Inside the cave.
Yamato, panting, got off Jin An, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.
Her hands were still raised in mid-air, fingers trembling slightly, indicating the effort she had just exerted.
"Why do I feel like these handcuffs you're wearing are even more special than mine?"
She said, panting, with some dissatisfaction.
Jin An looked at Yamato with a dark expression, feeling helpless and a little speechless.
She had been all over him, not treating him like a member of the opposite sex at all.
In the end, not only did she fail to open the handcuffs, but she also messed him up.
"Do you even know what you're doing..."
He sighed silently, his tone tinged with helplessness.
Yamato seemed not to hear him, observing the handcuffs on her own, her face full of curiosity and confusion.
Her gaze was quite stubborn, already treating the handcuffs as a formidable enemy.
Jin An looked at her earnest and meticulous manner and asked,
"You're also a Devil Fruit user, right?"
Yamato nodded, refocusing her gaze on Jin An's face, saying with a hint of pride:
"I ate the Inu Inu no Mi, Mythical Zoan, Okuchi no Makami form."
"Oh, I see."
Jin An nodded.
Having eaten a Devil Fruit and still constantly touching seastone handcuffs, her endurance and strength already surpassed many people.
However, Yamato still seemed unconvinced, glaring fiercely at the handcuffs on Jin An's wrist, her slightly furrowed brows showing her confusion and incomprehension.
"Why do these handcuffs make me lose my strength as soon as I touch them?"
Her voice carried a very obvious doubt and a hint of helplessness.
Jin An looked at her expression and explained gently:
"These handcuffs are made of seastone."
"It can suppress the power of Devil Fruit users, so you feel weak."
Upon hearing this, Yamato's pupils constricted slightly, revealing a moment of shock followed by sudden realization.
"Seastone?"
"Never heard of it..."
She had never come into contact with any information related to seastone and knew nothing about this mysterious substance.
"But so it can suppress the power of Devil Fruit users?"
She carefully examined the handcuffs Jin An was wearing again.
Then she compared them to the handcuffs she was wearing.
"No wonder I can't exert any strength..."
Jin An looked at her gradually calming face, feeling somewhat amused and helpless.
She was completely unaware of many things about this world.
It seemed that, so far, Kaido was only training Yamato as a tool for him to use in future battles.
Silence returned to the cave, with only the faint sounds of their breathing as they sat close to each other and the crisp sound of dripping water in the distance.
They sat side by side on the rock, and although neither could resolve the immediate danger, they got along extremely well at that moment.
"Ah, I was still thinking of having you take me out to the outside world."
"Now, it's really impossible."
Yamato rested her face in her hands, a hint of disappointment in her eyes, her small face looking a little dejected.
Jin An frowned slightly, his heart filled with doubt.
He asked:
"Is this Wano Country?"
Logically speaking, Kaido should already be working with Kurozumi Orochi at this time.
But Jin An wasn't clear on more specific details.
Yamato nodded, responding:
"That's right, this is Wano Country."
"Recently, Kaido has been busy selling weapons and expanding his pirate forces."
She paused, her brow furrowing slightly,
"But a week ago, he went out and came back with you."
As she spoke, a complex emotion flashed in Yamato's eyes.
Jin An nodded knowingly, his thoughts gradually clearing.
Kaido had obviously gone to Wano Country specifically for him; to some extent, he had probably become part of Kaido's plan.
Yamato suddenly revealed an excited expression, her eyes shining with light,
"Let me share something interesting with you."
She changed the subject, her tone full of anticipation,
"The ruler of Wano Country, Kozuki Oden, came back some time ago."
However, as she said this, her tone dropped, and the excitement on her face vanished.
"I originally thought he could overthrow Kaido's power in Wano Country."
"But it seems he signed some kind of agreement with Kaido, and in the end, it fell through."
She took a deep breath, a hint of hope in her eyes,
"I believe he will choose to resist Kaido once he knows Kaido's true colors."
"I've had enough of living here."
"The people who live here have no light in their eyes."
"I really hope Kaido can experience the kind of days that ordinary people in Wano Country live!"
"..."
Jin An looked deeply at Yamato, feeling her inner disappointment and helplessness.
The situation in Wano Country was obviously more complicated than he had expected.
Kozuki Oden had already returned to Wano Country.
But things were still developing as Jin An knew.
Jin An's eyes flashed; the only known variable right now was the addition of Captain John, but there would definitely be other changes as well.
"Don't be so discouraged."
Jin An said calmly.
Although he couldn't break free of the chains right now, that didn't mean he wouldn't be able to break free in the future.
He thought for a moment and asked:
"By the way, how did you get in here?"
Yamato frowned, looking a little puzzled,
"Walked in."
Jin An sighed helplessly, gaining a deeper understanding of Yamato's personality—straightforward, simple, and even a little unconventional.
Yamato realized that her answer was somewhat ambiguous and hurriedly explained:
"There aren't many people around here. I followed Kaido here. This place is quite remote."
Jin An thought carefully, expressing understanding for her explanation, but still had many doubts in his heart.
"I see, but didn't Kaido detect that you were following him here?"
Yamato nodded, saying with a slightly smug expression:
"Yeah, I followed him very carefully. No one noticed me."
Jin An looked at her slightly proud expression, a smile rising at the corner of his mouth.
He sighed inwardly; Yamato was still a little too naive, only thinking about problems on the most superficial level.
Based on his understanding of Kaido.
He probably deliberately let Yamato follow him.
However, Kaido's true purpose still left Jin An puzzled.
He knew that the information he currently possessed was too limited, and he didn't even know why Kaido had captured him.
Right now, the situation was confusing, and he could only carefully speculate on the other party's intentions while ensuring his own safety.
As for Kaido, who had left the cave and returned to his residence, he revealed a sinister smile.
Yamato being able to follow him all the way to see Jin An was all his deliberate arrangement.
He knew Yamato's nature; as long as she had the opportunity to leave Wano Country, she would definitely seize it.
Moreover, Yamato alone couldn't unlock the seastone handcuffs.
Kaido was confident that, with the seriously injured Jin An and the naive Yamato, these two would definitely not be able to escape this island.
On the contrary, they might even create unexpected value for him.
Kaido called his subordinates and coldly ordered:
"Go ask Caesar how much longer it will take to reach Wano Country."
The subordinate immediately obeyed, and Kaido continued:
"When the time comes, have Queen pick him up and make sure Caesar arrives at the laboratory in Wano Country as soon as possible."
Watching the pirate subordinate hurriedly leave his residence, Kaido revealed a meaningful smile at the corner of his mouth.
"I hope Caesar can speed up the progress a bit,"
He muttered to himself,
"When the time comes, my animal army will be invincible."
...
