Vs Kaido is Yamato's Main Fight This Arc
See also:
- Yamato's Desire to Face Kaido
- Are You Excited for Yamato vs Kaido?
Introduction
The confrontation between Yamato and Kaido that began in Chapter 1015 is to be Yamato's main fight of the Wano arc. It is the climax of Yamato's story arc in Wano. This is a fight that was directly foreshadowed by Ace in Chapter 999:
Ace told Yamato not to let Kaido chain her heart as well.
Yamato has finally come to break that chain that binds her to Kaido. The title of the chapter is named after this:
Yamato declares to Kaido that she has come to break the chains:
Yamato's Character Arc in Onigashima
Yamato's battle with Kaido is
deeply personal. Kaido has imprisoned her for 20 years:
This imprisonment has barred her from pursuing her dreams.
She wanted to accept Ace's offer to head out to sea with him but she could not. She then swore to Ace that if she ever got those cuffs removed, she'll set out to sea too:
Luffy removed the physical shackles that prevented her from fulfilling her dreams:
Now, as Ace told her, it's time to break the chains that Kaido has placed on her heart and destiny.
When Luffy questioned her resolve to fight Kaido, stating that it will mean she'll see him getting beat up, she declared that she wished to beat him up herself.
Yamato has challenged Kaido many times before, and Kaido ensured that she always paid a price. That's a debt she's come to collect on.
Upon realising that Kaido was truly willing to kill her if she defied his plan for her life, she rejected him as her father:
This is seen in this chapter in how she addressed him not as Father, but as Kaido:
Because Kaido was willing to kill her, she decided that she no longer cares for his life. Without remorse, she declares "Let my Father die":
And now, she's come to finally severe all connections with him:
Interlude
Yamato's battle with Kaido is a battle for freedom. She has been imprisoned for at least 20 years (and potentially much longer. Kaido may have chained her life from the very moment she was born). This is her time to finally break free of Kaido. Not only of the physical shackles that Luffy removed but also of the shackles that bind her heart and the control Kaido has placed over the course of her life.
This is a battle for self-determination. Yamato rejects Kaido's control and dominance over her life and seeks to take charge of her own fate. This is seen in Yamato's response to Kaido declaring that he will make her Shogun:
This is the most important decision of Yamato's life and is one that she is taking as herself. Not as Kozuki Oden, but as Yamato. She shall cease charge of her own life. She'll reach for her freedom.
That's why she declares to the man she used to call Father:
Closing Remarks
This is a battle with a meaningful narrative. This is the climax of Yamato's character arc. This is the conclusion of Yamato's tale in Onigashima. If this isn't her main fight, then what is? What can it be?
What fight could compare in narrative weight? What fight could be as meaningful for Yamato's character (and the broader One Piece story) as this? What fight could be as impactful?
How do you exceed a battle for self-determination? A battle to cease charge of your own fate and forge your own destiny? A battle for the
right to decide the course of your life?
Against Kaido, Yamato is fighting for her very soul.
Whether Yamato prevails against Kaido or not, this is the single most important battle of her life; she shall never again have a fight with such deeply personal stakes.