"Alright, alright, idiot father, can't you take a break? This is Great Aunt, your older sister; speak more politely," Yamato interrupted the two directly.
Great Aunt?
As soon as those words left her mouth, everyone except Big Mom was stunned. Kaido was the most bewildered of them all. What did he just hear? His daughter was actually calling Big Mom "Great Aunt." He wondered if he had misheard her.
It wasn't just Kaido; King, Queen, and Jack all looked at Yamato in complete shock. King and Jack had their faces covered, so their expressions remained hidden, but Queen's eyes were practically bulging out of his head. Maria and Haruko only felt a momentary flicker of surprise before quickly accepting it; after all, this was Yamato, and with her, nothing was impossible.
"Brat, what did you just call her?" Kaido glared. Yamato had actually acknowledged that old hag Linlin as a relative without his knowledge. It felt as if she didn't take him, her own father, seriously at all.
"Great Aunt. Idiot father, is there something wrong with your ears? Weren't you and Great Aunt very close before? If that's the case, there's nothing wrong with me calling her Great Aunt. Besides, she is one of the Yonko just like you. What's wrong with me acknowledging a powerhouse like her?" Yamato spread her hands casually.
"Yamato is right. Kaido, if she wants to recognize me as her Great Aunt, do you really have a problem with that?" Big Mom beamed, clearly enjoying the situation.
Kaido stared at Big Mom and his daughter, his mustache twitching. He didn't even know if he should be angry anymore. Although he was an old acquaintance of Linlin, their relationship wasn't at the point where his child should be calling her family. He felt like he had lost face big time.
"You brat," Kaido growled fiercely at Yamato.
Yamato acted as if she didn't see the death stare and instead invited Big Mom to sit. "Great Aunt, please take a seat. Let's have the feast first. After eating, we can do whatever needs to be done. Even fighting is fine."
"Then I shall graciously accept. Kaido, you really have a good daughter; she's much more promising than those little brats of mine," Big Mom said as she sat down.
"Hmph, of course. Although she's a handful, her strength is beyond doubt," Kaido snorted proudly.
Thus, due to Yamato's intervention, the meeting didn't immediately turn into a bloodbath.
"Linlin, tell me, what exactly are you here for?" Kaido asked while drinking.
"What else? I already told you. I'm here to hunt down Straw Hat. That damn brat caused a huge scene at my Tea Party and even ruined my wedding cake. What makes me even angrier is that he stepped on my face to ascend to the title of the 'Fifth Emperor.' I will never forgive him," Big Mom said, her irritation visible.
The events at the Tea Party had caused Big Mom to lose a massive amount of prestige, which was why she had chased him all the way to Wano Country. Hearing her mention this, Kaido laughed unceremoniously. "Worororo! How embarrassing, Linlin, to be played by a kid like that."
"Shut up, Kaido! I was just careless. Also, that Straw Hat brat actually defeated Katakuri. Truly useless," Big Mom snapped. She was angry that Straw Hat had broken her precious photograph of Mother Carmel, and even angrier that her strongest son had lost. She had hoped Katakuri's mastery of Conqueror's Haki would be enough, but it seemed she was overthinking it.
"Great Aunt, Katakuri's loss to Straw Hat was an accident. After all, he has mastered Conqueror's Haki; it's impossible for him to be defeated easily. It's certain that Straw Hat hasn't reached the level of the Yonko yet," Yamato offered.
Big Mom's mood improved slightly. "Even if he was careless, a loss is a loss. His strength simply isn't great enough. If it were you, Yamato, I believe such a thing would never have happened." She looked at Yamato and smiled again.
The onlookers were dazed. Why did it seem like Big Mom liked Yamato so much? Even Kaido could see it, but it made him feel awkward. Yamato was his kid, yet it felt like she was becoming Linlin's favorite.
"Great Aunt, you flatter me. Maybe I would have lost too," Yamato said half-jokingly.
"Definitely not. I can feel your strength. To be this powerful at such a young age, you have the same style I had back then," Big Mom replied. She felt Yamato was very much like her younger self.
"Hmph, so the brat actually knows what humility is? The sun must be rising from the west," Kaido snorted. Seeing Yamato act so well-behaved in front of that old hag made him incredibly displeased. Yamato deliberately ignored him, making Kaido's teeth itch with anger.
"Kaido, it's not easy to have such a good daughter; you should learn to cherish her," Big Mom said, noticing the friction.
"That's my business, not yours," Kaido remained stubborn.
The rest of the crew listened quietly. They were curious about the relationship between these two monsters. Why did they sound like old acquaintances who just liked to bicker? Even King, who had followed Kaido the longest, didn't fully know the extent of their history beyond the rumors of them being in the same crew.
After a while, the feast concluded. Kaido and Big Mom stood up, locked eyes, and walked outside. The crew followed, wondering if a spar was about to happen.
"Let's go watch the fun," Yamato led the way, grabbing a plate of roasted meat to take with her.
Outside, Kaido and Big Mom stood in an open space, weapons drawn. Haki erupted from their bodies, and in the next second, they rushed toward each other.
Boom!
The kanabo and the great sword collided, creating a massive shockwave that rippled through the surroundings. Red and black lightning flickered as the heavens themselves seemed to groan. Both Yonko smiled, the ferocity in their eyes growing. As they continued to clash, the entire island of Onigashima vibrated.
"As expected of the Yonko. Even when they aren't serious, they're terrifying," Queen said, lighting a cigar. "It was the right choice not to fight her. Once she goes on a rampage, she's even scarier than Boss Kaido's drunken fits."
"The reason they are called the Four Emperors is that each possesses power that no one can easily challenge," King added, nodding.
"This level of Haoshoku is indeed powerful," Maria and Haruko noted. Although they had awakened Conqueror's Haki under Yamato's guidance, their spirit still couldn't compare to these two.
"The powerhouses of this world can still maintain such strength in their sixties; it's quite something," Yamato mused while eating her meat. She thought of Whitebeard, who had wrecked half of Marineford at seventy-two while ill. She thought of Garp, who was still fierce at seventy-eight. "I'm twenty-eight now. My carefree days are still long," she thought happily.
She finished her meal and turned to her companions. "Maria, Haruko, let's go back. They'll stop soon. They're just playing around. Later, they'll sit down and laugh like old buddies. Maybe they'll even form a pirate alliance."
The crew was skeptical. An alliance between two Yonko was unheard of.
"Young Miss, do you really think that will happen?" Haruko asked.
"Of course. Don't underestimate their bond. They're like old siblings. My father received a lot of care from her when he was young. Right now, they're just catching up," Yamato explained.
The Three Calamities looked at her with strange expressions.
"Yamato, you're talking nonsense. How could Boss Kaido do that?" Jack objected.
"Yeah, an alliance like that would shake the entire sea. Is their relationship really that good?" Queen asked.
"Believe it or not, you'll see. Be prepared," Yamato waved her hand and walked away.
Maria smiled. "If she's right, it will be a disaster for those little guys at sea."
About ten minutes passed before the fighting indeed stopped.
"Worororo!" "Mamamama!"
The two stood there laughing together, the tension vanishing instantly.
"It's been decades, Linlin. Your skills haven't declined at all," Kaido said with a smile.
"It's been almost forty years, Kaido. You've improved a lot," Big Mom responded.
King and the others watched, their eyes nearly popping out. Their relationship had actually improved after a fight? They hadn't seen each other in forty years, yet they were acting like best friends after a few swings of their weapons. It felt completely surreal.