THE STRONGEST CREATURE OF THE BEAST PIRATES

In Amigasa Village, the little girl Tama looked up at Kozuki Sukiyaki, who was using the pseudonym Tenguyama Hitetsu.

Kozuki Sukiyaki shook his head resolutely.

"As long as Sandai Kitetsu doesn't return to the hands of the Kozuki Clan, this old man will never return to that place. And you shouldn't go either, Tama. That place is full of bad people."

"Brother isn't a bad person!" Tama puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, protesting loudly.

Recently, her master had been saying harsh things about Brother Alastor, which made the little girl very angry.

"My brother saved Wano Country! He drove away the real villain, Orochi. The current Shogun, Sister Yamato, even distributes food to the villagers. How can you say they're bad people?"

Faced with Tama's protest, Kozuki Sukiyaki blushed with anger, his voice trembling.

"This is nothing but a conspiracy among thieves! They're all the same—thieves, every last one of them!"

"Master, you're so stubborn! Hmph, I won't talk to you anymore!" Tama huffed and turned away, stomping off to pack her things. She was determined to head to the Flower Capital with Alastor on her own.

Not far away, Alastor stood silently, watching Kozuki Sukiyaki with cold, indifferent eyes. As Tama stormed off, he sneered.

"A thief, you say? As a ruler, you failed to protect your own country, and now you hide away, playing with dolls and indulging in fantasies of resistance. What right do you have to reclaim Wano Country? You're nothing but a coward. Even your granddaughter has more guts than you."

Alastor's words cut deep. Kozuki Sukiyaki's face flushed crimson, and his fingers trembled as he pointed at him.

"You... you dare..."

But he couldn't even complete his sentence.

Alastor's sneer deepened, and suddenly his gaze sharpened, releasing a commanding, oppressive aura.

Kozuki Sukiyaki staggered backward, drenched in sweat. His legs gave out, and he fell onto the threshold with a thud.

Just then, Tama emerged with her belongings strapped to her back, deliberately ignoring her master as she declared,

"Brother, let's go!"

Taking Alastor's hand, she led him out of the house.

Kozuki Sukiyaki opened his mouth, trying to say something, but his vision blurred, and a buzzing filled his head. Moments later, he collapsed entirely, unconscious.

Without sparing him a second glance, Alastor took Tama and headed straight for the Flower Capital.

---

The Flower Capital was thriving.

Unlike the superficial prosperity of the past, the smiles on people's faces now were genuine, free of the fear that had once shadowed their lives.

Yamato, the current Shogun, was nothing like the tyrant Orochi. She ruled with fairness, avoided senseless cruelty, and implemented strict laws to maintain order. Even the remnants of Kaido's Beast Pirates, awed by Yamato's strength, dared not stir trouble in the capital.

As a result, the Flower Capital had not only become livelier but also safer and more harmonious.

It was Tama's first time in the capital, and she was as cheerful as a butterfly, flitting about and marveling at everything she saw.

Alastor smiled as he watched her excitement.

"You'll have plenty of time to explore later. For now, let's go meet the Shogun you admire so much."

Soon, he led Tama straight to the Shogun's mansion.

Inside, Yamato was deep in discussion with her advisors. Ruling a vast country like Wano with its sprawling population and numerous challenges required careful planning.

When Yamato noticed Alastor entering with an unfamiliar girl, she immediately paused the meeting and addressed her staff.

"Alright, that's enough for now. I'll handle the budget issues later."

"Yes, Shogun," the advisors responded, bowing respectfully before filing out.

As they passed Alastor, they nodded cautiously, fully aware of his fearsome reputation. None dared offend him; they knew better.

Once the room was clear, Yamato's formal demeanor vanished. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she rushed over to Tama, exclaiming,

"Who's this adorable little girl? Look at those rosy cheeks—so cute!"

Tama, initially shy, quickly warmed up to Yamato's friendliness and chirped,

"Sister Shogun!"

Yamato beamed and pinched Tama's cheeks gently.

"Giggle! What a sweet little thing! What's your name?"

"My name is Tama," the girl replied brightly.

"Tama, I've decided—you'll be my little sister from now on," Yamato said with a broad smile.

"Really? That's great! So, my name is Brother and Brother, and Sister and Sister. Wait, are brothers and sisters... a couple?"

Alastor couldn't help but laugh. "Tama, you're so smart."

Yamato rolled her eyes at Alastor but continued playing with the little girl. Suddenly, she exclaimed, as if discovering a whole new world:

"Hey, Tama! How are you picking up dumplings with your face? This is hilarious!"

The playful antics quickly brought the two closer, and before long, Tama and Yamato were acting like real sisters, completely forgetting about Alastor.

After the fun died down, Alastor finally spoke.

"Yamato, earlier you mentioned something about money problems. Is the treasury running low?"

Hearing Alastor's question, Yamato's cheerful expression turned to one of distress, and she let out a heavy sigh.

"Ugh, only after becoming Shogun did I realize just how badly Wano Country was plundered by Orochi and Kaido. It's not just the food—we're short on all kinds of resources. The amount of money we need is astronomical!"

She clenched her fists, her voice growing angrier.

"That damned Orochi! After robbing the people for so many years, he left almost nothing in the treasury. How could he squander it all like that?"

Alastor nodded in understanding. Fixing a country as devastated as Wano was no easy task. The two most pressing issues were food and money.

While food could be rationed for a while, thanks to the remaining reserves from Taoyuan farms, money was another matter entirely—it couldn't just appear out of thin air.

Yamato slammed her fist into her palm in frustration.

"I know exactly where all that stolen money went—to that rotten old man Kaido for his weapon deals!"

She wasn't wrong. Orochi had served as Kaido's puppet for years, handing over the wealth he'd stolen from the people to fund Kaido's global arms trades. Kaido, obsessed with building his ultimate war machine, had worked through Doflamingo—the underworld broker Joker—to sell weapons far and wide.

The chaotic state of the world, rife with pirates and kingdom wars, had created fertile ground for these dealings. And even the World Government, well aware of this, turned a blind eye, complicit in the profits.

Alastor couldn't help but sneer at the hypocrisy.

"The so-called justice of the Navy and the World Government is a farce. They only care about collecting their heavenly tributes, not the lives of the people."

Yamato clenched her fists again, her voice filled with determination.

"We need to make that bastard Kaido give back every coin he stole from Wano! That's my responsibility as Joy Boy!"

She rolled up her sleeves, ready to storm Onigashima for a fight.

Alastor quickly stopped her.

"Calm down. We've come so far; we can't afford to provoke Kaido again. If he retaliates, Wano will fall right back into chaos."

Yamato hesitated but still looked unwilling.

Alastor smirked.

"Don't worry about it. I've been thinking about this for a while now. There are two places in the outside world that hold vast treasures. I'll take care of it."

"You're going to sea?" Yamato asked, startled.

Alastor nodded, and concern flickered in Yamato's eyes.

Seeing this, Alastor chuckled.

"Don't worry. I've learned my lesson after last time. I won't take any reckless risks unless I'm absolutely prepared."

Yamato let out a small humph, feigning indifference.

"I'm not worried about you," she said, crossing her arms. Then, her eyes brightened. "But you still haven't told me what Whitebeard, the man who nearly killed you, looks like. If I get the chance, I'll avenge you!"

Alastor chuckled again, shaking his head. But his expression soon grew serious, a determined glint in his eyes.

"Whitebeard may be the world's strongest man, but he's old. He won't live forever. Before he's gone, I'll reclaim what's ours."

Alastor had been keeping tabs on the outside world even while dealing with Wano's affairs. He'd already heard about Blackbeard's betrayal and the turmoil brewing within Whitebeard's crew.

The fateful battle at Marineford wasn't far off.

Just then, a loud voice roared from outside the hall.

"Let go of me, Pay Pay! That bastard is definitely in there—I already asked someone!"

Yamato's face lit up with excitement.

"Ulti's here! Haha, I missed her so much!"

What Yamato missed, of course, was not Ulti herself but stealing her food and teasing her endlessly.

Alastor, however, looked less enthused.

He quickly exited the hall, heading off the commotion before Ulti could charge in. At the gate of the Shogun's mansion, Ulti and Page One were in a heated scuffle.

The moment Ulti spotted Alastor, her face twisted in fury.

"You bastard! I've finally found you! I'm going to kill you!"

Her murderous tone was so intense that even Page One, who had been trying to hold her back, froze in shock.

Page One glanced cautiously at Alastor, confused about what could have provoked his sister to this degree.

Alastor's expression, however, remained calm and cold.

"Ulti, I've already taught you a lesson once. If you keep causing trouble, don't blame me for using that technique again."

As he spoke, he clasped his hands together meaningfully.

Ulti's pupils shrank as memories of that humiliating day flooded back. Her back still seemed to ache at the thought.

"You... you're the worst!" she stammered, trembling with rage.

Her fury was so overwhelming that she couldn't even get the words out, leaving her seething and breathless.

Alastor simply watched her, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

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