Yamato Nadeshiko

Flower Capital, Country of Wano.

The sun hung high in the sky, just like any other day, its golden rays casting a deceptive sense of normalcy upon the land. Yet, nothing remained unchanged.

Suddenly, like a bolt of thunderous lightning, change crashed down upon us. How ironic it was as that's what he is, lightning. I never anticipated it would come to this. Was it easy? No, far from it. But the burden wasn't ours to bear; it belonged to Veyron. All I did was wield Takeru a few times and keep King at bay, help Hancock, Sandersonia and Marigold.

The revelation that my father was still alive left me numb. I'm not sure what I feel, but one thing became clear, I learnt a valuable lesson: in the end, power is paramount.

'Power is everything.'

More than a daughter's love. More than a father's affection. More than the respect one holds for another's sacrifice or the painful apathy toward someone's suffering. Without power, nothing can be achieved.

'Nothing.'

Veyron wasn't a citizen of Wano; he hadn't experienced the pain and resentment, the theft of freedom that the rest of us had. Still, he came and obliterated everything in a single night, a display of devastating power that left everyone, myself included, in awe. And he wasn't on his own, he wasn't alone. Powerful wives, powerful comrades and friends.

'If only I were that strong.'

Despite his youth, his name resonated with power, even drawing my father's interest. So much so that my father made the mistake of underestimating him, thinking he could be manipulated. Even without my presence, he would have saved Hancock and the girls. He acted with efficiency and ensured everyone's safety before making his decisive move.

They formed an immensely powerful and dynamic group. How I longed to sail with them, to join Veyron's crew... but he hadn't taken me. My place was here in Wano, a place that harboured nothing for me.

"Yamato, you're here... Why are you in your hybrid form?" a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"..."

I glanced at my furry arm, realizing I hadn't even noticed the transformation. Perhaps it was my overwhelming desire for freedom reaching its peak. I reverted to my oni form as a girl I had recently met approached the rooftop of the Flower Palace, where I sat gazing toward the dawn.

"May I sit?" she asked.

"Sure."

Silence hung between us for a moment. She was undeniably beautiful, the daughter of the legendary Amatsuki Toki and Kozuki Oden whom I deeply respected. She was his youngest child, Kozuki Hiyori.

On the day of the revolution, the true victors were the citizens of Wano.

The Beast Pirates were vanquished and the remainder taken by my father. Kurozumi Orochi met a fate worse than death, his decapitated corpse was displayed shamefully in the city centre. The country of Wano celebrated, but at what cost? With these events behind us, Dracule Mihawk approached me, urging me to become the Shogun of Wano.

However, politics was not my strength. I was a fighter, skilled in battle but inexperienced in governance. If you asked me to smash heads that can be arranged, but this...? In my naivety, I suggested Veyron take the role, given his background and power that Hancock disclosed to me. But Mihawk vehemently declined, citing his lack of time although her expression when she said so was icy. 

It was then that Denjiro proposed an alternative. He introduced us to Oden's daughter, Kozuki Hiyori, who had been living incognito as the famed oiran Komurasaki. Denjiro believed she was the best candidate to restore the country's morale.

"Are you okay with this, girl?" Mihawk had asked her at the time, and now, Hiyori's face, much like then, reflected fatigue and nervousness as she nodded.

She had no choice; the responsibility fell upon her.

As I looked at her now, her gaze fixed upon the rising sun, nothing had changed. She appeared lost.

"Are you okay?" I inquired as if I was much different.

Instead of answering, tears welled in her eyes. "I'm okay... I just feel so lonely. Even though the country was saved from Kaido and Orochi, I can't seem to enjoy it because I'm alone. Mother, father, my brother... none of them are here to witness this new dawn with me."

Her attempts to wipe away the tears proved futile.

I hugged my knees, contemplating her words. In this jubilant city, she was the sole mourner. But soon enough, I found tears streaming down my own cheeks.

"I too feel a bit lonely. My father, as horrible as he was, was always there. The beast pirates were there. But he tried to kill me and imprison me. I hated him for that... I hated that he was evil unlike me, unlike Oden".

"..." She listened intently as I poured out my feelings, hastily wiping her tears away.

"But when he died, it hurt... and when I realized he was alive, I felt relief. It's hard to explain. I don't know what to do or think; it feels like I'm stuck here. I'm finally free from those shackles and Onigashima... but now that I'm free, I don't know how to live as anything other than a prisoner in a dusty basement of that depraved palace, even this sun feels so foreign"

"I can relate... becoming a courtesan just so I could survive... I never saw a sun so liberating".

"Hehe~ I thought Veyron and Hancock would take me, but they didn't... they abandoned me".

She tugged on my sleeve, her expression aggrieved. 

"Don't say that. I'm sure they didn't abandon you. Maybe they just need a rest from everything that happened to them."

I know, they told me everything... Wano was saved... just coincidentally. Because my father happened to involve himself in something he shouldn't. Veyron had come to save his wives, no more no less. It had been hard for him as well, I wouldn't be surprised if he had been sleeping all this time. But even then...

"..."

I didn't know; I had grown attached to them, even though I didn't know them well. In my mind, things played out differently than they did in reality. Now that I had the chance to set sail on my own, another barrier loomed.

"You can still go... nobody is keeping you here-"

'I know... I know I have nobody! Not here, not anywhere!'

*sob*

"I can't!"

"Why?"

"That's not what Oden would do!"

I forsook my tears and reached into my kimono and revealed something hidden, showing it to her, a notebook. 

"T-This is my father's... logbook!?"

"I found it in a river... and then, the old daimyo Ushimaru explained to me who Oden was. Since then, this journal has kept me going. Right now, Oden wouldn't leave; he'd stay here to help this island recover... even if on his own!"

"..." She took it, her eyes scanning the pages. "I didn't know... but this writing, it must be him."

"You can keep it, Hiyori" I offered. After all, it belonged to her family.

After reading a few pages, she closed her eyes, the journal in her hands. Placing it against my chest, she said something that resonated deeply.

"Having respect for someone is one thing, but wanting to become them is not healthy Yamato."

!!!

It was as if I heard Veyron's voice in my ear.

"My father was a great man, and he will be forever in my heart. But he wasn't perfect. He made mistakes," she said firmly, holding both my arms. Her stern gaze made me gulp audibly in nervousness.

"Right now, this country is vulnerable, I'm weak... you're the strongest person on this island. This country needs you, I need you! This country needs Yamato, the powerful daughter of Kaido, not Kozuki Oden! *sob* H-He's gone and he can't never be back. Yamato, we must be better!"

"..."

Even though she wished for nothing more than to cry, her expression remained strong as she tried earnestly to set me in the right mood, I'm conscious of it, of what you're doing. You'e not weak at all, Hiyori. 

"So as Yamato, tell me, what is it that you want?!"

If I don't change... nothing is going to change. 

"I want to be more powerful! I want to be strong enough to protect this country! I want to sail the seas and meet strong people... I want to meet Veyron and Hancock again and show them that I'm strong! I WANT TO FIGHT MY FATHER AND SHOW HIM I'M NOT A WEAK LITTLE GIRL!"

"Then go ahead, you can do it~"

She embraced me, and it felt warm. Is this how it feels to be hugged? I felt a surge of strength returning to my body.

RUMBLE!!!

In this world, power rules.

So, I'll be powerful Veyron, the next time we meet, I won't be the same! I respect and admire you, but I won't be like you... I will be better. I'll be Yamato.