(SFW) Heroes of the New World - One Piece x My Hero Academia

[Zaru]

"Tch... that smarts..."

Yamato groaned as she sat in her room, rubbing salves and ointments into her many, many bruises. She had gone at her father again, to defeat him as Kozuki Oden would have. But as before, as so many times before, she had failed. She had ended up faced-down in the dirt, her body battered to near-ruin, while her father stood tall; without so much as a bruise on his gigantic frame.

She winced as her bruises objected. There had been nothing do to but drag herself back to her room, the eyes of her father's subordinates upon her all the while; pitying and confused in equal measure.

She hated those looks of pity. It made her want to take up her kanabo Takeru and smash their heads in. But as she was, in her condition, she could not bring herself to care. There was nothing to do but mend her damaged body, with the ointments and salves that had been left for her use, left to her by her father.

She glared down at the shackles on her wrists. They were proof of her reality, just like the boxes of medical supplies, and the room itself. She was as she had always been. Trapped in her room, on the skull-shaped island of Onigashima, the legendary and dreaded island of ogres. Trapped by a father who would not accept the demands of her heart, and whom she had never been able to defeat.

A father who, at some level, still cared for her. A father whose pitying care ate at her already wounded pride.

"As long as you claim to be Kozuki Oden, you will forever be chained to this island. Renounce your childish vision, accept your position as my heir, and you will be free."

"As if!"

The words came out as a snarl. Yamato stood up, stretching her tired arms and taking a deep breath. The salves would work in time. Her father's Beast Pirates were warriors beyond compare, but they knew the flora and fauna of Wano well. Medicines were only one of many uses they had found for such things. Soon she would be well again.

And what then?

Her room was quite large, having been made to accommodate both royalty and those whose height was greater than normal. She stepped past her wide bed, ignoring the creaks of the long-neglected floorboards, and stopped at the window. She stood there, gazing out at the horizon, the wind ruffling her long, white hair.

Ironic, to see the sea like this. So near, yet so far. A dream that would not die, yet never able to be born.

In her mind's eye, she saw Oden. Oden, whose death agony she had witnessed; boiled alive in a pot of oil sixteen years ago. Oden, whose logbook she had found amid the ruins of his castle. Oden, whose words had inspired her to be something more than the daughter of a pirate and a warlord.

Oden, whom she wanted to be, more than anything else in all the world.

Oden, whom her father would never let her be.

She stretched her arms again, then turned and limped out of her room. The floors creaked under her feet, a reminder of the neglect this part of the fortress had suffered. She strode along regardless, ignoring the scuttling flunkies as they worked to mend the floors, even as they bowed her heads and called her Young Master.

Wretches. Fur-caped sycophants. Servile curs without a scrap of honour or dignity. She had no time for them, any more than Oden would have.

She stepped out of the fortress, and jumped along the bridge that led to the western end. The wind whipped at her, chilling her to the bone. There would be another blizzard tonight.

She reached the sea shore, and hunkered down, hands on her knees, gazing out over the billowing waves.

This was her life now. Fighting Kaido, and losing. Healing, eating, sleeping. Reading Oden's logbook, and training her weary body.

Again, and again, and again.

She looked down at her cuffs. If they had been what they appeared to be, mere pinions of iron or steel, she would have freed herself long ago. But they were explosive cuffs, born of the cruel genius of Wano; the genius that made the Beast Pirates mighty. If she moved more than one hundred metres from the shore, they would explode. At the very least they would destroy her arms. Quite likely they would destroy her whole body, and whatever ship she was on, and whoever else was on it.

While she bore those chains, there was no escape.

She had been getting stronger. She knew she was getting stronger, a little at a time. But how much longer could she keep this up? How much more could she…?

"No!"

The words echoed over the waves. She could not give up! Oden would never have given up! He didn't give up, even as he boiled alive in oil!
She hugged her knees, as she tried to think. What was she doing wrong? Why couldn't she defeat him? What was it going to take?

Above her, the seagulls circled, cawing and cawing, as the had always done, and always would do.

"I wish I was like you guys," she whispered, gazing up at them. "Going so far away, seeing so many things…not like me."

She lay down, the sand soft and cool under her back.

"I'm just doing my best," she said, to no one in particular. "Trying to beat my father, and free Wano."

She closed her eyes, and listened to the sounds. The caw of the seagulls, the whoosh of the waves, the whistle of the wind between the rocks.

The sounds of the sea.

Her stomach growled, and Yamato winced, opening her eyes.

"Can't defeat him on an empty stomach." She sat up. Time to head over to the mess, and get something to eat.

And then she saw something.

It was there on the beach. A dark shape, that had not been there a moment ago. She blinked, and there it was again. That shape.

A human shape. In green.

"What?"

Yamato got up, and trotted up to the shape, hardly believing what she was seeing. But what she thought she saw was what it was. A person, lying face down on the wet sand, the waves washing around its feet.

She crouched down, and rolled the figure over. It was a boy, in his teens or thereabouts. He wore a green suit of a kind Yamato had never seen before, its sides emblazoned with white stripes. On his hands were heavy gauntlets, on his legs were metal greaves, and around his neck a tattered yellow scarf.

As the water washed around his legs, it came away red. As Yamato looked closer, she saw the rents and slashes in the strange green cloth, and the blood that stained it.

Her heart clenched. He looked so young, so innocent; yet his body was so smashed and bloody. He must have endured some terrible battle.

But what battle? No battle had been heard or seen, or else the island would be in uproar. And how he come to be there? She saw no ship, nor even the wreckage of one. No ship, no navigator, had ever defeated Onigashima's whirlpools; nor had anything or anyone escaped their grasp.

So how could he be there?

Was he still alive?

She bent over, and pressed her ear to his chest; praying to any nearby god or spirit that his heart was still beating. It was, though only faintly.

"Hang in there, little one," she whispered, carefully sliding her arms through the wet sand underneath him. He was small and light, so much so that her heart ached. How could one so small, so gentle-looking, have endured such violence as he clearly had?

She had to save him. Oden would have moved mountains to save him. She had to get him back to her room, where her salves and bandages awaited.

She stood up, lifting him from the water, wet sand falling off him. As he rose, something fell from his pocket. Shifting his weight to one arm, Yamato stooped down and picked it up. It was a card of some kind.

"Midoriya... Izuku... Hero name: Deku..."

 

[Zaru]

Where was he?

He didn't know where he was, or how he had come to be there. He had been…floating. Floating, as if in water. Floating, and gently swaying, the sound of waves in his ears.

"Hold on, little one. Almost there."

He was flying. The wind was cold on his cheeks. Someone was…someone was carrying him.

How did he get there? What had he been doing before?

"Rest here, little one. You're safe now."

He felt himself slipping, as if he were relaxing in a hot bath. The world, vague as it was, seemed to drain away.

And he saw.

A hideous mass of tentacles, tentacles that looked like human fingers, coiling around each other, lashing out like snakes. At its centre a smirking face with no eyes, a corpse face already dead and crumbling.

And behind it, a pair of wide, frightened eyes.

"Tenko!"

Tenko. Yes, he knew that name. The name of someone he had never seen, yet yearned to save. Someone trapped within the soul of another. Another, who sought to destroy the world.

The horror, spreading and erupting, its fingers grasping for his flesh; for one touch to end him forever.

An explosion, throwing the fingers back. A hot wind washing over him, the roar tearing at his eardrums. A familiar shape, leaping in front of him, arms thrust out. More explosions, buffeting the monstrosity and driving it back.

"Kacchan!"

Kacchan? Who was Kacchan again? It was a name he knew, but from where?

"Kacchan!"

"Get it together Deku!"

Kacchan. Bakugo Katsuki. His rival, who had driven him to greatness. His enemy, who had bullied and belittled him.

His friend, who had saved his life.

The fingers erupted, engulfing Bakugo. Their mass crushing him, his flesh turning to ash.

"Deku…don't die here…"

And he was gone.

Gone. Gone in the blink of any eye. Gone forever.

He saw only red.

He screamed a scream that rent the air. His soul erupted, blazing like a new-born star. He felt himself flying, fist outstretched. His fist struck the face, and plunged through it, down into the black morass, into the depths of the horror. The monstrosity exploded, his power blasting through and out of it, burning it out of existence.

Yes. He had won. That thing he had fought, that thing that had sought to destroy the world. He had destroyed it, and only he remained.

A human figure, corpse-pale, spiky hair the blue of dead flesh. Its eyes empty, as if the soul behind them was already long gone, half of his skull missing due to the blow he had landed.

And a big wide grin appeared on his face, teeth bared despite.

"You lose."

And then it was gone. A circle of pure darkness, erupting from within its chest. Bigger and bigger it grew, all around it vanishing into its void. The wind rushed around him, sucking him towards the darkness, drawing him in.

"Deku get away!"

He turned away, trying to fly away, to leap. But still it drew him in. He could see them screaming, crying, reaching for him.

"Midoriya!"

"Aizawa-sensei!"

Aizawa was reaching for him, his scarf flying from his hands, flying through the air towards him. His eyes were wide, desperate. He grabbed for the scarf.

He missed. And he fell, his dark tendrils too late to latch on.

And fell.

And fell.

(X)

Darkness.

A black void, over a grey wasteland.

He had been there before. It was a place that was not a place, for it only existed within himself.

He knew it. As he knew the figures standing before him. Eight figures, for his eight predecessors; the eight heroes who had borne One for All. The eight heroes, who had saved his body, and his soul, from the power of All for One.

Of those eight, all but one was dead. And of the eighth, he did not know.

"Is that it?" he asked, looking from one to the other. "Am I dead?"

He was certain that he should be. After all that, he had to be dead.

He wanted to be dead. He deserved to be dead.

He knew facing All for One in the stronger and younger body of Shigaraki Tomura may come at the cost his life but... he had hoped it was only him that fell. Not others...

"No," said the Second User, whose name he did not know. "You are not."

"But…"

"What you saw was a warp," said Shigaraki Yoichi, the First User. "A trap, left by my brother, for the one who defeated him."

How like All for One. How like him to destroy his own puppet to take down his conqueror, in one last act of spite.

"But if it was a warp, where did I go?"

"We don't know," said the Sixth User, another whose name he did not know. "We can't tell."

"All for One did not know," added Yoichi, mournfully. "He did not care to know."

"Does that mean…?"

"You won," said Shimura Nana, the Seventh User. "All for One is destroyed, and his stolen quirks along with him. You have done what none of us could do." She gave a small yet sad smile. "You have saved the world."

The words rang hollow. They had no meaning. This wasn't like some video game, ending in fanfare and joy. He had done the impossible, and it tasted like ash in his mouth.

"But I…how did I win?" he demanded, tears welling in his eyes. "I screwed up so many things! I was late to the battle! I couldn't save Tenko!" Nana's face winced a little, Izuku feeling the guilty swell within him like a monsoon. "I let Kacchan die! And All for One's old body..."

A cold dagger in his heart. A dagger of shame. How could he call himself a hero if he couldn't be there when his friends needed him? When All for One still lived in his old body? How could he be the saviour of the world, when he couldn't save his friend?

Save a single child...

"My brother's body is beginning to fail. Your comrades, Endeavor and Hawks, succeeded in their plan to destroy his life support Mask somehow." Yoichi murmured. "He is being to fade, I can feel it... why else would he desire a younger and stronger vessel?"

"He will die, and that will be the end of it." Banjo Daigoro, the Fifth User, shrugged. "Still kid, take the win, at the least."

"None of us can judge you," said Shinomori Hikage, the Fourth User. "We all failed, and I didn't even try. We all lost friends, and loved ones."

"You alone made good our mistakes," added Yoichi, his voice sad, his eyes full of the pain with which All for One had filled his life. "You alone redeemed our failures."

He gulped down a lump in his throat, as tears ran down his cheeks.

"Then…can I just die now?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "If it's over, can't I just go?"

He didn't want to live on, not like this. Not without his mother, and his friends. And how was he to explain about Kacchan anyway? What was he to say to Kacchan's parents?

He looked up, through tear-blurred eyes. The man who stood before him was not the hero he had revered, not All Might. It was Yagi Toshinori, the Eighth User, as he had seen him on that fateful day. Gaunt, lanky, drained, his eyes cast in shadow.

"All Might," he whispered, in spite of himself. "I…I let Kacchan die."

Toshinori's shade did not reply. It just stood there, regarding him with sad eyes.

"Bakugo made his own choice," said Nana gently. "He followed his own heart and made his own sacrifice. You could not have stopped him."

"I…I'm so tired…" He hung his head. "I just want to sleep. Forever."

A hand rested on his shoulder. A warm hand, like the hand of a father, the father he had barely known, and had found again in Yagi Toshinori.

He looked All Might in the eyes. The shade was smiling gently.

"It's too soon for you to die," said Nana. "You have carried our burden, and now your burden is laid down." She offered another saddened smile as she joined Toshinori in placing a hand upon his other shoulder. "You have your own life to live, and your own legend to make."

"But how?" he sniffed. "I can't even go home."

And he couldn't. He was being sent to another place, a place even these Vestiges, who had outlived death, did not know. Even if he survived, he might never return home.

He might never see them again. His mother, All Might, Aizawa-sensei, his friends.

Uraraka…the look in whose eyes he had only just begun to understand.

"You are a hero," Nana went on. "You have more claim to that title than anyone, even us. Wherever you go, wherever you end up, you will still be a hero. The only person who can take that away from you is yourself."

"Miss Shimura…"

He felt himself slipping away. The dark world around him was fading, as were the Vestiges.

"You must live on, Deku. The story of One for All isn't over yet."

Izuku tried to reach out towards her, as the Vestiges stood side by side and spoke as one.

"Awaken…Midoriya Izuku."

(X)

Light.

He blinked. There it was again. Light, low and gentle, streaming in from one side.

His eyes fluttered open. He was staring at…a ceiling.

He drew in a breath. His mind was coming back online, but he felt numb all over. He had been in such pain before, like nothing he could have imagined. But now it was gone.

He tried to move, but his limbs would not obey him. Had he finally ruined his body, as All Might feared that he would?

If so, it was no more than he deserved. A fitting fate, for a man who had saved the world, but could not save his friend. Perhaps it was a fair trade, his once-mighty body, for having defeated the Demon Lord of the world. One moment a mighty hero, the next an invalid.

He heard something beside him. He tried to turn his head, and his head moved, easing sideways to follow the sound.

It was a figure, kneeling on the floor beside his bed, humming to itself as it did something. He blinked, willing his eyes to focus.

It was a woman. A very tall woman, with very long white hair, clad in a white kosode and red hakama; secured around the waist by a nio-dasuki in white and purple, tied in an enormous bow around her back. She was kneeling down, her eyes fixed on a pestle, rolling back and forward within her hands, grinding something in a mortar bowl. .

She was quite tall; make that very tall. There were red horns reaching up from her temples, framed by her long white hair, which turned teal about halfway to the tips. Her eyes, still fixed on the pestle and mortar, were orange.

He opened his mouth to speak, but it would not obey him, and only a low groan came out. The woman paused, and turned her head to look at him.

"You're awake!"

Her eyes sparkled, and her smile lit up her face.

"That's good! I've just finished this tincture!"

She scooted over to the bed, almost bouncing with excitement. Izuku watched as she laid down the pestle, and scraped something from the bowl with a long pale finger, and began to lay it onto his arm. He looked down, and his stomach clenched at the red, swollen skin.

"Don't worry!" she declared confidently. "You'll be healed in no time!"

Once she was done laying the tincture, she began wrapping a bandage around his arm. She seemed so very happy, so energetic and enthusiastic, as if his being there was a joy, a cause for celebration.

It reminded him of Uraraka.

"Who...?" he croaked, the words degenerating into a gurgle.

"Don't talk now," she said, putting a steadying hand on his chin. "Your jaw is broken. I'll tie it shut for now."

She took a strip of bandage, looped it under his chin, and tied it atop his head, holding his mouth shut.

"There we go!" She smiled a smile that shone like the morning sun. "Don't worry little one, I'll take good care of you."

She laid a very large hand on his head. The skin was hard and calloused, the hand of a fighter. But her touch was warm all the same; a touch that made his sorrow ease.

"You look like you've taken quite a beating," she went on, removing her hand, and looking him over. "Was that your first big battle, little one?"

He wanted to speak. He wanted to tell her his name, and to ask for hers. He wanted to know who she was, and where they were.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," insisted the woman. "I've patched myself up often enough. And no one comes here. There's nothing whatsoever to worry about."

Izuku stared at her, unable to tear his eyes away.

"Oh, I forgot." The woman shifted to face him, hands on her knees. "I am Yamato, and this is my homeland. The island of Onigashima, in the Land of Wano."

 

[Zaru]

Yamato couldn't be happier.

The boy, Midoriya Izuku if that card was to be believed, was awake. He was breathing slowly but regularly, mostly through his nose thanks to the bandage, and watching her through wide, curious eyes.

He seemed at ease, which was very good. She had half-expected him to panic, and thrash around or try to escape; only hurting himself more in the process. But he seemed content to lie where he was, and let her take care of him.

She felt…very glad about that. It was as if something had changed, for the better.

"I apologise for stripping you of your clothes," she went on. "I found you on the beach. You were soaking wet and in a very bad shape. I had to take them off to apply the medicines."

An unfortunate necessity. Izuku lay on a tatami mat, his legs in a brace, the rest of his body salved and bandaged. He had been in quite good physical condition, but his injuries had been overwhelming.

All the same, she bowed respectfully, in the way Oden had described in his logbook. It was proper to show respect at all times, and to all persons; especially when she had been forced to commit an impropriety.

"I've got them over here." She pointed to his clothes; which she had carefully folded and arranged. That was another thing Oden had mentioned; being respectful to another's property.

Izuku craned his neck to look, then winced in pain, and laid back down. He seemed satisfied.

"I can't believe someone as young as you has so many injuries," Yamato said. "Oh, oden fought as a child too! But…you don't seem like a samurai."

Indeed he did not. His clothes were wondrous, but unlike anything she had ever seen. And he did not carry a sword.

Did that mean…?

"You must be a pirate then? Or an adventurer?" She beamed at him, delighted at the notion. But Izuku just looked puzzled, and actually managed to shake his head.

She frowned, pouting, as she tried to make sense of it.

"Hmmm... then how did you get onto Onigashima's shore? Curious..."

How indeed? The island was protected by whirlpools; whirlpools that could swallow any ship, and which even the greatest navigators could not evade. The only safe route was guarded by the great Tori gate, and well-manned by her father's minions. Onigashima was as secure a base as any pirate could ask for.

A low grumble disturbed her thoughts. She looked down, and realised it was coming from Izuku's stomach.

"Oh! I'm sure you must be hungry."
She trotted over to her pantry, and took a quick look inside.

"Hmmm... I only have hard edibles... not fitting for a broken jaw."

She glanced at him. He was still watching her.

"I shall fetch you some suitable food!" she declared, smiling. "And some water too!"

Then she paused, as a thought occurred. To get food, she would have to go down to the mess. They would hand over anything she asked for, without question. But what if someone were to come to her room while she was away? What if they saw Izuku?

"But…first things first." She moved a few boxes, then pulled the changing curtain across.

"Now, no one will see you from the doorway," she said. "They won't dare come inside without my say-so."

She squatted down beside him, and laid her hand on his head.

"Don't worry, I won't be long. Stay put and keep quiet, okay?"

She patted his head gently. The boy looked confused, but nodded. Yamato got up, slid on her sandals, and gave Izuku one last smile before slipping through the curtain, through the doors, and out into the corridor; pausing only long enough to grab her kanabo.

Her mind raced as she jogged along the corridor. Midoriya Izuku, neither a samurai, nor a pirate, nor an adventurer. So what was he then? What manner of person could he be?

She wanted to know. In all her life, she had never been quite so curious about a person; especially not one she had literally just met. There was Kozuki Oden, true, but she had known him only by the manner of his death, and the words of his logbook. That was the only Oden she would ever know, and the only Oden she needed to know.

But she did want to know Izuku. She wanted to know who he was, and where he had come from. She wanted to know what his homeland was called, and where it was. Did he come from Wano? Or from somewhere else, far away? Did was his home on the Grand Line, under the sway of the so-called World Government? Or somewhere else entirely?

And what was his homeland like? She wanted to know. She wanted to know about his family, and his friends. She wanted to know about their food, and their stories, and their music. What sort of clothes did they wear? What kind of fighting techniques did they use? Were there great warriors there? And if so, how did they fight?

Of course, she would have to get off the island in order to experience any of it. But that was something she was working on anyway. One thing at a time.

After a few minutes, she finally reached the nearest of the fortress' many mess halls. There was a long queue already, the rank-and-file of the Beast Pirates, waiting for their evening meal. She strode past them, showing them not a moment's consideration, and none of them offering a challenge. They knew who she was, and what she would do if they so much as grumbled.

And they probably knew just what she thought of them.

She reached the side door and pushed it open, the smell of food hitting her full on the face and making her stomach growl. .

"O-Oh! Young Master!" exclaimed one of the cooks; a pufferfish-man of some sort. "Forgive my impertinence, but it is proper to stand in line and…"

"I want food!" Yamato barked, sending the kitchen staff scurrying for cover. She tried to think of something to ask for, something that Izuku could manage with his broken jaw.

"Uh, food?" One of the familiar chefs, a woman with tattoos and piercings replied. "Not just meat and rice this time?"

Porridge? No, it may as well turn into gruel.

Oshiruko? No, that was always popular and running out fast.

She glanced around, following the scent of the bean soup. But the pot was empty, the cowering chef having been cooking up a fresh batch.

She sniffed the air, and marched through the kitchen, the lesser cooks scurrying out of her way. Her nose drew her to a large pot, in which something with a meaty smell was bubbling merrily.

"This!" she declared, pointing at the pot. She cursed inwardly as she tried to remember its name. She had lived in Wano all her life, or so it seemed, yet she knew next to nothing about its food. She only ordered what Oden had described in his travels on the seas! Seafood, meat, and rice with ale and sake!

"Tonjiru Soup, young master? whimpered the pufferfish-man. "That's…new."


"Yes! I want Tonjiru!" Yamato nodded, hands on her hips. "I want a large bowl to go!"

"Ummm, a dish like this is h-hard to carry out y-young master," stammered the one with the piercings. "Are you…?"

She trailed off as Yamato rounded on her with a glare, tapping her kanabo on her shoulder.

"I want one to go. As fast as possible." Lightning crackled on the kanabo. "Got that?"

She had destroyed plenty of kitchens in her time. She had ambushed her father in the upper mess hall by the East Horn, their battle leaving the whole place in ruins. And there was that time in the South Horn, when she had encountered that wretch Ulti and that brother of hers, Page One. Their battle had taken them out onto the roof of the Skull Dome, and had ended in a most satisfactory manner; with that blue-haired cur's face thoroughly smashed in.

"R-Right away Young Master! Quick! Someone get a bowl and cover!"

The cooks began running around like headless chickens. The rank and file feared her, and were always so pathetically desperate to please her. It might have been endearing, if not for what they were, and what they did.

Yamato smirked, crossing her arms over her bust. This would do nicely!

(X)

It took her only a little time to collect the bowl of Tonjiru, and a water skin, and make her way back to her room. Izuku's eyes had been closed, but they fluttered open as she approached.

"There you are," she said, smiling. "Are you familiar with Tonjiru? It's a pork soup."

She knelt down beside the boy, lifting the lid off the pot to let him smell it. She fluffed his pillows to lift up his head a little, then took the spoon the cooks had provided.

The boy took a sniff, and nodded. Yamato's heart leapt. He did know it!

"Well, it was the only soup they seemed to have," she said, laying a napkin over his chest. "I would have liked to get some Oshiruko, but they had none left. It always runs out."

She suddenly felt uncertain. Did Oden ever do something like this? He had mentioned something like it, when his wife was in labor with his children, but his description had been panicked, frenetic even.

Yamato didn't feel that way at all. It felt…peaceful somehow.

She undid his chin bandage, and took a spoonful of soup, blowing on it gently.

"There, if it's too hot, let me know, ok?"

She brought it carefully to his chin. The boy opened his mouth, just enough to let her pour it in. He coughed, some of the soup bubbling out.

"Oh! Was I too fast!? I apologise!"

Yamato frowned, taking a cloth and dapping his chin and lips.

"Go slow... nice and easy," she admonished herself as she grabbed another spoonful. She cupped the back of Izuku's head with her free hand, as she blew on her spoon and brought it to his lips.

He gulped it down perfectly, and the girl nodded.

"Okay... now then, let's continue."

And so it went, spoonful after spoonful. After a little while, she lifted the waterskin to his lips, and let him drink. He drank it down fast, his arms shifting as if to reach for the waterskin.

"Easy there, you were out for several days..." Yamato assured, and Izuku's eyes widened. "Wouldn't want you to choke and gag."

The boy took it to heart, slowing his drinking, until the skin was empty.

As he laid back, she looked him over once again. He had been mighty once, that much was clear. She could see hard, well-developed muscle, and more than a few old scars.

She was wrong. It couldn't have been his first battle. This boy was clearly a veteran, as much so as many of her father's best.

"I can see that you've fought in many battles," she mused; using the sppon to mash down the porkbelly, noodles, and vegetables in the bowl, making a paste he could swallow. "Yet you are not a pirate or adventurer. So then you are…a hero?"

Izuku's eyebrow quirked, and he managed an uh-huh through his broken jaw.

"This fell out of your pocket," she went on, holding up the card she had found on the beach. "Midoriya Izuku. I'm very glad to meet you, but I wonder what this card means by hero?"

Izuku didn't reply. But he did look rather confused, as if he didn't understand the question. Perhaps he did come from a faraway land after all; a land where heroes such as himself were well-known.

Were they the samurai of his country, perhaps?

"I shall give you a herb to help you heal," she said. "But it must be taken with food, like this." She showed him the paste in the bowl.

"Thank…you…" Izuku croaked, wincing as he forced his jaw to move.

"Easy there!" Yamato put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you have many things to tell. But they must wait until that jaw heals. It won't be long."

His eyes softened, and he nodded, seemingly content. Yamato added the herb to the paste, carefully stirred it in, then began spooning it into his mouth.

It was…pleasant to do so. She felt at peace somehow, feeding him like that. She had never done anything like it before.

She shivered. She had never shown it, nor could she remember ever experiencing it. It was not how things were done on Onigashima. It was not the Beast Pirate way.

It was not her father's way. He respected only strength, and loved only power. All his merit lay in victory, and all his desire was for conquest. Honour was hypocrisy, mercy was foolish, and kindness was weakness. To be honourable was to be destroyed, to be merciful was to be betrayed, and to be kind was to be crushed.

And his minions were no better. The bulk of them were no threat; for they knew her power, and feared it too much to challenge her in any way. But what of the All-Stars, or the Flying Six, or the Headliners? They hadn't gotten where they did by fearing anything, or anyone. No one capable of fear could stand near her father for long.

Fear…or compassion.

What chance did Izuku have in this place? What would her father make of him? What would the others do to him?

Perhaps he would be strong. Strong enough to catch her father's eye, and earn a place for himself. Her father respected only strength, and cared nothing for race or creed or heritage; one of his few, ironic virtues.

But then, what would become of his heart? What would this place do to one such as him?

She looked again at Izuku. His eyelids were drooping. He looked about ready to sleep.

"I will protect you," she whispered, laying a hand on his head one last time. "I swear it. I'll protect you from them."

The sleepy eyes regarded her, and then slid shut. Yamato drew a sheet over him, then sat back, watching him sleep.

She would protect him. She knew it, in a way she only felt once before. She would protect him from her father and his pirates, at least until he was strong enough to protect himself.

And that meant taking care of herself, too. No more picking fights with her father, or anyone, until he was healed.

It was what Oden would have done.

It was the least she could do.

 

[Zaru]

It was in the middle of the night when she heard it.

The sound of a rumbling stomach. Her own that is.

Yamato stirred, getting up from her bed and rubbing her eyes.

"Hungry..." she murmured as she rolled out of bed, and pulled her robes. She reached over for the candle, and the box of matches beside it. She lit the candle, and made her way to the pantry. After collecting some bread to munch on, she headed back to her bed.

She paused, blinking. Was she seeing things?

She turned, and looked more closely. Midoriya Izuku was still there, lying on the tatami mat But his eyes were open, staring out at the night sky, and the bright, beaming moon.

In the days since his arrival, she had settled into a routine. Feeding him, changing his bandages, applying more medicine, at times cleaning his body with wet rags. The rags had been rough, and the water only lukewarm, but they had served their purpose.

She had ignored the looks and murmurs of the Beast Pirates. She had even taken to meditating on the beach, so as to deceive them as to the cause of her absences. Oden had said that the samurai of Wano had honed their minds with meditation as they had honed their bodies with training; so no one should have been surprised.

Except Oden couldn't stand it, or so he had written in his logbook. Too much sitting still for far too long.

"Izuku?" she murmed, stepping closer. Izuku turned from the window to stare at her. In the light of the moon, she could see his face clearly.

His eyes were wet.

"Something troubles you, doesn't it?" she asked, kneeling down beside him. The boy nodded lightly, eyes fixed on her. Yamato winced, as she saw the rest of his body, still festooned with braces and covered with bandages.

"I'm sorry…I changed your bandages and applied fresh salve earlier…here." She loosened the bandages around his chin, then took up the waterskin and put it to his lips, cradling his head to let him drink. He drank fast and thirstily, but Yamato could see the gleaming lines running down his cheeks.

"Are you in any pain at all? Is that what causing it?" she asked. "Just nod or shake your head." Izuku finished drinking, breathing through his mouth lightly as he looked up at her.

He shrugged. Yamato did not know what to make of that.

"Then why won't you sleep?" she asked. "You need your rest."

She set his head back down on the pillow. His eyes were sombre, full of a sorrow that tugged at her soul.

"Just…thinking…" he croaked.

"What about?" Yamato asked, perking up.

"My…family…friends…"

Yamato's heart ached for him. He was alone in this place, friendless but for her. He had a family and friends somewhere. Did they know of his fate? Were they worried sick about him? Or did they mourn him, thinking him lost forever?

And there was something in his eyes, something she had seen before.

The eyes of the people of Wano. The people who could only watch, helpless, as Oden boiled alive in a pot of oil.

Grief. Desolation. Despair. Loneliness.

She couldn't blame him for crying. Oden said a man should not cry, but he was so young, so vulnerable. The sight of him made her feel something, a feeling she could not name.

In her mind's eye she saw Oden, boiling alive, his retainers upon his back. She saw the ruins of Oden Castle, where the mortal remains of Oden's family lay; discarded and untended. The samurai she met in that cave, the day she swore to become Oden.

She knew what it was to be alone. She knew what it was to be friendless. The nearest thing she had ever had was those samurai; who had broken their chains and defied Kaido together, chosing death before dishonour. She didn't even know their names.

"Did you…lose them?" she asked, unable to contain herself.

The boy nodded, and winced as she laid a hand on his forehead. It was the only way she could think of to show him how she felt, how she understood his pain.

"I'm sorry. Will you at least drink some more? Are you hungry?"

He shook his head. Yamato took a rag from a bowl nearby, and dabbed at his forehead. She didn't now what else to do.

"If you need anything, let me know, okay?"

The boy nodded. She felt something touch her other hand, and she jumped; only to realise that it was his hand. It was so small compared to hers; but then again, most hands were.

There was just the slightest grip. A grip, and a light in his eyes that had not been there before.

Yamato could not stop herself from smiling. She yearned to talk with him some more, but she knew she could not. It would have to wait until he was properly healed; or at least his jaw was healed.

He nodded. And she could have sworn he was smiling.

"In the meantime, let's take a look at those bandages!"

 

[Zaru]

Onigashima's docks were a scene of barely-organised chaos.

Ships were coming in, making their way along the tall, rocky tunnel that served as the stone skull's throat. Those at the docks were being unloaded, mighty derricks lugging heavy crates from the ship's decks. Countless pirates were working too, swarming on and off the ships like so many ants, lugging boxes, barrels, and sacks. Off the ships, across the docks, and down the dark tunnels to the countless storage chambers, to be sorted and stored in their proper places. Then back again for more.

From his vantage point, in a vaulted gallery carved into the cave wall, Spytand Malice watched it all.

He had seen such scenes many times, back when he was in the Marines. But never on such a scale, or in a place like this. There was no pirate fleet like the Beast Pirates, not in the whole world. He had seen pirates and ships of all shapes and sizes, and fleets that terrorized the Grand Line from one end to the next. But he had never seen pirate ships so large or so powerful, or so well-kept, or so many. Nor had he seen pirates so many, and so well-ordered, under a single Jolly Roger.

One might have thought it impossible, unless one had actually seen their master. For a creature like Kaido, nothing seemed impossible.

How unlike his former superiors; for all their great strength and ability. How unlike the Marine admirals, who for all their greatness, did the bidding of the Celestial Dragons.

His teeth gritted, as the old hate resurfaced, unbidden. He clenched his hands so hard they hurt. His skin itched, as it remembered the uniform he had once worn.

Those disgusting creatures, who lived in indolence on Mariejois, never noticing the slaves to toiled beneath their feet, except perhaps to spit on them. Decadent, spoiled, indolent; incapable of the least endeavour, the smallest deed, or the slightest compassion.

All but one. One, who had paid a terrible price for it.

Yet the Marines did their bidding. The admirals did their bidding, leaping to their sides at the mere snap of gloved fingers. They who were so mighty, yipped like lapdogs for the amusement of the worthless, and demanded that all below them do the same.

And he so very nearly been one of them. He had worked so hard, given every deed and day his all and everything. He had served, and suffered, endured everything that instructors, superiors, pirates, and even his own comrades had thrown at him. All so that he could prove himself, all so that he could rise; all the way to Vice Admiral.

And then he had seen. And then he had understood.

He looked down at his hands, the hands that had ached and bled in their service. They were covered now, by heavy black gloves and spiked bracers. The white uniform was gone, replaced with baggy red trousers tucked into tall black boots, and covered by a heavy black trenchcoat.

He shook his head, forcing down his rage. There was no need for it, not now. He had found a better berth, a better outlet for his abilities. Sure they were pirates, but at least their villainy was honest. Kaido did not justify his power by some supposed innate superiority, nor clothe his fury in the garb of absolute justice. When he wanted something, he took it. When something displeased him, he destroyed it.

That, at least, was honest. Not false law, but lawlessness. Not false justice, but true freedom. That was where he had chosen to be, and where he had found a place.

He looked down at the docks again, at the barely-managed madness. The annual Fire Festival was coming up, and the Beast Pirates were going all-out. Tributes were being gathered in from all across Wano, and every combat-ready ship and crew were out on the high seas, bringing in plunder and captives. The former would fill the vaults of Onigashima, to provide for the festival in truly magnificent style. The latter would be processed, their fates decided by their strength, their skills, or simply their appearance.

His eyes fell on a coffle being led off one of the ships; one of Ulti's from the look of it. They were a miserable sight even from that distance; roped together at neck and waist and hands, driven on with kicks and blows, and cruel laughter.

Perhaps one or two of them might catch someone's eye, and be selected for better duties. Or maybe, if they had heart, and strength, and more than a little luck, they might impress someone sufficiently to be allowed into the ranks of the pirates.

For the rest, it was off to Wano, and the foundries. They would spend the rest of their short lives toiling in the darkness, lugging coal and iron ore for the furnaces.. They would toil, and die, so that the Beast Pirates could have warships and weapons. Swords and muskets, cannons and cannonballs, and the thousand-odd metal widgets and gadgets that kept a ship from falling apart on the ocean wave.

And that was that. The strong took what they wanted, and the weak survived as best they could. At least this way there was no hypocrisy. At least this way, the truly strong ruled.

Then he saw something else, something that should not have been down there.

He leant over the parapet, focussing on the figure striding across the docks; the pirates scattering before it.

Her.

He watched, tight-lipped, as Yamato strode along a line of pirates, eyes fixed on the foodstuffs they were carrying. As she moved, the ones behind her scurried away, glad to be out of her sight.

To Spytand Malice, Yamato had always been a mystery. Kaido's only daughter and sole heir, yet she despised him and all he stood for. Her only hero was Kozuki Oden, the former ruler of Wano, whom Kaido had boiled alive in a pot of oil. Rather than enjoy the glorious freedom her father offered, and the inheritance that awaited her, she would rather imitate that dead fool of a samurai. She spent all her days training her body, challenging her father, and healing herself after she invariably lost.

So then…what was she doing down there?

Malice watched, mystified, as she stopped suddenly, and ordered one of the pirates to hand over his burden; a very large, fresh tuna. Yamato took it from him, turned on his heel, and strode out the way she had come.

Tuna. She had come down there, among the pirates she despised, to bully one of them into handing over a tuna.

A tuna?

Except she had been doing stuff like that recently. People had seen her dashing through the corridors carrying food. The cooks he had asked about it had told him – amid much whimpering and cowering – told him that she normally ate rice or meat, washed down with ale or local wine. But now she was asking for bowls of soup. Any kind would do, but always lots of it. This she would lug back to her room, and the bowls would come back licked clean.

That she ate in her room was not in itself suspicious. He had never seen her do otherwise, in the months since he had joined the Beast Pirates. It was well known that she despised the Beast Pirates, and scorned their fellowship. But what did she need all that food for?

Now that he thought about it, that wasn't the only strange thing. Normally she fought her father once a week; and from time to time crushed someone for annoying or offending her. But she hadn't, not for many days. She had left her room only to get food, or to meditate on the beach.

And since when did she meditate? Training yes, but meditation?

What was going on?

"So this is where you've been hiding."

Malice jumped, then glowered. He had let himself be snuck up upon; a mistake that in this place could be costly.

"I was just watching the ships come in," he said. Not the most impressive turn of phrase, not one worthy of one such as her. But he had never been one for poetry or oratory.

"Busy, busy, busy," mused the young woman who had joined him in the gallery. She was quite a sight, her shapely body clad in a black kimono lined in red, her blonde hair done up in the local style, her beauty in no way marred by the narrow red horns curving up from her temples.

Or the fact that she was eight metres tall. Survive for any length of time on Onigashima, and such things ceased to be particularly frightening.

She stepped up to the parapet, gazing down at the ships with supercilious eyes.

"So much treasure, so little time," she mused. "I trust your own foray was fruitful, Malice?"

She shot him a smirk that would have reduced any man to a warm puddle on the floor. Her charms did nothing for him; not because she was unattractive, but because he knew what became of men who fell into the clutches of Black Maria.

"Very fruitful," he replied, tersely. And it had been. Enough so that his place in the Flying Six, would not be questioned; at least not until after the Fire Festival.

"Very good," she purred, in a tone that would have left him hot under the collar, had he not known of the shadows whence that voice might lead him. "But…do you have time to hang around here? Kaido has high expectations of you, as he does of all of us."

That was a joke. For all her high standing, and her dreaded power, Black Maria rarely left Onigashima if she could at all avoid it. Her adoring captains, all female, had brought in her share of the spoils. It was enough to make him wonder, sometimes, just how much of her status relied on Kaido's good graces.

Except, he had seen what she was capable of. They all had.

"My ships need maintenance," he replied, curtly. "They can't go out again until morning at the earliest, and Lord Kaido will probably call a halt before then."

He had run his ships hard, as he had always done. It might not have been so bad, had he gone around that storm instead of through it, but what was done was done. Fortunately for him, Kaido hadn't seemed at all bothered.

"Ah, ever the admirable vice-admiral, working everyone hard" quipped Maria, her eyes twinkling at her own joke. "Is it because they're pirates? Or were you like that in the Marines?"

His lip curled. Yes, he had run his ships and crews hard. He had always done so, even back in the Marines. His subordinates had hated him for it, but the job got done, and that was all that mattered.

"I will fulfil Lord Kaido's expectations, as I have always done" he replied, in as dignified a tone as his temper would allow. "And I will surpass them, as I will surpass my current station."

Yes, he would. There was only rank above him; the three All-Stars, who answered to no one but Kaido himself. One day, he would challenge one of them, before Kaido, and take their place.

"Oh, so driven."

Black Maria drew on the opium pipe she was rarely without.

"But what was that you were staring at a moment ago?" she asked, her tone sultry. "You seemed quite confused."

Malice paused. He wondered if he dared confide in her. She was an equal, and maybe even a comrade; but knew, only too well, how little that could count for when the chips were down.

Then again, what was the harm? What possible gain could Maria get out of it?

"Yamato was down there," he said. "She took a tuna, and left with it."

"A tuna…" Maria rolled the word over her tongue. "Yes, she seems to be fond of her food recently. I thought she might have let herself go, but there's no sign of it."

Yes, indeed. After all the food she had taken, she should have at least put some weight on; had she eaten it all herself.

Herself…

"And she hasn't challenged Lord Kaido over these past days," he went on. "Something has changed."

"Indeed…" Maria drew on her pipe. "Perhaps she has finally learned her lesson. Or…maybe she got hurt worse than usual."

She seemed to find the whole thing quite amusing. Malice did not, though he was not quite sure why it bothered him so much. Did she have someone or something in her room? If so, who or what was it? Was she keeping a pet? Or…

A shiver of anticipation ran through him. Was it possible that she had a boy in there? He supposed it would have to happen sooner or later, but there was no telling how Kaido would react.

His lips twisted into a smirk. Whatever it was, it would serve him well to find out, and to be the one who brought the news to Kaido. It rarely hurt to suck up to the boss, no matter where one was working.

Now…how to go about it?

 

[Zaru]

Something smelt good.

Izuku looked up expectantly as Yamato stepped through the door, sliding it shut behind her with one foot. This time she was carrying two large, covered bowls, and a fresh water skin under her arm. There was a bright smile on her face, as there always was.

"Something a little different this time," she said, meeting his eyes. "But first, let's see how your jaw is."

She knelt down beside him, and began to unwrap the bandages holding his jaw shut. One by one they fell away, until his jaw was free.

"It looks good," she said, running her hands around his jaw. "The swelling has gone down, and the bone feels about right."

She knelt where she was, watching him as he brought up a bandaged hand. His jaw really did feel better. It felt almost… normal.

"Thank…you…" The words came out as a croak. "Thank you."

His voice was working, at least. It just sounded bad, that was all. Probably from not being used for so long.

"It was the least I could do." That smile again. "You seem to be healing very fast, little guy."

Izuku looked over. His whole body felt a lot better. Not numb like it had been before, but just about normal. He was feeling a lot stronger too, and his mind was a lot clearer.

"Yeah, I have." He let out a big wide smile. "How did you do it? I thought I'd be laid up for weeks."

"Wano has always produced excellent medicines," declared Yamato, beaming. "I'm glad to see they've worked."

"Yes. Thanks, Yamato. Thank you for everything."

Yamato gaped as he drew himself into a kneeling position, and bowed his head in the proper way.

"No no no!" she pleaded. "There's no need for that!"

"But I have to!" insisted Izuku, straightening up. "I honestly feel fine, and you've done so much for me."

Yamato stared at him, with a look he could not make sense of. Before she broke out in a big grin.

"Fear nothing, Midoriya Izuku!" she bellowed. "I, Yamato, am glad to have been of help!"

Izuku almost fell over backwards. The words were almost like a physical wave. He knew there wasn't, but there was something there, just at the edge of his senses.

"In any case, let's eat!" Yamato grabbed one of the bowls and laid it before him. Intrigued, Izuku took off the lid.

"Ohhh! Ramen!"

"I take it this pleases you?" asked Yamato. Izuku was so overwhelmed, he could not even reply; just nodding his head up and down. He took the proffered chopsticks, and lifted some noodles to his lips.

It was all he could do not to inhale the entire bowl there and then. It was as good as Lunch Rush's cooking!

"I'm glad you like the food here, Izuku," said Yamato, after slurping down a chopstick-load of ramen. She looked like she was enjoying it as much as he was.

"I love it," Izuku replied, after downing some more. "It's just like the food back home. "

"Ah, I thought so," Yamato mused. "So, you are from Wano?"

"Oh, uh, no." Izuku was taken aback. "I don't know of any country named Wano. My country is called Japan."

"Oh that's nice,." Yamato slurped her ramen. "But I've never heard about Japan, where is that?. Is it on the Grand Line?"

"Uh…" Now Izuku was even more confused. "I…I don't know what that is."

That brought Yamato up short.

"You don't?" She looked as awkward and confused as he felt. "Then, what about the World Government?"

"No, I haven't."

"Mariejois?"

"No."

"The Marines?"

"Well, I know marines exist where I come from, but they're a subsect of the military, not the military."

"The Four Emperors?"

"I think I'm going to have to keep saying no, sorry.."

The room went quiet, but for the slurping of ramen. This continued until both bowls were empty.

"Ahhhhh!" Izuku sighed. "That was so good. Oh, but, I'm sorry, Yamato. I don't know about any of those things."

Having solid food in his stomach was the best thing…

Yamato looked at him as if he had suggested that the Moon was made of cheese.

"No, I don't mean to trouble you," she said, her smile returning. "I figured you might be from Wano because you knew the dish. Your homeland must be pretty far away, maybe from one of the Four Blue Seas?"

"Uh, no, not really. Everyone knows where Japan is. It's not like a lost island or anything."

Then he trailed off, as he saw the look on Yamato's face, and he realized what he had just said.

She had never heard of Japan. And she had rattled off a list of names and places he had never heard of. That could mean only one of two things. Either Onigashima was some kind of lost island where nobody knew anything about the world…

…or he was in another world.

He remembered what the Vestiges had said. They didn't know where All for One's warp was sending him. And warp quirks were so rare that hardly any had ever been studied, let alone figured out.

So…was he in another world? A world that just happened to have similar food to Japan? And clothes that were kinda sorta similar too?

And if he was in another world…

"I'm sorry," Yamato said, looking worried. "I didn't mean to sadden you."

"Oh, no, it's okay!" insisted Izuku, waving his hands. He had been moping again. "It's just that, well, I'm really not sure how to explain this."

"Explain what?"

Izuku cleared his throat. There was, now that he thought about it, little point in holding back.

"I think I might be in another world."

There, he had said it.

"In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm in another world," he went on. "At night, I could see the stars from your window. I don't recognise any of the constellations."

He fell silent, and waited for the hysterical laughter or cries of anathema he knew awaited him.

"Marvelous!"

That he had not expected.

"Wait…you…?"

He looked up at Yamato. She was staring at him with those same bright orange eyes he had seen when he first saw her. Those bright eyes, and that big bright smile. She was bouncing on her feet, as if she wanted to leap straight through the roof.

"Another world!" she exclaimed. "A world beyond this one! To think such a wonder was possible!"

Izuku almost fell over.

"You mean…you believe me?"

"Why should you lie?" Yamato beamed. "What purpose would such a lie serve? Besides, you strike me as a truthful fellow."

"Oh?" That took him by surprise. "You think so?" Most people would call him crazy for being from another world. Here she's just... buying it!

"Oden said that a person's true spirit shines from behind their eyes," Yamato said proudly. "If you can see that shine, you can know that person, be they enemy or friend."

In spite of everything, Izuku could not help but smile. It was a cliché he had heard a thousand times, but hearing it from her, it somehow meant something, in a way it had never done before.

It was like…he could tell her anything.

"So then, Izuku, tell me of your world!" Yamato was once again bouncing with excitement. "Are there many warriors there like yourself?"

"Oh, uh, well…" He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think. His arms felt stiff and sore, but it felt good to move them more and more. "My country's called Japan, and there's a whole bunch of other countries too. Japan's an island country right next to Korea and China. It's pretty small, but a lot of people live there, and there's a lot of great heroes."

"Heroes…" Yamato thought for a moment. "Your card said that you are a Licensed Hero. Is that what you meant?"

"Oh yeah!" Izuku felt his old enthusiasm rise. "Oh, I guess I should start from the beginning. In my world, four out of every five people have Quirks. A quirk is a kind of special power, and it can be just about anything. Heroes are those who make protecting people and fighting crime their profession."

"Fighting crime?" Yamato cocked an eyebrow. "So you have pirates in your world?"

"Pirates?" Izuku was taken aback. "Well…Villains do all kinds of stuff. I'm sure villains on the sea are called pirates but those are awfully rare. What exactly do you mean by pirates?"

Yamato blinked. Then her brow furrowed.

"Pirates are criminals who do their wickedness upon the sea," she said, her tone suddenly grim. "They prowl the seas, and take what they want by force. Food, treasure, even people. Those who submit, they rob and bully. Those who oppose them, they destroy. Those they cannot destroy, they run from."

Izuku stared at her. Her manner was suddenly taciturn, grim, maybe even angry. But there was something else there too. Was it…shame?

"It sounds like…you've been hurt by them," he hazarded.

"Not in the way you think, little one."

She sighed a deep, sad sigh.

"This island of Onigashima is off the coast of the land of Wano. Once it was ruled by the Shoguns of the Kozuki family, whose sign was the elegant crane. But Kaido and his Beast Pirates came here, and made this island their home. They destroyed the Kozuki family, and conquered the land of Wano. Now, Kurozumi Orochi rules in their name, and the Beast Pirates do as they please."

Izuku's heart ached for her. She seemed so sad, so tormented. Yet, what had she to be ashamed of?

His eyes fell on the shackles on her wrists. Shackles, but no ball and chain to limit her. Did that mean…?

"Are you a prisoner here, Yamato?" he asked. Yamato sighed again.

"In a manner of speaking, Izuku. I am a prisoner here, bound by these seastone chains, which will explode if I try to remove them, or leave this island. On this island I come and go as I please, and none dare deny me anything. None except Kaido, whom I must defeat in order to earn my freedom."

Izuku was confused. If she was a prisoner, why was she being allowed to wander around as she liked? If any of his UA friends had been shown such courtesy, they would have found a way to escape before too long; exploding shackles or no. What did she even mean by Seastone too? What kind of substance is that?

So then why?

Unless…

He looked back at her, and she nodded lightly.

"Yes, Izuku. Kaido is my father. I am the heir to the Beast Pirates, and all the evil he has wrought."

Izuku stared at her in amazement. Yamato was still smiling, but it was the smile of someone about to start crying.

Then Yamato faltered, her sad smile fading.

"Please don't do that, Izuku," she said, half-pleading. "Look at me… like that."

He would have cried yet… Izuku didn't feel the waterworks come.

Then again, he had cried previously over the course of the days he was healing. He half wondered if he had any left to spare. His mother. His friends. All Might. Tenko.

Kacchan.

"I can't help it," he said, a lump rising in his throat. "You just seem so sad…so lonely."

He cuffed at his tears, sniffing hard, as he mastered himself.

"You don't mind?" Yamato was incredulous. She then gave off a slight laugh. "It's not like I am lonely or anything! Not at all!"

"It's okay." Izuku cut her off, the boisterous white haired woman pausing. "But… I can still help you. Somehow. In anyway pos-whoa!"

Something wrapped itself around him and mashed his head into something soft and warm.

Okay. That white robe was very baggy because... she's big in more ways than one! Not just in height!

"I knew!" It was Yamato as she laughed for joy. "I knew when I saw your eyes! I knew you were special!"

She pulled back, holding him by the shoulders. That big, beaming smile was back in place.

"Oden spoke of this! This a fated meeting! I know it!"

Then Izuku realized where his face had been, and his cheeks turned red.

"Oh? You're heating up?" She placed a hand on his head, and blanched. "You are heating up! Should I get water and-"

"N-N-No it's fine!" Izuku stammered, looking away with his face a bright red. "Y-You didn't do anything wrong! N-No at all!"

Yamato would tilt her head, and Izuku would look back at her, his green eyes to her orange ones.

"So... what... now?" He's on an island of Pirates, off the coast of a country ruled by said pirates. In another world with a 'World Government', 'Four Emperors', and 'Marines'. So many things he has to know!

"Well... you can talk more easily...oh!" Yamato sat cross legged, sitting down and beaming at him with her hands on her knees. "Why don't we tell stories! If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine!"

"Stories? Ummm, well... I don't see the harm and-Does... does anyone know about me?" Izuku asked and Yamato shook her head.

"Not at all. No one comes towards this side of the Skull Dome. I practically own it. If you like, I can tell you the tale of Kozuki Oden!" She reached into her robes, and Izuku looked away a bit, feeling the blood go to his cheeks again. "And all of his travels!"

"I-I'd love to hear it but... I do want to repay you Yamato." She seemed incredibly excited at the prospect of him coming from another world. Yamato perked up, pulling out a very old and ragged looking journal as Izuku spotted the characters.

Kozuki Oden's Logbook

"Maybe..." Izuku trailed off. "I can tell you my story? Then you can tell me the story of this Kozuki Oden. He sounds like quite the person."

"He is!" Yamato gushed, hugging the journal. "He's my hero! The one I want so hard to become! The man I wish to be!"

Man?

But the look in her eyes, her quivering smile, it felt like looking into a mirror.

Yes. The way she must feel about Oden... Is the way he felt about All Might.

"Oh that's right! You're going to tell your story?" She scooted forward, and Izuku blinked as she was almost on top of him, sitting by his side. "Please hold nothing back. I promise I won't when I tell Oden's travels and his adventures too!"

Izuku smiled, sitting up and taking a deep breath.

"Well... remember that every four in five people where I came from had a quirk? Like, a special ability?"

Yamato nodded, eyes wide, her attention fixed on him with a beaming grin. Izuku chuckled.

"Well, I was born without a quirk. I was born Quirkless."

He looked off to the night sky, seeing it clear again. Thank goodness too, as there has been a lot of storms coming and going. Rain and snow at that.

"For even if I wanted to be like him, I couldn't."

"Like who?"

"All Might. He was my hero." Izuku smiled sadly, looking at his sheets. "The man I wanted to become as well... And for a time, I had to give up on my dream. but... My arm kept reaching out."

Izuku looked up, as he remembered fondly. Of the journey he had taken to get here... for better or for worse.

"And thanks to the people I met, they guided me. Helped me. Made me a better person. Me and my friends... setbacks and all..."

He took a deep breath, and looked at Yamato.

This would be a long night. And he didn't mind it one bit.

"This... this is the story of how me and my friends... became the world's greatest heroes..."

 

[Zaru]

Ah~

It's always a delight knowing Izuku always be rewarded for his kindness.

Click to shrink...

Yes indeed. You can say that again.

Spoiler: In more ways than one!

https://x.com/shosho_oekaki/status/1710495736029393105?s=20

And yes that is the size difference. Want proof?

Spoiler: Here's Yamato and Ulti

Artist credit by the ankle.

Ulti would be 5'8 and Yamato herself is 8'8. Izuku himself is 166 cm(or 5'5). Uta is 169 cm(or 5'6). Luffy is 172 cm(or 5'7) when he sets sail.

So yeah Izuku is short lol

 

[Zaru]

"And that..." Izuku took a deep breath, relaxing as he laid back against his pillows "…is how I got here."

He looked over, and Yamato had barely moved. Nor had she asked questions. Yet her eyes were fixed unwaveringly on him.

"So... you saved your world from that villain, All for One...someone with many of these stolen abilities, these quirks..."

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"False stolen strength I say! It's no surprise you surpassed him! And you made this... One for All your own! Your story is amazing!"

She sighed, looking up.

"Giant metal islands... cities with buildings that reach into the clouds... winged metal flying machines... and these... smartphones! Your world is amazing, Izuku!"

She leant forward, her big orange eyes bright with excitement.

"You are a true hero! Of that I have no doubt!"

"It's not much," insisted Izuku, sighing. "I saved the world…at least."

He reached for the waterskin, taking a drink to ease his parched throat.

"I wanted to be a hero who would save everyone, a hero that everyone can smile and be at ease towards. I did what I could but…..."

He gripped his sheets, as his anguish rose again.

"I didn't manage it like I wanted to…..."

A bittersweet end to the beginning of an underdog story. Not one deserving of fanfare.

"You did your best," said Yamato, her voice soft. "No one will blame you. I don't."

A small consolation, but it made him smile.

"Thanks..." The pain was still there. He looked out the window, at the night sky beyond.

"You miss them... right? Your mother and your friends?" Yamato asked.

"Yeah... I think I always will..." Izuku murmured. "I got sucked into a black hole, and woke up on your shore on this island. Honestly, the fact that I'm still alive is still a miracle. But... I don't think I'll find a way home."

"True... I don't believe this world has 'quirks' or any way to cross between worlds." Yamato mused. "At least, from what I can gather from Oden's logbook. And he was able to see so many things too!"

She perked up suddenly.

"Oh yes! I said I was going to tell you the tale of Kozuki Oden and his adventures!"

She giggled, and then looked away.

"And…may I say something, Izuku?"

'"Sure." He wondered what she meant.

"The way you spoke of this Yagi Toshinori, this All Might!" she proclaimed. "I liked your story about him too. What a heroic figure!"

Izuku let out a chuckle.

"Thanks. He was my hero, someone I'll always admire."

Yamato's smile lit up the room; but it was softer than the smiles she had given him before.

"I know the feeling…" she said, sadly. Then she shook her head, her old enthusiasm returning.

"But enough of that! Time for my story! Are you ready, Izuku?"

Izuku made himself comfortable, and rubbed his eyes.

"Go right ahead. Do you mind me asking questions?"

"Not at all! I didn't want to interrupt you, since you were reciting from memory."

Yamato beamed, and opened the journal.

"My name is Kozuki Oden," she read aloud, with a confident tone. "I am writing in this journal to document my thoughts, my travels and my journeys across my home, the Land of Wano. I am writing this entry at the age of 15, at the order of my stiff and nagging father, the Shogun. This first entry, I will document my childhood first, as a way of recollection and perspective on my younger years..."

(X)

"He did all of those as a kid!?" Izuku exclaimed, eyes wide. He hardly dared believe what he was hearing. Only six minutes in and... this Oden killed a bear with his bare hands at the age of four. And roamed... Pleasure Halls at age six?!

"Oh yes! He even drank at age eight! Wasn't he so brave!?" Yamato gushed. "Have you drank sake before?"

Izuku was flabbergasted. "I'm... underaged. I'm sixteen."

"I've had my fair share of rum when I was your age!" Yamato giggled. "Oh! Would you like some? We're still in the first part!"

"Umm, no thanks I'm fine!" insisted Izuku. Now was not the time to cross that bridge. "So what did he do next after his failed attempt to go out to sea?"

"Well," Yamato giggled. "He returned to his home, and from there he built his own harem~"

"What...?"

"Yep! Many of the women of the Flower Capital adored him! So he kidnapped some and took them to his own hideout! Of course, he didn't do anything untoward! They just spent time with him, drinking and cuddling! He mentions those quite a bit you know!"

"He kidnapped them."

"But they were allowed to leave at any time! They just wanted to stay by him! Plus he asked for their permission too!"

She coughed, and shifted into a new tone; one that reminded Izuku of those over-the-top Kabuki actors.

"'Oh beautiful woman, wife to a worrisome Samurai, will you grace with your presence and join my harem!'" She sighed, her cheeks turning pink. "What an outstanding man! He infuriated their husbands and brothers too!"

Izuku could only stare in utter disbelief. This person was... her hero? It had to get better, r-right?

(X)

"A mountain boar?" Izuku asked. To think Oden would eat, well, Oden soup, over the corpse of his friend. At his own funeral pyre?!

Granted, it was a way of honoring him, according to the journal's description. It seemed to have matched with his character.

Chaotic, rambunctious, eccentric, spontaneous, brash, stubborn, and filled with testosterone.

Still, he had a good heart. He had battled Yakuza, honored his friends, not once hurt a single woman and stood up for the weak.

There was no mistake though. For all his feats, in Izuku's world Oden would have been dubbed a vigilante at best, a villain at worst.

And Wano! From Yamato's description, it sounded like feudal Japan! Japan! Shoguns and Samurai and retainers! Had he gone back in time too?
"Mmhmm. Oden slew it with his own two blades! One slice was all that was needed." Yamato explained. "It was rampaging through the Flower Capital, so he had to defend his home somehow! The thought of him returning home after his father exiled him to save it... what a man..."

"How big was this boar? You make it sound like it was literally a boar the size of a mountain."

"Because it was."

...

"Oh."

"Of course, the reason being was that the boar was attacking the Flower Capital thanks to the actions of two of his future Retainers: Foxfire Kin'emon and Denjiro!" Yamato held the weathered book up, and continued to read. "Which begins some of my favorite parts, the recruitment of his retainers! The Akazaya Nine!"

(X)

"So he became Daimyo of the Kuri Province, and then after a year of governing it, he encountered Pirates?"

Oden had matured. From the chaotic youth to a capable leader and delegator from the looks of it, yet the journal described a yearning to leave Wano. A wild horse yearning to run free, despite his obligations as Daimyo.

"Oh yes, this is how he encountered the Whitebeard Pirates!" Yamato added. "He so desperately wanted to join, even hanging off of a rope to his ship, the Moby Dick, for three days straight!"

Three days?!

Well, this was a man who sliced a mountain sized boar in two... at the age of twenty, Kozuki Oden was a physical monster!

"It was also this time, as he tried to prove himself to Edward Newgate, the Whitebeard Pirate captain himself, he encountered the love of his life. The maiden known as Toki... the mother of his children."

"What about him joining the Whitebeards? He was out at sea without a boat or anything." Izuku inquired.

"Turns out fate favored Oden that day. Because of him saving Toki and letting go of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard himself saw a man of quality in Oden, a man with a strong and good heart. He might not have fulfilled the whole three day requirement, but he accepted him into his crew regardless!"

"The whole three day requirement?"

"He hung on for about... two days, twenty-three hours and fifty minutes exactly."

...

"He kept count somehow?"

"Nope, he was told the time later on by one of Whitebeard's pirates... Oh right! Now for his travels and his ascent to becoming his Second Division Commander!"

"Division Commander?"

"Yep! Whitebeard's crew was huuuge!" She spread her arms far and wide, "So he assigned Division Commanders! Oden was so great he rose through the ranks to become one, along with his marriage to Lady Toki! This is my favorite part!"

"You said that about his recruitment of the Akazaya Nine though!"

"I know! This is another favorite!"

Well...

All Might's exploits with David were some of his own favorite parts. Or was it when he was solo after the presumed break-up with Nighteye? Or before that?

Izuku shrugged, and looked towards her, content to listen and to absorb as much information as he could.

(X)

"So Oden became a famous Pirate huh… talk about a journey from a statesman to an outlaw." Izuku mused. "And this Whitebeard, he has an incredibly powerful ability."

"He does! The Quake Quake Fruit is what Oden learned that Whitebeard had eaten. It allows him to conjure, manipulate, and fire out earthquakes!" Yamato looked back down at the book. "At least, that's what Oden wrote down."

Emit, conjure, and manipulate Earthquakes? "So this all came from a Devil Fruit? What is that?"

"Well, a Devil Fruit is a cursed fruit, that if anyone were to take a bite out of one, they would gain a special ability, but at the cost of being unable to swim, due to having a Sea Devil inside you."

"A Sea Devil?!" Izuku perked up, eyes wide. "So it's like… One for All and inheriting powers?"

"That is a good comparison from what you told me about you and the past holders of One for All indeed!" Yamato nodded, smiling. "Although you can swim just fine, right?"

"I can yes."

"So you don't have a Sea Devil! My father and many of his pirates and underlings have consumed various Devil Fruits to acquire such abilities to enhance their fighting strength, particularly Zoan Types, which allow you to transform and gain an animal's characteristics. Whitebeard did the same, according to the journal, he ate a Paramecia type, which allows you become or control a concept of something. For Whitebeard, it was earthquakes!" Yamato explained, arms crossed over her bust and nodding with pride.

'Could the fruit give the user the power to emit tectonic force… Seismic Force perhaps… if he can do that at sea… he could even cause Tsunamis!' Izuku thought. What a frightening ability indeed! "No wonder Oden said that Whitebeard was labeled as the world's strongest man!"

Yamato beamed. "And then there's Logias too which…" She looked down at the journal again. "Allow you to become, control, and conjure a special element, like fire, lightning and sand!"

Zoans, Paramecias and Logia Types. Devil Fruits can be split into categories. This world keeps getting stranger and stranger… and there's so many strong pirates on the sea too. To say nothing of the fighting forces of the World Government as well, the Marines that prowled and were the main military force.

"Oh oh! Let me tell you of the one time Whitebeard and Oden fought off this one young pirate named Crocodile. It's really funny too!" Yamato laughed as Izuku leaned in and began to listen.

(X)

"And so he left the Whitebeards to join the Roger Pirates?"

"Yes, and Gol D. Roger would become the King of the Pirates too! Roger really really wanted Oden to join him for his final voyage into the Grand Line after he spent several years with the Whitebeards."

It felt like the story had gone on for hours. But Yamato's enthusiasm was undimmed.

"With the Whitebeards he found a family, and while he was able to explore, he never really had a chance to really go on an adventure you know?"

She took a deep breath, stretching her arms over her head.

"Roger had a disease even Oden himself did not know about, so he wanted him to come on one last adventure. Whitebeard was against it at first, but honored his request nevertheless."

Yamato set her arms down, grabbing the waterskin and drank a bit.

"And after bringing his wife and children aboard, and even encountering Cat Viper and Dogstorm who snuck aboard, Oden began his journey as a member of the Roger Pirates!" Then Yamato perked up. "Oh yes! Before I get into their journey into the Grand Line, Oden made a special mention of his first encounter with Roger and Whitebeard! When the two clashed, their weapons didn't touch!"

"Didn't touch? You're making it sound like the weapons connected but didn't."

"That's it! They didn't. When Oden asked on this matter with Silvers Rayleigh, Roger's first mate… let's see…" She turned the pages. "Ah yes, 'What Rayleight had described to me, was that the two had used the power known as Haki in their clash that rattled the entire island.'" She said, reading off from the logbook.

Haki?

"I see… sounds like a dangerous power."

"Not really," Yamato shrugged. "Rayleigh mentioned Oden used Haki too. And that everyone could learn it. Even I know it! See?" She raised a hand, clenching her first and… nothing happened. Izuku tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at her fist. "Hmm, don't see it? My forearm is black and everything."

"Under your bandages?" Izuku pointed at her bandaged hand and the white haired woman laughed.

"Oh no, my bandages are black too! It's shining like obsidian. I guess you don't know it yet."

Izuku cupped his chin. Haki can be learned according to this Rayleigh fellow… "I see… Forgive me, I was going off tangent there. Shall we continued onto their adventure to the Grand Line?"

"Yes of course!" She flipped back several pages, finding her previous spot and beamed.

And so Izuku listened in, telling him of their journey across the Grand Line...

(X)

"A sky island?"

"Yes! Oh I would very much love to see one someday!" Yamato beamed, as Izuku rubbed his eyes. He had completely lost track of time, but he couldn't bear for her to stop. He needed to hear the rest of the story. Yamato had listened to his story right to the finish, so the least he could do was listen to hers.

He wanted to hear more about them. Oden, Whitebeard, and this Roger fellow.

"There was even a city of gold in the sky too!"

"Kind of like El Dorado?"

"There's a city of gold in your world too?" Yamato's eyes were shining as she leaned in close. Izuku leant back. He could only cope with so much proximity from her.

"O-Only in legend…but do go on!"

(X)

"So Toki became ill and had to be dropped off back in Wano huh?"

"Yes. It was hard, but the final step in their voyage was perhaps the most perilous." Yamato explained. "It only made sense too. Toki was frail despite being a Devil Fruit user, and it kept his children safe."

She looked to the side, frowning lightly.

"From there, they sailed on..."

And on they went. To the giant elephant known as Zou, where the Mink Tribe resided. It befuddled Izuku that there were other species that inhabited the earth. From Skydwellers, Fishmen and Merfolk, to these beast-like Minks, the same race Kawamatsu, Cat Viper and Dogstorm came from.

Oden was able to even read the giant indestructible stone tablets called 'Poneglyphs' as well. Using the special Road Poneglyphs, they were able to triangulate the final island on the Grand Line.

"And what was there?" Izuku asked, as Yamato smiled.

"The greatest treasure Roger had ever found. So great, yet so hysterical, he couldn't help but laugh." Yamato replied. "Even Oden did too... today however, it goes by one name. The One Piece."

"And what is the One Piece?" Izuku could feel his heart race as Yamato smiled back at him, turning the page.

"I… have no clue!." She showed him the journal, and the page was gone! It had been torn off!

"Of Oden's entire logbook, this was one of the few pages that was torn. The last entry on the prior page said that it made him and the entire crew laugh, so they called the island they found it 'Laughtale.'"

"Laughtale..." Izuku mused.

"It must have been removed for a reason I bet. To ensure no one else knows." Yamato shrugged.

"Kind of like how pirates tend to bury their treasure on desert islands only they know," Izuku mused. "Well, that's how pirates hundreds of years ago in my world did things."

"True... I wonder who wrote this," Yamato said, cupping her chin. "Oden wrote most of it, but Toki wrote some parts too. Still, it must have been for good reason to remove the page..."

She took a deep breath.

"Still, there is another page that's interesting. Did you know that people called Roger Gold Roger instead of Gol D. Roger?"

"I did not." He didn't have much of a choice. "Why is that?"

"Well... Oden mused that the Government may have done so to hide the D in his name. Roger even admitted it too. He told Oden that he possessed something called 'The Will of D.'

"The Will of D..." Izuku mused.

"Do you want to know what it means?" The boy nodded, and Yamato looked down at her journal.

And she told him.

(X)

The story went on, covering Roger's departure, and the disbandment of the Roger Pirates. Then after that came Oden's return to Wano, which had fallen under the rule of Kurozumi Orochi, backed by Kaido.

Yamato's enthusiasm was gone, and Izuku couldn't blame her. The descriptions of Orochi made his stomach churn. He had taken hundreds of people hostage, and made Oden dance naked in the streets once a week for five years, just to spare them from slavery…or worse.

He had almost forgotten about Oden honoring the departed Roger, after the captain's execution at his hometown of Logtown.

"Oden's return was fraught and perilous... his last entry here was him preparing to attack Onigashima for Orochi's treachery in slaying Hyogoro's wife, as well as backing out of their deal."

Yamato sighed a weary, sad sigh.

"He gathered his retainers, and he wrote down 'Although this may be my final message, leading my men to doom, it would sufficient to die fighting for a free and open Wano for my children to inherit, than to live in bondage, pain and chains."

She closed it, signifying the end of the story.

"I take it Oden failed..." Izuku asked, though there was no need. If Kaido and Orochi were still around...

"Yes." Yamato nodded sadly. "Although my father suffered grave wounds, he defeated and captured Oden and his retainers. Orochi then ordered their execution."

She sighed again, and Izuku saw pain in her eyes; the same pain he had seen when she first admitted to being Kaido's daughter.

"I saw him die…and he was magnificent. He was sentenced to boil alive in a pot of oil, all while carrying his retainers on his back. If he kept them out of the oil for one hour, they could go free."

"I can't imagine it," breathed Izuku, shocked. "Boiled alive?"

It was barbaric, horrific, unimaginable. But he had endured it, for their sake.

"Yes... he held them all on the pot lid on his back, even as his flesh boiled... the sweat evaporating from him…"

Yamato paused, wiping her eyes. Then suddenly she glared.

"But Orochi never honored the deal. He wanted revenge on the Kozuki clan, for they destroyed his own clan. He ordered Oden's death, and my father shot him. But as he died, he managed to hurl his retainers clear, and make one last declaration."

She smiled sadly.

"He said, before my father shot him in the head…Oden is not Oden…"

"...unless it is boiled," finished Izuku. "I know. My mother used to make Oden soup for me."

"Yes. The people said it, as he sank into the oil."

She sighed again.

"Ever since then, I wanted to be like him. After I found his logbook and learnt who he was deep down, I was committed. Oden gave me a role model, his logbook gave me a look into him as a person."

Yamato looked at the book fondly.

"I love reading this still. It keeps me going, despite the hard times, and the ending." Her free hand wandered to her bandaged arm.

"Nevertheless, I'll become like Kozuki Oden, and defeat my father and open Wano's borders to the world!"

Her beaming smile returned, brighter than ever.

"I know it! I will avenge Oden and his family, whose lives were taken by my father!"

"His family were killed? By Kaido?"

Yamato paused, and frowned.

"Yes... I was there at Oden Castle when my father assaulted it, and burned it to the ground. Nothing remained, except this logbook by the river."

Toki. Momonosuke and Hiyori, children Oden wrote so lovingly about. Murdered in their own home.

By this villain. This Kaido...

Izuku was silent, taking a deep breath. He could see why she admired Oden so. That man, who for all his wildness had been brave and generous, a good-hearted man who saw the best in people. Strong, yet kind.

For Yamato, the daughter of a cruel tyrant, who had never left Onigashima, his story was her one window to the outside world. A world she yearned to see.

"But you're still trapped here." Izuku finished. Yamato pouted, and nodded.

"Well I'm... working on it! I'm getting stronger! Even after my father tried to starve me to death with other samurai!"

Izuku went still.

"Or tried to beat my dreams out of me! And all those times I tried to kill him, and he defeated me! I'll never relent! No matter how many times he may beat me!"

She crossed her arms, huffing her chest.

"Have you had any luck? Have you gotten stronger?" Izuku asked, looking her way. "Get a read for his fighting style at all?"

Yamato blinked, looking to the side.

"Well... I'm working on it! Like I said!"

She took a deep breath, wiping her brow.

"Phew... that was long. I never read to someone else before. You're the first one Izuku!"

Izuku fell silent, looking at a smiling Yamato and the bandages on her arms. The horns on her head. Her white hair. The hidden pain in her eyes, even as she looked at him fondly.

He didn't see Yamato in that moment, her chains binding her to a monstrous shadow.

He saw Eri, a young girl trapped by the feathered demon known as Overhaul, Chisaki Kai, her body crumbling as bullets were falling out of her.

"Still I'll... be free. Someday..." Yamato mused, looking at her logbook, and Izuku could see it in her eyes. The hesitancy. The unsaid words of "I hope" on her lips as her tone from boisterous to reluctant was evident.

She was twenty-four years of age. Most of her life had been in these shackles. She knew nothing of freedom, chained to an island filled with people who feared her at best, despised her at worst. Her only interaction with her only family was battle and bloodshed. Only her status as Kaido's only heir had spared her from death.

Yet... Kaido had destroyed Oden Castle with a single breath of his dragon form, from this Fish Fish Fruit: Model Azure Dragon... he could fly and had the power to melt mountains to glass.

Even so...

"Yamato..." Izuku looked to the floor. "You said... that your cuffs were made of seastone, and will explode if we destroy them." He looked at his own bandaged hands. "Is there a key to perhaps, to unlock them?"

Yamato perked up, blinking. "Well, yes... the only key to these cuffs is on my father's person. Why do you ask?"

Izuku faltered, as his doubts returned. With his Float Quirk, he could fly away. No one knew he existed. He could fly away, find a place to hide, maybe go somewhere else.

But where would that leave Yamato? Could he just leave her alone, after all she had done for him? Yamato, who had grown up without a mother, or friends, or a childhood? Yamato, whose only companion had been a dead man's journal?

He had let Eri fall back into Overhaul's grasp, when he could have taken her away; Togata and Nighteye's warnings be damned.

He had failed to save Tenko from the demon that was Tomura, and from the manipulations of All for One.

No more.

Never again.

"Because Yamato…" His body ached as it healed. But Izuku felt something alight in him. Not since facing Tomura at Jakku, and again above the skies of Musutafu. Since facing Overhaul with Eri on his back. Against Stain with Iida in that alleyway. His green eyes; hard and determined, stared into her orange orbs.

"I'm going to steal that key from Kaido. And we will leave Onigashima. Together."

 

[Zaru]

Yamato couldn't believe what she had just heard.

She sat there, stunned, trying to process it. Not just the words, but what everything in them, in Izuku's countenance, in his eyes, seemed to mean.

He wanted to help her. He wanted to help her escape, to fly with her away from this place.

He wanted to help her.

It wasn't possible. It made no sense. Since when had anyone actually wanted to help her, to do anything for her? She had been served before, but that was always out of fear or deference. Nobody had ever done anything for her because they wanted to.

She couldn't believe it. She didn't dare believe it. It couldn't be true.

But it was true. She knew, somehow, that it was. She could see it in his eyes, just as Oden had said. She knew somehow, as she had known when she saw Oden die, and when she found his logbook. He meant every word that he said.

But…

"Don't say that, Izuku."

He could not say it. She could not bear for him to say it. She could not let him attempt it.

"I mean it!" insisted Izuku, eyes as bright as ever. "I'll get that key, and we'll leave this place together!"

He smiled a gentle smile, a smile that made her feel warm and soft inside; in a way she couldn't remember feeling before she had met him. It was the sort of smile he might have smiled to soothe a frightened child.

"You don't have to stay here anymore," he said. "You don't have to suffer like this anymore."

Yamato let out a sob, and tears welled in her eyes. Tears of shame.

"I can't just leave, Izuku!" she wailed. "It's not that simple!"

"But it is!" insisted Izuku. "Yamato, I know you're scared. I know you feel like you can never leave. I know that you feel like there's no hope, that things will only get worse. But it's not true, Yamato. You can leave this place."

His eyes were still so bright. He believed it. He really did believe it.

Yamato sniffed, and cuffed her tears with her sleeve. She hated herself for her tears, for her weakness. She had waited for so long, wanted it for so long, yet here he was, offering her heart's desire.

And she was afraid.

"Izuku…you don't understand," she croaked, a lump in her throat. "You don't know what my father is… what he's capable of."

She shivered, her blood running cold at the memories. She had seen Kaido fight, seen him kill and destroy. For all his strength, and his great heart, she knew that Izuku was no match.

"You haven't seen me fight," replied Izuku, grinning. "I've faced some pretty powerful villains in my time and-"

"Not like him!"

The words came out as a shriek, making him falter. Yamato gulped down the lump in her throat, trying to master herself.

"He has an army of pirates at his command!" she screamed, her stomach churning as old memories arose. "He has enough warships to destroy a fleet of Marine battleships, and level whole cities! But when he destroyed Kozuki castle, he didn't use any of those! He did it himself!"

Izuku's eyes widened. Now, at last, he was starting to understand.

"He did it on his own!" she went on. "He burned it to the ground and killed everything inside! All by himself! He can incinerate entire Marine fleets, level entire towns and mountains, all with a single breath! That's what he is, Izuku! That's what I've been fighting! My father he's… the strongest creature on the planet… And all these years I've been fighting him and failing…ever single time…"

Izuku sagged, his face falling. Yamato's heart clenched to see it, and she hated herself for crushing his spirit. But she had to make him understand.

"That's why you have to leave," she insisted. "In two days, there will be the Fire Festival. The false Shogun and his entourage will come here, to thank my father for his help, and to feast with him. All the other pirates will be celebrating, except the ones manning the Great Torii Gate. It'll be the perfect time for you to escape."

And it would. She had seen enough Fire Festivals to know for certain. While the common folk of Wano drank sake, prayed to their gods, and hoped for better times, the Beast Pirates would gorge themselves on food and liquor; much of it harvested and prepared by those same common folk. Onigashima would be awash with merrymaking, but for the unfortunate souls condemned to man the Great Torii, lest some attackers dare to strike.

Yes, he could escape then. He had to escape. It's the perfect opportunity.

"I can't."

Yamato gaped like a goldfish, and then realized that he had indeed refused.

"You have to!" she pleaded, desperate. "You have to escape!"

"I'm not leaving!" Izuku replied, his face screwed up with anger. "I'm not leaving you in this place!"

…

Why?

Why wouldn't he understand? Why was he going so far for her sake?

No one has ever gone this far for her… not since the three Samurai and…

She felt her heart clench in a Vice.

"You must!" she wailed, feeling emotions she has never felt before. "I can't let you die here, not for my sake! He is my burden, my responsibility! If he killed you, I could never bear it!"

"And I can't bear this!" He retorted on the spot.

His cry stunned her into silence. His green eyes hard as he stared back to her wet orange ones.

"I can't just leave you here!" he pleaded. "I can't fly away and leave you here like this!"

"But…"

"You've done so much for me," Izuku went on. "You could've left me to die on the beach, but you didn't. You brought me in here. You fed me, and took care of me, and talked to me. And you told me your story, and about your dreams."

He faltered, and sniffed as he drew a breath.

"There's someone I knew, not so long ago," he said, his voice hoarse. "Remember that girl I saved from that villain Overhaul? Her name was Eri. She was only a child, but her guardian kept her locked up, experimented on her, all so he could use her in trying to change superhuman society for his ends and ideals..."

He sniffed again, and Yamato saw that terrible pain in his eyes once again.

Pain…and shame.

"She was broken. She thought there was no hope, no way to escape. She couldn't imagine being free, being happy, being loved. And I…I let her down."

He gulped.

"I came upon her by chance, and I knew something was wrong. I could have carried her away, there and then. I could have saved her there and then. But we had strict orders not to spook Overhaul, not to let him realize that he was being tracked. If he had, he would have disappeared, and we might never have found him again. I knew that, and my partner knew that. That's why…we let him take her back."

He had a pained expression as his gripped his fists, and Yamato's heart ached. His world was certainly no idyll, and its cruelty had hurt him, she could clearly see.

"We let him take her back, and she was so terrified of him, of what he might do, that she went back with him on her own. She didn't believe anyone could save her, and I proved her right in that moment."

He sniffed, and stared straight at her.

"That's why…that's why I can't walk out on you, Yamato. Even if you weren't the person I know you are, I couldn't do it. I can't do that again! I… I want to help you, not just… as a friend. But because it's the right thing to do." He took a deep breath, gazing back at her. "Besides… saving others when they don't want to be saved… that's what a hero is." He smiled softly. "I was reminded of that not too long ago… and that's why I will save you Yamato."

Yamato thought her heart would burst. She wanted so desperately for him to run, to get away from Onigashima and all the dangers it posed. But no matter what she said, he just wouldn't go.

He wanted to stay. He wanted to help her. He actually wanted to help her.

To save her.

"Izukuuu!"

She flung herself upon the unsuspecting Izuku, wrapping her arms and around him and pulling him close.

"No one ever said what you said!" she cried, hugging him tight. "No one ever did what you've done!"

She pulled back, holding him by the shoulders. His face was bright red for some reason.

"Izuku…thank you, thank you!" Her old fire was blazing once again, lighting up her weary heart. "I never dared to dream I would meet someone like you! Someone with a pure and true heart like yours!"

"Uh, uh, right!" Izuku seemed to master himself, that determined self gone and replaced by that charming bashfulness. "So, uh, we need to make a plan to get you out of here!"

He was bouncing on his knees, shaking his clenched fists up and down, a mad grin on his face. Yamato saw it, and in spite of everything she giggled.

"So, you were saying about a festival?" Izuku asked, coming back to himself.

"Yes, the Fire Festival," said Yamato. "It's the perfect chance for us to escape, but it's only two days away."

"Two days, huh." Izuku seemed to think about it, hand cupping his chin. "I'll need to get in shape by then. But your medicines have done a really great job."

He flexed his arm, the muscles rippling as he moved it back and forth. "I feel a lot better. I'd better start training again."

"Training?" Yamato was surprised. "But you're not fully healed yet."

"It's okay, I know what I'm doing."

Izuku stood up, and started to stretch his arms and legs.

"Nngggh… Just a little bit to loosen up. I haven't moved much for days."

Yamato watched as he continued his calisthenics. He moved with the practiced ease of a trained warrior, one movement flowing smoothly into the next, and then the next. He was moving well, and without any sign of discomfort. It looked like he was getting close to being healed.

"There," Izuku said, smiling brightly. "Now, for a little something I've been thinking about while laid up here…"

He stood still, and then narrowed his eyes, concentrating hard. Yamato felt the air in the room shift. Something was happening.

"I had an idea…. bring out my full power," Izuku went on. "Then dial it down to what I can manage."

Yamato stared, amazed, as Izuku's muscles bulged, and green lightning crackled around his body. The room was getting hotter, and the air in the room was suddenly heavy, and oppressive. This was a power indeed, a wondrous power. Not from a cursed Fruit… But from his Quirk.

"Izuku, your body!" Lightning was crackling all about.

"It's okay. Dialing it down."

The pressure in the air faded, and the lightning fizzled and vanished.

"I can't go all the way as I am," Izuku said, still smiling. "If I went up to one hundred percent, I'd probably bust my limbs..." He looked at his fist. "As I am right now I… can handle and move fine at fifty percent. I'm halfway there…" He mused, clenching his fist.

Yamato let out a sigh of relief as the power faded, and his body settled back into its previous form, the lightning gone.

"Oh, and we're gonna need some stuff too. We'll need a compass, two pairs of goggles, two backpacks, non-perishable foods, and two jackets. Can you manage all those things, Yamato?"

"Oh?" Yamato blinked, caught off-guard. "Yes, that should be easy!" Just a quick visit by the Quartermaster should do it!

"Great! We'll need to leave in a hurry once I get the key to your shackles. And we should have everything we need for a long journey. Oh, and I'll need a disguise as well, something to sneak around the island in!"

"Yes, indeed!" Yamato felt a surge of enthusiasm. "Equipment and supplies for a long journey! I can…!"

Then she faltered, as she realized what he had said.

"Wait…Izuku…did you say…?"

"Your father does have the key, right? And it's the only one, isn't it? I just thought, because if there was another key, you'd have just taken it and left. So it had to be the only one, because that's an added incentive for you to keep fighting him, and…"

"Wait!" Yamato exclaimed, silencing his babble. "You…you're going to take the key?"

"Well, yeah. You said he's too strong to defeat, so I'll just have to steal it instead." Izuku grinned. "No one knows me here, right? So if I've got a disguise, I can take a look round with no one noticing. Once I've got my routes figured out, I can sneak in and out after the party when he's crashed-out drunk. He does like to drink, right?"

Yamato stared at him in amazement. Had he come up with that plan in the moments since she had told him all that?

"Yes, he does, all the time actually" she replied. "But he can hold his liquor better than most men. The Fire Festival is the only time he ever drinks enough to get sleepy, and even then he won't be helpless."

She knew that better than most. She had never been able to sneak up on Kaido, or past him. His Haki, the mysterious power that lay within every human heart, made sure of that. There was only one way this could work.

Heck, while he may have been more open to attacks while drunk, he also hit harder too… His Shuron Hakke martial arts was far more harder to predict than when he's sober.

"You may succeed, but only if I distract him."

Izuku looked worried.

"Are you sure you can do that?" he asked. "I don't want you getting hurt again."

"I need to!" insisted Yamato, her heart blazing with that old, familiar fire. "It's what Oden would have done! It's the least I can do!"

"Yamato…"

Yamato opened her mouth to repeat her insistence, and then saw the pain in his eyes. It was the same pain as when he had described the child Eri.

There was no way around it. If she owed him that service, then she owed him that truth too. It was the only way he would understand.

"Once, when I was younger, my father imprisoned me in a cave with three samurai," she said. "He had imprisoned them there to starve them, to break their spirits and force them to serve him. He gave them food enough for one person, and swords to fight over it with."

She paused, gulping down her pain, and her shame.

"Rather than fight over food, they gave the food to me instead. They even cut my chains, and showed me how to read Oden's logbook. Then, after ten days, they broke out of the cave and attacked my father, and died together."

The look in Izuku's eyes almost made her want to cry again.

"I was the daughter of their enemy, the one who had crushed their country and locked them in that cave. I was afraid that they would kill me. But instead they showed me kindness, and chose death before dishonor; just as Oden would have done."

She looked him in the eyes, her smiling coming back.

"They gave me hope, Izuku, as you gave Eri hope. They showed me what honor and dignity were, as you showed Eri the love she had never known. They showed me what sort of man Kozuki Oden was, as you showed Eri what a hero is."

She paused, mastering herself. She then gave a confident smile, feeling sure of his strength. She's fully healed since her clash against her father before meeting Izuku. She can take it.

"I'm not a helpless child like Eri, Izuku. Even with these chains, I can fight. Even if I can't beat my father, I can distract him; just long enough for you to get the key. That's all we have to do, Izuku, and then..." The words felt foreign, yet she felt hope fill her core. "We can get out of here."

Her smile broke into a big wide grin, as her passion blazed.

"I want to do this, Izuku! You're the first friend I've had since those three samurai, and I would rather die than forsake you! So then, let's do this together, Izuku! The way Oden would have wanted us to!"

She held out her hand, praying that he understood her meaning. For a few heartrending moments, Izuku hesitated. Then he grinned too, and grasped her wrist.

"I guess that makes us partners, Yamato!" He beamed. "Let's do our best!"

"Fine by me, Izuku!"

 

[Zaru]

"Okay, first things first."

Izuku sat cross-legged on the mat, facing a kneeling Yamato.

"We're gonna need a pen and paper for me to make you a list of things to get." He cupped his chin. "Got anything to write with?"

"I do! Let me find something!"

Yamato got up and trotted over to her cupboard. After a few moments of very loud rummaging, she returned with an armful of bric-a-brac.

Izuku stared, wide-eyed, as she laid a wooden board before him, along with a roll of parchment, a set of charcoal sticks, some quills, and even an inkwell.

Yes. This place really was like old Japan. A land of Samurai and Daimyo, before the pirates took it over.

"Okay then," he said, picking up a charcoal stick and starting to write. "We'll be flying high over the ocean, so we're gonna need jackets to keep us warm, and a compass too so we can find our way…or one of those Log Posses from Oden's journal, only I don't know how to use one of those. We'll need food that can go in the jacket pockets, just enough to get us to an island. We should maybe get a map too, but we might not be able to get one without…"

He paused, as he saw how Yamato was beaming at him.

"You seem to think things through a lot, don't you Izuku," she commented, still smiling.

"Uh, well, it's a habit," he said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I used to spend forever gathering info on heroes and writing it down. I used to nerd out about it…a lot…make that all the time…"

Yamato giggled. Ordinarily being giggled at by a girl would have reduced him to the depths of embarrassment. But this time it didn't. There was something…honest about Yamato, something sincere. It's like she was hanging off his every word, and loved every last one.

"Say Yamato," he said, remembering himself. "Have you ever gone to the inventory to ask for stuff?"

"Not really," replied Yamato. "Only for these clothes. The belt I made myself!" She pointed at it, grinning with pride. "If I needed anything else, I had to sneak in there. Before I got strong enough to just walk in, that is."

"You snuck around there?"

"Yes. After I declared myself Kozuki Oden, my father ordered that no one was to give me anything. I had to sneak around the crawl spaces and air ducts to get into places. Now I can just walk in and they give me anything I want, but that's just because they're afraid."

She was smiling, but her smile had faded somehow.

"Do you remember them? Those places?" Izuku asked. "I'd rather you not draw suspicion as to why you're asking for a spare Beast Pirate costume and well, you know, the essentials we need for when we get out of here." He said, explaining his reasoning. The white haired woman's eyes flashed as it came together.

"Ohhhh I get it! And no worries! I know those spaces like the back of my hand!"

Yamato grinned, and stood up to reach atop her cabinet, bringing down a sack. She took a candle from the cabinet, lit it with a match, then turned her attention to the wall beside it. Izuku watched, amazed, as she carefully pressed the edges of one of the wooden panels, until it came away and slid aside.

"And there we are!" she declared, grinning even wider as she undid her bulky belt, then took up the candle and sack. "Follow me!"

(X)

It did not take long for Izuku to lose track of time.

The crawl spaces were dark and winding, ranging from rocky caverns and crudely-cut tunnels through to gaps and crawl spaces. Izuku was fine with such places, but he had trouble keeping up with Yamato; who knew the endlessly-twisting network far better than he did.

All the same, he was glad he had gone. The crawl spaces seemed to go everywhere, and they were full of gaps and peepholes, allowing him to see the rooms and corridors beyond. It was like something out of a ninja castle.

The Beast Pirates, as he saw them for the first time, were most definitely not. They looked more like vikings or bikers than anything that belonged in an old Japanese-style castle. Each one wore a horned helmet and a heavy-looking fur cape, along with big belts and all manner of weapons and accessories. They were of all shapes and sizes, and all ages. Most of them were men, but he could see one or two women too.

Fortunately, it was late in the evening. Most would be in bed, or getting drunk down in the mess halls, or maybe doing late-night duties. They didn't seem like the most reliable types to Izuku, but then again, this was the first he had seen of them.

Then Yamato stopped, in a small space lined with floorboards on the bottom. There was a crack in the boards, with light flickering up through it.

"It felt so much bigger in here when I was little," she said, chuckling. The small space was quite tight, forcing Izuku to back up a bit, and carefully move around Yamato as she got into position, and peered down through the crack.

He couldn't see much, for there was little light. But he could see long racks, containing rows and rows of equipment. They had reached their destination.

"Okay, now which board was it?"

Yamato carefully felt around the boards, pressing them very gently, until finally one of them popped loose.

"There. You can tell them by the nicks."

She pointed at the board, and Izuku saw two divots in the wood. Holding the candle closer, he saw two marks.

"They're from my horns," Yamato explained, grinning.

"That makes sense," he whispered back, as Yamato eased up enough boards to make a hole, then began to wiggle her way down. She paused, grunted, then pulled back up.

"It's been a while, I got too big, haha," she chuckled, patting her…chest.

Izuku blushed. She wasn't too over-endowed for her size, but there was no denying that her chest was… quite large. It was a good thing Mineta wasn't there.

"Don't worry, I'll go."

Izuku carefully clambered around her, then eased himself forward through the hole,

The chamber was what it appeared to be; an armory or storage room of some kind, dimly lit, and entirely deserted. Long racks dominated the room, stacked with trays and boxes. Some of them were even labeled.

These pirates were better organized than he had expected. More like an army, for all their wild appearance.

"Can I get the sack?" he asked. Yamato handed him the sack, and he crawled forward, lowering himself down through the hole

"Careful you're gonna fall!" hissed Yamato. But Izuku let himself drop, his power rising with a thought. His fall halted, and he hovered in mid air, grinning back up at her.

"Ah, right, that," Yamato said, grinning back.

Izuku floated gently down, hovering just above the floorboards as he moved along the racks, taking what he needed. Two Triple-needled Log Posses, then a backpack, then two pairs of goggles, then a jacket. Having got all he needed, he searched again through the jackets, looking for one large enough for Yamato. He picked out one of the largest, then floated up to Yamato.

"Try this on," he hissed, passing it up through the hole. Yamato took it, and slid it on. It was a bit tight around her bosom, but it'll fit.

"It'll do," she whispered back.

"Right, now for a disguise."

He floated back down, and moved back along the racks. But there was no sign of any of those strange uniforms from before. His search took him along the racks, until he reached the corner of the chamber, where a door was set into the wall. There was light coming from under it, and the sound of talking.

Carefully, Izuku eased himself closer, and listened.

"So hear the rumors?" came a raspy noise. "Heard there's gonna be a big announcement at the Fire Festival this year."

"Oh yeah?" came another male voice, one more grungy in tone. "Like what?"

"Not sure, but it's gonna be big. Something about bolstering our forces. All I know is one of the ships under King's command came back from an island in the New World."

"Got a clue from where? I raise."

"Tch, fine. I call ya. It's been hush hush... but... " A yawn.. "If it's enough that Lord Kaido would send King out there... I'm betting it's Devil Fruits. Plural."

"Why's that?" Grungy asked.

"Well, weapons and that sort is more up Queen's alley, you know how he is.." There was a pause, and the sound of chugging. Drinking.

"Faaaaa... and like, it wouldn't be so hush hush about it... wouldn't need a big announcement so... I bet Lord Kaido might hold some kind of tournament... and all of the Non-Headliners have a chance to fight it out for these. He holds them at the Fire Festival sometimes."

"Well, count me in. You could be set for life selling one of those in Paradise. Imagine how one can sell in the New World."

"You thinkin' on selling? Better to eat'em and become a Headliner! That is, if it is Devil Fruits. For all we know it could be new weapons or some shit. And three eights and a Jack. Eat'em."

"Cute." Grungy toned.

"Gaaah shit! Four tens?! You tricked me!"

Grungy laughed at Raspy's displeasure in losing as Izuku floated away from the door. He turned back around, and headed down the next row. Various odds and ends, glasses…horns! He stuffed a pair in his sack, and continued along the row, eventually reaching a door.

COAT ROOM

Izuku grinned. He opened the door, wincing as it creaked. He paused, glancing up at Yamato, who was already putting the boards back. He looked back towards the other door, where Grungy and Raspy were. But the door remained closed. They hadn't heard him.

He slid the door all the way open, and floated through. Inside there were indeed coats, arranged on racks along the walls.

"How many animals did they skin for these?" Izuku mused aloud as he reached out, setting the candle down on a ledge before grabbing one and trying it on.

Too small. He put it back and tried another, and another, until he found on that fitted right. He stuffed it into the sack, then grabbed the candle and floated out, closing the door behind him. Above, Yamato pulled aside the boards as he floated up to her.

"Okay, got our stuff." He said with a grin as Yamato nodded.

"I was half worried there. Your flying quirk is very handy!"

"Tell me about it." Izuku replied as she put the board back in place. "Come on, let's go."

"Kaido's lair is at the top floor, near the Castle section." Yamato whispered as they began to shuffle backwards. "You'll need to make your way there... and find the air ducts. The attic-crawl spaces there are already filled up and destroyed."

"Why's that?"

"Because I used them to ambush him in the past. They got wrecked, and the work crews filled them in."

Izuku nodded. That made sense.

"Got it... air duct, top floor, Castle Section. Just gotta make my way there without anyone noticing."

"Better to know the lay of the land first." Yamato replied. "Think you can do it?"

"Yeah, I can just fly out your window, land somewhere unseen and go about my business there outside the Skull Dome."

Izuku took a deep breath. Step one was complete. Now for step two.

"Back to your room, change into my disguise, then take a wander around Onigashima," he mused aloud.

 

[Zaru]

Spytand Malice glared, as his fur-clad subordinates hurried about their duties.

"Keep it moving!" he barked. "Lord Kaido wants these stores stowed by nightfall!"

The pirates did as they were told. Malice watched them as they scurried along the wide corridors, lugging wooden boxes between them. The boxes were open, leaving their contents visible as they passed. Bags of rice, ginger roots, enormous daikon radishes, fresh fruits; ice boxes full of fresh fish and meat, whole squid, enormous crabs and lobsters. Bottles of vinegar, soy sauce, fine wine and a dozen things he didn't recognise.

Food. Not the usual faire, which would be stored down in the basement for the rank and file. No, this was the finest food; the best that Wano had to offer. It would be stored in pantries and cold rooms inside the castle, to be inspected by the chefs, and then prepared for the highest of the Beast Pirates. The All-Stars, his fellow Flying Six, their various hangers-on, and Kaido himself. All would feast on this food and drink, amid the merrymaking of the Fire Festival.

And it was his job to make sure it got stowed safely.

He watched in silence, the minutes ticking by. On and on the pirates scurried, lugging their loads, or scurrying back for more.

He hated this job.

He knew that it was technically an honour, and he was in no position to refuse anyway. But that didn't make it anything less than a chore, and a stressful one at that. Every creak of wood, every clink of bottle-on-bottle, made his teeth clench. Any bottle dropped and broken was one less for his fellows and superiors to drink; not to mention a mess needing cleaning up. And mess was not tolerated, not in the cavernous corridors of the inner castle.

They wouldn't drop anything. They knew where they were, and what would happen to them if they did. But that didn't make it any less annoying.

Malice seethed. He should have been out on the sea, with the wind in his face and ships at his command. He should have been bringing in more loot, getting himself noticed.

But he couldn't. Kaido had called a halt to the raids, and ordered all warships to be repaired and restocked. More weapons and supplies were being brought in from Wano; cannon, shells, muskets, bullets, gunpowder, even timber and parts. All that, on top of the festival preparations. His fellow Flying Six had been run ragged, with Queen and Jack breathing down their necks all the while.

And King, of all people, had been sent out on a special mission. A mission that had the lower ranks abuzz with gossip. King the Wildfire, the longest-serving of the three All-Stars, and many reckoned the strongest. Malice had never seen his face, let alone knew where he came from, or what he was truly capable of. But according to rumour – whispered or drunkenly blathered – Kaido had found him in a World Government laboratory.

Regardless, for him to be sent out at a time like this, it had to be something important. And the gossips were all whispering the same thing.

Devil Fruit.

The thought of it made him shiver. Devil Fruit, the mysterious fruits found all around the world. One single bite granted a wondrous power, some commonplace and some terrifying, but each one unique. Some merely altered the consumer's body, while others let them transform into animals or mythical creatures; and a rare few allowed control of an element. The price in every case was the same. Those who ate a Devil Fruit would never again be able to swim. No one knew how or why, it was what it was.

Devil Fruit. Was it possible?

A flicker of movement drew him from his thoughts. He looked along the line, half-expected to see someone struggling, or something about to fall. But there was nothing to see. The line was moving along, just as it was supposed to.

No, the movement was on the other side of the wide corridor. Malice looked, and saw a pirate hurrying along, eyes straight ahead, seemingly heedless of what was going on around him.

Malice regarded him for a moment. It was a young man, not much more than a boy, with curly green hair and a round, soft-looking face. Not the sort of person he would have expected to see in the horns and cape of the Beast Pirates. Even as the youth drew closer, and Malice saw hard muscle and scars, he seemed very young.

Were the Beast Pirates letting children join now? Ulti and Page One May have joined as children but they have been the exceptions and more than proven themselves, despite Ulti's boorish personality and Page One being her doormat.

A clatter brought his head snapping round. Two pirates carrying a box had stumbled, the sake bottles within it clattering around inside. Fortunately none of them had been damaged.

"Careful with that!" he snapped, looming over the luckless pair. "That sake is for Lord Kaido and the All-Stars! For every bottle broken, a broken bone! Understand!?"

"Yes Lord Malice!" babbled the pair. "Sorry Lord Malice!"

"Get on with you!"

Malice glared after the pair as they hurried away, their fellows scurrying along behind them, heads down, not daring to meet his gaze.

It felt good to be so feared. It felt good to have such power.

Then he remembered. He looked round, but there was no sign of the green-haired youth from a moment ago.

Malice's lip curled. He was annoyed, and he wasn't quite sure why. He hadn't seen that boy before, but it wasn't like he actually recognised any of the pirates. There were too many of them for that. It wasn't even particularly suspicious that he was there; there were plenty of other pirates running around running any number of errands. To have stopped him, even just to ask him, was more trouble than it was worth.

He knew why. It was because of her. Yamato.

He glowered at the scurrying pirates, venting a little of his frustration. It had been days since he had seen Yamato making off with that tuna, and still he didn't know what she was up to. Still she was hiding in her room, only coming out to meditate on the beach or to get more food; and always it was enough food for two.

And still she hadn't challenged her father!

His fellow Flying Six had been of no help. None of them took him seriously; at least not over this. They all thought she was just taking her time getting ready for her next bout with Kaido.
Malice supposed that was the most likely explanation. But what if it wasn't? What if something else was going on? Did she have someone in her room after all? If so, who or what was it?

He shook his head, and glanced down the corridor. He could see the end of the line, moving slowly towards him. His task was just about complete. Once everything was stowed, and the pirates were dismissed, he could do a little snooping.

Except he couldn't. He would have to go and find Queen and Jack, the other two All-Stars, and see if they needed anything done. With Onigashima in chaos as it was, slacking off would not look good. The last thing he wanted was any of the All-Stars after his blood.

Especially if he was to take one of their places sometime soon.

So he waited, forcing himself not to tap his foot, until the last of the boxes had been lugged along the corridor, and the last empty-handed pirate had scuttled past him. He sighed, then strode down the corridor, and down the stairs. He knew where Queen would be.

His journey took him out of the castle, and onto what the island's inhabitants called the Live Floor. The floor itself was on the Skull Dome's ground level, and was in effect a town in its own right. The buildings were in the Wano style, with white walls buttressed in oak, and wide pagoda roofs. The street itself was paved in wooden planks, and soribashi bridges led away to other streets. It was mostly deserted, but for lines of pirates scurrying back and forth with their heavy loads. During the Fire Festival it would be swarming with pirates; some enjoying themselves out in the streets, others inside the buildings, and the private rooms within.

And upon the balcony where he stood, he would perform; for the adoring crowds below.

Malice looked around. It did not take him long to find the one he was looking for.

"Keep those crates moving! Drop one and you won't be around to complain!"

Malice steeled himself, then headed for the nearest stairs. By the time he reached floor level, he was still there.

"Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom…ohhhhhhh…"

Queen the Plague turned slowly to face him; his obese form creaking as he moved. He loomed over Malice like the living nightmare he was, his tiny eyes staring out from the flesh of his swollen head, sitting atop rolls of fat that had long since taken the place of his neck; if he ever had one.

It was all Malice could do not to shudder. In a world full of bizarre things, just looking at Queen made his stomach churn. That enormous figure, its bulk partly concealed by black and white striped overalls, the scarred torso heavy with muscle, the legs tiny, almost stick-like. One arm was mechanical, a memento of a battle Malice had never seen, and the other was long and fat, reaching down to his tiny legs. Upon its fleshy should was emblazoned a Jolly Roger in black, with the word QUEEN emblazoned under it; in case there was any doubt as to who it belonged to.

"Ohhhh…" cooed the thick, purple-painted lips, between which a smouldering cigar was perched. "It's Spytand Malice…come with spite and malice aforethought. What's up with a malicious marine? You come to challenge me?"

The painted lips split into a smirk, followed by a shriek of laughter; the fat wobbling, the blonde top-knot and moustaches bouncing as Queen guffawed at his own joke. Around them, the pirates continued with their lugging, not daring to look.

"The upper kitchen supplies are stowed, Lord Queen," replied Malice, with all the dignity and respect he could muster. "The upper kitchens have everything they need."

"Do they now?" Queen leered down at him, making him want to run and hide. "I sure do hope so, Mister Spiteful Malice. You know how Kaido likes his sake."

Malice knew better than to correct the mispronunciation of his name. Survive long enough in the upper ranks of the Marines, and you had a fighting chance of surviving on Onigashima.

"And you know, Mister Spiteful Malicious, how I like my oshiruko," declared Queen. "Methinks they'd better not run out on the night, or tonight, or in the next hour. 'Cause we all know whose fault it'll be."

"I saw it all go in, Lord Queen," Malice replied. "And I saw it all stowed. The cooks know how you like it."

And they did. Just as they knew what would happen to them if Queen had to go without his favourite food for more than ten minutes.

"Funny, 'cause you're the one fulla beans these days!" quipped Queen with a laugh. "Sneaking around the place, stalking Yamato. What's wrong, Spiteful Malicious? You taken a shine to Princess Oden?"

He struck a pose, bringing his mechanical hand to his ear to 'listen'. The pirates paused, for what felt like forever, and then started laughing. Malice knew it was as forced as it sounded, but it still made him want to kill something.

"Lord Queen, she's acting strangely!" he insisted. "She keeps taking food for two people, but she never leaves her room! And she hasn't challenged Lord Kaido in days!"

"Oh, now that is just so strange, and so suspicious!" drawled Queen. "Maybe somebody ought to do something about it?"

He paused. The air around them was icy cold. Malice knew what was coming.

"Bzzzt! Wrong! Get outta here Spiteful Malicious the princess stalker! You're as bad as King!" roared Queen, amid the cheers of the pirates. "Why don't you try talking to her! If you think you'll survive!"

Malice turned on his heel and stormed away, teeth gritted, ignoring the hoots of laughter, and Queen joining them.

"Marines! Ever the dickless stiffs ey boys!" He mocked with his fellows as he laughed. "Now get back to work!" The obese giant then barked, humming off as Malice marched away, his teeth sharpening into canines, his gripped hands feeling the claws forming at his fingertips.

…

He would kill that one. Yes, for sure. King was someone he respected. Sure, Jack was weaker, but he would not enjoy killing any of them like he would enjoy killing Queen the Plague.

When the time was right.

And once he had figured out what on earth Yamato was up to.

 

[Zaru]

A day and change of exploration, and Izuku felt utterly dissatisfied.

He sat in the mess hall, keeping to himself as he ate. Around him the pirates hustled and bustle, stuffing themselves with food and drinking to the gills. So far no one had even noticed him, let alone bothered to speak to him.

Izuku had done nothing to draw attention to himself. He had joined in with their work, lugging food and drink up from the docks and stowing it in the various pantries and freezers. The latter had been a surprise. He had not expected to see electricity in a place such as this; but clearly they had it. More to the point, he had made a note of all the important locations throughout the Skull Dome; as the island's main geographical feature was called.

All the while, he had kept up his cover; a greenhorn pirate, who had the sense not to think himself overworked. He did as he was told, with head lowered and no complaint, never looking anyone in the eyes. He had gotten some odd looks from higher-ranking pirates, but none of them had said or done anything. Most of the other pirates were older than him, or at least looked older, but he had scar and muscle enough to match any of them.

The one thing he did not do - dared not do - was join in their merrymaking. The barracks were awash with beer, rum, sake, and liquor he had never heard of; the air thick with tobacco smoke and other scents he didn't recognise. He had never seen men and women carry on like that, drinking and smoking themselves into stupor.

Fortunately, he didn't have to stay there. Every night he crept back to Yamato's quarters to sleep; unnoticed all the while. Her apartment was in what looked like a neglected area of the fortress, where no one went unless they had to.

It felt…lonely just thinking about it. No one seemed to care if Yamato were even alive, let alone what she might be doing. And the rest of this place too, these people. What sort of life made them want to drug themselves into oblivion at the end of the day?

He shook his head, driving such thoughts away. Now wasn't the time. The Fire Festival was due to begin that very evening. But for the watch he had acquired from the inventory, he would never have guessed that it was already late afternoon. The weather outside was dark and stormy; as it always was on Onigashima, it seemed.

He glanced at his watch. Time to reconvene with Yamato, and go over the plan one last time.

He finished his meal, then stood up and put the plate on the allotted tray, forcing himself not to look at the small children gathering up plates and bowls from the other tables. Their clothes were ragged, and there were cuffs on their wrists; not unlike the ones Yamato wore. They kept their heads down, working in silence as the pirates ate and drank and laughed all around them.

A loud crash almost made him jump. He glanced around, and saw a boy of about ten sprawled on the floor amid a sea of broken crockery; surrounded by laughing and jeering pirates.

Izuku looked away. There was nothing he could do, no way he could help them. He had to escape. He had to get Yamato out of there! He had promised her!

He strode out of the mess hall, the ugly laughter ringing in his ears. He had come to understand why Yamato was so contemptuous of the Beast Pirates; why she would rather be a prisoner than be one of them.

And they weren't the worst, not by a long shot. Yamato had warned him of the others, those who led the Beast Pirates in Kaido's name. The Flying Six, and the three All-Stars above them, whom the pirates spoke of with dread.

Of the former, two he had seen already. Sasaki, a rotund man with an under-bite jaw and a mane of green hair; an easygoing fellow from the look of him, whom his subordinates actually seemed to like.

And Spytand Malice, a man who might have been good-looking if not for the permanent scowl that made Sir Nighteye look jovial by comparison. Izuku had seen him only once, and had been glad not to see him again. He had barked and cursed at his hapless subordinates, and generally looked as if he wanted to kill something.

And he had heard the one called Queen the Plague; tremors in the floor, bursts of song, and barks of cruel laughter. From what he had overhead, Queen was the technological genius behind the Beast Pirates; the inventor of many of their weapons. His concerts were also, from what he had heard, not to be missed.

But he too was feared. They were all feared. The lowly pirates feared their officers, and the officers feared their own superiors.

Izuku felt a little better as he exited the dome. The dome was enormous, like a mountain carved into the shape of a horned skull, with inner caverns big enough to house whole towns. It had taken him days to map out its interior, finding all the tunnels and stairwells and elevators; though he had yet to find out how they were generating electricity. Otherwise, the part that had truly interested him was a little place at the back, near the ventilation system.

His route took him round the side of the dome. Fog hovered over the river moat that encircled the dome, while ocean mist drifted in from the mountain range the encircled the moat in turn. Onigashima really was a place like no other; a natural fortress, all but immune to attack. Izuku had wondered more than once what it would take to storm that place. What army, what host of heroes, could have fought their way through all that?

All at once, he reached his destination. There, above him, was the chalk mark he had left behind on the rock of the mountainside. He glanced around, making sure no one was watching him, then took to the air. Float carried him upward, the cold wind whistling around him as he accelerated. For hundreds and hundreds of meters he ascended, rising above the fog, until he reached the open window.

He loved flying, as he had loved few other things. But Yamato's window was a welcome sight. It was the only warm place on all of Onigashima.

"Ah, you're back!" declared Yamato. She was kneeling by the bed, their equipment arranged upon it. Two backpacks stuffed with food, and topped with rolled blankets. The two Log Possess, and the goggles too.

"Yeah, just need a break before the mandatory assembly," he said, sitting down by the bed and taking off his horns. "Some big announcement by Kaido himself."

"I see." Yamato scooted over to sit beside him. "Shall we go over the plan one last time?"

"Yeah." Izuku turned to face her. "We wait until Kaido is passed out drunk, as late as we can get it to make sure everyone is asleep. Right before sunrise at least. ."

He held up his watch to show her. Yamato held up her watch, the one he had nabbed for her along with his own. Being too small to fit on her wrist, she held it in her hand instead.

"I'll be in the air vent near his room, while you attack him."

"And while he's distracted, you get the key," Yamato mused. "My father tends to take his trousers off when he's drunk in bed."

Izuku paused, caught off-guard by the comment.

"So…it's in his pants then?"

"Yes. Whenever we fight, he always pats his trouser pocket. You should probably swap it, so he doesn't realize right away."

"Right…" Izuku murmured, hand on his chin. "So long as he goes straight back to bed and doesn't check…"

It was getting late, too late for this. They had only hours, yet still they were finding holes in the plan. This was going to be one hell of a gamble.

But he couldn't think of anything else. It was a chance they were going to have to take.

"I'll keep him distracted," Yamato urged. "When I fight him in that state, he never bothers to put his trousers back on. You'll have your chance."

"Right." Izuku nodded, deciding once again to trust her. "So, all I need to do is get into the vent and get into place. The only worry is the Flying Six and the All-Stars?"

Izuku glanced up at the small air vent embedded in the wall near the ceiling.

"Too bad I can't use that," he commented. "But you said these air vents are a different network."

"They are. I checked myself this morning."

"Oh well. Can you get to his room okay?"

"Of course!" Yamato grinned. "No one will stop me, not when I come to challenge him."

"They really won't?"

"Kaido gave orders. No one is to fight me unless I call them out openly. He wants to be the only one to beat me."

"Got it." Izuku looked at his watch. "I'm going to take a little rest, then I'm gonna head to the assembly."

"I'll get something to eat for myself and 'meditate'." Yamato got up, taking Takeru in hand and tightening her rope belt. "You rest up Izuku... tonight's the night."

"I know." He got up on Yamato's bed and rested against her pillows. As he closed his eyes, he heard the door slide shut.

(X)

Izuku awoke, and glanced at his watch. It was almost time for the assembly.

There was no sign of Yamato, so he got up, tidied the bed out of habit, then dropped out of the window; floating down to ground level.

The main entrance - the Skull's jagged-toothed maw - was swarming with pirates heading inside. Izuku fell in with them, head lowered, silent amid the hubbub. Many spoke too loudly, while others swigged from bottles; the stench of rum heavy in the air. It was enough to make him miss the Tokyo Subway, even at rush hour.

He clenched his fists as he trudged on. He was a Pro Hero from another world, alone in a hive of honest-to-goodness pirates; Villains of the ocean waves.

"Keep a calm mind," Yoichi spoke in his ear, with a voice that wasn't real. "Do not give yourself away. Observe, but move unnoticed."

Izuku looked around. Pirates swarmed around him; those stationed on Onigashima, and those brought in from mainland Wano, all mingling and chattering amiably; or as amiable as people like them could be. No one paid him the slightest attention.

Then he saw the signs. They were all trooping towards the Live Floor, whatever that was.

"So what's going to be on the Live Floor?" he asked, looking up at the gruff-looking pirate next to him. The pirate, a much older man, sneered down at him.

"Lord Kaido's making an announcement," he replied. "From his castle."

"But before that, Lord Queen's gonna sing!" chirped a female pirate with a shapely figure. She'd be attractive, but for the scars and the eyepatch. "I've always wanted to see him on the Live Floor! Everyone talks about it all the time! He's so amazing!"

"Okay then." Izuku replied, facing ahead as they continued on through the tunnel. So the Live Floor was in front of the castle…the castle he needed to infiltrate.

Better to stick around until the assembly was done. With all those people around, it shouldn't be that hard to sneak in.

As he entered, the first thing Izuku noticed was that the Live Floor had the openness of a stadium. It was large, with countless rafters and balconies as many more pirates were taking their spots and places. Bridges connecting various floors around them, all styled in old Japanese pagoda style, with electrical lighting all around them. During his scouting, Izuku hadn't come here, both due to his 'duties' as a pirate, and that the doors to the Live Floor was cordoned off, likely due to whatever Queen is up too. He can see the many banners and colorful lanterns all around as Izuku began to climb up some steps, being funneled to one section of the stadium-sized room.

Up ahead, Izuku can see it.

The first two floors, but it was styled as a castle with several balconies and a large stage. No doubt for Queen, but the balconies look much akin to a platform for public speakers behind the railings.

Kaido would be there.

Izuku felt a shiver of anticipation as his group slowed to a halt as he was against the railing, feeling pressed against it as many other pirates were taking their stand. There weren't any seats.

He can hear the droning noise of the ambiance within this giant chamber as Izuku felt the ground shake and he jumped up.

"Earthquake?" he said, mostly out of habit. No one bothered to respond. They probably couldn't hear him.

Then he saw them. In one corner of the Live Floor, an open space populated by enormous shadows. They were tall, taller than buildings, with long fangs and curving horns.

"What are those?" Izuku asked, tapping on the older pirate's shoulder. He looked down with a sneer, then scoffed as he saw where Izuku was pointing.

"Talk about green," he growled. "Those are Numbers. Artificial giants Lord Kaido bought sixteen years ago." He replied. "They're stupid, but they get the job done; when the job is killing and eating people."

He turned back to his fellows. Izuku blinked.

Artificial giants?

Killing people?

He turned away, trying to ignore their strange, bellowing laughter, and tried to make sense of where he was.

The castle was massive, about as wide as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's base, and he couldn't tell how tall. There were balconies and verandahs, even then filling with people.

But these were different. They didn't dress like Beast Pirates. Some of them were even wearing traditional Japanese garb; or something like it. Some in totally unique attire different from the authentic Japanese asthetic or fur cape and horns.

Who were they? Other pirate crews? People from Wano? But if they were from Wano, why would they be there? Yamato had made out that Kaido was oppressing them.

Or were they with that fellow Orochi? That made sense.

He lowered his eyes to the floor, looking around for an exit. THere were two doors, to the left and right of the castle; both of them packed with pirates streaming in. From what he knew of the layout, he could get into the castle from either of those doors; and from there, into the ventilation system.

He drew a long breath, and then another. This place was huge, overwhelmingly so. How could there be a giant mountain shaped like a skull? And how could it have such intricate architecture? A castle the size of a skyscraper, a performance floor the size of a stadium, a port big enough for dozens of ships, and countless more besides.

It was like nothing he had ever seen or imagined. Onigashima was an architectural marvel, up there with I-island!

THe lights suddenly dimmed, and the crowd began to roar. Coloured lights flickered on and off, and the roaring grew even louder.

"He's heeeereee!" shrieked the woman from earlier.

"Here he comes!" yelled an overexcited pirate. Izuku clung to the railing, trying to steady himself as the pirates surged forward, the crowd undulating back and forth, bumping him all the while.

The lights flickered and flashed, and the words GOLDEN FESTIVAL appeared above the main stage. And above that, a horned skull atop of four bones in a skull-and-crossbones Jolly Roger, the word QUEEN written under it.

The crowd cheered again as drums began to rattle and thud. Izuku had to cling hard to the railing to steady himself. The noise was deafening, worse than anything he could remember. He could even smell beer being tossed around.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE!" yelled a voice Izuku could not see. "IT'S TIME FOR THE FIRE FESTIVAL TO BEGIN! TO KICK THINGS OFF! YOU KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM! THE ONE. THE ONLY!"

Something erupted from under the stage. Izuku gaped as a gargantuan man dropped lightly onto the boards, striking a pose as he landed. He was enormously fat, with blonde hair in a long braided topknot, his eyes concealed by goggles. All around him, backup dancers in fur capes and matching goggles formed up.

"THE PLAGUE! QUEEEEEEN!"

The crowd roared. Izuku clutched his hands to his ears, drying to block out the noise. The pirates around him were jumping up and down in mad delight. That woman from before was squealing, hearts in her eyes.

He could hardly believe it.


"ALRIGHT THEN!" Queen belted, hand on a mic, and he snapped his fingers. "Hit it!"


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxDTilDaIKs

The lights dimmed, and the music started up. Izuku could hear the crowd chanting, moving in time with Queen as he hunched over, arms low, moving from side to side in a one legged jump. His dancers doing the same.

"Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom zoom~"

The lights flickered in time, changing colour with every zoom.

"I'll be too popular if I keep my chunk~"

"So I won't be thin, it's just my FUNK!"

"Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom zoom!" the crowd changed in unison, matching Queen's moves, dancing as one.

"I may look fat but I'm a musclehunk!" he roared, twirling with a grace that should not have been physically possible, his muscles rippling with every movement.

"I can sing and dance, cuz that's my-!"

He leanr out to the crowd, hand on his ears and holding out his mic.

"FUUUUUUUUUUNK!" roared the crowd in reply.

Izuku winced. He had never liked concerts, not like this.

On went the tune, Queen dancing in time, his backup dancers striking poses around him. Finally the song reached its climax, fireworks erupting all around him.

"Yeeeeeeaaah!" Queen roared. "Get excited ya mangy wenches and sons-of-bitches!"

He grinned, leering out as he pointed at the crowd as the fireworks died down, the crowd cheering.

Izuku felt the woman slump against him. He looked up, worried, but there was a look of utter bliss on her face.

"Lord Queen...called me...a mangy wench~" she stammered, hugging herself.

Queen breathed, wiping his brow as he walked up around the stage, grinning as he chomped on an enormous cigar.

"Can I get a yeah!" he yelled into his mic, Izuku winced at the feedback, but the crowd didn't care.

"YEAH!" The crowd belted.

"Can I get a Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

"Can I get a 'What'!" He brought his hand to his ear, beaming as he played the crowd of pirates in the tens of thousands like a fiddle.

"WHAT!"

"What?"

"WHAT!"

"I say 'Yeah' you say 'What'!" Queen added. "Yeah!"

"WHAT!" The crowd bellowed.

"When I say 'What' can I get a 'Yeah!" Queen grinned. "What?"

"YEAH!"

Izuku jammed his hands against his ears, grinding his teeth.

"What?"

"YEAH!"

"Yeah?"

"WHAT!"

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaah~!" Queen yelled.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT~!"

"What?" He said softly then.

"YEAH!" The crowd yelled but in a softer tone.

"Oh yeah."

"Oh what!"

"What yeah!"

"YEAH WHAT!"

"What?"

"YEAH!"

"Fuck you." Queen finished, pointing towards Izuku's direction as the boy felt his heart stop for a moment before he laughed. He heard a squeal, the woman from before... and other women in the area howling.

"Oh please do! Lord Queeeeen!" the woman shrieked, waving as she shoved Izuku aside. "Pleeeeaaaahehehehese!"

She slumped, foaming at the mouth... and Izuku just let her drop to the floor.

Queen laughed, walking around on stage.

"Okay then!" The lights were coming back to normal. "How's everyone doing tonight?"

The crowd roared their approval.

"I figured as much! It's the annual Golden Festival after all! So for the next couple'a'days, you get to drink, eat, and party the day away! After all, y'all worked hard, so time to party hard!" He grinned, hand on his hip. "We also got some important news to announce tonight!"

(X)

High above within the crawl spaces, Yamato peeked from a hole, gazing out onto the Live Floor.

She sat, her Kanabo close by, watching the horde of pirates enjoy Queen's little jig. Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching for some trace of Izuku.

Nothing. She moved along the floor, staring down through the crack, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

She had to find him. She had to see him move towards the castle's first floor. Once she did, she could make her own move.

So…where was he?

(X)

"But first! We're gonna do a roll call, ya know who you are!" Queen bellowed, pointing towards the balconies and private rooms where pirates loyal to Kaido and high ranking officers sat.

High above in the rafters, Malice sat leaning against a beam, hidden in the shadows, glaring down at the obese All-Star.

"Let me hear it from your guts! The best of the best! Headliners!"

The pirates on the balcony cheered back, the pirates below joining in. Malice could not help but feel nostalgic. He had been one of them, not so long ago. They were pirate captains who had bent the knee to Kaido, usually after being crushed in personal combat.

Not like him. Kaido had not persuaded him with violence. He had known what he was getting himself in for, long before he had reached Onigashima. Those Headliners who objected to his presence, or who got in his way, had paid with their lives; their blood proof of his worth.

"And next up! Give it up foooor!" Queen posed, pointing towards an empty box as Malice rolled his eyes. "The Flying Siiiix!"

Silence. The box was empty, and Malice knew why. The Flying Six had their own quarters, and were keeping the Fire Festival in their own way.

Besides, they couldn't stand Queen either. The only exception was Black Maria, but she had no apparent desire to rise. She seemed content to be where she was.

Then again, she could afford to be. She was Kaido's favorite courtesan, and far more dangerous than that role implied. Malice knew better than to underestimate her, or the others. The too-jovial Sasaki, the too-lax Who's Who, and the petulant Ulti and her doormat of a brother, Page One.

The arena was still silent. Malice could hear a cough or two.

"Kiddiiiiing!" Queen chortled. "Those dickless killjoys never come around do they!"

The rest of the auditorium laughed, and Malice ground his teeth. "Not once ya know, for all those newcomers out there! Just for tonight just forgot about those absolute maroons ey?"

He twirled, and pointing up towards the Numbers' Corner.

"Now let's give it up for the meat and potatoes, the monsters of the Beast Pirates!" Even the back up dancers pointed. "The Numbers!"

The collection of artificial giants, their minds ruined from experimentation from Punk Hazard all roared and laughed, their eyes agleam in their dark corner. All eyes fell on them, eyes full of fear.

Malice knew that fear. At his first Fire Festival, many years ago, they had gotten loose and eaten some of the pirates. But King had put them down, backed up by Jack; beating them so badly that they coughed up their last meal; some of them still alive.

"Okay then!" He pointed towards another sky box. "Alright! Let's give it up for the people of Orochiii!"

(X)

Izuku was rubbing his ears, both from the endless noise of the stadium, and the roars of those giants that seemed to tower over even Gigantomachia...

He couldn't make out a word Queen was yelling. But he could feel his Danger Sense tingle as the Numbers gazed over the crowd. The pirates feared those things, and Izuku didn't blame them.

"-at should be the end of it!" Queen declared. "Now then! I-" Queen paused, a female pirate pointing at his leg.

"What now I-" Queen knelt down, hand to his ear as the dancer whispered a message.

"Hmm. Okay!" THe dancers fled the stage, and Queen stepped aside. "Now then, without further ado, let's get on with an important news announcement! Delivered from the man himself!"

The crowd roared their approval, Izuku squeezing his eyes shut against the nightmare cacophony. Why did people enjoy events like this?

"Here he comes" Yoichi said in his ear, as Izuku opened his eyes.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxYSVyWHENQ

The doors behind the stage slid open. Izuku stared as an enormous figure marched out. He was tall as Queen, but broad, lean, and muscular, with a fur cape and long braided hair, his mouth hidden behind a metal mask.

It was Jack the Drought, just as Yamato had described him.

Behind him came another figure; this one just as tall, but not as broad. His entire body was covered in black leather, tied tight with heavy-looking belts. Black-feathered wings hung from his shoulders, and flames flickered around his neck. From behind his spiked mask, dark red eyes glowed.

"Lord King!" chanted the crowds, as he took his place to the right of the door, opposite Jack. "Lord King! Lord King!"

So that was King the Wildfire. Izuku had not quite believed Yamato's description. It seemed too extreme, too bizarre. Yet there he was.

The chanting stopped, as footsteps thundered from the door. Izuku stared, in horrified disbelief, as another shape stepped through the door.

"KAIDO! KAIDO! KAIDO! KAIDO! KAIDO!" roared the pirates.

He was enormous. A literal man-mountain, at least seven metres tall. His arms were thick with muscle, lined with scars, and emblazoned with dragon-scale tattoos. His horns were ivory-white, and long enough to impale a grown man. Midnight-black hair billowed down his back, matched by long and intricate moustachios, and a short, neatly-trimmed beard. He wore dark brown pants, held up by a heavy rope belt similar to Yamato's own, and boots heavy enough to crush a man's skull. Upon his right shoulder was an enormous spiked kanabo, an elder brother to Yamato's Takeru, longer than a Tokyo subway car.

Izuku could not think. He could not tear his eyes away. Never, not in all his years, in a world of wondrous quirks, had he seen anything quite like it.

And his form was as nothing compared to his eyes. Yellow slits, glaring out from under a heavy brow, the eyes of…no, not a predator. Greater than a predator. Worse than a predator.

Izuku shuddered, his stomach churning with an ancient, instinctive dread. This wasn't like All for One. Even he hadn't been like this. Even he, at his most dangerous, had never radiated such power, such inhumanity.

To look upon Kaido was to look upon one who was the master of his own destiny. Here was a man who knew that no one, not on the whole island, could threaten him. This was his island, his kingdom. This Onigashima, and the land of Wano beyond it. This place was his and his alone, and no one resided there except on his sufferance. He was a man who needed no one.

"So that's... Kaido..." Izuku murmured.

This was Kaido. This was the man he was about to cross.

This was Yamato's father.

As Kaido reached center-stage, another man scuttled out to join him. This one was much shorter even than the All-Stars, about half their height, with broad shoulders. He was not at all appealing; his face marred by a large underbite, his enormous head bald but for purple sideburns, decorated with a small, ill-fitting crown; one that did not match the elegant kimono he wore.

"And the Shogun," Yoichi confirmed. "Kurozumi Orochi."

So that was Orochi. There was the man who had conquered Wano with Kaido's help; the man Yamato had told him about. The man who had crushed his own homeland, enslaved its people, tore iron and coal from its land and poisoned its air and water; all to feed the war factories, that the Beast Pirates might have ships and weapons.

Kurozumi Orochi, a Shogun of nothing. Izuku was sure of that. There was no way a man like that could have inspired others, or led them to victory. Only by Kaido's power could he have succeeded; and only through Kaido's good graces could he rule.

He had ruled, by taking the throne that belonged to the Kozuki's, shooting it's patriarch dead in the oil pot, then his wife and and children in their own burning castle.

Just as Yamato had told him, with that terrible shame in her eyes.

Kaido raised his free hand, and the chants stopped. All was silent. The enormous hand fell, and Queen slipped his microphone into it.

Even he seemed afraid as he stepped aside.

"Today…a new era is born!"

Kaido's voice rolled over the cavern like an ocean wave. This was not Queen's crude shrieking, but true power; a voice that could command armies, and conquer nations.

"Today, is the turn of the tide! For on this night as we feast and celebrate the achievements of our efforts, a new power is rising! And I see the potential for that power…in all of you."

He scanned his narrow eyes over the crowd.

"Before we begin our days of celebration, a gift has befallen us. One earned by our efforts, our might, and our power!" He looked to the side, nudging his head. "For those newcomers to the Beast Pirates, I bid thee welcome to Onigashima."

"And I say eat my ass buddy." Daigoro grumbled in Izuku's head. A movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention, and he saw a group of female pirates pulling a cart across the stage. The top of the cart was covered with a white cloth.

"Thanks to our new business partner in the New World," Kaido declared, "we have acquired the power to break the stalemate. Big Mom, Shanks, Whitebeard, the Marines! None shall stand against us."

The cart was brought before Kaido, the women bowing in respect. The horned pirate lord acknowledged them with the briefest of nods, and they hurried away. Kaido grabbed the white cloth, and with a flourish pulled it away.

The crowd gasped in awe, as they saw what was sitting on the cart. The cart was piled with cushions, upon which sat ten large apples, their skin covered with a pattern of rings.

"Those are Devil Fruits! King really did grab them!"

"And we have ten!"

"But wait, why do they all look the same?"

"Yeah they're supposed to be different right?"

"This," Kaido held up one of the apples in his fingers, "is a SMILE. Now, for whoever shall consume this whole, a chance to receive its blessing. But be warned."

His voice became a growl.

"For you shall never swim again after consuming this artificial Devil Fruit, and the chances of you receiving its boons are low."

He fell silent, his words hanging in the air like a storm cloud. Izuku found himself wondering what would happen if the fruit's boons did not transfer.

It was not a pleasant thought.

"Who here will gamble with fate, for a power beyond their wildest dreams!?"

The crowd erupted into a frenzy, pressing forward towards the stage, arms thrust out to receive.

"Toss it to me!"

"Over here! Over here!"

"I want it!"

Izuku glanced about, amazed and horrified. Why would they take such a chance? What sort of power could be worth that risk?

Kadio took one of the fruits, and tossed it out into the crowd. The crowd closed in around it, clenching shut like some sea monster's mouth, as the pirates fought tooth and nail. Heedless, Kaido took another, and threw it out in turn, this time to a different area. Again and again he threw, each time to a different balcony or area of the floor. The seventh, the eighth, the ninth…

Kaido's eyes scanned over Izuku…and for a moment, they met. His green, and his slitted yellow.

He threw. Time seemed to slow down as fruit flew through the air towards him.

Izuku caught it, staggering back under the impact. It was large, about the size of a cantaloupe. It looked harmless, but he felt a tingle in his head, his Danger Sense…

He ducked, a clenched fist whistling over his head.

"Give me that!" snarled the pirate whose fist it was. Izuku dropped it and fell to the floor, scurrying away as the pirates started fighting over it. He pulled himself up on the railing, and watched as the pirates tore at eachother like wild animals, grabbing and pulling at the fruit.

Finally, the gruff pirate from before managed to bite into it. His eyes shone with a strange light as he tore at the fruit, biting and biting like a man possessed.

"Damnit!"

"Fuck I wanted it!"

The crowd dispersed, grumbling and muttering. Gruff kept on eating, grinning from ear to ear as he swallowed more and more of the fruit.

Then he gagged, the core dropping from his hands as he clutched at his chest, staggering towards Izuku.

"H-Hey! Are you okay!" asked Izuku, in reflex. The older man slumped to his knees, coughing and spluttering. His hands grabbed at his shoulders, his bald head slumped.

And then rose, his face split into a wide, manic grin, eyes wide and bloodshot. He burst out laughing.

"Hehehhee…HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What… what is this?!" the man shrieked through his laughter, and more coughing. "Why aren't I transforming?! Why is nothing happening?!"

The laugh was not natural. It wasn't like any laugh Izuku had ever heard. It was pained, forced. His face was a mask of faux-glee, but Izuku could see his eyes, and what was really there.

Fear. Hopelessness. Despair.

And the laughter. Izuku could hear it all around him. He looked, and saw the crowd parting, gaps opening up as the pirates backed away from those who had eaten the fruits. They were writhing in agony, shrieking with that same crazed laughter.

"So that's why they're called SMILES…" Nana said in his head, and Izuku gulped. Before him, Gruff brought his hands to his face.

"T-That means I lost my chance!? I can never swim again?! Hahahahahaha! What kind of sick joke is this man?! I never did anything wrong or anything! Hehehehehehe!"

The man threw back his head, and shrieked with gut-wrenching laughter. Tears ran down his face.

"WHY HAHAHAHA! WHY CAN'T I-Kehehehehehe…stop… LAUGHING HAHAHAHAHAHAA! MY FACE HURTS! I'M SMILING SO MUUUHAHAHAHAHAHA! SO! SO MUCH! THAT IT HURTSHEHEHEHEHE! IT HUUUUURTS~!"

Izuku's heart ached for him, for all of them. True he was a pirate, and there was no telling what he had done. But he didn't deserve…that. This… for the rest of his days.

And up on the stage, Kaido stared down at them, with a look of mild disappointment.

Izuku gripped the railing, his anguish turning into rage. These were his men, who revered and trusted him. Yet he…

"This is how…you treat them!?" he snarled under his breath, glaring at Kaido.

"Hey!" Queen barked over a new microphone. "Anyone of you able to transform yet! Or you all a bunch of duds!"

"There." King spoke for the first time, pointing to the upper level. Kaido followed his arm, his eyes fixed on a man staggering to the front by the railing, on a higher-level pagoda. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with pink gear tattoos with the letter "C" on them, and long wavy brown hair.

Izuku gaped at the sight. The man's stomach was now the head and forelegs of a lion, the head roaring, the paws swiping at anyone who got too close. The man struggled to control his new appendage, as the pirates around him looked on, faces alight with horror.

"You there!" Kaido bellowed, glaring at the man. The lion-stomach-head-thing seemed to have froze up as well. "What's your name?"

"H-Holdem! My name is Holdem sir! I serve in Wano as a Sheriff in Bakura Town, Lord Kaido sir!"

Kaido looked around once again, taking in the nine sufferers, and the one survivor.

"One in ten… as expected I suppose."

(X)

"One in ten! Father…when I thought you couldn't get any lower!"

Through her latest peephole, Yamato stared down at the crowd, at the nightmare playing out before her.

Never, not in her darkest moments, had she imagined such a thing. Never, not even when he burned Kozuki castle, had she thought him capable of this. His own pirates…

She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. There was nothing she could do about it, not now. She had to find Izuku, and get on with the plan.

Her eyes moved from pagoda to pagoda, searching for that familiar mop of green hair, those bright eyes. Her gaze fell momentarily on the lone victor, the one with a lion erupting from his stomach, and then to the side.

There he was! Izuku! And still unharmed!

(X)

"So that's what King brought…"

From his vantage point among the rafters, Malice watched with renewed interest. They really were Devil Fruits, but artificial, and nowhere near as powerful as the legitimate article.

He looked down at his own hand. His claws were out, the scales forming. He had to will his heart to slow, to force his power to recede, the claws turning back into fingernails.

Kaido had always wanted to do this; or so Sasaki and Who's Who had told him. An entire crew of Zoan users; an army of supernatural warriors. Considering what he and his fellow Flying Six could do, not to mention the All Stars, the proof was in the pudding.

"Now! Holdem! You shall become the first Gifter among the Beast Pirates! You who have been blessed by fortune to earn the SMILE's gift!" Kaido bellowed. "The rest of you, laughing mad from the Fruit's curse! You shall be the first of the Pleasures!"

Gifters and Pleasures? To be condemned to laugh without ceasing, a face full of pleasure, hiding a heart in agony. A cruel joke, that.

"And for the rest of you, all who do not possess a Devil Fruit ability. Henceforth!" Kaido tapped his kanabo, the mighty spiked club Hassaikai, on the ground. "You shall be the Waiters! For you shall wait for your chance at a SMILE, and the power it brings! Who else here wishes for the chance for power!?"

He held out his hand.

"Will you remain powerless and weak!? Or will you take the chance, and aim for greater heights!?"

The crowd roared their approval, and Malice smirked. He could see Kaido's intent. The Pleasures alone would be terrifying to behold; an army of laughing berserkers, despairing of life. And those who attained Zoan powers would be a force to be reckoned with unto themselves. Such a power would not be resisted easily. More and more captains would bow to Kaido's will, and become Headliners; rather than face such a nightmare in battle.

Yes, Kaido had meant what he said. This would alter the balance of power in the New World. This would allow the Beast Pirates to overrun Red-Hair Shanks' miniscule posse, and Big Mom's meddlesome fleet, and those weak and lethargic Whitebeards.

Malice's teeth lengthened, his canines growing into sharp fangs.

"Mariejois will soil themselves in fear," he whispered, chuckling to himself.

"Good! Our business partner will provide us with twenty of these SMILEs a month, and more to come later!" bellowed Kaido. "In the meantime, I give the floor to our patron, Kurozumi Orochi, Shogun of Wano, who has a special presentation for you all!"

He stepped aside, his left hand brushing his trouser pocket as he handed the microphone down to his ally.

Malice rolled his eyes. Orochi, the disheveled toad that thought itself a cunning serpent.

"Ahem!" began Orochi, sending a shriek of feedback through the speakers. Malice flinched at the noise, but then lost interest as the unsightly shogun began to speak. He had no intention of taking part in the festival; only in making sure it ran smoothly, for Kaido's sake. He would not allow any…

Then he paused, as his eyes fell on something familiar. On one of the pagodas, right by the handrail. It was that young man from before, the one with the green hair. Malice pulled out his eyeglass, and took a closer look.

Yes, it was certainly him. That scarred, muscular body, and that freckle-cheeked face that didn't match it at all.

Those eyes didn't match either. Those were not the innocent eyes of a young boy, a youth on the cusp of manhood. There was a look in them, a look he knew only too well.

It was the look of baleful rage that had been in his own eyes, when he saw the Celestial Dragons for the first time. It was a look aimed at the stage, and those on it.

"Hmmm…"

(X)

"Well, it is as Kaido says." Orochi said. "More Devil Fruits are coming, and best of all, there will be special fighting tournaments held around Onigashima if any of you wish to prove yourself in battle! After all, it is one in ten! Not Zero!"

The shogun paused, amid the cheers of the crowd.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4K69gXQHNg

"But, that's enough of that! For now…" His face morphed into a dark and cruel smile. "Before we begin tonight's facilities, here's something that'll get your blood pumping! Bring in the prisoners!"

Izuku's heart stopped, as a group of pirates pushed four crucifixes onto the stage. Tied to them were three men and one woman, clad in traditional Japanese garb; beaten, bruised, and clearly starved.

"These four!" Orochi declared. "have been tied to an underground cell, pledged to carry on the ideals of the false shogun, Kozuki Oden, the dancing fool!"

He barked a laugh, and the crowd joined in.

"The charges are simple! Theft! Assault! And high treason to the Shogunate!"

His wide mouth split into a cruel grin.

"But I am a generous lord! A lord of the people! And so I bring these four here, on these charges, for the verdict!"

He held out his hand, and a robed man appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. He had a bald head and long earlobes, and he was carrying a spear.

Kaido regarded Orochi with thinly-veiled contempt. King and Jack did the same, while Queen just looked bored.

"I ask of thee! A jury among their peers! How do you plead!" he called out, taking the spear from his strange companion. He smirked, and Izuku's heart clenched.

"Midoriya you can't." Yoichi asserted in his ear.

"Don't do it kid." Daigoro spoke.

"But they're-"

"GUILTY!" roared the audience.

Izuku had never felt so small. He wanted to go up there and save them. He had to! He needed to!

And yet… This wasn't back home, in a modern society and a modern world. With modern sensibilities…

This was a world of pirates.

And this was their era… their world.

"How do you plead!" Orochi asked again, hands to his ear, relishing the moment with an ear to grin grin.

"GUILTY!"

"Rip off," Queen muttered under his breath.

The railing began to crack, as Izuku's fists clenched.

"You have to calm down!" Nana barked in his ear. "You go up there, you're dead!"

"But they…. but they…!" Izuku whispered, squeezing his eyes shut.

"GUILTY!"

"Guilty it is!" Orochi laughed, turning towards the four as Izuku opened his eyes. "As rightful Shogun of Wano! I sentence thee to death!"

He leered, aiming for the first man with his spear in hand. The railing warped and cracked as Izuku clenched harder and harder. Around him the crowd cheered, baying for blood, heedless of his rage.

"KILL THEM! KILL THEM! KILL THEM! KILL THEM!" they chanted.

"Midoriya." Hikage hissed. "They were dead the moment they stepped foot on this island."

Izuku caught his breath, as he saw Orochi thrust…

The spear stopped, as Kaido's enormous hand closed around it, tearing it away. Orochi stumbled back in shock, as Kaido glared down at him, and threw the spear away.

"H-Hey! What's the big idea!" Orochi yelled, enraged pointing at the horned mountain. "You said I can bring these four to be executed!"

The bald ear-lobe man was standing beside his master, gazing up at the Emperor of the Sea.

"I did say so, yes," replied Kaido, glaring at the condemned, and at the crowd. "But I'm not going to dirty my floor with the blood of these wretches."

He stepped forward, and grabbed one of the crucifixes, lifting one up so easily.

"You want to rile up my pirates, Orochi? This is how!"

He glared down, making Orochi shrink away. Izuku felt a moment of hope. Might he not allow it? Might he save them?"

His eyes fell on a distant place. Izuku followed his gaze, and his heart sank.

"No…"

"NUMBERS!" Kaido bellowed, and the giants all perked up, their red eyes gazing from the shadows at their leader, like a pack of dogs being called to by their master.

"HAVE A SNACK!"

He then threw the crucifix like a frisbee, its occupant screaming as he spun towards the corner. The entire stadium roared in bloodthirsty glee, their cheering louder and louder as Kaido grabbed crucifix after crucifix, and threw them after the first.

"STOP IIIIT!" Izuku yelled, screaming at the top of his lungs. But his cry was drowned out, lost in the cheers of the pirates. His Danger Sense was screaming at him to do something, to save them. But all he could see was those terrible shadows, as the crucifixes spun into their midst.

THe first was caught, the monster stuffing it into its mouth and biting down. The second was caught and eaten whole. The third, the last man, was grabbed in one hand and bitten in half like a biscuit. The last, the woman, was caught by two giants at once. The crowd laughed and cheered as they yanked and pulled, fighting over their prey like two enormous, demonic hounds.

Then, mercifully, the wood split into two; the two parts vanishing into the beasts maws.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=numsyPJoDZs

Izuku could only stare, tears running down his face, his heart crushed. Eyes wide as plates and mouth agog as the world around him was loud with thunderous bloodthirsty cheer and glee.

How could they do it? How could they enjoy something like this? How could they be so cruel?

Kaido…

H felt something bubble within him.

"God… damn… you…!"

He slumped down behind the railing, teeth bared, eyes fixed on the horned monster on the stage, the devil presiding over this foretelling of hell on earth.

He had only been angry like this once before. So angry that he had actually killed.

Kill.

He had to kill.

Kaido needed to die.

If he can get Fa Jin charged…

"You go up there, you can't save Yamato!" Yoichi barked inside his mind, freezing his rage.

"Midoriya… I know you want to save everyone… but you can't do that… not right now" Nana whispered. He could feel the phantom embrace from her, her voice in his ear. "Save what you can…. And then later…avenge them, and bring these monsters to justice."

"You can still save Yamato. Hold onto that, at the least…" Daigoro spoke, his normally gruff voice soft, sympathetic.

Izuku gasped for breath, as he tried to control himself, the words of his predecessors like a cold water dousing over him as he slumped to his knees, looking down at the ground.

He couldn't save them. He called himself a hero, yet he couldn't save them! He had failed again!

But…Yamato…

"Now then! We shall begin the festivities!" Kaido roared, hoisting his Kanabo into the air. "The other ten SMILEs are around the Skull Dome! For each SMILE, a tournament! Winner claims the Fruit, and the rest is fate!"

"The Headliners are in charge," added King. "Follow the signs to the tournament locations."

"And with that…" Kaido's face split into a grin. "Let the Golden Festival begin! Drink! Eat! Frolick the nights away! WORORORORORO~!"

"And the Red Light Distriiiiiict...!" Queen added, posing with both arms pointing to the sides and downward, towards the doors beside Kaido's Castle, "...is now open!"

The entire crowd roared, and began to move; going for the doors. Izuku rose back up to his feet, eyes to the ground as he looked from one to the other of the doors.

He had to make it there. Somehow.

Some of the pirates were leaping down to the lower levels. Izuku did likewise, landing on the pagoda below. He glanced at the stage, and saw Orochi talking with the bald man again, and sending Kaido a sideways glare. Kaido smirked at the crowd, then turned and strode back through the door, followed by the All-Stars.

Izuku dropped down again, landing on the floor. Keeping his face as straight and stoic as possible, even as his teeth were grit and his heart ached.

(X)

"You…" Malice mused as he followed the green haired boy atop the rafters high above the Live Floor. "...are not from here, are you?"

Yes. He dressed like a Beast Pirate, but he didn't act like one. He could understand the youth being shocked; the whole thing had been a surprise to him too. But he had never expected a reaction like that.

So what was he? A Cipher Pol agent? No, they were as cold as the ocean depths; no waterworks or death-glares from them. A spy from another Emperor's crew maybe? He had the body of a pirate if nothing else. Or were the Marines getting into the espionage game these days?

Or maybe he was one of those Kozuki loyalists? Had he just seen his comrades fed to the Numbers? The reaction was about right.

Either way… he would have to have a little…talk with this youth.

He stood up, tapping the ledge. Time to go down and..

"Hey look! It's Spiteful Malicious!"

Malice jumped, and glanced around. The call had come from two pirates on a nearby causeway; clad in janitorial garb, and with rum bottles in their hands.

"Whatcha doin' all the way up here huh?" slurred the fat one. There was always a fat one.

"None of your business whelps! Get back to work!" Malice hissed, looking back into his eyeglass. But there was no sign of the youth! He had vanished into the crowd!

His teeth clenched. He cursed himself, even as the pirates laughed and chugged their booze.

He had him! He had him right there!

He could tell King, but what good would that do? King wasn't bad by All-Stars standards, but he would get the credit regardless. His shot at glory would be gone.

He clenched his fists, his claws pricking his palms. He had lost him! A moment's distraction, and his big chance had vanished among the horde below. Those wretched pirates, off to gorge themselves on the finest food and liquor, to fight each other for those faulty fruits, or heading down to the Red Light District to frolick with the geishas.

Beasts. Beast Pirates indeed. Wretched, lustful, cruel…

He turned towards the two pirates who had disturbed him. They were drinking from their rum bottles, and laughing at some pointless joke.

He bared his teeth, the canines lengthening into fangs. He flexed his fingers, the nails now long claws. He could feel his body changing, as the power within him rose. It was a good pain.

And no one would miss those two pathetic louts.

(X)

"Okay there he goes… north side door," Yamato mused to herself, as she watched Izuku move.

"Now, I must get ready too!"

She grinned, and stood up, hurrying down the dark corridor. Her grin faded, as she remembered the look on Izuku's face.

"Please… stay strong Izuku! I know you can do it!"

(X)

Izuku managed to break away from the crowd, stepping into a public bathroom. Keeping his face straight, he stepped into the first stall he could find, shut the door, and locked it.

He sat down on the toilet seat, and brought his hands to his face. He breathed in and out, trying to control his wounded, fearful heart. To hold back panicked breath.

Never, not in his darkest nightmares, had he imagined anything like this. He had thought what had happened to Eri was bad; but she was just one girl, kept prisoner by ruthless gangsters who exploited her quirk and crushed her spirit.

Here, there was thousands of slaves. Adults and children, men and women, people of all kinds. Slaves, collared like livestock, with collars of the same make as Yamato's cuffs, toiling under the lash of their cruel masters. And that's on Onigashima. Wano has to be worse…

These people…no, not people. Animals…no, that was an insult to animals.

Beasts.

Beasts in every way. Beasts who wanted only power, and the right to abuse it as they pleased. Even if it cost them their bodies, their sanity, their very lives.

He had thought All for One was evil. But he had only been a bogeyman, hiding in the shadows, doing his wickedness by stealth.

Kaido was not like him. Kaido was a thousand times more, a thousand times worse. He was an apex predator, the one true king of this kingdom of beasts.

Even so…

"I couldn't save them…" he whimpered. He hadn't seen their faces, and he didn't know their names. But they had died on his watch, while he had done nothing.

World's greatest hero… what a joke.

"Midoriya." Nana again. "You must remain strong. For Yamato's sake."

"I know" he replied. Then his heart skipped a beat, as he heard voices and footsteps outside.

"Dude did you see those poor fuckers get eaten by the Numbers?!"

"No I was on the other side. Did you?"

"Oh yeah! The woman was alive and well, you should have heard her scream!"

Laughter.

"Oh man wish I could have seen it! Did you see her innards or anything!"

"Yeah! On Hacha's nostril no less!" A giggle. "You should have seen him try to lick his nose with his tongue!" And they laughed.

Izuku gripped his fists as he sat on the toilet, grinding his teeth as he tried to push down his anger. He wanted to go out there and beat those callous villains to within an inch of their lives; to give them a small taste of the pain that had been their entertainment.

No! He had to keep a low profile! He had to! He couldn't let Yamato down!

"You are a hero," said En. "If you can't save everyone… save who you can."

Save who you can…

Izuku took a deep breath, staring down at the floor. He waited until the pirates were gone, then left the stall and headed for the nearest basin. He splashed some cold water on his face, then looked into the mirror.

Save who you can…

The meaning was like an anathema… and yet, En was right. He has no choice.

Still…

"Will I… be able to save everyone…?" he muttered. He almost jumped, as Yoichi and Nana appeared in the mirror behind him. He still wasn't quite used to that.

"You will. I know you will." Yoichi said. "If there is anyone who can do it, it's you, Midoriya."

The silver-haired man put a hand on his shoulder. Izuku could fel it.

"You must get stronger first." Nana added. "As you are now… we cannot face Kaido. But if you become strong… with Yamato, then perhaps a chance down the road."

Stronger…

"I must go further beyond, huh," Izuku mused, chuckling ruefully. He looked at his hand, and then clenched it. "I was able to defeat All for One at fifty percent… yet I felt like All Might in my battle against him."

"Indeed. Your power is far greater than Toshinori's was," Nana said. "If his one hundred percent is your fifty…"

"Then you will double his power," added the Second User, whose name Izuku still did not know. He reminded him of Kacchan a little in appearance. "Or perhaps your power can be squared."

"Squared?" Izuku mused, blinking.

"Correct," the Second User replied. "You must become stronger, master One for All. Use whatever means to do so, and then when you're ready…"

"You will overtake this Demon King." Yoichi smiled softly. "And you will not be alone."

"Literally and… ummm…" Daigoro paused. "Metaphorically is the word I'm looking for right? Since like, Midoriya is gonna need allies in the living world and not just us."

"He already has one." Nana giggled lightly with a smile. "And she's a tough one. I like her."

Izuku took a deep breath, washing his face once more. The deaths of those four would haunt him, but…

'Even if I couldn't save them… I can save Yamato.' Izuku thought, taking a towel to dry off as he walked towards the door. He parted to the side, as some pirates bolted in.

"Don't get in her way!" warned a muscular man.

"Yeah I don't wanna cross her!" a slim, gaunt-looking pirate replied.

Izuku hurried outside, wondering what they meant. Were they talking about Yamato? Had she arrived?

He forced himself not to smile as he strode along the hall. Some pirates scurried about, seemingly getting out of someone's way. He paid it no mind. It had to be Yamato. It was…

He rounded the corner, and talked straight into two very large, very soft pillows. He stopped, so suddenly that he fell over backward, a surprised feminine "oh!" coming out.

"Oh, sorry about that Ya-"

Izuku paused, looking up at whom he bumped into. He felt his Danger Sense starting to simmer.

Standing before him was not Yamato. She was shorter than Yamato, with a light-blue and white-stripe dress to go along with a blue cape. She had a decent figure, and a head of blue hair with pink highlights, reminding him of Hatsume Mei. Her lower face was covered by a soft pink mask. Her pink eyes regard him with…curiosity? She looked a bit older than him too.

"Who do you think you are, ya little shit!" growled the boy beside her of matching height. His costume was similar to the girl's, but in white and green; complete with a horned cap. Izuku's danger sense tingled all the harder.

"You think you can cope a feel of my big sister and get away with it huh?! Punkass!?" he growled, his voice deep, his eyes slitted. The Sense began to lightly boil…

Oh no…

Lower face masks. Brother and Sister.

They were Ulti and Page One! Two of the Flying Six!

And one of them looked ready to kill him.

 

[Zaru]

Izuku's blood ran cold.

Page One was…changing, right before his eyes. His face was growing, extending forward into a muzzle. His teeth were growing longer, sharper. His skin was turning slowly into scales. His body was lengthening, his arms extending, his legs shifting and bending, an enormous tail bursting from his trousers.

He shuddered, struggling against the cold dread rising inside him. He had never felt anything quite like it. He had seen it before with Ryukyu, someone transforming to something entirely... inhuman. But this... even Ryukyu kept some human features.

Page One was…transforming, right in front of him. Into an honest to goodness Spinosaur.

He struggled to master himself, to control the strange, sickening disquiet. He had to think, and fast. If he fought, even if he won, he would only draw attention to himself. But if he ran, he would be pursued; and just end up drawing attention that way.

What was he to do? How could he respond?

In the corner of his eye, Izuku could see the other pirates staring at them; mostly with fear, some with might almost have been pity. He could hear them whispering among themselves.

"...gonna get it…"

"...eaten alive…"

"...dumb kid…"

"You are…" said Ulti, staring at him.

"Dead!" Page One roared. He was by now a dinosaur, red-scaled and yellow-eyed; his head still crowned with long purple hair. Of his clothes, only his trousers and belt remained. He loomed over Izuku, his yellow eyes full of malice, his white fangs bared. Izuku crouched, readying himself to fight.

Then stared, as Ulti flicked up her hand, her fist catching the dinosaur right on the jaw. The roar became a yell of pain, and Page One was hurled skyward, crashing into the ceiling.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utcmrc7m3L4

"...so CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHH?!" All the pirates around them gawked, arms in the air.

"Huh?"

For a moment, Izuku's mind was blank. He had the vague notion that she had just called him cute, and that she was staring at him with big, bright, gooey eyes. The rest of his mind could not process this fact. It was a fact that just did not make any kind of sense.

"So cute!" Ulti grabbed him under the arms and held him up as if he were a little puppy. "Just look at those manly muscles, and those awesome scars! And that wittle freckled face! It's just so chubby and cute cute cute!"

She pulled him close and rubbed her nose against his giggling like a lovesick schoolgirl. Izuku hung where he was, utterly bewildered. Reality had officially failed.

All around them, the pirates stared in mute, blank disbelief.

"I've decided!" Ulti declared, bouncing up and down on her heels. "You're going to be my boyfriend!"

A cry of shock echoed through the corridor. Followed by a large thud, and a massive shadow as the giant Dinosaur looked down at Ulti, not with anger before but with exasperation.

"Sis!" spluttered Page One, who had managed to get himself down to the floor. "You…you can't just make a random guy your boyfriend!"

"Who says I can't!?" retorted Ulti, rounding on him. "Where else am I gonna find one this cute!? This whole island's full of uglies!"

She jabbed a finger at a random pirate.

"That one's too fat!"

"Hey!"

"That one's too skinny!"

"Huh?"

"That one has buckteeth!"

"I can't help it!"

"That one's bald!"

"I'm not that old! And being a pirate is stressful!"

"And that one…" She said, pointing at a pirate. He blinked, pointing at himself and then looking around. The bluenette sighed as if… disappointed.

"S-Say something Lady Ulti!"

"But this one!" She held him up again. "He's perfect! He's gonna join my creeeeew!"

She began twirling on tiptoe, spinning him around and around and giggling.

"Oh oh oh! I know what we'll do!" She beamed, and Izuku could see what she was thinking in her eyes. "We're gonna go on sailing trips! Go down Dressrossa in a gondola! We'll go shopping and he can hold my bags! We'll hold hands, watch the sunset, dance like passionate lovers, slurp up pasta with the most succulent marinara sauce, and kiiiiiiiiss!"

She hugged him tight, mashing his face into her bosom.

"But…but he touched your boobs!" protested Page One. It should not have been possible for a dinosaur to look crestfallen, but he was managing it. "I'm your brother! I have to defend your honor!"

"Huuuuuuh?" Ulti rounded on him again, the cutesy voice gone, now curt and coarse. "You're saying I can't fend for myself or make my own choices? Pay-pay? That I need to be led around like some dog on a leash and told when to go potty? You into girls eating out of a dog bowl with collars and demanding them to do whatever you want huuuuuuuh~?"

The Dinosaur blinked before the smaller and leering girl.

"Well, uh…that's a bit extreme but-"

"Well I want a boyfriend! And I found him! I don't get in the way of YOU picking a girl to be your woman do I?" She huffed.

"YoU dO tHaT aLl ThE tImE!" He squealed, claws before him, shoulder hunched and face utterly dismayed.
As they argued, Izuku managed to work his face free of her chest, enough to breathe, and to think. Her grip was like steel, and she was showing no sign of letting go. Besides, she was clearly temperamental, and would not respond well to him trying to escape. He would not be getting away without a fight; a fight he couldn't afford.

"You're gonna join my crew lounge for the evening right? Cutieeeeee?" Cheekbones raised with a big grin and eyes wide. Very very wide.

"Ummm...y-yeah…" Izuku babbled, eyes wide and smiling as awkwardly as possible. "I uhh... I'm new here so... Y-You're Lady Ulti, r-right?"

"I am!" She gushed, flipping him up and bringing her arm underneath, carrying him like a child. "Come on, we need to begin our feast! We can sit on the couch, eat yummy food and drink and…" she suddenly faltered, "h-h-h-h…hold hands!"

She had a hand to her cheek, closing her eyes and blushing deeply.

"Oh my we… we may be moving too fast but… the beaty-beaty in my chest is going so fast… Oh! What do I do~~~~. Oh!"

She perked up.

"You know my name but I don't know yours!" She said, eyes wide with fascination and attraction as she was beaming at him. "So what's your name?!"

Name.

What's his name again?

Not Izuku. Don't connect to Yamato in the interim or any place down the road long term when they get out of here.

If they get out of here.

"Uh…Deku, my lady!" It was all he could think of.

"Deku… Deku…. Oh…" She gasped, eyes wide. "So cuuuute Dekyuun! I love it! Let's go!"

She bounded off along the corridor, pirates scattering to avoid her, Page One following after, grumbling all the while. Izuku could only lie in her arms, powerless to resist, as they bounced past a sign on the wall.

VENTILATION ROOM.

"Well shit that was our stop wasn't it." Daigoro mused, and Izuku did his best to keep the smile on despite the sinking feeling in his gut.

(X)

This was not good.

From her vantage point, Yamato could see it all.

She gritted her teeth. Of all the people, of all the cruel, twisted, honourless good-for-nothings for Izuku to run into, it had to be her.

Ulti.

Yamato's lip curled. She had never gotten along with Ulti. In fact, she got along with Ulti a great deal worse than she got along with everyone else on Onigashima. They were opposites, in all the wrong ways. Ulti was fickle, treacherous, cruel, utterly without honor, decency, or even mercy. Her only virtue was loyalty; to Kaido and to her brother, and Yamato sometimes wondered about the latter as the boy of sixteen transformed back to normal.

Ulti was what she could so very easily have become. Yamato did not like that idea. But there were times, when she was alone in the dark, when life seemed cold and empty, that she wondered.

And now Izuku was in that wretched girl's clutches. Izuku…her friend.

Her only friend.

She squeezed her eyes shut. The plan was all but ruined now. If she intervened, she would have to fight Ulti and Page One. Any one of them she could defeat, but even that would drain her. To fight both of them was a risk too far, a chance she dared not take, not with Izuku around. She can defeat them both, but again, would drain her for the fight to come.

But if she did nothing, Ulti would take Izuku to her crew lounge; and heaven knew what dreadful fate awaited him there. To say nothing of the time. She looked at her watch. 10:00. Five more hours until she assaults Kaido's lair for Izuku to get the key. And every second is precious for Izuku to explore the vents and not get lost, even if it means he goes up constantly, he may get lost and try to navigate around until he finds the vent towards Kaido's chambers.

Izuku…

It wasn't fair. She had finally found a friend. Someone whose heart felt as hers did, and yearned as hers did. Someone who understood her, who enjoyed her company, delighted in her ideals, her dreams. Someone who actually wanted to help her; not for his own profit, or out of fear, but because he actually wanted to.

And Ulti had taken him. Ulti, who would drag him back to her lair, amuse herself with him until he bored her, and then toss him aside like a piece of rubbish. And if he actually displeased her in some way…

No! She could not let this happen! She would not abandon him to Ulti! She had to do something! It's what Kozuki Oden would have done!

But…what would he have done?

It would have to be fast. In and out. No prolonged slugfest. Just get Izuku away from Ulti and Page One!

Below, Ulti had come to a stop in front of a refreshment stand. There might still be time, a chance to intervene. But how to go about it? Oden had a knack for coming up with crazy plans on the fly. What would he have done?

Then she knew.

(X)

"Almost there, honey-bunbun!"

Izuku was in despair. What the heck was he supposed to do now? Ulti had carried him right past his destination, and from the sounds of it, they were almost at her crew lounge. Yamato had told him about such places; about how the All-Stars and most of the Flying Six all had their own crew lounges, where they and their officers could meet and relax, or else plot and scheme.

He did not know what sort of place Ulti's lounge would be. And he did not want to find out. Not after what Yamato had told him, and not after having met Ulti.

Ulti stopped suddenly, and Izuku heard something.

And there it was again. A crash, and shouts of confusion, followed by bouts of laughter.

"Wahahahahaha!"

Then he saw it. A tall woman, clad only in a loincloth and a strip of cloth around her bosom, a Hanya mask covering her face. She was capering around the corridor, in what looked vaguely like a traditional Japanese dance.

"I am Oden and I love to boil! I am Oden and I shall not toil! Haha!"

The bizarre figure drew closer, and Izuku's heart clenched as he recognised the hair flowing behind the mask. And her voice.

It was Yamato!

"Wha…"

"Is she doing?" En spoke aloud, finishing his thought in Izuku's head.

Izuku starred, dumbstruck, as Yamato continued her dance. Around her, pirates scrambled to get out of her way, or else laughed and jeered, leering at her performance.

"Wait who the hell is that babe?"

"That's the Young Master, Kaido's son Yamato!"

"Son?"

"Never mind that, he's dancing like an idiot!"

"But that's a she though right? I'm confused…"

"Oh god Yamato's dancing like that loser Oden! He must be sloshed hahahaha!"

His heart sank. They were laughing at her. Laughing, as if she was some kind of pathetic joke. Laughing, the way he had been laughed at, long ago, back in his own world.

Why? Why did they have to laugh at her like this? How could she put up with it?

"Shrrrrrrrrrrr…"

The long, venomous hiss drew him from his anguished reverie. It was coming from Ulti. Her eyes were no longer gooey, but bright with malice, and fixed on Yamato.

Izuku shivered. He could feel the change in her countenance, in her very aura. It was cold and dark, and seemed to emanate from her like a frigid winter wind, chilling him to the depths of his soul.

"Come on Sis," said Page One, suddenly nervous, that aggressive demeanor from before gone, acting like the nervous little brother he was. "He's plastered, that's all. Let's just go on to our lounge, okay?"

"Shhhhhrrrrrrrrr!"

Ulti paid her brother no mind. Her eyes had become reptilian slits, and her body was beginning to change, to transform as his had done, Izuku felt her forearms become scaly.

"Sis!" pleaded Page One. "Come one! He's not worth it!"

Izuku shivered even harder. Yamato had said that they were rivals, that she had beaten Ulti once before. Did Ulti hate her that much?

"Haha! Haha!" Yamato hopped and skipped, drawing closer. "I am Oden and I love to boil! I am Oden and I shall not toil! Aha-aha-aha!"

"Shhhhrrrrrrr!"

"I am Oden and I have no cash! I am Oden and I love to-----

Izuku let out a yell as Yamato swung, her kanabo suddenly in her hand.

"SMAAASH!" The mace caught Page One on the side of his head, hurling him against the wall with a mighty crash. The wall cracked under the impact, throwing up a cloud of dust and splinters. Izuku stared, stunned, as Page One toppled over, crashing to the floor.

"THE YOUNG MASTER JUST CLOBBERED LORD PAGE ONEEEEE~!" yelled a pirate.

"Sheeeeeaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!"

Ulti's hiss became a shriek of rage. She dropped Izuku and flung her hand over her shoulder, ripping a long golden morningstar from its sheath. She leapt at Yamato, with a shriek that tore at Izuku's ears. The morningstar swung, clanging like some great bell as it struck Yamato's kanabo. Ulti yelled with rage and swung again, but Yamato was too fast, leaping back as the morningstar flashed through empty air. All around them the pirates scattered; some fleeing down the corridor, others stopping at a safe distance, watching the battle.

Izuku scrambled to his feet, making for the wall, unable to tear his eyes away. Ulti swung again and again, shrieking and raging with every blow. But Yamato blocked, and blocked again, with the ease and grace of a seasoned warrior.

Ulti screamed, and swung at Yamato's head. Yamato dodged, the golden morningstar slamming into the wall, cratering it. Izuku felt a wave wash over him, throwing him back against the wall. Yamato saw her chance, swinging hard as Ulti pulled her morningstar free. She leapt back as the kanabo came down, shaking the floor so hard that Izuku fell down. He scrambled up again, as Ulti hurled herself at Yamato, swinging her weapon around her head. The two weapons clashed, and the shockwave hit Izuku, hurling him back up the corridor.

Izuku staggered to his feet, and stared in amazement. What was that? What kind of power were they using?

They clashed, and he felt the shockwave again, hurling debris down the corridor and nearly throwing him off his feet. They clashed again, and again. Left, right, above, below. The corridor walls began to groan under the onslaught, the floor cracking as if struck by a hammer, more debris and dust kicking up.

He could feel it. This was not merely strength against strength, metal and against metal. Something else was at work, some power he could not see. Could it be a quirk, or something like it.

Izuku stared, entranced by their battle. A battle of titans, like something from a time of heroes and gods. They leapt, and stuck, and dodged, the rest of the world forgotten.

And neither landing a single blow upon each other, parrying and dodging like masters.

Izuku shook his head. This could not go on. Yamato could not get tired out, or their plan was in danger. He had to intervene, to give her some way to break off.

He had an idea. But he needed an opportunity, the right time.

All at once, Yamato moved. She leapt at Ulti, faster than Izuku had yet seen, swinging her kanabo down hard. Ulti threw herself sideways to dodge, but not fast enough, as the mace caught her head a glancing blow. She flew sideways, and Yamato pirouetted on one foot, swinging her kanabo like a baseball bat. The kanabo hit Ulti, and threw her into the wall, so hard that it cracked and groaned. Clouds of dust and splinters billowed out.

And there was his chance. He sprinted into the cloud, activating Smokescreen as he went. Smoke billowed from his body, adding to the already thick clouds of rock dust, filling up the corridor and hiding them from sight. He passed Yamato, close enough that her eyes met his under her mask, her smile wide.

They were bright, full of joy. But there was no time to congratulate her. Izuku met her gaze, praying that she understood what he yearned to say, and then sprinted on through the smoke.

(X)

"Uhhhh…whose ship was that?"

Page One groaned as he sat up, his head swimming. It had been a long time since anyone had hit him that hard.

He blinked, looking around. He was back in his human form, but all he could see was gray. Gray, that resolved itself into billowing clouds of smoke and dust.

What the heck had just happened?

He blinked again, as the dust settled. The corridor looked like a bomb had exploded in the middle of it. All the kiosks nearby were blasted to splinters, and the walls and floor were cratered and cracked.

Had Yamato and Ulti fought again?

He sighed. Well, it looked like it was over now; and that was a good thing. Time to head over to the lounge and feast the night away.

"Where are you, Yamato!?"

Except that wasn't going to happen. Ulti was standing amid the settling dust, fully transformed, much as he had done prior. Her skin was gone, replaced with green scales. Her high-crowned head, on its long neck, flicked back and forwards, blazing eyes staring for any sign of Yamato.

She was really angry now.

"Where are you, you bitch!?" shrieked the green-scaled, blue-haired, dress-wearing dinosaur that otherwise was his sister. "I'm gonna pound you into a fucking pancake if it's the last thing i do! I'll hang your head over the fireplace for me and Dekyun to…to…" Her eyes widened, the fury gone as a realization set in. "Dekyun?"

'Oh god,' Page One sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

She looked frantically around, but there was no sign of her hapless paramour.

"Dekyun! Where dwells my fair Dekyuuun!?" She wailed like a mother who had lost their child.

She darted over to a luckless pirate and grabbed him, lifting him off the ground.

"Where's my Dekyun!?"

"Uh…"

Ulti headbutted the unfortunate man and dropped him. Before he'd even hit the ground, she was grabbing the next pirate in reach. And the next one, and the next one.

"Where's Dekyun?"

"I dunno…ugh!"

"Where's my Dekyun!?"

"Who? Aggh!"

"What've you done with my Dekyun!?"

"Whuh…ooff!?"

"Sis!" pleaded Page One, pulling himself to his feet and staggering after her. "Come on sis! This isn't helping!"

"Wait!" Ulti stopped suddenly. Her eyes were wide with dread. "Don't tell me…Yamato…she's taken him away to…to…to…" Her claws on her cheeks. "Ravish him!"

Page One had a sudden and unwanted vision. A classic case of out of the frying pan and into the fire, if ever there was one.

"You'll pay for this you biiiiiitch!" shrieked Ulti, arching her back in a roar. "He's gonna give me babieeeess!"

"Sis, that is taking things way too fast!" Page One barked up at her.

"WAY TOO FAST!" The few pirates around agreed.

"Give him baaaack!"

The dinosaur-Ulti bounded off down the corridor, pirates scattering to avoid her. Page One dashed after her, sprinting hard to pull alongside.

"Do you even know where she went!?" he called up to her.

"It's this way or that way! Fifty-fifty chance!" retorted Ulti. "I'll tear this place apart until she gives back my Dekyun!"

Page One sighed inwardly. It was the Golden Festival, and he was supposed to be enjoying himself. Instead, he was chasing around after his sister while she chased Yamato who might or might not have made off with her latest cuddle toy.

He wondered why he was even surprised.

(X)

No sign.

Spytand Malice glared down at the floor below. He was standing on the outer edge of the first floor of the castle, which he had just thoroughly searched. There was no sign of the boy anywhere.

He gritted his teeth. Of all the stupid things to go and do; losing sight of him in a place like this. He knew Onigashima fairly well, well enough to know that his search was all but hopeless. The island offered a thousand and one places to hide, to disappear from sight. That kid could be anywhere.

He wiped his chin with the back of his hand. There was blood on it.

Then he heard something. The thunder of heavy footsteps, and yells of surprise and fear. He leaned over the handrail, looking for the source of the noise.

Then he saw it.

"Yamatoooooooooooo!"

It was Ulti, in her dinosaur form, sprinting down the gap between the castle and one of the outer buildings; scattering pirates before her.

"RUN IT'S LADY ULTI!"

"SHE'S ON A RAMPAGE!"

"Yamatooooooooo! Give me back my boyfrieeeeeeeeend!"

"Boyfriend?" The ex-Marine uttered.

He sighed. So Ulti had claimed another victim for the evening. The poor fellow should have counted himself fortunate he hadn't caught Black Maria's eye. He'd keep his sanity in check, at least.

"Wait…" he uttered aloud.

Then it hit him. Yamato. This boyfriend had been taken..by Yamato.

He leapt the handrail and plummeted to the floor. He landed hard, right in front of the charging dinosaur. Taken by surprise, Ulti skidded to a halt; her brother Page One doing likewise.

"What's going on, Ulti?" he demanded, glaring up at her. All around him, pirates fled in any available direction.

"Whadda you care, turncoat!?" retorted the dinosaur, glowering down at him. "You want Dekyun for yourself, is that it!? Are you into boys now!? That's why you don't have a lounge to party, ya take 'em to some dark corner and have ya way with'em? Huuuh~?!"

Malice bared his teeth. He was in no mood to be mocked, especially not by her. He had never fought her before, but he was almost angry enough not to care.

"I have to find my Dekyun! My adorable sweet precious Dekyun! We were gonna cuddle-wuddle on the lounge and feed each other chocolaaaates~"

Ulti clasped her clawed hands together, and started spinning and hopping around, eyes bright with imagining. She looked, for all the world, like a lovesick, over-excited schoolgirl.
"You wanna clue me in here?" he asked, turning his attention to an exhausted and bewildered Page One.

"She saw some guy…and now she wants him…" wheezed Page One. "But Yamato jumped us, and now he's gone."

"Dekyun my Dekyun my Dekyun my Dekyun!" chanted Ulti, twirling around and around in her Dinosaur form, making quakes as she sang to herself, lost in her fantasy.

"She jumped you?"

That wasn't like Yamato. When she wanted to fight someone, she challenged them openly; like that dead idiot Kozuki Oden whom she so admired. He had never heard of her simply ambushing someone. Few people challenged her, most of the time that being Ulti due to her temper. For Yamato to jump her…

Odd.

"Yeah! She was dancing around like Oden used to when we took over Wano! I thought she was plastered, but then she smashed my head in. Hell she maybe I dunno… Next thing I know the place is trashed and that Deku kid is gone!"

"Dekyun my darling! Dekyun my prince! Dekyun my angel!"

Deku…some kid named Deku…whom Yamato had rescued…

"Did this kid by any chance have green hair?" he asked cautiously. "Built, but pretty meh in the face department?"

"Yeah, he did!" Page One gave him a weird look. "Why?" The blond haired marine snarled.

"None of your business!"

Malice turned on his heel and strode away, leaving Ulti to her antics.

Now he knew something was going on. Yamato and that boy were working together. If he found Yamato, he would find that boy, and finally get some answers.

(X)

Safe!

Yamato sighed with relief, as the plank slotted back into place. She was back in the crawlspace, and better still, she had gotten there unnoticed.

She paused for a moment, breathing slowly, peering out of the nearest crack to keep watch. There was no sign of anyone following her, or even looking for her.

Good. She had given those wretched siblings the slip. Knowing Ulti, she would be charging around the island screaming at the top of her lungs, tearing the place apart in search of her Dekyun. By the time she calmed down, and got her crew mobilized to search, it would be far too late.

In spite of everything, she found herself smiling. A part of her couldn't blame Ulti for being taken with Izuku. There was something…nice about him, that she couldn't otherwise put into words.

It made her wonder, for a moment, how she might have felt had things been different. What if she had not been Kaido's daughter, or if he had not been the man he was? What if she had been more like an ordinary woman, with ordinary feelings? What if she had not grown up surrounded by pirates, with only Kozuki Oden's example to sustain her?

Yamato shook her head. No time for that now. The plan was back on schedule, and freedom beckoned.

Her neatly-folded clothes were where she had left them. It took only a moment to pull them back on. This done, she began her journey, through the hidden paths of Kaido's castle, up to the higher floors.

"See you there, Izuku," she whispered, as she began the long climb.

(X)

Free, for now.

Izuku made his way through the crowds, head lowered, eyes straight ahead. No one paid him more than a glance. They were too busy carousing, wandering drunkenly from venue to venue, alone or in groups, pouring down booze, laughing and joking in their alcohol-fuelled bonhomie.

They would not see him. There was nothing to see. He had found a new set of horns and goggles, and even a bandana to cover his face; all care of a group of prematurely crashed-out pirates. He had felt a little bad about it; he had basically mugged them. But this was not Japan, and he was in no position to worry about things like that.

He turned a corner, and headed down yet another side street. He had been following the signs to the ventilation room, but all he found was more of the same. More drinking dens, more carousing pirates. Kiosks, bars, and vendors. He was starting to wonder if the place was anywhere to be found.

His route took him up a set of stairs. At the top, a convenient sign marked his location as the second floor. That was good. At least he was on the right floor. Now he only had to get to the Ventilation Room. From what Yamato told him, it was large enough to be accessed on the first and second floors. With the First floor being prowled by Ulti, the Second Floor should be safe from her, and all he had to do was go down the way he ran on this floor, and he'll come back to the Ventilation Room.

"DEKYUUUN I'M COMING FOR YOUUUU~!"

Izuku let out a shriek, and leapt for the nearest cover he could find; a line of pirates queuing beside a door. He looked around, and his heart jumped into his mouth.

"MY DARLING DEKYUUUUUUUUN~!"

It was an enormous green dinosaur; that was for some reason wearing Ulti's blue and white dress, and had purple hair. It was also screaming in her voice, screaming the name he had given her.

The pirates around him panicked. They started shoving forward, yelling and pushing, struggling to get out of Ulti's way. Izuku was carried along by the throng, unable to stop himself from being carried through the door.

The door slid shut behind them, and the pirates listened in fearful silence, as heavy footsteps thundered past, and faded into the distance.

Izuku eased his way through the crowd, as a buzz of conversation picked up around him. The room in which he found himself was very large, and curiously calm. The lights were turned down low, giving a soft dark feel around the massive room and someone was playing a languid tune on a piano.

He looked around, amazed. It was like some old-style jazz lounge. The clientele weren't dressed in the usual viking-biker getup, but smart suits and similar. It was all very calm, very civilized.

He checked his watch. 10:30pm. He had five, maybe six hours before launching the plan. He could hide here for a little while, then slip out and head for the ventilation room once things had calmed down.

Izuku headed further into the lounge, and sat down on a couch. No one seemed to notice him. He sighed in relief. Good, he could relax and…

"Hey there, buddy."

Izuku snapped his head round, heart hammering.

Something was lounging behind him under a stone shrine of sorts. It looked like a Sabertooth tiger, but he was fairly sure they weren't supposed to be that big. And he was even sure they weren't supposed to be able to talk... or smoke a cigarette.

"You're kinda in my normal seat there. and I'm feeling hungry so... mind movin'?"

Its eyes glowed, catlike. Izuku's blood ran cold, as he heard what sounded like a hiss in the air around him.

He looked around. He saw cat ears, cat tails, cat claws. The well-dressed clientele around him had cat features for accessories; some just ears and tails, others the heads of lions and tiger. Some were entirely feline. A few were entirely feline, as if they were Mink or had consumed similar Zoan fruits.

And their eyes were settling on him, all of them chuckling in the darkness.

Their glowing eyes.

Sabertooth Tiger…

All that to avoid Ulti's lounge and her iron grip, and now he was in Who's Who's lounge.

Staring into the eyes of the Flying Six's strongest.

Inside the literal tiger's den.

---

Haven't updated here in a while. More archival stuff!

 

[Zaru]

Breathe. Focus. And oblige.

"R-Right, s-sorry sir." Izuku scooted aside, shuffling down along the couch. He could feel their eyes on him.

There were others sitting around nearby. He could see the glow of cigars in the darkness, and smell the smoke. Their eyes were upon him.

"You're a bit underdressed for the Cat Cafe there buddy," commented Who's Who. "Did you get the memo that formal attire is required to attend?"

The tiger's paws clicked upon the stone, with claws as sharp as swords. Izuku gulped, and forced himself to look into the…person's eyes.

"Yeah, he came scrambling in from the entrance with a few others boss," said one feline individual, looking like a thin Pallas cat. He chomped on his cigar, leering down at Izuku with obvious amusement. "You can see'em across the lounge too."

"Huh, guess so" Who's Who mused as Izuku saw him looking around. Even in the darkness of this bizarre Cat Cafe, he could see pirates in capes, chatting with the suited pirates. "Methinks there's something going on I'm not in the know about."

The tiger stretched, and then climbed out from under the shrine, prowling towards the couch. Izuku forced himself to breathe slowly. He didn't seem to be as unhinged as Ulti. Just play it cool…

He watched as Who's Who transformed, his form shifting from tiger to human; somehow dressed in a red suit, his face covered by a red helmet, wild pink hair hanging down his back. He sauntered over, a cigarette between his lips, and sat down where Izuku had been a moment earlier.

"You, what's your story? Ya seemed in quite the hurry when ya came in."

"Oh ummm..." He was looking at him now. "Well, I was just, minding my own business and-"

"You sound young," Who's Who interrupted languidly. "You new here?"

"Yes sir, I am. Came in several days ago." Izuku replied.

"On who's ship?" Who's Who asked on the dot, and Izuku remembered. He worked under that Sasaki fellow when he first began to explore and navigate.

"Lord Sasaki sir."

"Then shouldn't you be partying with him? He's more of a party guy than I am. Here? This is where we unwind." His arm gestured around the Cat Cafe. "Me and my crew aren't like most of the Beast Pirates. This is a place to relax, but only for my people."

"I-I would be sir but... did you hear yelling and, umm, quaking earlier?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"That would be Lady Ulti, she's... on the hunt for a missing boyfriend." Izuku admitted, "And I… well… ended up here."

Who's Who groaned.

"Ulti's at it again, huh? Figures as much. Once the girl latches onto something she never lets go. Sorry to hear that, but on the plus side at least you'll be able to walk away. Can't say the same for the other guy."

Izuku gulped, as those present began to snigger.

"Still," Who's who said, settling back, "Better than being eyed by Black Maria though... If that happens to you kid, do yourself a favor and bite your own tongue out, it'll hurt less."

"Lady Black Maria you mean?"

Yamato had mentioned such a person. A tall Oni woman, and Kaido's courtesan. Izuku had heard plenty of her, but had never actually seen her.

"Yep. Replace Maria with Widow and you have her in a nutshell. Chews men up, spits 'em out, literally if you believe some of the rumors."

Who's Who took a drag, then crushed his cigarette into an ashtray at his elbow. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack, and taking another one.

"Ulti's as predictable as a storm on the sea, and about as merciful. So yeah, a quick prayer for the poor guy, but, ain't my problem." He brought the new cigarette to his lips, and brought out a lighter. He flicked at it, but only sparks came. Again he flicked, but nothing. And again.

Izuku reached into his pocket and pulled out a book of matches. Willing his hands not to shake, he struck the match, and it spluttered into flame. Better to build some good will to pry himself to leave...

Who's Who's eyes fell on him, and he leaned forward. Taking the hint, Izuku held out the match, and the cigarette lit.

"Thanks," Who's Who said lightly.

"Lord Who's Who, care for drinks?" purred a voice. Izuku turned, seeing... a shapely woman of about college age, holding a tray of cocktails

"Ah yeah," Who's Who raised a hand. "Brandy on the rocks. How about you Babyface?"

"B-Babyface?" Izuku mused.

"You're young, and you ain't showing your face." Who's Who said. "So I bet behind your bandana is a babyface. Unless you got a name?"

He couldn't use Izuku. And he couldn't use Deku either. If Ulti were to show up, it would be game over.

"Use mine," whispered Yoichi, in a voice at the back of his mind.

"Yoichi sir. The name's Yoichi."

"Whatever you say Babyface," Who's Who shrugged. "Want anything to drink?"

Crap. Izuku had never drank before, but the pirates on this island seemed to do little else. If he turned Who's Who down, they would surely get suspicious.

"Can I have..." What was it Mom would use to have a lot back when he was young? Some kind of alcohol with cola.

"Rum with coke." Daigoro replied, as if reading his thoughts.

"Water it down, you're underaged after all." Nana added like the parental figure she was.

"Rum with coke, and can you add water too please?" Izuku replied, a sinking feeling settling in.. "Oh and, can I get something to eat too please?"

"Didn't get anything to eat Babyface?" Who's Who inquired. "Same here too doll. Ya know what I like."

He ran a hand over her backside, making her giggle. Izuku bit his lip.

"Coming soon sir." She sashayed away, vanishing into the darkness.

"No, I've been busy," Izuku said, desperate to fill the silence. "Then the assembly came. After that, I was trying to find my way to Sasaki's lounge. It's kinda crowded out there, ya know?"

"I hear ya. So, what sea ya from Babyface? You intrigue me." Who's Who leant back on the couch, arms along the top. "Don't see kids join often these days. Last time we got someone younger than ya, well, they turned into Ulti and Page One. Strong yeah but, they're still stupid brats."

He looked up at the ceiling, fiddling around with his cigarette. Izuku took a deep breath, steadying himself. If this strange pirate was in any way suspicious, he made no show of it. He seemed completely relaxed.

"Well, I hope I can live up to that standard then, Lord Who's Who," replied Izuku, a little too earnestly. "And I'm from the East Blue sir."

That was Roger's sea according to Yamato's stories. Best to stick with that.

"Weak place, glad you got out. Cause listen here kid, as long as you got power, you can do whatever you want." Who's Who took a deep drag, leaning forward and dashing some ash on the ashtray on the coffee table. "The strong take what they can get, the weak make do with what's left. It's the way of the world, and just how the World Government likes it."

The World Government. A massive entity outside of Wano, controlling as many nations as the United Nations back home. Oden's journal described the Marines who served them, and their clashes with the Whitebeards and the Roger Pirates. That much made sense to Izuku; they were pirates after all. It was the job of law enforcers to oppose such people, and stop them.

Or at least, it was in his world.

"And lemme tell ya Babyface. Here in the Beast Pirates, if you got strength, it's real. Legit. You can do whatever you desire, so long as you don't step on Lord Kaido's toes or piss off an All-Star."

Who's Who frowned as he rested his arms on the cushions.

"Under them? The Government? They give you medals and fancy titles for doing a job well done, being on the straight and narrow, thinking you're powerful…"

His tone lowered to a growl. The air around him felt suddenly cold

"But just one fuck up you couldn't stop, one battle you couldn't win…"

The muscles in his hand bulged, and Izuku saw claws growing from his fingers, biting into the cushions. He looked into the pirate's eyes, and his blood ran cold. They were bright with hate, illuminated within the darkness of the lounge.

"They toss you in the slammer, key down the drain. Protect and Serve from the shadows my ass…all over that fucking rubber fruit..."

"That... sounds awful sir." Izuku replied, trying very hard not to shiver. Who's Who hated the World Government, that much was clear. It probably shouldn't have been a surprise, since he was a pirate. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more.

"Well, it's all in the past." The frigid air was gone, as were the claws. Who's Who took another drag on his cigarette, his previous langor back in place. "And ever since then, I've made out like a bandit. I've plundered from one end of this world to the other. I know Marine battleships like the back of my hand, and I've sent plenty to the bottom. I can get anything I want, from the finest tobacco in the Blues to the very best of women; teens, married, you name it. You should see my wedding ring collection."

Under his mask, his face shifted into what might have been a smirk all while Izuku's stomach churned.

"Trust me Babyface, get strong here in the Beast Pirates, and the world's your oyster. You can do whatever. You. Want." His eyes fixed Izuku, and Izuku knew he was grinning.

"That... sounds very nice," he said, nodding.

It was all he could do not to clench his fists. This man seemed so reasonable, so friendly. Yet he spent his days plundering, killing and maybe worse, and living high off the proceeds. Had such a man existed in his own world, he would have been hunted to the ends of the Earth! But here, on Onigashima, in the world Kaido had created, he was a master of his own destiny.

Someone else was on the couch. Izuku turned, and saw what might have been a woman prowling towards him on all fours; green eyes fixed on him.

"Oh ho, seems like Xandra's taken a shine to ya Babyface," Who's Who leered. The others chuckled as Xandra moved in closer, reaching to stroke his cheek. Her body was covered in soft black fur, and her face had a feline snout, and even whiskers.

She was an actual, real-life, honest-to-goodness cat-lady.

"Whose this hot piece of ass Who's Who? He's a cutie," purred the woman. She sounded older, maybe in her thirties.

Was he being assailed by a Christmas Cake cougar?!

"Kid, say you gotta go to the bathroom." Daigoro said in his ear as Izuku felt her slide beside him.

"Some new kid in Sasaki's crew. Got barreled in here with those other guys. Ulti's on the rampage again." Who's Who waved his hand. "Well, go on Babyface. There's nowhere safer than this. We won't judge."

Izuku gulped, feeling her hand/paw stroke his chest.

"My my, I can hear his heartbeat too... and you're hiding your cute face behind a bandana, I can tell from your sweet voice..." Xandra cooed. "Don't you want a little action sugar?"

"I-I uh... ummm... I..." babbled Izuku. Who's Who laughed.

"You really are green ain'tcha. Never been with a woman before?" He leered. "Well, you're in for a treat. Xandra will show ya a good time and…"

"I have to use the bathroom, excuse me sir!" Izuku got up, and aimed to power walk past…

Until a hand gripped his, stopping him, and his blood turned cold.

"Hey. Babyface..." Who's Who's tone remained warm but Izuku can sense the steel hidden behind it. "You're going to show one of my crew members a good time, a time she is offering of her own free will."

"But I…"

"That isn't a request, kid." His Danger Sense buzzed as he saw the glare. "That's a fucking order."

He let go. Izuku slowly returned to his spot, and sat down. The others were all watching, sniggering.

"You nervous baby?" Xandra asked, licking her lips and laying a hand on his chest. Izuku nodded, his cheeks burning with mingled fear and embarrassment. All eyes were upon him as Xandra snuggled closer, stroking his cheek. It wasn't that she was unattractive. Far from it.

But he couldn't have his first time like this! And that's not even getting into the fact he's on a timer here!

"Well… you don't seem to be loosened up," Xandra purred, nibbling his ear as Izuku shivered, seeing her claws settle on his thigh. "We can go all the way if you like. I can teach you all the moves."

She patted his leg. Izuku could feel Who's Who's eyes on him. He had to stay calm. The plan was still viable. He just had to…

"When you're a bit older."

Xandra let go, and Izuku froze, looking her way. She giggled, but Who's Who nearly doubled over laughing.

"Not taking his cherry Xandra?" Who's Who asked with a large mocking grin.

"Yeah, would feel a bit weird if he swings the other way. He sure is acting like it. Besides, if he does need to go… I ain't guzzling down piss, even I have standards." Xandra stretched and rested in her spot on the sofa. "I think give him a bit of time to come around. Plus, I like my guys taller anyway." She shrugged, smirking. "Makes for riding them all the fun ya know Cap?"

Who's Who raised his hands in mock defeat.

"Whelp. Just wait for your chance then Babyface," The relaxing tone was back. "And I'm sure Xandra would be an open door for ya."

He looked towards Xandra, who giggled at the entendre.

"Pity, I set you up with a virgin too, I know you love those."

"Ah well, better to let this one mature and age like fine wine, I have a feelin' about him that way" Xandra said, reaching into her cleavage for a cigarette and placing it in her mouth as she leaned in. Who's Who obliged, leaning in to light her cigarette with hers. The cat-woman turned, smirking towards Izuku.

"So you just keep yourself nice and pure until that day comes, kay sweetie~? I'll give you the ride of your fucking life if ya do~."

She winked, giggling as Who's Who laughed along with her, groping her breast with one hand as she sat next to him.

Izuku shuddered. Was he about to kiss a smoker? He looked away, blanching lightly.

"Well, go ahead and do your duty Babyface." Who's Who said, leaning back in the sofa. "Tell Sasaki he needs to get his own people in order too ya hear?"

The cigar-chomping Pallas cat fellow chuckled. "Heh, duty." And that brought out snickers galore all around.

"I will. T-Thank you for your time Lord Who's Who." Izuku nodded, bowing. "And you can have my drink and snack too, Xandra. Sorry for, ummm, leading you on like that…" It wasn't really leading her on but… what else can he do now!

The black-cat lady chuckled, waving him off.

"Aww appreciate it sweetie, and don't worry about it. You go enjoy the Festival."

And Izuku turned and strode off, forcing himself not to run. He headed straight for the bar; which was being managed by a very large, well-dressed Tiger-man.

"Excuse me, where can I find the bathroom?"

The tiger-man regarded him, one eyebrow raised, and then shrugged.

"Go left down the hall," he said while cleaning a glass, "Men's room on the right. Can't miss it."

"Thank you sir." Izuku nodded, and walked around the bar, heading down the lit-up hallway. Inside, two girls in cat masks were up against the wall, kissing and groping each-other, with one hand in the other's…short shorts. He strode on, forcing himself not to look.

"Place really is a den of vice, isn't it." Yoichi mused. "What sort of people would come and join this crew... this army?"

"Those who lust for blood or power. Or those with nowhere to go, and nothing to lose," replied the Second User, as Izuku entered the men's restroom. It was a lot more upscale than the one from before, and a lot cleaner. He quickly found a stall, locked the door, and sat down.

"Still... all of those people cried out for blood at the assembly. They've become like beasts," En mused. "This is an animal kingdom, and the only way to survive is to climb the food chain."

"Or find a niche, as these Flying Six have done," Nana added. "You're doing good Midoriya. You should see Toshinori. He was as worried as we were, but he's beaming with pride!"

Izuku smiled. It was a small comfort, but he needed all the comfort and moral support he could get.

"Steady yourself Midoriya." The Second User said. "Once you leave, find the room, you have time."

Izuku pulled out his watch. 10:45. He could be there in fifteen minutes or so if he ran, but that would draw attention.

"I should use Float when I get in the vents," he mused aloud. "That way, no one will hear me."

"Smart kid." Daigoro said proudly.

"Use the chalk if you get lost to mark your way."

Izuku patted his pocket at Nana's suggestion, feeling the chalk and matches he had brought along for just such an eventuality.

"You're doing well Midoriya. We're right with you, every step of the way." Yoichi whispered. Izuku smiled, and headed for the nearest wash basin. After giving his face a quick wash, he put his bandana back on, and left the bathroom.

As he stepped through the door, his stomach rumbled.

"I should get something to eat."

"Good idea. You'll need it for the long flight to who-knows-where once we free Yamato." Nana added.

"Or it can be our last supper," Daigoro cut in.

"Can you not…" the Second User said dryly. Izuku could feel All Might's shade glaring into the bald biker from Izuku's hand.

It wouldn't hurt to keep his strength up. And there were plenty of those kiosks giving free food. Something to hold him over.

He left the hallway, keeping to the side of the massive lounge. Who's Who was still on his couch, drinking from a bottle, while a bunch of girls in cat-ears and helmets slouched and draped themselves against him.

Izuku looked away. Of all the Flying Six he had met, Who's Who was the most reasonable, even more so than Sasaki. But he was still a Beast Pirate, a man who did well out of the evil Kaido had nurtured in this place; and who talked about it as if it were perfectly normal.

It made Izuku feel sick. It made him wonder why the so-called World Government hadn't done something about the Beast Pirates. Was it unable, or unwilling? Or maybe both?

It wasn't a pleasant thought. Who's Who had spoken of it as if he had served it at one point; and been punished for some sort of failure; a failure involving a rubber fruit. Was that why he had become a pirate? Had he been driven to it?

And why would they have punished him over a fruit? Was it a Devil fruit? Was it particularly valuable?

He shook his head. Now was not the time for distractions.

He strode over the lounge, heading straight for the door. As he went, he spotted Xandra hanging out with some other girls. She spotted him, and blew him a kiss, making him blush under his bandanna.

And then a pirate ran through the door, slamming it shut behind him. He looked like the hounds of hell were snapping at his heels. Izuku's Danger Sense flared, and he felt the floor rumble.

The door exploded, as something very large crashed through it. Izuku turned around, leaping and falling on top of Xandra as debris smashed into the wall where she once stood.

"Dekyuuun where are youuu~! You're in one of these rooms I know iiiiiit~! Now come out~. We're gonna have a lovely-dovely romantic dinner~!" She then grew angry. "AND YOU BETTER GIVE HIM BACK TO ME YAMATO! YA MANGY FUCK!"

It was Ulti, still in her dinosaur form, and still going back and forth between crazy-stalker-schoolgirl and angry-as-hell.

"It's okay, stay still," Izuku said, falling back into his Hero habits. Xandra stared at him with disbelieving eyes.

"You..saved me," she said, wincing as Ulti stomped over them, ignoring them. The new horns, the low lighting of the lounge, and him facing away from her has paid off.

"Sis seriously! This is Who's Who's lounge!" yelled Page One, scrambling over the wreckage, running up to join his sister. "Yamato can't possibly be in here! We're gonna get in trouble!"

The dinosaur-girl ignored him, stomping into the lounge, her legs kicking couches and tables out of the way. The pirates were on their feet, yelling and gesticulating.

"Get out!"

"This is our lounge!"

"Fuck you!"

"Where's my Dekyun ya hairball hacking scumshit! Did Yamato take him through here?!" Ulti bellowed, grabbing the Pallas-cat fellow from his couch.

"God…"

Who's Who stood up, shaking violently.

"Fucking…"

"Oh he's mad." Xandra uttered wide eyed as she and Izuku looked towards him.

"DAMNIT ULTI!"

The man was gone. In a blur, the bus-sized Sabretooth Tiger charged at the dinosaur-girl, barrelling into her and smashing her into the wall.

"Come on, you need to go," Izuku said, helping Xandra to her feet. "You need to get somewhere safe."

"What about you Yoichi-baby?"

She sounded worried, and something in her eyes told Izuku that she meant it. For a moment, Izuku wondered what could have driven her to this place, to this life. She clearly wasn't heartless.

"I'll be okay. Just take care of yourself alright?" He smiled behind the bandanna. He could feel the floor shaking as Ulti and Who's Who battled.

"Get the fuck out of my lounge ya nosy cunt!" Who's Who cursed as he dodged Ulti's charging headbutt, the woman crashing into a wooden column. He leapt, fangs bared, but Ulti was faster; catching his head with a clawed hand and throwing him to the floor.

"You fuck off! I'm trying to find my boyfriend!" she hollered. "Yamato had to go through one of these doors with him and-Yowch!" She cried out in pain, as explosions erupted from her back.

"We got your back Cap!"

"Piss off! This is our Lounge!"

"Yeah we don't go into your crib, bitch!"

"Blast her!"

Izuku stared, as suit-clad pirates swarmed in from side doors, carrying an array of weapons; ranging from archaic-looking guns to weird-looking bazookas.

"LIGHT'EM UP!" And they fired as one like mobsters towards the giant Dinosaur, guns ablazing.

"Leave my Sister alone! BASTAAAARDS!" roared Page One, now in his own dinosaur form. He charged at the pirates, scattering them left and right.

Izuku grabbed Xandra by the hand, and led her towards the door. Best to get out while they were distracted.

"You go someplace safe for the night and relax," he said.

"T-Thanks Yoichi, I will." The cat woman saw the other girls, the ones she had been hanging out with, heading out through the door.

"My girlfriends are there," she said, chuckling. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, hand on her chest before reopening them with a smile. An earnest one. "I gotta say, you're not only a sweetheart, but my hero too."

Hero…her hero…

"You're welcome!" declared Izuku, in cheerful Hero mode. "Take care, and enjoy the festival!"

"I will." Xandra smiled a bit, then trotted over to the other scantily clad woman. There was a well-dressed man in a dress there too.

An explosion drew his attention back to the battle inside the lounge. Ulti and Who's Who were still battling, while some of the pirates had managed to flank Page One, with enough distance to turn their weapons on him.

Yes. They knew what they were doing, this bunch. Basic squad and platoon tactics at least, and different weapons. He could even see one of them talking into a snail behind some makeshift cover.

A snail.

A snail.

Yes, a Transponder Snail. A snail that served as a communication device; much like a phone or a radio. Just as Yamato had described. Izuku continued to stare.

How did they work? How did they breed? How did they add whatever it was that made communication possible without killing the snail? Was the ability somehow natural? Did it involve some kind of telepathy? Or was it a…

"Now's not the time kid! We gotta make like a tree and leave!" Daigoro said urgently.

"Head left, if our sense of direction is right, the Ventilation Room is that way," Hikage added.

"Right, they're probably calling an All-Star right now," Izuku muttered as he turned, falling in with some other pirates. The walls nearby were full of Ulti-sized holes, and the floor was indented with dinosaur footprints. Ulti had really been on the rampage.

He paused beside a kiosk. The sign was advertising Chicken Katsu; breaded chicken cutlets over rice, with sauce and green onions.

It sounded good. It might not be his favorite katsudon, but it would fill him up. Even better, the vendors were still there; apparently heedless of Ulti's antics. They were probably used to such things.

"One extra large please." Izuku said, as his turn came.

"No problem." The vendor was a gangly man with a few strings of hair in his head. As he got to work, Izuku looked past him, at the well-polished pots and pans hanging behind him, and a mirror set into the back wall.

Then he saw him. A man in a dark coat, with blonde hair, and an expression that would have made battle-hardened Villains nervous. His eyes, narrow and cold, were scanning from left to right, looking for something.

Or someone.

Mercifully, another explosion sounded from Who's Who's lounge. The man looked up, and trotted towards it.

"That was Spytand Malice," muttered a man behind him. "Looks like he's on the hunt."

"Heh, when is that stick-up-the-ass not?" scoffed a woman. "Totally lame in bed, probably. Bet he's the size of my pinky. Like all those kiss-ass government dogs."

"He's been prowling about more than usual," added another, dull-sounding pirate.

"Yeah, heard he's looking for someone. Seen him talking to some guys earlier."

The boy perked up.

"What for? Got a clue?"

"Nothing much, save for some kid in green hair and having an average looking face."

…

"Fuck." Daigoro mused flatly.

"Language Banjo." Nana sternly replied.

Izuku gulped as the bowl was placed in front of him. "Here ya go chief."

That's two of the Flying Six hunting for him now. One wanting to smother him, the other… unknown. But Izuku did not want to find out.

"T-Than-," Izuku coughed. "Thanks." He took it, grabbing a spoon and hurrying away, still worried and nervous.

"You better eat fast." Yoichi murmured in his head as Izuku walked down the hallway, eating under his bandana. With any luck, Malice would be too busy trying to break up that brawl in the lounge to worry about anything else. Time to get a lead on him.

Up ahead, he saw it. The sign above one of the rooms. VENTILATION ROOM. It was about fifty meters away!

Izuku sat down on a convenient bench, and continued to inhale his dinner. Why did he have to order extra-large? Around him, other pirates laughed and caroused, apparently unfazed by the holes in the walls. Izuku kept his head down, finishing his hasty meal.

He heard, or maybe felt, what might have been a rumble.

"Finished that in record time! You'd do good at an eating contest kid!" Daigoro beamed.

"Just handle your business. We are almost there."

Izuku nodded at the Second User's suggestion. He dropped the bowl into the nearest trashcan, and headed towards the Ventilation Room. And there was another rumble. And another.

Then a very large door open. Izuku's Danger Sense simmered as he looked up.

A man stepped through the door. He was very tall, and heavy set; about Queen's height, but lean and muscular, his whole body covered in black leather attire. Enormous jet-black wings hung from his back, along with a katana in an orange sheath. Around his neck, bright flames danced. Only his red eyes were visible, gazing down at him as if he were some small and irrelevant nuisance.

"L-Lord King sir!" Izuku leapt out of the way and snapped to attention.

"There's been a disturbance on this floor between the Flying Six," said the angel of death otherwise known as King, eyes glowering. "What is the shortest route to the Cat Cafe?"

His speech was curt, to the point. With the implication that he expected any answer to be brief, to the point, and accurate; with dire consequences for anything else.

"You're facing the right way sir!" Izuku nodded, playing the earnest subordinate. It was all he could think of.

But…should a pirate act like that? What if…?

"Thank you," King replied, his words sending Izuku's panic-stricken train of thought off the tracks and into a nearby town. He strode off down the way, paying Izuku no further mind. Izuku stood where he was, gulping down cold dread.

So…it had worked.

"Okay, that worked out better than I expected." Nana uttered, sounding as dumbfounded as he was.

"Let's not stand around with our mouths open." En toned. "We're almost there."

Izuku took a deep breath, patting his cheeks, and then headed towards the Ventilation Room. He glanced around, but the pirates paid him no mind. He opened the door, slipping inside and closing it behind him.

It was noticeably cooler on the inside; as one might expect in a ventilation room. Izuku activated Float, and made his way down the corridor.

(X)

Outside, a small girl in a fur cape was busy rummaging through the trash can. She had long blonde hair, shaggy for want of washing, covering her eyes.

"Hmm. I wonder," she said aloud, picking the meat off a chicken leg bone. "I can't get in those long lines, because they just push me out. I can't drink yet either. So this is the best I can get."

The young Waiter named Bao Huang glanced towards the Ventilation Room, into which a young pirate had just disappeared.

"I guess he was late for his shift! Most pirates go in and out of doors! Everyone does! Still, I wonder what Lord King was doing down here? Maybe something to do with Lady Ulti screaming earlier? Oh! I should go and check and…oh wow! They're selling ice cream!"

Bao Huang trotted off, humming happily to herself, her mind on many things.

(X)

The room was a mass of pipes running in and out of the walls; the machinery whirring and clanking. Pirates moved here and there, checking the gauges, occasionally turning a wheel or two, and once or twice giving something a kick.

Izuku levitated up towards the ceiling, depositing himself on top of a particularly large machine; the function of which he did not know, and did not have time to figure out. Regardless, he was well out of sight of the pirates.

"Man, we could be out there drinking and partying, and we gotta be here of all places!" grumbled a large, scarred pirate.

"Oh relax," replied his cohort, a woman who had a spiked mohawk. "Our shift's up in a couple of hours, and the bars are gonna remain open, same with the food stalls. It's fine. Anyone gonna change that? It's getting annoying."

Izuku saw a light flickering overhead. It was one of several, hanging from a tether along the ceiling.

"Still… we missed Queen's Concert! I've never get to see one of those!"

Izuku paid them little mind as he floated amongst the pipes. He moved from one to the next, glancing down to make sure no one was watching.

He heard a door clunk open, and darted behind a pipe. He was right next to a suspended walkway, down which a pirate was striding. He had blue hair, big wide goggles, and a clipboard in his hand. Izuku was sure he had seen him a moment ago.

The pirate paused beside a machine, looking over various levers and gauges. He moved one of the levers, and Izuku heard the pipes clunk and hiss, the sound shifting in tone.

He levitated again, finally reaching the ceiling, and looked around. Yamato had said there were vents connected to the pipes, but where were they?

Finally he found one; more than big enough for him to fit inside. But it was just in view of that blue-haired pirate. Izuku hovered where he was, waiting for the pirate to move on. He checked his watch; 11:10.

The pirate was writing something on his clipboard. Izuku's heart began to pound.

"Ring ring ring ring," said a voice. "Ring ring ring ring."

The pirate reached into his coat. "Clank."

"Yes?" There was loud talking from the other end. "Ah, cooler air for the Red Light District? Understood Lord Queen, it'll be done."

"And make it snappy too!" Queen barked from the Transponder Snail. That could be heard.

"Click." The Snail slumped, and the man returned to work, flipping a lever on and walking down the causeway.

Izuku aimed his hand towards the vent door. Black Whip ejected in a thin strand, pulling the latch, and unlocking the vent.

"Now to get inside."

Izuku retracted the strand, and glanced down. The pirates were still down there, still about their duties. But if one of them were to look up, there would be nowhere to hide; and no way to explain what he was doing up there.

There were three of them. Goggles from before, and Mohawk and Scarface, talking to each other. Right under the flickering lightbulb.

The lightbulb…

He aimed his index finger at the lightbulb, rousing his power. Five per cent of One for All, more than enough. He aimed, squinting down his finger, ready to leap for the vent.

"Air Force…"

Go from Five to Thirty-Five. That would do it.

"...Idaho Smash."

He flicked his finger. The bullet of compressed air leapt from his fingertip, smashing into the bulb. The bulb blew apart in a shower of glass and sparks. The trio below looked up, yelling in surprise as the glass rained down on them.

"The hell was that?!" Scarface yelled.

"The friggin bulb went out moron! We should have changed that, fuck me!" Mohawk swore.

"Get a ladder then!" Goggles barked. "And get a new one from inventory, and be quick about it! Got glass on my new coat too…"

Neither of them saw or heard the vent latch closing.

"Okay." Izuku sighed, smiling as he floated down the tube. It was quite large, about a meter and a half in diameter; more than enough. He handed himself along the tube, moving easily to the end.

He looked up. The tube opened into a vertical tube, rising up about twenty meters.. Nowhere near the rumored location of the top floor of Kaido's Castle, where Kaido himself resided.

Izuku looked at his watch. 11:13.

"And now for the long climb…" he said to himself. He floated up to the top, and looked around. The tube opened into two more tubes; each with a fan spinning at the end.

He headed down one of them, glancing down through the vent notches. It looked like the third floor. He continued on to a dead end, and looked down again.

It was a lounge; with pirates enjoying food and drink, and playing games like darts and pool. Even singing Karaoke off to the side in drunken merriment. He saw a plump figure, and recognized it as Sasaki. This was his lounge.

Izuku took out a piece of chalk, and made a mark on the side of the tube. He went back the way he had come, and tried the other. This one had a bathroom down below…with ladies.

He kept his eyes up, away from the forbidden sights. He saw a pipe leading upward, and headed for it as fast as he could; beginning the long ascent towards Kaido's Lair.

He had four or five hours until Yamato began her attack. He had to move efficiently, and fast.

 

[Zaru]

Spytand Malice starred.

The Cat Cafe was a ruin; the furniture smashed, the walls scorched and cracked. In the middle of the floor a battle was raging; as Ulti and Page One, in their dinosaur forms, struggled against Who's Who in his tiger form, and a group of his crew.

Now things were getting weird.

The Flying Six got along about as well as cats in a sack, but there was only so much infighting Kaido would tolerate. For that very reason, they were very particular about their territory, and their possessions. They did not so much as step onto each other's ships, or enter each other's lounges, without express permission or being forced to let them on by the All Stars. To do otherwise was to invite a fight, and the consequences.

Malice looked around, and saw a pirate crouching nearby; one of several hiding in the wreckage around the lounge. He was bruised and bloodied, and breathing hard, his eyes fixed on his master. Propped on the wreckage nearby was a rifled musket, one of Queen's lesser creations.

"What's going on here?" he demanded, in his reasonable tone. The pirate jumped, and gulped hard.

"It's their fault!" he barked, pointing at the dinosaur siblings. "Ulti came barging in here, screaming about a Dekyun or something, and she started wrecking the place! When we tried to stop her, Page One attacked us!"

Malice looked again at the battle. Ulti swung her tail, smashing into a pile of broken furniture, sending pieces flying everywhere. Malice stood still as a shard the size of a marlinspike flashed past, grazing his cheek. He heard the pirate gasp.

This was nothing. He had stood on burning decks, bullets whipping past him, up to his knees in the blood of his own crew.

And he knew how to deal with this kind of nonsense.

He heard the pirate gasp again as he strode forward, stopping a little way from the combatants. He could feel their eyes on his back as he stood there, legs spread, filling his lungs to roar.

"Enough!"

The room fell silent. It took Malice a moment to realize that the word had not been his.

He turned, and it was all he could do not to gape, as King strode through the ruins of the lounge. Anyone that was hiding in the louge did their best to look smaller than they already were, but the All Star didn't have eyes for them.

"This stops now," King said. His voice was not raised, but it somehow managed to echo around the room. The pirates began to scuttle away, some of them carrying wounded comrades. The tiger and the two dinosaurs glowered at the burning angel, all three breathing hard, clearly weary, but none of them daring to move.

Malice's heart hammered. He feared all three of the All Stars, and hated Queen, but King was the only one of them he actually respected.

"Lord King!" he called out. "These three were…!"

"A moment, Malice."

Malice found himself talking to King's gloved hand. A part of him raged at the slight, but it was more respect that he ever got from anyone else on Onigashima; at least from those who equaled or outranked him. Not to mention he knew King made the gesture not out of disrespect but to address the immediate matter at hand.

King stepped forward, towering over the three and glaring at them behind his mask.

"What is going on?" he asked, in a voice like thunder.

"Yamato took away my Dekyun!" snapped Ulti, stomping her reptilian feet. "I was looking for him, and this alleycat attacked me!"

King's eyebrow slowly inched upwards.

"She broke into my lounge and wrecked it!" roared Who's Who. King looked slowly from one to the other, and then at Page One. Despite being a dinosaur, he managed to look sheepish.

"Look, there's this guy the young master took a liking to. But then Yamato came by, dancing around like Oden used to when we had those hostages. Then he smashed me in the head and the guy disappeared."

"That bastard took my Dekyuuuuuuuun!" whined Ulti, stomping her feet some more. "And he hurt my Pay-pay!"

King looked down at Malice.

"Is this what you were about to tell me?" he asked.

"Yes, Lord King."

"Does anyone else say otherwise?" King asked, looking around at the very scared-looking pirates. All shook their heads very enthusiastically for the negative.

"So," King returned his attention to Ulti. "You got into a fight with Yamato, wrecked the place trying to find him, and came barging in here." He tilted his head, but his tone remained the same like stone. "Am I supposed to think that justifies anything, Ulti?"

"He's my Dekyun!" complained Ulti. "Yamato can't have him! And neither can he!" She jabbed an accusing claw at Malice. "He wants Dekyun for himself!"

… what?

Malice felt all eyes on him, and could hear the whispering.

"Uh, sis, not a good time to be making enemies…" hissed Page One.

Malice felt his fangs lengthen, as the old fury rose.. Just because he had never been with anything or anyone, not even once. Just because this hive of carnal depravity did nothing for him. Just because he didn't like…

A gust of hot wind shocked him from his rage. Ulti was now sprawled in the wreckage of what once was a wall, unmoving. She twitched once on the floor, then went still. Page One audibly gasped.

King was standing there, his right leg extended in a kicking motion before bringing it back down with a deliberate slowness. The speed…

That would have hurt an Admiral.

"Page One, take her back to your quarters and stay with her," he said, lowering his leg. "And if she acts up again, I won't be so gentle. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes sir." Page One nodded quickly, and scurried over to his unconscious sister.

"Who's Who," King went on, turning to the tiger. "I'll send some people round to help you clean up, and repair the damages"

"Thanks," replied the tiger. "But my back room's gonna be tight. I'll make do."

As the tiger padded off, and a now human Page One began dragging a now human Ulti away, King stood where he was.

"Walk with me, Malice."

Malice fell in beside King as they strode out into the street.

"Tell me. Who is this Dekyun?" King asked.

"One of our new recruits, apparently," replied Malice respectfully. "I ran into him while Lord Kaido's food was being stowed. Green hair, lots of scars, but he didn't look right."

"In what way?" The massive angel of death turned, eyebrow quirked.

Malice thought hard, remembering that curiously soft face, those wide, expressive eyes.

"His face," he mused. "He had the body of a warrior, but the face of a boy. And he looked…I don't know…soft somehow. "

"I'm going to get ideas on this description?"

"Lord King!" Malice rounded on him, his fury flaring again.

"Calm down, Malice." King's voice silenced his fury, cutting through his rage and freezing his very soul. Wasn't that he was angry or dismissive, but rather speaking in a normal tone. "I know you're a cold fish, and that's fine. At least somebody's got their head on straight tonight. Even I can't be in two places at once, for that I'm grateful. But you should get yourself a vice, Malice, even if it's just liquor or drugs. It'll take the edge off."

Malice's lip curled. He didn't dare touch booze, not much anyway. And especially narcotics. He couldn't allow himself to relax, to lose control.

"I enjoy my work, Lord King."

"Yes, I think you do. And there are worse vices."

Yes, of that Malice was certain. He never really felt alive except in battle, never felt satisfaction except when his enemies were destroyed. The smell of blood in his nostrils, the heat of burning ships warming his face, the smoke billowing from a flattened town, the wailing and crying of those still alive, pleading to heedless gods, or screaming useless curses.

Yes, his vice was death and destruction. Domination and subjugation.

That was all he could be, the only life he knew. At least now he wasn't serving a lie. He was serving true strength, not fat, incestuous cowards.

"I'm going back to the castle," King said. "Go and find Yamato, and tell him on my order to cease this foolishness. If he acts up again, report it to me immediately. I'll deal with Kaido if he turns his attention towards you."

"Yes, Lord King."

He paused, as King strode off, leaving him alone.

So…that green-haired youth was called Dekyun, or as Page One told him, Deku. Knowing Ulti, and her fondness for silly nicknames, the latter was the real one.

Deku. He had never heard a name like that before. Certainly not in Wano, which he assumed to be the youth's homeland. He looked vaguely like them, and there were more than a few in the Beast Pirates these days.

And he was working with Yamato on…something. Clearly he mattered to the woman who called herself a dead man, or else she wouldn't have risked herself against both Ulti and Page One for his sake. Otherwise, Ulti's little rampage was a red herring.

So then…what was Dekyun's purpose in all this? Was he just Yamato's lover after all? Was it really that simple?

But Malice knew, somehow, that it wasn't. He knew, because Deku's eyes weren't those of a pirate, let alone a Beast Pirate. He had never seen eyes like those on a pirate, or a marine.

Those eyes were…innocent. One who did not understand how and why the world was the way it was.

And they haunted him, in a way nothing had since he had left the marines.

He had to find that boy. He had to know what was going on. If he and Yamato were lovers, he would leave them to it. It was no concern of his.

But he had to know!

(X)

Yamato paused, breathing hard.

It had been a long, hard climb; made all the harder by the winding, narrow passages. But she had reached the top floor of the castle, at long last.

She peered out of the nearest knothole. The main corridor below was deserted, remarkably so. All she could see were one or two pirates - their elaborate costumes and flashy weapons marking them out as Headliners - strolling into the All-Stars' lounges.

She could not hear Queen's voice; a voice hard to miss. No doubt he was down in the Red Light district, chasing some unfortunate courtesan. Jack's lounge looked fairly busy. But King's lounge seemed quiet, subdued.

Yamato spotted a small group of Headliners, hanging around in the corridor. They were talking among themselves. She strained her ears to hear them.

"...not here?"

"No, some trouble down below. Last I heard, Lady Ulti got into a fight with Lord Who's Who."

"Seriously?! I'd pay to see that!"

Yamato's heart skipped a beat. Trust Ulti to get into a pointless fight, and with Who's Who of all people. But what about Izuku?

"Any idea what it was about?"

"All I heard was Lady Ulti went charging into the Cat Cafe, transformed, and a fight broke out."

"Lord King won't like that. Does Master Kaido know?"

"Don't know. He's still in his chambers with Lady Black Maria and the others."

"Guess Lord King wants to handle it himself. I wouldn't wanna…"

"Coming through!"

A rumbling filled the corridor. The Headliners stepped to the side of the corridor, as an enormous wagon thundered through. From her vantage point above the corridor, Yamato could see the enormous sake gourds packed carefully into the wagon, and the luckless pirates pushing it from the sides.

"Can't we have the slaves do this?" grumbled one of them.

"We tried that once, but Master Kaido really wants his sake delivered on time!" retorted the Headliner striding alongside the wagon. "Keep it moving!"

Yamato watched as the wagon rumbled on its way. A full wagon, full of gourds the size of a grown man, all of them full and stoppered.

Yes, it was as she had predicted. He would be drinking himself into oblivion, as he generally did on the Golden Festival. The plan was working, so far.

She lay down, and glanced at her watch. 12:00. Three hours to go. She glanced again through the knothole, her new vantage point allowing her to see the end of the hall.

There it was. A pair of enormous, elaborately-decorated double-doors, over which loomed a serpentine dragon statue of carved stone; identical to the dragon that decorated the front gate of Onigashima.

Kaido's private chambers. His place of comfort and privacy, and of ultimate safety. In three hours, she was dash down that corridor and announce herself at those doors; or else batter them down. There, once again, she would challenge Kaido for her freedom.

And if all had gone well, Izuku would be there; ready to snatch the keys from Kaido's pocket, and slip away unseen. Then, at last, they would escape together.

"Please be alright, Izuku," she silently prayed, closing her eyes to rest.

(X)

Izuku was starting to worry.

For hours, he had navigated the ventilation pipes; levitating up and down, carefully feeling his way around corners, always fearing to make a sound, or to fly right into a moving fan.

Yet still he had not been able to find Kaito's quarters. Most of the places he had found were lounges and bars, full of pirates partying the night away. He had even come across the kitchens, the sights and scents making his stomach growl.

And here was another gap to peer through; another place that might or might not be his destination. He could hear the sounds of men and women cheering. Could that be it?

He paused by the gap, and peered through.

It was a fighting ring of some sort, surrounded by a crowd of triumphant pirates. One combatant, a man from the looks of it, was being dragged away by his feet, leaving a trail of blood. The other was a woman, with short black and white hair, her bloodied fists held high. All around, the pirates cheered, chugged liquor, and settled their bets.

"Let's hear it again for our victor, Speed!" roared a microphone-wielding pirate. "And for the victor, the spoils!"

Izuku watched, heart clenching, as the SMILE fruit was brought out. The woman took it, and paused a moment. Izuku found himself hoping that she would refuse it, that she would back away from such evil.

But the crowd would not have it. They were chanting, thrusting fists and tankards in the air, willing her to take a bite; to claim her prize, or suffer her doom.

The woman bit, and the crowd fell silent as she wolfed the SMILE down. Izuku watched, unable to tear his eyes away. The woman retched, and clutched at her stomach.

And then she changed. She fell to her knees, and her body began to lengthen, stretching out behind her. Her legs began to change too, her feet warping into round hooves. Her lengthening abdomen split into two, and then three, as two growths became legs, and a long black and white tail sprouted above them.

Speed stood up, now on four legs instead of two. She reached up at her head, and found two long ears.

"Speed…of the horse!" roared the delighted announcer. "Give up for our latest Gifter!"

The pirates roared their approval, stamping their feet, chanting so loud that Izuku could not make out the words. Speed began to jump and prance about, like the graceful centaur she had become, eyes bright with joy.

Izuku stared, bewildered, not knowing what to think. But she seemed happy.

He shook his head, and glanced down at his watch. 2:45. He was running out of time.

He marked the opening with the chalk, and continued on his way. Along the tube, then up, then along again, marking all the way. All these hours spent wandering the tubes, and he had hardly ever come back upon himself.

He hadn't underestimated how big the castle was, but he had underestimated just how messy. For all that the Beast Pirates were orderly and well-organized, there seemed no logic to the layout of the pipes. It was as they had been added gradually over time, with new lengths stuck on when needed, with no real plan or system.

A lot like Yamato's crawlspaces. And the rooms and corridors in which she had lived when he arrived. The Beast Pirates were disciplined, but their discipline was born of fear and desire, not of devotion or love. They didn't love Onigashima, or else they would have taken better care of it.

Finally, he reached an upward pipe; this one very wide. He leapt upward, soaring up the pipe as fast as he dared, his heart hammering in his chest. He could not be late! He could not leave Yamato to fight alone!

He reached the top, and then paused. He felt…cold, in a way he couldn't properly describe. The air temperature in the pipe had not changed, but still he found himself wanting to shiver.

She shook his head, ignoring it. There was only one pipe leading away; this one dimly lit by a red glow. Willing himself not to make a sound, Izuku pulled himself carefully into the pipe, and eased his way along, until he reached the glow, which was coming from a vent. He laid himself down, and peered through.

It was a lounge; this one far more luxurious than the others he had seen. The light was low and red, giving the feel of some expensive and not entirely scrupulous club. Pirates lounged in chairs or on couches, talking quietly among themselves, and occasionally laughing. They appeared human, and wore leather costumes encrusted with spikes. Many of them were smoking, the clouds wafting up to Izuku's pipe.

He didn't know what it was, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"It's opium." Daigoro said in his head. "I can recognize the stench any day…"

All around the lounge, Izuku could see the pirates smoking their pipes, or making lines of white powder on the tables. No prizes for guessing what that was.

"So I was with Lord King's fleet," drawled one of them. Izuku slinked out of sight, peeking in barely though the slits as he saw some pirates below him on a couch. "We got the SMILEs without a hitch."

"No trouble?"

"Nah, the whole batch laid out ready for us. I'll say this for Doflamingo, he keeps his word."

"He likes a dozen shiploads of treasure, ya mean!"

"That too."

This was King's lounge! The All Stars had their lounges on the same floor as Kaido's own quarters! He was almost there!

And if they were still enjoying themselves, then Yamato had not launched her attack. He was on time!

He looked down again, his attention drawn by raised voices.

"So where did you go? Come on, tell us!"

"Yeah you're among friends! What's the harm?"

Other guests crowded around, some crowding onto the couches, others standing. The one who had spoken, a Headliner from the look of him, smirked and sniggered; clearly enjoying being the center of attention.

"What?" he drawled. "You wanna know that badly?"

"Yeah, come on!" The guests pestered him again and again. "Tell us!"

"Oh…oh well then," mused the Headliner. "Well…"

He paused for effect, grinning as they hung on his words.

"Well…we went to Dressrosa."

The guests gasped and muttered among themselves.

"They're being made in a factory there," the Headliner went on, lounging in his seat. "Doflamingo's little pet project, and he's sharing them with us."

He smirked, and sat where he was, giving his audience an expectant look. One of them took the hint, and handed him an opium pipe. The Headliner took a long draw, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Ya didn't get any trouble?" asked one of the pirates. "That Doflamingo guy's not someone ya wanna mess with."

"He does right by us, we do right by him," slurred the Headliner. "Least till Lord Kaido says otherwise. And when that happens…we'll have an army like no other. The World Government…won't know what hit them."

Izuku wrinkled his nose, and backed away from the vent. The smell of dope was getting too much for him. But what he had heard was making his mind race.

Dressrosa. The place Ulti had wanted to take him on a…date. And the SMILEs were being made there, by someone called Doflamingo.

That all made sense. Dressrosa could not be far away; not if Ulti was wanting to drag him there on romantic interludes. Someone like her wouldn't want a long voyage on a sailing ship just to go shopping. And if the SMILEs were being shipped from there in bulk, then it made all the more sense.

And Kaido had implied that it was in the New World, on this side of the Grand Line.

He glanced again at his watch. 2:55. He was close, but he had to get moving.

He hurried along the pipe. It curved upwards; a good sign.

And there it was again. That…cold, that seemed to seep into his very bones, clenching around his insides. It wasn't the air conditioning, it was something else, something from within.

Was it his Danger Sense? Was it picking up on something, trying to warn him?

He gritted his teeth. He could only go on. He had to go on. He couldn't let Yamato down, not when they were this close!

So he continued, forcing his body onward. Onward and upward, and then onward again, through the darkness of the pipes. Colder and colder it became, until it reached his very soul. It was so dark in there, and he was utterly alone.

Then he paused. This pipe was different. There was a fan at the far end, and one behind him, keeping up a constant, cool breeze. There were many small vents along the pipe, each one covered by an elegantly-carved grate.

Was this Kaido's room. Had he found it?

"Why do I feel this…" Yoichi murmured. "Pressure…?"

"We're stepping into the dragon's lair. That… and whatever this feeling is…" Hikage said.

There was something there nearby. A presence he could sense, like seeing something only in the corner of his eye, or at a great distance; or a sound he could barely hear.

That was it. That was what he had sensed. That was where the cold was coming from.

He moved carefully along the pipe, crouching down by one of the vents. Willing his heart to slow, he leant in to look.

A vast chamber, elaborately decorated, with an enormous bed in the center. Flame lamps lined the walls, their light soft, violet, casting gently dancing shadows.

At the foot of the bed lay women, sprawled seemingly where they had toppled. They wore elaborate, expensive-looking kimonos, and had their hair done up to match. They looked, for all the world, like the geisha around Kyoto.

No, not geisha. More like courtesans, with their kimonos off-the-shoulder like that.

There were two more shapes further up the bed, too far for him to make out clearly. But they were both enormous, one of them snoring like a sawmill. Izuku glanced about, and saw something piled up beside the bed. They were clothes, and an enormous rope belt, not unlike the one Yamato wore.

Kaido's belt. For certain. And Izuku could see his trousers, the ones he had worn when he had made his speech; when he had patted the left pocket.

A sudden rumble echoed through the chamber. Izuku jumped back, his blood running cold, as Kaido slowly sat up, smacking his lips and grumbling as if he had awoken from a drunken induced nap.

"My lord?"

The other shape sat up, its movement languid and graceful. It was a blonde woman dressed in the same manner as the other women, though her kimono was black and even more elaborate.

She was also considerably larger. Smaller than Kaido, but large enough to hold a grown man in her hand like a doll.

"My lord? Are you hungry? Thirsty perhaps?"

Izuku stared in mute terror as Kaido reached out with one enormous hand. It closed around a sake gourd, which he lifted to his lips and glugged down.

Izuku's stomach churned. There was enough sake in that gourd to get twenty people drunk. Yet he downed it like it was water.

"Nnnngh… We're being watched, Maria." he growled, setting the gourd down.

Izuku's heart stopped. 'Black Maria…'

"Watched, my lord?" Black Maria made a show of looking around. "There's only us here. No one would dare intrude."

"It's something…small, weak," Kaido mused. "I can't quite place it."

Izuku was frozen stiff as he moved out of sight in the vent, floating so as to not make a sound; as he remembered what Yamato had told him. The Observation Haki, that let him sense all around him.

But why could Kaido sense him! He meant Kaido no harm! He had no intent to fight! And Kaido had drunk enough sake to get the JMSDF plastered! How could he still sense him!?

"Rats perhaps, my lord?" suggested Black Maria. Fortunately, she did not sound particularly concerned. "We could have Who's Who provide some cats."

"There are others here… in their lounges," rumbled Kaido. "I know them. But this one…no, not one… but many.."

"Many presences, my lord?" For all her courtesan manner, Black Maria still managed to sound dubious. "Perhaps men tending to the pipes? Or filling in the crawlspaces?"

"A single rat, but not alone," Kaido went on, as if she had not spoken. "Nine of them…"

Izuku almost cried out. Nine of them? Did that mean he could sense the Vestiges? Could Haki sense even the dead? He can't hear the vestiges… but he can sense the fear.

They knew as well. They were as silent as he. Even they who went up against and spoke back to All for One… were paralyzed in fear.

He felt his sense beginning to boil. His heart rate being the only thing he can hear outside of Kaido's lair.

It was deafening.

"A possum, perhaps," commented Black Maria. "They carry their young on their backs, or so I hear."

"Maybe…" the large man slurred, acknowledging her suggestions for the first time.

Izuku was terrified. Only once, long ago, had he been quite so afraid as this. That time in Kamino Ward, with All for One.

But there was no All Might this time, no fellow heroes and friends like Todoroki and Yaoyozoru to stand with him, to help him fight. Even then, his objective was to save Kacchan, not fight the Symbol of Evil.

He was utterly alone. Only the wall, and the pipe, separated him from Kaido; the Demon King of this living hell.

Izuku's mind ran wild, as his old nightmares returned; his horrified imaginings, and the memories the Vestiges had shown him in their combined mutual state of mind numbing terror.

Their memories of the world before, the world of chaos and darkness, as humanity lashed out in blind terror at the strange new power growing in its midst. Countless lives had been lost or ruined, cruelty piled upon injustice a thousand times a thousand times. Cities had burned, nations torn themselves apart, never to recover. Human civilization had fallen to the very edge of utter ruin.

Yes, Kaido was like those times. As if that era of destruction, chaos, barbarism and madness had been fused into a living form.

Kaido would have fitted right in. He would have made that world his own. No petty dictator, no Villain, and no Hero could have stopped him. Even One for All could not have stopped him. He would have made Japan his Onigashima..

No. Not Japan. A shadow king like All for One might have settled for Japan, but not Kaido.

The world would have been his sandbox. To create, change, and destroy as the mood took him.

He felt so cold. His soul shrank, his body faltered. His hands going to his hair as he tried to breathe. Reality seemed to fade around him, sinking into a morass of cold, black despair.

There was no power that could oppose that thing. Even One for All would not be enough! He was no match!

"It's annoying."

The sense began to flare.

The quakes. The quakes of his footsteps. The shuffling of metal that was Hassaikai being taken up from the floor, the surprised gasps and groans from the other courtesans.

He could sense it. It was only a shape in the low light, a shadow darkening the vent several meters ahead of Izuku, but he could feel that great and terrible presence, moving slowly towards him. It was… choking him. His head was beginning to burn.

Those horrible slitted yellow eyes bearing at his spot.

"The vermin…" the monster continued, "They're still here."

"Maybe it's paralyzed in fear, my lord."

"Maybe so…but it's irritating."

This was it. He was doomed. If he tried to flee, then Kaido would sense him, and rouse the entire island against him. If he didn't, then he would have to face Kaido himself.

He flees, he is almost certainly dead and the plan ruined.

He fights, he is certainly dead.

The vestiges were silent. No doubt paralyzed with the same fear as he.

With the same realization too.

"Come back to bed my lord. It's only a possum."

"Bwuh… *hic*, it'll give the newcomers something to do. And I… fancy having a window here."

Izuku heard the gust as Kaido drew back his club. He wanted to howl, to flee, to run and cower somewhere small and dark. His Danger Sense was blazing so hard he thought his head would split into two; his brain pounding with his heart inside his small, fragile body.

He was so scared. He couldn't move, or scream, or breathe.

He couldn't breathe!

Izuku clutched at himself, tears streaming down his face. He couldn't do it. He wasn't strong enough. He was nowhere near strong enough. He was going to die! He was going to die alone in this place, alone and unremembered! He was going to…

Someone…

ANYONE!

And then a bang cut through his blind terror, the sound ringing in his ears. With it came the shriek of bending steel, and the crash of breaking stone. Light poured in through the vent, momentarily blinding him.

And then a crack of thunder.

"RAIME HAKKE!"

The crash resounded around the chamber. Izuku flew up for a peek and stared, struggling to control his gasping lungs. The terrible shape was staggering backwards, hitting the wall with a grunt of surprise. The wall disintegrated as Kaido fell, throwing up a cloud of dust.

And then Izuku saw it, the much smaller shape dropping to the floor, from where it had soared through the air to strike. The glint from her kanabo pouring in from the darkness.

"Prepare yourself, Father! For I am Kozuki Oden!"

"Oh for fuck's sake Yamato!" groaned Black Maria, her courtesan act gone as she covered her eyes against the light. "Tonight of all nights! Really!?"

The other women scattered, scampering out of the way with cries of terror. But Izuku was not afraid, as he saw Yamato standing amid the billowing dust, kanabo at the ready, amber eyes fixed on her stricken father.

"I have come to take your head!" she bellowed. "And to claim my freedom!"

A massive hand reached through the smoke, and Kaido moved out of it with an annoyed sigh.

Dust matted his face, but his skin had no damage, barely a hair out of place. He took one quaking step forwards, and even Yamato shifted back slightly, clutching her kanabo hard.

"I'm almost proud."

He took one step forwards, a quake reverberating through the entire chamber and black lightning arced up Hassaikai. The floor cracked, and the walls shook, making the dust fall in shimmering clouds. He reached the bed, and took the sheet from it, wrapping it around his waist.

"Attacking an enemy while they rest, while they… *hic* drink and fornicate, after you have spent time to heal to one hundred percent. Not a bad idea. You've become more tactical…my foolish child. Well done."

Kaido stood over his progeny, his club in his hand. Yamato brought her own to bear, glaring up at him.

Izuku stared, unable to tear his eyes away. Yamato, the only friend he had on this vile island, was about to fight that monster. Those slitted, demonic yellow eyes, boring into her defiant amber orbs.

"So now…*hic*… let's move on… to a more important lesson. And we begin…now."

 

[Zaru]

This was it.

Izuku might or might not…no! Izuku was there! Yamato knew that for certain. That was why she had to fight, to keep Kaido distracted!

She leapt up with a roar, swinging her club.

Kaido parried with the barest flick of his wrist. A motion that looked as effortless as breathing. Yamato had only a moment to see her father's eyes, and then he swung Hassaikai.The blow caught her dead center, hurling her out into the main hallway. She backflipped as she landed, landing on her feet and twirling on her toes.

"Narikabura!" she roared, a burst of blue Haki leaping from her club as it swung. The blast flew at Kaido, who drunkenly walked straight into it.

It didn't even stop his stride.

All around her, the doors lining the corridor were opening; those inside looking out, no doubt wondering what the noise was. Yamato ignored them, charging at Kaido in a dead sprint.

"The first lesson I'll impart..." Kaido slurred as he swung a lazy strike. Yamato jumped over it, flipped, and brought her Armament-enhanced club down on his head. The blow struck, but Kaido's only response was to grunt at her efforts, looking up with a brow raised. She landed, gritted her teeth, then turned and charged, even as Kaido's arm rose to backhand her. Her Observation Haki was clicking in on all cylinders, and Takeru rose, the strike sending her flying into the opposite wall.

"...is of knowing your *hic* limits," Kaido groaned. "Knowing your place in the natural order of the world."

Kaido strode towards Yamato as she struggled free of the cratered wall, splinters and debris falling off her.

"Shut up!" she yelled, charging at him. Kaido was ready, and their clubs clashed, their steel ringing like a thunderclap. Yamato felt her hands shaking, but she kept her grip, barely. She flipped up, somersaulting over Hassaikai and striking again. But Kaido was too fast, and her attack met only the ringing steel.

"When one knows one's place on the food chain, focus comes to them," Kaido growled. "You, my foolish child, do not know yours."

Yamato glared into his yellow eyes. She hated those evil eyes, as she hated his evil words.

"The second les-*hic*-son."

Kaido swung. Yamato caught the blow, the force driving her down the hall. She could see Jack peeking around the door of his lounge.

He held up a drink by way of encouragement.

She wanted to spike him out of a window, but she had bigger problems.

"...is that focus, brings the clarity of a nigh-unobtainable dream," Kaido went on, striding towards her, swaying more from his drink than anything that she did. "The only way to make that dream a reality… is to reach a place where you can never be touched. Never be harmed. That is the fruits that focus brings."

"Then you're a coward!" shrieked Yamato. She charged at him, violet lightning crackling around Takeru. Hassaikai crackled in turn, its lightning a darker violet, dark and malicious. The clubs met, the blow reverberating through the castle, shaking it to its foundations. Yamato's sandals dug into the floor, scoring deep as she was pushed back, glaring up at her leering father.

The man looked as if he was standing in a gentle breeze, the ground under him holding without a crack as he held her at bay.

He wasn't even taking this seriously!

"The third lesson…" Kaido glowered. "...is that to obtain that focus, one must become stronger. To cast aside anchors and chains that would hold you back, from reaching...*hicuuulp*"

He sighed/belched, the stench of sake making Yamato blanch.

"Greater heights!"

He swung, so hard that Yamato's arms shook, driving her back across the floor. She yelled in pain, her arms shaking.

"And I will reach that height! By taking your head!" Yamato yelled. Kaido scoffed, hefting Hassaikai onto his shoulder.

"Will you now? My stupid child," he sneered. "As you are now, you will never overtake me. Not with the anchor you carry, and the chains you willingly place on your person!" He pointed at her. "If you think yourself strong then-"

"I'm leaving."

"Hmm?"

Kaido paused, and turned. Black Maria was stepping over the ruins of the door, with as much dignity as the situation would allow. Her courtesans scuttled behind her, cowering in fear; as much of Maria's obvious annoyance as of the battling oni.

"Ah, Maria."

"My buzz is gone, my lord, and I do not want to involve my girls in your familial dispute. I hope you understand."

She took a moment to rearrange her kimono.

"We can always share a bed tomorrow."

"Mnnngh..." Kaido rolled his eyes. "Very well, do what you…"

Yamato's club caught the back of his head, yet didn't even make him move as he responded with a swipe from his hand, sending the girl flying down the hallway once more.

"...want, Black Maria," he uttered.

"Way to be a buzzkill, Yamato," Black Maria hissed. She turned and marched away, her girls hurrying behind her. Yamato ignored her, glaring at her father as he walked towards her, the ground shaking under his footsteps.

"As I was saying... If you think yourself strong," The man rose up, looming over her, not even a scratch on him from any time she had struck him.

This was starting to feel familiar. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, she could never make him bleed. Never make him hurt!

She couldn't even make him move unless he allowed it.

That first strike was a surprise yes, but a courtesy in the end, a congratulations of forming this plan in his eyes.

That curtesy is gone now.

"Then you are gravely mistaken, my foolish child."

"I am strong! I will be strong!" Yamato yelled, running forth. "In my own way! Not yours!"

She reared Takeru back.

"You crappy old maaaan!"

She swung, Armament coating Takeru, the full two-armed swing.

Kaido caught it with his thumb and forefinger. Yamato held on, as Kaido swung her around his head.

"Then I shall impart a fourth lesson!" he roared, and threw Yamato down. Her body exploded with pain as she struck the floor and continued going, hitting the lower floor and rolling down the corridor.

(X)

"Everyone get back to your chambers." Jack the Drought called out from his lounge. "Lord Kaido will resolve this shortly."

The Headliners retreated, closing the doors. The massive grouper-Fishman sighed, closing his own door. Now, maybe he could enjoy his time with his woman and get some lines in.

The door clunked shut, followed by many others in the hall.

And over in Kaido's vacated chamber, a vent opened.

(X)

Yamato groaned, as she tried to stand up.

She was down on the main floor. Pirates were peering out of doorways and windows, and around corners.

She gritted her teeth. She had to keep fighting! She had to give Izuku more time!

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result!" Kaido's voice boomed.

Then he landed, the floor shaking so hard that Yamato almost fell down again.

"It's Lord Kaido!" someone gasped.

"And he's fighting who?"

"Leave it," muttered a Headliner. "It's just another spat with the Young Master, just carry on."

"Tell me, Yamato," boomed Kaido. "What do you expect to happen in challenging me time and again? If you were to cast aside that stupid ideal, and your pathetic insistence on being Kozuki Oden, I would train you as you need. Until the world would fear your name, you can acquire whatever your instincts desire, and people would give you the respect you would deserve, as befitting my heir."

"Kozuki Oden... was not pathetic!" she yelled, her voice hoarse. "He gave you that scar, didn't he?"

Her anger flared, burning like a fire inside her. Her anger, and something more, something deeper. Losing herself in the thrall of battle. To avenge Wano. To avenge Oden.

"That's why I will defeat you!"

She had never wanted it more. She had never wanted anything more, not in all her life. She had to defeat him! She had to leave this island! She had to save Izuku!

"Here and now!"

It erupted. Power burst out of her, waves of blue washing over the floor. Lesser pirates began to collapse, foaming at the mouth. Her club glowed with the same light.

Kaido blinked in surprise as the wave of power passed over him, and then lifted Hassaikai from his shoulder.

Then he smiled.

"Worororo~" Kaido slurred, his annoyance gone, something like excitement gleaming in his yellow eyes. "It seems I touched a nerve, huh? Enough to let you finally use it. It's a power befitting and proper of my heir."

Yamato glared, her blue aura fading and coalescing into Takeru. Lighting crackled around it, leaping out all around, searing into the walls and ground. Those pirates still conscious scattered, running for their lives.

"I am Kozuki Oden..." Yamato glowered. "I will not toil, will not falter come what may. And I will... surpass you!"

She gripped Takeru, and leapt at Kaido, the walls around her disintegrating as her power erupted.

"YOU SHITTY OLD MAAAN!"

"Come on then! Prove it to me!" Kaido exclaimed, face twisted into a demonic smile, eyes alight, arms wide. He has never been this eager and excited before.

"SHINSOKU!" Yamato roared, veering towards Kaido like a missile, Takeru brandished high. "HAKUJAKU!"

She swung, her black illuminated club striking Kaido in the gut, and hurling him back. The wall caved in as he struck, the gusting winds making her hair fly. Pirates screamed as they were caught in the maelstrom.

Yamato slumped to her knees, breathing hard.

"Mnnngh..."

A rumble echoed across the floor, and Yamato's eyes widened.

"Worororo… finally… you have made progress…"

Kaido emerged his outline on the wall clear, stepping through the hole he had made.

On his body, there was no mark, no evidence that anything had happened.

Yamato's mouth fell open. That…that had been everything. She had put everything into that strike!

"But, it's not good enough." Kaido said, frowning slightly, "I had such high hopes for that strike, I let down every guard that I could, and even that barely got through. Oh well... However, for your efforts I would be remiss not to return the favor."

Hassaikai crackled with dark violet lightning, and Yamato brought Takeru to bear, willing her heart to calm itself. "After all, you put a little spice into this night!"

He leered at her, as his eyes boring into her.

"Now let me show you the difference between us, between one who is free, with chains broken, his anchors cut!"

He brandished his club. Yamato forced herself to her feet, though her whole body was full of pain.

Yamato roared, pouring Haki into Takeru, and charged at her father as he took a step forward.

"Kaidoooo!"

"Kongo" Kaido said, his voice echoing on the wind as he swung.

She saw the club move and the world seemed to stop.

She couldn't dodge.

"Kabura!"

A violet shockwave erupted from Hassaikai. Yamato felt it wash over her, her father's Conqueror's Haki burning into her, even as she raised Takeru to block.

And then she flew. And flew. She felt walls disintegrate as she flew through them, vaguely heard cries of terror and surprise, people scampering out of the way.

And then she hit again. Stone, cold and hard, the inside of the Skull Dome's outer wall.

And then she fell, and hit the floor, Takeru landing with a clang beside her.

She gasped for air. Her lungs tightened, her arms and legs convulsing with pain. Lightning crackled along her body, burning her tormented flesh.

Pain. There was only pain. It hurt to breathe, to live, to think.

She could feel the floor bouncing. She looked up, through the blood dripping down her crown. And there was Kaido, his shadow blocking out the light.

His fingers grasped one of her horns. She hissed in pain, squirming at his touch.

But she couldn't move, it felt like every bone in her body was broken.

"Now do you see the difference? My child?" Kaido asked, his eyes bearing down on her, his voice rumbling with authority. "Now let me ask you, once more. Cast aside your ideal as Kozuki Oden. Forsake it, forsake your foolish crusade to save Wano, while posing unconvincingly as a man. Do so, and you will be free, and you will become so strong, you will be second in this world, only to me..."

Yamato struggled to breathe, as his words resounded in her skull.

To be his heir.

The heir to this cruel monstrous Empire. To forsake those people in Wano…

She couldn't find the strength to breathe. So instead she spat, bloody spittle landing on Kaido's cheek.

His eyebrow twitched. He dropped her, only for his palm to cover her face, and the world spun as her back was used to fold the ground under her. Yamato screamed a soundless scream as she lay there, crashing against debris at her back as she cried in agony.

"You think you will be free!?" he roared. "Look at our horns! Our mighty forms! Our unnatural strength! We are Oni, Yamato! Every battle, every brush with death, these things make us stronger! But we are among the last of our kind! The Flying Six! You! And me! We are all that is left!"

He glowered down at her. But there was something in his eyes that didn't belong there. Pain, and hate.

"Even if you leave this island, you will never be free! The world will hate you, fear you, and will hunt you down; as the World Government did long ago to our kind. They will never love you, no one will."

Yamato seethed in pain, taking deep breaths, trying to recover. But it was hard to do as she looked back at her father. Never has she had seen him so… vehement about this.

"You can serve someone nobly in the name of homeland, duty and strength… " His eyes looked to the side, as if recounting a memory. A bitter painful memory. "And in the end they will sell you out because of who you are! Humanity. Merfolk and Fishman. Mink-kind. All will forever and always fear us, unless they use you for their own ends!" Kaido roared, pointing his finger at her. "They envy us! Despise us!"

Yamato coughed, breathing as she was on her knees now, arms shaking with pain to keep herself as she glared up at her father.

"In all the world, you have only me." Those horrible yellow eyes bored into her, into her soul. "I am your world, and no other will say otherwise. For you are my child, the one and only thing in this world I truly possess outside of my strength and my ambition."

Yamato wanted to retort, to tell him that he was wrong. For he was wrong; she knew that now, more than ever.

For she had seen it, in a pair of soft emerald eyes.

But she kept silent. There was nothing to say. Kaido sighed, and took a deep breath.

"You think that glaring at me with those defiant eyes will make you Kozuki Oden? Yes, Oden gave me this scar. It will never fade."

He patted the cross shaped mark upon his chest. The only time someone had wounded him and left their mark.

"However, if you believe that he would have killed me during that battle…you are sorely mistaken. It ended the way it did because those Kurozumi rats got in the way of a good deathmatch."

He growled, hefting Hassaikai upon his shoulder.

"Regardless... Let me impart upon you a fifth and final lesson."

A dark grin began to form.

"If Kozuki Oden, the man you wish to become, couldn't surpass me... what hope do you have as you are?"

And then the world went quiet.

Yamato had tried so hard, for so long, to blot out her father's words. The cruel jeers of others, the mocking whispers behind her back, which fell silent whenever she turned around. She had always held firm, always persevered; as Oden did when he hung onto Whitebeard's ship. Through all those battles, as a Whitebeard and then as a Roger Pirate. And again when he came home, dancing in the streets like a lunatic, that his enslaved people might live another day; and one day be saved.

And last of all, in the oil pot, his retainers upon his back.

But this...

Her eyes widened up at him... her blood running cold.

She was Kozuki Oden, a great man, she called herself.

And yet…

It was crumbling. That thing she had built in her heart, that she had sustained and protected for so long; that had sustained her through years of darkness, and loneliness, and pain.

What hope…does she have?

How can she climb… the unclimbable?

Defeat the undefeatable?

Kill the immortal monster, who was her only flesh and blood?

He smiled down at her. And that smile was worse than every blow he had ever laid on her.

"Hn. I allowed you to be called my 'son' to indulge you. I would have rather liked a son, but alas… your mother passed when she gave birth to you. You are my daughter, my heir, the Oni Princess of Onigashima. Only when you accept this will you be able to surpass Kozuki Oden; a loser, a failure. Do not follow the path of a failure. Become who you are meant to be, my child."

He turned away.

"For as you are now, you will never leave a mark upon me."

He began to walk away, then paused, chuckling darkly.

"Worororo... this was a good night! A good bedding with Maria and the ladies, and this! Haaa…But... I should get some sake to go... I'll go to the cellar, grab some…then find a lounge. I wonder if King's in too… he better have some lines to spare…"

And he left, stepping through the holes he had made with his only child.

Yamato stayed on the ground. Her white robe was tattered, revealing bruised and bloodied arms. She began to walk, supporting herself with Takeru, fighting through the pain in… everywhere. Her vision was hazy as she limped. Thankfully no one was around, everyone too preoccupied in staying out of their scuffle, or too drunk to care.

Inside her broken body, her heart was at war. Why!? Why was she letting her father's words get to her like this!? Why now?!

She shook her head. She had to focus. She had to keep going.

Focus!

That's right… she lost sight of her goal during the thrall of an all too familiar battle.

'Remember why you chose to fight him,' she told herself mentally. 'Not to surpass him as Oden tried. But for…him.'

She forced her hand to her eyes, at her watch, praying that it was still working.

3:10 in the morning. Somehow, it lasted throughout the battle by miraculous fortune.

She was on the opposite side of the Skull Dome from her room, and the western beach was just beyond it.

She had to get there. That was all she had left to do.To reach the rendezvous point, where she had first found him. It will be long and painful and arduous going down from the top floor to the bottom, but it can be done.

She lifted her head, smiling a smile that none would ever see.

"I hope… no...." she murmured to the empty stairwell, as she made her way down.

Kaido had hurt her, in a way he had not managed for many years. Her body was near-broken, and she felt little but pain.

But she had done her part. And she could only move forward. Through the pain. Through the words bounding in her head, feeling the fire of determination blossom within her.

"I will meet you there. Wait for me, Izuku."

(X)

Izuku flew down the pipes, following the chalk marks he had left.

He had done it! He had the key! And now he had to go! He had to find an empty room, and sneak out of the dome!

"Go left." Nana murmured. "I remembered a storage closet that was empty."

Izuku took the advice, turning left and racing down the pipe. He had never felt so alive! Never before had he been so close to death, to utter destruction.

'To think she fought that…thing…for all these years,' he thought. Yamato, the woman who was his only friend in this new world.

He was glad of her. So very glad of her. Grateful doesn't begin to describe the feeling he had inside him.

Izuku's heart swelled within him. He had to get her away from Onigashima, away from her father, and the Beast Pirates, and all the evil that festered in its dark depths.

"She is brave,," Hikage agreed.

"But it can't be called fighting," the Second said in a dour tone, "He was playing with her, never once taking her seriously even with everything that she threw. It had more in common with a parent stopping a child's tantrum than anything of substance."

"Yes, she is Kaido's daughter." Yoichi affirmed. "Family tends to go easier on each other when it comes to spats like these. I would know..." His voice drifted off.

"There's nothing we can do for now, except to go to the rendezvous," the Second User replied. "We have what we need. Collect the travel essentials first."

"Yeah, Yamato did her job." En added. "We must hurry."

"Of course." Izuku replied, patting his pocket where he had stowed his prize. He had swapped it with a piece of debris of about the same size, so Kaido might not notice right away. But time was of the essence.

They had to get out of here.

"There." Nana said, as Izuku saw the vent, the dark room illuminated only by the light from the door crack.

He unfurled his Black Whip, the tendrils reaching out and lifting the latch. He slunk out, closing the vent behind him, and descended to the floor with a sigh.

"Izuku, you're doing great. We are so proud of you… words can't describe it. " Nana assured him.

"Thank you," Izuku said with a soft smile.

He took a deep breath, and eased the door open. The lights were on, and there was no rampaging Ulti. And no sign of Malice either. Pirates were passed out drunk, and he could hear murmurings from behind other doors; no doubt other pirates were still partying. He looked about, wondering where he was, and saw a sign on the wall.

Third Floor.

He glanced at his watch. It was 3:50.

He strode off, trying to act natural, like he was just another pirate. All the same he glanced about, alert for danger, as he stepped onto the Live Floor. It was only somewhat less busy than it had been before; with many pirates lying around, crashed out drunk. Others staggered from one door to another, alone or in groups. Inside the buildings, he could hear music and merrymaking.

Izuku paused. If he cut straight across he would reach the western side faster. But he would be clearly visible to anyone who happened to be watching. Best not to risk it.

He stepped onto a pagoda, and dropped down into the castle's shadow. He moved quickly along the wall, under the awnings. After a few minutes of jogging and careful pausing, he made it to the other side.

Not a challenge, nor even a glance, came his way from the pirates. THey were too drunk, or too busy getting drunk.

Perfect.

He looked at his watch. 4:05.

(X)

It took a bit, but finally, Izuku had reached Yamato's side of the dome. He knew he had, for the corridors were as derelict as he remembered. The further he continued, the fewer and fewer pirates he encountered. He dashed up a flight of stairs, past some crashed-out pirates, and reached a familiar hallway.

This was her floor. This was where her room was.

He reached her room at a jog, sliding the door shut behind him. The dust he and Yamato had carefully arranged on the floor was undisturbed, and the equipment lay on the bed, right where they had left it. No one had been inside.

"All right. Now for the beach."

Izuku stepped over to the bed, and gathered up the backpacks, log poses, and goggles. This done, he stepped over to the window, and looked out. It was still dark, a heavy fog hovering all around.

He stepped out, activating Float as he went, and descended into the fog.

They were going to leave this place. At long last!

(X)

Across from Yamato's door, a wall panel slid open, and Spytand Malice stepped out.

"The beach…for what?" he asked aloud, as he reached into his hiding place and drew out the bazooka. He stepped up to the door, steeling himself. Got him.

"You shouldn't be in the Young Master's room Dek…"

He trailed off. There was no one there. He could see footprints in the dust in front of the door, but nothing beyond.

"Where did he go!?" he hissed.

He looked around the room, but there was nothing to see. He looked under the bed, tore off the covers, even glanced into the bathroom. But there was nothing obviously amiss. He looked again, wondering if he could have missed something.

Those crates…

He stormed over to the crates and pulled them aside. His heart leapt as he found a futon lying behind it. A futon that looked like it had been used recently.

Was this Deku's bed?
Only the window remained. He stepped over, and looked out. There was no sign of anything, just the usual thick fog. Had this Deku tried to climb out?

Then he looked down, and saw something on the stone sill. Something white. He brushed his finger over it, and it came away on the tip.

Chalk. The sill was marked with chalk. But why? The window was over a thousand meters above the ground! What could be the reason?

Unless…

Then he saw it. There was a distortion in the fog, a hole, slowly disappearing. What could it have been?

"The beach," he growled. It was his only lead now. He shouldered his bazooka, and clambered onto the sill.

"Geppou!"

He leapt into the fog.

(X)

Izuku landed upon the beach, and checked his watch. 4:25.

He looked around. Yes, this was the right beach, the one where Yamato had found him. This was the rendezvous point.

But Yamato wasn't here yet.

Izuku shook his head. One last thing to do, and all the better that she wasn't there.

With the gulls crying overhead, Izuku scuttled behind a rock, and began to pull off his Beast Pirate uniform. It wasn't the most embarrassing outfit he had ever worn, but it was the one he would least miss.

This done, he reached into his backpack, pulling out his old uniform. His green bodysuit with the white trim, the iron knee pads and iron-soled boots, and Gran Torino's cape as his scarf.

Yes, this was his real costume. A costume he was proud to wear, and it felt good to wear it again.

Even if it needed a good clean, and a lot of mending.

With his costume on, he looked up. In the distance, across the sea, he could see the faint violet light of dawn. His watch read 4:30.

"Please be okay, Yamato," he whispered, almost in prayer. He stepped out from behind the rock, and leant on a nearby tree. Beside him, a brook fell into a lagoon below, the sound curiously soothing. He glanced up at the Skull Dome, its eyes glowing with menace.

He felt sorry for anyone who had to face it head on. There could not be many armies or fleets in this world that could face such a nightmare cheerfully.

Izuku jumped, as he heard something. He spun round, and there was Yamato, emerging from the darkness. Her clothes were torn, and she was limping, but she was alive!

"Yamato!" he cried, his heart leaping as he waved. Yamato saw him, a bright smile erupting across her face, as she turned towards him.

Then his heart sank, as he saw her clearly. Her white robe and hakama were tatters, her sleeves torn away to reveal muscular arms. Her flesh was bruised and bloodied.

"You're hurt," he said.

"It's all right," she replied, grinning. "I knew this would happen."

Her eyes were bright, and Izuku's heart leapt to see them.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Izuku. Did you get it?"

"Yes, I did."

Izuku reached into his pocket and pulled out his prize; their prize. A simple stone key, as long as a serving spoon. But Yamato's mouth was agog, eyes wide, at the sight of it.

"Got the key," Izuku said, awkwardly. "In his pocket, right where you said."

Then he faltered, as Yamato fell to her knees, a hand covering her mouth, tears running down her face.

"I... I never would have imagined... this day would come. I believed in you but... this is all so... surreal."

She lifted her arms, the cuffs rattling with the chains. "I'm... I'm going to be free… I'm going to be free…" She looked up, her eyes filled with light and gratitude. "Izuku how... how can I ever thank you...?"

Her voice was hoarse, quavering. She covered her mouth again as she sobbed with joy.

No, not just joy. But grief too. Grief for the wasted years, the wasted life, trapped on Onigashima.

"It's all right. We did this." He said, laying his hands on hers. Hers were so much bigger, yet covered in scars and calluses, so much like his own. His green eyes looked into hers. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Even so... I... I never dreamed of this... Izuku, you're a miracle..." She took a deep breath. "You're... my hero."

Izuku's heart was aglow, for the first time since had come to this strange world. Saving Xandra had been important to him, but not like this. Even when he had heard Yamato's tale, and told her his, he never would have imagined her eyes could be so bright.

Yes, even through the sickening despair and soul-crushing fear that had tormented him this night. That despair and fear, that now seemed like just a memory.

He would do it all again. For her, he would do anything.

"Come on, let's go," he said. "Hold up your hands."

Yamato beamed like a young girl on Christmas morning, holding out her shaking wrists.

"I still… can't believe this is happening."

"It is. Just hold still." Izuku laid a hand on hers, and aimed the key for the first shackle, sliding it into the lock.

"Now, you are…"

His head blazed, his Danger Sense blazing like a new-born star. He saw Yamato perk up too, her eyes wide and hard.

"Yamat…!"

An explosion buffeted him, roaring in his ears, hurling him away. He looked up, just in time to see Yamato vanish over the cliff edge, a dark shape wrapped around her. He heard her scream as she fell, and a splash below.

No! Not the water! She couldn't swim!

"Yamato!" he shrieked, scrambling towards the cliff edge, One for All activating as he slid along the sand, avoiding what was coming his way.

The tree fell, sliced it in two.

"Well, I never saw this coming," drawled a cruel voice.

Spytand Malice stepped out from behind the rocks. He wore his black coat like a cape, revealing a muscular, scarred body. His hair was blonde, with a pronounced widow's peak. His face was stern, and without feeling, as he fixed Izuku with two red eyes.

"At first I thought you were lovers," he went on. "But stealing Lord Kaido's own child? That's a new one, Deku. I have to hand it to you."

He smiled a cruel smile, and tossed the object he was carrying - what looked like a flintlock bazooka - away.

Izuku gritted his teeth, and glanced down the waterfall. Yamato was in the lagoon, head and body above water, writhing in some kind of net.

"Izu...ku!" Yamato cried out weakly, and coughed. "I'm... okay! Just...ahhh... damn... seastone and the water...cold!"

"Oh relax, she's in a seastone capture net," Malice oiled. "Can't kill her after all, or else it'll be my head that rolls, and not yours."

Izuku glowered at him. Yes, this was Spytand Malice, the newest of the Flying Six. Yamato had told him about this man, that he had once been a Vice-Admiral of the Marines, condemned for some unknown crime.

"You will not leave this place," Malice went on. "I will present you both to Lord Kaido, and he will reward me. He will permit me to fight one of the All-Stars, and I will take my place by his side."

He took off his coat, it fluttering to the side as he stood in his pants and combat boots.

"Of course, I alone will take the glory," he said. "I won't let anyone else steal what is mine."

"That's not happening," retorted Izuku, with all the determination he could muster. "Yamato and I are leaving this place…"

His heart roiled as he remembered the slaves, and their suffering. He remembered what Yamato had told him, of the slaves on Onigashima, and the people of Wano. He remembered his eyes meeting Kaido's in the Live Floor. And feeling his presence drown him…

Never again.

It may not be now… but one day, one day soon. He will…

Surpass him!

"And one day we'll return, and I'll destroy Kaido myself!"

Malice stared at him for a moment, and then barked a hysterical laugh.

"You!? Destroy Kaido!? You haven't even beat me yet! I, who was a Vice Admiral of the Marines!"

Izuku's lip curled, his stomach churning. He hadn't been a serving Hero long, but there was one thing he knew. If there was one thing Heroes and police officers hated, more than anything, it was one of their own who had fallen from grace. He had never understood it, not until much later, not until he had learned that even Heroes could fall.

"Yamato told me about that," he said, glaring. "She told me you were a Marine, once. You fought for law, and order, and justice."

He felt sick. He felt dirty. Just looking at Malice made him want to scream.

"Why!?" he demanded. "How can you do it!? How can you stand with them!? You've seen what they do!"

But then he faltered. He had expected some vicious smirk, or more laughter. But Malice's smile was gone, as was that arrogant swagger. He just looked…angry, resentful, as if Izuku had somehow insulted him.

And the look in his eyes…he had seen it before.

"If you've seen this world," Malice growled. "You wouldn't have to ask."

His lips curled, revealing teeth lengthening into fangs.

"If you knew what their Absolute Justice was, what that justice served?"

His eyes changed, turning into reptilian slits. His whole body bulged, his clothes shifting and tearing as he transformed. His head lengthened into a dinosaur's muzzle. His legs grew and bent, a mighty tail reaching from his back.

"You think you can touch Kaido as you are now!? You insignificant whelp!"

His skin turned green, the flesh becoming scales.

"Know this! I am Spytand Malice! Of the Flying Six!" he roared with devilish pride. "I was a Vice Admiral from Marine HQ! My bounty is 303 million Berries! What can you, a mere child, compare to that!?"

His fangs grew longer and longer, gleaming like swords.

"I will claim my place as an All-Star! And when Lord Kaido begins his war, I will be his spear! We'll overturn this world, and I'll stand on the mountaintop, among the mightiest of all!"

And Malice loomed over Izuku, as a massive green-scaled Tyrannosaurus Rex; bigger even than Ulti and Page One. His tail swung, smashing a nearby rock into dust.

"And you will be nothing but a bare skull upon the road behind me!" Malice growled, slitted red eyes glaring down at him. "Make your prayers to your god boy! Stealing from an Emperor of the Sea will not grant you a quick death!"

Izuku stared up at him, his soul steadfast and firm, and something else. Why had those eyes unsettled him so?

"I don't care!" he snapped, driving down whatever fear he had of him. He had no time for this, not for his mad rantings or his dark dreams. "I'll stop you! I'll stop all of you! One day! I will bring all of you down!"

And he would. He had to. He didn't understand Malice, nor did he know much about the World Government he had once served, and now so clearly hated. But that was no reason to let Kaido have his way!

"We will leave here!" He took a deep breath, remembering everything.

Everything he'd seen, Everything he couldn't stop.

The death. The pain. The despair.

His emerald eyes glowed, bright as steel, as he stared back into those malevolent blood red orbs. "And you aren't going to stop us!"

The dinosaur stared at him, and charged, a snarling roar erupting from Malice's maw.

 

[Zaru]

Malice charged, leaping up and doing a frontflip despite his massive size. Deku stood his ground, pocketing the stone key he had stolen from Kaido, glaring up at him as the massive tyrannosaur felt his body harden.

"Tekkai! Kemono Kenpo!" he yelled, his haki hardening around his tail. "Datenbi!"

The massive green tail slammed down, throwing up a cloud of sand and earth. Malice looked, and saw the little thief drop to the ground nearby. His body was…aglow, or so it seemed.

"Rankyaku!" The dinosaur kicked his leg out, an azure blade of compressed air flashing out. But Deku was too fast, leaping away as the blade slashed through the air. Malice snarled, and thrust out his head, fanged maw open to bite. The boy ducked, barely avoiding his sword-sharp teeth, and slammed his fist into Malice's jaw.

He grinned, even as Deku dropped away. He had barely felt the blow.

"Mediocre!" he roared, kicking at Deku with one reptilian foot. "Was that supposed to be a punch!?"

Deku glared up at him, those green eyes hard.

"You think you can defeat me with that!? Don't make me laugh!"

Malice charged at him again. Deku jumped and kicked, but Malice was ready for him.

"Geppou!" Malice jumped, soaring over Deku in a leap that an actual tyrannosaurus could never have managed. He almost wanted to laugh at the look on Deku's face, as he dropped down behind him. Deku began to turn, but it was too late.

"Rankyaku!" Malice tightened up his leg. "Dragons Five!"

He kicked out his leg, five azure tyrannosaurus heads leaping from his foot, spreading towards the boy like a spread of rockets. Deku brought up his arms, the blasts exploding all around him, throwing up clouds of sand and smoke.

The sand fell, and there Deku stood, apparently unhurt. There was smoke coming off him too.

"Ahhhh now I see!" Malice leered. "You're a Devil Fruit user too!"

Yes, the Smoke Smoke Fruit, he remembered that one.

"You must have killed a former subordinate of mine to get it! He was a weak little fool anyway!"

That glaring snitch of an ensign from the East Blue. Was his name... Smoker?

Ironic, and doubly so. Young mister I'm-so-pure-and-immaculate had killed a Marine to get a Devil Fruit. How quaint…the little hypocrite.

Deku's eyes widened up in surprise… blinking.

And then…smirking?

Malice bared his teeth, as Deku began to run; not straight at him but around him in circles, smoke billowing from his body. Faster and faster he ran, until he was almost a blur, dust and smoke billowing all around him.

"You're going to need to do better! I can still see you boy! Rankyaku Koryu!"

Another azure tyrannosaur head, this one bouncing across the sand like a cannonball. The blast hit Deku, sending him sprawling. He leapt up, but Malice was upon him, fanged maw chomping down. Deku sidestepped just in time, and swung his glowing arm in a backhand strike, catching the dinosaur on the chin. Malice staggered, and kicked out with one leg, catching Deku and throwing him along the beach. He rolled, bounced, somersaulted, and landed on his feet.

Malice glared at him, eyebrow cocked, as Deku brushed sand off his shoulder. Clearly he was no novice. Killing a marine lieutenant would have been no challenge for him.

His growled, his bloodlust bubbling with him. He was going to have to take it up a notch.

"Hn…I get it…trying to throw me off my guard. Don't be so cocky, fool."

Around them, the sky was no longer black, but a soft violet. Dawn was coming, and the brighter it got, the more likely someone was to see them, and interfere. He was not going to backstabbed, not when he was this close.

"You don't possess haki, do you?" he growled, as his body began to change again. Deku blinked, in what looked like surprise, as his body shrank into a more humanoid shape; a better shape for tricky fighting. "It's obvious, with weak punches like that."

The transformation finished. Malice stood tall, reveling in his man-beast form. Bent-legged and green-scaled, with a long tail and a great crest upon his back. His chest and arms were those of a muscular human male, his red trousers covering his waist down to his knees; his blonde hair rising from a heavy reptilian brow, above glowing red eyes, and a short snout.

He liked this form. He suited him so much better than his human form, and it was much easier to manage than the dinosaur form.

"Time for me to end this farce!" he growled.

"Now who's cocky!?" retorted Deku, dropping into a fighting stance. He sounded confident.

"You're a Logia with no Haki! Not a good combination!" Malice roared. "Soru!"

He charged at Deku, his enhanced legs kicking at the ground ten times in the blink of an eye, so fast that Deku couldn't keep up.

"Goshigan!" His open palm flicked forward, claws slashing at deku's arm. The youth dodged, raising his arms. Smoke sprayed out like water from a hose, so hard that Malice coughed. He staggered away, and felt a blow strike his leg.

It had stung...just a little. Was Deku getting stronger?

"Goshigan!" Malice lashed out again, his clawed hand striking the sand. He heard movement to the side, and leapt as Deku kicked, barely avoiding his iron-soled boot.

Not bad. Not bad at all. Were it not for his thieving, he would have done well in the Beast Pirates.

"Too slow!" Malice dropped his tail and kicking with both legs. Deku raised his arms, the impact crushing him into the ground; so hard that it cratered; throwing sand all around.

"Is…that all?" Deku asked, glaring from behind his crossed arms. Now it was Malice's turn to blink. He had withstood the blow.

His anger flared. He clenched his foot talons, grabbing Deku's arms. He balanced on his tail and backflipped, hurling Deku away.

He could smell blood in the air. It made his heart race!

Yes! This was what he lived for! To fight! To dominate! To kill! To feel the blood thunder in his veins, and see the red mist descend. The whole world shrinking into that single moment.

Where he could not see those eyes…

"You're finished, runt! You're not ready for the New World!" Malice twirled on the spot, Haki hardening his tail. "Tekkai! Kemono Kenpo!"

And he twirled like a top, as he waited for Deku to fall, and saw the boy raise his arms.

'I will break you before you die! Brat!'

"Kaiten!" And his tail struck. "Shingekibi!"

He followed through, the iron-hard, Armament-enhanced blow flinging Deku away across the water; dozens, then hundreds of meters.

And then a splash.

And it was over.

Malice stood up, staring out to sea, watching the waters for any sign, and knowing there would not be.

That was the price of a Devil Fruit's. They brought wondrous power, but denied their users the water forever. No one who consumed a Devil Fruit would ever swim again. And the water that far out was too deep to stand up in.

"Damn…" he muttered to himself. "Got carried away."

And he had. Now there was no body to bring back, no proof of what had happened. And the key had been on him.

Oh well. He would have to post some Waiters to keep watch, then bring the body in once it was washed up; assuming it ever got washed up. The currents and tides of Onigashima were as treacherous as they were merciless, and dead bodies could wander even in calm waters.

He knew. He had seen them. Floating in the water around his ship, bumping against the hull, staring up at him…

He shook his head. No. No time for that. He had a job to do, a destiny to claim. The body came later, now a real prize needed to be claimed.

He jumped along the beach, reaching the lagoon in a few short Geppous. He looked down, and saw Yamato was where had left her; still trapped in the net, and shivering in the water. Not deep enough for her to drown in, fortunately, but enough to drive her fruit-enhanced body mad with terror.

"You almost got away, there," he said, staring down at her. "Just a little too late."

He reached down and grabbed the net, hauling it out and dumping it on the nearby rocks. Yamato glared at him, shivering and breathing hard. He could see the wounds on her bare skin, healing fast but still noticeable.

"So you fought Lord Kaido," he mused, dragging the net behind him as he strode along the beach. "You distracted him, and he made off with the key. Very clever, I have to admit."

He didn't mind admitting it. He didn't hate Yamato, or even resent her all that much. She was a fool, but she had the strength and the will to follow her own path. It was only bad luck that had caused him to turn up just in time.

Bad luck. Wrong place, wrong time. Just like the others…

"You and him have caused me a lot of trouble, tonight," he growled, his smirk twisting into a fanged grin. "But it's worth it. By tomorrow, I'll be ripping out Queen's neck, and what's his will be mine. His ships, his crews, his labs, all of it. As for your little friend…"

He paused for effect.

"Well…that's up to Lord Kaido. Most likely he'll rip him to pieces, assuming he's still alive, which is doubtful. Either way, he is a dead man. As for you, well…I can't imagine he'll be pleased with your little escape attempt."

He wouldn't, that was for sure. Kaido indulged his wayward daughter, but actually trying to escape would be a step too far. The one thing Kaido could be relied-on not to do was outright kill her. Oni were rare enough at the best of times, without him killing his only heir.

He reached the sand, and began to climb the slope.

"I don't know how that Deku fellow got here," he mused aloud. "Not with that Smoke Smoke fruit in him. He's probably got friends over on Wano. My first order as an All-Star will be to head over there and hunt them down."

More fighting, more killing. Kaido would not regret losing Queen. He would not regret taking Spytand Malice into his service.

He glared down at Yamato. She was strong, but not as strong as she needed to be. She could never take Kaido's place, not as she was. She could not fight like Kaido, or lead like Kaido. She would never gather a mighty army and fleet, and lead them to Marineford, and then to Mariejois. She would never give him what Kaido had promised!

"And you will stay here," he growled. "In whatever state Lord Kaido sees fit to leave you in."

Her every bone broken, no doubt. Or maybe he would just lock her up again, and leave her to stare out of her window, right back the way she was before; with only Deku's memory to keep her company, and the knowledge of what her dream had cost him.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYZIUtDAFIw

"What…" she panted. "What makes you…think that…Deku…Deku's power…comes from…a Devil Fruit?"

Then she smiled, almost cockily.

"Hmm?"

Malice couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not from a Devil Fruit? What could she mean?

Then he heard a splash. He turned, and saw something in the water. It was…displaced, as if the sea had parted for just a moment.

"What the-"

Pain.

Pain, like nothing he had felt since that day. Pain, as if a tree trunk was being driven into his stomach, his body coiling in around it. He let out a yell as the force of it flung him backwards.

Then he saw Deku, his foot outstretched, his body aglow with green lightning.

Malice screamed as he fell backwards, dropping Yamato as he fell back, flying tens of meters in seconds. He saw Deku in the corner of his eye in an instant, just as his gloved fist smashed into his jaw. His jaw burned as he was flung away, bouncing across the sand.

How could this be happening? Where had this power come from? Why was he so fast?!

Then he stopped, suddenly. He looked, and saw black tendrils, like roiling tentacles of utter darkness, wrapped around his arms and legs, holding him fast. The tendrils were coming from Deku, who was now charging at him, emerald lighting crackling and leaping across his body.

Deku's fist struck his face, caving in his nose. He flew back again, the tendrils letting him go, and he bounced across the sand for hundreds of meters, and laid still.

He roared in mingled pain and rage, as he pushed himself up. Blood was running down his face, his nose bubbling with every labored breath. He coughed, and grabbed at his nose, twisting it back into place with a crack.

And then he saw Deku, floating in mid air, wreathed in smoke, the dark tendrils coiling in the air behind him, emerald eyes staring down at him.

Such power. He had never seen, never imagined. What the hell was he?

"Impossible!" he roared, his voice gurgling and bubbling with blood. "You should be sunk! What are you!?"

His roar became a scream, and he flung himself at Deku, crossing the distance fast with Soru.

"You fucking puuuunk!" He brought his hands together, thrusting them at Deku. "Tekkai Kenpo! Juushigan!"

He thrust, thrust again, but Deku ducked and dived from each lightning fast strike, and he couldn't land a blow. He saw Deku rear his hand back...

"Tekkai!" And his body hardened, as he poured his Haki into his body for defense.

And then Deku lashed out, punching him straight in the gut. Malice's eyes bulged, and a shockwave blew over them, blowing away sand and making waves wash out into the ocean.

He staggered backwards, coughing, clutching his stomach. His insides were on fire.

"Yamato's right," said Deku. "I don't have a Devil Fruit, or Haki either."

Malice's eyes widened. He stared at Deku, straight into his eyes; doubled-over as he was. There was not a hint of fear, or of doubt. Not like before.

"Those hits from before were at thirty percent. Just to see what you were capable of. Right now, I'm hovering around... eighty percent."

Eighty... percent of his strength?!

And those eyes. They weren't innocent any more. Not the innocent eyes that had tormented him so. They were the eyes of a warrior, eyes that matched his form. They were eyes that had seen battle, and won through.

But for all that, all that power, he didn't have Haki. Not a hint of it. Not once did he sense it in his blows.

A cold, dark dread coursed through Malice's soul, his eyes widening in fear.

'If he... if he learns Haki...'

He saw it in his mind's eye. This green haired machine... flying up, charging towards the strongest creature in the heavens. Lord Kaido in his magnificent and awe-inspiring dragon form, a green thunderous hailstorm towards the azure dragon king.

'He... he could be a threat... to Lord Kaido!'

His anger flared again, rising to join his fear. He roared, his entire body coating itself in Haki, a dark emerald sheen. Full Body Armament! No holding back!

"I WON'T LET YOU WIN!" he shrieked. "YOU WON'T LEAVE THIS ISLAND ALIVE!"

He had to die! He could not be allowed to threaten Lord Kaido! If he did, it would all have been for nothing!

"Seimei Kikan! Bakuha! Full Armament! Tekkai Kemono Kenpo!"

His wounded body bulged, his fangs growing back, as his full power erupted.

"No, we'll be leaving this island together. All of us," replied Deku. "You included!"

Deku's body glowed. For a moment Malice was bewildered. What kind of dumb thing was that to say?

No! He was going to take him prisoner! Give him back to the Marines! Return him to the fate from which the Beast Pirates had accidentally rescued him!

The world was spinning, but Malice could only see one thing. Deku, hovering there, the man he had to kill.

"DIE!" he roared. "KAITEN!"

"Let me teach you something, Malice," replied Deku, with perfect calm. He reared back his hand, glowing with emerald light. "Let these words be seared into your memory forever! Villain!"

"SHINGEKIBIIIII!" Malice roared, and the blonde haired dinoman swung his tail as hard as he could.

With a yell, Deku backhanded him with his free hand. Malice fell back off balance, his body a mass of pain, his heart falling into the depths.

That was everything he had. He had split galleons in half with that power, smashed cliff faces, snapped Marine battleships like twigs!

And he had been backhanded…by that brat.

And Deku's glow grew brighter, blinding him a shining green star.

"Go further beyond!" Deku grasped his right hand, reared it back, gritting his teeth and stepping forward. "PLUS!"

And he struck him, right in the stomach.

"ULTRAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Malice was beyond pain. He could only feel himself moving, flying backwards, out and away, over the waters, soaring into the clouds.

And he knew no more.

(X)

Izuku stood, fist outstretched as the clouds parted. He could just see Malice, now a white Jetstream in the dawn light, soaring away like a missile.

He shook his hand. There was a mark on it, and it stung, more so than his prior attacks. But he didn't feel much, not with his adrenaline coursing.

"I just realized," Izuku mused. "I didn't even need to use Fa Jin against him."

"Smart move to tell him you're using eighty percent as well, assuming he survives. You were only using fifty percent when you sent him flying instead weren't you?" Yoichi stated.

"To be fair, he can only control fifty percent of One for All." En commented. "Control fifty-five percent without the Black Whip braces, and his arm would explode."

"Good. The less our enemies know of your true strength. The better." Hikage added. "Will make it all the more surprising when you show your true power. I suggest you use that tactic more often."

"He would have made for a strong foe against most heroes." Nana said. "But, there are levels to this, and the mentality of a fighter goes a long way. I'm guessing he lost his cool, and his Haki must have stopped working as well as it could have after you deflected his attack."

"We should leave regardless," the Second User said. "If he lands in the water, he might get washed back here."

Izuku blinked. Yes, as a Devil Fruit user, Malice could not swim. He might just have condemned him to death.

A part of him cringed at the thought. For all that he had hated what Malice was, and what he had done, he had not wanted to kill him. It went against everything he had been taught, everything he had ever tried to be. Heroes didn't kill unless they absolutely had to.

And besides…he had a horrible feeling he knew why Malice was the way he was.

"Don't dwell on it," said Daigoro sullenly. "There was nothing you could have done. I've known guys like him. The ones the job breaks."

"If you left him here, they would have killed him themselves," the Second User cut in. "If he lives or dies out there, it's nothing more than fate."

Izuku sighed. The adrenaline was fading, as was his righteous fury. Only sorrow remained, and weariness. There had once been a time when he would have reveled in such a victory; a time when there were Heroes and Villains, good and evil. But no longer. He had seen enough of his world, and its problems, to know that life wasn't that simple.

He remembered Gentle Criminal, scorned and rejected because of a bumbled act of altruism. He remembered Toga Himiko, cursed with a cruel and horrifying Quirk; a Quirk that could express itself only through depravity.

And Tenko.

"It's okay to pity them," Nana said. "It just means your soul isn't in the dark place theirs is."

"Heroes who lose their humanity eventually lose themselves," added Hikage. "They become as bad as any Villain, and don't even notice."

Izuku knew about that. He had learned about it in Ethics class back at UA. Just as he had learned about Heroes who had become Villains outright; as Malice had done.

So then, why? Why had he done it? What had he been trying to say?

"Just because they're the government doesn't mean they're the good guys," En said.

Was that it? Was the World Government to blame? Was it this Absolute Justice not what it sounded like? What could it even mean?

It was something he was going to have to find out. Out there, in this new world.

With Yamato.

Cursing himself, he flew down the beach to where Yamato had been dropped.

"I saw what I could! Izuku, you're so strong!" Yamato cried, eyes wide with awe. "I was worried you wouldn't be able to fight off any of the Flying Six! Guess I was wrong!"

"Malice is strong." Izuku nursed his hand a bit, rubbing it. "My wrist is going to be hurting me for ages, but I've had worse. Good thing I caught him off guard…plus, if I had fought any one of them inside Onigashima during the festival and well, not miles away, King would have come my way and the plan would have been ruined."

He smiled, kneeling down beside her. He tugged, and the net came apart.

"You hurt at all?" he asked, as she pulled herself free.

"Just a little, brrr... cold and sore. But I'll be fine." She smiled softly, and took Izuku's hand. "Ah look, the sun's beginning to rise."

Izuku turned, looking left down the shore. The sun was indeed rising, the violet of the morning sky turning red, flowing slowly over Onigashima. He wished he had been on the eastern shore, where he could see it directly.

"Come on, let's get to the gear." Izuku helped her up, and they hurried up the shore together; to where their gear had been partly buried in sand.

"Now then," Izuku said, pulling out the key with a grin. "Before we were rudely interrupted."

Yamato perked up, holding up her chains again and smiling widely. Izuku took a breath, and slid the key into the first cuff. It clicked, and then clicked again as he turned it.

And clicked again, as it came undone and fell to the sand at their feet. Izuku then took the key to the other cuff, and did the same thing.

With a clink and clatter, the chains fell to the sand. Izuku saw Yamato's wrists, left pale by lack of sunlight, and hairless by chafing.

He heard a sound, and looked up. Yamato was crying, biting her lower lip, tears flowing.

"Izu...ku..." She uttered, lifting up her hands to her eyes, seeing the marks for herself. Her wrists, cuffless. "I... I'm..."

"Yes, Yamato. You are free." Izuku said softly, smiling back at her.

"BWAAAAHAAHAAAAAA~!" she bawled, grabbing Izuku and hugging him tight, his head in her chest. Izuku squeaked as she twirled him around and around. She sobbed and wailed, as years of sorrow and despair flooded out of her.

It reminded him of his mother, on the day when he got into UA academy.

"S-Sorry..." she gasped, letting go of him and backing away. She fidgeted with her index fingers, her cheeks suddenly pink as she looked away. Now she reminded him of Uraraka again.

"It's just... I feel like my heart's about to burst and... ohhh I don't know what else to do!" She giggled. The boy chuckled back.

"Well, we need to go," he said, and handed her a backpack. "Put this on your back near where Takeru is. And hold this too." He held out a Log Pose. "Put it on your other arm opposite your watch."

Yamato blinked, and then she beamed, eyes as bright as the stars as she nodded. She did as she was told, putting on the backpack, watch, and Log Pose while arranging Takeru carefully beside it, wincing a little from her injuries. Izuku did likewise but put his own backpack in front.

"And here, goggles," he said, holding out a pair once she had finished securing her Log Pose.

"What for?" Yamato tilted her head, going up and placing them around her head past her horns.

"For flying, not to get sunblind. You did say you must have eaten a Devil Fruit at some point in the past." Izuku mused. "But now's not the time for that. Come on." He turned around and floated up, until his head was level with hers. "Wrap your arms around my chest."

He grinned. They were about to go. He was about to save her.

This was it.

(X)

This was it.

He was going to save her... take her away from this place.

Yamato was finally going to see the outside world. As Oden did so long ago.

She felt her eyes sting, tears returning again as she nodded.

Sixteen years. Sixteen years of pain and loneliness, with only her ideal to sustain her.

But in the end, it was all worth it.

She walked forward, taking her final steps on Onigashima. Her chained life. Her prison.

She wrapped them around his chest, her breasts pressing against his back as Izuku gulped lightly.

"Am I too big?" Yamato asked. Izuku looked back, his cheeks pink, but still smiling that smile.

"It's alright. Because... I'm here," he replied softly. He laid his hand on top of hers, gripping it softly. No one had ever done that, not in all her life. His hand was coarse and calloused like hers, but it felt so…nice.

The dark tendrils emerged, wrapping all around them. Yamato perked up, surprised.

"There, now you won't fall off."

He looked out to sea, and Yamato felt herself leaving the ground, gasping a little.

"I'll never let you go."

He will never let her go.

Why did those words give her such comfort and relief...

She smiled, nodding as her tears flowed inside her goggles. "Mmhmm!"

He took off, levitating away into the sky, picking up speed. Yamato's heart leapt into her throat, as they moved away from the shore. Further and further, faster and faster.

No explosion. Her cuffs were gone, abandoned on the shore of Onigashima. There was nothing to keep her there, nothing to trap her any more.

She was free. Free of her father. Free of them all.

Seagulls winged alongside them, flapping their wings and cawing. Yamato wanted to reach out and touch them, to see if this was real, and not a dream. The seagulls cawed, and banked away, giving the pair distance.

She remembered her words that day. The day she found him.

"I wish I was like you guys. Going so far away, seeing so many things..."

The day she found her hero.

She sniffled, and hugged Izuku tighter, resting her head against his soft hair. Higher and higher they soared, the dark and stormy skies of Onigashima fading ever further behind them. The skull mountain seemed to glare after them, eyes glowing red, mouth open as if to cry out in protest.

She grinned through her tears, and lifted one of her goggles. She pulled down her eyelid, and stuck her tongue out at the island; mocking them one last time. All of them. Her cruel father, his warped minions, all of them.

That's right. Kaido...

"If Kozuki Oden, the man you wish to become, couldn't surpass me... what hope do you have as you are?"

The words resounded in her mind, and her soul. It would not be that long before Kaido realized she was gone…

They would have to get stronger. Kaido would give them no peace, not while he had the power. It was just as Izuku said. They would have to go back, and destroy him.

They would have to get stronger.

They would get stronger.

'And I will surpass you father. Somehow...' Yamato thought. In her own way. Whether it be as Oden or perhaps…

"Alright, now then." Izuku said cheerfully, looking at his Log Pose. Yamato looked down. They were hundreds, maybe thousands of feet above the sea, her hair whipping in the wind as they rose towards the clouds.

The sky was bright orange. The sun was at their backs, and the moon falling before them. The dawn had come.

For all those years, she had known only darkness. To live on Onigashima was to live in darkness, with Oden's memory a brief, flickering candle flame. A candle that had burned down to almost nothing, until Izuku came.

This was the dawn. Her dawn. Her life had finally begun.

"Let's see the needles... ah! They're moving!" Izuku called out. Yamato looked down, and she lifted her arm, the tendrils moving to accommodate her. The needles within the compass-globes were indeed moving.

"One's safely pointed behind us towards Onigashima... and another is pointing left…"

Izuku turned his head, as did Yamato.

And there it was, gleaming in the dawn light. The coastline of the Land of Wano. Oden's homeland. She could make out Mount Fuji, and there was the faint outline of the Flower Capital dozens of miles away in the distance too, just as Oden had described them.

"Well that won't do. The only needle left…is pointing north!"

"Oh, mine's pointing northeast!" Yamato added. "How about... we go northeast? My compass' needle is calmer than yours Izuku!"

"Sure, maybe we'll find something along the way!" Izuku called back with a grin. "Yamato, I know little of the world here. Only from your journal Oden wrote." He looked up to her. His green eyes filled with happiness. "So let's explore it... Experience it with our own eyes, together."

And Yamato's heart blossomed, like a flower opening in the sunlight for the very first time.

"Yes! Let's!"

"Alright! North by Northeast!" Izuku grinned. "Let's go!"

And they flew off together, into the morning clouds, towards the falling moon, away from the hell that was Onigashima, over the raging waterfalls that sounded the plateau island of Wano.

For both of them, it was a new beginning. Their lives were cut short; one by the dastardly intentions of a shadow king, the other by the cruel parentage of a demon king.

But those days were behind them, and before them was the great endless blue. For both of them, a new world had opened up, a world of endless possibilities.

They had both lost, and they had both grieved. They had found each other, and escaped from their despair. Alone they would have failed, but together they succeeded.

And so they flew on, riding on the wind, with only the needle of a Log Pose to guide them.

One day they would return, they both knew. Fate was inexorable, and it would draw them back to Onigashima.

But when they did, they both knew that they would defeat Kaido. They would put an end to his evil, and bring a new era to the world. A world of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

For they would be heroes. Heroes of the New World.

---

Attack name Translations:

Tekkai Kemono Kenpo: Iron Body Beast Kenpo/Fist Law.

Datenbi: Falling Tail(or Fallen Angel Tail)

Rankyaku: Dragons Five: Storm Leg: Dragons Five.

Rankyaku Koryu: Storm Leg Lone Dragon

Goshigan: Five Finger Gun

Juushigan: Ten Finger Gun

Geppou: Moonwalk.

Tekkai: Iron Body

Seimei Kikan: Bakuha - Life Return: Burst/Explosion

Kaiten Shingekibi: Rotating(or Heaven Shaker/Turning) Assault Tail/Assaultail.

So there we have it. The end to the first arc. Which I have tenuously dubbed Resurrection Dawn. Hope you can spot the name and thematic meanings! Hehe.

But yeah, this has been a blast to write. Up next is an interlude arc and, if you can guess it, the Beast Pirates reaction... and a certain dragon's too. And wherever Izuku and Yamato will go next? Well, we have a clue of sorts...

And this will give you all where Izuku stands when using 50% One for all(which is Prime All Might for comparison's sake, as I have mentioned prior), without Haki against a 300 million Berry Pirate(although one should note he was a former Marine Vice Admiral and while strong... he's fighting All Might here, and is the Flying Six' newest member. Ulti and Page One may have lesser bounties, but they've been there longer. As teenagers.) And Malice was more or less delusional in thinking he could kill Queen.

I wrote these two out myself. Next two will be done by @Juubi-K , and big thanks to him for his polish, and for @IKnowNothing for his help in editing.

Let me know what you think. And Izuku and Yamato are off into the New World! And they're gonna be flying, because it is far more tiring latching Black Whip onto clouds. Oh yeah, and Doffy's Strings can latch onto anything, INCLUDING Clouds since Devil Fruit bullshit. Black Whip would phase right through the clouds, hence why he's flying. Plus it's far more simpler too. Let Izuku be his own man, not ape off of one of the most vile people in OP canon here

I was particularly motivated to prove some hardcore OP stans wrong here, hence the fast turnaround. Also that cover image should around in a week. Hopefully.

Anywho, hope you all enjoyed and will see you around!

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