"Young Miss?"
All the surviving members of the Beasts Pirates turned their attention toward Yamato. She stood before them as the undisputed second pillar of their massive crew. Now that the mighty Kaido had finally fallen in combat, the remaining pirates naturally looked to her for absolute guidance and leadership.
"The war is over. Everyone, stop fighting right now. We don't need to cause any more unnecessary sacrifices. In this brutal battle, our Beasts Pirates lost. Wano Country will be returned to its rightful owners. But if you refuse to stop and insist on annihilating us, I will gladly be your opponent."
Yamato spoke with firm resolve. She then shifted her intense gaze toward the bloodied Nine Red Scabbards and the exhausted samurai of Wano.
The loyal samurai exchanged bewildered glances with one another, feeling as if they were completely trapped in an impossible dream. After more than twenty agonizing years of suffering and oppression under the Shogun and the Yonko, they had finally witnessed this glorious day. The long journey to liberation had been incredibly difficult and filled with profound tragedy.
"No problem. We ceasefire. If we continue fighting, it will only be a tragic waste of blood."
Kin'emon confidently stepped forward as the appointed leader of the samurai and quickly agreed with Yamato's practical proposal. Their ultimate, driving goal was always to reclaim Wano Country from the invaders. Now that they had successfully achieved that monumental goal, inviting further bloodshed and risking more lives was entirely pointless.
Throughout the course of the fierce, island-shaking battle, Yamato never fully obstructed the samurai forces, actively offering them considerable leeway during their desperate raid. This conscious choice did not mean she lacked the strength to crush them. On the contrary, her immense physical power and Haki rivaled Kaido's own overwhelming might. She simply chose not to severely interfere with the predetermined outcome, and to some hidden extent, she had actively aided the rebellion from the shadows.
"Kin'emon, are we really just going to let Kaido go like this? What about Lord Oden's revenge?"
Ashura Doji spoke up, his voice dripping with deep, unresolved bitterness. He could never forget that the fatal bullet ending Kozuki Oden's legendary life was fired directly from Kaido's gun. The other battle-hardened samurai remained completely silent, keeping their tired eyes locked tightly on Kin'emon. Their burning hatred for the Yonko truly knew no bounds, but taking Kaido's life now was a physical impossibility, and attempting to do so would only invite absolute disaster upon their newly freed nation.
"The past should always be remembered, but building our future is far more important. Lord Oden's death is an indelible, burning pain in all of our hearts, but we must remember his final teachings even more. This time, let us set aside our blinding hatred. It is not because we have to, but because we actively choose to do so. Do you all understand?"
Kin'emon spoke with absolute, unwavering seriousness. Seeing their determined leader acting with such profound maturity, Ashura Doji and the others understood the heavy truth of his words. The raging killing intent inside their hearts finally subsided, replaced by a quiet sense of victory.
"A wise choice. Everyone, withdraw back to Onigashima for rest and reorganization."
Yamato nodded in approval and immediately issued the retreat command to her scattered subordinates. Without a second thought, the surviving members of the Beasts Pirates began their uncoordinated retreat back toward the massive skull dome. Soon enough, the entirety of the pirate crew had completely withdrawn from the battlefield, leaving only the victorious samurai of Wano standing proudly outside.
Kin'emon stood tall before the gathered warriors of Wano Country, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Everyone, we won!"
"Yeah! We finally won!"
After a brief, breathless moment of stunned silence, deafening cheers erupted like a massive, unstoppable tsunami, echoing across the entirety of Wano Country. Far away in the bustling Flower Capital, countless citizens suddenly stopped their daily tasks and looked up toward the direction of Hakumai. As if sensing the shifting winds of fate, a spontaneous, overwhelming feeling of immense joy washed over the unsuspecting populace.
In stark contrast, the retreating members of the Beasts Pirates suffered from incredibly low spirits. Though they felt deeply unwilling to accept the humiliating loss, they possessed no power to change reality.
"Why are you all making such gloomy faces? Cheer up! This is just a stroke of bad luck!"
Jack the Drought noticed his mammoth shipmates looking utterly dejected and instantly grew furious, shouting at them sternly to fix their terrible posture.
"Alright, Jack, stop scolding them. Go treat and properly take care of the wounded. Don't just stand around looking stupid. Our Beasts Pirates only suffered a small defeat today. The Governor-General is still alive, and the Young Miss is standing right here. Even if we end up leaving this place, we are still a terrifying Four Emperors pirate crew."
King the Conflagration interrupted the massive fish-man, directing his calm words to the surviving lower ranks. Hearing King's confident, unwavering reassurance, the defeated pirates quickly regained a fraction of their usual arrogant spirit and hurried off to complete their assigned work.
Black Maria and Haruko quickly sorted out the crew's current numerical situation.
"Young Miss, before this massive battle, our Beasts Pirates had over 26,000 people. Now we only have roughly 17,000 left standing. That is a direct loss of over 9,000 men."
Haruko presented the grim, detailed report to Yamato.
"We lost a bit more than a third of our forces, but that's perfectly fine. We still have a solid two-thirds left. Our overall military strength hasn't been too severely affected. With some proper rest and medical recovery, we'll bounce back just fine."
Yamato nodded in calm response. Losing thousands of low-level underlings hardly mattered in the treacherous waters of the New World. The true, irreplaceable value of the crew lay in their core fighters. As long as their leading officers survived the chaotic war, the crew remained highly dangerous. When they finally set sail from Wano Country, they would still command the absolute respect and terror owed to a Four Emperors fleet.
"There is one more pressing thing, Young Miss." Haruko hesitated briefly, looking nervously at the ground.
"What is it? Just spit it out directly."
Yamato's bright eyes flickered with understanding, as if she already guessed the incoming problem.
"X Drake completely defected. He also managed to persuade Who's-Who to join him, and they completely disappeared after the fighting stopped. On top of that, Basil Hawkins also ran away, taking a bunch of our people with him."
"Oh? Drake actually managed to take Who's-Who with him? That is quite impressive. But I guess it isn't too surprising. After all, one is an active Marine, and the other is a former agent from the World Government. It is entirely possible they realized teaming up was their safest bet."
Yamato crossed her arms in thought. She already knew X Drake operated as an undercover Marine spy, but successfully swaying Who's-Who came as a slight, unexpected shock. Who's-Who had aggressively defected from the World Government years ago and always remained incredibly cautious, terrified of being captured.
Logically, staying hidden within a powerful Yonko crew offered the absolute best protection, yet the Ancient Zoan user still fled Wano. Drake clearly convinced him with an offer he physically couldn't refuse, perhaps a completely clean slate and full immunity from his active bounty. As for Basil Hawkins, Kaido brutally forced the Supernova into submission. The tarot-reading magician held absolutely zero actual loyalty to the crew. Seizing the very first chaotic opportunity to escape perfectly fit his cowardly, calculating nature.
"Forget it, just let them go. They all had their own selfish, ulterior motives anyway. I really don't want people like that operating within our ranks."
Yamato dismissed the pressing issue entirely indifferently. This massive, humiliating defeat actually served as an excellent, necessary opportunity to violently filter out the treacherous elements of the crew. Despite the chaotic, island-destroying battlefield, the true high-ranking officers completely avoided any fatal losses. Most sustained severe, bleeding injuries, but with the innate toughness of Zoan Devil Fruits, they would fully recover within ten days to half a month.
The single biggest loss remained the sudden escape of two Ancient Zoan executives, but even that hardly crippled them. The crew's core foundation stood impressively strong, making the overall impact entirely minimal.
"Yamato, what exactly are we going to do next? Aren't we going to aggressively fight back and crush them?"
Ulti angrily marched over, her masked face holding a deeply annoyed, battle-hungry expression.
"Fight back for what? Wano Country is already a complete, smoking mess. We're just giving it back to them. From now on, our Beasts Pirates can finally go out to the open sea and actually have some real fun. Doesn't that sound great? Ulti, don't you want to explore the vast ocean? You can lead your very own sailing team and do whatever you want out there."
Yamato smiled warmly at the hot-headed girl. Sure enough, the sudden promise of absolute freedom instantly shifted Ulti's volatile mood.
"That actually sounds amazing. This country is a dump anyway. Fine, I'll follow your lead."
"Though, if you really want to stay in Wano Country, that is completely fine too. As long as you don't actively cause any major trouble, the samurai won't bother hunting you down. It just depends on whether you actually want to leave this boring place."
Yamato added casually. Now that Wano Country officially returned to the Kozuki Clan, the weary samurai needed to focus entirely on governing the ruined land and restoring its former, legendary beauty. Furthermore, they had to constantly prepare their weak defenses against greedy overseas enemies and be ready to aggressively repel incoming invasions.
Because of this fragile state, they wouldn't waste precious resources attacking Ulti just because of her past status as a powerful Tobi Roppo. They needed to actively avoid making unnecessary, powerful enemies. Assuming she behaved herself, Kin'emon might even try recruiting her to massively bolster Wano Country's military strength.
"Then forget it! If you all leave, what the heck would Pay-pay and I even do here in Wano Country? That sounds completely boring."
Ulti rejected the peaceful idea without a second thought. Sailing the dangerous Grand Line offered true, unrestricted freedom. She would officially maintain her authority as a high-ranking executive, allowing her to mess around or fight rival pirate crews whenever she actively pleased. That sounded endlessly more enjoyable.
"Sis, please don't drag me into this. I'm definitely staying with the crew and faithfully following Governor-General Kaido."
Page One, who stayed completely quiet until now, suddenly spoke up in defense. Hearing her little brother's remark, Ulti instantly spun around and glared absolute daggers at him.
"You seriously think I would stay behind? Are you actively trying to shake me off? Keep dreaming! How dare you talk back to me!"
"That isn't what I meant at all. You're overthinking things again! Sis, why are you violently doing this? Let go of me!"
"Keep dreaming! Let me teach you a proper lesson!"
Ulti wildly leaped onto her brother, brutally trapping him in a tight, inescapable headlock. The two Spinosaurus siblings loudly bickered and aggressively wrestled, eventually tumbling further down the rocky, ruined path.
Once the chaotic siblings vanished from immediate sight, Yamato turned her attention back to Haruko.
"Haruko, send out a strict, mandatory order. Tell our people absolutely not to wander out. Everyone securely stays inside Onigashima until further notice."
"Understood. I will swiftly pass down the firm order right away."
Haruko nodded respectfully and hurried off to complete her assigned task. With the outer perimeter secured, Yamato confidently walked toward the temporary medical ward actively managed by Black Maria.
The massive, reinforced sickbeds held the most terrifying, dominant figures of the treacherous New World: Kaido, Queen the Plague, and the fellow Four Emperors captain, Big Mom. King the Conflagration and several other resilient executives stood nearby, heavily wrapped in thick, bloody bandages but still completely mobile. Black Maria and her loyal, armored group of Geisha diligently tended to their severe wounds, while the remaining lower-ranking members rested in a completely separate wing.
"How are they holding up?"
Yamato carefully approached Kaido's massive sickbed and casually glanced down at him. The monstrous Governor-General lay covered in thick bandages, having sustained truly devastating damage during the legendary rooftop clash. Even with the ridiculous durability and regeneration of an awakened Mythical Zoan user, fully recovering would require at least a few days of uninterrupted rest.
"He remains totally unconscious, but his vital condition is completely stable. He will definitely pull through." Black Maria gently nodded.
"Well, he is a Mythical Zoan. His absurd recovery speed isn't something we ever need to worry about. But what about my great aunt over there? She might be a Paramecia user, but she is famous for being an indestructible iron balloon. Not even burning magma can easily pierce her tough skin. Just how bad are her actual injuries?"
Yamato shifted her intense gaze toward the massive, snoring form of Big Mom.
"She has absolutely no visible external wounds, but her vital internal organs took a terrifyingly severe beating. It must be the direct result of Trafalgar Law's awakening ability. She will need quite a few days to completely heal," Maria explained smoothly.
A strange, highly respectful light flashed through Yamato's bright eyes.
"Impressive. To brutally injure a Four Emperors captain from the inside out... I guess that is exactly what you would expect from a Devil Fruit worth 5,000,000,000 Berries. It definitely lives up to the insane price tag."
"Indeed. There is a very good reason the World Government desperately wanted the Ope-Ope no Mi," Maria confidently agreed while preparing fresh, clean bandages.
Next, Yamato checked on Queen. The massive, brilliant cyborg suffered heavily, but at least he remained entirely conscious.
"Third Uncle, how are you feeling?" Yamato asked, proudly flashing a small, confident grin.
"Not too bad! A few solid days of complete rest and a towering mountain of good food, and I will be perfectly fine!"
Queen answered completely unceremoniously, casually puffing on a freshly lit cigar despite his battered, heavily bruised state.
"That's easy enough. We have a massive, untouched stockpile of supplies hidden inside Onigashima. You can eat absolutely whatever you want."
"Young Miss... are we seriously going to completely give up Wano Country?"
Queen visibly hesitated for a brief moment before finally asking the lingering, heavy question. As the weighty words left his mouth, every single conscious pirate in the silent medical ward turned their full attention toward Yamato.
"Yeah, Young Miss! Do we really have to abandon our main Headquarters?"
Sasaki instantly spoke up from a nearby cot, clearly highly reluctant to leave behind the powerful fortress they spent decades building.
"Is this gloomy country really so great that you are all violently whining about leaving it behind?" Yamato asked, her energetic smile slightly widening.
"It isn't about the scenery. It's just... Wano Country has served as the absolute center of our massive empire for over twenty years. Throwing it all away after one single loss just feels incredibly unwilling. Especially when you logically consider the massive Prisoner Mines in Udon. They produce pure Sea Prism Stone. Smuggling that stone to the vast underworld brings in an absolute fortune, and we can only run that specific business here."
Queen dramatically shook his head, laying out the highly practical financial concerns.
"Management? Third Uncle, we were never managing this beautiful place; we were completely destroying it. Because of my idiot father's obsession, we turned a peaceful nation into a toxic weapons factory. Now that my idiot father lost the brutal war, we don't need to continue actively producing those things. We are men! If we lose a major fight, we take the heavy loss. Can't we afford a single, crushing defeat? Wano Country is gone, but our jolly roger still flies over plenty of other territories. Isn't that more than enough space for us to actively enjoy?"
"Don't ever forget who we are. We are outlaws. Pirates belong out on the open, shifting sea. Staying completely cooped up in an isolated fortress for decades goes entirely against our very nature. Forget about Wano Country; it no longer belongs to us."
Yamato firmly waved her hand dismissively, her booming tone carrying the absolute authority of a true, leading captain. Hearing her unwavering conviction, Queen and the remaining wounded officers fell into a highly thoughtful silence.
"Yamato makes a deeply fair point. Wano Country is lost, but our Beasts Pirates still actively control a massive, terrifying empire. Are we really going to tragically cry over one small, isolated island?" Maria happily chimed in with a gentle, supportive smile.
"I guess so, but it is still a massive pity to lose the Sea Prism Stone monopoly. That operation consistently generated unbelievable, towering profits." Queen heavily sighed, still stubbornly clinging to his reluctance.
"Enough complaining, Third Uncle. I already firmly told you, we aren't running those toxic weapon factories anymore. Our mighty crew can live incredibly comfortably just by effortlessly collecting standard protection fees from the islands actively flying our flag. And if you seriously think that isn't enough cash, then just sail out and violently rob other pirate crews! Sitting around doing tedious business is never as fast as directly plundering gold. Am I right, or does that make too much sense?"
Yamato playfully rolled her bright eyes, casually leaning her massive club against the wall.
"Uh... well, when you put it like that, it actually makes a lot of absolute sense."
Across the silent room, King, Queen, and the surrounding tough officers practically twitched their tired eyes in perfect unison. Their energetic Young Miss clearly wasn't as totally innocent or naive as she usually acted.
"Stop overthinking everything. Once we break out of these sealed borders, we are still a dominating Four Emperors pirate crew, and we will have infinitely more freedom. No more managing weapon factories. No more negotiating Sea Prism Stone trades. We can simply spread our massive fleets out across the Grand Line. Some can focus purely on making money, and others can actively recruit fresh blood. We will face far fewer bureaucratic troubles and finally have the free time to actually do whatever we want. Doesn't that sound like a genuinely better life?" Yamato continued to persuade them, her booming voice filled with genuine, infectious excitement.
Honestly, hearing their new, boisterous leader confidently lay out such a simple, highly chaotic vision, King and Queen couldn't help but slowly agree. For decades, they stayed holed up behind cascading waterfalls, slowly drowning in the highly tedious management of thousands of unruly subordinates and heavy industrial factories. If they finally left, things would fundamentally change for the absolute better. At the very least, they would undeniably have far fewer annoying responsibilities dragging them down.