In the South Blue, the winds carried the scent of change to the Sorbet Kingdom. This peaceful land had once been the hometown of the Warlord Bartholomew Kuma. After parting ways with her friends Ace and Luffy, Yamato had led her crew across the treacherous, windless waters of the Calm Belt to return to this very spot.
Yamato's heart had changed. She no longer had any interest in pretending to be the legendary samurai Oden, nor did she feel the pull to become the Pirate King. Her true desire was far more noble. She wanted to liberate oppressed nations across the vast sea, just as she had once helped free the people of the Sorbet Kingdom. She had planned her future perfectly, or so she thought until variables began to appear.
On the third day after her return, a massive Marine warship appeared on the horizon. Leading the vessel was Vice Admiral Momonga, a veteran whose power was recognized across the Grand Line. He didn't come for battle, but to deliver a formal recruitment order from Marine Headquarters. The World Government wanted Yamato to fill one of the vacant seats among the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Yamato's answer was an immediate and firm refusal. Through her experiences over the last few months, she had seen the world for what it truly was. To her, the World Government was the greatest tumor on the sea, the Marines were merely their pawns, and the Warlords were nothing more than their accomplices.
However, Momonga's next words sparked a fire of rage in both Yamato and her companion, Bonney. "Yamato, if you refuse this recruitment, we will judge everything you have done here," Momonga said coldly. "That includes the citizens who supported you. If you resist, the next thing to arrive won't be a single ship; it will be a Marine Buster Call."
"What did you just say!?" Bonney screamed, her voice shaking with fury. "This is a joke! The Sorbet Kingdom is my father's territory, and he is a Warlord! You Marines have no right to attack this place. Are you really going to break your original agreement with him?"
Momonga looked slightly embarrassed, but his voice remained steady. "It is true that this kingdom is Kuma's territory and a recognized member of the World Government. Because of that, the Marines have an obligation to protect it if it suffers persecution from pirates." He looked directly at Yamato, his meaning clear. In the eyes of the law, Yamato was the "pirate" currently occupying the land.
Bonney tried to charge at the Vice Admiral, but she was quickly held back by her crewmates, Red and Diaz. Seeing the shameless way the World Government twisted the concept of "justice," Yamato finally spoke. "What if I choose to leave here right now?"
"That would be for the best," Momonga replied. "In that case, the former King Beckley would return and resume his rule over this nation."
Yamato's fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. She knew King Beckley was a despicable man—a tyrant who had once tried to burn his own citizens alive just to maintain his power. She finally understood the weight of her father's reputation. People only found the courage to resist when they heard that Kaido's daughter was leading them.
After two days of agonizing deliberation, Yamato realized she had no other choice. To protect the people of Sorbet from a Buster Call or the return of a tyrant, she accepted the position. Yamato, daughter of the Emperor Kaido, became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
As the news of the new Warlords spread like wildfire across the ocean, it eventually reached the white, sandy shores of Baltigo. This hidden island served as the secret headquarters of the Revolutionary Army.
"What is going on? Why would Yamato choose to become a Warlord?" Emporio Ivankov shouted, jumping up in surprise. Having recently escaped from the Great Prison, Impel Down, and survived the war at Marineford, the flamboyant commander was shocked to see Yamato's face in the newspaper.
The other Revolutionaries in the room looked on with interest. Monkey D. Dragon, the mysterious leader of the Revolutionary Army and the world's most wanted man, asked, "Ivankov, are you very concerned about this girl?"
"Dragon, I originally hoped she would join us!" Ivankov explained. "She helped the Sorbet Kingdom and has a heart of gold. She's a natural Revolutionary! I have to go and find out what happened."
Sabo, the young Chief of Staff, picked up the paper to look for himself. His memories had only recently returned after seeing the news of his brothers, Ace and Luffy, at the war. "Ivankov is right," Sabo said with a nod. "Yamato is a good friend to Ace and Luffy. Her strength is incredible—honestly, she might even be stronger than I am. If she joined us, our power would increase tremendously."
"But she is the daughter of Kaido, one of the Four Emperors," Crow, the commander of the North Army, pointed out solemnly. "Is that really someone we can trust?"
"There won't be a problem," Sabo insisted. "She risked her life to save my brothers. That's enough for me to trust her."
Ivankov added, "I've talked to Bonney before. Yamato severed all ties with her father a long time ago. That's why she went out to sea in the first place."
"She cut ties with an Emperor?" Belo Betty, the commander of the East Army, smiled curiously. "It seems even the most powerful men in the world have trouble with their families." She glanced toward Dragon, knowing that his own son, the "Straw Hat" Luffy, had just caused a massive stir at Marineford.
Dragon remained calm under the gaze of his commanders. "Since that's the case, Ivankov, take Sabo with you. Go find her. If you can convince her to join us, do it. If not, at least give her any help she needs. We owe Kuma more than we can ever repay."
The room went quiet. They all knew the sacrifice their friend Kuma had made, becoming a mindless weapon for the government to protect their secrets.
"Understood, Dragon," Ivankov said. "Sabo and I will leave immediately."
Meanwhile, deep in the New World, the sea was anything but calm. On an island that once flew the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates, a brutal battle was raging.
On one side stood the newly appointed Warlord, "Whitebeard Jr." Edward Weevil. Despite his strange appearance, he was a monster whose physical strength was said to rival a young Whitebeard. On the other side was Squard, the captain of the Whirlpool Spider Pirates and one of the many allies who had served under the late Whitebeard.
Since the death of the legendary pirate, the Whitebeard Pirates' territories had become the most targeted areas in the New World. Every greedy pirate and power-hungry organization wanted to take a piece of the empire for themselves. Though their leader was gone, the remaining captains were world-class powers who had managed to hold their ground through several bloody battles.
But now, they faced a nightmare. Weevil, claiming to be the true son of Whitebeard, had begun a crusade to wipe out the "false" sons. With the authority of a Warlord and the power of a legend, he launched a devastating attack on the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates.
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