Chapter 34

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Chapter 34 The Last Red Scabbards? Cats And Dogs Left!

Upon hearing Kaido's words, Yamato leaped back a few steps. Hefting the mace on his shoulder, he let a faint smile cross his face before uttering, "The so-called Red Scabbards Nine Heroes are too weak, Dad. No one here can put up a fight." She probably believed that no one could stand against her power. And that was to be expected, given that Kaido had trained her to possess 60% of his own combat abilities. It wasn't as if she was meant to spar with anyone on the same level as the Kinemon.

Then she pivoted to glance at Momonosuke. She didn't quite grasp what misfortunes the child had endured, but Kaido had given his orders. She asked with a hint of suspicion, "Should I knock him out with a straight stick?" Kaido, not intending to let the child off easily, responded nonchalantly, "Summon some wolves with your powers." The implication was clear: he was to be torn apart by beasts.

At that moment, Momonosuke was bound by a large snake. With his mouth covered, he couldn't utter a sound. All he could do was struggle frantically on all fours, the tears in his eyes revealing his desperate attempt to resist.

Yamato frowned, deeming the punishment a bit harsh. Yet she had unwavering trust and obedience towards Kaido's commands. White fur sprouted from her body, her ears grew pointed and long, and her teeth sharpened to a fearsome degree. Within moments, she had taken the form of a white-haired, canine woman, capable of controlling the divine power of the phantom beast species. Her transformed state was revered by many as the wolf god—it was nothing to call forth a few wolves.

After tossing her head back, Yamato howled with a throaty strength, indistinguishable from the call of a wolf. "Whoosh!!!" In no time, two wolves appeared, entering through the throngs of samurai to stand beside Kaido and Yamato. She let out another gentle howl, "Woohoo~" and it seemed the wolves understood, fixing their gaze upon Momonosuke, who lay in the serpent's grasp. In response, Momonosuke's thrashing intensified, and a stream of liquid began to trickle from beneath him.

Noticing the wetness, the snake sneered, "This kid is so scared he's wet himself! Gollum hahahaha!!" and flung Momonosuke to the ground. The wolves, eyes alight with hunger, lunged.

What followed was a series of panicked cries from Momonosuke, "Don't!!" "The meat underneath isn't tasty!!" "I give up! I yield to Kaido!" "Ah!!!" "It hurts! Father... Mother... Kinemon, save me!" "My hands!! My feet!! Not these!!!" "Ah, it hurts..." His voice faded, his consciousness ebbed away, and his eyes grew listless. Momonosuke perished.

"His Highness Momonosuke!!!!" Raizo, covered in blood and riddled with wounds, fought fiercely but arrived too late to save Momonosuke. As if a chainsaw rent his heart, his spirits plummeted. He lamented the misinterpretation of Madame Shi's prophecy, that their return would bring such calamity, and with witness to their total annihilation, he knew his end was near. With his last ounce of strength, Raizo hurled a final scroll at Kaido, sealed his hands, and shouted, "Explode!!"

A burst of heat rolled out from the scroll, hinting at a massive fiery explosion about to erupt. Yamato, frowning, breathed out a frigid blast, freezing the scroll solid. It dropped to the ground inertly, and the threat of explosion ceased.

Raizo stood dumbfounded, unable to elicit any response. Kaido, with a squint of indifference, deemed the matter unworthy of his involvement and turned away. As he left, he commanded, "Cut off their heads! Place them with the previous group!"

...

That night, inside the military mansion of the capital of flowers, the royalist who had served as acting general for a few days now stepped down to serve as a secretary and maid for Kaido, pouring sake for him. Yamato, seemingly disinterested in anything else, sat on the sidelines enjoying her meat, unaffected by the day's events and with her appetite intact. Kurozumi and Kurozumi Kanjuro knelt directly in front of Kaido, their presence granted only because Kaido had a question for them.

"Kanjuro has talent. Snake, how about you give him to me?" Kaido asked casually as he sipped his sake.

The big snake was taken aback initially but then replied with a humble smile, "Kanjuro will indeed be useful to you. As a member of the Beasts Pirates, he will naturally follow your commands." His statement effectively transferred Kanjuro's allegiance from being his vassal to a subordinate under the Beasts Pirates.

Turning to Kanjuro, he said, "From now on, you will serve Lord Kaido and follow only his orders. I will no longer be the head of your family."

Kanjuro accepted this new assignment flawlessly, bowed to Kaido, and acknowledged him as "Kaido-sama." His absolute obedience extended to any command, even if it meant being given away.

Kaido, observing the big snake's subservience, was slightly taken aback. "You're much more obedient than last time, big snake. Not like the last time when you fought to death."

The big snake chuckled nervously, sweat forming on his forehead.

Satisfied, Kaido instructed Kanjuro, "Go join the Marines as my undercover agent. You don't need to conceal your strength, but keep your Wanokuni identity hidden."

Kanjuro pledged to follow the command seriously, promising to enact his role with dedication.

Kaido assured him, "The ship will wait for you at Jiuli port and will depart tomorrow."

Kaido then turned to Yamato and inquired, "Did you set a meeting with the Tobiroppo?"

Yamato, setting down her steak, confirmed with a gleam and a smirk, "Yes, because I'm planning to go to sea with you later, I want to take care of their challenge first."

Kaido nodded, understanding her intent. He had his reasons for taking Yamato sea-bound: to eliminate the last of the Red Scabbards Nine Heroes or the entire fur clan, to avert memory issues for Yamato, knowing only he could control the entire pirate crew, and to prepare for Kozuki's return and the ensuing confrontation with the Straw Hat crew.

Yamato, brimming with confidence, declared, "I'll be back soon, Daddy," and headed towards the door. She regarded Who's-Whofeng's challenge as insignificant, yet another obstacle she would easily overcome.