"You can't mistake it," King said grimly. "Only one man sails under that pirate flag. It belongs to Kaito."
Queen exhaled a shaky ring of smoke. "If it really is him, we're in trouble. Kaido-sama is still recovering from his injuries, and the two of us definitely can't handle that monster."
"And those outposts won't stop him," Queen added angrily. "That giant flying beast he controls is terrifying. Its defense is ridiculous. Our weapons can't even scratch it."
King's expression darkened.
"Remove every outpost. We fall back to Onigashima. If this man came here, then his goal is the Beasts Pirates. He wants to strike while Kaido-sama is weakened."
"We can't defend this place," Queen muttered. "Let's go!"
With that, the two All-Stars retreated toward Wano's interior, gathering the remaining Beast Pirates along the way. Within minutes, the coastal outposts were abandoned, leaving only emptiness behind.
…
After admiring the towering waterfall for a moment, Kaito and his crew exchanged looks.
"How exactly do we get up there?" Bullet asked.
Redfield chuckled helplessly. "The captain will find a way, as always."
Kaito simply smiled.
"No problem."
He floated upward, hovering high above the ship. Then he extended his hand downward.
A powerful suction force burst from his palm.
The massive pirate ship trembled violently before lifting into the air as though weightless.
Redfield's eyes widened. "Beautiful."
Above them, pine trees curled through the mist like green crescent moons, while elegant pavilions sat nestled among the clouds. Water cascaded in shimmering arcs, scattering iridescent reflections across the sky.
"Even though I've been here once, the scenery always shocks me," Bullet said softly.
With steady control, Kaito guided the pirate ship to the waters above the waterfall.
"There's no one guarding the fort ahead," Issho said sharply.
"It's fine," Kaito replied. "They sensed us coming and retreated to their base. Exactly what I expected."
With no resistance, it wasn't long before they sailed to Wano's shore.
They disembarked openly and without concern. After all, Kaito held the advantage, and Kaido was weakened.
"What will we do next, Captain? Charge straight at the Beasts Pirates?" Bullet asked with excitement.
"Not yet," Kaito replied calmly. He glanced at Issho, who had kept a quiet smile the whole time.
He had overheard their earlier conversation. The silent longing in Issho's expression hadn't escaped him.
How could a captain ignore his crew's regrets?
Why not fix it?
In countless worlds, including the shinobi world, eyes were replaceable. Madara, Kakashi, countless shinobi—many had used another's eyes to regain what was lost. If such a simple act could restore Issho's vision, then Kaito would do it without hesitation.
Bullet and Redfield exchanged confused looks.
"I still don't understand," Bullet muttered. "What does the captain mean?"
Kaito smiled. "I'll help Issho see again. I plan to replace his eyes."
"What? You plan to replace my eyes?" Issho tensed, shock rippling across his features.
Even Bullet and Redfield were stunned. They had heard of miraculous recoveries, but never of someone replacing a person's eyes so casually.
Issho's eyes, pale and pupil-less, were unsettling to most. Yet at this moment, hope flickered within them.
"From the look on your face, you truly want to see the world again," Kaito said. "Come. I'll build a place we can work in."
Despite his disbelief, Issho bowed his head slightly. "Captain… perhaps today isn't the time. We should be fighting Kaido of the Beasts. If my eyes change now, I won't be able to adjust quickly. My combat strength will drop."
"It won't take long," Kaito replied simply.
With that, the group traveled deeper into Wano. Kaito raised his hands, and wooden pillars erupted from the ground, forming a large wooden house within moments.
Redfield nodded approvingly.
"A very useful ability."
He and Bullet silently watched, curious to see whether Kaito could truly accomplish something so impossible.
Kaito reached into his pocket dimension and retrieved two small bottles, each containing a pair of pristine, translucent eyes.
"This will hurt. Endure it."
Issho inhaled deeply. "Compared to seeing the world again, this pain is nothing."
Without further delay, Kaito's fingers glowed faintly with medical chakra. He gently pressed his fingertips against Issho's eyes.
With swift precision, he removed Issho's old eyes and replaced them with the new ones, then used medical ninjutsu to ease the pain and help the eyes settle.
The crude simplicity of the process made Bullet and Redfield stiffen.
"That's it?" Bullet whispered incredulously. "Is the captain serious?"
Redfield narrowed his eyes, watching Issho carefully.
Issho took a slow breath.
"The burning sensation is gone. Instead… everything feels cool and warm. Very comfortable."
"Are you sure?" Kaito asked.
"Yes," Issho confirmed.
"Good. Then open your eyes."
As Kaito cleaned the tools, Issho hesitated for a long moment.
Bullet muttered, "This can't be real."
Then Issho slowly opened his eyes.
White.
Blinding.
The sudden brightness struck him so hard he flinched and closed them again reflexively. Yet even in that fraction of a second, he had seen something—colors, faint shapes, the outline of the wooden house.
His entire body trembled.
Thirty years.
Thirty long years of darkness.
Redfield's gaze sharpened. He recognized the expression on Issho's face, the overwhelming instinctive reaction of someone who had lived in shadows suddenly meeting the light.
"It works," Redfield said softly. "Issho, you can see."
Issho nodded.
"I… I saw the afterimage. It's still blurry, but… I can see."
____
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