Three years had passed, and Ian was already eight years old.
Compared to three years ago, he had grown quite a bit taller. The baby fat had faded from his face, gradually revealing the handsome features of a young boy.
Yamato beside him had also grown a lot. Her hair had reached her lower back, though her little face was still round and looked adorable.
The little girl carried a spiked club as tall as she was on her back. Standing atop the giant Fuga's back, she looked full of high spirits. "Hehe, this is the first time Dad has let us come out on a mission. We can't let him down!"
Ian looked troubled. "I don't think this is anything worth being happy about."
"Wahahaha! We're the Beasts Pirates' strongest duo!"
Yamato repeatedly slapped Ian on the shoulder, raising her chin slightly with the air of someone invincible beneath the heavens. "Together, we can defeat any kind of opponent!"
"Gao!"
The giant beneath their feet happily responded as well.
"See? Fuga thinks so too!"
Yamato stomped her foot.
"Ya... ma... to... stron... gest!"
The giant named Fuga mumbled in agreement with Yamato.
He was not very good at speaking.
Not long ago, Teacher Kai had bought several artificial Ancient Giant Tribe members from the World Government—the future Bravens. This time, though, he had only bought three.
Fuga was one of them.
Strictly speaking, Fuga and the other two were failures of the artificial Ancient Giant Tribe experiment. Otherwise, the government would not have sold them. But they were not complete failures either.
They did seem rather dim-witted, but their combat power absolutely surpassed that of ordinary Giant tribe members. For the Beasts Pirates, that was already enough.
Fuga was the assistant Teacher Kai had assigned to Ian and Yamato. Back on Onigashima, the two had gotten along quite well with him.
Ian looked at the increasingly close castle tower, but he was not excited. He could not be as optimistic as Yamato.
He had never liked fighting to begin with, and the enemy Teacher Kai had arranged for them this time was no pushover.
"S-Stop! Stop right there!!"
A terrified shout came from below. "Who... who are you people?!"
The samurai guarding the castle tower drew their swords with trembling hands, mustering their courage to stand in Fuga's path.
Before Fuga, who stood fifty or sixty meters tall, they were as tiny as rats. Standing before that monster, all they could feel was an instinctive, genetic terror of a predator!
"Tell that Kurozumi Orochi guy to come out!"
Yamato looked down from above with a smug expression. "Tell him Yamato is here!"
Yamato?
Who was that?
The samurai had no idea who Yamato was, nor did they know where this cocky white-haired girl had come from. But that did not stop them from running into the castle tower as though they wished their parents had given them two more pairs of legs.
Who Yamato was did not matter. That giant was terrifying!
More samurai soon poured out of the castle tower, immediately surrounding Fuga.
From the upper levels of the castle tower, many agile figures sprang out like fleas and landed on the surrounding rooftops, watching Fuga and the two atop his head warily.
"Oh!! They're ninjas!!"
Yamato stared at those nimble figures in amazement. "It's my first time seeing them!"
She really was incredibly dense.
Ian sighed inwardly. Could she not see that every one of those ninjas and samurai was armed?
"You are... Kaido's daughter!"
A tall man with painfully disproportionate proportions and thick, stubby limbs emerged from a balcony near the top of the castle tower, surrounded by a group of guards. He was at just the right height to meet Ian and Yamato's gaze atop Fuga's head.
Ian studied the man from afar. He had purple hair, a face that could only be described as ugly, and obvious panic still written all over it. A crown sat crookedly on his head.
The man was studying them as well, especially Yamato. He had recognized her identity.
"And..."
He then looked at Ian. "Kaido's disciple!"
Kurozumi Orochi had been to Onigashima before. He had seen both Yamato and Ian.
"That's right! I'm Yamato, and this is Ian!"
Yamato raised her chin, then patted Ian on the shoulder again as she looked at Orochi. "You're Kurozumi Orochi, right?!"
She did not recognize Kurozumi Orochi at all.
"Where are the others?"
Kurozumi Orochi asked instinctively.
"The others?"
Yamato looked at Ian, then lowered her head to glance at Fuga's head. "There aren't any others."
"That Kaido..."
Kurozumi Orochi instantly grew furious. "He only sent you two brats? What can you possibly do!"
Ian happily clapped his hands at that. "That's great, Yamato. Let's go back."
Who wanted to help this idiot kill people?
"Huh?"
Yamato's brows shot up. She first glared at Ian. "What are you talking about, Ian? I don't want to! And besides!"
Then the little girl looked at Kurozumi Orochi in irritation. Crossing her arms and lifting the corners of her eyes, she looked like a delinquent girl. "You bastard, you actually dare look down on us! Are you asking for a beating?"
Looking at Yamato's cocky expression, Ian could not help feeling deeply moved.
How adorable Yamato had been back then.
Teacher Kai, your crimes were unforgivable!
"Please don't misunderstand, Lady Yamato."
At that moment, an old woman guarding Kurozumi Orochi's side hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over. She tugged at Orochi's sleeve to remind him while repeatedly bowing to Yamato.
"General Orochi is not questioning your strength. It is only that this target is extraordinarily powerful. You are Lord Kaido's daughter and disciple, and General Orochi is simply worried that you might be harmed."
Ian briefly sized her up.
She should be Kurozumi Semimaru, the imitation fruit user.
And the old man beside her was Kurozumi Senmaru, the Barrier-Barrier Fruit user.
"Isn't that still looking down on us?"
Yamato snorted. "Ian and I are the strongest combination! Stop wasting time and lead the way! I'd like to see just how powerful this guy is!"
"Th-This..."
Kurozumi Semimaru looked at Kurozumi Orochi with concern.
She truly was worried.
If Kaido's daughter and disciple really died in the Flower Capital, they would have to face the wrath of the Beasts Pirates!
"Hehe, if you want to go, then go ahead."
Kurozumi Orochi thought that since this white-haired brat had dared insult him, he would let her suffer a little. "Fukurokuju, have someone take them to Flower Capital's Hyogoro!"
Fukurokuju was the bald ninja protecting Orochi and the leader of the Oniwabanshu. He respectfully replied, "Yes."
Kurozumi Senmaru broke out in a cold sweat.
Did this idiot general not consider the consequences at all?
It was a little ridiculous.
Kurozumi Semimaru hurriedly said, "Senmaru, go with them too. Protect the two of them."
Senmaru possessed the Paramecia Barrier-Barrier Fruit. Even Kozuki Oden could not break through his barriers. With him there, these two brats' safety would at least be guaranteed.
The thin old man nodded. He understood what Semimaru meant. "I understand. Leave it to me."
"And Fukurokuju!"
Kurozumi Semimaru looked at the bald ninja again. "Bring the entire Oniwabanshu with you! Make absolutely certain nothing goes wrong."
Fukurokuju looked toward Orochi.
Orochi wanted to say something else, but Kurozumi Semimaru kept tugging at his sleeve. In the end, Orochi could only nod. "Then do that."
"Yes, Lord Orochi."
Fukurokuju went to gather his ninjas.
He had several hundred ninjas under his command, making them a powerful fighting force as well.
"I don't care who goes. Just hurry up and lead the way."
Yamato urged.
"Then please follow me, you two."
Kurozumi Senmaru's attitude was also very respectful. "Next, I will lead you to subjugate the leader of the ronin entrenched in the Flower Capital, Flower Capital's Hyogoro!"
Flower Capital's Hyogoro—this was the homework Teacher Kai had assigned Ian and Yamato this time.
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