Chapter 143: A Complicated Family

"Whitebeard and his crew have landed on Onigashima!"

Just as Kaido reeled from the news, his underlings reported that Whitebeard and his forces had already arrived on Onigashima.

Kaido, still struggling to comprehend the situation, found himself facing this new development.

"They're already on Onigashima? How is that possible?!" Kaido roared, utterly bewildered. This was happening much faster than he anticipated.

"They clearly came prepared this time," King interjected. "We need to retreat immediately. Not only is that old man Whitebeard a formidable opponent, but Luo Ning is beyond our current capabilities!"

King acknowledged their disadvantaged position. Facing a combined force of Whitebeard's elite commanders and Whitebeard himself was a guaranteed loss, and Luo Ning alone posed a far greater threat than the entirety of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Governor Kaido, there's more bad news! Our ships have been destroyed by Whitebeard's men!"

Just as Kaido resolved to flee, another dire report arrived, turning his face green.

Without their ships, escape for Kaido himself might be possible, but what about his crew? What about the others? King could fly and escape on his own if necessary, and Kaido's ability allowed him to move Onigashima itself. However, with Luo Ning and the others already on the island, what good would relocating Onigashima do? The gravity of the situation contorted Kaido's face with a mixture of fear and fury.

"Damn it! Whitebeard and Luo Ning, those deceitful bastards!"

Despite Kaido's usual volatile temper, even he felt frustration. When his rage escalated, it clouded his judgment. King, ever the pragmatist, recognized the perilous situation the Whitebeard Pirates posed. Seeing Kaido teetering on the brink, he knew their defeat was imminent.

***

Meanwhile, Luo Ning and his crew, having just disabled the enemy ships, halted their advance upon encountering a peculiar figure: Yamato.

Yamato, Kaido's daughter, held an unconventional view of herself. Inspired by witnessing Kozuki Oden's actions as a child, Yamato developed a deep admiration for him, even going so far as to adopt the name Kozuki Oden and aspire to become his heir.

This deeply troubled Kaido. His own daughter seemed to reject him, instead idolizing a rival figure. As a consequence, a rift formed between Yamato and Kaido at a young age, fostering resentment towards her father for his violent treatment. Kaido, unfortunately, mirrored his own upbringing – he resorted to physical punishment to discipline Yamato, who was still a child at the time.

One could certainly call Kaido a remarkable father. What kind of parent would inflict such violence on their own daughter? In comparison, Orochi, while displaying a twisted form of reverence for Kozuki Oden, never subjected Yamato to abuse. Of course, this doesn't excuse Kaido's behavior – after all, he is a pirate known for his underhanded tactics.

Therefore, in Luo Ning's opinion, the explosive handcuffs placed on Yamato later were utterly pointless. By that stage, anyone with proficiency in Armament Haki, and Yamato was no novice in that regard, could easily nullify them.

Yamato, though a Devil Fruit user, understood that Armament Haki wasn't a power but a technique, rendering the explosive handcuffs pointless. Their only threat was the bomb itself. Blocking the explosion with Armament Haki would be a trivial feat.

Pirates in this world, while not the strongest, understand the difference between possessing a Haki type and actively using it. Yamato's mastery of Armament Haki ensured the bomb wouldn't harm them.

Yamato genuinely believed Kaido intended to kill them. This absurdity highlighted the bomb's limitations. If it could truly eliminate a calamity like Yamato, Kaido would likely rule the world already.

From the beginning, Yamato, the devoted child, rebelled against her father.

Analysing the situation from both perspectives, Kaido's contribution to the conflict seems minor compared to Yamato's unconventional personality.

Of course, considering Yamato's disapproval of Kaido's piratical lifestyle, the conflict is understandable. One could even argue Yamato's actions are a righteous rebellion against a tyrant.

Ultimately, in Luo Ning's view, Yamato simply lacked self-awareness.

Now, after confronting Luo Ning's crew and learning of Kozuki Hiyori's identity, Yamato immediately disarmed herself, embraced Hiyori, and declared herself her father. This bizarre sequence of events left both Whitebeard's crew and Hiyori bewildered. Hiyori, understandably, was confused about acquiring a seemingly female father out of nowhere.

"What in the world is happening here?"

Nami stammered, utterly bewildered. Wasn't Kozuki Hiyori's father deceased for years? How could another one appear now, and a woman at that? It defied all logic.

"I'm as lost as you are," Robin admitted. "But Luo Ning might have some insight."

Following Robin's cue, everyone, including Baby 5, Whitebeard, and his crew, turned to Luo Ning for clarification. Initially, they had perceived Yamato as an enemy, but their hostile stance dissolved upon disarming and claiming to be Hiyori's father. This bizarre turn of events left them utterly confused.

"Well, this is a bit complicated," Luo Ning began, bracing himself. "This is Yamato, Kaido's daughter. As a child, she encountered Kozuki Oden and developed immense admiration for him."

"Her reverence went so far that she identified as Kozuki Oden, even aspiring to be his heir. This, naturally, caused friction with Kaido. He even went to the extreme of placing explosive handcuffs on her."

"Since Yamato believes she's Kozuki Oden, she considers Oden's children to be her own. That explains this... scene."

Even for Luo Ning, explaining the situation felt like a headache, let alone for the others.

"Am I dreaming? Didn't Kaido have a son?" Marco voiced the question everyone harbored. "Where'd this daughter come from?"

"Yamato's unwavering devotion to Kozuki Oden led her to believe she's a man. Kaido, on the other hand, raised her as a son and publicly declared her as such. It's a rather peculiar family dynamic," Luo Ning explained with a helpless shrug.