Chapter 2
Kiyō’s story began far from ordinary. She wished her life were simple—normal parents, a normal childhood—but that was nothing more than a joke to her. Her mother, Akiyama Koharu, was a native of the closed-off Wano Country, and though most women there lived predictable lives, Koharu dreamed of becoming a legendary swordswoman like the great Shimotsuki Ryuma.
The world, however, was less kind to Koharu’s ambitions. As a woman, she was dismissed and told her place was to bear children, not wield a sword. Determined, Koharu fled Wano, seeking freedom beyond its borders. The outside world wasn’t perfect, but it was indifferent to her gender, and that was enough. Koharu trained, fought, and grew confident—perhaps too much so.
Then, she met him.
Kiyō would never understand how her mother fell for a man like her father: Rocks D. Xebec. Sure, he was strong, and perhaps a bit handsome, but he was a walking nightmare—a devil among men. Koharu gave up everything she’d worked for to love him, bearing his only child, Kiyō, and paying the ultimate price: her life.
Kiyō often wondered bitterly if her mother was happy now, forgotten by history after throwing away her dreams. Had her will been stronger, like Ryuma’s, she might have been remembered for centuries. Instead, she was consumed by a love that took everything from her.
But if Kiyō resented her mother, she hated her father even more. Rocks D. Xebec was ambitious beyond measure, a cruel and ruthless man who sought to dominate the world and cared little for the destruction he left in his wake. His obsession with uncovering the secrets of the World Government consumed him, and he treated everyone as pawns—including his daughter.
As a child, Kiyō had craved even a shred of her father’s affection. Instead, all she received was neglect and abuse. She didn’t understand why he kept her around. Did he love her? Did he feel obligated to honor her mother’s memory? She didn’t know—and now, she didn’t care.
Once, in her naïve teenage years, she tried to run away, only to be caught by Xebec. She’d never seen him angrier. The aftermath of that confrontation was burned into her memory—one of many “family matters” she preferred to leave unspoken.
Xebec’s crew was as monstrous as he was: Linlin, Newgate, Shiki, John, and, of course, Kaido.
Kaido.
There was nothing romantic about their relationship. Kaido was arrogant, quick-tempered, and insufferable, and Kiyō matched his pride and defiance blow for blow. They were the same age, which meant they often clashed, much to the amusement of the rest of the crew. They taunted each other, quarreled endlessly, and shared a mutual dislike.
Then, Xebec died.
Monkey D. Garp (a marine, of all people!) and Gold Roger, two men of unparalleled strength, ended the reign of Rocks D. Xebec. Kiyō could hardly believe it. Her father—so ruthless, so powerful, so unrelenting—was gone. For a moment, she wanted to spit on his grave in triumph, but she knew better. Xebec had been terrifyingly strong, and it had taken two legends to bring him down.
For the first time, she was free.
Kaido, sensing her newfound independence, approached her with a grin and a proposition. “Join me,” he said. He didn’t have a plan—just a vague desire to sow chaos in the world, much like their former captain.
Kiyō, high on her freedom, might have scoffed and mocked his arrogance. Instead, somehow, she found herself drawn to him—not emotionally, but physically. One impulsive encounter led to another, and soon, she was disgusted with herself for ending up in bed with someone as insufferable as Kaido.
Was she becoming her mother after all? No, she told herself. This wasn’t love. She hated his overbearing laughter, his brutishness, and even his smell. But there was something about his muscular frame and deep voice that kept pulling her back.
It wasn’t love. It couldn’t be.
She didn’t have time to dwell on it, though. One day, she discovered she was pregnant.
Kiyō was pregnant, and she despised it. Not only did she detest the idea of becoming a mother, but the thought of bearing Kaido’s child made her stomach churn. As she sat, biting her nail furiously, Kaido stood across from her, wine jug in hand. He took the news of impending fatherhood with an alarming nonchalance—too dim, in Kiyō’s opinion, to grasp the full weight of the situation.
Kaido, 21 years old and already drinking like a veteran, muttered to himself, wondering aloud if his child would be as loud and annoying as Linlin’s brats. Kiyō snatched the jug from his hands and took a long swig. Kaido raised a brow. “Aren’t pregnant women not supposed to drink?”
Kiyō glared at him. “What do you know about pregnant women?”
“Not much,” Kaido admitted, reclaiming his jug. “But don’t steal my wine. I don’t want the kid inheriting your thieving habits.”
Kiyō’s temper flared. “ That’s what you’re worried about? Not your alcohol addiction? Or the madness your child might inherit from your lunatic captain?”
Kaido froze, thunderstruck, as the realization hit him: His child’s grandfather was Rocks D. Xebec. His expression twisted comically, and he muttered darkly, “Get rid of it.”
That was the last straw. Kiyō exploded, throwing a chair at Kaido, who dodged it with a laugh. “I don’t want the kid either, but I’m not a monster like you. I’ll have it, but I’m not killing it.”
Kaido shrugged off her anger. “Fine, but let’s hope it doesn’t inherit your temper.”
Kiyō hurled another object at him. Kaido dodged again, chuckling as her fury grew. Meanwhile, his crew watched in horrified silence from the doorway, whispering among themselves about the unimaginable disaster that would be a child born of Kiyō’s and Kaido’s bloodlines.
Nine months passed, and Kiyō remained resentful of the life growing inside her. Kaido had seemingly come to terms with it—or maybe he was just indifferent. But on the stormy night she gave birth, everything changed.
The moment Kiyō held her newborn son, her heart transformed. She felt reborn, her bitterness melting into an overwhelming sense of love and protectiveness.
Kaido stood at the bedside, arms crossed, grumbling about when he could hold his son. Kiyō ignored him, focusing solely on the baby in her arms.
The infant, whom she named Obito, was perfect. He had her dark eyes, filled with curiosity and wonder. For the first time, Kiyō felt hope. Obito wasn’t destined to be like his father or grandfather. He was her child, her blood—and she would ensure he became something far greater than either of them.
Kaido’s frustration mounted. “He’s my son too!”
Still, she paid him no attention.
As she gently brushed her cheek against his warm, soft skin, Kaido leaned closer, his voice lowering. “So… when can we ‘do it’ again?”
Kiyō froze, her expression going dead as she slowly turned to glare at him. Across the room, a maid carrying milk for Obito dropped her cup in shock, her face red as she fled the room, unwilling to witness what would surely be an explosion.
Kaido blinked, genuinely confused by Kiyō’s reaction. What happened next would remain a closely guarded secret, though rumors would persist for years.
Kiyō never thought she’d fall in love—it was something she’d always deemed disgusting and pointless. But the love she felt for Obito was unlike anything she’d imagined. She would do anything for him, give him anything he wanted.
Obito, however, was a peculiar child. Unlike the noisy, demanding offspring of Big Mom, Obito was quiet, crying only when hungry or tired. Even Kaido’s booming laughter didn’t faze him. Kiyō was both proud and relieved to have such a calm, content baby.
That said, Obito had his quirks. He refused to nurse, turning his head away whenever Kiyō tried to breastfeed him. The maids insisted that natural milk was vital for his health, but Obito’s stubbornness won out. Resigned, Kiyō gave him a bottle instead.
Kaido found this hilarious and a chance. “How can my son refuse free food? I will volunteer, taking my son’s duty on my—“
Kiyō shot him a murderous glare. “Get out of my sight, Kaido.”
Kaido spent most of his time leaving Kiyō and Obito alone, but occasionally, boredom would drive him to attempt playing with his son. Obito, to Kiyō’s delight, often ignored his father entirely. Though on rare occasions, he humored Kaido’s clumsy efforts, seemingly out of pity.
Kaido didn’t know how to be a father, and Kiyō wasn’t sure either. But as long as Kaido didn’t treat Obito the way Xebec had treated her, she was content. For now.