If it weren't for her background as a member of the Beasts Pirates, Yamato might not have ever been wanted in the first place. Now that she had finally cleared her name, she definitely wasn't going to let herself get placed on a wanted list again.
Nowadays, she had taken on more of a motherly role. The "Yamato" who had been confined by "Kaido" had little understanding of the outside world and barely knew anything about sailing. So she was teaching her the basics.
After several days of hands-on instruction, the "Oden Syndrome" that plagued "Yamato" had eased up quite a bit.
At this point, they were more like sisters on a trip.
"Look, this is a Log Pose. The Log Pose in the New World has three needles, and the one that wobbles the least marks the safest route. You can use it to determine your course.
You still need to fight, after all, that's how you get stronger, but if something feels off, remember to run. Otherwise, you'll never achieve your dream.
Oh right, if you see people wearing bubble helmets, hold back for now. Those b*stards are absolutely punch-worthy, but you can't afford the consequences of hitting them yet."
Yamato suddenly realized that this world also had those loathsome Celestial Dragons. If she didn't properly warn her, she really wouldn't be able to rest easy.
"Got it, I'll remember."
Under Yamato's influence, "Yamato" began writing her own diary. However, she still kept Oden's diary with her. She hadn't fully given it up yet.
She was never the obedient type, but since her ultimate goal was to defeat "Kaido," she couldn't afford to fall short halfway.
"Damn it! Where the hell did these two women come from?! My dream was ruined because of you!"
A bunch of pirates lay sprawled around the two Yamatos. As bounty hunters now, capturing pirates was a perfectly legitimate activity.
But the fight hadn't even finished when Yamato picked up the enemy Navigator's Log Pose and started lecturing. This made the pirates feel utterly humiliated.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, scum like this are everywhere on the sea. They bring misfortune the moment they set sail, so it's better to take them out swiftly.
If a dream is built on the suffering of countless people, then that dream deserves to be destroyed."
As she spoke, she gave the pirate another whack from her kanabo, eliminating yet another dangerous pirate crew from the seas.
In the days that followed, Yamato and "Yamato" sailed the seas like sisters, enjoying their life as bounty hunters.
It didn't take long before the two of them, as a sisterly duo, started making a name for themselves.
But during a stop on an island for some rest, they encountered someone Yamato hadn't expected at all.
"Marine Admiral… Kuzan…"
"Ara ara, aren't you the twin sisters who've been making waves lately? Your intel must be outdated, I'm no longer a Marine Admiral.
Even if you two were pirates instead of bounty hunters, it still wouldn't matter to me. No need to be so tense, all right?"
"You're not an Admiral anymore?"
Yamato didn't let her guard down. She wasn't afraid of Kuzan, but the other "Yamato" was different. She couldn't quite put into words what she felt for this foolish version of herself.
Maybe it was resentment, maybe sympathy. Either way, she just wanted to look after her for a while.
"That's right. Didn't the newspapers say so? If you're interested, I don't mind chatting about it."
At this point in time, it was the year 1521. The Summit War had ended a year ago. The deaths of Whitebeard and Ace had handed the Marines a significant victory, but it had come at a cost.
Not long ago, Kuzan and Sakazuki had fought over the position of Fleet Admiral. In the end, Kuzan lost.
Because of their years of working together, Sakazuki didn't go for the kill. But Kuzan still left the Marines and began wandering aimlessly on his own journey.
Right now, he was simply doing as he pleases. If something interested him, he didn't mind chatting about it.
The two Yamatos were technically attacking pirate forces, so Kuzan's first impression of them was actually pretty good.
...…
"He is a Marine Admiral, or rather, a former Marine Admiral. He is also very powerful. Since he's already resigned, it would be good if you can build a friendly relationship with him."
Yamato whispered into "Yamato's" ear, quietly passing on what she knew.
Kuzan also started talking about what happened before.
"He said something about how battles between peers are supposed to be heated. Doesn't he know he's literally magma? Of course it's gonna be heated?"
"Akainu… he's the one who killed Ace, right?"
"You're not wrong. Fire Fist Ace took Sakazuki's punch to protect his brother. Why? Are you two close with those brothers or something?"
Yamato: "Not really, we just heard about them."
At this moment, she realized that without the Beasts Pirates being involved in the Summit War, the outcome seemed entirely different. That Blackbeard had already become one of the Four Emperors.
"I see... well, Straw Hat boy is also quite the remarkable fellow. Not many could pull off what he did."
Kuzan chatted casually for a bit, but Yamato soon steered the conversation back.
"What happened after that? How did your battle end?"
"Oh, that? As you can see, he broke one of my legs. Now I can only use my ability to create a prosthetic. It's kind of a hassle."
"That actually sounds kind of cool."
"Hahaha, miss, you're really amusing. You're the first person to ever say that."
"Yamato's" remark left Kuzan unsure how to respond. Losing a leg wasn't exactly something to be proud of. Thankfully, the other Yamato had a bit more emotional intelligence.
"And after that?"
"After that? That was it. He became the Fleet Admiral, and I left the Marines. But make no mistake, he was badly injured too. Little lady, you've got to learn how to keep a low profile. Stick with your sister and learn from her."
Kuzan continued chatting with the two Yamatos about all sorts of things from South Blue to North Blue, until night finally fell and they parted ways.
Yamato and "Yamato" returned to their temporary lodging as usual, but Yamato suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"'Yamato,' I'm leaving."
"Where to? Aren't you taking me with you?"
"This time… I'm going back to my world. Dad sent me a message."
"I see..."
"Yamato's" voice was slightly downcast. On Onigashima, she had no friends, no kind relatives. Even though she had only been with Yamato for half a month, it had been a very happy half-month.
The two thought alike. Yamato had taught her so much about the outside world. Hearing that Yamato was leaving filled her with reluctance.
But she didn't try to stop her. After being confined for 19 years, she understood all too well how precious freedom was.
"Don't forget me, okay? You spent some time with another version of yourself."
"I must've caused you a lot of trouble. Thanks for taking care of me during this time."
"Of course I won't forget! We're friends, aren't we? Let's make a promise, I'll come back again someday. You need to grow stronger, and when that day comes, realize your dream as "Yamato", and not under the name of Oden!"
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