Sirius and Yamato returned to Kaido's back, looking down at Oden Castle below.
Blazing flames had completely engulfed the castle. Before long, it would likely collapse entirely.
"Worororororo! Let the flames completely cleanse away every trace of the Kozuki Clan!"
Kaido laughed loudly and lowered his head. "King!"
Below, beyond the flames, a black shadow shot into the sky from among the pirates surrounding Oden Castle. Within a few breaths, he had ridden the air currents to Kaido's side.
It was undoubtedly King, already transformed into a giant pterosaur.
"I'll leave this place to you,"
Kaido said. "Don't let anyone come out."
Though he could not be bothered to personally wipe out the last bloodline of the Kozuki Clan, he did not mind letting the flames devour everything.
"Please rest assured."
King nodded. "But Mr. Kaido, what if someone tries to go in?"
Sirius lowered his head and looked down. Several black figures darted out from the forest. After briefly clashing with the Beasts Pirates, they rushed straight into Oden Castle.
If nothing unexpected happened, they should have been Kozuki's samurai. After escaping the Flower Capital, they had rushed back without pause and finally returned to Oden Castle.
"Worororororo! The little fish that escaped the boiling pot ran back onto the grill by themselves? Isn't that perfect?"
Kaido laughed loudly. "Queen has arrived too. You two keep watch here. Don't let anyone leave alive!"
"Yes."
After giving King his orders, Kaido soared into the sky in a winding path, turned around, and flew into the clouds.
It seemed he was returning to Onigashima.
Everything was over.
Sirius relaxed completely, lying on Kaido's back and gazing up at the star-filled sky.
A lot had really happened on this trip.
He had witnessed the peak battle between Kaido and Oden.
He had become friends with Oden and listened to him recount his adventures.
Oden had even given him Enma.
But most importantly—
Sirius patted his chest. The sense of fulfillment was so clear.
Ancient Text—the stack of papers recorded knowledge of the Ancient Text.
This was the second gift Oden had given Sirius.
The Poneglyphs, which recorded all the world's secrets, were written in Ancient Text.
To uncover every secret, to reach Final Island, and to fulfill his dream of holding a banquet on every island, mastering the Ancient Text was indispensable.
After Ohara's destruction two years ago, Oden was the only person who understood the Ancient Text besides Nico Robin, who was still wandering West Blue.
Sirius had not even thought of this. He had merely wanted to hear Oden tell stories to satisfy his craving. He had never expected Oden to give him such a tremendous gift.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius suddenly glanced at Yamato beside him. She had her lips pursed and looked very unhappy.
Although she had only met Toki twice, she was still the family of a friend.
It was not strange for Yamato to feel down.
Unlike Kaido, Yamato was kind and full of justice.
Sirius did not say anything. He had already said everything that needed to be said.
Only by overcoming sorrow could people learn to mature. For Yamato, this might not necessarily be a bad thing.
But Uncle Kaido had indeed been a little too arrogant this time.
King and Queen could indeed stop anyone in Oden Castle from forcibly breaking out.
But they did not know that Oden Castle had an underground passage, nor did they know of Toki's ability.
In the end, this fire would not burn a single person to death.
Lady Toki, the only one who died, did not perish in the flames either.
The Kozuki legacy had not yet come to an end.
But that was something that would happen twenty years later.
Sirius quietly gazed at the stars as time slowly passed.
Soon, around midnight, they arrived at Onigashima.
Although it was already very late, Sirius and Yamato did not hurry back to rest. Instead, they dashed straight to the kitchen.
It could not be helped. Other than eating a little at noon, they had not even had a sip of water all day. Both Sirius and Yamato were starving.
The chefs quickly prepared a lavish midnight meal for them. Having already witnessed Sirius's appetite, they made a great deal of food, enough to fill two tables.
That suited Sirius perfectly.
Thus, amid Yamato's shout of "Sirius, let's settle this again!", Sirius began devouring the food.
But before they had eaten for long, Jack and Black Maria arrived after receiving the news.
Jack took the lead in shoving open the kitchen door, with Black Maria right behind him. The two ran over to Sirius and Yamato with heavy, thudding steps.
Sirius's mouth was stuffed full at the moment, leaving him no room to speak, so he waved at the two of them in greeting.
"You two went to the battlefield with the Kozuki Clan?"
Jack got straight to the point, his round face filled with shock.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm."
Yamato nodded repeatedly and said proudly, "Sirius smuggled me aboard the ship."
Black Maria sighed regretfully. "You actually succeeded. If I'd known, I should have gone with you."
She was not the sort of child who could stand being left out.
But then she asked excitedly, "So, Yamato, did you see Lord Kaido's valiant battle?"
"Of course!"
Yamato grew even more excited at the mention of that battle. "Father and Oden fought for days! They were practically evenly matched!"
"H-how is that possible!"
Black Maria's expression changed instantly as she said in disbelief, "Someone could actually fight Lord Kaido to a standstill?"
You're just too ignorant. These days, not only were there people who could match Uncle Kaido, there were even people who could defeat him.
Sirius finally swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "But after three consecutive days of nonstop fighting, Uncle Kaido won in the end."
"I knew it!"
Jack, who had been frowning anxiously, immediately beamed. "Boss Kaido is invincible!"
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm!" Black Maria nodded in agreement.
Why don't you two just get together already?
Sirius picked up a dinosaur leg and grumbled inwardly. They were the right age and height, and both were obsessive fans of Uncle Kaido.
"But who exactly is this Oden?"
Black Maria asked curiously. "How could he fight Lord Kaido to such an extent?"
"Oden?"
Yamato instantly perked up and said with some pride, "He's my friend! Want me to tell you about Oden's adventures?"
Jack and Black Maria looked at each other, then nodded at the same time. "Sure!"
They were also curious what kind of person could make their idol struggle so hard.
So, while Sirius ate for his life, Yamato told them stories for two hours. Only after they could no longer stay awake did they each go back to sleep.
The next day was the same. Jack and Black Maria did not have a favorable impression of Kozuki Oden, since to them, that man was a villain.
But the bizarre and magnificent grand voyage of Kozuki Oden as described by Yamato utterly fascinated them.
On the third day, King and Queen returned with the pirates.
Oden Castle had burned into ruins, and there was not a single living person left.
But they also brought back bad news.
Before her death, Toki had left behind a prophecy.
"When the world lies in darkness and the moon is like you, endure what remains until dawn.
After twenty years, when the nine shadows are cast, the rising sun shall come."
Before you continue