Free at last!*
WARNING: SPOILERS ARE UNMARKED!!!
- Yamato befriending Izuku, who really needs a friend after what happened with All For One.
- The manner in which their friendship starts blossoming is also quite sweet; stuck in Yamato's room and unable to do anything for risk of being discovered, Izuku and Yamato decide to trade stories with one another (Izuku recapping the events of My Hero Academia while Yamato reads Kozuki Oden's journal). Both come away with a great fascination for the other's world and a mutual bond in their love for their respective idols All Might and Oden.
- Izuku could easily escape, and Yamato offers to help him do that, but Izuku refuses to leave without her and promises to remove her explosive cuffs.
- When Izuku is abducted by Ulti, Yamato does not hesitate to intervene. Better yet, her opening strike against Page One is punctuated by a loud "SMASH!" as if Yamato is channeling All-Might, showing that she's gained respect and admiration for the Pro-Hero from Izuku's stories.
- Pictured on the right, after so much pain and suffering, Izuku succeeds in removing Yamato's cuffs, just as he promised, and after defeating Spytand Malice, they fly off into the sunrise together. It's particularly heartwarming in Yamato's case, as she is now, for the first time in her life, free from her father's tyrannical grasp.
- Izuku praising Yamato that she would be a good hero in his world. In the same vein, she said that if Izuku was here in Wano when Oden was alive and recruiting his Retainers, it would have been the Akazaya Ten instead of Nine, meaning Oden would have wanted Izuku under his wing due to his qualities.
- Yamato resolving to record her and Izuku's journeys as he sleeps, exhausted from carrying them so far with Float.
- Much as he's angry for Bao Haung eating a Zoan fruit he'd been saving, King can't bring himself to do anything to her, especially after seeing how organized his office is.
- Whitey Bay knew Oden when she sailed with Whitebeard, and she notes that she considered him a brother in all but blood.
- Bach's luring of the Finalem Pirates to the castle is in part a plan to contain the damage to his own residence and keep those of his citizenry from being affected. Sabo, upon realizing this, reaffirms his desire to stop the ones that broke free from the trap before they can set the city ablaze.
- After saving Doyle with Izuku, Yamato is touched by the appreciation of the people who are grateful to her and they get knighted. She also gets the experience of trying and eating new foods and new things such as dancing that she never had the opportunity back in Onigashima.
- While debriefing Sabo and Koala, Kuma gives the two a genuine smile and says Dragon would be proud to see them choosing to do the right thing and protect Doyle.
- On their way to the rendezvous with Whitey Bay, Izuku and Yamato stop at an island to rest and Izuku spots Yamato practicing ballroom dancing, explaining she felt awkward when trying to dance during the celebration at Doyle. To cheer her up, Izuku uses Float to get to her level and the two dance together for a little while, happy to be in each other's company.
- A rare villainous version is when an absolutely furious King goes all Papa Wolf against Ace and The Spades Pirates for attacking Bao Huang during their raid on Wano. He's The Juggernaut who tears to the whole rookie crew like a force of nature in retribution to the point that Ace refers him as The Demon and the moment Bao Huang sees King she hides behind him like a daughter who knows her father will protect her...and protect her King does.
- Whitebeard willing to help Izuku and Yamato in their mission to take down Kaido while also offering them a place in his family to which they happily accept.
- While Whitebeard sympathizes with Izou knowing that what happened to Oden and his family hurts him especially he also makes it clear that racism of any sort is completely unacceptable on his ship and tells him to keep his opinions about Oni to himself.
- The Whitebeard pirates throwing a surprise birthday party for Izuku; as it turns out, Yamato had been coordinating with the pirates to set everything up once they arrived and joined the crew, and everyone chipped in to make it the best birthday they could. Moreover, when it comes time to give gifts Whitebeard and Yamato both give personalized presents to Izuku, Whitebeard a gold chain made on his home island of Sphinx and Yamato giving an omamori she knit based off something she read about Oden making one for Toki.
- They have only been crewmates for a month, but when Izou starts verbally abusing Yamato about her relationship to Kaido he notes that almost all the Whitebeard Pirates present seem ready to take her side in the argument. They may all come from different backgrounds, but the Whitebeards are family, no matter how new their members may be.
- Izuku's power as a Hope Bringer continues to grow, as Ace is genuinely impressed and uplifted by hearing the story of his and Yamato's escape from Onigashima, and it acts as one of several catalysts for Ace to pull himself back together and start plotting his comeback against the Beast Pirates.
- While in Melville commissioning a new fleet of battleships, Whitebeard is asked why he's going through all this trouble to fight Kaido. As he's asked this, he spots Yamato happily dragging Izuku and Haruta through the shipyard, briefly reminiscing on how Oden and Toki used to do much the same when they were part of his crew. With a smile, he gives this reply:
- Despite her own issues following the incident in Melville, Yamato is quick to shut down Izuku's own doubts about what happened during the fight against Breed, showing that she cares greatly about Izuku and hates to see him give in to his own self-loathing.
- Though they lose their respective fights in chapter 51, Izuku and Yamato get a few words of encouragement from Marco and Jozu that helps lift their spirits and encourages them to continue training and get stronger.
- After a rough training session, Izuku and Yamato get a quiet moment on deck stargazing with Teach (Of all people). Teach is fully on board with the two of them pursuing their dreams, even offering to help them however he can before taking up Izuku's offering to teach him about the stars.
- Reiju secretly buys a cookbook during her stop at Brew Island, intending to memorize the recipes for later. Why? She wants something to honor and remember her late mother and her little brother Sanji, wherever he may be.
- The duo encounters Reiju on a deserted island when Reiju steps in to help Yamato after she steps on a poisonous stonefish. After all three give some aliases, Izuku and Yamato welcome Reiju with open arms and invite her to come travel with them. Reiju's internal monologue has her happily accept that she now has real friends, rather than subordinates or her father's lackeys.
- After defeating Caribou on Spider Miles, Yamato is overjoyed that the townsfolk celebrate her victory and offer to treat her to free food. Izuku as well is happy to see Yamato getting a hero's welcome as they travel out of the New World.
- Izuku and Yamato compare Trafalgar Law to Bakugou, with Izuku fondly reflecting on his old friend as they watch the pirate cleaning up after his recent battle.
- After meeting the Heart Pirates and learning they have food for the village, Reiju quickly offers to help cook for everyone, eagerly thinking that she will finally be able to do what Sanji used to do for the mice of the castle and for their mother and see just what her little brother loved about it so much.
- Hyogoro goes to comfort Ace as he breaks down over the loss of his crew, privately declaring the former pirate to be like a son to him (being the second father figure in the story to borrow All Might's "I am here" despite knowing nothing of the man).
