Chapter 133: Owari
âThe "New World," a certain island.
âDamn itâŠ!! Theyâre strongâŠ!!â
âWerenât they supposed to be losersâŠ?! I heard most of their subordinates and division commanders died in that warâŠ!!â
At the island's port, scarred by the aftermath of fierce battle, the defeated pirates spat curses one after another.
The current New World is an age of turmoil. Though the overwhelming forces known as the âFour Emperorsâ exist, kingdoms and prominent pirates across many islands fall, and the balance of power is redrawn by the day.
For pirates who glorify violence and seek to climb the ranks, this is paradise. If things go well, they can carve out their own territory and milk the system, thriving in a world full of losers. They can trample the weak and fulfill their own desires.
The pirates who had ruled this island were no different. After a great pirate fell and the island was left unguarded, they took control and did whatever they pleased up until today.
But on this day, a group of pirates arrived flying the same flag as that fallen great pirate. They swiftly crushed the current rulers and liberated the island.
Amid scorched earth and writhing, burned pirates being tied up, the group who once protected the island now spoke with the townspeople about raising their flag here once again. An elderly man, seemingly the islandâs representative, leaned on a cane and bowed his head.
âThatâs more than we could ask for. Pleaseâby all means, we beg of youâŠ!!â
ââŠYeah. But⊠sorry for saying this when weâre the ones askingâbut are you sure? We⊠couldnât protect this island before. In a way, we broke our contract. And the flag we fly doesnât carry the same weight it did when Pops was still alive.â
The young negotiator, wearing a mask over his face, spoke with a conflicted and apologetic expression. Can you really trust us?âhe seemed to ask.
After all, despite the island once being part of their protected territory, they had failed to defend it from pirates.
Normally, pirates claiming an island as their turf would collect a share of the profits in exchange for protecting it from other pirates and lawless marauders. Not all pirates followed this, but at the very least, their former captain had valued that code of honor above all and never forgave anyone who trespassed on his domain.
Up until just half a year ago, that agreement was upheld, and the island remained peaceful. But that peace collapsed when their captain died in the âParamount War.â
Since then, pirates who knew nothing of honor and only believed in brute force took control of the island, inflicting untold pain and suffering. Half a year may seem short, but the torment they endured left deep scars that time alone cannot heal.
And even if they reclaimed the island from those pirates, the villagers had no obligation to welcome them back. Itâs only natural. They were supposed to protect the island. It was the pirates who broke that promise, betraying the islanders without warning. Understanding this, the masked youth questioned their willingness to accept them.
But the elderly representative spoke, looking back fondly on the past. Watching the people rebuilding, a girl clutching a ragged stuffed animal, and the children around them, he recalled:
ââŠLong ago⊠when that man visited this island⊠we were suffering from a severe drought. We couldnât produce enough crops, and we didnât even know if weâd survive the winter.â
The elder explained that their island thrived on agriculture and paid tribute in crops like vegetables, fruits, and rice in exchange for protection. The now-deceased captain had been fond of their produceâsomething even the young men knew.
But one year, a terrible drought struck, and they couldnât yield a proper harvest. It was then that he visited.
âWe thought we might have to return the flag. Desperate, we explained our situation to him⊠But that man didnât get angry. He didnât demand we return the flag. He just smiled and said, âNext year, Iâm counting on you. I like the food you grow here.â Then he gave us enough supplies to make it through the winter.â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâ
Though he never said it aloud, the elder implied: without that support, many wouldâve died.
Though a pirate, the man had a generous heart and understood them. He didnât abandon the island just because they couldnât pay tribute. He cared for it.
âTrue, perhaps you couldnât uphold the agreement. You lost the war and fell into declineâthatâs your situation. But⊠when we broke the agreement first, you forgave us⊠and believed in the next time.â
So, the elder bowed his head once more and asked again.
âPleaseâprotect our island. We owe that manâand all of youâa debt we can never repay. We care about you. So even if itâs hard right now⊠please, protect us.â
ââŠYeah⊠I promise. Weâll come greet you again together, with our captain. After hearing your story, heâll definitely make that vow too.â
âWeâll be waiting.â
The young man took a breath and looked straight into the elderâs eyes, nodding. Watching a man over twice his age bow to him, he thought: the way our predecessors lived⊠itâs far too great to match.
ââŠI knew it when I decided to carry the same symbol⊠but man, weâve chosen a hell of a pathâŠâ
ââŠYeah. Who knows how long itâll take to overcome it⊠no, to reach that same heightâŠâ
Back on the ship, when the youth relayed the events to the captain standing at the stern, he received the same answer as he had thought.
The captain, a young man around the same age, gave a slight chuckle under the weight of the coat draped over his shoulders. His face was dotted with freckles. Ever since he took over as captain, he came to truly understand the greatness of the man they once called Pops. He thought he knewâbut he didnât. Not until he stepped into the role himself.
Noâmaybe he still didnât understand. At least not until he stood as his equal.
ââŠItâs fine for now.â
âYouâre back, MarcoâŠâ
âYeah. No stragglers left nearby. This island is fully liberated.â
Just then, a man descended gently from the sky.
Wings wreathed in blue flames carried him down. He stood at the shipâs stern, gazing at the sea, and spoke to the captainâwords meant to push him forward.
âAs long as you donât stop moving⊠thatâs enough. Where you fall short, weâll support you. Pops wasnât perfect from the start either.â
ââŠYeah, I know. Thereâs no time to stand still⊠for now, Iâll push forward, no matter how reckless it gets.â
âThen thatâs enoughâCaptain.â
With a smile, Marco called him not by name, but by titleâas the leader of their crew. Having spent decades as the right hand of the great pirate on this very ship, Marco now swore to support this young man, nearly twenty years his junior. The other remaining crew, and those originally from the young captainâs circle, felt the same.
As red flames flickered on his shoulder, the young man spoke without turning to face them. A strange unease stirred in his chest. Sensing it, the masked manâhis original comradeânoticed something off.
ââŠ? Hey, whatâs wrong?â
ââŠNah, itâs nothing. Letâs go. I want to pay my respects too.â
â? Alright⊠this way.â
ââŠ?â
Though both the young man and Marco noticed something odd in the captainâs reaction, it didnât seem serious enough to pursue. So they followed him off the ship.
As they walked through the port, the captain murmured quietly.
The name of the man and the pirates he now ledâ
â2nd Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, âFire Fist Aceâ â Bounty: 1.1 Billion Berriesâ
ââŠBefore I meet them again⊠Iâve gotta rise even higher.â
Once one of the âFour Emperorsâ⊠the Whitebeard Pirates.
More than half a year had passed since their captain, âWhitebeardâ Edward Newgate, died. And now, they too had set a new courseâsailing into a turbulent sea.
There is a country in the world today that is the safest and most peaceful of all.
This country, ruled by a great and fearsome queen, is a land of dreams and sweets. Though located in the New World, it has suffered almost no pirate attacks and continues its way of life unchanged from a year ago.
âHey, did you hear? The daughter of the Beasts Pirates is visiting the castle!â
âOh my, does that mean it's a honeymoon? I hear theyâve been touring various islands.â
âSounds like a happy occasion. The Beasts Pirates have a nasty reputation, but theyâre allied with this country after allâŠâ
Sheltered under umbrellas from the sweet sugar rain, the citizens gossip. These days, the talk of the town is less about the worldâs battles and bloody incidents, and more about ministerial marriages and honeymoonsâgossip about alliances through marriage, and similar fare.
Though this is a country ruled by pirates, the people live in peace. The strife afflicting the distant lands aligned with the World Government seems like a faraway fantasy. Their interests are well-served by the vast lands of their own country and its allies. Even those who care to follow world affairs limit their knowledge to the Four Emperors and other pirates clashing in the New World.
Though the world has changed and become one of violence, the people of this peaceful nation have yet to feel its bite. All they can do is pray that conflict doesnât come to them, and entrust their hopes to the ministers ruling the islandsânamely, the executive officers of the pirate crew that governs the country. And the price for that peace is minimal.
ââAnd thus, the land governed by the Yonko Big Mom Pirates, âTotto Land,â is now the happiest country in the world.
Its citizens fear nothing. The only thing they might dread is the temper tantrum of their absolute queen.
It surprises many that, despite being under the control of a Yonko and situated in pirate territory, this nation is peace itself.
âAmazing⊠This island is peaceful tooâŠ!!â
Someone else was astonishedâwatching the peaceful streets and people laughing and living normal lives through the window.
This is the capital of Totto Land, the headquarters of the Big Mom Pirates: Whole Cake Island. In its center rises the towering Whole Cake ChĂąteau. Pressed against a window in one of its rooms is a guest wearing the attire of Wano Country. Sheâs a tall beauty nearly three meters in height, yet carries a somewhat childish air of immaturity. Sporting two distinctive horns, the woman can only gape in surprise at how this island defies everything she thought she knew.
âEven though itâs under the control of a Yonko⊠a pirate crew⊠Could it be that my homeland was the odd one outâŠ!?â
ââŠThatâs not really the case. All pirate territories are essentially the same. They rule over civilians with violence and fear, taking tribute. Your place just had tighter control. We lean more toward businessâwe honor our contracts if others do the same. The citizens of Totto Land have all agreed to that contract, which is why they can live here⊠because of Mamaâs dream.â
âMamaâs dream?â
The response to her murmured question comes from behind, in a deep male voice. The man is even taller than the womanâover five meters tallâwith a powerful, well-trained physique and a covered mouth. Seated on a couch sized for his bulk, he sits with legs crossed, perfectly composed, and speaks of his motherâs dream to the astonished woman. That isâCharlotte Linlin, also known as Big Mom, the pirate who rules this country.
ââŠMamaâs dream is to create a land where all races from around the world can become one family and sit at the table as equals⊠a utopia of that kind.â
âWhat a wonderful dream!! Then why form an alliance with my fatherâŠ?â
âââBecause the goal is the same: to rule the world through fear and violence. In order to reach Laugh Tale and obtain the One Piece, to become the Pirate King, we needed power. Thatâs why the Big Mom Pirates allied with the Beasts Pirates. The marriage was nothing more than a political arrangement to that end.â
ââŠâŠ!â
The womanâs face twists in displeasure. For a moment, she thought maybe this pirate crew was differentâmore reasonableâbut that illusion was shattered. Theyâre the same as her father and his ilk. Beasts, all of them.
To her reaction, the man offers a cold reality: there is no âgoodâ or âbadâ when it comes to pirates. Though taciturn, he speaks, if only to make her give up.
âMama doesnât trust anyone whoâs not blood. So give it up. Another escape attempt would just stress me out.â
âGgh⊠You didnât want the marriage either, did you?â
ââŠNo. But Mamaâs decisions are final. If I didnât want to get married, my only options were to flee or accept it. And I have no intention of fleeing.â
He bore responsibility. So he gave up, accepted his fate, and marriedâbelieving it was for the sake of the Big Mom Pirates, their family, and their citizens.
He is the Minister of Flour of Wheat Island, one of Totto Landâs constituent islands. A paragon among the mighty Big Mom Pirates, the greatest creation of the Charlotte Family, and the strongest of the Sweet Four Generals. He now speaks his mind to the daughter of the Beasts Piratesâthe one who is now his wife.
Charlotte Katakuri, Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates (Charlotte Familyâs Second Son), Bounty: 1,357,000,000 Berries
âAnd I donât plan to let you escape, either. If you run, it would be a disgrace to the Big Mom Pirates and could fracture our alliance with the Beasts Pirates. I canât let that happen⊠You understand, donât youââYa-Ma-To.â
Yamato â Daughter of Kaido (Self-proclaimed Kozuki Oden), Wife of Katakuri
âGrrâŠ!! So you really are just like Father⊠Even though I became a man and took up the name Kozuki Oden⊠Forcing me into marriage with a man is absurd!!â
ââŠIâve had enough of your insane delusions. Iâve been stuck with you for months now, enduring escape attempts and insane outbursts. Try putting yourself in my shoes.â
Katakuri runs a hand over his head as he watches his wife Yamato spew madness with all seriousness. Thereâs nothing left to do but hold his head in his hands.
It all began a few months ago when talks of strengthening the alliance with the Beasts Pirates began, and Katakuri was chosen as the groom. After watching his siblings argue over it, Mama made the decision. And once that happened, Katakuri had no choice. He accepted it, convincing himself it was for the good of the crew, their family, and the people.
But his bride, Yamato, though Kaidoâs daughter, insists she is his son, claims to be the samurai Kozuki Oden, and continuously resists the marriage, trying to escape again and again⊠To put it lightly, itâs been a stressful life. He canât even enjoy the 3 oâclock snack timeâmeriendaâin peace. Itâs enough to wear anyone down.
âDamn⊠I didnât expect my spouse to be this strong. If they were weak, I couldâve made up some excuse to slip away and escapeâŠ!!â
âThatâs my line. If you were weak, I wouldnât have to waste so much of my effort.â
Katakuri has fought Yamato several times during their honeymoon, just to stop her from running. Though she canât beat the strongest of the Sweet Commanders, sheâs strong enough not to be left to the grunts. Subduing her is a hassle.
Now, Yamato has realized that escaping while Katakuri is nearby is impossible, so sheâs behavingâfor the moment. But unless someone trustworthy is watching her, she might act again. So Katakuri can never let his guard down. Even coming to Whole Cake Island, he couldn't afford to relax.
At one point, there was someone tasked with guarding Yamato, but they had to leave for other duties. Yamato welcomed the reprieve, but Katakuri remained a formidable obstacle. The Charlotte siblings are all eccentricâsheâs met many of them already on the way here. And even nowâright nowâsomething silent attacks Yamato from the roomâs entrance.
â! Hey, knock it off, FlampĂ©!! How long are you gonna keep targeting me!? If you want a fight, Iâll give you one!!â
âEek!? Kyaaah!? She caught me again!! Big Brother Katakuri, help me!!â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâ
Yamato dodges the silent blow dart shot from the entrance and glares at the girl who launched it. Floating like an inflated piece of gum and chewing on one, the girl is none other than Charlotte Flampé, the 36th daughter of the Charlotte Family.
Infatuated with Katakuri, Flampé continues to obsessively target Yamato, only to be caught each time and run crying to Katakuri for help. But Katakuri just sighs, exasperated. He speaks firmly, to both Yamato and Flampé. This is a done deal.
ââŠFlampĂ©. You and Yamato bothâgive it up already. This is Mamaâs decision. Itâs necessary for both the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates to benefit.â
âEhhh~~!! No waaaaay!! Someone else shouldâve gotten married!! And to a stuck-up gorilla princess like her no less~~!!â
ââŠ!! Itâs not like I wanted to get married either!! If I couldâve refused, I wouldâve!! But my little sisterâŠâ
âHuh? Sister?â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâ
Flampe pouted and grumbled, but Yamato reacted to the word âsisterâ with a complicated expression on her face. Flampe looked confused, a question mark practically floating above her head, while Katakuri remained silent. The word âsisterâ seemed to mean something to him, but he didnât say anything aloud.
Yamato, too, couldnât find anything else to say. Before the silence could stretch, someone else entered from outside the room and joined the conversation.
âââIndeed. This is something necessary for both pirate crews.â
â!! ââJokerâŠâŠ!! Youâre already backâŠâŠ!!â
ââŠâŠTook long enough. Thanks to that, I didnât get a single moment of peace.â
âOh my, Iâm sorry⥠I thought Iâd give you two some time alone as newlyweds⊠but judging by the looks of things, your relationship hasnât progressed at all, has it?â
Click, clickâthe sound of heels echoed as the woman entered the room, her eyes veiled by a sheer red cloth. She was a stunning woman in a dress, and a high-ranking officer of the Beasts Pirates. This was Joker, who had taken on the role of keeping an eye on Yamato while handling other assignments. Yamato furrowed her brows at the sight of her, while Katakuri muttered a complaint. Joker offered a casual apology, but didnât look remorseful at all. With a faint smile, she tapped her parasol against the floor and continued.
âNow that youâre married, it makes sense to get along, doesnât it? From our side, itâs hard to watch our dear young lady already having issues with her husband right after the ceremony.â
âThe marriage is purely political. Thereâs no need to grow closer than necessary.â
âOh, how cold. Especially since it was your side that brought it up. We would've been content with just the alliance... It was only because Big Mom insisted that we move forward with the marriage. After we went through all that trouble convincing Kaido, who didnât even want it, the least you could do is appreciate it.â
ââŠâŠThen maybe you shouldâve raised her better. So she wouldnât keep running away or saying crazy things.â
âFufu, I do apologize. But Big Mom specifically picked one of Kaidoâs children, so we only had two options. And both are quite the handful.â
âUghâŠâŠ Iâll never understand thisâŠ!! Father and Big Mom get along just fine without a marriage, so whatâs the pointâŠâŠ!!â
Joker and Katakuri exchanged snide remarks, and Yamato interjected with a scowl. She could understand the reasoningâthat forming a blood tie would strengthen the allianceâbut there was no guarantee the alliance would even last. Yamato knew that for their fathers, marriage meant absolutely nothing. So she couldnât figure out what Big Mom was really aiming for, and Jokerâs response was nowhere near the answer she wanted. ââThough it did leave her with another surprise.
âFufufu⊠Big Mom wants to be family with all kinds of races. Maybe she just wanted someone with hornsâĄâ
âPlenty of people have horns!! Why me!!?â
âWho knows⊠But yes, I was surprised too. There was a time she considered Nue-san, you know⊠Honestly, these days Iâd have expected her to demand King. Heâs a rare race not found in Totto Land⊠and if that were the case, she couldâve married him off to one of the Charlotte daughtersâââ
âââWho cares. More importantly, donât you have a report?â
âIâd appreciate it if you didnât talk to me like Iâm one of your subordinates, but yes. I do have something to report. ââThough, not to you. Itâs for Lady Yamato.â
âFor me?â
âYes. So would you two mind stepping out for a bit?â
ââŠâŠFine. ââCome on, Flampe.â
âYes, Katakuri big bro⥠ââBlehhh!! Yamato, one day I will be the one to eliminate you!! Now come, my minions!!â
âH-Highness!! We are at your service, Lady Flampe!!â
âW-Weâre right behind you!!â
ââŠâŠ?â
Joker asked Katakuri and the others to step out so she could speak with Yamato privately. Although this was the Charlotte Familyâs castle, they were all guestsâand Yamato was, in a way, family now. So they didnât really have a choice. In fact, Katakuri was secretly glad to get a break. Flampe, true to form, gave a sweet response to Katakuri and threatened Yamato before leaving with her underlings.
As they exited, Yamato felt a slight sense of unease about the two supposed Big Mom Pirates flunkies following behind Flampe. But it wasnât anything she could quite articulate. She only gave them a glance and let it go. One was a young man with pink hair and a scar on his forehead; the other was blond and wore sunglasses. Yamato didnât recognize either of them.
âNow then⊠with the others out of the way, letâs get to the report.â
ââŠâŠA report, but itâs clearly just an after-the-fact notice. Itâs not like I have any authority⊠even if Iâve been named the Shogun of New Onigashima, Iâm nothing more than a figurehead!!â
âFufufufuâŠ!! If you were just a bit more cooperative with us, maybe that wouldn't be the case. Still, yesâthis oneâs a post-event report. About an incident, to be precise.â
ââŠâŠAn incident?â
Yes, Joker nodded. Yamato had no idea what she meant, but the slight disappearance of Jokerâs smile signaled that this was no ordinary report.
ââŠâŠItâs much earlier than expected, butâŠâŠ sheâs been born. Your sister Musashi-samaâs child.â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠHuh!!?â
âNew World, âSprint Islandâ
The entire island was composed of a special mineral, making everything on itâfrom the vegetation to the creatures that fed on itâhard and tough. On this unforgiving land, six beastly individuals were undergoing training.
âHaa⊠haaâŠ!!â
âBUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!â
Most of the island was covered in dense jungle. A rich, natural wilderness teeming with flora and faunaâan abundant cradle of life. Though uninhabited, anyone with proper survival knowledge and skills could manage. Even if the trees and fruits were hard, they softened a little once cooked, and with the use of Haki, breaking them wasn't impossible. For the six here to train, the island posed challengesâbut that was the point.
A week had already passed since training began, and with the basics of daily life in placeâKozuki, one of the Tobi Roppo, was sprinting through the jungle in her beast form. Behind her echoed the roar of a massive creature toppling even the islandâs hard trees with ease. She was running, but not merely fleeing.
â!!â
ââŠ! Got itâŠ!!â
âBUO!?â
Kozuki lured the beastâan elephant-like creature with a hardened hideâinto a clearing, a basin nestled in the jungle. As the beast let out a low growl, sensing something wrong beneath its feet, a woman hiding among the trees smiled.
âUfufu⊠too bad⥠That spotâs a trap made from my Hard Gum Thread.â
âBUOOOOOOOOON!!!â
Lowering herself on threads from her hand, having transformed her lower half into that of a spider, was Black Mariaâanother of the Tobi Roppo. A user of the Ancient Zoan-type Spider-Spider Fruit, she had laid an adhesive web trap using threads far stickier than any normal spiderâs. Even in nature, spider silk is among the strongest adhesives. No matter how large or powerful the prey, escaping it was out of the question.
âItâs useless. Now that youâre caught, Iâll toy with you until you die. You dare destroy our homeâŠ!!â
âBUOOOOOOOOOOO!!!â
â!? What theâ!!â
âItâs lifting the ground itself with its legsâŠ!?â
But the beast forcibly ripped up the earth beneath its feet, breaking through the trap with sheer strength.
It advanced again, now wearing makeshift shoes of stone. Black Maria and Kozuki were shocked. Its mobility had been reduced, but it was far from neutralized.
âTch⊠not how we planned it, but⊠letâs go, Sis!!â
âKyaa⥠Do your best, Pei-tan!!â
âYouâre fighting too!!! We talked about this earlier!!â
âY-O-Uâ!!!??â
Next to act were the sibling duo hiding nearbyâUlti and Page One, also members of the Tobi Roppo. Unleashing the power of their Ancient Zoan-type Dragon-Dragon Fruits, they attacked the beast in their hybrid forms, closing the distance and striking simultaneously.
âORA!! Drop dead!! Youâre tonightâs dinner!!!â
âPayback time for trampling our crops!!!â
âBUOâŠ!!!â
Page Oneâs Haki-infused fist and Ultiâs headbutt slammed into the beastâs side. It let out a pained groan but didnât fall. It lashed back with its long trunk.
âYou might be the toughest of the beasts on this island⊠but Iâve got confidence in my toughness tooâŠ!!!â
âBu, oâŠ!!!â
At that moment, another dinosaur charged in and caught the elephantâs trunk head-onâengaging it in a raw test of strength. It was Sasaki, another Tobi Roppo, already in his triceratops beast form. He clashed with the beastâs tusks and trunk, finally halting its advance.
âHold it right there⊠guysâŠ!!!â
This beast also possessed speed and agility. A giant felineâan extinct predator. Leaping at the beast next was the final Tobi Roppo member, Whoâs-Who, in the form of a saber-toothed tiger.
âYou donât look like the taming type⊠so Iâll rip your throat out and finish thisâŠ!!!â
âBUOOOOOOOOOOâŠ!!!â
Whoâs-Who sank his long fangs into the beastâbut they didnât pierce deeply.
Though his fangs were clad in Haki, their Armament Haki had yet to reach the highest level.
Thus, even with their combined strength, breaking through the beastâs hide wasnât easy. Still, their raw power was formidable. As long as they kept attacking with Haki, they could slowly chip away at it.
Shifting between beast, human, and hybrid forms as needed, their coordination wasnât perfectâbut they maintained basic cooperation. As Zoan users with beast traits and leadership over their own squads, they understood the fundamentals of group combat.
They took some hits too, but each of them ranked in the top ten for endurance even within the Beasts Pirates. Few in the New World had stamina like theirs. No one here was weak. Against a single creature, taking it down wouldnât have been an issueâbutâŠ
âGYAAAAAAOOOOOOO!!!â
â!? Hey, thereâs a second one!!?â
âGhh⊠Damn beastâŠ!!â
âThis oneâs fast!!?â
âHow annoying de gonsu!!â
This jungle, home to countless beasts, wouldnât spare humans. One creature was never the end. A second one now leapt from tree to tree, using the branches as footholds, and lunged swiftly at Whoâs-Who. This one, too, resembled a ferocious tiger with sharp fangs.
Now the Tobi Roppo had to face two monsters at once.
Yet these beasts werenât allies. In this lawless jungle, only the strong survived. Lose, and you die. If your territory is overrun, you starve. Fighting was inevitable.
The Tobi Roppo had to dominate these powerful beastsâto prove their dominance and secure their turf.
âHaa⊠You really gave us a hard timeâŠâ
âFinally took it downâŠ!!â
âAlright⊠letâs haul it back before more show up. Weâll bleed it, skin it, and make use of every part for our survivalâŠ!!â
âYeah⊠Hey, Kozuki. You carry it.â
âHaa⊠haa⊠UnderstoodâŠâ
âTime to feast de gonsu!!â
Having brought the beast down, they now turned it into sustenance. Fighting was vitalâbut so was food and materials. This hunt was part of their training, too.
Back near their base, they could let their guard down a little. Another beast might still attackâbut that too was training. If they detected an ambush, theyâd just kill again. Such was the path to becoming stronger.
ââŠBy the way⊠did you hear? That brat Musashi was apparently born.â
âHuh!? Is that true, de-gonsu!?â
âYeah, I heard about it while giving some orders to my subordinates about our operationsâŠâ
âThat Musashiâs kid⊠gives me a bad feeling.â
âApparently, the nameâs Owari.â
Amid all this, even the Tobiroppo occasionally have conversations. On this islandâwhere only six people resideâthe only other individuals present are a few subordinates stationed at the beach house for surveillance and communication. With so little activity, boredom is inevitable. Small talk isnât unusual. Todayâs topic was about the newborn child of Musashi and the potential repercussions it might bring.
âLetâs just hope nothing bad comes of itâŠâ
âIf a fight breaks out, will they come to this island, de-gonsu?â
âHey! Donât jinx it, sis!!â
âIf a fight breaks out, wonât they blow another hole right through the middle of the island again?â
ââŠWith the size of that hole, next time the whole island might split in twoâŠâ
Among all possible consequences, what the Tobiroppo fear most is a fight between Kaido and Nue breaking out for any reason. In the Beasts Pirates, it happens from time to timeânatural disaster-level brawls that force everyone into emergency evacuation. More than once, their territories have been left in ruins.
Sprint Island is practically the designated battleground for Kaido and Nueâs spats. If a clash were to occur, theyâd likely head here again. Technically, they say the island wonât break, but anyone whoâs seen the massive crater at its centerâwhere there clearly used to be a mountainâwould find that hard to believe. Getting caught in one of those fights would mean certain death, no matter who or where you are.
The Tobiroppo couldnât help but worry that something related to the grandchild might spark another such chain reaction⊠Yet, among them, only Komurasaki harbored entirely different thoughts.
âMusashiâs child⊠huhâŠâ
She whispered to herself, just loud enough that no one could hear. The child of her enemyâs child. And then she thoughtâ
âEven if the child is innocent, they wonât stand in the way of revenge. If necessary, Iâll take them down too. Thatâs the level of resolve I need to have.
âAll right⊠First, weâre cooking up these beastsâŠ!!â
â!? Hey! The cutting board went missing during that beast fiasco!! Make a new one, quick!! Black Maria!!â
âOh no⊠That is a problem⊠But we should fix the destroyed house firstâŠâ
âThen letâs just use one of the planks from this busted-up house!! It just so happens to be miraculously shaped like a cutting board!!â
âAs expected of PÄtan!! That solves the cooking problem, de-gonsu!!â
ââŠAll this fuss over a cutting boardâŠâ
âAaah~~!? You littleâKomurasaki!! You mocking the cutting board, you ultra dumbass!?â
âTo make fun of the cutting board⊠a disgrace to the Tobiroppo.â
ââKomurasaki. You clearly have no idea how amazing cutting boards are. To a chef, a cutting board is like a sword to a swordsman. Itâs absolutely essential for hygiene, and in Wano, itâs so revered itâs the origin of the very word for cook. Obviously, I always carry my own personal board with meâŠâ
â!!? (King!? What the hell is he doing here all of a suddenâŠ!?)â
âŠBut the road ahead was long and rough. Training was grueling, and once again today, while forging tools from jungle-sourced materials, Komurasaki found herself relentlessly scolded by both her fellow Tobiroppo and, before she knew it, Kingâwho had somehow shown up at their base.
âââNew Onigashima.â
At the center of the massive pirate empire that proclaimed dominion over the New World stood a fortress-like island that had become a paradise for piratesâand it was abuzz with noise. The area once known as the Flower Capital, once a prosperous city enriching Orochi, had transformed into the capital of New Onigashima, now dubbed âHell Town.â Pirates drank every night, slaves labored without rest, and the red-light district thrived with courtesans.
âGya-hahaha! This countryâs insane!!â
âHell yeah, brother! Joining the Beasts Pirates was the right call!!â
âDamn right! Letâs rack up some achievements and rise through the ranks together!!â
Throughout the city, the number of Beasts Pirates had only grown over the past six months. The low-ranking members laughed with their arms slung around each other, guzzling booze, celebrating their fortune, and voicing their ambitions. The new Waiters eagerly waited for their chance to eat a SMILE, an artificial Devil Fruit, dreaming of becoming Gifters if they survived the process. Those who failed became Pleasuresâbut even that counted as landing on the winning side.
ââŠThe newbies sure are carefree, huhâŠâ
âYeah. Itâs good to be happy and all, but who knows whatâs gonna happen? Seriously.â
âPetty stuff can turn into fights here⊠and if itâs family matters, even more soâŠâ
Meanwhile, the more experienced Gifters and other ability usersâespecially the elite officers recognized for their strength, the Shinuchiâdrank to celebrate while quietly growing uneasy inside the castle. The longer one had been with the Beasts Pirates, the clearer it was that they were nearing a turning point.
âLetâs hope nothing happens before the next âGolden Kaguraâ⊠the âBeast Cup.ââ
âIf we get caught up in something, there wonât be time for promotion battles!!â
âIt all depends on that kid⊠and Lady MusashiâŠâ
âAs long as theyâre not more of a wild child than Lady Yamato or Lady MusashiâŠâ
âEven if they are, thatâs a ways off, right? The kidâs not even a month old yet!â
âYou sure? That bloodlineâs monstrous even by our standards! Wouldnât be surprising if a total freak was bornâŠ!!â
âJust what kind of kid are we talking about hereâŠâ
As they drank in the banquet hall, the Shinuchi glanced upâtoward the upper floors beyond the ceilingâhoping nothing would happen. What truly piqued their interest was what kind of child had been born⊠and whether that would spark conflict among their bosses.
âTheir unease, however, was not entirely unfounded.
Upper floor of Kaidoâs residence, New Onigashima. In a spacious tatami room, a group of assigned wet nurses cautiously approached the cradle.
âHiiiii~ there⥠Lord Owari~~⥠Hereâs your new pacifierâĄâ
âAah-ooh!â
âThatâs right, be a good little baby and suck on this for now~~âĄâ
âBuuu!!â
âAh!!? P-Please wait!!â
The assigned wet nurse, a stunning woman who usually served under Black Maria and worked in the pleasure district, reached out gently in baby talk. But the infant in the cradleâLord Owariâsuddenly sprang up, crawling rapidly across the tatami mats. The startled nurses cried out, calling to the guard at the room entranceâa Waiter.
âCatch Lord Owari!!â
âWhoa!? Howâs that baby crawling so fast!? Is she the reincarnation of a cheetah or something!?â
âNot the time for jokes!! Alright⊠letâs catch herâŠ!! âGotcha!!â
â!?â
Two rough-looking pirates lunged for the crawling infant, Owari, whose speed was unbelievable for a baby. One of them managed to catch her. Fast or not, she was still a baby. There was no way she could outpace fully grown piratesâeven low-ranking soldiers of the dreaded Beasts Pirates.
âAuu~!!â
âGahaha!! Give it up!! Babies should act like babies and stay put in their cradles!!â
âBuuu⊠aahâooâ!!!â
âEh!!? âGuhbff!!?â
But the baby had a move of her own. Letting out a dissatisfied cry at the idiotâs laughter, she suddenly grabbed the manâs finger, twisted her little body around, slipped free from the pirateâs arm, spun once in midairâand slammed the man into the tatami. The nurses and the other pirates stared in disbelief.
âH-He got thrownâŠ!!?â
âHey hey⊠what kind of baby is this!!? Iâve never heard of a baby throwing an adult!!?â
âM-Maybe sheâs a sumo wrestlerâs reincarnationâŠ?â
âNot the time for jokes!!!â
âSheâs heading into the hallway!! Hurry up and catch her!!â
âAaahâoooh!!!â
The pirates scrambled in confusion. Just one infantânot even a month oldâwas running circles around them. They couldnât get rough, and theyâd underestimated her because she was a baby. But even with that excuse, she was far beyond what anyone would consider ânormal.â
She bolted into the hallway, dashing at lightning speedâthen came to a sudden stop. She had found her target.
âAaahâaaah!!â
"Hm? ââOh, Owari!! Hahaha, what are you doing here? Donât tell me you came to greet your mother?"
"Auu!!"
"I see, I see! You came to greet me!! I get it now⊠Did you sense me coming beforehand? Was it Observation Haki from birth, or did you somehow pick up on your motherâs presence as an infant? Who knows⊠Either way, youâre amazing!!"
"Au~!!"
Cradling the baby who had just appeared before her, the woman smiled. She was the babyâs mother, out on an errand, and none other than the Vice-General of the famed New Onigashima. Sheâd grown noticeably in the past six monthsâtaller, more developedâand as the daughter of the Governor-General of the Beasts Pirates, her child naturally came from prestigious blood.
âVice-General of New Onigashima (Kaidoâs Daughter) Musashiâ
"Still, this situation⊠Hmph, as expected of my child!!"
âMusashiâs Daughter (Kaidoâs Grandchild) Owariâ
"Dauw!!"
"Indeed. But when you throw people, you need to choose your target and the right place. Otherwise, they might accidentally die!!"
"Au!!"
"Thatâs not the part you should be correcting her on!!!"
The subordinates promptly chimed in with a retort to the baby. Despite her status, they couldnât let something so off-kilter slide. Musashi didnât mindâshe understood they served not her, but her father. She carried Owari back into the room. Following her were two female attendantsâone a grown woman with pink hair, the other a young girl.
"Now then⊠time to get dinner ready. ââBeni, Otama."
"âŠYes."
"Y-Yes, maâam!!"
"Auu~"
Musashi handed Owari to her two attendants and moved to prepare the babyâs meal.
However, Musashi was still unfamiliar with many of these tasks. She pulled out a memo from her chest and began checking off items one by one as she tried to proceed.
"Owariâs quite the little glutton⊠Iâll need more than milkâsome baby food too⊠Um⊠How do I make it againâŠ"
"ââMy, my⊠Struggling quite a bit, arenât you?"
"!"
Just as she was about to start, a voice called out from the opposite entrance. Everyone in the room stiffened. The newcomers were a small girl with strange wings and a large man with horns similar to Musashiâs. These were the top two powers of the Beasts PiratesâKaido and Nue.
"Want me to teach you? Iâm used to babysitting. I took care of Linlinâs kids⊠and you and Yamato tooâĄ"
"âŠ! That wonât be necessary. I can do it myself. Iâve already looked up how. More importantly, what are you here for?"
"Thatâs a cold way to talk to a parent just coming to see their kid. I just wanted to check inâis that so bad?"
"A drunken old man and a middle-aged idol arenât exactly the best influences for a child."
"Huh? What? I canât hear you. Nue-chan is eternally fifteen years old~~~~âĄ"
"The way you flirt is painful. You might look young, but you canât lie about your age. Face reality."
"ââYouâre worse at hiding it than you used to be, Nue."
"Shut it, you dumb Musashi and dumb Kaido!! Iâll beat the snot out of you!! Iâm an eternal idol, got it!? Right, Owari-chanâĄ?"
"Babuu!!"
"See!? She said yes!! Even a pure baby gets it!!"
"She doesnât understand words."
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
A flurry of banter as soon as they arrived. Nue struck an idol pose toward Owari, who found it genuinely amusing. Musashi said nothing, understanding words were pointless hereâbut that silence only made Nue suspicious.
"Huh? I totally thought youâd say something using Owari as an excuse⊠Donât tell meâyou finally admit it? That Iâm an eternal idol?"
"âŠNot exactly. I just think itâs wrong to use a child for your own petty jabs⊠so I stopped."
"! Hmph? Talking like some kind of decent human being now⊠You sure that wonât get in the way of your goals?"
"Hmph⊠You know full well it wonât. Now then, what business do you have?"
"Haha, fair enough. You are a beastâI trust youâll handle things as needed!! ââNow, about our business⊠Some decisions have been made, and we figured weâd let you know first⊠Right, Kaido?"
"Yeah⊠Nue and I have been talking for a while, and itâs settled. Weâre sending Joker to fetch Yamato, but weâre telling you first, Musashi."
"Auu~?"
Nueâs earlier comment, laced with slight Haki in her gaze, had been half-jest. She never seriously expected Musashi to accept her idol claim. With the teasing over, they got to the point. Mention of Yamato made it clearâit was a family matter. Owari, though likely unaware, still reacted. To distract her, Nue summoned one of her powers.
"âââVentlerâ."
"! A~~~~u~~~!!"
"Wow, sheâs just a baby and already chasing after it. Linlinâs sons couldnât catch it at all. I wonder how old Owari-chan will be when she finally does?"
"âŠSo what is it you came to tell me?"
"Itâs about Owariâher father wonât be made public. He wonât be acknowledged. As far as anyoneâs concerned⊠he. doesnât. exist."
"!!"
Musashiâs face changed in shock. Her fatherâeveryone among the higher ranks knew. She and Yamato, Kaido and Nue, the executivesâthey all knew about the new taboo that had arisen in the Beasts Pirates six months ago. Kaido had just declared the official stance.
But the shock didnât last. Musashi had half expected it. Her attendants and the lower-ranking pirates all froze, sensing theyâd just overheard something dangerousâand knowing they must never comment on it. Amid that tension, Musashi spoke without naming the father.
"âŠYou really canât stand that guy, huh?"
"Thatâs part of it. But if the world or our own crew found out, itâd be a damn mess⊠Itâd cause chaos!!"
"Well, weâre going to kill him eventually anyway. If he joined our ranks, thatâd be different, but thatâs not gonna happen."
"Hey, Nue!! Thatâs not the point!!! Iâm not recognizing him under any circumstances!!! That brat is mine to kill!!!"
"Aw, I wouldnât mind acknowledging him if he joined our crew. If he found out, maybe heâd feel guilty and raise his chances from zero to, like, one percent? Like, âIâve got a daughter now, so take responsibility~ââa nice appeal to his sense of duty."
"You don't want to handle things that way either, do you?! It'll only complicate things!!"
"Well, yeah, that's true. If they gave up, I wouldn't mind making them a subordinate, but honestly, Iâd rather crush them head-on while theyâre still fired upâso with that said, Musashi!! Talking about your father is off-limits!!"
"...Understood."
It seemed that Kaido and Nue had some differing opinions, but in the end, they shared the same conclusion. Since the two of them had spoken, Musashi could only nod in agreement. Fortunately, the other side didnât know about the child. And unless they brought it up themselves, there was no way for them to find out, nor would they be burdened with unnecessary responsibility. The other side was already under pressure from choosing a new path.
"That all you had to say?"
"Pretty much⊠oh, and Yamato and Katakuriâs honeymoon isnât going so well, I guess? Wouldâve been nice if theyâd had another kid while they were at it⥠Then Owari-chan wouldâve had a little sister or brother!!"
"If another one is going to be born, Iâd prefer a son..."
"And look at thatâKaido, whoâs always been surrounded by daughters, says as much. Maybe I should tell Linlin and Katakuri. Iâm meeting Linlin soon to talk about the 'Elbaf' matter anyway."
"Yamato is technically your 'son' too, isnât she? Be satisfied with that, Father."
"Shut upâŠ!! I never asked for that, but since she insists sheâs my son, itâs been hell trying to explain it to Linlin⊠She really needs to move on from that whole âOden cosplayâ phase alreadyâŠ"
"Maybe Owari-chan will grow up weird again this time⊠Should we just raise her as a boy? Maybe sheâll aim to be a pirate this time? Or waitâwould she claim to be Pirate King insteadâŠ?"
"Shut up!! Cut it out!!"
"What a pathetic squabble. Thereâs no way Owari will lose her mindâsheâs my child, after all."
"Which is exactly why Iâm worried!!!"
"My head's starting to acheâŠ!!"
"Auu~~!! Auu~~!!"
Kaido barked out in frustration at Nueâs joke, likely conjuring up some unpleasant images. Then, Nue responded to Musashiâs remark with a jab of her own, and Kaido sighed and cradled his head. Naturally, the infant Owari paid no mind to any of it, gleefully chasing the three small, colorful UFOs that Nue had conjured. It was a method sheâd used since long ago when babysitting. The vividly colored, erratically floating UFOs were always a hit with kids.
That said, it was clearly abnormal for a baby not even a month old to be crawling so energetically after the UFOs. Not only was she growing quickly, but her innate physical ability was far too high. Tossing adults around at the age of zeroâthat was something only someone like Yamatoâs idol or Linlin herself would be capable of. It was possible this child might rivalâor even surpassâthem one day. Watching Owari continue her attempts to catch the UFOs, Nue smiled.
"Well, in any case, itâs good that she seems strong and healthy. Iâve got to get ready soon⊠And I still have to help supervise the Flying Sixâs training later⊠Oh, right, Musashi."
"? Thereâs more?"
"Not a big deal. Iâm signing you up as a guest participant for the next âHundred Beasts Cupâ at the upcoming âGolden Kagura.â So, yeah, be ready."
"...If I fight my way up⊠will I get to face you all?"
"Getting ahead of yourself. But hey, if you get strong enough to beat a Lead Performer, maybe Iâll give you a little match⥠Whether you win or not is another matter, but it might be funâȘ"
"âŠYou can keep playing it cool. But while you're all basking in that arrogance, Iâno, weâmight grow strong enough to reach you."
Musashi, now a mother, continued training in secret, aiming to sink her fangs into the apex of the beasts from the inside, hoping that might also help her former comrades. That statement of hers was brazen, yet at the same time, it expressed her faith in the enemies of the beastsâsomewhere out there in the world.
But Nue paused slightly at those words, her beast-like eyes gleaming. She left her response to her companion first.
"...Arrogance, huh⊠What do you think, Kaido?"
"Worororo⊠It ainât arrogance. Itâs confidence. Musashi⊠whether itâs you or anyone else⊠no matter how hard you train for a few years, you ain't gonna reach usâŠ!!!"
"No one knows the futureânot even the most skilled in Observation Haki."
"Ahahaha⊠well, I guess weâre both making baseless claims then. Musashi. Just focus on raising Owari-chan well. That kidâs got potential⊠Though, let me say one thingâ"
Kaido flashed a fearless grin. Nue matched it, and Musashi responded in kind, though a bead of sweat ran down her temple. The gap in power between them remained vast. Musashi wasnât so weak that she couldnât recognize her parentsâ strength. In fact, it was because she had grown that she now understood just how far off the summit was.
Kaido and Nue also understood that gap. But unlike Musashi, they could more precisely estimate both the current disparity and how much it might be closed in the future. And that was why Nue spokeâwhile leaving the room with Kaido, her back turnedâ
"ââGrowth isnât a privilege exclusive to the young and the newbornâŠ!!!"
"ââI look forward to seeing even just one person rise who can take us onâŠ!!! WorororoâŠ!!!"
"âŠâŠ!!"
And with that, Nue and Kaido departed.
At that moment, Musashi sensed the surge of Haki rising from their bodies with her Observation Hakiâand realized something. It had grown stronger than before. Even though they hadnât actively unleashed their Conquerorâs Haki, it was obvious.
"...This is going to be more than just a struggle⊠Iâll have to steel myself furtherâŠ"
"A-Are you gonna be⊠o-okay�"
"âŠYes, I will. You lot shouldnât push yourselves. Just standing near my fatherâs Haki must make it hard to even breathe, right?"
She murmured this in caution to her small subordinatesâbecause if not careful, they might end up completely devoured, flesh and bones and all.
"Auu~~âŠ!!"
"! Owari⊠Haha⊠youâre still full of energy, huh. Even though this situation is anything but simple for youâŠ"
Yet even now, watching Owari pout at failing to catch the UFOs and continue playing, Musashi couldnât help but smile wrylyâand made a firm vow. She would not drag this child into it. This was her fight.
No matter how it endedâshe would at least ensure that this child could live a life of freedom.
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