"In the past," Katakuri spoke up, his voice raspy but steady, "because of my own selfishness and willfulness, one of my sisters was disfigured. From that moment on, I understood that only by maintaining absolute composure and strength could I protect my family."
He paused, glancing at Yamato with a complex mix of emotions playing across his face. "But today, I still lost to you."
It was the first time in his memory that he had been bested by a woman, other than his own mother.
"It's fine. Losing to me isn't a disgrace. After all, my strength is obvious for everyone to see," Yamato replied. Her tone was casual, laced with a level of narcissism that was almost refreshing.
Katakuri realized then that Yamato's skin—metaphorically speaking—was exceptionally thick. Her confidence was so immense that even the most stoic men couldn't compare to her.
"So, do you understand now why I'm so powerful?" Yamato asked. Her golden eyes locked onto his, exuding an natural pressure.
"Can Conqueror's Haki... really be wrapped around a weapon like Armament Haki?" Katakuri asked, the shock still visible in his gaze. This was a secret even Big Mom had never shared with him, yet Yamato spoke of it as if it were common knowledge.
"Haven't you already experienced it firsthand?" Yamato smiled.
Katakuri fell silent. In that moment of impact, he had felt nothing but overwhelming terror. He hadn't even seen the strike before he was sent flying, suffering internal injuries that would have killed a lesser man.
"Alright, let's end it here. I should be heading back now," Yamato said, standing up and stretching her limbs.
Katakuri snapped out of his thoughts. "Wait... why are you telling me all this?"
"Why? Does there have to be a reason?" Yamato grabbed her spiked club, slung it over her shoulder, and looked back at him with a bright grin. "Katakuri, some things don't need a reason. If everything required a justification, life would be far too boring, don't you think?"
As Katakuri watched her stand there, he felt her presence grow larger and more imposing. Her indomitable spirit made him feel a rare sliver of respect. For the first time, he felt genuine admiration for an enemy.
"Katakuri, keep getting stronger. Don't stop pursuing the things you want to do," Yamato said, turning her back and waving a hand casually.
Boom!
Yamato kicked off from the bow of the ship, the force of her jump causing the entire vessel to lurch violently as she shot back toward the shore.
"What an unfathomable woman," Katakuri muttered, watching her retreating figure with an inscrutable expression.
"Lord Katakuri!" a voice called out from the distance.
The other two pirate ships from the Big Mom fleet had pulled alongside, and his subordinates were swarming aboard the damaged flagship.
"Lord Katakuri, you're injured! What... what happened here?" Seeing their leader covered in blood, the subordinates panicked.
Katakuri stood up, waving them off. "It's nothing. Tell the fleet to retreat. Vanilla Island is already the territory of the Beasts Pirates."
"Yes, sir!" His subordinates didn't dare ask for details and immediately began to carry out the order.
Meanwhile, Yamato had already landed back on the shore.
"Yamato, are you alright?" Black Maria and Haruko asked. Neither was particularly surprised to see her completely unharmed; they had expected as much.
"Wow, that Katakuri is really something. His Observation Haki is incredible—he can actually see the future. He's a total monster," Yamato laughed, leaning her club against her shoulder.
"You have the nerve to say that. Anyone watching would have thought you went over to his ship just to have tea," Jack scoffed. To him, Yamato was the only true monster in the vicinity.
"Wait, really? Observation Haki can see the future?!" Both Maria and Haruko were stunned by the revelation.
"Yeah, it's possible. Katakuri is no ordinary fighter. Anyone with Observation Haki weaker than his wouldn't even be able to land a hit on his real body. But I'm different. I used overwhelming force and speed to bypass his skill. Just because you can see the future doesn't mean you're invincible," Yamato explained.
She nodded to herself. "Also, to use Observation Haki like that, you have to remain perfectly calm. If you lose your cool, the ability fails."
The group looked at her with skeptical expressions. "Yamato, how do you know all this so clearly? Can you do it too?"
"Me? I don't think I can... yet. But I'll get there eventually, haha!" Yamato replied with a confident laugh.
"In your dreams. If you ever manage to do that, I'll wash my hair while standing on my head," Jack remarked, clearly not believing a word of it.
Yamato looked at him, her eyes twinkling. "Alright, you said it! If I learn to see the future, you're washing your hair while doing a handstand. Maria, Haruko, you're my witnesses."
"A man's word is his bond. If you manage it, I'll do it," Jack doubled down.
Seeing Jack rush headfirst into another certain defeat, Maria and Haruko could only sigh. This simpleton never learned. No wonder Yamato always called him that.
"Alright, let's finish up the paperwork here and move on to our next target," Yamato said, ending the conversation.
Over the following weeks, Yamato and her crew continued their expedition through the New World. On the other side of the sea, Kaido's own expansion was proceeding smoothly. With Kaido personally leading King and Queen, they encountered very little resistance—until they ran into a truly powerful opponent.
The Red Hair Pirates.
On a certain uninhabited island, the Beasts Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates engaged in a massive clash that felt as if it would tear the sky apart. When the dust settled, the news shocked the world: the Beasts Pirates had withdrawn.
The headlines were everywhere.
"Is it true? Kaido of the Beasts actually retreated?"
"Are the Red Hair Pirates really that strong?"
"Red-Haired Shanks stood his ground against Kaido! Is he another monster? The New World is about to see a new Emperor of the Sea!"
Yamato and her crew were nearing the end of their own expedition when they saw the newspapers.
"How is this possible? Lord Kaido was actually repelled?" Black Maria and the others were in total shock. It wasn't Whitebeard or Big Mom who had stopped him, but the newcomer, Red Hair.
"Who exactly is this Red Hair?" Jack grumbled, refusing to believe the news. To him, Kaido was an invincible force of nature.
"So, the time has finally come," Yamato whispered, her eyes narrowing as she read the report.
In the New World, while the term 'Emperor' had existed for a long time, the specific title of the 'Four Emperors' only came into being after Shanks rose to power. Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, and finally Shanks—the Yonko.
"However, that title gets a bit devalued later on," Yamato muttered, shaking her head.
She looked at her own bounty. If she were to join their ranks, it would have to be the Five Emperors. But with a bounty of 1,315,000,000, she still had a long way to go before the world saw her as an equal to the legends.
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