Chapter 26: Yamato!

"What kind of allies? What kind of enemies? Are you seriously considering skipping Kaido's banquet?" Caesar Clown, still trying to grasp the situation, looked puzzled.

Edie smirked, teasingly replying, "If you're scared, you don't have to come along. You know about Chenlong, right?"

Caesar's eyes widened in realization. "The cloning thing... Did that actually happen?"

"It did," Edie confirmed, his tone light but his words heavy with implication.

"But what if a fight breaks out? What about my research?" Caesar asked, his voice tinged with panic.

"You can always sell it to someone else," Edie replied nonchalantly. "There's no shortage of buyers for something like that."

"Are you really planning to kill Kaido?" Caesar's voice dropped to a whisper, filled with astonishment.

He didn't doubt Edie's capability. Chenlong was a perfect clone of Kaido, possessing the same stats and fruit abilities. And Chenlong was just one of the twelve Earthly Branches. The thought of eleven more clones with similar power was terrifying.

"Shenhou, Zishu, Chenlong... You're only bringing three subordinates? Shouldn't we call in more of the Earthly Branches? You've got to send someone to protect me! Shenhou, come and protect me!" Caesar panicked, clinging to Shenhou.

Edie chuckled, amused by Caesar's anxiety. "You're overestimating Kaido. Three of them are more than enough. If you're too afraid, you can always go back to your lab and hide."

Caesar quickly shifted his stance, laughing nervously. "Hehe... Of course I'll go! Dr. Edie, you can count on me to always be on your side!"

Zishu, Chenlong, and Shenhou stood up as well, ready for action. Zishu, with a grin on his face, couldn't contain his excitement. "A fight? Excellent! I could use the exercise."

Ignoring Zishu's enthusiasm, Edie led the way out of the living room, only to encounter the three Snake Sisters in the corridor.

"Master Edie?" Hancock asked, her voice soft and curious.

Edie paused, his expression softening. "Hancock, stay at the institute tonight and don't go anywhere."

"Yes~" Hancock and her sisters nodded obediently, though they were unsure of the reason behind Edie's request.

Edie ruffled Hancock's hair affectionately, a gentle smile playing on his lips, before he continued on his way out of the institute, his mind already focused on the fight ahead.

After Kaido ascended to the position of Shogun, he gradually relocated the headquarters of the Beasts Pirates from Onigashima to the Flower Capital. The once vibrant city was now swarming with pirates, turning the Flower Capital into a stronghold of chaos and lawlessness.

As Edie approached the banquet, he noticed that the soldiers guarding the city gates had been replaced by members of the Beasts Pirates. Under their guidance, Edie and his entourage quickly made their way to the banquet site.

The backyard of Kaido's mansion was alive with activity, the open-air banquet teeming with people. The air was filled with the sounds of music and laughter as dancing girls and geishas performed on stage. Pirates indulged in a feast below, drinking heavily, while scantily clad Meiji flitted between them, serving up food and wine.

"Edie, you're here," Queen called out, his large frame maneuvering through the crowd to greet him.

"Good evening," Edie replied with a polite smile.

Caesar, with his usual eerie chuckle, added, "Hey... It's been a while, Queen."

Queen's mouth twitched in irritation. "You! How's your research going? If you don't show results in the next six months, I won't be able to explain it to Boss Kaido."

Explain to Kaido? Caesar thought smugly to himself. Once we beat up Kaido, there won't be any more deadlines.

"Heh, don't worry, everything's progressing smoothly," Caesar replied, masking his true thoughts.

After the brief exchange, Queen's eyes fell on the three figures standing behind Edie. "Oh, are you the Lunarian that King mentioned, Chenlong? I didn't expect there to be more Lunarians alive besides King."

Shenhou remained silent, offering only his name, "I am Shenhou."

Queen was taken aback, his stiff gaze shifting to the next person.

"Hahaha, I'm Zishu," the masked man said with a grin. "You seem tense. How about we step outside and warm up a bit?" Zishu's challenge was clear.

Queen hesitated, sensing something off. Though masked, the exposed white hair and the skin on their palms did resemble King's. His eyes finally settled on the last person.

Chenlong spoke coldly, "I am Chenlong."

Queen met Chenlong's golden star-shaped eyes and was instantly hit with a wave of oppressive force. He could sense the immense strength radiating from him. No wonder this one could beat the brakes off King.

"Wait a minute, you three are all Lunarians?!" Queen's voice was filled with disbelief.

Edie smiled calmly. "They are my subordinates, members of the Twelve Earthly Branches. They are indeed... considered Lunarians."

Queen's mind raced. If these three were Lunarians, then there were potentially nine more of them. Could it be that a group of Lunarians had survived the World Government's purge and remained hidden all this time?

As Queen contemplated this possibility, he realized just how little he actually knew about Edie, despite their long-term cooperation. Edie had always been an enigma, his true capabilities and intentions veiled in mystery.

"Ahem, anyway, let's sit down first," Queen said, trying to regain his composure. He quickly led Edie and the others to a table in the center of the banquet. As soon as they were seated, a maid appeared, serving an array of delicacies.

"Anko soup, my favorite! Help yourselves, eat as much as you want!" Queen exclaimed, picking up a large bowl and digging in with gusto.

Edie watched in mild horror as Queen devoured the food. The sheer volume was staggering. If someone from Earth ate like this, Edie mused, they'd probably be hospitalized. Shaking his head, he glanced around the banquet. Kaido and King were notably absent, which left him uneasy. If Kaido decided to turn against him, Edie would have no choice but to kill him tonight. The current state of the Beasts Pirates was far from their peak. With only two of the three Disasters present—Jack being just a 9-year-old child and not yet part of the crew—their ranks were thin. The remaining six Flying Six were absent, leaving only a few capable fighters: Kaido, King, and Queen.

If it came down to it, Edie knew he could destroy the Beasts Pirates tonight if he wished.

As he mulled over these thoughts, Edie felt a small hand brush against his leg. Glancing down, he noticed a tiny white hand reaching out from under the table, groping around for something. The hand found an apple and quickly tried to snatch it.

"It's not good to steal," Edie said with a chuckle, swiftly grabbing the small wrist.

"It hurts!" came a pained cry from beneath the table. Edie lifted the tablecloth, revealing a cute little girl with wide, startled eyes. She had ombre white hair, a pair of red devil horns on her head, and wore a traditional Wanokuni white kimono paired with a long red skirt. The girl was chewing on a crab, its pincers sticking out from the corners of her mouth. Realizing she had been caught, she hurriedly tried to eat faster, her tiny mouth working overtime.

"There's food everywhere here. Why are you hiding under the table to eat?" Edie laughed, picking up the girl and placing her in his lap.

He recognized her immediately—Kaido's daughter, Yamato. She must be around nine years old now.

"Let me go! If my father finds out, he'll beat me again!" Yamato cried, wriggling in Edie's arms, trying to break free.

"Pfft...!" Queen, in the middle of sipping his Anko soup, suddenly spat it out, spraying it all over Caesar's face. "Your Highness!" he exclaimed in shock.

"Princess?" Caesar wiped the soup off his face, glaring at Queen. If he could beat him, he would have thrown a punch. "Oh, princess, are you Kaido's daughter?" Edie asked, feigning surprise as he gently tugged on Yamato's cheek. "Hiding under the table to eat in secret? Does your dad not let you eat?"

"It hurts, it hurts..." Yamato complained, swallowing the crab whole, shell and all. "My father makes me train all the time. If I don't finish my daily practice, he doesn't let me eat." She reached for the table, but her small hands couldn't quite reach the food in Edie's arms. Frustrated, she started squirming more.

"Let me go, let me go, Edie!"

"Huh? You know me?" Edie raised an eyebrow, surprised. He picked up a chicken drumstick and held it just out of Yamato's reach.

"I've seen you before! The last time there was an execution, I was hiding in the shrine across the way!" Yamato said, stretching her body as much as possible, her hands reaching for the drumstick above her head. Her focus was entirely on the food, causing her words to come out in broken fragments.

"Hahaha, I see. So you were there when Kozuki Oden was executed," Edie laughed, finally handing her the drumstick.

He couldn't help but wonder how a brute like Kaido managed to have such an adorable daughter. Though, he reminded himself, she was only cute when she was little. She'd grow up to constantly declare, "I am Kozuki Oden!"

"Mm-hmm..." Yamato nodded, happily munching on the drumstick, her mouth full.

"We can talk after you finish eating."

"Burp... I want more. I haven't eaten in three days. If it weren't for the banquet tonight, I might have starved to death," Yamato said, licking her lips as she finished the chicken, bones and all.

Edie marveled at the girl's appetite. "So, did you find Kozuki Oden's sailing diary and decide you want to be Oden? Is that why your father treats you this way?"

"Sailing diary?" Yamato looked confused. "What's that?"

A hint of doubt crossed Edie's mind. She hadn't found it? Could this be a butterfly effect from his presence? What else had his being here changed?

As he pondered, he picked up a large piece of meat and handed it to Yamato. She eagerly accepted it, her small teeth tearing into the flesh.

In the original story, Yamato had stumbled upon Kozuki Oden's voyage diary, which detailed his adventures after leaving Wanokuni, first with the Whitebeard Pirates and then with the Roger Pirates. That diary had been the catalyst for her obsession with Oden. But now, due to Edie's interference, Oden had not endured the full hour of boiling oil torture, and the nine retainers had been spared by Kaido's impulsive decision.

Without that pivotal moment, Yamato hadn't developed her deep admiration for Oden, nor had she found the diary in Kuri. It was a small change, but one with significant consequences.

"It's amazing how one small shift can cause such a ripple effect," Edie thought to himself, reflecting on how the spotlight during Oden's execution had shifted from Oden to himself and Orochi.

This little girl, Yamato—could it be that she admires me now? Edie wondered, a teasing grin spreading across his face.

"Do you admire me, Yamato?" Edie asked playfully, watching as she continued to munch on her food.

"Huh? Why would I admire you, Edie?" Yamato responded, her voice muffled as she chewed.

"You don't have to!" Edie said, his tone suddenly mischievous. He activated his Armament Haki and gave Yamato's cheek a firm pinch. "But I do want you to call me Uncle Edie!"

"It hurts, it hurts!" Yamato yelped, squirming in his grasp.

Just then, her small body tensed up, her large eyes widening in fear. Her gaze shifted to a spot not far away, and her porcelain doll-like face turned pale.

Father Kaido and King were headed straight toward them.

"Put me down! I need to hide! If my father sees me, he's going to beat me again!" Yamato pleaded, her voice trembling with panic.

"It doesn't matter. Your Uncle Edie is here," Edie replied with a calm smile, tightening his grip on her. Instead of letting her go, he continued to playfully tease her. If the little girl didn't have fun now, she might not have another chance. After all, there was a possibility that tonight might end with Kaido's death.

"Yamato!" Kaido's voice boomed as he approached with heavy, deliberate steps, his expression darkening the moment he saw Yamato cradled in Edie's arms. "What are you doing?" he demanded, his tone thunderous.

Yamato, terrified, tried to shrink deeper into Edie's embrace, trembling uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, Edie, Caesar, and the gang subtly shifted into a combat-ready stance, prepared for whatever might come next. The tension in the air was palpable, as everyone silently braced themselves for the possible confrontation that could erupt at any moment.