"Old man, do you have anything else you want to ask? Don't say anything childish; it's embarrassing and beneath your status," Yamato continued, her tone shifting to one of seasoned confidence.
Garp could see clearly now that Yamato knew far more than he had imagined. She didn't act like a typical young pirate in her twenties at all; she possessed a perspective that was far too sharp. Trying to fool her or lead her into a trap was definitely out of the question.
"Brat, what Kaido is doing is surely a bad thing. With your strength, aren't you going to stop him?" Garp asked, changing the subject to test her morality.
"Old man, many things in this world cannot be simply distinguished by good or bad. Just as the world isn't black and white, you should know that better than I do," Yamato replied. "No matter who it is, sometimes they should go with the flow rather than go against it. I am Kaido's daughter; it's impossible for me to turn my fangs against him. But, if you Marines can beat my idiot old man down and set him straight, I have no objection."
Her words left Garp with no way to rebut. He sighed, looking at her with a mix of respect and regret. "Yeah, no matter what, you two are father and daughter, connected by blood." He understood now that it was impossible to pull Yamato over to the Marine camp to oppose her father.
"Speaking of which, the reason my idiot old man became like this is also related to you Marines. There's a good saying: an unhappy childhood needs a lifetime to heal. My idiot old man is a prime example of that," Yamato remarked casually.
Garp listened, stunned. Kaido becoming a monster was related to the Marines? He thought back carefully to the history of the Rocks Pirates and the God Valley incident. Truth be told, there actually was a connection between the World Government's actions and the rise of the current Yonko.
"Well... brat, that's a good saying. An unhappy childhood needs a lifetime to heal. It sounds quite reasonable, hahaha," Garp awkwardly changed the subject. He definitely couldn't admit it aloud; if he conceded that the Marines played a part in Kaido's descent into villainy, the Navy would be at fault.
"Don't worry, old man. Someone will come to deal with my idiot old man sooner or later. But we need to wait a bit first. Although I'd like to count on you Marines, you don't seem to have that much courage right now, so let's just wait," Yamato said, waving her hand dismissively.
"Deal with Kaido? Who?" Garp didn't believe it. If Yamato had said that person was her, it might be believable given her growth. But she had already stated she wouldn't strike her father down.
"Of course, it's someone from the future. Someone chosen by the era to break the abnormal rules of this world—a fellow who can't be described by common sense," Yamato laughed. At the thought that the person she was talking about was actually Garp's own grandson, she had to suppress the urge to burst out laughing.
"Could such a fellow really exist?" Garp picked his nose, feeling like Yamato was just spinning a yarn to mess with an old man.
Yamato, however, was very certain. "Of course they will. Hasn't Roger already laid the groundwork?"
Suddenly hearing Roger's name, Garp couldn't help but fall into a deep memory of his old rival. "Roger..."
"Alright, old man, let's stop here. We can't talk any longer. If we keep talking, I'll be fine, but your trouble will be great," Yamato sensed an unusual presence nearby and immediately ended the conversation.
Garp snapped back to reality and nodded, understanding the need for a performance. "Brat, it's time to say goodbye."
"Yeah, time to say goodbye, old man!" Yamato grabbed the spiked club beside her.
Boom!
In the next second, Yamato and Garp swung a final strike simultaneously. Red and black lightning burst forth from the point of impact, sweeping through the environment like a hurricane. Dust and smoke billowed into the sky, and stones flew as both figures were sent flying backward by the artificial shockwave.
"Old man, you've still got it! However, I have an expedition to go on and no time to waste here with you!" Yamato shouted through the dust, turning and leaving the crater.
"I really am getting old, unable to even take down a brat. But, what a little monster," Garp lamented loudly, though his true thoughts remained hidden behind his grin. He watched her figure disappear toward the coast.
"The brat from Kaido's family is too powerful. I must report this to Sengoku as soon as possible," Garp muttered to himself as if acting for any hidden observers, then turned back toward his warship.
At the shore, the crew of the Beasts Pirates was waiting anxiously. When the fluctuations of the final clash finally vanished, Yamato appeared from the woods.
"Yamato!" "Young Master!"
The moment they saw her, Maria and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, get on the ship quickly. Continue the expedition. I'm afraid the Marines might have an ambush waiting," Yamato ordered, waving her hand.
"Yes, Young Master!" The subordinates immediately executed the order and returned to the ship. Soon, the vessel moved away from the shore and sailed into the open sea, leaving Siguri Island behind.
"Yamato, are you okay?" Maria asked, scanning her for injuries.
"What are you saying, Maria? Do I look like I'm in trouble? Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. However, that old man's fists are really something. They're even more powerful than my idiot old man's spiked club," Yamato smiled. She knew Garp had only come to test her, so he hadn't fought with true killing intent.
"You really make it sound easy. That was the Hero of the Marines, Vice Admiral Garp," Maria said, shaking her head. On the great seas, how many pirates were qualified to trade blows with Garp and manage to retreat unscathed? Even if Kaido were here, he would have to face that legendary figure with absolute focus.
"Young Master, why would that Marine hero appear here of all places?" Haruko asked, still curious.
Yamato thought for a moment. "That old man said he was just passing through, but I think he was likely coming for me, wanting to test my strength." She spoke with a mix of truth and lies to keep things simple.
"The Marines probably don't want to go to full-scale war with the Beasts Pirates right now, so he only tested your strength instead of going too far," Maria reasoned.
"If it weren't for the Governor's deterrence, Yamato, you would have been in real danger," Jack added gruffly.
"That's true. If it weren't for my idiot old man, that Marine geezer might have tried to wipe us all out. Today was truly dangerous, haha!" Yamato laughed lightheartedly. Jack's eyes twitched at the sight; he couldn't understand how she could be so relaxed after such a brush with death.
"Alright, never mind the Marines. Let's just continue our expedition," Yamato said, ending the topic. She had achieved a massive breakthrough thanks to Garp, and she intended to make the most of it.
On the other side, Garp had returned to the deck of his warship.
"Vice Admiral Garp, are you alright? How was the enemy? Were they defeated?" The Marine soldiers crowded around him, desperate to know the outcome of the battle.
Garp smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "That brat from Kaido's family is too powerful. It was too difficult for me to take her down alone. Truly worthy of being Kaido's child, hahaha!"
"Eh?!!" All the soldiers were shocked. "No way! Even Vice Admiral Garp couldn't take the opponent down?"
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