Chapter 8: Turmoil
After a while, inside a traditional Japanese-style room, Caesar and Yamato were devouring food like starved beasts.
A small mountain of dishes piled up before them, and the entire room was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of freshly prepared food.
With every bite he took, Caesar could feel his strength rapidly returning. The soreness in his body faded as his vitality surged.
Zoan-type abilities really are insane...
Caesar mused that if he kept this pace up, it wouldn't be long before he could awaken the legendary technique Life Return on his own.
"Gulp, gulp, gulp... Ahhh—"
After chugging down an entire bottle of red wine, Yamato let out a satisfied sigh.
Watching her, Caesar chuckled. "The way you drink really is just like your old man."
"I am nothing like that bastard!" Yamato pouted. "Whether or not I become Kozuki Oden, there's still something I must do—defeat Kaido!"
"Because he wouldn't let you set sail?"
"No..."
Yamato pressed her lips together and slammed the wine bottle down with a heavy thud. "While I was imprisoned by Kaido, I was once saved—just by a single meal—from three samurai. That moment made me decide to carry on Oden's will. I made a promise to them… that one day, I would stand and fight alongside them."
"Like you said, maybe Oden wasn't the brightest, but I just can't stand by and watch Wano suffer like this! If it weren't for Kaido and Orochi conspiring together, the country never would've fallen into such a state!"
"A meal, huh?"
"That's right!"
"Then how many meals has Kaido fed you?"
"What was I supposed to do about that?!"
Yamato's expression darkened. "It's not like I had a choice! I was born his daughter. He's tried to kill me more than once! What kind of father tries to kill his own child?!"
Caesar frowned. "But from what I've seen, he seems to go easy on you."
"Huh?!"
Yamato glared at Caesar in annoyance. "Where the hell did that come from?!"
"You said you want to be a man, right?"
"Yeah, so?"
"And just now, whether it was Ayun or the patrolling pirates, everyone called you 'young master' or 'young lord'—not 'lady' or 'princess,' right?"
"Yeah? What's your point?"
"You said you wanted to become Kozuki Oden?"
"That's right!"
"So Kaido locked you up and treated you like an enemy—let you challenge him over and over—but still, you're alive today, aren't you?"
"Well… yeah…"
Yamato's voice began to waver.
"So let me get this straight: he's supposed to treat you as his son and as Kozuki Oden, just like you asked… but at the same time, not kill you like he did with the real Oden?"
Caesar's eyes gleamed with mock realization. "So basically, you want him to bash his own skull in with his kanabo for your sake?"
Yamato's face flushed bright red. "T-That's not what I meant!"
"Then you haven't truly embraced Oden's resolve, have you?"
"..."
Yamato lowered her head, speechless.
Caesar grinned. "I get it now! You're just like me—completely ungrateful!"
"Y-You jerk, Caesar!"
Embarrassed and furious, Yamato pounced on Caesar. A few wine bottles toppled as her soft, pale arms clamped around his head, and she bit down—hard.
"Ow! OW! What are you, a dog?!"
Caesar shouted as he struggled under Yamato's grip.
"Mmmph! I'm a user of the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Great Divine Beast! You asked for it!" she mumbled with a mouthful of Caesar's head, drooling all over him.
"Get off me! Your handcuffs are made of sea-prism stone—I'm losing strength here!"
"Ahahaha! Caesar, you bastard! Stop tickling me!"
After a chaotic scuffle, they both collapsed onto the tatami floor. Caesar wiped the drool from his head while Yamato lay beside him, staring up at the ceiling in silence.
After a long pause, she spoke softly.
"Do you think... these handcuffs are really bombs?"
"Based on my interactions with Kaido… he wouldn't joke about something like that."
Caesar's voice grew serious. "Pirate battles aren't child's play. Kaido and Kozuki Oden stood on opposite sides. You, Kaido's daughter, wanting to become Oden—that's a betrayal, plain and simple."
"But still, he tolerated your behavior. He let you challenge him over and over as Oden. I think… he didn't kill you because you're his child. But the moment you truly decide to leave—that's when you stop being his daughter. You become another Oden."
"That guy may be dumb, but he's strong. As Oden's old rival, Kaido probably thinks that if you truly inherit the name of Kozuki Oden, then you're ready to die for it."
"So... he does care whether I live or die?"
Yamato looked lost for a moment after hearing Caesar's words.
"Caesar… what should I do?"
"In this sea, people follow their hearts. That's the way of things. But—"
Caesar paused, then grinned.
"I've always believed this: if you're lost, it means you're not strong enough yet! When the time comes to decide, we'll have the power to choose everything. Just beat the hell out of whoever stands in your way!"
Hearing that, Yamato's spirit reignited.
She might not be good at thinking things through—but fighting? That she could do.
"You're right!"
She sat up and clenched her fists tightly. After a moment of silence, she raised her arms high and declared:
"If I'm still feeling uncertain, then I'll smash through that doubt! I'm not strong enough yet—but I'll become stronger!"
Watching Yamato light up again, Caesar laughed heartily. "Now that's more like it! That's the kind of crewmate I'm looking for."
Yamato tilted her head curiously. "By the way, Caesar, what's your goal out at sea? Are you going to be a pirate too?"
"Me? I don't really have a goal."
Caesar shook his head with a soft chuckle. "I just want to find people I like being around, sail the seas, and see the world. As for what I'll become someday... I think the world will give me that answer."
Yamato pouted. "That makes no sense at all!"
"To put it simply..."
Caesar grinned. "There are only two paths for me—either I become the most noble person in the world, or the most free man on this sea."
"Noble... or free?"
Having never left Wano, Yamato didn't quite understand what "most noble" meant. But the meaning behind "the most free person"—that, she understood.
"So… you want to become the Pirate King too?"
"Why not? Someone has to sit on that throne—so why not me?"
Caesar chuckled. "But I don't care much for being a king. I just want to be happy and free. After all, isn't the Pirate King supposed to be the freest man on the seas?"
"...The most free…"
Caesar's carefree grin lit up his face, and in that moment, a brilliant gleam burst into Yamato's eyes.
She abruptly sat up, pulled out a worn little notebook, and held it out to Caesar with trembling hands, her voice barely able to contain her excitement.
"Listen to me, Caesar! Pirate King Gol D. Roger once said something just like that!"
Of course it sounded familiar—because that answer originally came from Roger himself.
Though, to be fair, Caesar did genuinely share the same sentiment.
He was never the ambitious type to begin with. His attitude toward the main quest was more of a "Well, I'm already here, might as well give it a try" mindset. Who knows? Maybe he'd even get rewarded with immortality or something.
That said, he was content just doing his best. With a Vampire Fruit ability, clues to Pure Gold in hand, and Kaido himself as a mentor, even if he didn't succeed, living a carefree few hundred—or thousand—years wouldn't be too bad.
"In that case, Caesar! I'll make sure you become the Pirate King!"
"Don't say that like it's my main goal! You make it sound like I'm bound to fail…"
Feeling his strength had mostly returned, Caesar looked over at Yamato. "By the way, you've already mastered Armament Haki, haven't you? Mind teaching me?"
"Of course!"
With a confident smile, Yamato extended her fist. A subtle ripple of energy surged forth, and in a blink, her fair-skinned hand turned pitch black.
Caesar gave it a flick—and it felt like hitting solid steel.
"How exactly do you trigger this power?" he asked, puzzled.
"With willpower!" Yamato replied earnestly.
"…"
Willpower?
Again with the willpower?
Caesar sighed. These hot-blooded anime-style explanations were always so vague.
He took a deep breath, focusing his mind.
A few seconds later, a wave of invisible energy spread out from him, then swiftly retracted, coiling around his right fist as his focus sharpened.
Crackle—
A streak of black-red lightning danced like a serpent before exploding in a flash.
"Wait… That's Conqueror's Coating?!"
Yamato gawked at Caesar. "How did you manage to learn Conqueror's Coating before even mastering Armament Haki?!"
"I wish I knew! Aren't these two supposed to be completely different systems?!"
Caesar raised his fist in front of his eyes, carefully observing the changes.
His fist gleamed with a steely luster, faint flashes of lightning flickering across it. But the power drained him rapidly—the energy used for this one strike felt like swinging his full strength a thousand times over.
"Phew…"
As the Haki faded, Caesar let out a long breath.
He hadn't managed Armament Haki yet, but somehow ended up stumbling into mastering something even harder—Conqueror's Coating.
Judging by how familiar it already felt, he figured it wouldn't be long before he had it fully under control.
As always, the hardest step was from nothing to something. Learning Conqueror's Coating in one try? Maybe his talent wasn't that far off from Monkey D. Luffy's after all...
Of course, Caesar knew full well that with his original aptitude, this kind of progress would've been impossible.
But ever since gaining the "Conqueror" trait, he could feel his body becoming more in sync—movements easier to grasp, energy growing stronger by the day.
Knock knock knock…
Just as Caesar was pondering how to awaken Armament Haki, a knock came at the door. It was Ayun.
"My lord, Master Kaido has summoned you."
"Kaido?"
Yamato jumped to her feet. "I'm coming too!"
The two made their way to the main hall. In the spacious chamber, Kaido lounged on a soft couch, a jug of sake in hand. Seeing them arrive together, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
"Huh? Didn't expect to see the two of you together."
"Yeah, pure coincidence. I didn't know Yamato was your daughter."
Caesar nodded, noticing—as usual—Kaido was drinking.
"Daughter?"
Kaido gave Yamato a strange look.
From what he knew, Yamato usually referred to herself as a man.
"That's right!"
Yamato slammed her kanabo into the ground with a thunderous thud, full of vigor.
"I've decided! For now, I'll stay a woman! A woman stronger and more brilliant than any man!"
"I'll set sail with Caesar! As for becoming Kozuki Oden—that can wait until I've seen the whole world for myself!"
"Huh?!"
Kaido abruptly sat up, staring at Yamato in shock.
"You… you're serious?"
"Absolutely!" Yamato nodded with firm resolve, but then frowned slightly. "But one thing hasn't changed—I'll still beat you one day and open up Wano!"
"Hmph. Still the same stubborn brat…"
Kaido was silent for a moment, then burst into roaring laughter.
"Wororororo! If you think you can, then go ahead and try, you foolish daughter!"
"Daughter…"
Yamato puffed her cheeks. Hearing Kaido use "daughter" after being so used to "son" made her a bit flustered.
Before she could get used to it, Kaido reclined back on the couch and gave Caesar a sideways glance.
"So, why the sudden change of heart? Don't tell me you've fallen for this guy?"
"No way!" Yamato replied seriously. "We just made a promise—someday, we'll set sail together."
"Hmph, do whatever you want! Whether you go to sea or try to become Oden, just be ready to die trying! I won't go easy on you!"
Kaido snorted, then turned to Caesar.
"I heard from King that you've awakened Conqueror's Coating? Show me."
Caesar nodded, slowly closing his eyes and focusing again on that familiar surging energy.
BOOM—
Conqueror's Haki burst forth once more, overwhelming and fierce, coiling around his right fist at his command.
Dark red lightning exploded—the third time today Caesar unleashed the technique.
Compared to before, the build-up was shorter, and his control more refined.
"Wororororo… such a feeble Conqueror's Haki," Kaido laughed, though there was growing admiration in his gaze.
"But you're quite the freak, kid. Mastering Conqueror's Coating before Armament? Across the entire sea, only a handful can do that. And they're all among the world's strongest…"
"Since you two are getting along, how about this—I'll marry Yamato off to you. That way we'll be family. With your talent, it won't take long before you stand on equal ground with me. Then, the New World will be ours!"
Yamato's face darkened. "No way! Who said anything about marriage?!"
"Oh? Weren't you just planning to elope with this guy?"
"It's sailing, Dad! Sailing, you idiot!"
"Same thing!"
Kaido looked expectantly at Caesar. "So, what do you say, kid?"
Caesar spread his hands with a sigh. "I'll pass. As tempting as it sounds, I'm not giving up the whole forest for a single tree. I still plan to find more women."
At that, both Kaido and Yamato tilted their heads simultaneously. "???"
"Is that… a problem?" Caesar asked.
Yamato gave it a thought. "Even if we did get married, you could still have other women, right? Isn't that just how men are?"
"Whose side are you on, idiot?!"
Hearing that, Caesar's eyes widened in shock.
His heart wavered—hard.