A deafening boom echoed through the street as Yamato, consumed by rage, swung her kanabo with all her might. It was the most powerful attack she could muster in her base form, and it connected perfectly. The female Celestial Dragon shot through the air like a cannonball, disappearing over the horizon in an instant.
For a moment, there was a stunned silence. The onlookers, who had been frozen in place, suddenly broke. Shock turned to sheer terror as the reality of what had just happened sank in. They scrambled in every direction, desperate to get away. They knew that if they didn't run now, they might never get the chance again.
But Yamato wasn't finished. Her anger still burning, she turned and started walking toward the male Celestial Dragon, who was frozen in place.
"You… you stay away from me!" he stammered, finally snapping out of his shock as he watched the spot where his daughter had vanished. The realization that this woman was not bluffing—that she would actually kill him—filled his eyes with fear. His voice trembled as he tried to sound intimidating. "You scoundrel! Guards, protect me! Kill her!"
Yamato's Thunder Bagua had released some of her fury, but her core question remained. "Why?" she roared, her voice echoing with indignation. "Why would you do such a despicable thing?"
The male Celestial Dragon stared at her, his fear momentarily replaced by pure, unadulterated rage. "You damned commoner! What right do you have to question me? I am a Celestial Dragon, a descendant of the Creators! I am a god! You are nothing but commoners, dogs raised by us! And you dare to harm my daughter? This is unforgivable! Unforgivable!"
Hearing him speak with such shameless arrogance, completely oblivious to his own evil, Yamato understood. Everything Jinbe had warned her about was true.
"Celestial Dragons…" she said, her voice low and filled with disgust. "You truly are the worst, ugliest, and most evil people in this world."
"What!?" The male Celestial Dragon's eyes went wide with disbelief before turning bloodshot with fury. "You scoundrel! How dare you! How dare you say that to me?! I'll kill you! Someone, kill her for me!"
But Yamato was already moving, her club raised high for another strike. Just as she was about to bring it down on the Celestial Dragon's head, a figure suddenly appeared beside her, grabbing her arm.
"Wait, Yamato!"
Yamato turned to see a woman she didn't recognize. "Who are you…?"
Bonney, having reverted to her adult form, looked at her with urgency. "My name is Bonney, but there's no time to explain! We have to get out of here, now!" She pulled on Yamato's arm, trying to drag her away. "If we don't leave right now, it'll be too late. An Admiral will be here any minute!"
"An Admiral!" Yamato's eyes widened. She remembered Jinbe's warning, but she wasn't ready to run just yet. "Wait a second…"
Seeing the woman trying to flee, the male Celestial Dragon's fear vanished, replaced by a triumphant sneer. "That's right, you scoundrel! Don't you dare try to run—"
Before he could finish his threat, Yamato spun around and smashed her kanabo into his head, sending him flying just like his daughter. With that, she turned to the slaves, her arm coated in black Armament Haki. With a series of swift movements, she shattered the explosive collars around their necks.
"Come with me!" she commanded.
The slaves exchanged uncertain glances, but seeing their chance for freedom, they quickly nodded and followed her without hesitation.
News that a Celestial Dragon had been attacked spread across the Sabaody Archipelago like wildfire. The initial disbelief among the populace quickly gave way to panic. Everyone knew what an attack on a World Noble meant: a full-scale military response. A battle was coming, and anyone caught in the crossfire would be lucky to survive. The islanders began to evacuate, knowing that staying would be a death sentence.
Amid the chaos, Yamato and Bonney raced through the grassy groves, the four freed slaves struggling to keep up. The slaves, particularly the two women, were in poor physical condition after their time in captivity and couldn't match Yamato's pace.
Just as they began to fall behind, Red, the giant slave who had been silent until now, wordlessly scooped up the two women, holding them securely in his massive arms. Their speed instantly increased.
Yamato glanced over, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. Their gazes met, and as they ran, the giant spoke in a slow, deep voice.
"Thank you."
An unfamiliar feeling stirred in Yamato's heart. It was the feeling of being trusted, of being relied upon by others. In that moment, a new thought took root in her mind. Her dream had always been to join the Whitebeard Pirates, but maybe… maybe she wanted to form her own crew, just like Kozuki Oden had.
Now wasn't the time for such thoughts, however. She simply nodded. "You're welcome."
Bonney, looking worried, ran beside her. "Yamato, where are we going?"
"To Port 16," Yamato replied. "My ship is docked there."
The Marine response was slower than one might expect. While there was a Marine base on Sabaody, it was still a significant distance from Marine Headquarters at Marineford. It took time for the news of the attack to be relayed and for forces to be dispatched. Even Kizaru, the fastest of the Admirals thanks to his Logia Devil Fruit, couldn't arrive instantly, especially since he was currently recovering from injuries at the G-1 Marine Base.
This delay gave Yamato and her group a crucial window. The area they were running through was one of Sabaody's lawless zones, where Marine patrols were scarce. Aside from a few minor obstacles, they managed to reach the port without being intercepted.
Yamato spotted her ship immediately. "There it is! That's my ship! Everyone, get on board, quickly! We have to leave this island!"
The four former slaves didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled onto the deck, their movements filled with desperate urgency.
Only Bonney hesitated, her eyes fixed on the ship Yamato was pointing to. She was stunned. She recognized the symbol carved into the ship's bow—it was the mark of the Beasts Pirates, one of the Four Emperors of the New World.
She stared at the serious expression on Yamato's face, a single question echoing in her mind. Just who is this woman?
To be connected to two of the Four Emperors… suddenly, the disaster of striking a Celestial Dragon didn't seem quite so hopeless. She kept her thoughts to herself, knowing that everyone had their secrets. If Yamato wanted to tell her, she would do so in her own time.
With that, they all boarded the ship, quickly raising the anchor and unfurling the sails. As the vessel began to pull away from the port, the slaves burst into tears of joy and relief.
"This is great! We're finally free!"
To them, being on a ship sailing out to sea meant safety. No matter how powerful the Marines were, catching a single ship on the vast ocean would be difficult. Even Bonney and Yamato shared a flicker of this hope.
But their relief was short-lived. The air around them suddenly grew intensely hot, and a blinding red glow illuminated their faces. Everyone looked up, their eyes widening in horror.
Descending from the sky were colossal fists made of molten rock, raining down like meteors. It was a Great Eruption.
Bonney froze, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks as her body trembled uncontrollably. She knew exactly what this was, who this was.
Then, just as quickly as the heat had come, the air around her turned intensely cold. A hand pressed down on her shoulder, steadying her.
"Bonney, protect the others," Yamato said, her voice firm and resolute. "I'll handle this."
Bonney was startled and turned to protest, but the words died in her throat. The sight before her left her utterly stunned once more.
Yamato had transformed. A magnificent, divine creature from myth and legend now stood on the deck. In her Human-Beast form of the Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Okuchi no Makami, she radiated an aura of immense power. Swirling clouds of frigid air coiled around her club as she stared up at the magma fists raining down from the sky. With an enraged roar, she swung her weapon.
"Divine Swiftness: White Snake!"
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