Yamato's Choice!

"Bang--!"

Yamato crashed heavily onto the scorched ground, the Kanabo flying from his hand, scattering gravel everywhere.

Her silver hair was disheveled, her chest heaved violently, blood seeped from her temple, and her eyes held a mixture of resentment, wavering, and a trace of confusion.

"Oden... was he really wrong?"

"Was what I... firmly believed all this time really just a foolish obsession...?"

The air still held the lingering scent of scorching flames. Ace walked slowly towards her, the flames on his body gradually dying down. But instead of pressing his advantage, he stood quietly before her, looking down at his enemy whose fighting spirit had been extinguished.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly grinned. "Hey, Yamato, do you hate Kaido?"

Yamato was taken aback, then his eyes turned fierce, and he growled through gritted teeth, "Of course I hate him! That bastard... he imprisoned me in this hellhole for over ten years!!"

Ace nodded, as if confirming something.

The next moment, he whirled around, his right fist bursting with blazing flames, and slammed it straight at the towering dragon-shaped statue behind him—

"Bang!!"

Flames exploded, deafeningly loud, and the dragon head statue, a symbol of Kaido's authority, shattered in response, sending stone chips flying and dust billowing.

Yamato stared wide-eyed at the shocking scene, as if some invisible shackle in his heart had collapsed.

"He actually smashed that statue?! That was Kaido's symbol..."

Ace turned around, sunlight shining on his dusty face. He grinned broadly, his expression open and carefree. "See, don't you feel much better?"

Yamato paused for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, as if a crack had been torn open in the heavy gloom in his eyes in an instant.

"You... you're a really strange guy."

At the edge of the distant ruins, Enel helplessly covered his forehead, his lips twitching. "Sigh... I just can't understand the thought processes of these idiots."

"Never mind, let them be."

At this moment, the setting sun cast its last rays upon the ruins of the desolate Onigashima.

Ace and Yamato sat on the ruins, gazing at the shimmering sea in the distance.

The flames subsided, and the fighting spirit returned to silence.

"So you, too, are someone who can't choose your father." Ace gazed into the distance, his voice low and gentle, yet filled with unspoken empathy.

Yamato glanced down at the heavy Seastone Handcuffs on her wrists and forced a bitter smile, "Yes... being born Kaido's daughter is not an honor for me, but a misfortune."

Ace gently patted her shoulder, his tone suddenly becoming passionate. "But you can still choose your own path!"

"Like me... even though I have 'devil's blood' flowing through my veins, I can still become the person I want to be!"

Yamato froze, a glint of light flickering in his eyes. "You... you really think so?"

Ace grinned, sunlight streaming down his face. "Of course! And I also have an incredibly strong older brother— Roy!!"

"He's the man who defeated Whitebeard and Golden Lion!"

"Did you know? Those two are on the same level as Kaido!!"

Yamato's eyes widened in shock, speechless. "Wh... what?! Whitebeard? Golden Lion? As strong as Kaido?!"

Ace continued smugly, "That's right, and besides, I have a younger brother— Luffy!"

"Let me tell you, he's incredibly powerful! He can transform into a giant dragon like Kaido, and his dragon body can cover the entire sky!"

Yamato was completely stunned, muttering repeatedly, "Your brother... can also turn into a dragon...?"

Ace laughed loudly, "The outside world is a hundred times crazier than you can imagine!"

"There is a free sky, a vast sea, and countless wondrous islands."

And there are friends, partners, and everyone's own 'dreams'!

Yamato listened Yamato, his eyes shining with an unprecedented longing. "Ace... can you tell me more?"

Ace nodded without hesitation. "Of course! There are so many stories, we could never finish telling them all!"

They sat there in the afterglow of the setting sun, chatting and laughing, as if they had briefly escaped the heaviness of this isolated island.

Although Yamato was ultimately unable to remove the Bomb Bracelet and immediately embark on her sea voyage, the seed had already quietly sprouted in her heart.

She watched Ace and Enel's figures gradually disappear into the distance, her eyes burning with an unprecedented determination and longing.

She gently clenched her fist, silently making a vow. "Ace... Roy... Luffy..."

"Someday--"

I want to go to sea too!

Go see the vast, boundless world you mentioned!

After the abducted children were properly settled, the setting sun cast its rays upon the ruins, illuminating the devastated Battlefield.

Ace crossed his arms, threw his head back, and laughed loudly, "If Kaido comes back and sees the statues smashed and the armory burned... he'll probably be so angry he'll blow his dragon horns off! Haha!!"

Enel dragged the unconscious Caesar along, raising clouds of dust in the process.

"This guy..." Enel frowned slightly, "Roy mentioned it to me before, it seems that he's the one who created the 'Artificial Devil Fruit' for the Beasts Pirates."

Ace's expression darkened slightly upon hearing this, and he narrowed his eyes as he looked at the utterly disheveled "genius scientist" on the ground.

"Artificial Devil Fruit... I'll take it back and show Roy how to handle it."

The two returned to the deck of the Warship.

"Boom--!"

The seawater was cleaved open like Razor by the Warship, cutting through the waves and moving forward.

The shadow of Onigashima has gradually sunk below the horizon, leaving only a gray shadow under the setting sun.

Ace stood by the railing at the stern, his gaze still fixed on the distance, lost in thought.

After locking Caesar in the cell, Enel walked over slowly, glanced at Ace, and said with a sneer, "What, you've got your eye on that woman after just one fight?"

Ace snapped back to reality, his face flushing red. "Huh? That's not true!!"

After a long silence, he said, "I just feel... she's just a pitiful person who was ruined by her own father."

He clenched his fists, burning with rage. "He actually put Seastone bomb handcuffs on his own daughter?! How can there be such a father in this world?!"

Enel raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips, and asked, "You mean... handcuffs?"

"Seastone bomb handcuffs!" Ace exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Enel chuckled and said casually, "I just looked at it. That thing is indeed a bomb device, but it's not made of Seastone."

"If it were really Seastone, would Yamato have been able to fight you so fiercely? He would have been lying on the ground, unable to get up, by now."

Ace was stunned, and the intense battle replayed in his mind.

Indeed, Yamato's every strike was merciless; he hardly seemed like someone being suppressed by Seastone.

Enel shrugged, his tone cold and sarcastic. "But Kaido is ruthless enough."

"They actually put a bomb in her daughter's chest, making her afraid to step out of the Onigashima for over a decade."

Ace stood frozen in place, the image of Yamato gritting his Yamato and holding back tears flashing through his mind.

"... hateful."

He muttered under his breath, "That kind of person... doesn't deserve to be a father at all!!"

The next day--

"Wororororo!--!!!"

The enormous Dragon Claw landed heavily on the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Kaido in human form, strode onto Onigashima with his All-Stars, his excitement palpable. "This was fucking awesome! Whitebeard's stash of sake and treasure... it's really something!"

Jin nodded, his tone cold. "That old bastard Ochoku actually dared to mock us; he's probably still lying on Hachinosu drinking porridge right now."

Queen laughed so hard his belly was shaking, "I even managed to steal his valuable lucky cat! Haha!"

Jack, panting, carried three large trunks. "And all the Seastone weapons he hid... we brought them all back!"

The four of them excitedly stepped through the gates of the Onigashima.

The next second, everyone's expression froze.

"..."

The air was deathly still.

Looking around, there were broken walls and ruins, scorched ground, and swirling smoke. There were even charred fragments of a huge dragon horn statue on the ground.

Kaido's face twitched violently. "Where... is this?"

The All-Stars simultaneously drew their weapons, their killing intent soaring to the heavens. "Someone has trespassed on Onigashima?!"

"Arsenal!!" Kaido's expression changed drastically. He rushed in, charging headlong into the depths of Onigashima.

An empty research lab, overturned medicine bottles, crushed Glasses, and a pair of "Caesar" brand slippers lying on the floor, still covered in blood bubbles...

"The armory—it's burned down!!"

"Caesar —he's dead!!"

"The statue—it's headless!!"

Kaido roared to the sky, unleashing a furious cry that shook Onigashima: "Aaaaah!! Who is it?!"

Just then, footsteps sounded.

Yamato slowly emerged from behind the stone pillar emitting black smoke, his body still bearing the dust marks and minor injuries left from the battle.

Kaido glanced at it, unusually suppressing his anger, and his tone even showed a hint of concern:

"What happened to you? Did someone bully you?!"

Yamato looked up at him, her expression more serious than ever before. "Kaido, I've figured it out."

Kaido was taken aback. "Oh?"

Yamato a deep breath, and said firmly, "I can... no longer be a man like Kozuki Oden!"

Kaido was stunned upon hearing this, his eyes welling up with tears. He threw his head back and laughed loudly, "Haha!! Good!! Yamato, you finally--"

"Because I've decided to become a man like Roy!!"

"..."

The air was silent for a full three seconds.

Kaido's smile crumbled little by little, his eyes twitched, and he nearly slipped and fell, grabbing onto a broken statue beside him for support. His face was as black as the bottom of a pot. "You... you said... who???"

Yamato's face was full of anticipation, his eyes sparkling. "Roy!! I heard he's stronger than you, and he even defeated Whitebeard and Golden Lion!!"

"..."

"Where did you even hear that name?!"