Ash quietly stepped forward, positioning himself in front of the girls to shield them.
The newcomer rushed straight toward the Dawn ship without hesitation. Without greeting anyone, she leaped onto the bow where everyone stood.
Only then did the girls get a clear look at her.
She was a striking young woman, around 2.6 meters tall, with white hair and a pair of horns on her head. Resting on her back was a spiked club identical to Kaido's.
Seeing her up close, Ash's earlier remark made sense. The kimono she wore was extremely revealing. The sleeves hung loose to her waist, and with nothing worn underneath, far more of her body was exposed than modesty would allow.
She walked a few steps forward.
Then suddenly, her knees gave way, and she dropped into a deep bow right in front of them.
The abrupt action stunned everyone.
"...What the hell was that?" Ash muttered, his eyes widening slightly.
In his mind, he sighed. "It has to be Yamato. No one else could pull off something this ridiculous so naturally."
Robin was the first to recover. She spoke softly, "This might be a traditional Wano custom, something called Dogeza."
Yamato paid no attention to their reactions. She straightened up and immediately began speaking, as if reciting something rehearsed.
"Hello everyone, I am Kaido's son, Yamato!"
"One day, I told my father I wanted to become Kozuki Oden, and he beat me for it!"
Ash rolled his eyes.
The exact same introduction as before. Not a single word changed. And honestly, who even asked?
He had no interest in watching this unfold again. In the next instant, he vanished from the deck, reappeared briefly in the central courtyard to greet Kirk, then teleported away to the Boin Archipelago.
Too much meat lately. Time to switch things up.
Back on the ship, Yamato continued her speech without pause.
"Fourteen years ago, I witnessed Kozuki Oden's execution with my own eyes! Orochi and my father were the ones who killed him! I couldn't accept it. I felt regret, but also an overwhelming surge of emotion and tears I couldn't stop!"
The girls listened, their expressions increasingly confused.
Nami leaned closer to Nojiko and whispered, "Is something wrong with her?"
Nojiko rolled her eyes, then shook her head slightly. Not in denial, but because she had no answer.
Yamato suddenly pulled a notebook from her clothes.
"After that, I found this logbook in Kuri. It belonged to Kozuki Oden. Since then, it has been my Bible!"
The group stared at her in silence.
A Bible?
What exactly was she trying to say?
Yamato raised the diary high.
"My father doesn't even know about this! Inside, Oden recorded his entire life, his adventures, and everything important to him!"
"Now that the Akazaya samurai are gone, who else can carry on Oden's will?!"
"Only me!"
She stood up abruptly, gripping the diary tightly.
"I am the one who inherited his will, Kozuki Oden!"
"So I will open this country! And I will fight alongside all of you!"
She froze in place, striking a dramatic pose.
No one responded.
Robin covered her mouth lightly, her brows slightly furrowed as she observed Yamato in silence. Saff stood nearby, equally stunned, unsure how to react.
The two exchanged a brief glance, recalling what Ash had said earlier. Without needing words, they reached the same conclusion.
Nami, Nojiko, and Carina, however, made no effort to hide their reactions. Their eyes rolled so far back it was almost exaggerated.
Finally, Yamato stopped speaking.
Nami stepped forward first. "So which one are you? Kaido's son, Yamato, or Kozuki Oden?"
Carina followed, "And you want to fight with us? Fight who exactly? Your own father?"
Nojiko added, clearly puzzled, "You said you're Kaido's son, but you're obviously a woman."
Yamato answered without hesitation.
"I am both! I am Kaido's son, and I inherited Kozuki Oden's will, so I am also Kozuki Oden! Gender doesn't matter! Oden was a man, so I am a man too!"
Robin and Saff finally understood why Ash had called her brain-dead. They said nothing, simply watching as if it were some kind of performance.
After days of constant battle against Kaido, even they needed a distraction. This was… certainly one way to pass the time.
Carina, ever perceptive, quickly caught on. Seeing Robin and Saff treating this like entertainment, she chose to stay silent as well. There was no point arguing with someone like this.
Nojiko and Nami, however, saw things differently.
Nojiko had initially thought Yamato wanted to fight against Kaido out of a sense of justice.
But now it was clear. This had nothing to do with justice or morality. Yamato was simply acting on what she read in a diary, blindly chasing after someone else's will.
What kind of mindset was that?
And Kozuki Oden himself, was he really worth all this admiration?
They had already heard his story from Ash.
The heir to Wano's shogunate, a man who sailed with Roger and Whitebeard, yet abandoned his own country to become a pirate. Only to return later and earn the title of "Invincible," despite his failures.
Nojiko found it hard to accept.
If Oden had made even one correct decision, Kaido and Orochi might never have taken control.
That alone said enough.
As for Nami, her thoughts were simpler, but more personal.
After losing Belle-Mere, something in her had changed. She hated pirates, yet she also carried guilt, believing her existence had led to Belle-Mere's death.
Because of that, she held one belief firmly.
No matter what, a child should never turn against their parent.
So regardless of Yamato's reasons, whether influenced by a diary or not, Nami could not accept her actions.
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