Chapter 89: Promotion Exam
In the Beast Pirates, thereâs no distinction between gender or age among the crew.
The only thing that matters is strengthâwhether you have what it takes to be a fighter. Everything else is secondary.
So, the only thing you need to climb the ranks is power. Nothing else matters.
Butâ
"Everyone starts out weak."
"GhâŠ!!"
A light, almost caressing strike from the butt end of a trident sends a crushing wave of pain through me.
Beneath Onigashima lies a vast, hemispherical black cageâa training ground.
The stone floor and walls are stained here and there with dark red blotches. In other words, this is how much blood has been spilled here before.
"Creatures born strong from the very beginning⊠Well, they do exist. But aside from those exceptions, everyone starts weak. Even those exceptions were relatively weaker as children."
"UghâŠ! Cough CoughâŠ!!"
Spitting blood onto the floor, I keep listening to the monsterâs words.
Countless weaklings have been turned into bloody messes on a whim here. This placeâis where the weak are reforged into the strong.
If the monster isnât satisfied⊠if you canât prove enough growth, all that awaits is a cold death.
The stench of death fills this place. Some of it comes from the nearby prison, but the overwhelming scent of blood isnât just from thatâitâs from the countless lives lost in training.
"But âbeing weakâ is just an excuse. The enemy wonât go easy on you just because youâre weak. In fact, theyâll swarm you because youâre weakâeasy prey. Thinking others will save you is a naive way to survive in this world."
"Hah⊠HahâŠ"
I force myself up and raise my sword.
Channeling RyuoâHakiâinto the blade, I swing down at the monster before me. The monster doesnât even dodge. She casually raises her left arm and blocks with her forearm. For a normal person, that would mean a severed limb or shattered bone, but common sense doesnât apply to this beast.
"The only way to survive is to get stronger. Excuses like âIâm just a kid,â âIâm a woman,â or âIâve never fought beforeâ are meaningless. The strong donât hesitate to take from the weak, after all~âĄ"
"âŠâŠ!"
Thatâs right⊠here, if you donât grow stronger, youâll be taken from.
The weak gain nothingâthey lose everything. Hiyori understands that all too well from experience.
No matter how just your cause, it doesnât matter. What decides victory in battle is strength.
Win, and you gain everythingâhappiness. Lose, and you lose everythingâmisery.
If you want something⊠if you want to protect whatâs precious⊠then no matter what, you have to get stronger and win.
This monster, Nue, took everything from herâbut in exchange, taught her that truth. In a way, sheâs her benefactor⊠but even more so, her most hated enemy.
"The weak are taken from unless they gain strength, gain power. So thenâhow do you get stronger?"
"âŠJustâtrainâŠ!!"
Answering the question, I pour RyuoâHakiâinto my blade and swing again.
But of course, the opponent just smiles, effortlessly sidestepping left and right.
Itâs like playing sword-fight with a childâbecause the difference in skill is as vast as heaven and earth. Every attack is predicted, and even if they land, they leave no mark. The sheer gap in Haki is insurmountable.
"Right, training your body makes you stronger. Building muscle, endurance. Mastering martial arts or swordsmanship is necessary too. Humans who train enough can even become immune to cannons and blades~âȘ"
"âŠ!"
"Only a few freaks like Nue are exceptions to that," she wanted to retortâbut the reality was undeniable.
This monster was genuinely trying to teach her how to grow stronger. And in truth, she had grown stronger because of it. There was no reason to doubt it now.
"â
ââŠ!!""Yes, thatâs the first step. Training your body to get stronger is ideal. At the very least, you wonât lose to ordinary people anymore~âĄ"
"Gh⊠UghâŠ!!"
Using one of the Rokushiki techniques taught by these monsters, I dart behind her at high speed and slashâbut Nue doesnât even flinch. These monsters donât need techniques like this to be fast, tough, or strong.
"But if you want to aim higher, you canât ignore Haki."
Nue declares with a grin. Hakiâspecifically, Ryuo.
"âArmament,â âObservationâ⊠Well, âConquerorâsâ is something youâre born with, so thatâs out of the question. But the other two can be trained. The samurai of this country and the pirates of the New World are strong precisely because they hone their Haki~âȘ"
"TchâŠ!!"
Nue catches the blade with her pinky fingerâno, not even touching it, stopping it just before contact.
Advanced Armament Haki. When used defensively, it repels weapons and bodies without even touching them. Offensively, it destroys from within.
Of course, these monsters are all masters of Haki. Like the samurai, many specialize in Armament, but they can all use Observation as well. Fighting them without Haki is near impossible.
Especially Nueâwhose Observation is monstrous in its own right. She looks at me and sees the future.
"âA diagonal upward slash from below.â"
"âŠ!!"
"âThen gritting your teeth in frustration before backing off.â âŠPfft! Ahaha! No need to look so grim. Itâs not like this is anything new, right?"
"âŠ!!"
Nue laughs, amused. Thatâs rightâthis monster just saw the future.
Observation Haki reads the unconscious signals of living beings, predicting movements and sensing presences.
Hiyori can do it tooâsheâs been trying to predict Nueâs moves this whole time.
But she canât. Because her opponentâs Observation is too advanced.
At its peak, Observation can detect presences from afar, glimpse the past, read memories⊠and even see seconds into the future.
Even if not constantly active, surprise attacks are useless against a master like this. Hiding or running is nearly impossible.
Even among the Beast Pirates, no one matches Nue in Observation Haki⊠No, in the entire world, itâs unclear if anyone rivals her. Rumors whisper through Wano and the Beast Pirates alikeâ"Nothing escapes Lady Nueâs sight."
"âŠFufufu~⥠Whatâs wrong? Getting cold feet? âŠOr do you wanna go homeâback to your family?"
"âŠâŠ!!"
Hiyori felt her mind boil with rage at Nueâs wordsâbut at the same time, a chill of terror crawled down her spine.
Yes. This was it. The dread that gripped those who faced Nue. The fear. The reason so many found her utterly unfathomable.
Nue was the worst. She delighted in peopleâs discomfort, panic, and terrorâpoking at their weaknesses with pinpoint precision, whether through words or actions. Once she set her sights on you, escape was impossible. Every corner of Wano was under the watch of Nue and the UFOs she created.
One reason for the rumors that "nothing escapes Lady Nueâs sight" was the absurd range of her Observation Hakiâbut even more than that, it was her sheer unpredictability.
The words Nue spun made it feel as thoughâ
âshe knew. Knew your past, your traumas, and was toying with them.
Maybe she truly was reading memories with her Observation Haki. At times, she even seemed to know things she couldnâtâfuture events, secrets untold.
Perhaps it was coincidence. Perhaps she had other sources. But the truth remained unknown. Even Kyoushirou had feared her.
"Lady Hiyori⊠itâs possible that monster is toying with us, fully aware of everything. Please, be careful."
Yes. What Kyoushirou feared most was that hisâand herâtrue identities would be exposed. Or worse, that they already were. If that happened, their lives would be forfeit, and the rebels Kyoushirou had secretly sheltered would be purged in an instant.
But so far, neither Orochi nor the Beast Pirates seemed to have noticed.
âŠExcept Nue.
Maybe she was dropping hints to lure them into slipping up. Nue did occasionally say things that felt deliberately calculated to unsettle her.
But showing any reaction would be the end. Whether Nue knew or not, Hiyoriâs only option was to keep hiding the truth.
And the fear festered. This was how Nue planted seeds of terror in so many hearts.
The truth was unknowableâand that was what made her so terrifying.
"Hmm~? Whatâs wrong? Youâve gone all stiff⊠Need a break? Or maybe a meal? âOh, I know! How about some oden?"
"! âŠN-No, Iâm⊠fine."
"Really? Suit yourself~ But if you get hungry, just say the word~âĄ"
Before Hiyori realized it, Nue had closed the distance between them, smiling up at her from point-blank range.
âŠAnd once again, her words sent Hiyoriâs heart into chaos.
She fought to keep her composure, but the suddenness of it made her face twitchâjust for an instant. Nue noticed, of course, but she didnât press further. Just let it go.
What is she thinking?
Unsettling as ever.
"Now then⊠back on topic. Training your body, honing Haki⊠Sure, thatâs enough to aim high, but~ there is a quicker way to get stronger, you know? âĄ"
"! You meanâŠ!"
The way Nue said it made Hiyoriâs breath catch.
She already knew the answerâbut if Nue was bringing it up nowâŠ
Has the time finally come?
And the moment that thought crossed her mindâ
They arrived.
"âOi, Nue!! Weâre here!!"
"Oh? Faster than I expected, Kaido. Come on in, everyone~âȘ"
"Nue-san! Brought what ya asked for~â«"
"Kyaaa~⥠Lady Nue, itâs been too long, ngo!!"
"The hellâs with that speech tic⊠Donât tell me you picked that up from Doflamingo?"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
Hiyori instinctively recoiled under the crushing pressure.
Stepping into the room were Kaido, the All-Stars King and Queen, and three of the tobiroppo: Jack, Ulti, and Page One.
Nearly the entire upper echelon of the Beast Piratesâsave those deployed outside Wano.
"E-Even Kaido-soutou� What in the world�"
"Fufufu~⥠Well, I called them here for a little event. Canât guess what it is?"
"âŠN-No⊠I havenât the faintest ideaâŠ"
Hiyori answered truthfully, tilting her head slightly.
Nue narrowed her eyesâthen dropped a bombshell with two layers of shock.
"âWeâre gonna have Hiyori-chan take the test to become a True Elite."
"âŠâŠâŠâŠEh?"
For a moment, Hiyori couldnât process the words.
First came surpriseâthen a flicker of joy at finally being granted the chance to rise in rankâ
âbut then, the name Nue used hit her like a fist to the chest.
Her name.
Not Komurasaki, the false identity she wore like a mask.
Her real name.
Which could only mean one thingâ
Her cover was blown.
"Worororo!! Looks like she didnât see that coming! That face says it allâshe never thought weâd find out!!"
"GhâŠ!!"
"Ah-ah! No running away now~"
"Ugh...!?"
The moment Kaidou burst into laughter, I tried to flee, but Nue immediately grabbed me and slammed me onto the ground. With Nue sitting on my back as I lay face-down, there was no way to move. She shouldnât have been that heavy, yet somehow, struggling was impossible.
"Hey, hey!! You ain't gettinâ away, so just sit tight!!"
"...! Since... when...!?"
"From the very start ⥠âWell, I was the only one who noticed at first. I told Kaidou and the All-Stars later, and only today did I let the Flying Six in on it."
"...!"
Nue said it so casuallyâthat sheâd known all along.
But if that was true... then...
"You knew... and you let it happen...!!"
"Thatâs right~âȘ Seemed fun, after all~âȘ"
âThey had been aware the whole time and let it slide.
I had been dancing in the palm of their hand.
In that moment, Hiyori felt like she had plunged into the abyss.
There was no escape. Nue had her pinned, surrounded by Kaidou, the All-Stars, and the tobiroppo.
This was undeniably the end. She had no future left.
"Never thought Odenâs daughter would still be alive, let alone sneak right into our ranks. Impressive."
"My bad, Kaido. If Iâd burned her to ash back then..."
"Damn right!! Half-assed job as usual!!"
"Wasnât talkinâ to you. Shut it."
"Huh!?"
"Shut iiiiiit!!?"
"Not you, sis!! Quit buttinâ into other peopleâs fights!!"
...Their bickering no longer reached her ears.
"...Just kill me."
"Hm? Why? You wanna die?"
"Tch... You think Iâm stupid enough to believe I can survive... surrounded by all of you?"
"Ooooh, so youâve got the guts to face death. Just like Odenâs daughter should! Youâre way more samurai than those dumb retainers of yours!!"
"...!"
Nue praised herâbut the condescension in her tone made it impossible to take as a compliment.
Her life was over. Maybe she had a few days left... or a month at most. They might torture her before finishing her off, but prolonging the inevitable was pointless.
Yes, there should have been no way outâ
"Ahaha!! Youâre staying calm even after I provoked you~!! Oden wouldâve snapped if his comrades were insulted, but youâre a bit different, huh?"
"...!"
"Mmm~? That gritting of teethâwhich is it? Actually pissed... or did I hit a nerve? Either way, fun reaction âĄ"
She had no retort for Nueâs continued prodding.
...No, more accurately, she chose not toâ
"But isnât it a little early to decide youâre gonna die?"
"! ...What... do you mean?"
"I told you, didnât I? âWeâre testing if Hiyo-chanâs got what it takes to be a top playerâ ⥠âQueen, Jack."
"Yes!!"
"Got it!! Time for our cute little Komurasakiâno, Hiyo-tanâs big show~~~~~â«"
Before she could process Nueâs words, Jack and Queen sprang into action.
Jack dropped the burlap sack heâd been carrying onto the floor. And when he forced outâwhen the figure inside emerged, her eyes widened in shock.
"...!! Kawamatsu!?"
"Guh... P-Princess...!! Iâve failed you...!! I couldnât protect you... and now Iâve shown you such disgrace...!!"
The webbed hands were unmistakable, though his skin tone had changed.
The bloodied samurai was none other than Kawamatsuâthe "Kappa of the Red Scabbards," one of the retainers who served the Kozuki family.
Sheâd heard heâd been captured and imprisoned in Queenâs labor camp in Udon, but bringing him here now... could only mean something terrible.
"Alrighty, alrighty~~~â« Jack, put that thing over there â«"
"Got it."
"Ngh...!"
Queen tinkered with something outside the cage, then gave Jack another order. Following it, Jack stepped inside and fastened a collar around Hiyoriâs neck.
"All set, Nue-san!!"
"Okaaay!! Then letâs get this show on the roadâȘ Introducing~~~~â«"
"Produced by Nue-san!!"
"âYou Canât Go Home Until You Prove Youâre a Top Player!! The Black Cage Deathmatch Survival Testâ~~~~~!!!"
"YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
"Nue-samaâs the GOAT~~~âĄ"
"...!!"
As Nue proudly announced the name of this so-called "test," only Queen and Ulti cheered and raised their hands in excitement. The others remained silent, while Hiyori and Kawamatsu could only watch in dread. The ordeal had begun.
"And here we go, Nue-san!! Time for another cruel, thrilling show!! Shame the audience is so small today!!"
"True. But what can you do? ⥠Weâve even kept Hiyo-chanâs existence hidden from Orochi, after all. Making too big a deal of this would cause problemsâboth for Wanoâs rule and for Orochiâs ego."
"!? Youâre... hiding me from Orochi...!?"
Hiyori couldnât help but voice her shock at the suspicious remark. Nue turned to her with a grin and elaborated.
"See how nice we are? Normally, a surviving Kozuki would be executed on the spot~~⥠But yâknow, if you join us like that kappa or Ashura in Kuri, we might just let you live... Though with Odenâs actual kid, Orochi would throw a fit, so keeping it quiet seemed better."
"Orochiâs a coward⊠No matter how many times I tell him itâs fine, heâs still pissinâ himself. Honestly explaining what weâre doinâ would just be a pain."
Kaidou took a swig of liquor as he added that. Theyâd even hidden this from Orochiâsomeone theyâd been allied with for over a decade.
But for Hiyori, that hardly mattered in the grand scheme of things. What did matter was whether Kyoushirou had been exposed too⊠and what was about to be done to her.
For some reason, it seemed they werenât going to kill her outright. Nue continued, explaining why.
"Anyway~ Thatâs not important! What is important is whether you can pass this test and become a top player!"
"! Donât tell me⊠knowing Iâm a Kozuki survivor, youâre trying to recruit meâŠ?"
"PreposterousâŠ!! Such a thing is unthinkableâŠ!!"
"But itâs totally thinkable!! âWhich brings us to RULE EXPLANATION TIIIIIIMEâȘ"
Declaring this a "promotion test," Nue cheerfully carried on, ignoring Hiyoriâs bewilderment. Queen struck a pose beside her, and the two launched into their explanation.
"Hiyo-chan, youâll be fighting for seven days straight!! No food, no waterâjust a survival battle in this cage!! Your opponents will be~~~ Page One!! Ulti!! And Jack!! Three of the tobiroppo~~~~!!!"
"YES!! But donât worry, Hiyo-tan!! They wonât gang up on youâitâs tag-team rules!! Plus, if you get knocked out, you get a whole hour to rest!! âŠWell, ârest.â After that, weâll just electrocute you awake again!!"
"âŠ!! Such absurd conditions are unacceptableâŠ!!"
Kawamatsu roared in protest from outside the cage. But Hiyori knew it was pointless.
They wouldnât listen. These people followed through on their whims. Mercy for the weak didnât exist here.
So if she wanted to surviveâŠ
"âŠWhat are the conditions for walking out alive?"
"Princess!?"
"Oho~ Someoneâs got resolve!"
"Muhaha, this oneâs got more guts than the kappa!! Letâs keep those rules rollinâ~~~~â«"
Resolve? Of course. She wouldnât have infiltrated the Beasts Pirates without it. Sheâd long since prepared to dieâhad already suffered near-fatal wounds before. She wasnât about to start screaming over something like this now. All she could do was strive to survive. That was all.
"The conditionâs simple, Hiyo-tan!! Just stay alive for seven days!!"
"Do that, and youâll be released and promoted to top player!! Plus, weâll throw in a little⊠performance bonus to make you even stronger!!"
"âŠA Devil Fruit."
"Fufu⊠As expected of one of our crew~⥠Yep, yep! We reward new top players with Devil Fruits to boost their combat power!"
Sheâd known, of course. It was common knowledge that non-ability users received Fruits upon promotion.
Part of her had even hoped to exploit that systemâto grow stronger through it. After her identity was exposed, she assumed the opportunity was lost⊠but apparently, the chance still remained.
Yet she doubted that was the only condition. Glancing at Kawamatsu, she posed the question.
"âŠThat canât be all, can it?"
"Hm~? Why do you say that?"
"âŠI doubt youâd recruit a Kozuki without contingencies. More importantly, that doesnât explain the collars on Kawamatsu."
Rightâthere was no way those collars were just for show.
Hers could be dismissed as an anti-escape measure, but Kawamatsuâs presence here suggested something far worseâ
"âŠIs the real condition that⊠only one of us gets to leave alive?"
"!"
"Ding-ding-ding~âȘ Correct!! Hence these Queen Specialâą collars!!"
"Muhaha, sharp as ever!! Then let me spell it out!! These collars are rigged to explode if you stray too far from this cage~~~⫠But their other function? They unlock⊠when one of you dies!!"
"When one of usâŠ"
"! âŠDiesâŠ"
The moment the words left Queenâs mouth, Hiyori realized what Kawamatsu was likely thinking.
âŠHeâll choose to die for me. Without hesitation.
"So if Hiyo-chan kicks the bucket mid-test, Kawamatsu walks free! But for you to leave⊠well, on the seventh day, youâll just have to⊠kill him yourselfâĄ"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
"âŠHuh. Not even a flinch. Guess itâs that easy for you, huh?"
Hiyori fell silent. To surviveâto walk outâsheâd have to kill Kawamatsu. With her own hands.
It was cruel. It should have filled her with rage, with conflict.
And yetâŠ
A part of her remained eerily calm. That detachment unsettled even her.
"âŠWhat if I win?"
"Hm? Win?"
So she asked. Coolly. Directly at Nue.
"If I defeat the tobiroppo⊠would I be allowed to leave?"
"!"
"HAH!? The hell you say, Komurasaki!! You think you can beat ME!?"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
The atmosphere turned lethally sharp the instant those words left her mouth.
The three Tobiroppo were the source. Ulti wasnât the only one bristlingâPage One and Jack too glared, their anger thinly veiled.
But Nue, as always, shattered the tension with laughter.
"PfftâAHAHAHA!! Thatâs our girl!! I love it, Hiyo-chan!! That resolve, that look in your eyesâŠ! Reminds me of Oden!!"
"Wororororo!! Youâve got some nerve saying that⊠Fine, Iâll promise you this!! If you really win, Iâll let both you and that brat live!!"
"...Is that true?"
"I donât repeat myself!!"
Just as he steeled his resolveâKawamatsu lashed out at Kaidouâs words.
"What kind ofâ!! Who could ever trust a promise from you?! Back then too⊠you swore that if we endured, youâd release us!! And yet⊠you killed Lord Oden!!!"
"...Believe it or not, makes no difference to me. Either way, youâve got no choice but to accept this."
"Tch⊠I wonât let Lady Hiyori save me like last time!! If one of us has to die for the other to escape, then Iâll kill myself right nowâ"
"âHmph. You really think Iâd let you do that?"
"What?!"
Just as Kawamatsu was about to snap back at Kaido and his crew, King spoke quietly. Then, as if agreeing and taking over, Nue giggled and chimed in.
"Kingâs right~. We wonât let you do something so boring. If you kill yourself⊠weâll just kill Hiyori-chan too~ âĄ"
"Thatâs absurd!!"
"No matter what you say, we make the rules here ⥠For Hiyori-chan to survive, she either has to beat one of the Tobiroppo or last seven days and kill you herself. Those are her only two options~."
"Y-You monstersâŠ!!"
"Ahahahaha!! So angry, so angry~ âȘ âŠBut as much as Iâd love to see you die of rage⊠your little lord has already stepped inside, you know~?"
"!!"
Nue taunted Kawamatsu, and his gaze flickered toward her. But none of that mattered anymore. If he let himself get distracted, heâd never survive a battle against the strongest.
"...So, whoâs my first opponent?"
"P-PrincessâŠ"
"Hmph!! Got some nerve, flaring up that Haki!!"
"âŠâŠâŠâŠ"
Her eyes met each of the Tobiroppoâs. Every one of them was a formidable foe. Despite being around the same age, they were among the ten strongest in the Beasts Pirates.
Right now, she stood no chance against themâbut that didnât matter.
If she had to fight⊠if she had to surviveâthen winning was the only path forward.
"Ooooh, look at that bloodlust~ âȘ Well then, Iâll just step out of the cageâwho wants to go first~?"
"...Iâll take her."
"Okaaay!! First up is Pe-tan, a.k.a. Page One!!"
"Pe-tanâs gonna do his best, goo~!! Rooting for you from here, gooo~!!"
"Cut it out, Big Sis, youâre killing my focus!!"
She didnât care who it wasâshe just wanted it over with. Watching as Page One stepped into the cage, she raised her sword and waited. First up: Page One. Compared to Jack or Ulti, he mightâve been the lesser evil, but underestimating him would be a mistake. Though just twelve years old, he was an elite who had fought his way into the Tobiroppo alongside Ulti. Even if he was the weakest among them, he was still far above her level.
"Donât take it personally when I crush you."
"Of course. I wouldnât expect anything less."
"Now then~ âȘ With both fighters locked inâlet the Black Cage Deathmatch⊠begiâ"
"!"
"!"
The moment Nueâs words ended, Page One shifted into battle stanceâand just as she prepared to reactâ
The fight beganâ
"âLord Kaidou!! Lady Nuuueee!!"
"âŠHaaah? The hell is it nooow~? We were just getting to the good part~."
"Hey!! I said nobody interrupts us here!!"
"My deepest apologies!!!"
âS-Sorry!!! But itâs an emergency...!â
â...?â
Two members of the Beasts Pirates came running through the corridor, suddenly bursting onto the scene. Both Nue and Kaido responded with slightly annoyed expressions. Their subordinates flinched nervously, but upon hearing it was urgent, they begrudgingly gave permission to speak and gestured for them to continue.
âWhat the hell is it!?â
âWell, um... itâs that... Lord Musashi is rampaging again...â
âââHaaah!? A-gain!?â
âY-Yes!! A-Again!! A-And this time, theyâre demanding that Lord Kaido, Lady Nue, and even the All Stars and the Tobiroppo who are here now come, too...â
âTheyâre going wild and we canât stop them! Some of the facilities have already been damaged...!!â
âTch... That idiot...!!!â
â...Huh? I donât really get it, but theyâre asking for us?â
âY-Yes. They said they need to talk or something...â
âHmmmmm... This was getting to the good part, thoughââhaah... well, I can always watch it later. Guess we should go and see what this is all about. Shall we?â
âThat stupid brat...!! Oi, lead the way!!!â
âY-Yes, sir!! This way!!â
â...Weâre going too.â
âEhhhhh!! We seriously have to deal with them!?â
â...Brother King. We...â
âYou lot come along too. We probably wonât need the help... but just in case. Page One, hold down the fort.â
â...Got it.â
âEhhhhhh!!? I gotta go toooo!!? Nooo, I donât wanna gooo!!â
âJust go already...â
For some reason, Kaido left the room looking furious, with Nue perched on his shoulder, tilting her head. All Stars and the Tobiroppo followed, leaving only Page One behind in the room. During that exchange, the name âMusashiâ came up... Musashiâif memory serves, although weâve never metâwas said to be one of Kaidoâs children.
âTch. Sounds noisy out there, but I canât let up here. Iâll beat you down and take a break before they get back...!!â
â!â
âPrincess!!â
Even with the others gone, Page One continued his orders to fight me, trying to wear me down. With a sharp step in, he threw a punch.
I infused my sword with Haki, preparing to block it. Thatâs how the battle beganâbut then, something strange happened again.
â...!â
â! That soundâwas that a key!?â
âEh...!?â
The circular cell, naturally, couldnât be opened without a key.
Not that it mattered for meâI had a collar, so I couldnât leave anywayâbut the key had just been tucked into Page Oneâs coat earlier. The rest were likely stored somewhere else, or held by Kaido, Nue... or possibly the other Tobiroppo who came and went from this place.
But just now, someone else opened it. As Page One tried to identify the source, he knocked me back in a clash and turned toward the soundâ
âââThunder Bagua!!!â
â!!!â
ââA kanabo slammed through.
Page Oneâs eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the floor.
The person who had done itâa tall figure in a familiar outfitâstood over me, gasping for breath, and looked down at me.
âHaa... Haa... Somehow... I did it...!!â
âYouâre... Whaâ!?â
They placed a trembling hand on my shoulder, still struggling to breathe for some reason.
Then they looked me straight in the eye and said:
âââIâm your parent!!!â
â...Huh!!?â
ââWhat the hell is this person talking about?
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