Kapitel 147: Chapter 147: A chat with Yamato
In the dimly lit prison, the sound of chains clinking echoed through the cold, stone walls. A tall figure was shackled, her wrists bound by specially crafted cuffs that suppressed her immense strength. Her long, cascading hair was a striking blend of colors, transitioning from white at the roots to vibrant shades of green and blue as it flowed down to her waist. The hair, parted neatly in the middle, framed her face, while a pair of red devil horns protruded from the top of her head, adding to her fierce appearance. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail with orange hairpins, and gold earrings dangled from her ears, catching the faint light.
This was Yamato—Kaido's daughter, the one who had inherited not only his bloodline but also his indomitable spirit. A formidable warrior in her own right, she had consumed a Rare Evil fruit too, a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit that granted her the form of the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit: the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami. With it, she had gained tremendous power, including the ability to wield Conqueror's Haki, though she had yet to fully master the infusion technique that her father had perfected.
"Huh?!"
Yamato's sharp senses picked up on the movement outside her cell. Her eyes snapped open, and she lifted her head, her gaze locking onto Ace as he approached. There was a spark of defiance in her eyes, a testament to her unyielding nature.
"Who are you? Are you working with Kaido?!"
Her voice was strong, tinged with suspicion, as she demanded answers. Despite her captivity, there was an undeniable heroic aura about her, a strength that belied her chains. As Kaido's daughter, Yamato had awakened Conqueror's Haki at a young age, a rare and powerful ability that marked her as one of the chosen few. Though she had not yet fully mastered Conqueror's Haki infusion, and her Devil Fruit ability was not on par with the most powerful Zoans, her potential was undeniable.
Even now, bound and confined, Yamato's combat power was formidable, with her attacks rivaling those of an Admiral. However, she knew she was far from her father's level—a fact that only fueled her desire to grow stronger and break free from the shadow of Kaido.
Ace stood before her, his expression unreadable, as he took in the sight of the fierce warrior who had once been his enemy's daughter. The air between them crackled with tension, as two powerful forces of nature faced each other, each with their own motivations and unresolved pasts.
"Name's Portgas D. Ace, and Kaido? He's dead—I killed him."
Ace's voice was calm as he sat cross-legged in front of Yamato, his eyes meeting hers with a faint smile. His relaxed demeanor contrasted sharply with the tension that filled the room. Yamato, with her strikingly handsome face and aura of heroic spirit, stared at Ace in disbelief.
"Killed... my father?!"
Yamato's pupils contracted in shock as she processed his words. Her heart raced, but instinctively, she clenched her right hand. In an instant, a mace materialized in her grasp—a weapon similar to her father's but more slender, with rounded protrusions instead of sharp spikes.
"Boom! Chi! Chi! Chi!"
Black and purple lightning crackled around the mace as Yamato infused it with Conqueror's Haki. The power surged through the weapon, yet it was clear that her mastery was not complete. Compared to the overwhelming Haki of her father, Kaido, and the late Charlotte Linlin, Yamato's Conqueror's Haki was thinner, less dense. Still, even this preliminary grasp of the Haki-infused technique was formidable enough to rival the attack power of an Admiral.
"Swoosh! Chi! Chi!"
With all her strength, Yamato swung the mace at Ace, aiming to strike him down. The air sizzled with the energy of her attack.
"Buzz! Boom!!!"
Yamato's eyes widened in horror as the unimaginable happened. Ace, with a casual motion, raised a single index finger. It was wrapped in a Conqueror's Haki so intense that it seemed to distort the very air around it. The mace, powerful enough to challenge an Admiral, collided with Ace's finger, yet it could not budge an inch further.
"What?!!!"
Yamato's shock deepened as she realized the sheer magnitude of Ace's strength. His Conqueror's Haki was not just stronger than Kaido's—it was on an entirely different level. The gap between her father's power and Ace's was vast, far greater than the difference between her own strength and Kaido's.
Is there really someone in this sea so much stronger than her father? The thought echoed in Yamato's mind, leaving her dazed. Portgas D. Ace... had killed her father, Kaido, the man she had never wanted to acknowledge as such?
Yamato's thoughts spiraled as memories of her imprisonment flooded back. Kaido had locked her away, shackled with explosive cuffs that would detonate if she left Onigashima. He had done this to prevent her from interfering in his battle with Ace, knowing full well that her loyalties were uncertain.
Despite their blood relation, Yamato had always been at odds with Kaido. Her strength had grown from constantly challenging him, and it was through those battles that she had begun to grasp the power of Conqueror's Haki-infusion. Kaido, in his own brutal way, had been her greatest teacher.
Yet, even Kaido had feared what might happen if Yamato were free during his confrontation with Ace. He had known that if she chose to fight alongside Ace, it could tip the scales against him. But in the end, all of Kaido's calculations and strategies had been rendered meaningless in the face of Ace's overwhelming power. Wisdom and strategy could only prevail when the strength of both sides was comparable. Against the crushing might of Ace and the Entei Pirates, Kaido's plans had crumbled.
Now, Yamato stood before the man who had defeated her father, her emotions a tumultuous mix of disbelief, awe, and something she couldn't yet define. Ace, who had shattered Kaido's invincibility, now sat calmly before her, his power radiating effortlessly.
"You killed him... for what?"
Yamato's voice trembled slightly as she gazed at Ace, her mind swirling in a daze. Though she had been imprisoned on Onigashima by Kaido since childhood due to their fundamental disagreements, and the shackles on her hands had prevented her from ever leaving, Yamato was far from ignorant. Her confinement hadn't dulled her sharp mind or her Observation Haki, which she used to sense the world beyond her prison.
She had felt the disappearance of many familiar auras, replaced by others that were powerful and unfamiliar. And now, standing before her was Portgas D. Ace, radiating a strength that surpassed even her father's, a man she had once believed to be nearly invincible. Ace's words struck her as truth, and yet, she struggled to process it.
Kaido was still her father, despite their tumultuous relationship and her countless challenges against him. The sudden news of his death left Yamato bewildered, her mind reeling with conflicting emotions. She hadn't yet confronted her feelings or fully understood her own path, leaving her unsure of what to think or feel unlike in the original story.
Ace's sharp gaze cut through her thoughts. "What? Do you want revenge on me?"
"Revenge? I'm not your opponent, and what that guy did cannot be forgiven," Yamato replied, her voice steady but laced with a complex mix of emotions. Despite her defiance of Kaido, he had still been a constant in her life. Yet, even as she processed his death, she knew the atrocities he had committed could not be excused.
Ace studied her for a moment before his lips curled into a faint smile. "Is that so? Then, do you want to join my pirate crew?"
Yamato blinked, her confusion deepening. "???"
She stared at Ace's outstretched hand, her mind struggling to keep up. He had just killed her father, and now he was inviting her to join his crew? The situation was so unexpected, so surreal, that even Yamato, who prided herself on her resilience, was left at a loss for words.
"Why? Isn't your ambition to make Wanokuni better?" Ace continued, his voice calm and persuasive. "Wanokuni is now my territory. If you want to work for its future, it's only natural for you to join my army."
Ace's smile broadened as he watched the conflict play out on Yamato's face. The offer was direct, but it came with an understanding of her desires, a recognition of her goals. He wasn't just asking her to join his crew; he was offering her a chance to fight for the future she had always wanted for Wanokuni—a future now within his grasp.
"Wanokuni? Your army?! What about the Kozuki family?!"
Yamato's face contorted with anger as she glared at Ace, her emotions flaring. The mention of the Kozuki family, the legacy she had revered, struck a nerve.
"The Kozuki family?" Ace responded, his tone laced with a dismissive edge. "That's a relic of the past. I saved Wanokuni, and the people chose me, Portgas D. Ace."
As Ace spoke, the smirk on his face widened into a confident, almost mocking laugh. To him, the Kozuki family was nothing more than a bygone era, a chapter in Wanokuni's history that had failed its people. Kozuki Oden, the once-revered leader, was nothing but a tragic figure—a man who, despite his immense potential, squandered his opportunities.
Oden could have called upon the might of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates, the two most powerful pirate crews of their time. With their help, Kaido and Kurozumi Orochi would have been little more than a bad memory. At the peak of their power, Whitebeard and Roger were forces of nature, kings in their own right. Even a single one of these crews could have crushed the threats looming over Wanokuni.
But instead, Oden's foolishness and naivety led to the suffering of an entire nation. He failed to act decisively, and because of his incompetence, Wanokuni endured years of pain and oppression. To Ace, Kozuki Oden was the true architect of Wanokuni's misery—not Kaido, not Orochi, but Oden himself.
"Incompetence in leadership," Ace continued, his voice hardening, "is the greatest sin a ruler can commit. An inept general tires out his army, and a weak king brings disaster to his people. History is littered with the ruins of kingdoms destroyed by the failures of their leaders."
Ace's words were harsh, cutting deep into the image Yamato had held of her idealized past. Yet, he understood why she clung to these notions. Yamato, despite her strength and determination, was still just a girl who had been isolated on Onigashima for most of her life. She had never seen the vastness of the world, never encountered the true powers that roamed the seas.
But Ace was determined to change that. He knew that Yamato needed to see beyond the walls of Onigashima, beyond the outdated ideals she had clung to for so long. It was time for her to understand what true strength and leadership meant.
And Ace intended to show her that the future of Wanokuni didn't lie in the hands of ghosts from the past—it lay in the hands of those strong enough to seize it.
"You!"
Yamato's expression shifted, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at Ace. Her beliefs, formed over years of isolation and indoctrination, couldn't be overturned in an instant. Yet Ace, with his unyielding confidence, had a way to make her see the truth.
"Go and feel the current Wanokuni."
With a flick of his wrist, Ace summoned a glowing orb of light, crackling with the power of the Thunder Fruit.
"Buzz!"
Ace infused Yamato's Observation Haki with the power of the Thunder Fruit, amplifying it until her perception could stretch across the entire land of Wanokuni. Through this enhanced Haki, Yamato began to sense the emotions of the people scattered across the country.
"Do you feel it? The despair and sorrow in the farthest corners—those are the areas my subordinates have yet to secure. But in the places where the flag of the Entei Pirates flies, there is hope, vitality. The people there have enough to eat, clean water to drink, they hold banquets and laugh. Feel it carefully, Yamato."
Ace watched her intently, his voice both commanding and persuasive, as he sensed her internal struggle. He could see the conflict in her eyes, the confusion, the doubt.
After what felt like an eternity, Yamato slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with a mixture of emotions—confusion, relief, and lingering uncertainty.
"But... but the Kozuki family could have done this. Wanokuni at that time..."
Yamato's voice wavered, clinging to the remnants of her old beliefs.
"Really?" Ace's voice sharpened, his eyes locking onto hers. "Do you truly believe that Kozuki Oden's actions were just? That a monarch, who ignored the suffering of his people and acted on his own whims, was in the right? The true cause of Wanokuni's misery wasn't your father Kaido, nor Kurozumi Orochi—it was Kozuki Oden's incompetence."
Suddenly, Ace's Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, the sheer force of it pressing down on Yamato.
"Boom!"
Yamato's body trembled under the overwhelming pressure, sweat beading on her forehead as she struggled to stay upright. Despite the suppression, she managed to force out a defiant response.
"Nonsense! How could Kozuki Oden be the one who caused the disaster?!"
Ace, his expression softening slightly, raised his hand to reveal a strange-looking Devil Fruit.
"This," Yamato asked, her voice strained as she looked up at the fruit in Ace's hand, "what is this?"
"Paramecia—Time-Time Fruit," Ace replied, a faint smile playing on his lips.
This was the Devil Fruit once consumed by Kozuki Toki, Oden's wife, allowing her to travel through time. After her death, the fruit's power had vanished from the world, its whereabouts unknown—until Ace, using the Field of understanding, managed to draw it forth from the depths of the sea.
The Time-Time Fruit possessed the ability to travel through the future, but with a limitation: it could not change the past. The future, with its endless possibilities, was malleable like clay, but the past was set in stone, unchangeable even by the powers of a Devil Fruit.
But Ace, with his Field of Understanding, had found a way to bend this rule.
"Go and experience it yourself, Yamato," Ace said, his voice calm yet commanding. "When you return, give me your answer."
With a decisive motion, Ace used the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit to eject a portion of the demon factor from the Time-Time Fruit, then activated his field of understanding to amplify its ability.
"Buzz!"
The enhanced power of the Time-Time Fruit enveloped Yamato, and in an instant, she vanished.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein