than let me go hungry for a single day. They loved me more than anything. They would never, ever try to hurt me like this!"
As Otama let out a defiant roar, the nightmare shattered. The dark room and the accusing ghosts vanished into thin air.
She found herself back in the residence, but the scene was far from peaceful. Beside her, Baby-5 and Monet were trapped in their own trances. Their eyes were vacant, and tears were streaming down their faces.
"Father, Mother... please don't leave me behind!" Baby-5 wailed, her voice sounding like that of a terrified child.
Monet was whispering frantically, "Young Master, please... I'm still useful! Sugar, don't let him abandon us!"
Otama realized something terrible was happening. She rushed to Baby-5's side to shake her awake, but the moment she touched her sister, a row of sharp metal thorns sprouted from Baby-5's skin, piercing Otama's hands. She tried to reach for Monet, but the snow-woman's body was freezing and jagged with ice.
The little girl's face went white. She didn't understand what kind of power was attacking them, but she knew she was too weak to fight it head-on. She watched as Baby-5's expression twisted in agony. Her sister was begging for her parents not to go, reliving a past full of abandonment and pain.
Recalling how much Baby-5 had cared for her over the last six months, Otama felt a surge of protectiveness. She didn't care about the thorns or the pain. She threw her arms around Baby-5, hugging her tightly even as the metal spikes drew blood. A massive wave of energy erupted from deep within Otama's soul, fueled by her desperate need to save her friend.
"Wake up, Sister! Please, wake up!" she screamed.
In another wing of the General's Residence, King the Wildfire was resting with his eyes closed. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, glowing with intensity.
"This power... that little girl actually awakened an incredibly powerful form of Observation Haki," King muttered to himself. "I suppose it makes sense, seeing as she inherited the Captain's will. It's time for me to move. I can't let those Celestial Dragons keep playing their games. Wano is the stronghold of the Beasts Pirates, and we won't let it fall."
A dark, fluid shadow rose from the floorboards in front of him.
"Go," King commanded. "Tell Queen and Enel to get ready. It's time to act."
"Yes, King!" the shadow replied. It sank back into the ground and vanished instantly, carrying the order to the rest of the commanders.
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