"Guess this is just big bro's charm. Sometimes having too much charm is a real burden—nowhere to put it all,"
Tenma suddenly slipped into full dramatic mode, putting on a helpless expression and sighing with emotion.
"General, your narcissism is acting up again,"
Shinobu teased with her mouth—yet her body was very honest, striking a charming, seductive pose.
"But I can understand. Charm really is hard to resist. After all, I'm known as the Man-Killer—the bewitching female ninja."
Tenma was amused. A casual bit of self-praise on his part, and Shinobu immediately applied it to herself.
True enough, she did have both the confidence and the capital to make men lose their souls—but the moment the words Man-Killer crossed his mind, Tenma couldn't help recalling her infamous technique that made certain parts ache just thinking about it: Ninja Art: Egg-Crushing Technique.
—Knock, knock, knock.
A rhythmic knock sounded from outside the door. It was Lira Blackveil, one of the head female attendants, impeccably polite.
"Lord Tenma, the young guest has been brought."
Shinobu nodded to Tenma. With a few flickers of movement, she vanished straight out of the massive floor-to-ceiling window, as if she had never been there at all.
"Let the guest come in."
Only after Shinobu had hidden herself did Tenma call out.
Lira Blackveil acknowledged and quickly opened the door.
A youthful little face peeked in from behind it. Once she confirmed that the person inside really was Tenma, her expression instantly overflowed with uncontrollable joy and excitement.
She didn't care about manners or protocol at all—charging in like a human cannonball.
"Tenma!!"
Tenma caught Yamato as she threw herself at him. Feeling that blazing, sincere enthusiasm, even he felt a bit puzzled inside.
Back then, he had only told her a few stories about strange islands overseas, hoping to build some goodwill and at least become a familiar face. How had this kid ended up being this enthusiastic?
What Tenma didn't know was that, stacked on top of those exotic tales, Yamato had personally witnessed his "peak showdown" with Kaido, as well as the sight of him being lifted onto the shogun's throne amid the cheers of countless citizens.
That combo alone was enough to elevate Tenma straight to the status of a supreme idol in Yamato's heart.
In the world of One Piece, everyone understood just how terrifying idol worship could be—it was the strongest kind of emotional anchor.
Yamato dared to openly defy her own father Kaido for that admiration, just like how Bartolomeo dared to plant Luffy's Straw Hat flag right in Red-Hair Shanks' territory…
Tenma reached out and ruffled her smooth, gradient-colored hair, smiling as he asked,
"You ran all the way here so recklessly—won't Kaido come charging in to kill me and take you back?"
Yamato blinked her big eyes and replied innocently,
"I left a letter for Father in my room! I also brought a Den Den Mushi with me. It's been days and he still hasn't contacted me—so he must be tacitly approving of me coming to find you!"
Putting that together with what Shinobu had reported earlier, it seemed likely that when Kaido learned Onigashima was being relocated, he had already planned this out and deliberately "left" Yamato behind.
Counting the time since Kaido moved away, several days had already passed. Even if Kaido himself had forgotten, it was impossible that none of his subordinates noticed.
So it really did seem, just as Yamato said—this was most likely Kaido's tacit approval.
It wasn't quite a hostage situation. More likely, it was related to future SMILE trades, information gathering, or similar considerations.
Tenma sorted through his thoughts and couldn't help thinking: As expected of Kaido—he'll even use his own daughter as a bargaining chip to achieve his goals.
Since that was the case, Tenma had no reason to be polite with Kaido.
"Hey, Tenma, is there anything to eat? I'm really hungry right now,"
Yamato said pitifully, clutching her stomach.
Tenma glanced at the pair of striking red demon horns on her head.
Even without Kaido's background, in Wano—a land steeped in conservative ignorance—someone with horns like Yamato would probably be treated as a monster, rejected by ordinary people.
Looks like public education and enlightenment among Wano's populace would need to be put on the agenda as well.
He was planning to recruit talented outsiders in the future, after all. He had no desire for things to turn ugly over some foolish notion of "monsters."
"Don't worry. I'll have a full Manchu–Han banquet prepared for you,"
Tenma said, passing down the order before turning back to her.
"So… have you been starving these past few days?"
Yamato nodded, then shook her head.
"Not starving the whole time. I met a big sister with horns like mine—she shared some food with me."
"Oh?"
Tenma raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance.
"Do you know her name?"
A girl with the same pair of horns—Tenma already had a pretty good guess.
Sure enough, Yamato lifted her little head and answered earnestly,
"Her name is Black Maria . She's one year older than me, but she's taller by about this much."
As she spoke, Yamato wriggled out of Tenma's arms and used her hand to gesture a rough height difference.
"Do you remember where she is now?" Tenma asked patiently.
"I do!"
Yamato nodded seriously.
"Are you going to see her, Tenma? She seems like me—people here don't really accept her, and she's been having a really hard time."
"That is indeed one of Wano's current problems,"
Tenma said as he stood up from his chair.
"But don't worry. One day, all of this will change."
"And besides, it's rare to meet another girl like you. She should be able to become your first friend in Wano."
"A friend…"
A look of longing appeared on Yamato's face.
On Onigashima, the only one around her age had been Jack—the landlubber.
But his head was full of fighting and training. Aside from beating each other up, the two of them barely ever exchanged a single normal sentence.
Rather than friends, they were more like enemies who happened to know each other.
"Eh? Does that mean… you're agreeing to let me stay by your side?"
Yamato's thoughts leapt wildly as she suddenly realized something, excitement bursting out of her voice.
Tenma answered as a matter of course,
"You've already run all the way here. I don't have the leisure to escort you back to Onigashima, and besides, I don't even know where they've gone."
"Plus, your father and I are still in a cooperative relationship. Since he's tacitly agreed to leave you here, it's only right that I take good care of you on his behalf."
Still very much a child at heart, Yamato immediately jumped up in excitement, cheering joyfully:
"Great! Tenma is the best!"
⭐ Want more? Read chapters early on Patreon ⭐
https://www.patreon.com/VoidInk08
Advance chapters are finished-all that's left is to unlock them.
BONUS CHAPTER SYSTEM 10 reviews → Bonus Chapter
100 Power Stones → Bonus Chapter
🔥The stronger your support, the faster the story moves.