“Not at all. We were just having a little contest, that’s all. It’s been years, Nereus, and you really haven’t changed one bit. Worororo!”
Putting away his Hassaikai, the Haki coiling around Kaido’s body dissipated at the same time. He no longer had any intention of continuing the fight.
This was Kaido’s own assessment of strength. If, in his normal human form, he could not even deal with Nanamo and was even at a disadvantage, then even if he went all out, he would not be Nereus’s match.
Yamato already had an indescribably haloed impression of Nereus. If Kaido were beaten black and blue by him here, he probably would never be able to hold his head up again in this lifetime.
However, Kaido did not realize that once some things had taken shape, they were very difficult to change.
Nereus’s appearance had not changed much compared to back then, which meant he looked the same as he did on that bounty poster from more than ten years ago.
And in the biography Queen had given Yamato, there happened to be such a bounty poster tucked inside. Even someone with face blindness would be able to recognize that this was Nereus himself.
At this moment, Yamato’s eyes once again had “stars in them.” Only, the last time it had been caused by the terror of falling from high altitude, while this time it was caused by excitement. [TN: It can also mean dazed.]
“That b*stard… no, has Father finally done something a human being should do?”
Whenever Yamato had seen Kaido in the past, she was either being beaten, or on the way to being beaten. She had never expected that this time, Kaido had actually brought her out to find Nereus.
This made Yamato temporarily ignore all the hardships she had suffered along the way, and temporarily returned the title of Father to Kaido.
…
“Instead of staying in your Wano Country, what are you doing running over here? Have you already subdued the whole of Wano Country and can leave with peace of mind?”
“Not yet. There are quite a few stubborn fellows among those samurai, but it’s also thanks to that stubbornness. With Kurozumi Orochi’s head, plus the reason of supporting the orthodox Kozuki line, I’ve managed to make my identity as the Wise King solid.”
“…”
Nereus felt that Kaido had described to him a completely different current situation in Wano Country. After that, Kaido explained some more details.
“You’re… rather good at learning…”
There were hardly a few places on this sea with national conditions similar to Wano Country’s. That place had a mysterious worship of the Kozuki family.
Even Kurozumi Orochi had relied on one of his subordinates using the Clone-Clone Fruit’s ability to turn into the appearance of Kozuki Sukiyaki before he had obtained the position of Shogun.
By dumping the blame onto Kurozumi Orochi, declaring that the Kozuki family had been secretly killed, and changing Kurozumi Orochi’s production methods that had been purely aimed at oppressing them, some people believed it.
Even if there really were Kozuki descendants, they did not trust Kaido. They merely hid in the corners and let Kaido do as he pleased.
“But what does that have to do with you coming here?”
“I have a daughter. That idiot Queen showed her the storybook Wobbegong wrote, and last time Wobbegong also bragged about you like crazy right in front of her, so now she worships you a lot.
“When I teach her, she has a very strong resistance, so… I hope you can help me teach her.
“As long as you don’t kill her, you can torment her however you like. As long as you can make her stronger, that’s enough.
“That girl worships you a lot. She might even obey every word you say.”
Since she resisted being taught by him, then he would find Yamato an idol she did not resist to teach her. In any case, Nereus was also strong enough, and Kaido himself had received guidance from him a few times when he was young.
Kaido did not object to having such a powerful person, one he acknowledged himself, teach Yamato.
Moreover, Nanamo’s situation was enough to show that Nereus knew how to teach children, and also knew how to make children like him.
“Is the relationship between us already close enough for you to entrust your child to me?”
“Worororo, I trust you. Besides, I won’t have you teach her for nothing. I long for a grand war, a great war that sweeps across the whole world and shatters everything!
“When the day comes that you start a war, I will stand on your side.”
“I’m a pacifist, you know.”
“Yeah. Kill off all the enemies that get in the way, and the world will be at peace.”
Just as Golden Lion firmly believed that Nereus must have some scheme, Kaido also did not believe that the peace Nereus spoke of was something achieved by words. No matter how one looked at it, the brief peace Fishman Island possessed had been personally fought out by him.
“Are you sure? You should know very well that our ideals are different too. I don’t approve of your ideals. If you let me teach her, I won’t follow the plan you laid out.”
“Worororo, doesn’t matter. If you can make her even stronger than me, then the ideals she upholds will naturally be the correct ones!
“As long as that girl can surpass me, then everything can go as she likes.
“Her talent isn’t bad, she’s just a little rebellious. In any case, I’ve already decided to hand her over to you. If she doesn’t listen, just go ahead and hit her.”
Haki, physique, Devil Fruit abilities—the methods for training these things were more or less the same. What required Kaido’s personal inheritance was only that set of kanabo techniques.
However, all of Kaido’s techniques were derived from Thunder Bagua. Kaido had already taught Yamato the most basic technique.
The remaining derivative techniques belonged solely to Kaido himself. If Yamato grew up, what she needed would be techniques more suited to herself.
As her Haki and physique strengthened, she would figure out a thing or two herself. Even if she could not figure them out, as long as she returned after completing her studies, mastering those things would be as easy as reaching out and taking them.
“You… I agree to this. You can come take her away at any time. As long as she is with me for a day, I’ll guarantee her safety for that day.”
“No need to make her that safe. How could flowers in a greenhouse withstand the wind and waves of the sea? As long as she doesn’t die, that’s enough.”
“Have you ever considered that her rebelliousness was caused by you?”
“I helped her go from a weakling who could only be bullied at will into a strong person. I let her have her way in all the unimportant matters, and now I’ve even brought her to meet the person she worships. Is that still not enough?”
The killing on battlefields had long since shaped Kaido’s character. A more violent form of social Darwinism made him feel that there was nothing wrong with his actions. This was a difference in ideals, and there was simply no need to argue over it.
Whether Kaido won or lost, he could fit it into this logic.
Kaido had never considered what Yamato herself thought. He was only carrying out the set of things he believed to be correct.
“Suit yourself.”
“When I left back then, I said I would challenge you again.”
“Do you think you’ve already surpassed me?”
“If that Oden was able to leave a scar on my body, then clearly I’m still not strong enough. But I still want to feel just how big the gap is again. Let’s find a place later. I’ve been looking forward to this for more than ten years. But now…”
After discussing these matters with Nereus, Kaido came before Yamato again.
“As you wished, I brought you before the person you worship. From now on, he’ll be the one training you.”
“Really?!”
“Of course. Now your father is about to leave. Don’t you have anything you want to say?”
“Hmm… why haven’t you left yet?”
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