Maria and Yamato

"Mr. Kaido, what exactly is going on with that kid?"

In a room at the very top of Onigashima, Kaido was speaking with his two most capable subordinates when King asked this question.

"Wororororo, it was quite a coincidence, really."

Kaido picked up a massive sake gourd and took a huge gulp, casually wiped his mouth, then grinned. "I happened to land on the Desert Island where he was."

"Muhahaha, isn't he just another version of those two brats, Jack and Maria?" Queen, seated on the other side, could not help but burst into laughter. "Boss Kaido, you really are good at picking up kids."

"That kid is special."

Kaido set down the sake gourd and raised his right hand, showing his wrist to the two subordinates.

"This is...!"

King stood up in shock.

He saw several circular scars on Kaido's wrist.

"He left scars on me that can't be erased!"

Kaido withdrew his hand and grinned. "He has abilities on the same level as mine!"

"A Mythical Zoan?"

Queen slowly exhaled as the shock on his face gradually faded. "Then that kid really is incredible! Jack is completely outclassed."

"Please leave him to me, Mr. Kaido."

King immediately said solemnly, "I will train him into a pillar of the Beasts Pirates!"

"I feel at ease leaving him to you."

Kaido nodded lightly. "Sirius came at just the right time. Yamato has found the best possible opponent. Wororororo, monsters should indeed grow alongside monsters!"

"Once they grow up, we'll become the strongest pirate crew on the seas!" King sounded somewhat excited.

"Wororororo!!"

Kaido laughed heartily as well.

"Muhahahaha!!" Queen joined in.

For a moment, the room was filled with cheerful energy.

"Cough, cough. Oh, right, Boss Kaido."

Halfway through laughing, Queen suddenly remembered something. He coughed twice and said seriously, "Word has come from Orochi. Kozuki Oden seems to have more or less realized that he's been fooled. War should be imminent. Orochi wants us to head over immediately."

Kaido's eyes lit up at once. "Double happiness!! Has this day finally arrived? Wororororo!! Notify Orochi!"

"Prepare for war!"

"So you were picked up by Uncle Kaido too?"

Sirius sat on Jack's shoulder, looking around at the surroundings while chatting with him.

Once Jack started talking, he no longer kept up his cool facade. After all, he was only eight years old.

Under Sirius's questioning, Jack laid out his entire background and life story.

Jack's parents were fish-men living in the human world. Needless to say, their lives had not been happy.

A few years ago, Jack's family encountered a human slave-catching crew. To protect Jack, his parents desperately bought him time, and both eventually died.

Jack, wandering alone, was lucky enough to eat a Devil Fruit. Then he met Kaido, who brought him back and casually wiped out that slave-catching crew for him.

"Boss Kaido is my great benefactor!"

Jack declared with conviction, "I'll definitely become one of the Beasts Pirates' greatest banners, repay Boss Kaido's kindness, and make him the Pirate King!"

"Yeah, you definitely can," Sirius agreed.

Jack froze for a moment. He turned to look at Sirius and asked in astonishment, "You think I can do it?"

"Of course!"

Sirius stood up and stretched out his little arm to pat the top of Jack's head. Good lord, this kid's head alone was nearly as tall as Sirius himself.

Sirius had to raise his hand just to make that motion.

He smiled. "Uncle Kaido told me before that this sea is vast enough to hold any crazy dream. Your dream isn't so great that it surpasses this world, is it?"

"...Hehe."

Jack suddenly scratched his head and gave a silly grin. He suddenly felt that this kid competing with him for the position of Third Calamity was quite likable.

He suddenly broke into a run. "Come on, I'll take you to Maria and Yamato! I'll introduce you to them."

Grabbing a lock of Jack's hair with one hand to keep his balance, Sirius swung a fist. "Then charge ahead, Jack! Toward our dreams!"

"Yeah!!"

Jack strode forward excitedly, fired up!

When the little giant-like Jack started running, the wooden floor trembled continuously.

Though he looked somewhat chubby, Jack had excellent stamina. He sprinted all the way without showing any sign of being out of breath.

"They should be here! They're usually here around this time."

Jack stopped in front of a huge door.

Sirius looked up. Yeah, it was enormous compared to him, but it was normal-sized for Jack.

Knock, knock, knock.

Jack politely raised a hand and knocked on the door.

Sirius's ears twitched. Footsteps sounded from behind the door.

The door was pulled open.

A youthful face peeked out from behind it.

She looked at Jack. "Oh, it's Jack. What is it?"

She was looking at Jack, not looking up at him.

This girl was in the same height class as Jack, with an astonishing height of over four meters.

She had golden hair tied up into a bun with several small knife-like hairpins. She wore a somewhat elaborate kimono. Though enormous, she was a very cute girl.

One of the future Flying Six, Black Maria.

"Maria, where's Yamato? Is she here?"

Jack asked.

"Yamato!"

The girl named Maria turned around and called into the room, "Jack's looking for you."

Then she turned back, stepped aside, and said, "Come in."

Jack nodded dully and stepped into the room.

It was a spacious room, but there were no lights, making it quite dim.

The room's only source of light came from a bug.

It was a snail.

Sirius looked curiously at the snail placed atop a raised platform at the back of the room.

It was a Den Den Mushi.

Two beams of light shone from the Den Den Mushi's eyes, spreading outward before projecting an image onto a white screen on the wall across the room.

They were actually watching a movie!

"Jack, did Father send for me?"

A childish voice rang out.

Sirius lowered his head and saw a little white-haired girl.

She wore a white kimono over red hakama shorts and wooden sandals. Her white hair was tied into a ponytail, gradually fading into a beautiful blue at the ends, and she had a pair of red horns on her head.

Like Black Maria, she was a very cute little girl.

"Boss Kaido told me to bring Sirius over so he could get to know you two."

Jack answered honestly.

"Sirius?"

The white-haired little girl, Kaido's daughter Yamato, blinked. "Who's that?"

Sirius jumped down from Jack's shoulder and greeted them with a grin. "Hello."

"Ah! What a cute child!"

Black Maria, who had closed the door and walked over, covered her mouth and chuckled when she saw Sirius. "It seems Mr. Kaido has made another find today."

"Cute?"

Sirius raised a hand and shook his messy hair, which he had casually torn loose, then looked up happily and asked.

"Yeah, super cute!"

Black Maria said exaggeratedly, then added disdainfully, "At least much cuter than Jack."

"Hey!" the not-cute Jack said angrily.

"Thank you. You're cute too." Sirius's eyes curved into crescents. Being praised made him very happy.

"I got complimented by a cute child."

Black Maria covered her face with both hands, looking deeply moved. "I'm so happy!"

She was clearly only a few years older than him, yet she was trying hard to act like an elder.

Sirius thought with a smile, What a cute kid.

"Your name is Sirius?"

At that moment, Yamato came over to Sirius and looked him over with great curiosity.

Yamato was two years older than Sirius and more than a head taller than him.

Although Yamato's adult build could not compare to her father's, she would still be nearly three meters tall, so Sirius still looked somewhat small in comparison.

"You're Yamato, right?"

Sirius held out his hand toward her. "Uncle Kaido mentioned you to me. I'm Sirius, a newcomer who joined the Beasts Pirates today. From today on, we're companions."

Yamato froze for a moment, then suddenly became delighted. She eagerly reached out and took Sirius's hand. "Yeah, I'm Yamato. From today on, we're companions!"

Children's friendships were simple, and even simpler for cute children.

"My name is Black Maria."

Black Maria said happily, "Sirius, you can just call me Maria."

"Hello, Maria."

Sirius naturally went along with it.

"Hello, Sirius!" Maria replied with a smile.

"Sirius, do you want to watch the movie with us?"

Yamato tugged on Sirius's hand and pointed at the screen. "Father got it from overseas. It's really interesting!"

"I'm interested,"

Sirius released Yamato's hand and rubbed his stomach, looking troubled. "But I'm really hungry right now."

He had not eaten anything since meeting Kaido.

"I know where there's food! I'll take you to eat!"

Yamato excitedly grabbed Sirius's hand and ran toward the door.

"Wait for me, Yamato!"

Black Maria smiled and chased after them.

Jack walked at the back, following along dully.