A Dejected Yamato

"Cooked and eaten?"

Oden's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he said in disbelief, "That's not what I heard! The legend says Kaido eats people—I always thought it was fake!"

"Of course it's fake!"

Sirius said speechlessly, "Uncle Kaido probably wouldn't want to eat oden like you."

"Huh? Aren't you cooking oden?" Yamato asked in confusion.

Sirius stroked his chin. "If I had to say, it should be fried, right?"

"Is that really the point?"

Oden's mouth twitched. "Kid, I'm about to die, you know. I'm about to be boiled to death."

"Why don't you escape, Oden?"

Sirius looked at the handcuffs, shackles, and collar binding Oden, all connected to a thick chain that extended deep underground.

For ordinary people, these might have been restraints impossible to break free from, but that probably wasn't the case for Oden.

Even if they were all forged from Seastone, so what? With Oden's strength, escaping prison while wearing shackles wouldn't have been difficult.

"Don't say something so foolish, kid. What binds me isn't these things." Oden shook the restraints on his body.

Sirius understood at once.

Was it the Red-Sheath Samurai, or the citizens of the Flower Capital?

Yamato had no idea what they were talking about. Only then did she suddenly realize. "Oden, are you going to die?"

She grabbed Sirius's sleeve. "Sirius! Let's go find Father! Make him release Oden!"

Just as when she had become friends with Sirius before, children formed friendships easily. After merely listening to stories all night, Yamato had already considered Oden her friend.

"Don't do anything stupid, little girl!"

Oden suddenly said seriously, "As a samurai, I haven't fallen so low that I'd let a little girl beg an enemy on my behalf!"

"But—"

Yamato shouted, "Oden, you're going to die!"

Even though she was only eight years old, Yamato, who had been born into the Beasts Pirates, had long understood what death meant.

"No one can avoid death."

A smile gradually spread across Oden's face. "And we don't have the sort of relationship where you can plead for me, do we, little girl? I only told you stories to pass the time. Don't just decide we're friends on your own. We're enemies!"

"Oden is a huge idiot!"

Yamato made a face at Oden. "I don't care! I'm going to find Father!"

Little Girl ran off in a flash.

Sirius watched her departing back but did not move.

"Kid, what about you? Aren't you going after her to talk her out of it?" Kozuki Oden raised an eyebrow. "Kaido actually has a daughter like that? If you don't stop her—"

"She really will go find Kaido!"

"I can't stop her."

Sirius turned back to face him.

Yamato's stubbornness was probably no less than Straw Hat Kid's.

"Just like I can't stop Uncle Kaido either."

Sirius sat down cross-legged on the ground. "All right, Uncle Oden, please continue last night's story."

"Huh!"

Oden was shocked. "What's wrong with you, kid? Can't you read the mood? Is this the time to talk about that?"

"Because I'm really curious. I almost couldn't sleep last night."

"Who cares about that? Is that the issue here?"

"If I have to give another reason," Sirius thought for a moment, "since Yamato has already fallen out with you, it's now my responsibility to go back and retell her the story after hearing it from you."

"You brat."

Kozuki Oden shook his head helplessly. "Since you want to hear it, and I'm bored anyway, then let's continue."

Kozuki Oden began telling the story of how he met Roger and then went on adventures with him.

He went on for another entire morning. Only when Sirius's stomach began to growl did he stop the increasingly animated Oden. "Uncle Oden, I'm hungry. I'm going back for lunch, and I'll come find you again this afternoon."

"What do you take me for? A geisha you summon and dismiss whenever you please?" Kozuki Oden said speechlessly.

"As payment, I'll bring you some food. How about fried oden?"

Sirius stood up, brushed the dust off his backside, and prepared to leave.

"I'll never acknowledge that stuff as oden!"

Just as he turned around, Oden's voice came from behind him. "But, kid."

"Hm?" Sirius turned around. Oden was looking at him.

Oden smiled. "Even after you grow up, don't forget the joy of exploring the unknown."

Sirius froze for a moment, then turned back around. "Of course! One day, I'll take my companions and set foot on every island in the sea, holding a feast on every single one!"

"That's the greatest and happiest thing I can imagine."

"..."

Kozuki Oden was stunned. He stared blankly at Sirius.

"What's wrong?" Sirius was somewhat bewildered by the way he was looking at him.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Kozuki Oden burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears even came to his eyes.

Oden's laughter made Sirius's scalp tingle. Was this guy having a seizure?

"Kid, bring paper and a pen this afternoon," Kozuki Oden suddenly said.

"Why?"

"It's nothing. I want to give you a gift."

Thoroughly confused, Sirius returned to Orochi's Tenshukaku.

He did not go eat immediately. Instead, he spent some time looking for Yamato.

Soon enough, guided by the Beasts Pirates, he found her in her room.

The Little Girl sat curled up in the corner of the room, hugging her knees with her face buried in her arms.

Sirius walked over to her and said, "Come on, it's time for lunch, Yamato. I'll tell you the story Oden told me this morning."

"I went to ask Father to spare Oden."

Yamato said in a muffled voice, "But Father called me an idiot."

"Try considering Uncle Kaido's position, idiot."

Sirius bent down and rubbed Yamato's soft hair. "Oden is his enemy, you know. An enemy he only managed to capture after great difficulty."

"Oden is my friend."

Yamato raised her head. The Little Girl pouted miserably. "I don't want him to die."

Yamato's face was bruised and swollen, and she had lost another tooth.

Uncle Kaido had beaten her up.

It was not exactly surprising.

Sirius sighed softly. After all, this was a man who could throw his daughter in with his enemy and nearly starve her to death over a single remark.

This time, he had gone relatively easy on her.

But Sirius understood Yamato too.

The Kozuki Oden who had returned to his country was an indecisive man. It was his naivety and hesitation that had allowed Wano Country's situation to deteriorate to this point. He was about to die as well. He had failed Wano Country, his loyal retainers, and the family who loved him.

He had wronged many people, but Sirius and Yamato were not among them.

Setting aside their positions and identities, Kozuki Oden really was an easygoing person.

At the very least, Sirius had a very good impression of him.

Not to mention Yamato, who was a genuine little kid.

She did not understand anything about positions or identities. She only knew that her new friend, the one who told her stories, was going to die.

"Come on, let's eat." Sirius held out his hand and used his sleeve to wipe Yamato's face.

"But, Sirius..."

Yamato reached out and grabbed Sirius's hand, sniffling. "Oden, he—"

Sirius said seriously, "That's not how you treat a friend, Yamato."

Yamato asked in confusion, "Eh? Why?"

"If he's your friend, then shouldn't you respect Oden's wishes?"

Sirius took Yamato's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Does he want our help? Does he need our help? Do you know what Oden himself thinks? Don't force your own thoughts onto him."

"I don't understand..."

"Come on. Let's deal with your injuries first, then get something to eat, and then go find Oden. Ask him properly what he thinks."

There was no point talking to Yamato about positions or identities. She simply did not understand.

The person who tied the knot had to be the one to untie it. Since Oden had caused this trouble, he could resolve it himself.

While Sirius took Yamato to lunch, Kaido and Orochi were also eating on the top floor of the Tenshukaku.

"Guhuhuhuhu, I never expected you to have such a naive daughter," Orochi said with a mocking grin.

"Cut the crap. I don't need you telling me how to raise my daughter."

Kaido, who was drinking, snorted coldly.

But clearly, he was somewhat displeased as well.

Kurozumi Orochi was quite tactful. Wisely changing the subject, he said with a grin, "By the way, Kozuki Toki is here. Guhahahaha! She's quite a beauty too. Just as naive as her husband—she actually said she wanted to see Oden!"

"Let her see him."

Kaido set down his sake gourd and said so.

"Huh? Kaido, are you serious?"

"She can't change anything anyway, can she?"