Chapter 31: Removing Seastone Handcuffs
"What? How can there be such a father?" Ace said with disbelief on his face. "He's just trying to scare you!"
Ayaan curled his lips. Kaido wasn't just trying to scare Yamato—there really was a bomb inside.
Of course, whether Yamato could actually be killed by the explosion was another matter. With her current physical condition and powerful Armament Haki, she might only be seriously injured or disabled.
But still, when Kaido first handcuffed Yamato with those seastone cuffs, she wasn't as strong as she is now. In other words, Kaido wasn't lying.
"Even though I always hoped my father was bluffing, when I think about his personality carefully… I never dared to take that risk," Yamato sighed and lay on the ground like a puddle of mud.
"That's why I've never really gone out to sea!"
"Um..." Ayaan seemed to want to say something, but Ace interrupted.
"Don't worry, Yamato!" Ace's eyes sparkled. "When I come back later, I'll help you remove all your restraints! Then you can go to sea with me!"
"I mean..." Ayaan looked at the two excited people, hesitating to speak.
After hearing what Ace said, Yamato was moved. "Okay, then it's a deal..."
"No need to wait until next time. Actually, I can remove those seastone handcuffs right now, so please stop being so dramatic, okay?" Ayaan finally blurted out.
Yamato: "…Huh?!"
Ace: "...Huh!?"
———
"These are special handcuffs made of seastone! And there's a special mechanism inside. Can you really unlock them?" Yamato looked at Ayaan nervously, a mix of excitement and fear on her face.
"Yeah, Ayaan, your Baku Baku no Mi can't process seastone, right?" Ace also frowned, confused.
Ayaan rolled his eyes at Ace. "Yamato not understanding my ability is one thing, but you? Why do I have to fight the cuffs directly?"
"Don't forget—my Baku Baku no Mi lets me transform human bodies. As long as someone doesn't die instantly, even if their head is chopped off, or they're split in two, I can restore them without any side effects!"
Ace paused, then his eyes widened. "Wait… you mean chop off Yamato's hands?"
"Huh? That price is too high! I mean, I want my freedom, but cutting off my hands..." Yamato trailed off, conflicted.
"No, didn't you hear what Ayaan said? Even if your head's chopped off, he can reconnect it! Your hands are no big deal!" Ace quickly explained.
"Really? That's amazing." Yamato's eyes lit up. "Let's do it now!"
Ayaan blinked in surprise. He thought Yamato would still doubt him and was ready to demonstrate his ability. After all, they'd just been enemies. But she trusted him that easily.
Still, it saved him the trouble of explaining more.
"In that case, relax your arms first. With your physical strength, even without Haki, it'd still be hard to cut through your muscles if you're tense."
Ayaan summoned a sharp sword from his psychic space and swallowed it. His entire arm transformed into a blade, wrapped in black Armament Haki.
"Okay, I'm ready." Yamato stretched out her arms and relaxed completely.
Even the strongest bodies in this world rely on preparation. If someone is tired, unconscious, or completely relaxed, even a bullet can kill them. Kozuki Oden died from a pistol, after all.
There was a flash of steel, a spray of blood—Yamato's hands hit the ground.
Ayaan opened his mouth wide and swallowed Yamato whole. Then he removed the seastone cuffs from her detached arms and swallowed those arms too.
After a short pause, Ayaan closed his eyes, activated his ability, and then spat Yamato out.
"Waah! What just happened? Was I just eaten?!" Yamato jumped up in panic. She patted her body—then froze.
Her hands were back.
"It's incredible! My hands are really reattached—and the seastone cuffs are gone!" Yamato's face beamed with joy as her aura exploded outward.
She had worn seastone cuffs since childhood. With them gone, her true strength surged forth.
Feeling the powerful aura, Ace's expression stiffened. He knew the cuffs had suppressed her, but this was another level.
This was bad.
Yamato was going to join his crew—the Spade Pirates. If she was that strong, and Ayaan was also that strong…
Would he, as captain, be the weakest on the ship?
Ace wasn't worried about any power struggles—he trusted Yamato and Ayaan. But still, he took pride in being the one who protected his crew.
Now, he wasn't the strongest anymore. Would he need Yamato to protect him?
Ace clenched his fists, face determined.
He'd train hard. If he couldn't at least fight Yamato to a draw, he wouldn't seek out Whitebeard.
He wasn't about to get beaten in front of his crew. He wouldn't let Yamato or Ayaan carry him through battle.
That would be the greatest shame—for the captain of the Spade Pirates.