Chapter 41: Kidnapping

The streets of Shirakawa Island's eastern city were alive with the vibrant lights of the year-end carnival. Music echoed in the air, and the laughter of children mingled with the conversations of adults as stalls sold food and games entertained visitors. Yamato, as usual, couldn't resist the allure of the festivities, her energetic spirit drawing her from one attraction to another.

As she walked through the carnival, her eyes sparkled with joy when she saw a punching machine. Without hesitation, she ran up to it. Her small fists clenched, and with a mighty punch, the machine's score skyrocketed, drawing gasps from the nearby spectators. Yamato grinned, wiping the sweat from her brow before hopping onto the merry-go-round.

As the ride spun, Yamato spotted a group of kids around her age, waving at her from the crowd. She recognized them as children of the Beast Pirates and shirakawa island , friends she had played with before. Once the ride came to a stop, she leaped off and joined them.

"Yamato, you're finally here!" one of the kids called out.

"Come on, let's see if we can win some prizes!" another one shouted as they all began running toward the game booths.

Together, the group of children raced around, laughing and challenging each other to various carnival games. They shared snacks, from sticky cotton candy to savory fried fish, and their energy seemed endless.

But amidst the fun, the group noticed something was off. Everything was perfect-until it wasn't.

"Where's Riku?" one of the girls suddenly asked, scanning the crowd.

Everyone froze. Riku, the youngest of their group, had been with them just a few moments ago, laughing and eating cotton candy. But now, he was nowhere to be found.

"Maybe he wandered off?" another suggested, her voice uncertain.

Yamato frowned, her instincts kicking in. "We should look for him," she said, already moving. The others followed, worry etched on their faces as they searched through the crowd.

They retraced their steps, calling out his name, but there was no response. As the minutes ticked by, panic began to set in.

"Do you think he's alright?" one of the boys asked nervously, glancing around the darkening streets.

"We'll find him," Yamato said firmly, trying to keep the group calm. But the sinking feeling in her chest told her something was wrong.

They left the bustling heart of the carnival, moving toward the outskirts of the town, where the lights dimmed, and the noise of the festivities faded into the distance. The air felt colder here, and the shadows stretched long across the ground.

A group of rough-looking men stood by a dark alley, among group of people, Riku in their grasp. One of them had his hand clamped over the boy's mouth, muffling his cries for help.

As they follow him they came across group of men carrying lot of children.

"Well, well," one of the kidnappers sneered, stepping forward as he noticed the rest of the children approaching. "Looks like we've caught ourselves some more prizes."

Yamato's eyes widened, her heart racing. "Let him go!" she shouted, stepping protectively in front of her friends.

The leader of the kidnappers grinned, his crooked teeth glinting in the moonlight. "Or what? You gonna fight us, little girl?" he taunted, pulling out a long knife and twirling it in his hand.

One of the other kidnappers-a tall, menacing man with scars across his face-chuckled darkly as his gaze landed on one of the girls in Yamato's group. "That one's pretty," he muttered, licking his lips. "She'll fetch a nice price."

The children tensed, fear evident on their faces. But Yamato wasn't backing down. She clenched her fists, determination flaring in her eyes. "I won't let you hurt my friends!"

Without warning, Yamato charged forward, her small but powerful fist aiming for the leader's stomach. He barely managed to dodge, stumbling back in surprise.

"Tch, these brats are feisty!" one of the kidnappers hissed as he pulled out his own weapon. "Let's teach 'em a lesson."

Chaos erupted as the children, Beast Pirates by blood and spirit, engaged in the fight. Yamato's friends, though young, had been trained in combat, and they fought with everything they had. Fists flew, and the sounds of punches and grunts filled the air. The kidnappers were strong, but the children weren't giving up easily.

Yamato landed a solid hit on one of the kidnappers, knocking him into a nearby wall. "Stay down!" she growled, her fiery spirit burning brighter with every strike.

But the fight wasn't without cost. In the heat of the battle, one of the kidnappers, sneaky and quick, managed to slip behind one of the boys in Yamato's group. Before anyone could react, the kidnapper drove his knife into the boy's side.

The boy let out a sharp cry, collapsing to the ground as blood stained his clothes. Panic spread through the group as they saw their friend fall.

"We shouldn't have come alone!" one of the girls screamed, rushing to the boy's side. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to stop the bleeding with her hands. "We should've gone to the adults..."

" Now is not the time of thinking, what if !" another shouted, one of the feisty boy . "We have to finish this ourselves!"

The kidnappers, seeing the children distracted, took the opportunity to strike again. One of them raised his knife, aiming for the girl who was holding her bleeding friend.

Just as the blade was about to descend, Yamato's voice rang out, filled with raw power.

"STOP IT!!!"

"BwoooomKiiiinn!"

A massive wave of energy erupted from Yamato, the very air around them vibrating with power. The ground shook as an overwhelming pressure bore down on everyone present. Most of the kids and kidnappers froze, their faces twisted in terror as they collapsed, unconscious. Only a few remained standing, barely able to hold their weapons steady.

"H-Haki of the Supreme King?!" one of the kidnappers gasped, his voice trembling. "How... how does a kid have this kind of power?"

The captain of the kidnappers, his face grim, stared at Yamato. "If we let her live, she'll become even more dangerous," he muttered, his voice low. "We have to finish her now!"

He pulled out a pistol, aiming it directly at Yamato's head.

But before he could pull the trigger, a blur of movement shot through the night.

---

"Hey everyone, Shirakawa Island is going to become a military dictatorship. Which name fits best?

A) Asphalon

B) Drakovia

C) Feroxia

D) Leave your suggestions in the comments!"