The atmosphere on the island became instantly awkward as the dust settled. Kaido, realizing he had been effectively checked by his own daughter, fell into a brooding silence and stopped shouting.
Aboard the pirate ships anchored offshore, the crew members who had remained conscious let out a collective, shaky breath of relief. Seeing the world-ending clash between Yamato and Kaido come to an abrupt halt felt like escaping a death sentence.
"Big Brother, you should be sober enough by now. It's time we get back to business," King said, stepping in to smooth over the tension and ease the heavy air.
"I told you, I'm not drunk!" Kaido retorted stubbornly. He huffed, reverting to his human form and landing heavily on the charred earth of the island. He looked deeply displeased, his mood souring further every time his gaze landed on Yamato, who stood nearby looking entirely too pleased with herself.
"Anyone who can still stand, get over to the island. We have more troublesome work ahead of us," King commanded, rubbing his temples as a headache began to form.
There weren't many people left standing on the ships. Most of the rank-and-file had been knocked cold by the overlapping waves of Conqueror's Haki emitted by the father and daughter. It would likely take a day or two for the weaker pirates to even wake up. Because Kaido and Yamato had turned a simple landing into a legendary duel, the expedition's progress had slowed to a crawl.
"At least they didn't keep going. That's a win in my book," Queen said, puffing on his cigar to soothe his frayed nerves. "Otherwise, this island would have been wiped off the map. Just thinking about the collateral damage is scary."
A massive monster had truly given birth to a smaller, equally terrifying monster. They had only traded blows for a few minutes, yet the destruction was already immense. Queen couldn't help but wonder about the future; if this father-daughter pair ever had a real, prolonged fight, would anyone even be able to mediate?
"King, I'm officially making you the designated mediator for their family squabbles from now on," Queen added, deciding it was best to delegate that nightmare immediately.
King's eye twitched beneath his mask. "You're already planning how to dodge responsibility, aren't you? You're incredibly shrewd, Queen."
"Young Master has always been a relatively calm person. I don't think a full-scale war between them will happen," King added, choosing to place his faith in Yamato's restraint.
Queen rolled his eyes. "Don't forget, they share the same blood. They're both stubborn as mules. Anyway, I'm staying out of it. Even if the sky starts falling, you'll never see me trying to get between those two."
"Stop saying such spineless things. It's a waste of all that muscle and fat you've got on you," King said, sounding thoroughly unimpressed.
"Less nonsense from you! You wish you had my peak physique," Queen snorted.
Despite his words, King secretly shared Queen's concerns. Kaido and Yamato seemed incapable of being in the same space without bickering, and bickering led to drawn weapons. If they ever truly stopped holding back, the cleanup would be a nightmare.
"I just hope the Young Master doesn't inherit Big Brother's temperament entirely. If they must fight, I hope they at least pick an uninhabited rock in the middle of nowhere," King thought to himself.
"Yamato, you and Lord Kaido really gave us a heart attack just now," Black Maria said, exhaling a long, pent-up breath. "We honestly thought you were going to start a full-blown war right here on the coast."
"It's a good thing you stopped," Haruko agreed. "This island wouldn't have survived another ten minutes of that."
When the two of them fought, the sheer scale of power was overwhelming. Anyone who didn't know the truth would have assumed Kaido was battling a rival Yonko or a Marine Admiral.
"Haha, it wasn't that serious," Yamato chuckled, leaning on her club. "Though, if we weren't in the middle of a mission, I definitely would have finished what we started. Honestly, the idiot old man was probably more eager to keep going than I was."
Maria and Haruko shared a look, unsure of how to respond. They could only imagine the world-destroying spectacle of a serious, no-holds-barred match between the two Ogres.
"Don't worry," Yamato added with a wink. "If the old man and I ever really go at it, we'll make sure to pick a suitable place where we won't be interrupted."
"The location isn't really the problem here, is it...?" Maria muttered, feeling a bit helpless. The dynamic between this father and daughter was unlike anything they had ever seen.
Over the next five days, the Beasts Pirates focused on completing the occupation and setting up their administration on the island. Once the logistics were handled and the inhabitants properly "deterred," the fleet set sail once more. The rest of the journey proceeded smoothly, mostly because Kaido refrained from hitting the sake too hard.
"Hey, idiot old man! Why aren't you drinking? I'm still waiting for a chance to help you sober up again," Yamato would occasionally tease as she walked past him.
"Stinky brat, get out of my sight before I beat you to death!" Kaido would roar, unceremoniously chasing her off the deck. If the timing weren't so bad, he would have gladly shown Yamato the full extent of a "father's love."
"Hahaha! What's wrong, old man? Have you changed? You look like you're dying to hit me, but we're on a schedule, so you'll just have to hold it in!" Yamato laughed loudly as she made her escape.
Smash!
Kaido grabbed a heavy ceramic wine pot and hurled it fiercely at the door Yamato had just vanished through. His eyes were wide and bloodshot with irritation. "You little brat! Just wait until this expedition is over! I'll show you exactly how I plan to teach you a lesson!"
King and Queen stood near the doorway, observing the daily chaos from a safe distance.
"As expected of the Young Master. She's the only one who can actually get under Big Brother's skin like this. But if she keeps poking the bear, the eventual explosion is going to be massive," Queen remarked.
The executives all shared a similar thought, unable to decide if they were worried about the coming storm or secretly excited to see it happen.
Back on Jack's ship, Yamato found herself being stared at by Jack, Maria, and Haruko. "What's with the faces? Do I have something stuck in my teeth?" she asked with a grin.
"Yamato, you're out of your mind. Big Brother is going to deal with you sooner or later, and it won't be pretty," Jack said, his voice laced with annoyance at Yamato's constant smugness.
Yamato rolled her eyes. "Jack, why don't you try standing up for yourself for once? If you're a man, come and fight me yourself instead of waiting for my old man to do your dirty work every day."
"Hmph. Do I look stupid to you?" Jack snorted, crossing his massive arms. He knew exactly what would happen if he challenged her; he wasn't about to volunteer for a trip to the infirmary.
"You're not stupid, Jack. You're just a simpleton. Haruko, give me a cigarette," Yamato said, shaking her head.
Haruko immediately produced a pack and handed one over. Yamato took it and lit it with practiced ease, looking like a seasoned veteran. Jack's eye twitched at the sight. "Is she really going to become a chain-smoker now?"
If Kaido was a legendary drunkard and Yamato became a heavy smoker, the Beasts Pirates' leadership was going to be an interesting mess of vices.
"Jack, do you want one? It might help you relax," Yamato offered kindly.
"No thanks. I don't touch that stuff," Jack said with a look of pure disdain.
Yamato glanced at him and puffed out a cloud of smoke. "Truly a wild boar that can't appreciate fine rice."
"Pfft... that's actually a perfect description," Maria and Haruko said, immediately bursting into laughter.
"Damn it, Yamato! What did you call me?" Jack's eyes went wide like a bull's, his temper flaring.
Yamato just sighed. "Jack, you're not going to be hard of hearing like the old man already, are you? It's a bit early for you to be losing your senses."
Jack felt like he was about to spit out a mouthful of blood. He couldn't win a fight against her, and he certainly couldn't win an argument. Frustrated beyond words, he simply turned and stomped away to the other side of the ship to avoid further humiliation.
"What a simpleton," Yamato said, watching him go with an amused smile. Maria and Haruko couldn't help but laugh along; they had realized lately that Jack was surprisingly entertaining whenever Yamato was around to rile him up.
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