Chapter 30: Looting
"Sure enough, my talent for illusion isn't that great," Ayaan rubbed his head and muttered.
No matter how weak Black Maria's will was, she was still one of the senior officer—a high-ranking officer in the Beasts Pirates—and her strength was comparable to that of an average Vice Admiral. Even unconscious and injected with a heavy dose of hallucinogens, she wasn't easily broken by genjutsu.
Fortunately, in the end, just before exhausting himself completely, Ayaan managed to extract the location of the Beasts Pirates' treasure vault.
After obtaining the information, Ayaan didn't bother with the unconscious Black Maria. He had no intention of making a true enemy out of the Beasts Pirates.
If he looted their vault and encountered Kaido, surrendering the goods and pledging loyalty would likely be enough for Kaido to accept him as a subordinate.
But if he killed Black Maria?
Then Kaido would probably show up, smash him with Raimei Hakke (Thunder Bagua), burn him with dragon fire, and leave nothing but ashes behind.
Following Black Maria's directions, Ayaan quickly discovered an iron gate within the Skull Dome. The structure had seastone mixed into both the door and surrounding walls, clearly designed to resist certain devil fruit abilities.
But Ayaan wasn't here to steal. He was here to rob.
Security? Useless. If the explosion's big enough, everything blows.
He slid a Kibaku Fuda (explosive tag) into the crevice of the iron gate. A thunderous explosion echoed through the dome. The double doors crashed down, revealing the glittering treasure hoard inside.
Ignoring the piles of gold, silver, and gems, Ayaan focused on what truly mattered—weapons.
Wano was famous for its blacksmiths and mineral wealth. Naturally, quality weapons were abundant here.
"Not bad at all," Ayaan said, examining the weapons. "They may not have a big reputation on the seas, but their craftsmanship is better than this Ryo Wazamono (Good Grade Sword) I'm carrying."
Interestingly, Kaido's vault didn't contain any Ryo Wazamono or lower-grade weapons. Instead, there were several O Wazamono (Great Grade Swords) among the collection.
Apparently, Ryo Wazamono wasn't even worth placing in Kaido's treasury.
Beyond the blades, several devil fruit were stored on a separate rack—each labeled clearly:
Kōmori Kōmori no Mi (Bat-Bat Fruit)
Akuma Kaeru Kaeru no Mi (Devil Frog-Frog Fruit)
Ratel Ratel no Mi (Honey Badger-Badger Fruit)
"Whoa… even the Ratel Ratel no Mi?" Ayaan raised an eyebrow. "Anyone who eats that will be practically indestructible!"
Kaido lived up to his reputation as the "Zookeeper." All the fruits were Zoan-class.
Of course, the Beasts Pirates likely had more fruits, most of which had already been distributed among Kaido's subordinates as rewards. These three were probably just waiting to be given out to promising recruits or as merit-based incentives.
Ayaan unsealed a fūinjutsu scroll, absorbing the O Wazamono swords and devil fruit into it. He didn't bother much with the gold or Beri.
Kaido, as the captain of a massive pirate crew, needed funds to keep operations running—hence the hoarded wealth. But Ayaan had no plans to build an organization yet. Gold had little meaning for him.
Still, just in case, he grabbed a generous amount.
With everything stored, a faint sense of unease crept into Ayaan's mind.
"Time to go get Ace. We need to run."
Even if Kaido wasn't present, there was no guarantee he wasn't in contact with Onigashima. A single call via Den Den Mushi could summon him back. Once he transformed into a flying dragon, he'd arrive within days at most.
In the original story, Ace came to Onigashima and only clashed briefly with Yamato. Kaido didn't return—probably because he didn't consider Ace a real threat.
But this? Looting the entire treasure vault?
No way Kaido would ignore that.
Ayaan figured Ace must still be fighting Yamato and had been away for two or three hours. But as he exited the Skull Palace—
He found Ace and Yamato already seated, drinking sake together.
"…Huh?" Ayaan blinked. "Did I miss something?"
Yamato and Ace sat side by side, arms around each other's shoulders. When they saw Ayaan, Ace grinned.
"Yamato, this is the doctor of the Spade Pirates and my closest partner. Don't be fooled by the 'doctor' title—he fights just as well as I do."
"Oh? That strong?" Yamato smiled and wrapped an arm around Ayaan too.
Both Ayaan and Ace were of average height, but Yamato—blessed with Oni blood—was over a head taller. She easily pulled both into a big bear hug.
It was a funny sight: one tall beauty hugging two average-height guys like they were her little brothers.
Ayaan tried to wriggle free, but failed. Worse still, Yamato was still wearing seastone handcuffs. Though impure, the moment he touched them, his body felt weak and numb.
"…Forget it. Just drinking. What's there to be afraid of?" he sighed, giving up.
Clearly, they'd both had quite a bit to drink and loosened up fast.
In truth, Ace and Yamato had similar personalities—both rebels dissatisfied with their heritage. After a heated clash, they connected and became fast friends.
It wasn't unusual. In the pirate world, rivals often ended up bonding.
Ayaan just hadn't expected them to hit it off so quickly.
"Yamato," Ace said, sipping his sake. "With your current strength, could you beat Kaido?"
Yamato shook her head. "Not even close. That bastard father of mine is on a completely different level. I can't even last a few moves."
Ace's expression turned serious. Only now did he grasp the terrifying gap between them and the Four Emperors.
"You should leave soon," Yamato warned. "If my father returns and finds you here, you won't get out alive."
Then, as if struck by an idea, Ace asked, "Why don't you come with us? You wanted to go out to sea, right?"
Yamato's face darkened. She raised her wrists, revealing the handcuffs. "If I could, I would've left long ago. But my bastard father placed bombs inside these seastone cuffs. The moment I step off Onigashima, they'll explode."
"…Though I don't know if he's bluffing, I don't dare risk it."