It was undeniable that Teacher Kaido's lessons with his mace were far more effective than any standard training. Not only had Luffy and Carl managed to refine their advanced Haki skills through these brutal exchanges, but Zoro also seemed to have reached a sudden epiphany in the heat of battle. It was truly moving to think there were such selfless teachers left in the world who offered their services for free. Getting struck by Kaido's Thunder Bagua was no longer a sign of weakness; among this crew, it had become something to be envied.
Sanji and Law were currently rubbing their heads, deep in thought. They had felt a spark of inspiration during the chaos, though the exact nature of the power remained vague and out of reach for now. However, they both knew this feeling was the key to their next level of growth. If they could grasp it, their strength would skyrocket.
"Everyone, we need to thank Teacher Kaido for his help! Let's have a banquet today, hahahaha!" Luffy shouted, already grinning. He had found another excuse to throw a party, and the crew was more than happy to follow his lead.
After Sanji rested for a short while, he went to work in the kitchen. He began to prepare a feast using the special recipes he had been refining. Soon, the banquet was in full swing, filled with laughter and meat. In the days following the battle, the Straw Hat pirates remained on the island to continue their training. While the local striped pigs were still terrified of the newcomers, Kaido had already departed, leaving the forest a bit quieter. Despite the lack of a Yonko to fight, the training did not stop.
On the other side of the sea, Kaido flew through the clouds in a fit of rage. As he moved, he could not help but look back on his years as one of the Four Emperors with a sense of deep nostalgia. In that era, he had flown across the sea with absolute freedom. His only real challenges had come from Whitebeard, who had beaten him more than once, and the Marines like Garp and Sengoku, who had managed to send him to Impel Down in the past. Other than those legends, no one else had been his match. Big Mom was an old friend, and that red-haired brat, Shanks, usually fought him to a draw.
The era of the Four Emperors had been a good time for him. However, ever since the Straw Hats had started their journey, everything had changed. At the beginning, Luffy and that brat Carl had teamed up just to survive against him. Now, they were bold enough to challenge him one-on-one. The age of the Four Emperors had shifted into an age of Six Emperors—or perhaps seven. The Straw Hats were unique because they essentially had two emperor-level fighters in a single crew, and they had risen to power even faster than Blackbeard.
Kaido felt nothing but contempt for Blackbeard, but he truly hated Luffy and Carl. Every time he crossed paths with them, he seemed to lose more of his pride.
"Damn those Straw Hats! I'm not finished with you yet!" Kaido roared into the wind. The more he thought about his recent retreat, the angrier he became. He needed an outlet for his frustration.
Suddenly, Kaido spotted a strange man with a pig-like head running through the sky. Without a second thought, the dragon lashed out with his massive tail. The man turned pale with fear but had no way to dodge. He took the full force of the blow and was sent spiraling through the air, coughing up blood.
To Kaido's surprise, the pig-headed man did not fall into the ocean. Instead, he used a strange ability to stay afloat. Within ten seconds, the man's breathing became calm again. It appeared the injury was far lighter than it should have been. Even though Kaido hadn't used his full strength, a normal person should have been crushed.
"If I can't capture the Straw Hats, I'll take this pig instead," Kaido muttered. "He clearly has some strength. He probably ate a powerful Zoan-type Devil Fruit. He'll make a fine addition to the Beasts Pirates."
Kaido didn't care about the man's protests. He wrapped his tail around the stranger and flew toward Wano. The return trip was much faster than his search for the Straw Hats had been. He stopped briefly at Udon to drop the captive off with Quinn at the Prisoner Mine before flying back to Onigashima. It didn't take long for him to find his daughter.
"Yamato! Do you know a brat named Ace?" Kaido demanded, his voice booming with anger.
"What if I do?" Yamato replied defiantly. She was wearing her mask and holding her mace, looking ready for a fight. "What are you planning to do to Ace, Kaido?"
"Call me Father! Why are you always so rude, you b*****d daughter!"
"I am your son! I am not your daughter!" Yamato shouted back.
"I said from now on, you are my daughter! No one is allowed to argue with me!"
"I'm a son! I'm going to be a man, just like Oden!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Kaido snapped, smoke practically rising from his nose. "If you're so sure you're a man, why don't you try walking down the street shirtless!"
"I'll do it! I'm a man, and I'm not afraid of anyone seeing me!"
Kaido was fuming. No matter how much she insisted on her gender, her physical body was still that of a woman, and he refused to accept her claims. He then remembered the words of his subordinates and narrowed his eyes.
"Yamato, tell me the truth. Do you like that brat Ace very much?"
"Yes! I love Ace!" Yamato answered without hesitation.
Kaido's face twisted in rage. "So it's true! That b*****d Ace actually dared to go after my daughter. I'll kill him myself!"
"Kaido, stop! What are you going to do? I won't let you hurt him!" Yamato yelled, but her cries were useless. Kaido transformed back into a massive blue dragon and took to the skies once again. His target was now the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates. He was determined to settle the score with Ace.
Meanwhile, back with the Straw Hats, Luffy mentioned that he had something important to say to his brother. Carl pulled out a specialized Den Den Mushi to contact Marco. It had been expensive to gather so many high-quality snails, but they were essential for staying in touch with people like Dragon, Garp, Sabo, and the Whitebeard Commanders. Carl chose to call Marco because Ace was too reckless; he often got caught up in fights and accidentally burned his own Den Den Mushi with his fire powers. Marco was much more stable and his blue flames didn't harm the snails.
"Hello? Carl?" Marco's voice came through the receiver.
"Hey, Marco. Our captain wants to speak with his brother," Carl said, handing the device over to Luffy.
A moment later, Ace's voice echoed from the shell. "Luffy? What's going on? Are you actually missing your big brother already?"
"Ace, do you know someone named Yamato? The one who is Kaido's child?" Luffy asked.
"You know Yamato? Yeah, I know him. We have a great relationship," Ace replied.
"Ace, do you like Yamato a lot?"
"Of course! Yamato is a great person. I like him very much!"
Hearing Ace's honest answer, Luffy started to laugh, and the rest of the crew nodded in agreement. It seemed Carl hadn't been making things up; Ace really did have a deep bond with Kaido's daughter. In their minds, Yamato was already destined to be Luffy's sister-in-law.
"Ace, I know what you're thinking," Luffy said with a serious tone. "I heard Kaido has Yamato locked up. We should go and save her! My crew is heading to Wano soon, so you should come with us. Yamato is going to be my sister-in-law. If Kaido tries to stop you from marrying her, my friends and I will just have to take him down!"
"Sure, I'll be there... wait, what?" Ace stammered, his voice full of confusion. "Luffy, what are you talking about? Marriage?"
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