"Grandpa Ryu, Grandpa Ryu! What's wrong, Grandpa Ryu!"
Seeing Grandpa Ryu lying weakly in the puddle, Apis, who had just calmed down, became anxious again. But no matter how much she shook him, Grandpa Ryu no longer responded.
"The old man's time has come. This is the Dragon's Nest of the Millennial Dragons, and also our graveyard."
Ferren transformed back into his dragon-human form and explained to Apis beside him.
"The old man got lost by accident. After being separated from his group, he always felt very lonely. He was happy spending time with you.
Being able to return here means that his final dream has come true. Flying was the memory he left for you, so you don't have to be sad.
This is the place where things end, but also where they begin."
There were a few other Millennial Dragons similar to Grandpa Ryu, and almost at the exact moment of their deaths, the cry of a newborn Millennial Dragon echoed across the island. The cycle of the Millennial Dragons had begun anew on this island.
The Millennial Dragons did not stay here for long. The newly born Millennial Dragon quickly began flapping its wings and, in a very short time, mastered the ability to fly. Based on their different groups, they soon parted ways once more.
The surfacing of Lost Island caused the ice created by Yamato to shatter. The water currents quickly dispersed the ice, and the Going Merry was able to set sail once again. The Straw Hat crew resumed their journey.
Apis returned to her people, carrying with her the memories of Grandpa Ryu, and began her own legacy.
Meanwhile, Yamato and Ulti were staring blankly at a map.
"Something's not right. The position doesn't quite match up. Based on the flight speed of the Millennial Dragons, it should be around here."
Pulling out a pair of non-prescription glasses from somewhere, Yamato put them on and used a ruler to measure something on the map.
She could handle simple cartography, and she understood how to read a sea map, but no matter how she compared it with the data Ferren had provided, it just didn't add up.
"Could those Millennial Dragons have remembered incorrectly? I mean, they're all pretty old, so it's normal to mix things up."
"Sister Yamato, do you think... maybe you should change maps? The information from those Millennial Dragons dates back hundreds of years. Many islands have mysteriously disappeared over time. If you use a map from a few hundred years ago, maybe you'll find something."
In a normal world, natural disasters over the span of centuries could cause an island to disappear—let alone in this world.
Being swallowed by a giant Sea King, digested by an Island Eater, obliterated by Uranus' attack—there were simply too many reasons for an island to vanish.
Even an affiliated nation of the World Government could, for various reasons, become a target for erasure. Using the current map might not necessarily help in finding such places.
"That makes sense. When the time comes, we'll just go find Robin. She should be better at this. Besides, she mentioned earlier that she wanted to beat someone up. But before that, there's something else we need to do."
"What?"
"We're going to wreck this place. Hercules said that the Marines from that branch have been capturing large numbers of Heracross, and the branch Captain is a complete scumbag. It's the perfect time to teach them a lesson."
Ding~
Yamato's Rotom suddenly chimed with a notification. As she looked at the Rotom screen, her expression turned pale.
"What's wrong now? Did you eat something bad?"
"No... Uta reposted my recent post..."
This was their private little circle—a special chat group within the Beasts Pirates that only those with exclusive Rotom could post or reply to updates, and Uta was one of them.
"So what? It's just a repost. Do you really have to look so unpleasant?"
"But... Sister Stella reposted it too. And whatever she reposts, Tesoro will repost as well… and he never hides his posts from anyone! If my father sees it, I'm in trouble!"
"No, I need to bring this up with Dad. Rotom Phone needs a 'disable repost' function."
"That should be Queen's job, but whatever. Captain Kaido doesn't seem like the type to check people's posts."
"No, Pay-tan, you don't get it. My father... you can't measure him using normal human logic. What he lets people see might just be a façade."
From what she knew about Kaido, he would love nothing more than for her to train 25 hours a day. Seeing her living so leisurely wouldn't be an issue at first, but if he got drunk and fixated on it, that would be a huge trouble.
Improving the system would have to wait. Right now, Yamato, along with Ulti and Page One, was heading toward 16th Branch of Marines, planning to give the Marines there a painful lesson.
….
While Nezumi was recovering from his injuries, wrapped in bandages inside the branch, Yamato descended from the sky. The defenses of 16th Branch were meaningless in front of her. The three of them effortlessly destroyed the entire branch.
The building where Nezumi lived was also smashed with a single strike, ironically salvaging his reputation—turning him into a captain who died in the line of duty.
Since the attack occurred within the branch, the personnel of the 16th Branch managed to successfully send out a message. However, with such a significant commotion, the reporters from the World Economy News Paper, scattered across various locations, reacted even more swiftly.
Adding in the survivors' reports of the 8th Branch's Nelson Fleet, it wasn't long before Morgans published a news article.
[The Oni Princess Wreaks Havoc Across East Blue—The Complete Annihilation of the 8th Branch's Nelson Fleet and The Destruction of the 16th Branch!]
There was no need for exaggerated headlines. Simply stating the objective facts and the names involved was enough to capture the attention of the majority. This was the kind of big news Morgans loved the most.
The World Economy News Paper spread across the world via the News Coo, its influence as pervasive as ever, prompting Kaido to also take action in response.
"Worororo! That brat Yamato did well. It's just East Blue, but at least she's starting to show promise. Now that's my daughter!"
To Kaido, a daughter who actively caused trouble was a good daughter. Wrecking a Marine branch—even if it was just a weak one in East Blue—was still a major step forward.
"Where are you going?"
Though he was pleased when he spoke, Kaido was already striding towards the gates of Onigashima with his kanabo in hand. Judging by Kaido's demeanor, Arceus instinctively felt that he was about to stir up another major commotion.
"Worororo! Isn't it obvious? A young one's journey shouldn't be interrupted like this. I'm just going to give those Marines something else to worry about."
If Yamato had kept leisurely traveling, Kaido would have planned a new round of intensive training for her. However, since she had already stirred up quite a commotion, he is now going to help her buy more time for her journey.
Given her identity, causing such a huge commotion in East Blue meant that the Marines wouldn't ignore it. Even if they might not be able to locate Yamato, her journey would inevitably be disrupted.
So, Kaido's way of solving this hidden danger for Yamato was to create an even larger commotion in the New World, making sure the Marines wouldn't dare divert their attention elsewhere.
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