Yamato's Salvation

Wano Country Battlefield

The enormous corpses of Kaido and Linlin lay scattered in a pool of blood, the crimson glow of the setting sun reflecting off the blood.

The fall of these two Emperor of the Sea seemed to herald the complete end of an era.

The remaining Pirates had long lost their will to fight; their weapons clattered to the ground as they knelt on the blood-soaked, fire-stained earth, crying out for mercy.

"The Emperor of the Sea are all dead!!"

"We surrender! Please don't kill me!!"

The die-hard loyalists, unwilling to surrender, had barely raised their swords and spears when they were blasted into charred remains by Enel's Lightning Spears, their blackened bodies falling to the ground in the center of the Battlefield, accompanied by the acrid smell of burning.

A few surviving Camera Den Den Mushi broadcast this scene all over the world.

"The Emperor of the Sea... is dead!!"

"The Pirate Era... is finally coming to an end!!"

The world was shaken! Some wept bitterly, while others celebrated wildly, kneeling and laughing.

Cheers and shouts converged into a deafening roar, and the foundation of the Pirate era collapsed with a crash!

--In the center of the Battlefield, Ace slowly walked to Roy's side with Tama.

He unfolded the brand-new Justice Coat and solemnly draped it over Roy's shoulders.

Roy quietly buttoned his shirt, his cold gaze sweeping over the corpses and wails scattered on the ground. His voice was steady. "Clean up the Battlefield and treat the wounded."

Tama timidly hid behind Ace, her small figure trembling slightly, yet she couldn't help but steal glances at the man who had so easily defeated the Two Emperors.

Roy noticed her, and actually knelt down, reaching out to ruffle her soot-blackened hair, his voice gentle:

"You must be Tama? Ace often mentions you... You're very brave."

Tama's eyes reddened, tears rolling down her cheeks. She nodded frantically, choking out:

"Thank... thank you for saving everyone!"

Just then, a flash of lightning appeared.

Enel lazily carried a figure over his shoulder, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Roy, this guy's been yelling that he's Kaido's son... should we just chop him up?"

The figure, handcuffed with explosives and covered in blood, stubbornly struggled to raise its head and roar:

"I already said I'm not Pirate!! I want to protect Wano Country!!"

--That's Yamato!

Ace was taken aback for a moment, then broke into a long-lost smile, "Yo, Yamato! Long time no see!"

Yamato felt like she'd seen a savior, and with tears welling in her eyes, she cried out, "Ace!! Please explain for me!!"

Roy raised his hand, his fingertips tracing the air.

"Snap--!"

The power of space precisely severed the handcuffs, and the bomb fell to the ground with a dull thud.

Yamato stared blankly down at his finally freed hands, tears streaming down his face, his voice trembling:

"Mr. Roy, you... you believe me?"

Roy stood up, his gaze sharp. "I've checked your file. You've never participated in the Beasts Pirates' atrocities; on the contrary, you've repeatedly protected civilians."

"Yamato, your father was Tyrant —but you are not."

Yamato shuddered, tears streaming down his face. The heavy chains had broken not only his hands, but also the shackles that had weighed on his heart.

Just then, Ace's voice carried a hint of worry and hesitation. "Yamato... even though Kaido treated you that way, he is still your... father."

Roy is --"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yamato's heart tightened.

She subconsciously looked up at the enormous corpse lying in a pool of blood not far away.

--Dragon scales mottled, blood mist permeating the air;

The "Strongest Creature" that had suppressed Wano Country iron hooves is now silent.

The scorching smell of blood still lingered in the air, but in Yamato's heart, the heavy shackles that had bound him throughout his life finally shattered with a "crack".

A sense of relief. Liberation. Freedom.

This was her most direct feeling.

Countless nights, the cold iron chains and exploding handcuffs were branded onto my soul;

He was suffocated countless times by the fate of being treated as "Kaido's son" and "a tool for succession";

For countless years, the entire Wano Country was shrouded in the shadow of "Kaido".

But now, that shadow has vanished.

Yamato slowly exhaled, and for the first time, the oppressive feeling in his chest truly dissipated.

Even her breath felt sweet, as if the whole world was opening its arms to her.

However, when his gaze fell upon the enormous corpse once more, a complex emotion inevitably surfaced.

--Blood relation.

--Father.

Even with such cruel shackles, he was still the one who brought himself into this world.

Yamato's gaze wavered for a moment, but quickly returned to its original composure.

Deep within my heart, a voice whispered:

"If you weren't such Tyrant... if our father-daughter relationship weren't so twisted... maybe things would be different."

However, there are no "what ifs" in this world.

A touch of melancholy and regret swept through her heart, but it did not cause her to succumb; instead, it forged an even deeper resolve.

Yamato straightened his back and looked up at Roy.

--It was this man before her who ended Kaido, shattered her prison, and tore apart the nightmare of Wano Country.

An unprecedentedly intense light ignited in her eyes.

Let the old era be buried with it.

"And I, in this New Era, will protect the Wano Country, and protect true freedom!"

Yamato took a deep breath of the air thick with blood and fire, yet his mind remained as clear as water.

There was no wailing, no hypocritical mourning, and no blind revelry.

Only a heart that has truly broken free from its father's shadow can look up at the future with determination and freedom.

--Kaido's death was, for her, the complete shattering of her cage.

And she was finally able to truly be herself again.

Roy looked at Yamato, a hint of approval and scrutiny flashing in his eyes.

He had long understood her personality—cheerful, straightforward, hating evil, and with a burning sense of Justice.

These strengths are both her advantages and her strengths.

Roy spoke in a deep, resonant voice, each word like a bell. "Are you truly willing... to protect Wano Country?"

Yamato was stunned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

She had already made up her mind, so why did Roy still keep asking?

However, Roy offered no further explanation.

He simply turned around, his gaze sweeping over the ravaged Battlefield: "Issho, Enel... the cleanup is up to you."

Immediately afterwards, he stood with his hands behind his back, looking back at Ace, Tama, Zoro, Kuina, and Yamato, whose expression was still Yamato, and said calmly:

"You, come with me."

"The essence of Wano Country... If you can still hold fast to your original heart after seeing it—"

"It wouldn't be unreasonable for you to be the ruler of Wano Country..."

"Buzz--!"

Kaido and Linlin's remains vanished instantly, Spatial Ripples spread rapidly, and the six figures were swallowed up. The next instant, they appeared in the sky above the Flower Capital.

--The news of Kaido's defeat had already spread Wano Country.

But the scene before him was completely different from what Yamato had imagined.

The streets of the Flower Capital were deathly silent; the people looked blank and pale.

There were no cheers, no shouts, no ecstatic joy of freedom and liberation.

Only numbness and deep unease remained.

Suppressed whispers echoed through the streets, "Kaido... is he really dead...?"

Are we truly free?

"Could it be another... new Tyrant...?"

The air seemed to freeze, so stuffy it was suffocating.

Yamato's eyes widened suddenly, and his heart skipped a beat.

She had thought that Kaido's fall would bring her the same sense of liberation and ecstasy she felt.

At least—at least someone of Oden's bloodline should step forward and lead the crowd in raising their flags and shouting slogans.

However, reality was like a bucket of ice water, chilling her enthusiasm to the bone.

Roy squinted, his gaze fixed on the Shogun's Residence in the distance, and stroked his chin:

"Hmm... in terms of spatial location, the current Origin Point... is probably there."

He stood with his hands behind his back, leading a few people slowly toward the Shogun's Residence.

(PS: Momonosuke, what should we do?)