Chapter 126: Family Issues
From the moment I was born, from the moment I became aware of my surroundingsâit was a âworld of violence.â
My very first memory. What I first saw and felt was the image of a girl rocking me on the tatami floor.
"Here you go, Musashi-chan⥠Which sword do you like better? Personally, I recommend this black oneâit's harder and sharper... What do you think?"
"This oneâs cooler!!"
"Right~⥠Then Iâll give it to you!! Itâs a present!! Once you finish eating, want to try some practice swings?"
"Yeah! Iâll do it!!"
She had the same black hair and red eyes as me. That girl was a beast in human formâmy family.
The house I was born into was extraordinarily large. By most standards, you could say I came from a highly privileged lineage. Everyone I met treated me with reverence, bowed their heads, and spoke to me in polite language.
"Mu-Musashi-sama!! You mustnât go that way!! That areaâs no place for childrenâŚ!!"
"Young miss. Kaido-san and Nue-san are calling for you."
Musclebound men, sharp-eyed women, even giants well over five meters tall, and others with flames and black wings sprouting from their backsâevery single one of them cherished me.
I used to vaguely think they were all family. But I was told that wasnât the case.
Our family business is âpiracy.â Our name: the âBeasts Pirates.â One of the most notorious outlaw crews in the world.
My father is their bossââKaido of the Beasts.â Horns on his head, able to transform into a dragon, a bona fide monster. Everyone fears him. Whether itâs the people of Wano, our base, or pirates from across the seas.
"Hey, Musashi. Itâs almost time for dinner. What are you staring at?"
"My toy broke."
"What� Hey!! Somebody bring her a new one!!!"
"Y-Yes sir!! Right away!!"
"Hey, wait a second!! Isnât that where youâre supposed to say, âDonât play during mealsâ!?"
"Donât be so uptight. Manners donât matter."
"Itâs not about manners!! I just donât like it when she plays in front of food I made!! So no, Musashi!! Not allowed!!"
"Ehh..."
There are four people in my family, including myself.
Kaido and Nue. Two monsters. And one moreâ
"Hey Musashi!! Letâs go play!!"
"Ane-ue⌠Isnât it study time right now? If Father scolds you again, I wonât cover for you."
"Hmph⌠W-Who cares!? Iâm not scared of that!! Because I⌠am Kozuki Oden!!"
"âŚYour name is Yamato, isnât it?"
"âŚThatâs my other name!!"
âYamato. My sister, three years older than me.
By the time I became conscious of the world around me, she was already calling herself âKozuki Oden,â frequently causing trouble and getting beaten by our father.
Honestly, I think sheâs an idiot. Claiming the name of Kozuki Oden is problematic for us, who defeated him and took over the country, and it probably doesn't sit well with the remnants of the Kozuki faction either.
I could never understand her. Why would she keep calling herself Oden, even after being hit and scared by Father? Besides, Oden⌠lost to Father. Sure, he was exceptionally strong for a samurai, but to admire only him and try to become himâitâs beyond nonsense. Itâs insanity.
If youâre going to admire someoneâadmire all strong swordsmen.
"You want to hear stories about strong swordsmen?"
"Yes!!"
"Hmm⌠Strong swordsmen, huh⌠Then itâs either âHawk Eyesâ or âRed-Hairâ⌠Well, in our crew, itâd be âKingâ..."
"Then all of them!!"
"Youâre greedy⌠Well, Iâve got time, so why not?"
Since I was little, Iâve always had a vague admiration for swordsmen. Iâm not sure why. Maybe itâs because I was born into a world of samurai and swords, or maybe because Nue always showed me weapons. I even did trial cuts⌠Before I knew it, I liked swords. And I liked swordsmen.
Admiring weapons and warriors, growing up in a family where fighting is part of the business, surrounded by people who can all fightâit was natural that I, too, came to enjoy battle. Honestly, it was also just the way our family raised us.
"Ah, Musashi!! Take thisâfor killing that bastard Pe-tan!!"
"P-Please stop, sis!!"
"Hahaha, itâs been since yesterday, huh, stupid Ulti and crybaby Pe-tan!! Come crawling back for another beating from meâno, from us!?"
"Shut up!! Today Iâm gonna smash your head in!! Starting with Pe-tan!! Go!!"
"Ehh!? Why me firstâŚ!?"
The Beasts Pirates have training just for kids. Or more accurately, itâs training for the apprentices, loosely organized by Nue.
See, there are a lot of children around. But itâs not because we take in orphans or anything like thatâitâs simply that a decent number of kids are born into our crew.
Apparently, most major pirate crews reject women or have strict rules despite being pirates. But the Beasts Pirates are different. Weâve got plenty of men and women.
If youâre strong enough, we donât care if youâre male, female, child, or elderâweâll take you. So we have all kinds of people. And with many women around, itâs no surprise children are born too.
Those childrenâsome born into the crew, some from outside, some with mysterious backgroundsâare gathered at that training ground under Nueâs guidance.
"Okay~~!! Hello to all the good little kids~~~~~⪠Today too, letâs train hard with your big sis so you can all become strong and admirable pirates~~~~~!!!"
"Yes!!"
"Great response!! All right, letâs get started~âĄ"
Nue declared the beginning of training with a cheerful voice and bright smile.
It felt more like a picnic or a play session, but it wasnât. This was bloody combat training.
"Yaaah!!"
"Die!!"
"Youâre the one who should die!!"
Kids paired off in twos and beat each other up.
Blades and guns were technically banned. They used bare hands or wooden swords, and just pummeled each other senseless.
Thatâs all the training was. It didnât matter if you kept switching opponents or beat someone down until they couldnât moveâas long as you didnât kill them or cause permanent damage, anything went. And even those rules could change on a whim depending on Nueâs mood.
"âŚSâŚStopâŚ"
"Huh? Canât move anymore~?"
The rules were so loose that, naturally, there were always kids who ended up fatally injured.
"Aww⌠Poor thing. Even if we treat that, itâs not gonna help. Nothing we can do. âŚAnyone want to finish him?"
And at those times, Nue would call out casually, like it was nothing, to the group in front of the dying child.
Without fail, the same person would raise his hand.
"Iâll do it."
"Oh, Jack~⥠Even though you killed three yesterday, you still want more today? Arenât you greedy~âĄ"
"âŚIs that not allowed?"
"No no, itâs fine⥠Youâre just such a good boy, Jack, I got a little emotional!! So⌠here!! As a reward, go ahead and kill him however you like!!"
"âŚThank you very much."
"EepâŚ"
Among the Beasts Piratesâ apprentice kidsâthere was one true monster.
His name was Jack. Same age as my sister. Despite being an apprentice, he was already sent into real battles, and in this training ground, he was the first to raise his hand and, once given permission, would grin viciously as he tortured and killed kids his own age.
"Donât go near that guy, Musashi. Heâs insane. He kills people every day."
"âŚâŚâŚ"
Jack is a monster. Strongest among the kids. Not even Yamato can beat him, and the othersâUlti and Page One, who were already showing strength since they were littleâcouldnât win either.
And because of that, Jack wasânaturallyâNueâs favorite.
"There there, such a good boy~⥠As a reward, Iâll make your favorite: elephant steak!!"
"âŚThank you."
ăâŚâŚâŚâŚă
âŚYes, to Nue, a âgood kidâ is a strong one.
Nue liked childrenâbut especially the strong ones. If she took a liking to a child, she would bring them around with her and shower them with special treatment and affection.
âGrrr⌠damn Jack⌠Iâm so jealousâŚ!!â
And Nue was popular with the kids.
It wasnât just Ulti who got frustrated; to those without parents, Nue and Kaidoâtwo monsters who led the Beasts Piratesâwere figures of admiration.
Even Kaido, for all his ferocity, wouldnât go out of his way to hurt a child who looked up to him. And as for Nue, she was originally an idol who would put on smiles, sing, and dance for the children.
To the parentless kids, they were practically parental figures. In fact, Ulti adored Nue like a real mother, clinging to her constantly, and even Page One, who tried to act tough, and Jack, who rarely showed emotion, couldnât hide their fondness for her.
And when Nue watched over them⌠something stirred in her again.
âYouâre such a good kid~~⥠Youâre not strong physically yet, but you used your head to trap and kill your opponent!! Yes, yes!! That kind of thing is definitely a kind of strength!! For a still-weak child, that was actually a pretty solid move!!â
âTh-Thank youâŚ!!â
ăâŚâŚâŚâŚă
ââBack then, if I remember correctly⌠there was a boy who had used his wits to trick and kill someone, and he was being praised for it.
I donât even remember his face. But I remember the event clearly. After all, that day was⌠a very special one.
ââŚ? Whatâs wrong, Musashi-chan?â
ââŚMusashiâŚ?â
âââââDie.â
âHuhâ?â
I cut off the head of the boy being praised⌠in one clean stroke.
In that moment, the air in the room froze.
ââŚAh.â
And then it hit me. I realized my mistake.
I had just killed the one Nue had praised⌠someone she may have taken a liking to.
Why, why, whyâ!?
I froze in panic, shocked at my own sudden action. Yes, I was annoyed. I was pissed. He was weak but still got praised. I couldâve killed much better than him. It wasnât fair. How dare a weakling act cocky.
I could think of a few reasonsâbut none of them were worth killing over.
I didnât understand why I did what I did, and could only wait for Nue to get angry, or to say something.
ââBut that worry proved unnecessary.
ââŚâŚâŚâŚAhaâĄâ
â!â
Nue, in that momentâwore a terrifyingly radiant smile.
As if something truly delightful had dropped in her lap by chanceâshe smiled from ear to ear, then let out a squeal of joy.
âMusashi⌠youâre just⌠suuuuperrrrr good!!!!â
ââŚEhâŚ?â
âAs a reward, Iâm gonna give you a big kiss!! Mwahď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝âĄâ
â!!?â
Suddenly, she hugged me, ruffled my hair wildly, then planted a big kiss right on my lips.
âThatâs our girl!! Sure, blood isnât everything, but blood sure doesnât lie!! Woohoo!! Musashi-chanâs the best!! A beast of pure potential!!! Weâre calling everyoneâKaido, the whole gangâweâre throwing a party tonight!!!â
âW-WhatâŚ?â
I couldnât make sense of Nueâs unstoppable joy, and confusion swirled endlessly in my head.
The other kids probably felt the same. Why was she so happy even though her favorite just got killed?
Maybe he wasnât actually her favorite? Or maybe she liked the one who did the killing even more?
But the latter would later be proven falseâbecause another time, when a child Nue liked was being praised and a different child killed them⌠she coldly said âI donât like youâ and handed the murderer over to King.
In the end, no one ever figured out why Nue had been so happy that day. But a huge celebration was held, with not just the family but the entire Beasts Pirates joining in.
Our parties were always flashy and extravagant. Live performances by Nue and Queen, massive amounts of food and alcoholâit was excessive.
âYamato, Musashi. You two take these. Devil Fruitsâeat them.â
âI picked the perfect powers just for you!! Youâll get even stronger now!! Yay!!â
That day, Yamato and I were given Devil Fruits, told it was a good opportunity, and became ability users.
Yamato was extremely reluctant, but she was forced to eat hers. I didnât resist particularly. It tasted godawful, but I figured, if it made me stronger, I didnât mind not being able to swim. That night, I fell asleep still full of unanswered questions.
ââAnd then, the days of training resumed once more.
We lacked for nothing in life. Anything we wanted, we basically got.
And ever since eating the fruit, Iâd play hide-and-seek around the mansion, or sometimes sneak off into mainland Wano just to have a little adventure.
âWhat the hell do you think youâre doing, Musashi!! You trying to be a dumbass like Yamato!!?â
ââŚWhatâs the harm in going outside!? I get bored staying in the castle all the time!!â
âWhat did you just say!!?â
ââI got scolded. I got hit. But⌠I understood the logic.
Wano wasnât all that safe. The Kozuki remnants had supposedly been wiped out by the Beasts Pirates⌠but in truth, many were still hiding and bravely keeping up the fight.
And as the daughter of one of the Four Emperors, âKaido of the Beasts,â it wouldnât be impossible for me to be kidnapped and used as leverage.
Whether or not that would truly affect Kaido and Nue was another matterâbut it was undeniable that such a situation would be a blow to the Beasts Pirates.
So, logically, I got why I shouldnât sneak off. But stillâ
âHmm? You want to go out? Well⌠if itâs within Wano, I guess itâs fine? Do what you want.â
When I told Nue Iâd gone outside and gotten scolded by Kaido, thatâs how she responded.
I donât know how it works in other homes, but in ours, Kaido was the overprotective one, while Nue leaned more toward a hands-off approach.
Nue, in general, was hard to grasp. Kaido was terrifying but serious, straightforward, and easy to understand. Nue, on the other hand, was an adult who still chased idol dreams, had weird knowledge, and though cruel, was strangely gentle only toward children. She was full of contradictions.
Maybe thatâs whyâIâd long held a quiet dissatisfaction about something.
Why doesnât Mother Nue⌠acknowledge me, outwardly, as her own daughter?
I had never once heard Nue say to anyone that I was her biological child.
And the same went for everyone else. Theyâd all call me Kaidoâs daughterâbut no one, not a single person, ever called me Nueâs daughter. I vaguely remember hearing it as a child, but even that memory feels hazy, like itâs been veiled in fog.
Nue loved Yamato and me like daughters, but never once did she say âsheâs my daughter.â Not Kaido, not the senior executives whoâd been around foreverânone of them brought it up.
Yet Nueâs treatment of me was clearly like that of a mother. To me, even if we didnât share blood, she had raised meâand I believed with all my heart that she was my mother. Thatâs how I saw her, and thatâs how I acted.
But unlike how she insisted Yamato be seen as male to the outside world, I was treated as Kaidoâs daughterâbut not as Nueâs.
When I asked her directlyâ
ââŚItâs fine, right? Anyway, just make sure you never tell anyone, okay!!â
âshe dodged the question. No explanation.
Was there a problem between her and Kaido? Or was there some other reason? Did I even have a different mother? I could speculate all I wanted, but never reach a firm answer.
Within the Beasts Pirates, it became an unspoken ruleâI was always treated solely as Kaidoâs daughter.
It might seem like nothing⌠but that vague dissatisfaction grew. I became more rebelliousâI chose to accept the situation, to not dwell on it, and instead focus on what I wanted to pursue, throwing myself into it to forget the rest.
âKing!! Starting today, youâre my Papa!!!â
âLady Musashi. Kaido-san and Nue-san areâwait, what did you just say?â
ââFor now, I figured Iâd make strong swordsmen my new parents and grow even stronger.
âFuhahaha!! That wonât work!! Iâm going out to play!!â
âEhhhď˝ď˝ď˝ď˝!!? Are you serious!!? If this thing explodes, your arms and legs are gonna get blown clean off!!?â
ââI rebelled against Kaido and the rest of the Beasts Pirates trying to keep me on the island, and began acting even more freely.
âHellooo!! Today Iâm introducing some new friendsď˝ď˝!! Come on, introduce yourselves!!â
ââŚI am Hancock.â
âIâm SandersoniaâŚâ
âMarigoldâŚâ
Even then, I kept training.
âFuhaha, so youâre Hancock!! Donât think you can beat me with that level of strength!!â
âUgh⌠what a painâŚâ
In the meantime, new children had begun joining the training.
Now among them were Hancock of the Shichibukai, along with her younger sisters Sandersonia and Marigold. And thenâ
"I'm⌠Komurasaki."
"Ohh⌠So you're thatâŚ"
The woman who called herself Komurasaki exuded an aura of gloomâHiyori. The fact that she was Odenâs biological daughter made her roots all the more enticing.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong!!? With that level of skill, there's no way you could ever get revenge!!!"
"Y-You're such⌠a noisy⌠personâŚ!!"
We fought many times⌠but I was strong. I beat her soundly every time.
To begin with, among my peers, only Jack had ever beaten me. Even my elder sister Yamato, who was older, I had easily surpassed and defeated.
"Damn it⌠MusashiâŚ!!"
"Heh, thatâs all you've got, sister? You havenât improved since last timeâboring. Alright, next is Jack!! Youâre up!! Today Iâll finally cut you down!!!"
"âŚDo it if you canâŚ!!"
"Alright, both of you just die already!!! If you die, then Lady Nue will be all mine-usa!!"
"âŚHey, isn't your sentence ending kinda weird? Sis⌠Hey, Hancock. You got any idea whatâs going on?"
"How would I know⌠More importantly, Sonia, Mari. Whatâs our task after this todayâŚ?"
"It was cooking, I believe, Sister."
"Feels like we've been doing that a lot lately. Are they trying to give you bridal training or something?"
"If so, itâs pointless. For me to let my guard down around a man, not even the collapse of heaven and earth would suffice."
âAnd so, those days truly did make me stronger.
In addition to my naturally strong Observation Haki, I steadily mastered swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, Devil Fruit-based combat techniques, and even stronger forms of Haki. My tolerance for pain rose drastically as well. Though my abilities enhanced my physical strength, I had never really known fear in the first place, and even the tortures I received whenever I misbehaved severely didnât bother me at all.
Eventually, the only people I could say were definitively stronger than me in the Beasts Pirates were a few of the Flying Six, the All-Stars⌠and Nue and Kaido.
âTime passed, years went by⌠and one day, I met a man who came to Wano.
"âŚâŚUm, uh, hello. Sorry for intruding."
The man named Ace had come to Wano to take down the Beasts Piratesâspecifically, Kaido.
But pirates like that had come in droves before. That alone wasnât enough to pique my interest⌠What intrigued me was his lineage.
"A descendant of Gol D. RogerâŚ"
I overheard Nue and Ace talking and learned that truth.
I see, I thought. That must be why Ace seemed so conscious of his own father.
The real son of the Pirate King Roger. A man even our father⌠even our mother couldnât defeat.
And with that, the simmering desire Iâd had to leave the seas of Wano ignited fullyâI needed no time at all to decide to stow away on the Spade Piratesâ ship.
âŚAnd so, I ventured with the Spade Pirates, eventually becoming one of Whitebeardâs crew⌠and came to know the world.
Ace accepted me, even as Kaidoâs daughter, and Whitebeard too accepted me without hesitation, despite how troublesome I should have been.
And then⌠they showed me the world.
Whitebeardâs ship had many rules, and for pirates, it was surprisingly soft.
They didnât harm civilians, banned drugs and slavery, never bullied the weak, and killing comrades was forbidden. They valued principles above all else.
To someone like me who only knew the Beasts Pirates, it was refreshing⌠and at the same time, painfully harsh reality.
"âŚWhy shouldnât we torment the weak?"
"âŚHmm. Well⌠because⌠no matter what happens to them, the weak donât deserve it. Pirates need to steal from the weak to survive, right?"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚ"
I once asked Whitebeard that question. Looking back, I probably deserved to be punched just for asking⌠But Whitebeard didnât get angry. He simply furrowed his brow deeply and slowly began speaking to me.
"You⌠Are you getting along with my crew⌠and with the Spade Pirates, was it? That fireball bratâs friends?"
"Huh? Oh, of course!! Theyâre all good people!!"
"I see⌠Then tell me somethingâhave you ever thought about what pain feels like for other people?"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚEhâŚ?"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚ"
"Uh⌠I mean⌠what does that have to do with whether we get along or not�"
I couldnât give him a proper answer.
Whitebeard didnât scold me. He just kept staring silently, and without waiting for my answer, he sighed.
"âŚI see. Sorry for asking something weirdâŚ"
"âŚN-NoâŚ"
"But rules are rules. As long as you're on my ship, youâll follow my way. Got it?"
"âŚY-YeahâŚ"
"âŚThen go. Itâs cold tonight⌠Why donât you get some hot food from Thatch?"
"âŚIâll do thatâŚ"
Told to go, I nodded and moved mechanically, still turning Whitebeardâs question over in my mind.
Why is it wrong to torment the weak?
What does it have to do with cherishing your crewmates, or understanding othersâ pain?
I took a bowl of soup from the kitchen and decided to step onto the quiet deck to think about it under the night sky.
But thenâ
"âŚâŚAh."
"âWah!! Musashi!! Sorry!!"
That moment, Iâd let my Observation Haki lapse and collided with a crew member coming around a corner.
Heâd been looking the other way too, maybe heading to a meeting, errand, or workâhe seemed to be in a hurry.
"Iâm in a rush!! Sorry!!"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚ"
Because of that, the soup I was holding spilled from the impact, dirtying my clothes and gear. The crewman apologized while hurrying off.
At that moment, I instinctively reached for the sword at my waist.
And without thinking, I began the motionâlike squashing a bug that had wandered into a roomâ
"!!?"
âBut I couldnât finish it.
Someone pulled me back and threw me down onto the deck. It wasâ
"What the hell are you doingâŚ!?"
"âŚAceâŚ"
Ace stood there, visibly alarmed.
He questioned me with a serious expression.
"You⌠You were just about to kill a crewmateâŚ!!"
"âŚAhâŚ"
Thatâs when I realizedâno, remembered.
Right⌠thatâs what this was.
That crewmate who spilled my soupâwho was weaker than meâwho happened to stand in front of me while I was irritatedâhe may not have spoken much to me, but⌠he was still my comrade.
"What happened!? Did you two have a fight!? Or is itâŚ"
"âŚâŚâŚYeahâŚ"
"'Yeah'? Thatâs it!? Drawing a sword on a comrade isnât normal! Whatâs going on with you? Are you really okay!?"
Ace was seriously worried. Yet I could tellâif I didnât change, he wouldnât forgive me.
But I couldnât answer. His wordsâand Whitebeardâsâstabbed at my ears.
âAnd thatâs when I finally realized.
âŚNormal people⌠donât just kill someone on a whim because theyâre irritated.
Like Ace saidâit takes something extreme to kill a comrade.
Yes⌠something ex-tre-me.
"Hah⌠hahaâŚ"
"âŚMusashi?"
Finally⌠I understood why Nue had been so happy back then.
Normal people donât kill others so easily.
I rememberedâback in WanoâI had caused so much suffering to so many.
Iâd kill strong samurai after mastering their techniques. Kill weak ones just for being in the way.
Iâd stir up storms with my power just to test it, and when civilians suffered from the aftermath, Iâd offer a hollow apologyââToo bad. Bad luck.â
Kaido and Orochi had every reason to be angry at me for harming citizens of our own nation⌠and it made sense that Nue, whose twisted fun mirrored mine, hadnât been particularly upset either.
Because I wasâ
"âŚAceâŚ"
"âŚWhatâs wrong with you?"
I told the worried Ace. With a self-mocking smile and sorrow without tearsâI confessed.
"I⌠donât understand what pain means to other people."
"! âŚEhâŚ?"
âBecause I⌠was a beast.
"I fell long ago⌠Just like Kaido and Nue⌠I became a beast."
Thatâs why they were so gladâto see a child grow up like them.
Someone who could use others mercilessly, trample them without hesitation⌠A beast.
"I never once gave it a second thoughtâŚ!!"
I didnât feel fear or pain.
Even witnessing the suffering of the weak in WanoâI didnât help them, but more than that, I didnât feel anything. I had no interest in the weak.
"My sense of normal⌠from the very beginningâŚ!!"
Yes, ever since back thenâ
"My world⌠has always been one of violenceâŚ!!!"
âI was a beastâs child.
ââŚAnd without even realizing it⌠I acted like I was just like you all⌠like a normal human beingâŚâ
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Yes. The truth is, I never cared about the weak. I just wore a mask of kindness and virtue to fit in with them.
âYou know, Ace⌠my abilityâŚâ
ââŚYeah. I think⌠itâs something like a tiger that stirs the wind, right?â
âYeah, thatâs right⌠Itâs the Mythical Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit⌠The mythical beast itâs modeled after⌠is a man-eating tiger from legends⌠one said to harm good peopleâŚâ
I recall the words spoken to me when I received my ability.
âA perfect match⌠a power truly suited to meâŚâ
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Hugging my knees, I buried my head and cursed my own existence.
âI wanted to be one of you⌠but I canâtâŚâ
It felt comfortable. Even if we didnât see eye to eye, this place was freer than anywhere else Iâd known, a place that made me want to stay.
âThis isnât where I belong⌠The place I belong isââ
Yes, from the very beginning⌠it had already been decided.
If I stayed here, Iâd only cause them trouble. Iâd ruin their reputation. If I broke a taboo, it could make them feel the grief of losing someone important.
If it would come to thatâŚ
ââHold it.â
â! AceâŚâ
I was just about to voice the rest of my thoughtsâonly to be interrupted.
Ace, wearing a slightly irritated, restrained, almost sulky expression, spoke without looking at me.
ââŚYouâve been thinking about a whole lot of heavy stuffâŚâ
ââŚWell, yeah, because Iâm a bad beastâŚâ
âYeah, thatâs it. Thatâs what Iâm thinking too⌠Look, I know youâre stuck in your head about all this, but⌠I donât think you need to beat yourself up so much.â
âHuhâŚ?â
Ace pointed a finger at me, mumbling as if organizing his thoughts. Ignoring my confusion, he continued,
âSee, pirates in the first place⌠weâre all people who live by bothering others⌠Weâre outlaws and villains. The way youâre talking, itâs like only you beast-types are monsters, and weâre all normal humans⌠but normal humans donât do bad stuff to begin withâam I wrong?â
âUh⌠well, no, itâs not exactly about doing bad things, more like how you think, a mindset thingâŚâ
ââŚIs that so?â
ââŚI think so, butâŚâ
Why was he throwing the question back at me? I was confused. Was he teasing me?
But Ace seemed perfectly serious as he tilted his head again, then curled his fingers and said,
ââŚIf thatâs the case, then itâs not really a problem.â
ââŚWhy not? I donât understand peopleâs pain, you know?â
Exactly. Thatâs the problem.
Iâm a wretched creature who doesnât feel anything even after killing someone, or seeing the weak get trampledâ
ââBut there you are, saying you feel bad about it, arenât you?â
ââHuh⌠ahâŚâ
I was taken aback by Aceâs words after a moment.
Come to think of it⌠I had realized that⌠and now I was drowning in self-loathing.
It didnât make sense. It was a contradiction. I understood my own values, my beliefs, my idealsâand yet, I hated myself for them.
I was stuck in between. I didnât know who I was.
âIf youâre able to worry about it like this⌠maybe you can change how you think. Maybe you can learn to understand peopleâs pain.â
âBut⌠no, I canât. To me, this is normal⌠common sense. Itâs not something I can just flip like a switch.â
I thought about what Ace said. Could I really change? No, I concludedâI couldnât.
Even now, my core belief hadnât changedâif the weak are crushed, itâs because theyâre weak, and thatâs their fault.
That logic had been burned into me since I was a child. So no, itâs impossible.
ââŚIn that caseâMusashi.â
Ace turned toward me with the face he always made when he made a decision.
Was I about to be cast out? Naturallyâhe couldnât risk his crewâs safety.
Especially now, as a division commander with people under his charge, it would make sense for someone in his position to remove any internal threatâ
âRely on your comradesâno, rely on me!!!â
â!!! WhaâŚ?â
Ace pointed at himself and declared itâstill wearing that same difficult, irritated expression.
âIf you ever start to hurt someone without realizing it⌠Iâll stop you right then!!!â
âWh-what? ButâŚâ
âNo buts!!! And another thingâdonât just decide on your own that this isnât your place and try to leave with some lame excuse!!!â
âL-lame excuseâŚ?â
âŚMaybe the reason heâd been pulling that grumpy face the whole time was just because he didnât get what I was trying to say.
It actually seemed pretty likely. Was I really that unclear� I got a little depressed thinking that.
But Ace didnât care about any of that and kept speaking his mind.
âYouâre already one of us!!! I wonât let you just walk away!!!â
âWhâwhaaatâŚ!? Youâre being so selfishâŚ!!â
âPirates are selfish!! Like hell Iâm letting someone take away one of my crewmates over something I donât even get!! And even if thatâs the case⌠yeah, even then. If the place you donât want to go back to is Kaido⌠the Beasts PiratesâŚâ
Ace said, clenching his right fistâwhich burst into blazing flame.
âThen Iâll destroy that place myself⌠and steal you back for good!!!â
ââŚ!!!â
âIn the darkness I lived in, those words were the only shining flame of hope.
Unbelievableâyes, too full of dreams to be real.
And maybe thatâs why⌠I said what I did, half out of embarrassment.
ââŚYou really think you can beat my dadâŚ? I donât know⌠I think itâs impossibleâŚâ
âItâs not impossible!!! Iâve made promises to others too!!! Like to Otama⌠oh, and Yamato too!! I promised to take him aboard my ship!! Iâll knock out Kaido and Nue and fix everything!!!â
ââŚYou promised Yamato too?â
âYeah!! Yamatoâs gonna head out to sea someday!! And when he does, I promised Iâd ask him to join my crew!!â
ââŚHuh~⌠You and Yamato-neeâŚâ
âŚThis guy. Iâve had a hunch for a while, but⌠is he just a natural flirt? Or maybe just a girl-chaser?
I began to worry about the future of this reckless, overly optimistic man. He once tried to kill Whitebeard, and now heâs talking about taking on Kaido and Nue⌠No matter how you spin it, I only see a future where he dies.
ââŚHaaah⌠But I guess youâre right⌠Maybe Ace really does need me around.â
âYeah, I think so too⌠Youâve helped me out a lot with your plans⌠Wait, hold up. Youâre not talking like your usual weird self. You sound like a normal girl right now. Donât tell meâis that your real personality?â
ââŚ! Shut up, stupid Ace. D-do not criticize my manner of speech.â
âHaha!! There it is!! Thatâs the Musashi I know!! The one who goes around calling everyone âPapaâ and stuff!! Thatâs your usual routine!!â
ââŚItâs not like I call just anyone that, you knowâŚâ
âHuh? You donât?â
Ace tilted his head, but of course not. It has to be a strong swordsman. Thatâs the condition.
âŚBut yeah. If itâs Aceâ
ââŚIf itâs you⌠I guess I could make you my Papa.â
â!!? Whoa whoa whoaâno way!! Iâm not ready to be a dad at my age!! No way I could handle that!!â
âHm? HandleâŚ? âŚWait, no, thatâs not what I meant!!â
â? Then what did you mean? I figured you were just looking for someone to marry or something⌠is that not it?â
ââ!! N-no way!! Thatâs not it at all, you idiot Ace!!!â
âOw!! Hey, donât just punch me outta nowhere!! Try understanding peopleâs pain!!â
âEven if I understand, Iâll still punch you!!!â
ââGurarara⌠whatâs all this racket?â
âAnd from there, it turned into a full-blown celebration, even in the middle of the night, with Whitebeard, Marco, Thatch, Jozu, Izo, Vista, Deuce, Teach, and the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates who had probably been eavesdropping the whole time.
That was years agoâback when things were still peaceful. I smacked Ace upside the head for misunderstanding me, and even as the others held me back, I thought to myself:
I want to stay in this place.
A place where I could be freeâas myself. Thatâs what that place was to me.
But now⌠that place is almost entirely gone.
âI survived the war⌠the World Government fell⌠and I came home.
ââŚYouâve returned, huh⌠Musashi.â
âYeah⌠Iâm backâdamn old man.â
âWell now, with Musashi back too, I guess we can call the whole war incident happily ever after!!â
In the land of Wano, inside a chamber of the fortress at âOnigashima,â a hall with dozens of tatami mats laid out for banquets and meetingsâI gave my greeting to the man seated at the head: my father, Kaido of the Beasts.
Beside him sat Nue the Demon Beast. The top two of the Beasts Pirates. And directly across from them, as if to confront them, sat all of the Beasts Pirates executives.
The All-Stars, the Flying Six, and the stronger Shinuchi with some authorityâthe core of the worldâs mightiest military force.
The fact that every one of them had survived this war made me frown. While the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines had suffered so many casualties, all of the top members of the Beasts Pirates were still alive.
But logically, it made sense. Throughout the war, the pirate alliance had the upper hand, and most of the higher-ups in the Beasts Pirates were Zoan-type Devil Fruit users.
In addition to raw strength, Zoan-types came with enhanced stamina and healingâof course theyâd survive so long as they didnât die instantly. In close combatâor rather, in warâthereâs no greater advantage.
And my sister, Yamato, was there too. She had a few injuriesâprobably rebelled again.
âYou all⌠did well.â
And now that the main figures of the Beasts Pirates had assembled, Kaido finally turned to address everyone with words of appreciation.
"This war was our victory...!! Later, I'll commend you again with a celebratory Golden Kagura, and explain things more fully... but first, I need to speak about our next plan and movementsâBao Huang!!"
"Ayeeeeeee~!!!"
At Kaidoâs call, Bao Huangâstill a child yet remarkably competentâleapt down from the ceiling. Serving as a secretary to both Kaido and Nue, she handled intel processing and reporting duties. As a Shinuchi among the Gifters, it appeared she was taking the role of MC today in Sonouâs absence.
"Aaaaaalright, so!! This recent war!!! Our allianceâbetween the Beasts Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, and the Golden Lion Piratesâhas utterly!!! Crushed the Marines and Whitebeard Pirates!!! And secured victory for us~~~~~!!!"
Waving one hand and holding a paper in the other, Bao Huang raised her voice in celebration, hyping up their triumph. Everyone present already knew the outcome without needing the announcement, yet none seemed to mind hearing it again. Each wore a smug, defiant grinâas if to say we are the true conquerors.
"And thatâs a joyous occasion~~~buuut~~~!! There are still a number of fools!!! Who dare defy Lord Kaido!!"
Bao Huang raised her voice, her expression as unreadable as ever. Still, even as a child, she was a beastâfully committed to the Beasts Piratesâ ideology.
"The Revolutionary Army and the Navy have merged into the âNew Governmentâ!!! And~~~ a new pirate alliance has formed between the Red-Hair Pirates and that pirate!!! Meanwhile, the Blackbeard Pirates remain in hiding!!! In short~~~~ these are the primary enemies obstructing Lord Kaido!!!"
Which is whyâevery single one of them intended to crush these obstacles and, in the truest sense, seize control of the world.
Neither the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates nor Aceâs younger brother were mentioned by name, but that omission held no deeper meaning. As long as someone posed a threat, they'd be seizedâor erasedâjust the same.
And in truth, the current Beasts Pirates possessed the power to go to war with all those forces⌠and win.
"Therefore!! We must eliminate these nuisances!! So first, in order to prepare for that battle~~~~ there are mainly two things we must do!!!"
âŚHowever, even the Beasts Pirates couldnât execute major moves back-to-back after such a massive war. Even if they did move, it would likely cost them heavily.
Small fry pirate crews could still be squashed easily, but the factions just listed were among the rare few in the world not to be taken lightly. In fact, acknowledging the need for preparation was akin to admitting they couldnât be crushed in passing.
Which was why preparations were essential.
"First~~~~ is a move to gain new military power!! The New Onigashima Project!!!"
"!!"
Raising one finger high, Bao Huang proudly proclaimed the name of the plan. The âNew Onigashima Projectâ⌠No one knew the details yet, but the phrase âto gain new military powerâ alone made it clear it was nothing good. Yamatoâs grimace only confirmed it.
"Lord Kaido will explain the details later during the Golden Kagura~~~~!!! But in short, it's a plan to not only replenish our reduced forces!! But to expand, expand, and expand them like crazy!!!"
"Exactly. That so-called âNew Governmentâ and âRed-Hairâs allianceâ may seem like short-term measures⌠but they havenât gone nuts, and they havenât given up!! Theyâll regroup and strike again!!! So weâll gather the forces needed to crush them completely!!!"
"If only that thing was ready, we could just stomp them already. But repairs are taking foreverâright, Queen?"
"Yeah... Even with our engineers and Wanoâs craftsmen, itâs gonna take a year⌠no, two years, Nue-san!! Use it now and itâll just fall apart again!!!"
"Thatâs how it is~⌠So unfortunately, no test runs for now. And no huge wars until weâre ready again."
Kaido and Nue chimed in to clarify. When Queen mentioned the repairs, the assembled crowd showed slight disappointment. If that thing were ready, things would be much easierâtheir frustration was clear.
"Yes!! And the second move is~~~~ to strengthen our alliance with the Big Mom Pirates!!!"
Skipping the deeper explanation of the New Onigashima Project for now, Bao Huang moved on to the next key pointâstrengthening ties with the Big Mom Pirates.
"The Big Mom Piratesâ military strength will be crucial in building the world of violence to come!! And they also see the Beasts Pirates as absolutely vital!!! Sooooo~~~!!"
Bao Huang paused dramatically, then pointedâat me.
"Thereâs been a direct proposal from Big Mom herself!!! That is~~~~ a marriage between one of Big Momâs sons!!! And one of Lord Kaidoâs two daughters!!!"
"!!!"
âI knew it. So thatâs what this was about.
It was well-known that the Big Mom Pirates expanded their power by arranging marriages with subordinate or allied groups to bind them through blood ties.
With an alliance between the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, such a proposal was only natural.
Especially from Big Momâs perspectiveâfighting with the Beasts Pirates now would be problematic in many ways. To avoid that, sheâd want to maintain the alliance formallyâthrough marriage.
A union between one of her precious sons and one of Kaidoâs only two daughters could solidify that bond, regardless of what the people involved actually wanted.
And since the proposal had been accepted, it was being discussed openly now.
"Yeah⌠that proposal came straight from Linlin. Yamato or Musashi. One of youâs gonna marry one of her brats⌠You okay with that?"
"âŚâŚ!! Youâd force it on us anyway even if we said no!!"
"I donât mind."
Yamato shouted with anger and frustration, while I⌠nonchalantly said I didnât mind.
Honestly, marriage itself wasnât a problem. From the moment I came back, Iâd accepted as much.
Wellâif I had to say there was a problem⌠there was one. A big one. But if the other party accepts it⌠then itâs fine. As far as Iâm concerned, there shouldnât be an issue.
"âŚYamato aside⌠Musashi!! Youâre really okay with this?"
"âŚYeah. Iâm fine. âŚThough, there is a bit of a problemâŚ"
"A problem?"
"?"
Kaido checked again. My response had clearly caught him off guard, so he double-checked. I answered honestlyâyes, Iâm fine, but thereâs a problem.
Kaido and Nue both tilted their heads in confusion, question marks in the air. And I couldnât help but laugh insideâwhat would happen once I said it?
How would they react? How shaken would they be?âThat was the only thing I was curious about.
And the one I most wanted to shake out of their composureâwasnât the big monster, but the small one.
"Before that⌠there's something I have to say to Nue."
"âŚTo me? What now?"
Nue tilted her head. Apparently, she really didnât know. That alone was unusual.
After all, Nue was an incomprehensible monster. She knew things she shouldnât. She spoke as though she had seen events firsthandâan enigmatic yokai feared by all. Her pleasant demeanor only made her even more inscrutable with time.
As family⌠the fact that such a monster was working as an idol was laughably absurd.
"âŚI⌠no, I have returned to this place, and Iâll work for the Beasts Pirates."
"âŚAnd?"
Iâll say it. I promised Aceâto fulfill our dreams and ambitions⌠Iâll declare it here and now.
"But someday⌠I will⌠and I know it's forbidden to say it in front of others, but Iâll dare to call you this nowâMother. I will drag you downâfrom your throne as the worldâs idol⌠from your title as the strongest creature!!!"
"!!?"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚHeh?"
The room stirred in an instantâand that was only natural.
What had just been said was, in essence, a declaration of rebellion. Even if it was only in front of the core members of the Beasts Pirates, the mere act of voicing such a taboo was enough to cause a stir.
But she didnât care. Nor should she. This was the right path.
After all, this wasâthe way of the âbeast.â
âYouâre really going to say that here and now.â
ââŚWhatever the truth may be⌠Iâm your daughter, arenât I, Mother? You raised me. And you treated me like your daughter. That much is fact.â
ââŚWell, yes, thatâs true.â
Blood ties didnât matter. That was already a settled pointâno longer something of importance.
A long time ago, blood-related or not, the moment she was raised as a daughter, she became the child of two people.
And thatâs exactly whyâshe was a beast.
âItâs true. I was the same as all of you⌠But thatâs exactly whyâthere are things only I can do.â
Yes, to protect Ace and the place he belongedâshe had deliberately chosen to rise to the top through this path.
âIâll gain strength here⌠and one day, Iâll defeat you head-on. And thenâIâll take the Beasts Pirates for myself.â
ââŚI see.â
And because this logic was correct in their eyes, Nue didnât react with angerâinstead, she broke into a radiant smile.
ââŚNice, nice!! I love it, Musashi!! Iâm thrilled!! Youâve said that much, so Iâve gotta respond in kind, donât I?!â
She said it. In response to Musashi, Nue used a phrase she normally forbade herself from sayingâ
âAs a reward⌠just this once, Iâll praise you in front of everyone, like a proper parent!! âAs expected of my daughter!!! Youâve grown so much since you left!!!â
She was overjoyed. Truly ecstatic. Showering praise.
To a beast, earning victory through strength was a glorious thing. And if it was her own family⌠her daughter⌠then the joy was all the greater.
ââŚWhat about me?â
And then, Kaidoâwho had remained silentâalso spoke up.
He wasnât smiling, but his eyes were deadly serious, as if testing her. He clearly didnât believe itâdidnât think it was possible.
To such a Kaido, Musashi responded.
âFather⌠Iâm not the one whoâs going to defeat you⌠Someday, someone more suited will take you down.â
ââŚ!! HohâŚâ
Kaido let out a small breath. He still didnât seem fully convinced, but his daughterâs words clearly gave him something to think about.
âSomeone who could take me down⌠there are hardly even any left who can fight me at all⌠But if such a person does appearââ
ââŚYouâll find the perfect way to die, and be satisfied?â
âOnly if they can kill me. If theyâre just some shallow fool who thinks being able to fight me means they can win⌠then they wonât satisfy me.â
Then he gave his answer, a fearless grin on his face.
ââBut if someone like that does show up⌠Iâll give them everything Iâve got.â
âA shiver ran down her spine.
Even though they shared blood⌠once again, she felt just how monstrous her parent truly was.
The title of âstrongest creatureâ wasnât for show. With Whitebeard dead, he was undoubtedly the strongest pirate alive. And the one other monster on his level⌠was the worldâs most terrifying.
âIf itâs not betrayal⌠if you surpass me with strength face-to-face, then I donât care if itâs you or Yamato. Iâm not expecting much⌠but that in itself sounds like fun.â
âAhaha!! Right?! So, is that all you wanted to say? Seriously, making a declaration like that in a place like this⌠youâve got some flair for drama!! âŚOh! Since itâs a special occasion, how about I give you a reward later? Iâll cook you your favoriteâNue-chanâs special omuriceâĄâ
ââŚIâd love the omurice⌠but stillâhow do I put this. Even after hearing all that, youâre still in the mood to give out rewardsâŚ?â
ââŚHuh? What? Thereâs more? âŚOh right, wasnât there some kind of issue or something?â
Nue shifted into listening mode again. Kaido too.
And if the top two were listening like this, no one else dared to stop it.
âŚThough honestly, she kind of wished someone would. With a rare feeling bordering on fear, she braced herself and spoke up.
âWell⌠if weâre talking about marriage⌠then, I mean, thereâs the whole kids thing, rightâŚ?â
ââŚYou really had to make it weird all of a suddenâŚ? Personally, Iâd rather not talk about stuff like that⌠but well, if you donât want to have any, then donât, right Kaido?â
ââŚMakes no difference to me. Do as you like.â
The moment she brought it up, Nue made a face rarely seenâplainly put, an extremely displeased one. Kaido too, looked awkward.
Just that much had clearly dealt some mental damage⌠but they were misunderstanding something. She wasnât done talking yet.
ââŚNo, thatâs not what I meant. Itâs more like⌠this is just the first step in taking you down⌠a small act of harassment.â
ââŚHarassment?â
She nodded silently. Then pointed a finger at Nueâ
âTo drag you off your idol pedestal⌠the first step isâturning you into a granny!!!â
ââŚExcuse me?â
âTime froze. Everyone was struck dumb.
This was the Beasts Piratesâ ultimate taboo: Nueâs age.
Nue clung fiercely to her idol persona, proudly claiming to be forever fifteen. For her, nothing was more off-limits than talk of age.
Especially terms like âold ladyâ or âgranny.â Say those and, at best, you die instantly. At worst, youâre torn apart and killed.
Everyone present knew that horror. Thatâs why even the highest-ranking officers broke out in cold sweat, their faces pale. Whoâs Who and Sasaki of the Tobi Roppo, even Jack the All-Star, were all sweating buckets. Queen had his mouth agape, eyes rolled back.
That alone showed how insane those words wereâbut that wasnât even the main event.
âEight months from now⌠no, maybe sevenâŚ? Anyway, just wait for it!!!â
ââŚHmâŚ? âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚEh.â
âThis time, time truly died. The air in the room dissolved into nothingness.
Even Nue turned pale. Even Kaido was speechless, until several seconds laterâwhat felt like an eternityâhe finally shouted.
ââŚ!! Hey, Musashi!! Quit messing around!! Youâre not sayingâŚ!!â
ââŚEven I⌠even I wouldnât joke about something this nastyâŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Yesâeven she hadnât expected it to turn out like this.
But⌠it happened. As the saying goesâ
ââOnce itâs done, it canât be undone.â
ââŚAnyway⌠look, I have no idea how this works so⌠s-so⌠please help me get baby supplies and parenting guidesâŚâŚâŚâŚâ
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâ
And then, almost everyone presentâexcluding Kaido and Kingâthough even they were visibly shakenâraised their voices in perfect unison.
âEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?!?â
âOn that day, Onigashima echoed with screams. And everyone rememberedâ
In the Beasts Pirates⌠a true crisis wasnât about enemy factions, territory disputes, or profits.
Ever since the Beasts Pirates rose to Emperor status, their greatest issue had always been Kaidoâs⌠âfamily problems.â
And I, Musashi, swore in my heart. âŚAce⌠things are rough here, but Iâll be waiting at the top of the pirate worldâŚ!!!
No, seriously. If you come now, you might actually get killed. Iâve really got to keep pushing forward⌠And so, once again, I resolved to survive in the world of beasts, and to await the ones who would one day defeat them.
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