Listening to Arceus, Yamato recalled some terrifying scenes—or rather, memories. After all, three-quarters of her 20-year life had been spent enduring Kaido’s beatings.
Given Kaido’s personality, changing his mindset was impossible; only force can make him reconsider.
As for Zekrom and Reshiram…she tried hard, but her progress has been limited. You could say there’s been a little bit of success—now Zekrom occasionally listens to her ramblings and even responds sometimes. It’s not like before when Zekrom was completely indifferent.
Reshiram, however, remained the same as before. She didn’t think these two were easy to get along with at all.
There was no need for Arceus to ask Yamato; he had already received some feedback from Zekrom and Reshiram. Zekrom was fine, but Reshiram’s evaluation of Yamato was that she is completely naïve and has no grasp of truth.
“Yamato, perhaps it’s time for you to experience more of reality.” [TN: Reality-Truth]
“Reality?”
“Take Speed and the others with you and set sail on your own this time. The journey will last half a month, and you can go wherever you like.”
Half a month, factoring in the round trip, meant she only had about a week of actual travel time. It wasn’t much, but it was manageable. If the ship was fast enough, she could even go from the Beasts Pirates’ territory to Big Mom’s territory.
“What’s the point of this?”
“Of course, there is a point. This time is different from before—it’s your first truly ‘solo’ journey. We won’t help you with any supplies or logistical support.”
At that moment, Yamato didn’t fully grasp what those words meant. It wasn’t until the moment of departure that she finally understood.
“Where’s my ship? Why has it been replaced by this wooden boat?”
What lay before her was not her personal vessel but an ordinary small ship from Wano Country. With her limited sailing skills, it was uncertain whether she could even make it out of Wano Country.
“Oni Princess, this is under Lord Arceus’ orders. Your ship was built using the financial resources and technology of the Beasts Pirates, and thus falls under supplies or logistical support. Except for fresh water, this ship carries no supplies…”
Yamato was different from ordinary people since birth. Kaido’s way of thinking made her childhood far from happy, even with Arceus in the picture. Despite this variable, the outcome was still mixed, with both joys and sorrows.
However, she never lacked anything materially. From the day she was born, Chansey and Miltank were always by her side. Everything she ate or used was top-tier, and even as she grew up, her equipment when she went out remained first-class.
The Beasts Pirates’ logistics always met her needs, combined with all kinds of advanced technology on board and her own strength, her voyages were more like a picnic.
As a result, she had never experienced the “truth” of the sea. With her strength, she could avoid most troubles, but without external supplies, she would be able to better understand this world.
Had she been able to operate the ship alone, she might have actually gone on the journey solo.
After being assigned to Yamato’s crew, Speed and the others acted as her vice-captains. Depending on their interests, they had learned different skills: Speed as the navigator, Mizerka as the cook, and Solitaire as the helmsman, capable of operating most ships.
As for Yamato herself, besides being the captain, she handled all the heavy lifting and combat activities.
If it had been her own ship, many Pokémon could have helped her, but now, all of that is gone.
As she set sail, the Genesis also completed its preparations and began a new round of voyage. But compared to the grand Genesis, the small ship seemed rather shaky.
…………………
“What kind of antique is this ship?!”
Yamato brushed her hand along the ship’s railing. Looking at the handful of dust, she began to seriously doubt whether the ship was still fit to sail.
“Oni Princess, Lord Arceus mentioned that this was the ship they used for their very first voyage. It may not be worth much, but it holds significant sentimental value… If you break it…”
“What would happen? Just say it, what’s there to be afraid of?”
“Well… Lord Arceus implied that if the ship were to be damaged, then for the next one year, whatever Governor-General Kaido does, he won’t stop him.”
Slap, slap.
Yamato slapped her cheeks to snap herself out of it and regain focus.
“Alright! The first objective of this voyage is to protect this ship at all costs!”
Even with someone interfering, Kaido’s actions were like those of a madman. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what a terrifying year it would be if no one kept him in check.
From the moment they set off, Yamato kept a close eye on anything that might threaten the ship. If not for the fact that Arceus had already informed the Magikarp and Gyarados outside, she would have asked them to help pull the ship. After all, the sea currents outside Wano Country were just too dangerous.
In the end, she chose to use Namuji Glacier Fang to freeze out a relatively safe route, allowing them to sail smoothly toward the outside world.
…
About a week after Arceus and Yamato left Wano Country, Kaido received new intel from his subordinates. Since both of them had left, the responsibility for making important judgments naturally fell to Kaido.
“Boss Kaido, here’s this year’s financial report. For various reasons, high-quality wood has become especially sought after this year. All the major forces are collecting high-quality wood from outside. Our ships have also sustained significant damage during fights, so replenishing our supplies might be delayed this year…”
“Jack, have you been infected by Yamato?”
Kaido impatiently scratched his head as he listened to Jack’s report.
“Ah, Boss, you mean…”
“We’re pirates, aren’t we? If someone has what we need, we just go and take it. Do you plan on waiting in line?”
Let me think… The last time I passed by the Standing Kingdom, I saw they had a pretty decent fleet. Go there and seize 10 ships as replacements.”
Kaido briefly recalled the fleet he had seen before. Those large warships would be perfect to replace the losses suffered by the Beasts Pirates.
“10 ships…Boss, why not take them all?”
“Take them all? And let them gather dust? With our current manpower, ten ships is more than enough for us. If we took them all, what if that kingdom declines from now on?”
Just take a portion, let them replenish their fleet, and next time we need more ships, we can go look for them. What’s that called again… oh yeah, sustainable development. Arceus mentioned it once; I think that’s what he meant.”
“I understand. I’ll set off immediately…”
“Wait, take Tyranitar and Emboar with you. I want to see how those two big fellows work together.”
Following Kaido’s orders, Jack set out on the expedition with the two behemoths. Emboar had already been tested before, but this was Tyranitar’s first time, so it was unknown how well they would cooperate.
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