"That little swordsman is truly something else. He actually awakened Conqueror's Haki in the middle of a life-or-death battle," Black Maria said. She looked over in genuine surprise as a sharp green sword light sliced through the air, carrying a terrifying aura.
Suddenly, a fresh wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted across the field, blending seamlessly into that green sword light. It felt incredibly domineering, sharp, and wicked.
"He must have realized something profound about his own swordsmanship. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to awaken his Conqueror's Haki under these exact circumstances," Haruko added calmly. Both she and Black Maria had experienced similar breakthroughs, having awakened their own Conqueror's Haki under very specific, high-pressure conditions in the past.
"As expected of your younger brother's first mate, Ace. To think he even possesses the qualities of a Supreme King," Marco noted, deeply surprised by the sudden development. He knew that as long as a person possessed the latent potential for Conqueror's Haki, it would inevitably awaken given enough dangerous stimulation.
Some individuals awakened this power very early in life. For instance, Ace and Yamato had both unlocked theirs as children. Others, like Straw Hat Luffy, awakened it a bit later during their journeys. People like them belonged to the rare category of natural-born leaders who awakened their power relatively quickly, individuals destined to stand far above the faceless masses.
However, there were also those whose potential was far more subtle. It required immense external pressure, intense training, and personal growth to finally manifest. Roronoa Zoro's case fell precisely into this category, just as Black Maria's and Haruko's had before him. Being able to manifest Conqueror's Haki meant that they had all successfully unlocked a hidden depth of their own willpower.
"Of course," Ace said with a confident smile. "If Luffy is going to become the Pirate King, his crewmates can't just be ordinary pirates. The people who stand guard over a King have to be Kings themselves."
During his past year of sailing across the treacherous waters of the New World, Ace had met countless powerful warriors and learned many things about the true nature of power. Although he deeply despised his biological father, Gol D. Roger, he had still taken the time to learn about the legendary man's incredible deeds and experiences. Through those stories, he had come to understand what it truly meant to lead a crew at the highest level.
"Yamato, do you also want to compete for the title of Pirate King? After all, you have two powerful Kings standing right by your side," Marco asked, looking directly at Yamato. While trading blows with Black Maria and Haruko earlier, he had shockwaves of recognition upon realizing that both women possessed Conqueror's Haki. For a single crew under a Yonko to possess four separate users of Conqueror's Haki was, quite frankly, a terrifying reality.
"I have absolutely no interest in becoming the Pirate King," Yamato replied, casually waving her hand to dismiss the thought.
"Well, that's definitely good news. Otherwise, Ace's little brother would have to face a truly monstrous rival on the sea," Marco laughed.
"Wait, Marco, what are you talking about? Are you saying that they both possess Conqueror's Haki as well?" Ace asked, turning to look at Black Maria and Haruko in utter shock.
While users of Conqueror's Haki were rare but not entirely unheard of across the Grand Line, female users were as exceptionally rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. He had always known that Yamato possessed it, which made sense given that she was Kaido's daughter. But Ace had never imagined that the two female executives standing right beside Yamato were also users of Conqueror's Haki. The sheer odds of that were incredible.
"That's right," Marco nodded, confirming his suspicion. "Even I found it hard to believe at first, but it's the absolute truth. Their raw strength is immense. If they hadn't been holding back their true power, it would have been completely impossible for me to stall both of them for this long. I still need to thank you both for showing mercy. Otherwise, I would have walked away with some very serious injuries."
Even though Marco was a Mythical Zoan user who commanded the powers of the Phoenix, allowing him to constantly regenerate from standard damage, things would have been different if his opponents had coated their weapons with Conqueror's Haki. Advanced Haki attacks would significantly restrict his healing abilities, and under a coordinated pincer attack from the two women, he would have eventually bled out. However, they had chosen not to use that advanced technique, proving they harbored no real malice toward him.
"The ultimate outcome of this war doesn't rest on our shoulders, so there's really no reason for us to fight to the death," Black Maria explained with a graceful smile.
"Yamato, you really have an incredible eye for gathering talent. The three of you alone possess enough power to form a brand-new Yonko crew," Ace remarked, feeling a deep wave of emotion. Even his father, Roger, had only managed to keep two other Conqueror's Haki users by his side during his journey—Silvers Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban. Those two had served as Roger's left and right hands, recognized as some of the strongest powerhouses to ever sail the seas. Yamato's personal lineup was remarkably similar to that legendary dynamic.
"I already belong to a perfectly good pirate crew. Why would I ever waste my energy trying to build a new one from scratch? I don't have the time or patience for that kind of hassle," Yamato shrugged.
Right now, her primary goal in life was simply to travel freely across the vast ocean, eating delicious food, drinking fine sake, and sleeping wherever she pleased. For a lifestyle like that, keeping the intimidating banner of the Beasts Pirates active was incredibly useful.
"When did you become so incredibly lazy?" Ace asked, his eye twitching slightly. He realized that after not seeing her for a while, Yamato had somehow become even more free-spirited and casual than before.
"People change over time, Ace. Why shouldn't I? I'm already incredibly strong, and I'm practically thirty years old now. Shouldn't I be allowed to sit back and enjoy my life properly?" Yamato asked, giving him a playful, sidelong glance.
This utterly shameless yet entirely serious speech left everyone standing nearby completely stunned.
"Haha! What is this? Yamato, you really haven't changed a bit, have you? You're still just as willful as you were when we first met," Marco laughed out loud.
"Honestly, I'm just impressed," Ace said, smiling as he gave Yamato a clear thumbs-up.
Yamato was indeed a powerhouse, and while she was approaching thirty, that was hardly considered old. She was clearly still in her absolute prime. In the world of pirates, reaching thirty meant entering a warrior's peak period, a time when a person's physical strength and Haki would naturally rise to a level that could no longer be suppressed. Yet, here she was, talking about retirement and enjoying life as if she were a weary old veteran.
"Young Miss, Onigashima has officially entered the airspace directly above Wano Country," Haruko interrupted, her voice snapping everyone back to attention.
Instantly, everyone present turned to look in a single direction as the clear silhouette of the Flower Capital came into view beneath the clouds. This meant that the floating fortress of Onigashima had crossed into the airspace above the Hakumai region. Only from this specific altitude could a person directly overlook the entire capital city.
Boom!
Suddenly, the deafening sound of an explosion echoed across the fortress. The ground beneath their feet shook violently, and a massive, suffocating aura erupted from deep within the interior of Onigashima. A giant hole was blown clean through the lowest levels of the castle basement, and a massive figure came crashing straight out of the opening.
It was Big Mom. Her eyes were wide with shock, and her face was completely twisted in utter disbelief. One could clearly see her opening her mouth as if she were screaming something at the top of her lungs, but absolutely no sound came out of her. A strange, invisible power had completely isolated her voice from the rest of the world. This specific, silent manipulation belonged entirely to the Devil Fruit ability of Trafalgar Law.
"Damn it! To think that I was actually bested by those two miserable brats—" Big Mom's face was completely flushed with resentment. She truly had never expected to be defeated and cast down by two rookies whose combined ages didn't even match her own years on the sea. More importantly, she hadn't even had the chance to unleash her true, full strength yet.
Filled with absolute rage and bitter resentment, the massive body of Big Mom plummeted straight toward the land below, completely unable to utter a single sound.
Bang!
Big Mom smashed heavily into the ground below Wano Country. The earth exploded violently upon impact, cratering deeply beneath her weight as she continued to sink into the deep crust of the island. Underground magma surged up in response to the impact, and Big Mom's massive figure was quickly submerged in the glowing, molten rock.
"Hmm? Those two guys actually managed to blast my Great Aunt all the way underground," Yamato noted, immediately sensing the shift in energy as she stood up.
"Young Miss, what's wrong?" Haruko asked, looking over at her.
"Great Aunt just took a massive fall. No matter what the circumstances are, I still call her my Great Aunt, so I should probably go fish her out of there," Yamato said. After speaking, she transformed directly into her majestic beast form and flew downward toward the Wano mainland at high speed.
"That was definitely Big Mom just now, wasn't it? Those two rookies are truly terrifying. Even if they didn't manage to defeat a Yonko in a direct, head-on clash, the fact remains that she was completely removed from the board," Marco observed, his eyes wide with surprise. Whether Big Mom chose to admit it or not, and regardless of whether she had used her full power, she had been decisively eliminated from the main battlefield. In the world of pirates, that meant she had lost.
"Now, the entire weight of this war rests on your little brother's shoulders, Ace," Marco said, turning his gaze back up toward the castle rooftop. The violent collision of Haki echoing from above was enough to make anyone's heart race with anxiety.
"Luffy, you absolutely have to win this," Ace prayed silently in his heart.
Just then, across two separate, distant battlefields inside the castle, the final outcomes were officially decided.
"They actually won their fights too," Marco marveled. Those were two of the legendary All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates, King the Conflagration and Queen the Plague. Yet, both of them had been completely defeated by the frontline members of the Straw Hat alliance. Although he had hoped for this exact outcome from the beginning, seeing it actually happen before his eyes still made his blood boil with excitement.
"The younger generation of pirates nowadays is truly formidable," Black Maria and Haruko said, looking at each other with a shared sense of sentimentality. Following the shocking removal of the Yonko Big Mom, the two highest-ranking All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates had also fallen back-to-back. An event of this scale was truly incredible to witness.
Afterward, Black Maria, Haruko, Marco, and Ace all moved out to gather their respective forces and assess the casualties.
"Lord King," Black Maria said softly when she and Haruko finally located him. King was already heavily injured, lying weakly on the shattered ground. His distinctive mask had been completely destroyed during the fight, leaving his true face and features entirely exposed to the open air.
"Cough! Cough—" King glanced up at the two women. He clearly wanted to say something, but the painful words "I lost" simply could not escape his lips.
Black Maria understood his pride and knew exactly what he was thinking. "Don't force yourself to think about it right now, Lord King. Just close your eyes and leave the rest of the situation to the Young Miss."
Next, Black Maria and Haruko searched the ruins until they located Queen. The massive cyborg had already fallen completely unconscious, having suffered an incredible amount of blunt-force trauma and internal injuries. In sharp contrast, Sanji, the cook who had been fighting him, was in much better physical condition as he walked away from the clearing.
It was also at this exact moment that the overlapping Haki radiating from the highest rooftop of Onigashima began to clash with unprecedented violence. Black Maria and the others all looked up instinctively. Massive streaks of red and black lightning raged across the sky like a localized storm, completely blanketing the heavens in a dark, suffocating pressure.
"Is the ultimate winner about to be decided up there?" Ace asked, standing alongside his allies as they all stared intently at the peak of the floating island.
Meanwhile, Yamato had already followed the massive crater in the Wano mainland, rushing deep into the subterranean depths. Due to the sudden influx of underground water and magma, Big Mom had already lost consciousness from the severe environmental drain. Yamato quickly grabbed the massive woman's body and flew straight back up toward the surface, breaking out of the earth. Carrying Big Mom with her, Yamato quickly flew back up to the floating island of Onigashima, landing right where Black Maria and the others were waiting.
"Young Miss, how is Big Mom's condition?" Haruko asked, quickly retrieving a clean piece of clothing to drape over the unconscious Yonko.
"It's nothing life-threatening. She just fainted because her body was completely soaked in water, draining her energy. She'll recover her senses after she rests for a while," Yamato explained. After settling her down, she turned her attention to the injured King and Queen nearby. "Second Uncle, how are you holding up?"
"I am deeply ashamed. I lost my fight," King murmured, leaning weakly against a shattered rock formation.
"Don't worry about it. A loss is a loss. Everyone tastes defeat at some point in their lives," Yamato said with a warm smile, offering him a gentle word of comfort. Pausing for a brief moment, she playfully added, "Well, I suppose I'm technically the only exception to that rule for now, but that probably won't be the case anymore once I finally reach seventy years old."
Hearing her ridiculous logic, the deep dejection on King's face dissipated quite a bit. He wanted to let out a laugh, but the pain in his chest made it impossible. "Young Miss, do you intend to finally take action now?" King asked after a moment of silence. He knew deep down that his Young Miss had consistently refused to influence the natural outcome of this war.
"Second Uncle, haven't I already taken action by handling things out here? This is the absolute limit of what I can do in this war. You know exactly what my idiot father is like. He's the type of stubborn man who will never turn back until he crashes directly into a dead end," Yamato said, spreading her hands wide.
Hearing her explanation, King could only let out a heavy sigh. Originally, if their Young Miss had actively participated in the defense of Wano from the start, this alliance would have been crushed instantly. However, Kaido would never allow such an intervention. He was an incredibly arrogant man who wanted to experience the thrill of battle himself, and he refused to let Yamato spoil his personal entertainment.
Otherwise, if three individual fighters of the Yonko level had actually allied together on the front lines, they could have easily turned the entire Straw Hat alliance into dust. But because of those restrictions, their Young Miss could only remain on the outskirts of the battlefield, holding back major threats like Fire Fist Ace and Marco the Phoenix.
More importantly, Big Mom had already been successfully removed by Law and Kid, and now even he and Queen, the two primary pillars of the crew, had been defeated back-to-back. The current layout of the war had become incredibly unfavorable for the Beasts Pirates. If Kaido could successfully crush Straw Hat Luffy on the rooftop, then the crew would still win. But if Kaido fell, then this entire war would end in absolute failure for the Beasts Pirates.
"Alright, Second Uncle, don't overthink the situation. Even if we lose this war, losing isn't necessarily the worst thing that could happen to us," Yamato comforted him gently.
King nodded slowly. "That may be true, Young Miss, but I still don't want to witness Big Brother's defeat."
"Then let's just wait here and watch the final result together. It's coming very soon. The true winner will be decided any minute now," Yamato said, smiling as she looked up toward the clouds. At this exact moment, the brutal clash between her idiot father and the Straw Hat brat was finally nearing its absolute conclusion.
Sure enough, just a few minutes later, within those two boiling fields of Haki, one of the massive signatures suddenly began to weaken at an alarming rate.
"Whose aura is that? Is it Kaido's or Straw Hat's?"
Whether it was King's side or Ace's group, everyone on the ground instantly entered a state of high alert, holding their breath.
In the next second, a deafening roar of thunder echoed through the sky, and a massive azure dragon began to circle proudly above the fortress of Onigashima, unleashing a suffocating wave of Conqueror's Haki across the entire territory without any restraint.
"Big Brother won the fight!" King shouted, looking incredibly excited. As long as Kaido remained standing, the ultimate victory still belonged to the Beasts Pirates.
However, the moment Ace and Marco spotted the soaring figure of the azure dragon, their hearts skipped a beat and sank directly into their chests. Kaido was completely fine and celebrating his victory. Didn't that mean Luffy had completely lost the battle?!
"Luffy!" Ace screamed, his expression twisting into pure anxiety. The moment the words left his mouth, he erupted into flames and rushed straight toward the inner castle.
"Ace, wait!" Marco called out, but he ultimately chose not to chase after him, remaining behind to watch the skies.
"How is this even possible? Luffy, how could you lose to him?!" Nearby, Zoro and Sanji were both staring fixedly at the massive dragon circling above. They absolutely refused to believe that their captain would simply be defeated like this. It made no sense.
"My, my. Did the Straw Hat brat really just lose the war?" Black Maria and Haruko turned to look at Yamato, only to find that her expression remained completely calm, devoid of any worry.
"Idiot father, you're celebrating far too early. It's over now. You've officially given Straw Hat the exact opportunity he needed," Yamato said, slowly shaking her head.
Hearing Yamato's strange words, Black Maria and the others were completely stunned. "Wait, Young Miss, are you saying that Straw Hat isn't dead yet?"
"This is a real war. If you don't actively take off the enemy commander's head to completely break the enemy's spirit, how can you ever expect to end the conflict? My idiot father simply can't see the bigger picture when he gets caught up in a fight," Yamato said, casually sitting down on a nearby rock.
After Kaido managed to win his clash against Luffy, instead of immediately ending the boy's life, his first instinct was to try and break his spirit so he could recruit him into the crew. By making that choice, he had given the Straw Hat brat the ultimate chance to turn the tables. Based on Yamato's deep understanding of her father's psychological habits, the old man had undoubtedly fallen back into his obsession with collecting powerful talent.
That was the sole reason why Kaido had taken to the sky in his massive Azure Dragon form—he wanted to intimidate the remaining samurai and publicly declare himself the winner of the war. If he had actually killed his opponent, he would have brought out Luffy's severed head or dead body to display to the masses, as that would have had a far more permanent deterrent effect on the alliance.