Yamato (One Piece)

*This article is for the One Piece character for the Naruto character, see Yamato*

**Yamato** is the son of Kaidou. Born as Kaidou's daughter and groomed from a young age to be his heir, Yamato instead developed a profound admiration for the legendary samurai Kozuki Oden. After Oden's death, Yamato decided to become like him, impersonating him and adopting his mannerisms. As a result of this desire to emulate Oden, Yamato decided to become a man and identify as Kaidou's son, which is why his father and the Beasts Pirates refer to him as such as well.

This path has put Yamato at odds with Kaidou, with much of his life being spent imprisoned on Onigashima. Yamato befriended Portgas D. Ace during his visit to Wano Country, and after learning of Ace's death waited for the arrival of his sworn brother, Monkey D. Luffy. Initially desiring to join Luffy's crew, Yamato ultimately decided to remain behind in Wano to help protect it from outside forces, though he still intends to join them in the future.

Yamato is a major ally of the Straw Hats during the Wano Country Arc.

## Statistics

### Epithet:

"Oni Princess" (鬼姫, Onihime?, VIZ: "Ogre Princess")[5]

### English VA:

Wally Wingert (Headcanon)Michelle Rojas (Original)

## Personality

Yamato greatly admires the legendary samurai Kozuki Oden to the point of even proclaiming to carry his identity. Yamato has self-identified as Oden on multiple occasions and has even emulated his gender, proclaiming to be the son of Kaidou due to Oden being a man. Although initially carrying doubts as to how to present as Oden, Yamato has steadily expressed a straightforward attitude regarding this identity as time has gone on, even proclaiming this as such to Oden's son Momonosuke, to the boy's horror. Although having wholeheartedly embraced this identity, Yamato retains his original persona, referring to Yamato as his "other name". Yamato does not seem to like being misnamed, having quickly corrected Luffy when given a nickname.

Having read of the great exploits documented by Oden in his logbook, which he considers his "bible", Yamato dreams of leaving Wano Country's confines and setting out to sea with the Straw Hat Pirates, much like Oden did with the Whitebeard and Roger Pirates decades before. Yamato also wishes to fulfill the goals that Oden had, namely opening Wano's borders, in direct defiance to Kaidou's wishes for the country. Yamato has shown to be extremely strong-willed, having put up considerable resistance to Kaidou's imprisonment despite taking decades to finally break free. Although initially seeming to be more subordinate to him previously, Yamato's battle with Ace led to him destroying Kaidou's dragon statue in an act of defiance that has since led to more outright rebellion. Yamato has engaged in combat with Kaidou numerous times and has openly expressed opposition and defiance to his plans concerning the two of them, accompanied by insults. When the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance invaded Onigashima, Yamato was immediately willing to help them and had no qualms with attacking members of his father's crew, making his intentions and loyalty clear to them in the process. Yamato is also willing to go to great lengths to achieve his objectives, having basically kidnapped Luffy in order to get to talk to him and following through with this tactic even after Luffy responded by fighting back.

Yamato is more than willing to put his body and life on the line to protect people out of care, believing that Oden would never abandon a comrade in danger. Yamato resolutely withstood a barrage of powerful artillery strikes by the Armored Division to protect Momonosuke, and later confronted Kaidou alone to stall him until Luffy returned despite knowing he was no match for his father.

However, Yamato also takes enjoyment in engaging in combat; despite framing his plan to split up from Momonosuke as a decoy strategy to trick the Beasts Pirates, Momonosuke and Shinobu both noted to themselves that he seemed mainly interested in going to fight.

## Relationships

### Friends and Allies

#### Monkey D. Luffy

After failing to set sail with Ace, Yamato had been waiting for his brother, Monkey D. Luffy, to arrive at Onigashima. For this reason, Yamato chased and clashed with Luffy after finding him, ignoring his time constraints in order to talk to him, even if for just five minutes. Yamato then trusted Luffy enough to request his help in achieving Oden's dream of opening Wano's borders, and then expressed his wish to be freed from Kaidou and his intent to leave Wano as one of Luffy's crewmates as a means to be free and explore the sea like Oden did. Therefore, after Luffy removed the explosive handcuffs Kaidou had used to imprison Yamato, the two decided they would fight Kaidou together. Their trust has slowly grown and Luffy even entrusted Yamato to help protect Momonosuke.

Luffy refers to Yamato by the nickname "Yama-o" (ヤマ男?), similar to the nicknames he uses for Trafalgar Law, Bartolomeo, and Eustass Kid. Yamato appears to not understand Luffy's use of nicknames, as evidenced by his attempt to correct Luffy, as well as his reaction to when Luffy gave Ulti a nickname as well. When battling Kaidou, Yamato openly told his father he would lose to Luffy, believing that the pirate would return and calling him "the one that Oden was waiting for". After that, Yamato announced his desire to join Luffy's crew, which upset Kaidou.

After Kaidou's defeat, Yamato saved Luffy from falling, congratulating on his victory. While meeting the Straw Hat Pirates, Yamato decided to wait for Luffy's confirmation to join the crew. Luffy would approve of Yamato joining his crew. However, Admiral Ryokugyu's attack on Wano made Yamato realize that others would try the same now that Kaidou was gone, and he decided to stay in Wano to help protect it. Luffy agreed and entrusted Yamato to protect Wano for him. Before leaving Wano, Luffy told Yamato that he was free to join his crew at any time in the future and that they would come looking for him when he did.

#### Straw Hat Pirates

When they first met, the Straw Hat Pirates were surprised to learn Yamato was related to Kaidou. Yamato assured them that they were not enemies, and revealed his intention to join them; Usopp and Nami were shocked at the claim, Franky was perplexed by the situation, Brook and Sanji were overcome with joy because of their attraction, and Robin laughed with amusement as usual. Jinbe, however, said he would not be convinced until he heard from the captain himself, with Yamato agreeing that was fair enough, and Jinbe also sensed no hostility after he had witnessed Yamato's anger towards the Beasts Pirates who were attempting to run away. Yamato grew closer to the Straw Hats as Luffy and Zoro recovered, becoming friendly with them by the time the two woke up. When he declared that he couldn't join the crew in order to protect Wano, it hurt Sanji deeply, while Zoro told him to be careful not to hurt Momonosuke's pride, which Yamato understood. Later he went to say goodbye to all of them together with Momonosuke and Kin'emon.

#### Portgas D. Ace

Yamato met the young pirate Ace a few years ago and was initially antagonistic towards him due to his excessive rampage on Onigashima. The two quickly became friends, however, after Ace recognized that Yamato was being held captive by Kaidou. As they drank sake together, they talked about the current generation of pirates and Ace's little brother, Luffy. Yamato would have liked to sail out of Wano with the Spade Pirates, but was kept prisoner on Onigashima, shackled with explosive handcuffs. However, he created a Vivre Card for Ace so they could meet again.

Yamato thought highly of Ace and believed he would be the one leading the new generation of pirates, until his untimely death at Marineford two years ago. This is also evidenced by his conversation with Luffy, in which Yamato fondly stated that Luffy was reminiscent of Ace and that, although it was impossible to set sail with Ace, it would be possible to leave with Luffy due to them being brothers.

#### Kozuki Momonosuke

Yamato initially believed that Momonosuke had died 20 years ago in Oden Castle. He had tried to save the boy from Kaidou at the time, but was powerless to do anything. He believes that Momonosuke is important for the "Dawn of the World".

Upon meeting Momonosuke in the present, Yamato referred to him as "my son" due to assuming Kozuki Oden's identity, but Momonosuke was confused by the fact that he proclaimed to be Oden and was initially mistrustful. However, after watching Yamato take on incoming attacks from Sasaki and his Armored Division to protect him, he and Shinobu recognized him as an ally. Later, Momonosuke was shocked to hear that Yamato was Kaidou's son, but did not see it as a point of contention. Later when Momonosuke returned to Onigashima in his adult dragon form alongside Luffy, Yamato was visibly shocked at the sight of another dragon besides Kaidou, but was soon relieved to find out that Momonosuke was in fact that other dragon. After leaving with Momonosuke to stop Onigashima from falling onto the Flower Capital, Yamato decided to help the boy out with his new abilities, trying to explain to him how dragons actually fly, and telling him how to make Flame Clouds to stop Onigashima from falling.

Yamato even showed enough trust in Momonosuke to try to stop Onigashima from falling on his own, while he himself went to prevent Onigashima from blowing up. Their bond even increased to the point when Momonosuke revealed to Yamato that Zunesha told him Luffy was Joy Boy, shocking Yamato.

Due to Ryokugyu's attack, Yamato decided to stay in Wano and help Momonosuke protect it, lying that he intends to explore the country so as to not hurt his pride.

#### Shimotsuki Ushimaru

20 years ago, as a child, Yamato met and became indebted to the former daimyo of Ringo, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, as the two befriended one another while both being imprisoned in a cave on Onigashima. At first Yamato was scared of the samurai killing him simply for being Kaidou's child, but instead Ushimaru, Fugetsu Omusubi, and Uzuki Tempura surrendered their food and even cut Yamato free of his chains. When Yamato asked for Ushimaru's name he simply stated that he was "nobody important", and then they all spent the following days bonding over Oden and the stories in his journal. Ushimaru was the one who freed Yamato as a child, breaking everyone out of the cave and making sure Yamato survived until the day that Oden predicted would happen in 20 years finally came, which lead to the demise of himself and the other samurai. During Yamato's fight with Kaidou, when he stated that his son spent all those years alone without friends, Yamato adamantly rebuked his claim, saying that Ushimaru and the other samurai were his friends.

#### X Drake

As they were both affiliated with the Beasts Pirates, Yamato and X Drake are acquainted with one another, however Yamato was unaware of Drake's loyalties with the Marines, and was also unaware that he sided with the alliance during the raid. While Yamato raced to find the weapons hidden in the castle, he ran into Drake, Apoo, and some of the Numbers, and immediately attacked Drake at first, thinking that he was still a member of the Tobiroppo. When Drake cleared up the mistake and told Yamato that he also betrayed Kaidou, Yamato immediately stopped attacking him and apologized, before resuming his mission to find the weapons.

#### Fuga

Yamato met Fuga the day the latter ate a SMILE and loved his transformation, unlike the other Numbers, so they both became friends.

Despite betraying the Beasts Pirates and Kaidou, Yamato seems to still be on good terms with the Numbers member Fuga, as he delightfully smashed his way through a wall and followed Yamato around, seeming happy to see his crewmate, with Yamato only trying to keep him away rather than attack him. As a large fire apparition began heading to where the weapons were located, Yamato asked Fuga for help in dealing with it.

### Enemies

#### Kaidou

Kaidou is Yamato's father and the two have a strained, spiteful relationship with one another, as Yamato idolizes Kaidou's enemy, Kozuki Oden. When Yamato told Kaidou of his desire to be Oden, Kaidou responded by violently beating him and has subsequently been cruel to his son numerous times since childhood, having kept him imprisoned on Onigashima since the age of eight and earning hatred and contempt for his actions, as Yamato wants nothing to do with Kaidou or his plans. In defiance of Kaidou's control over Wano, Yamato had openly fought and opposed his father for much of his adolescence, but was always defeated and punished. When hearing Kaidou's plan for the New Onigashima Project and his desire for him to be Wano's shogun as a part of the plan, Yamato was visibly upset by the news, openly yelling that such a thing would never happen. Kaidou even had Yamato cuffed with dangerously explosive shackles to prevent a possible escape. Despite being openly spiteful against Kaidou, Yamato still showed signs of familial ties with him, as shown when he had doubts about Kaidou's many threats, including using the cuffs to kill him in the event of an escape attempt. Despite Yamato's original doubts that they would explode, after Luffy removed them and they did in fact explode, he realized that Kaidou was actually willing to kill him and, as a result, chose to sever all relations with his father, such to the point of proclaiming that he would not have any concern for Kaidou if he were killed during the raid on Onigashima, and to the point that he did not hesitate to openly side with Luffy and his alliance and to attack any and all Beasts Pirates, despite some members' confusion as to why.

Kaidou's overall view of Yamato is unknown. Although, Yamato has emulated Oden for the past 20 years to the point of even presenting as a man like him, and although Kaidou disapproves of his idolizing of him, he does refer to Yamato as his son. However, Kaidou does not seem to be aware that Yamato wishes to fulfill Oden's dream of opening Wano's borders, a cause which he is opposed to. Furthermore, though he has called Yamato an "idiot," he wished to have him participate in his party during the Fire Festival and later announced across Onigashima his intention for Yamato to replace Orochi as shogun, showing that he places great trust in his son to assume such a position.

Despite Yamato clear hatred for his father and severing all relation with him, Yamato still introduces himself as "son of Kaidou" when meeting new people.

#### Kurozumi Orochi

As a witness to the Legendary Hour and a strong admirer of Kozuki Oden, Yamato viewed the tyrannical shogun Kurozumi Orochi as an enemy. Wanting to carry on Oden's legacy, Yamato desired to do whatever possible to help liberate the people of Wano from Orochi's rule and finally open Wano's borders. Despite having enmity with him, Yamato personally had little to no interest in dealing with Orochi or his many forces personally beyond saving Kozuki Momonosuke from being executed by him and ending his rule, seeing Kaidou as the actual threat between the two of them. When Kaidou beheaded Orochi and announced his intention of making Yamato Orochi's replacement as shogun of Wano, Yamato was visibly shocked by his action of killing his partner and outraged by his declaration of the New Onigashima Project, not wanting any part in his plan at all.

#### Beasts Pirates

As the son of Kaidou, the majority of the Beasts Pirates showed a great amount of respect towards Yamato, whom they addressed as "Lord Yamato", and had great respect and fear of his strength, though most are perplexed by his self-declarations as "Kozuki Oden". Despite this, they openly followed Kaidou's every order to restrain and keep watch over Yamato for the last 20 years, and after officially cutting ties with Kaidou, Yamato openly attacked any and all members of the Beasts Pirates, hardly caring about their confusion as to his reasons for fighting with the enemy. After Yamato's rebellion from the Beasts Pirates was made apparent, they were ordered to immediately fight back, cementing them officially as enemies.

#### Ulti

Despite Yamato being Kaidou's son, Ulti does not regard the former very highly and expressed annoyance at Kaidou's repeating "family problems" involving Yamato. After Yamato had interrupted Ulti's battle with Luffy by knocking her unconscious, Ulti tried minimizing what had happened by denigrating Yamato's strength, while at the same time swearing she would avenge herself against him, right before passing out from the attack. Later, upon finding Yamato on the Live Floor, a vexed Ulti immediately went ahead with attacking and fighting him. Annoyed with Ulti repeatedly getting in the way, Yamato fully went on to fight her, and ultimately got her out of his way. In the anime, when Ulti berated Yamato for not treating Kaidou with more respect, Yamato angrily stated that Ulti should take her own advice with her brother Page One.

#### Aramaki

He beat up the admiral Aramaki for his disregard for human life and his attempt to murder the citizens of Wano.