"Yamato, should we call an end to our expedition early?" Black Maria asked, looking over the latest reports.
Given the news of Kaido's retreat, finishing their own campaign ahead of schedule seemed like a reasonable move. It wouldn't even be considered a failure; they had already secured almost every objective, with only one island remaining on their list.
"There's no need for that. We're finishing what we started," Yamato said, waving her hand dismissively. A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "Besides, we can just use a Transponder Snail to contact Second Uncle directly and ask him what's going on."
Deep down, she was actually quite amused to see her "Idiot Old Man" finally get a taste of his own medicine.
"Alright, if you say so," Maria replied. She didn't push the issue; since Kaido hadn't sent an emergency summons, the situation likely wasn't dire.
"How far are we from that last island?" Yamato asked.
Haruko consulted the nautical chart. "At our current pace, it will take another three days of sailing to reach it."
Yamato nodded firmly. "Then let's move out. We're going to bring this expedition to a successful conclusion."
A few hours later, the Transponder Snail on the bridge began to ring. The shell mimicked a stern, masked face as the connection was established.
"Hello? Is this the Young Master?" King's voice came through, sounding as composed as ever.
"It's me, Second Uncle. How are things looking on your end?" Yamato asked, leaning in.
"We engaged the Red Hair Pirates a few days ago. The situation is under control now, though we lost several ships and some men. It isn't a major crisis, but it slowed us down." King paused before continuing, "We're going to complete our scheduled route. Your side should be wrapping up soon, right?"
"Mhm, we'll be done in a few more days. Once the last island is secured, we're heading straight back to Wano Country," Yamato replied.
"Good. Then we'll regroup back at the capital," King said, clearly ready to end the call.
Yamato's grin widened as she pressed for more details. "Wait, wait! Tell me, how did the fight between my Idiot Old Man and Red Hair actually go? Did he get his face smashed in?"
"Uh... well... about that..." King's voice faltered, becoming uncharacteristically evasive. "He didn't exactly lose. It was more of a tactical draw."
"Hahaha! Second Uncle, don't try to cover for him! He definitely underestimated them and got slapped hard, didn't he? I knew it! It serves him right for always acting like he's invincible," Yamato laughed, completely uncharitable toward her father. She knew that with a man like Red-Haired Shanks, someone who had mastered Haki to such a degree, even Kaido would be left howling in pain.
"Shh! Young Master, keep your voice down!" King hissed, sounding instantly nervous.
"Yamato, you stinky brat! What's so funny? It sounds like you're asking for a fresh beating!" Kaido's furious voice suddenly boomed through the Transponder Snail, nearly rattling the device off the table.
"Idiot Old Man, you can't tell me when to laugh! If you've got the guts, come over here and try to teach me a lesson. We'll see who ends up regretting it!" Yamato shouted back, sticking her tongue out at the snail.
"Yamato, you little bastard—"
"Young Master, that's enough. I'm hanging up now," King interrupted, cutting the line before Kaido could finish his string of curses.
Having successfully riled up her father, Yamato felt a surge of pure satisfaction. "Light a smoke, light a smoke! This calls for a celebration," she said, skillfully sparking a cigarette.
Beside her, the trio stood in stunned silence.
"Yamato, you..." Jack gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with indignation. "How can you be so disrespectful to my most respected elder brother?"
"What's the matter, Jack? Do you want a smoke too?" Yamato asked with a chuckle.
Jack rolled his eyes and turned away. "Piss off."
"Just a simpleton," Yamato shrugged as he walked off. "And a moody one at that."
"But really, Yamato, what is the actual status of Lord Kaido's fleet?" Maria asked, her concern showing.
"They're fine. They just took a bit of a hit against the Red Hair Pirates. Some casualties, some lost ships, but nothing they won't recover from," Yamato assured her.
Maria and Haruko still looked skeptical. "Are the Red Hair Pirates truly that strong? Strong enough to push back Lord Kaido?"
"Of course they are. Shanks doesn't focus on numbers; he runs an elite crew. Every single member is a top-tier fighter, one in a hundred. Individually, their best men aren't any weaker than Second Uncle or Third Uncle." Yamato took a long drag of her cigarette. "Plus, Shanks has a first mate who is basically his equal. The overall combat power of that crew is way beyond what most people imagine. It's perfectly normal for the Idiot Old Man to suffer a loss against them."
Maria and Haruko were astonished. "A crew like that actually exists?"
"They do. The Pirate King, Roger, ran his crew the same way. It seems Shanks has just optimized that model even further. If the Idiot Old Man combined his forces with ours, we might be roughly on par with them," Yamato explained, exhaling a puff of smoke. "In front of the world's top-tier powerhouses, having a mountain of cannon fodder is meaningless."
The two women were deeply shaken. They realized, not for the first time, that Yamato seemed to have an almost prophetic understanding of the world's power dynamics.
"Oh, don't look at me with those admiring eyes! I'll get shy, hahaha!" Yamato teased.
"Be serious for once," Maria muttered, giving her a sidelong glance.
A few days later, the fleet successfully occupied the final island. The second expedition was officially over.
"Finally, it's done," Yamato said, stretching her arms over her head. "Haruko, how long has it been?"
"This expedition lasted a total of thirteen months and six days," Haruko replied promptly.
"Thirteen months... that's a long time. Hey, before we head home, let's do one more thing. We're passing through a sea area with dinosaurs on the way back, right? Let's go hunting. I've never tried dinosaur meat before," Yamato suggested.
Haruko blinked in surprise. "A sea area with dinosaurs? Oh, you must mean the Lamanda Sea. There is an island there known for prehistoric life."
"That's the one! Haruko, you're coming with me," Yamato decided.
"I can do that, but what about Lady Maria and the others?"
"We'll split the fleet. We'll take three ships with us. Maria and Jack can lead the main force back to Wano Country first. We'll follow a bit later, bringing back a huge haul of dinosaur meat for everyone," Yamato planned.
She called Maria and Jack over to explain the new arrangement.
"You want to go hunting dinosaurs now?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"That's right. You two take the main fleet home. Haruko and I will be right behind you," Yamato nodded.
"Fine by me. Jack and I will return to Wano first. Just don't dawdle too long," Maria agreed smoothly.
"Hey, Maria, I haven't said yes yet!" Jack snapped, looking highly displeased. He was tired of being told what to do. He made a mental vow that he would never go on another mission with Yamato; they treated him like a glorified lackey.
Maria looked at Jack and gave him a knowing smile. "It's not like you could stop her even if you tried, right?"
"Tch," Jack grunted, shooting a sharp look at Yamato.
"Alright, it's settled! Maria, Jack—lead the way back. Haruko and I are going to get some steaks," Yamato finalized.
With the plan set, the fleet divided. Three pirate ships broke off toward the Lamanda Sea, while the rest of the Beasts Pirates' armada set their course directly for the waterfalls of Wano Country.
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