THE STRONGEST CREATURE OF THE BEAST PIRATES

"Why didn't Alastor come? He's the Thunder Disaster; I admit his strength."

Kaido highly values Alastor's strength, even placing him on the same level as the Three Disasters. How could Alastor not participate in such a grand battle aimed at expanding their territory?

However, since Alastor joined the Flying Six, he rarely stays on Oni Island and frequently leaves Wano Country.

Among his closest allies, aside from Page One, is Drought Jack, who stands as one of the three disasters. Jack stood up and said:

"The day Yamato became the Shogun of Wano Country, she transferred Alastor under her command. He should be in the Flower Capital now."

As soon as Kaido heard Yamato's name, his anger flared. Thinking of his rebellious, unfilial daughter made him furious.

"Yamato is too presumptuous! Who does she think she is, sending my subordinates around like that? Jack, go to the Flower Capital and tell her to restrain herself. She's not even been Shogun for long, and she's acting like she's the ruler of this country. She needs to withdraw her decision!"

In fact, Kaido had been keeping an eye on Yamato's administration ever since she became Shogun. To his surprise, she had actually shown some talent for governing, and Wano had become more organized under her leadership.

At first, Kaido was pleased, thinking Yamato might be a good future ally for his goals. But then, when he looked deeper, his temper flared.

What was this about a samurai school? Yamato had taught them the "samurai spirit," but all her students were loyal only to her? Where did that leave him, her father?

Kaido wanted to remind her that she was his daughter, the son of the devil and a princess of Onigashima, not some pacifist "Joy Boy." He'd have to teach her a lesson to remind her of her place.

However, the rest of the Beast Pirates didn't share Kaido's perspective. After all, this was a family matter, and no one dared to interfere with Kaido's personal issues.

Even Jack, who was as reckless as any of the three disasters, hesitated. He knew better than to go against Kaido's orders, but the thought of dealing with Yamato again left him uneasy.

The towering Jack stood awkwardly, drenched in sweat, glancing helplessly at King and Queen for support. Both of them silently avoided eye contact.

King looked up at the ceiling in contemplation, while Queen casually whistled, pretending to be distracted.

Jack's predicament wasn't lost on them, but both knew when to stay out of family matters. Besides, Jack was tough enough to handle a little physical confrontation.

Just as Jack was about to act, the palace gates were suddenly kicked open.

A heroic, white-haired woman, holding a slender mace, walked in confidently. She locked eyes with Kaido, showing no fear, and called out loudly:

"Kaido, were you just saying my name? Joy Boy, was it?!"

Kaido stared at Yamato with wide eyes like copper bells.

Yamato met his gaze with equal determination.

Buzz... Buzz...

Black energy and lightning crackled in the air, the oppressive force suffocating the entire hall.

"Is this idiot going to mess around again? Damn it, Kaido! This family drama is ridiculous!" Ulti whimpered under her breath, irritated by the constant conflict.

Lately, she hadn't been in a good mood. Ever since that night… Ah, I won't think about it anymore. Whenever she thought about it, her desire to kill that man surged.

Gritting her teeth, Ulti imagined killing Alastor a hundred times, a thousand times. It wasn't enough to satisfy her hatred.

"Shh, sis, you better keep quiet right now. Can't you see the adults are hiding behind quietly?" Page One whispered, trying to calm her down.

But his words only made things worse, sparking Ulti's anger.

"Pay Pay!" Ulti growled lowly. Page One couldn't help but swallow nervously at the terrifying aura emanating from her. "Are you trying to teach me a lesson? Ever since you got close to that scoundrel, you've become unbearable!"

Page One shrank back, his eyes darting around nervously. "Ah, no, it's not Alastor's fault…"

"You still call him brother?" Ulti seethed, grabbing Page One by the ears and dragging him along. He yelped in pain but quickly muffled his cries, knowing he couldn't draw attention.

He could only endure, praying his sister would vent her anger soon.

Since helping Alastor transport the treasures from the Flower Capital back to Wano, Page One had stayed on Oni Island and hadn't been near the samurai school in the Flower Capital, nor had he gone to visit Alastor. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that Ulti wouldn't allow it.

He didn't understand why his sister was so angry with Alastor—he didn't know what had happened that night, and honestly, he didn't want to know. Women, he thought, were incomprehensible creatures.

It was the same with Yamato, standing in the center of the hall, wanting to prove herself to Kaido. The last time they met, she had tried to strike him down.

Page One swore to stay away from women in the future. It was far better to just focus on physical training.

But the real drama was unfolding between Kaido and Yamato.

Kaido's voice boomed like thunder:

"Yamato, are you still calling yourself Joy Boy? You've been Shogun of Wano Country for a few days now, and you should understand by now that changing the world is not that simple—especially changing a country. The reason Wano's improving is because I've shown mercy to you. I could change everything back to the way it was anytime!"

"You need to face reality and accept your fate, Yamato!"

Yamato took a deep breath, pushing back against Kaido's overwhelming pressure with her own Conqueror's Haki. She stood firm, never taking a step back.

During her time as Shogun of Wano, although her physical training had not progressed much, she had grown tremendously in spirit and resolve.

She now had a much clearer understanding of the world's nature and the role she wanted to play in it.

Her composure had matured, and she had learned to think beyond her emotions. As the leader of a country, Yamato had learned to carry the weight of leadership and had developed a certain majesty.

Her strength had grown, and her presence radiated a domineering aura, one that made it clear that she had come a long way from her previous self.

"So much so that she cannot falter before Kaido's overwhelming presence at this moment."

"Kaido, no matter how many times you ask, my answer will always be the same. I will never accept this reality or fate!"

"Even if reality is cruel, and fate is sealed, so what? I will change it with my own hands!"

Kaido's pupils trembled, his eyes narrowing in surprise.

This rebellious daughter had truly grown. Her courage and resolve had undergone a dramatic transformation—she was indeed his daughter!

"Ha-ha-ha!"

Kaido laughed.

"As a father, I'm proud to see you've grown so strong. But the one thing you still don't understand is this: you naively believe you can defeat me. If you can't even defeat me, don't talk to me about being Joy Boy and changing your destiny!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Kaido's terrifying Haki was unleashed without restraint.

Dark storm clouds swirled above Onigashima, and thunder exploded violently, with the sea around the island churning like it was boiling.

This was the terrifying presence of the world's strongest creature; his aura could cause such a catastrophic scene!

Even the three calamities—King, Queen, and Jack—were shaken, not to mention the other members of the Beast Pirates, who cowered and trembled in fear.

However, in the face of such a powerful Kaido, Yamato did not flinch, nor did she show even a hint of fear.

She spoke calmly:

"Kaido, I didn't come here to fight you today. Yes, I can't defeat you now, but that doesn't mean I won't be able to in the future."

"You must go to battle as Joy Boy, the one who will eventually defeat you. To do that, I must understand my enemy."

"That's why I will follow you into battle this time—not to fight, but to observe your limits, so that I can determine my path forward."

Yamato's words shocked Kaido.

Not only Kaido, but everyone present was stunned. They could barely recognize Yamato.

Kaido retracted his Haki, still shocked but now intrigued. Yamato's decision to follow him into battle—to observe him for future growth—was unprecedented. It was something Kaido had never imagined.

Kaido scratched his head, thinking: What caused Yamato to change so much?

He also noticed that Yamato's demeanor had shifted; she seemed more composed, more refined. Could it be that her belief in her own identity as a man had changed?

This only made things more interesting.

Kaido grinned.

Yamato's behavior this time was far less reckless than before, and he couldn't help but admit that she had grown. Yet, it was still naive to think that simply understanding his limits would allow her to defeat him.

He was Kaido of the Beasts—the strongest creature alive. There was no limit to his strength!

"Yamato," Kaido said with a confident smile, "I'll let you follow this time. You'll see the despair that is beyond reach!"

Alastor had not brought Yamato with him, instead having her join Kaido for the battle.

One reason was the overwhelming number of strong fighters at Marineford. Even though Yamato was strong, it was dangerous for her to be in such a chaotic scene.

Alastor had made extensive preparations. With Thunderbolt's speed, he could guarantee his safety, but Yamato's participation would have added more unpredictability.

Alastor wanted to drag out the war at Marineford, creating more chaos and wearing down both the Navy and Whitebeard's forces. He couldn't allow the Red Hair Pirates to arrive too soon, as in the original timeline.

In the original events, although the Red Hair Pirates clashed with the Beast Pirates, there wasn't much direct conflict between the two. This was partly because the Red Hair Pirates, while small in number, had extremely powerful members—especially Ben Beckman, whose intelligence and strength were said to rival Red-Haired Shanks. With the Red Hair Pirates' formidable presence, Kaido likely feared losing too many of his subordinates in a direct confrontation.

Alastor speculated that Kaido's hesitation to clash with Shanks wasn't due to fear, but due to his desire not to lose too many of his men. The Red Hair Pirates had the upper hand in quality, even if not in sheer numbers.

However, if Yamato, who had mastered advanced Haki, joined the fray, the dynamics would shift. With Kaido's father-daughter relationship with Yamato, he might want to demonstrate his power to her, trying to break her resolve and show her how futile her rebellion was.

This could lead to Kaido's increased willingness to face off against the Red Hair Pirates, creating a distraction that would slow their arrival at Marineford.

Alastor's eyes darkened. The greatest battle of the Pirate Era had already been changed by his actions before it even began.

Now, he was ready to make his final preparations—ensuring he had enough food to last through the chaos. The more, the better.

He had already tasked Trafalgar Law with gathering food from the Beast Island near the Daughter's Country. Law could use his powers to gather food from the island's many beasts, which could be transferred and stored.

Alastor wasn't satisfied with just one island's worth of food, so he planned to evacuate beasts from the nearby Beast Island as well. Two islands would likely be enough.

With these plans in motion, Alastor called Onimaru and Sai, preparing for the voyage. They were accompanied by the imprisoned Enel, who had been reduced to a mindless state after his defeat.

Although Enel had once been a powerful god, his humiliation at the hands of Alastor left him broken, wandering in a daze.

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