Mangaka in the StrawHats

"Bastard, I'll kill you!!" Kaido roared, his voice shaking the very air around them, his rage boiling over into a hysterical frenzy. The humiliation was unbearable. He had been defeated, not just physically but socially, utterly shamed.

But his anger, in this moment, was pointless.

Logan smirked, his face calm and confident. "If you really had the power to kill us, would you still be lying here like this?"

With that, Logan casually stepped on Kaido's mouth, forcing the Emperor to recognize the sheer difference in their positions. "Let's make a deal," Logan continued, his tone almost casual.

Kaido's pride was wounded, but his survival instincts kicked in. He was well aware that the hell chains' constant burn on his soul rendered him unable to recover his strength. He was trapped. His mind raced through the options—if the Straw Hat Pirates wanted him dead, they would've done it already.

"What kind of exchange?" Kaido growled, the weight of his situation beginning to sink in.

Logan leaned down, his voice low but clear. "You give us access to the Poneglyph and let us make a copy. In return, we keep your... embarrassment here a secret. Otherwise, I can guarantee that Big News Morgans will have this all over the world tomorrow. Just think—your reputation shattered."

The reality of Logan's words hit Kaido like a punch to the gut. He could picture the headlines already—his dignity gone, mocked by pirates, broadcasted for all to see.

"That Morgans guy... how dare he!" Kaido rumbled in fury, gritting his teeth.

Logan's grin widened. "Oh? Is there anything Morgans wouldn't dare to report?" he teased. Morgans was known for exposing the darkest secrets of even the most powerful figures. He thrived on scandal and wasn't easily intimidated by strength. The World Government, the Marines, even the Four Emperors—none were safe from Morgans' thirst for sensational news.

Kaido's eyes flashed with helpless realization. Of course Morgans would spread it. It didn't matter how powerful Kaido was—Morgans didn't need to fight him. He'd simply stay out of reach, and the world would know Kaido's shame.

Defeated in more ways than one, Kaido sighed. "Okay, fine. If you keep quiet about this, I'll show you the Poneglyph."

Logan chuckled softly. "See? That wasn't so hard." With a simple flick of his wrist, the hell chains binding Kaido were loosened, and Brook followed suit, removing his own hellfire chains.

Kaido groaned as he stood up, his strength slowly returning without the constant soul-burning restraint. The Emperor of the Beasts was still recovering, but he knew better than to try anything now.

Under Kaido's guidance, the Straw Hat Pirates followed him to the second floor of the Skull Dome's basement, where they found a Poneglyph. However, it wasn't the Road Poneglyph they were after. Nico Robin, ever diligent, crossed her arms and summoned a multitude of limbs to swiftly make a copy of the Poneglyph for later translation.

"Where's the Road Poneglyph?" Logan demanded after Robin finished copying the first one.

Kaido hesitated but realized there was no point in holding back now. "There is a Poneglyph in Orochi's castle. The other is hidden in a secret cavern beneath o, where Jack found it."

Logan nodded, his mind already working through the logistics of retrieving the second one. He was about to head to Orochi's castle when another thought struck him.

Even though this timeline was two years ahead of the original story, the Straw Hat Pirates were now in Wano. If they left Wano in the hands of Kaido and Orochi, there would be no resistance left when Momonosuke and his supporters returned. Wano would be in even worse shape than before, and without Luffy's intervention, the Kozuki family would have no hope of reclaiming their land.

Logan turned back to Kaido, his voice firm. "Release Yamato. Then, take your people and leave Wano. Never come back."

Kaido's eyes widened in shock. "What?!"

His anger flared again, but this time Logan's companions immediately sprang into action. Bam! Before Kaido could react, the Straw Hat Pirates were upon him, beating him into submission once more. He was black and blue all over, bound tightly again with hell chains.

"Why do you need to ask?" Logan said coolly, stepping on Kaido's head again. "As the victors, we—the Straw Hat Pirates—will claim this land."

This was the second time Logan had humiliated Kaido in such a way, but this time, Kaido didn't even have the strength to fight back. He wanted to resist, but his body wouldn't allow it. The overwhelming pain and exhaustion left him powerless, unable to even end his own life.

"Fine! I admit defeat! I'll leave!" Kaido finally groaned, his voice filled with reluctant resignation.

Although Wano had been his prized territory and Yamato was his "son," Kaido knew he had no leverage left. The Straw Hat Pirates were too strong, and he had no other options. His only hope now was to survive and retreat.

Logan, watching Kaido carefully, didn't feel an ounce of sympathy. He wasn't sparing Kaido out of mercy—it was a strategic decision. If Kaido died now, the World Government and Marines would shift all their focus to the Straw Hat Pirates, making them the world's number one priority. Letting Kaido live meant that the government still had bigger threats to worry about.

In the end, Kaido's life was something Logan could take whenever he wished.

While Kaido and his forces prepared to withdraw from Wano, the Straw Hat Pirates brought Yamato along as they made their way toward the Flower Capital.

On the road, the group stumbled upon a pair of geishas—Kisegawa and Some—being harassed by Orochi's men. With lightning speed, Sanji intervened, taking down the thugs in an instant and saving the geishas.

"Thank you so much!" Kisegawa and Some said, bowing to Sanji and the crew. It was through them that the Straw Hats learned the true extent of the suffering that Orochi had brought upon the people of Wano.

The Straw Hats listened carefully, their expressions darkening with each detail.

"Are people here really having such a hard time?"

"This Orochi deserves to die!"

"Yeah! That guy's rotten to the core!"

"Kozuki Sukiyaki must have been blind not to see Orochi for what he was!"

Their anger burned as they continued on their journey toward Orochi's castle.

"But even if we kill Orochi, won't Wano be leaderless? The country could fall into chaos," Nami pointed out thoughtfully.

Yamato sighed heavily. "It's a pity that there are no more Kozuki left in Wano. If there were, I would gladly support them as the new shogun."

Hearing this, Logan's eyes lit up with a new idea. He turned to Yamato, raising an eyebrow. "So... if a member of the Kozuki family were still alive, you'd be willing to assist them?"

Yamato puffed out her chest proudly. "Of course! I'm Kozuki Oden! I'd help my son or daughter take the role of shogun!"

Logan smiled knowingly. "Well then... I'll take you to meet a Kozuki. In fact, her name is Hiyori."

"What?!" Yamato's eyes widened in shock. The rest of the crew froze in disbelief.

"You know where Hiyori is?!" the Straw Hats exclaimed, stunned by this sudden revelation.