I'll Take You Out To Sea, Just A Bomb Bracelet

"I'll take you out to sea!" Arias exclaimed with a bright smile, radiating warmth in Yamato's eyes.

"Out to sea? But why?" Yamato questioned in disbelief. She couldn't fathom why this man, who seemingly had explosive restraints on leaving the island, would offer to take her to sea.

Before Arias could respond, the surrounding pirates cautiously suggested, "Master Yamato, should we call for reinforcements? Master Quinn is still in the laboratory."

In response to their well-intentioned suggestion, Yamato shouted, "Shut up!" The embarrassed pirate quickly retreated.

Arias explained, "Isn't it your dream to set sail? If you wish to defeat Kaido, you can't remain confined to Ghost Island. Only by venturing out to sea and experiencing the wider world can you truly grow."

He continued, "Take Oden, for example. As admirable as he may be, only by embarking on your own journey will you realize the limitations of your current beliefs."

"Shut up!" Yamato, moved by Arias's words, erupted in fury upon hearing him belittle her idol, Kozuki Oden. "Kozuki Oden is a true man! I aspire to be like him! What right do you have to slander Oden?" she demanded passionately.

Arias spread his hands, questioning, "Are you going to be the one to lead Wano into misery, just like Oden did?"

"That wasn't Oden's intention! It happened because Orochi and Kaido were too deceitful, and Oden lost inadvertently!" Yamato vehemently defended Oden.

Arias sneered, "In a life-and-death battle, do you rely on the enemy's character? The moment Kaido schemed to seize Wano, he became Oden's relentless adversary. Faced with such an enemy, we must eliminate him by any means, instead of naively dancing naked, giving the enemy time to thrive!"

"The dignity of the strong? What moral integrity does he uphold when compared to the safety of a nation's people? At best, he's acting out of self-interest!"

"You!" Yamato retorted, her frustration evident. The surrounding pirates exchanged perplexed glances, witnessing a heated argument between the two fighters.

Unsettled by the unexpected turn of events, two pirates discreetly left the scene. One reported to Quinn, who was engaged in a silent experiment, while the other used a communication conch to inform Kaido of the situation.

On the battlefield, Yamato took a deep breath, visibly angered by Arias's words. Oden had become almost a guiding principle in her life, and someone attempting to dismantle that belief stirred deep resentment within her.

Arias, unfazed by Yamato's reaction, seemed entirely prepared for the heated exchange.

"You possess Oden's logbook, learning about his journey, having powerful allies like Roger's and Whitebeard's crews. Yet, you choose to forge your path, allowing Wano to fall into the hands of malevolent forces."

"If you were in Oden's shoes, would you follow his footsteps, trying to face the enemy and their plot alone, even if it meant the people suffering due to your decisions?"

Yamato was rendered speechless; this perspective had never been presented to her before. Her admiration for Oden had stemmed from the searing pot incident she witnessed as a child — a man willingly enduring immense pain for the sake of his retainers. The sight had left a profound impression on her, creating an unshakable idolization of Oden.

In her youth, she found his actions undeniably cool, assuming that this defined a real man. Consequently, she viewed all of Oden's choices through this filter. Now, this filter was shattered by the words of a stranger.

"Do you want to set sail with me? You need to decide what is right or wrong," Arias declared, his stern tone softening as he extended an invitation to Yamato.

"Set sail?" Yamato's resistance to Arias had waned. From their first encounter, he had expressed a desire to take her out to sea. However, the practicality of leaving Ghost Island posed a significant challenge in her mind.

He raised his wrist dejectedly, saying, "I can't go to sea. Once I leave Ghost Island, this bracelet will explode. Besides, I've eaten a Devil Fruit, becoming land-bound in this life, disconnected from the sea."

Arias was quick to counter, "So what if you have a Devil Fruit? Your father, Kaido, is also a Devil Fruit user. He became a powerful pirate who controls the world. Whitebeard, Big Mom, they're all formidable pirates like the Sea Emperors, and they too wield Devil Fruit powers. Marine figures like Admiral Buddha Sengoku, Vice Admirals Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Porusalino, they're all users of abilities. Isn't it the same as traveling across the sea?"

Yamato was moved by Arias's words but felt a sense of despair when she considered the explosive bracelet. "Where is this bracelet?" she asked.

Arias smiled confidently, "It's just a bomb bracelet." Stepping forward, he placed his hand on the bracelet, activated a magical device, and instantly transformed the object.

The next moment, the bracelet fell off Yamato's wrist.

"Really, truly removed? No explosion? So Kaido didn't actually want to blow me up!" Yamato muttered to herself. However, Arias had no intention of helping them mend their father-daughter relationship. Instead, he threw the bracelet far away and triggered the bomb concealed within.

A violent explosion echoed, claiming the lives of a large group of pirates surrounding them.