356-360

Chapter 356: The External Brain 

Previously, the chat group would occasionally touch upon topics from the Naruto world, but not extensively. After all, due to Uchiha Hikari's appearance, the Naruto world's plot had already veered far off course. Many crucial events, like the Uchiha clan massacre, never happened. Everyone implicitly agreed that with her overseeing the ninja world, nothing uncontrollable would occur. So, at most, they'd listen to Minato Namikaze share some ninja world secrets not mentioned in the manga. 

Now, with Minato back in the real world, Uchiha Hikari took the opportunity to tell him about some of the plot points revealed near the end of the Naruto manga. For instance, the true identity of "Masked Man" being Obito, Madara Uchiha being behind Obito, Black Zetsu being behind Madara, and Black Zetsu's "heroic" tale of "splitting mountains to save his mother," a story so moving it brought tears to people's eyes... 

Minato listened, utterly stunned by these revelations. 

【Yondaime: No wonder, so it was Obito...】 

【Yondaime: While I don't agree with his ideology, to go to such lengths for that goal is truly admirable... As his teacher, I am largely to blame for how things turned out. I ask that Hikari-san leave him to me; I will have a frank discussion with him.】 

【Nameless: Hmm... sure.】 

Uchiha Hikari hadn't gone after Obito before because his Kamui ability was quite troublesome. Even with prior knowledge, it was difficult to catch him. But with the Fourth Hokage, things became simple. It was just a matter of Flying Raijin. Even if Obito escaped using Kamui, they could just use Flying Raijin again when he reappeared to eat. 

In theory, Minato's current Edo Tensei body is very hard to kill by powers below Six Paths level. As long as he's clever, he can immediately retreat if things go south, and then sneak attack Obito whenever he gets the chance. Even if Obito had ten lives, he could be worn down. 

As for the Akatsuki... Uchiha Hikari figured it would just be a quick trip to Amegakure for herself and Esdeath. While the Six Paths of Pain are powerful, they are, at most, on par with the Four Emperors and Admirals of the One Piece world. Apart from the "Human Path's" somewhat bizarre and rule-based ability, the other five paths would hardly pose a threat to her and Esdeath. 

However... 

While dismantling Black Zetsu's conspiracy was simple—if either Obito or Nagato fell, his plan to revive Kaguya would be delayed—this would only solve the problem of the Fourth Great Ninja War. It wouldn't prevent other Otsutsuki besides Kaguya from coming to the ninja world from outer space. 

Moreover, in the original storyline, the Five Great Nations were forced to unite due to the Akatsuki's pressure. If the Akatsuki were dealt with prematurely, these factions would continue to act independently, repeating the cycle of a ninja war every few decades. 

Uchiha Hikari could take on this task herself and declare war on all five great nations simultaneously. But... 

【Nameless: Minato-sensei, what do you think... about establishing a unified ninja government? Or even more simply, letting the ninja world have only one Konoha. While complete peace is impossible in any world, a unified entity, always better than a scattered mess of scheming factions.】 

【Nameless: As for who should lead this unified entity, it naturally needs to be someone familiar with the situations of all five great nations, possessing enough prestige to keep all parties in line...】 

【Yondaime: Hikari-san, are you implying... you'll be the one in charge?】 

【Nameless: ?】 

【Nameless: I meant you.】 

Uchiha Hikari wasn't interested in being in charge; otherwise, she wouldn't have declined to become the new leader of the One Piece world. She'd rather use that time to find fun in other worlds and enjoy life. 

Minato Namikaze is renowned in the ninja world as the "Yellow Flash." His personality and abilities are exceptional, so leading the Five Great Nations shouldn't be a problem. As for his strength... Uchiha Hikari has already asked Dr. Brief and his team to help create a clone of Minato, and she plans to attempt "S-cell transplantation" in it. 

If this experiment succeeds, Minato's strength could easily advance two more stages. Combined with the half of the Nine-Tails inside him and his already developed "Golden Fox Mode," reaching near Six Paths level shouldn't be an issue. As for anything higher... that might require finding solutions from Planet Namek in the Dragon Ball world. 

Traveling to Planet Namek is also on Uchiha Hikari's itinerary. But before that... she had another place to go. 

"...Is this Egghead Island?" 

Led by Bartholomew Kuma, Uchiha Hikari, Bulma, and the others sailed the "Blue Planet" to the island where Vegapunk resided. That's right, because of the altered plot points and Imu's direct intervention in the Marineford War, Bartholomew Kuma wasn't completely cyborgized as in the original storyline. He retained some memories and consciousness and was released by the Marines after the Celestial Dragons' downfall. 

Afterward, Kuma, acting on information provided by Uchiha Hikari—or rather, by Shirley—found Bonney on the Sabaody Archipelago, and the father and daughter were reunited. Out of gratitude, Kuma personally led them to his old friend, Vegapunk. 

By this time, Vegapunk was already aware of the events that had transpired days earlier. He had already gathered a few of his clones and waited at the entrance of his laboratory. When Uchiha Hikari and her group arrived, he scrutinized them with an examining gaze. 

"Nice to meet you. I'm Uchiha Hikari of the Dimensional Pirate Group, and this is my captain, Bulma." 

"And Esdeath, Erehi, Naruto..." 

After a brief introduction, Uchiha Hikari stated her purpose: she wanted to see Vegapunk's research. 

At this point, Vegapunk hadn't yet experienced the "death" of his friend Kuma, but he was well aware of what kind of people the Celestial Dragons were. Now, facing Uchiha Hikari, who had ended the Celestial Dragons' rule, he politely invited her in and began to explain his work. 

One could tell that Vegapunk's tone carried a hint of pride. While he was describing his research, his wording was quite general, clearly not expecting Uchiha Hikari to understand. 

In fact... Uchiha Hikari genuinely didn't understand. But she had an external brain with her: 

"Oh, so that's the deeper principle of Devil Fruits? It's just as I suspected recently... And this part about Lineage Factors research is also very detailed, but I have a few questions I'd like to ask you." 

Bulma listened to Vegapunk's explanation with keen interest, asking questions during his pauses. And then, the conversation between the two scientists began to jump between complex topics. 

Chapter 357: Science Symposium 

"Bloodline... cells..." 

"Catalytic enzymes... genetic factors..." 

Vegapunk is undoubtedly the top scientist in the One Piece world, a polymath spanning multiple disciplines. In terms of biomedical expertise alone, he might not surpass Dr. Gero, but he's at least on par with Orochimaru, and perhaps even more deeply and thoroughly researched in certain areas. 

After all, the One Piece world's industrialization level is significantly higher than that of the Naruto world. Before being subjugated by Uchiha Hikari, Orochimaru was still conducting research with outdated medical equipment from the last century. 

And as a genius girl from the Dragon Ball world, Bulma's scientific literacy goes without saying. 

Biomedicine used to be her weak point, but recently, Bulma has been diligently self-studying in this area, bringing her former weakness up to a "normal level." Bulma's self-assessed "normal level," for ordinary people, is a lifelong, unreachable peak. 

So, even though Uchiha Hikari understood every single word that Bulma and Vegapunk spoke, strung together, she couldn't comprehend a single sentence. 

There was no way around it. 

She could only lead Esdeath and the others to continue touring the research facility and its achievements, guided by Vegapunk's various clones. 

"...So these are the 'Seraphim' created using the Warlords' lineage factors?" 

On a certain floor of the research facility, Uchiha Hikari saw a row of bodies immersed in nutrient fluid. Their appearances corresponded to the Warlords in their youth, but they were all in slumber, seemingly not yet activated. 

Lilith, Clone No. 2, who was beside her, nodded. 

"Yes, these are the main body's latest research achievements. The World Government recently sent people to urge us, seemingly wanting to activate them during the 'Marineford War,' but because they didn't pass the stability tests, the main body ultimately shelved them, intending to continue research... if you agree." 

Lilith's attitude was very polite. 

This, of course, also represented her main body's attitude— 

Vegapunk was recruited by the World Government, trading his research and development of war weapons for the Celestial Dragons in exchange for their financial aid, allowing him to conduct the research he desired. Now, with the World Government's downfall, continued funding became a problem, and an urgent one at that. 

At such a time, Uchiha Hikari's opinion was of paramount importance. 

"Well... of course, that's fine." 

Uchiha Hikari's travels across various worlds these past few months hadn't been in vain. She had vast gold and silver mineral resources and financial reserves in the Dragon, Demon Slayer, and Akame ga Kill worlds. Supporting another scientist was no big deal. Besides, Vegapunk didn't even need her to personally fund it; she just needed to mention it to Whitebeard and the others. 

However... 

"I need you to conduct a few more studies, all related to biological science. I might bring a few scientists over later to discuss them with you." 

That's right. 

Uchiha Hikari had long envisioned bringing Dr. Brief, Dr. Gero, and Orochimaru together from their respective worlds to organize a technical "scientific exchange symposium." Previously, the timing wasn't right, and it hadn't been implemented. But now... 

It was almost time to consider putting it into action. 

Next, Uchiha Hikari saw several new models of "Pacifistas," some conventional combat weapons like "bubble guns" and "light swords," a "fusion reactor" capable of creating the primary ignitor—the "Uranus" propulsion fuel—and a large number of artificial organs, as well as a "Pink Dragon Fruit" corresponding to the Kaido's Azure Dragon Fruit. 

As for the Poneglyphs... 

She didn't see any, guessing they might have been hidden by Vegapunk. 

After all, researching the past eight hundred years of history was the most feared and hated act by the World Government, composed of Celestial Dragons. In the original timeline, two years later, Vegapunk was targeted and killed by the Gorosei precisely because his research came to light, so it was only natural for him to be cautious. 

However... 

It didn't matter. 

Uchiha Hikari wasn't particularly interested in the Poneglyphs and had no intention of digging into it. She was currently trying to acquire something she liked from Vegapunk, such as: 

"This Pink Dragon Fruit looks pretty good. How about you give it to me?" 

"...Of course." 

Uchiha Hikari casually mentioned it, and Lilith handed her the Pink Dragon Fruit. 

She didn't plan to use it herself. 

After all, it wasn't very useful to her; if she wanted to experience transforming into a divine dragon, she could just find the East Sea Cloud Dragon. However, if given to Bulma or Eriyi, the effects it could unleash might be quite extraordinary. 

After all, the Devil Fruit's weakness to seawater is limited to the One Piece world; in other worlds, it shouldn't be an issue. And if the White King's bloodline combined with the Kaido lineage factor contained in the Pink Dragon Fruit, it might just create some unexpected chemical reactions... 

After completing the tour, Uchiha Hikari had a rough idea of Vegapunk's capabilities. She then led Eriyi and the others back to the initial room, where they met Bulma and Vegapunk, who had just finished a discussion. 

By this time, Vegapunk was speaking to Bulma with an attitude of respect, even awe. 

As the genius inventor and Brain-Brain Fruit user of the One Piece world, he had never encountered a human with such outstanding comprehension as Bulma. No matter what fantastical topic he brought up, even those he hadn't yet thoroughly researched himself, Bulma could quickly grasp and theoretically demonstrate. 

If not for the significant age difference between them, he would have wanted to become sworn siblings with Bulma. 

"Hikari, you're back." 

Bulma smiled when she saw Uchiha Hikari, standing up from her chair. "I've already discussed cloning with Dr. Vegapunk. He has very deep research in this area; some experiments he's done even my dad and Dr. Gero haven't. If he joins us, cloning Mr. Minato and Ms. Kushina should be even more certain." 

"Really?" 

Uchiha Hikari raised an eyebrow. 

This was indeed a question she had been considering recently. 

Since Bulma also said so... 

It seems they could afford to be a bit bolder. 

The day after touring Vegapunk's laboratory, Uchiha Hikari began traveling back and forth between several other worlds. With Bulma's enthusiastic help, she started making arrangements for the previously conceived "science exchange symposium." 

Chapter 358: The Feasibility of a Perfect Clone 

When it came to this gathering, Orochimaru was by far the most enthusiastic. 

He had long suspected that Uchiha Hikari could travel to other worlds. For a considerable time, he had used Hikari as a go-between to correspond with Dr. Brief, discussing their respective research topics. Now that he had the chance to meet him in person, he naturally couldn't miss it. 

Dr. Brief and Dr. Gero also had no objections. 

Then there was Dr. Stylish from the Akame ga Kill! world. 

Hikari had actually brought this guy under her wing quite a while ago, but she usually didn't pay him much attention, only glancing at him when she went to see the East Blue Cloud Dragon. However, he was also an expert in biology, and since Hikari had branded him with the "Eight Thousand Spears" seal, his loyalty wasn't an issue, so he was brought along to fill out the numbers. 

Add in Tamayo and Kikyo, and these were all the participants in this exchange meeting. 

On this particular morning, Uchiha Hikari arrived at Vegapunk's laboratory early with Bulma and Esdeath. Then, she made several round trips to other worlds, bringing each scientist over one by one. Bulma introduced them to Vegapunk, their host, and then ushered them into the room to sit down. 

"...So this is the other world Lady Hikari spoke of? It truly has a completely different landscape from the Shinobi World," Orochimaru said in his raspy voice, looking around. 

Dr. Brief beside him was calm, merely pushing up his glasses. "Mm, it's indeed a nice island... Nice to meet you. You must be Dr. Orochimaru, the one I've been corresponding with?" 

"Eh, you're Dr. Brief?" 

Orochimaru was stunned for a moment, then his demeanor immediately became humble. He politely bowed to Dr. Brief. "You're too kind, just call me Orochimaru. I've long wanted to visit you in person, and I can't believe I'm only now getting my wish. Regarding the 'gene-editing technology' mentioned in your last letter, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you..." 

If Minato Namikaze were here right now, he would probably find the Orochimaru before him completely unrecognizable. 

After all, this state of Orochimaru was rarely seen in the Naruto world. He probably didn't show this level of respect even to his own sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi, back when he was studying ninjutsu in the Leaf Village. 

Dr. Brief didn't mind these formalities. After listening to Orochimaru's questions, he began to explain, deep in thought. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Gero chatted for a bit with Tamayo and Yushiro, whom he was more familiar with. 

—Before coming to the Pirate World, Lady Tamayo had spent half a year in Dr. Gero's lab, acting as his assistant and student in a sense. So, Dr. Gero's words carried a slight tone of testing, and Tamayo patiently answered his inquiries one by one. 

As for Dr. Stylish... 

He knew the fewest people here. Besides Uchiha Hikari, only Esdeath was familiar to him. But seeing the latter's ice-cold expression, he didn't dare to approach her. 

It was Vegapunk, accompanied by his Number One clone Shaka, who came over and struck up a conversation with him. 

At this point, Uchiha Hikari found herself with nothing much to add. 

She had initially considered making this "exchange meeting" into a formal academic conference, with everyone giving a simple report. But on second thought, it seemed unnecessary. After all, the individuals present were all top talents from their respective worlds; their depth and breadth of thought were far beyond ordinary people. A conventional academic exchange format would only constrain them; it was better to let them discuss freely. 

Therefore, Uchiha Hikari gave a few instructions to Bulma, left a shadow clone there to help manage the scene, and then returned to the "Blue Planet" with Esdeath to begin her daily gravity training. 

Over the next few days, the "scientific exchange" continued. 

The topics evolved from the initial "Ghostification Potion 3.0 improvement directions" to the "S-Cell cultivation roadmap," and then to the "technical approach for perfect clones." 

Whitebeard's and Eriyi's conditions were also given a comprehensive expert consultation during this exchange. 

As Uchiha Hikari had predicted beforehand, the combined might of so many top scientists yielded results far greater than the sum of their parts. 

In less than a week, Dr. Brief and the others, based on their systematic review and integration of existing research, advanced the "Ghostification Potion" from its current theoretical "3.0" stage straight to "7.0." At the same time, they devised no fewer than twelve treatment plans for Whitebeard and Eriyi, with three of those plans boasting a cure rate exceeding 99%. Finally, they also completed the theoretical proof for "perfect active substance." 

—The "perfect active substance" refers to a perfect active substance synthesized at the genetic level. This was achieved by integrating and analyzing the underlying principles of various materials from different worlds that possess similar properties, such as "S-Cells," Hashirama Cells, Demon King Cells, the blood of Dragon Kings and Devil Fruit users, and even Lunarian genes. 

Theoretically, this active substance could be used to cure most known diseases, and even genetic defects, without causing rejection. 

It could be said to be an even more broken panacea than a Senzu Bean. 

However... 

Just by its name, you can tell that creating this kind of thing would likely be incredibly difficult. 

[No_Name: Is something like this... really possible? It feels a bit ridiculous.] 

[Bulma: Well, it's theoretically possible, but in practice, we'll definitely encounter a lot of problems. After all, these materials come from different species across different worlds. Even if theoretical calculations say they can be synthesized, there's no guarantee there won't be side effects. But with so many scientists working together, achieving 20% of the effect should be no problem.] 

Even 20% would be more than enough to cure Whitebeard and Eriyi. 

Furthermore... 

Minato Namikaze's new clone was also nearing completion. 

Uchiha Hikari had originally only intended to try adding some "S-Cells" to his clone. But now, after hearing Bulma relay the discussion results from Dr. Brief and the others, she couldn't even imagine what kind of being these scientists would ultimately clone... 

Who knows, they might end up with a Naruto-world version of Broly-Minato! 

The research on Egghead Island was proceeding smoothly. 

Taking advantage of this time, Uchiha Hikari and Esdeath together sought out the territory of the last Four Emperor they hadn't yet visited— 

Whole Cake Island. 

Chapter 359 After the battle in Mariejois, Uchiha Hikaru and Esdeath had become big names in the pirate world. Their photos, along with Bulma's, had been spread across the seas through newspapers. Their nicknames also changed from the initial "Three Witches" to the current "Three Celestial Gods"—"God of the Heavens," "God of the Seas," and "God of the Underworld." 

Bulma was the "God of the Underworld." Even though there were rumors that the "Dimensional Pirates" captain couldn't use Haki and was just a tech expert, most people didn't believe it. The general consensus among pirates and Marines was that Bulma was terrifyingly strong, and if she ever decided to fight, it would probably signal the end of the world. 

Now, the people on Whole Cake Island quickly recognized the pair by their appearance and reported it up the chain of command. In the process, Charlotte Cracker, one of the "Three Sweet Commanders," tried to be tough and ordered Hikaru and Esdeath to wait where they were. But Hikaru just gave him a single glance, and he froze, unable to move a muscle. 

It was a Binding Illusion Technique. With Hikaru's current eye power, she didn't even need a second glance to deal with a Warlord-level opponent like him. 

After that, Esdeath subtly activated her Demon's Extract, creating a swirling vortex of white mist around her that spread out like a storm. In just a few breaths, most of Whole Cake Island was enveloped in a shroud of white ice. Everyone shivered, and even the clouds in the sky turned a leaden gray, plunging the world into a frozen landscape. 

"Everyone, back off," Hikaru said softly, her voice amplified by Haki, reaching every pirate on the island. "We're not here for you. If you want to live, don't get in our way." 

Having just witnessed what happened to Cracker, the other pirates hesitated for a moment before obediently scattering to the sides, clearing a path. In the distance, the figures of Big Mom, Katakuri, Smoothie, and others came into view, rushing toward them. 

"So that's Big Mom, the fat woman in the pink clothes? Her size looks even more incredible than Whitebeard's," Esdeath said, her eyes slightly narrowed as she observed Big Mom's appearance. 

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, that's her." 

It was a common trait for women in the pirate world to get bigger as they aged, and it was especially severe in Big Mom's case. Looking at her now, it was hard to believe she was once a sharp-looking, beautiful woman on the Rocks Pirates' ship. The difference between her two forms was probably greater than that between a human and a dog. 

But that didn't matter. They were here to "persuade" Big Mom to join the new government. If words didn't work, they'd have to use special methods to force her to "see reason." 

"She's all yours, Esdeath," Hikaru said, stopping in her tracks. "Her strength is similar to Kaido's; her defense might even be a bit tougher. The others around her are probably on par with Jack... you know, the guy with the tusks. You should be able to finish the fight in a quarter of an hour." 

"Oh?" Esdeath stretched her neck and let out a breath. "If she's only on Kaido's level... I think half that time is enough. Want to make a bet?" 

"What's the wager?" Hikaru didn't immediately agree. 

"A single command. The loser has to unconditionally obey one command from the winner," Esdeath said. 

Hikaru raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a hint of confusion, then nodded slightly. "Alright." 

If this had been when she first made Esdeath her subordinate, she would never have agreed. She had no idea what kind of bizarre command Esdeath would come up with. But now... she was confident Esdeath wouldn't ask for anything that would be bad for her. With that in mind, she didn't mind playing along. It would probably be a playful command, like a game of truth or dare. 

"Then it's a deal," Esdeath said, letting out a small sigh. When she looked up again, her aura had suddenly become sharp and menacing. 

A giant ice golem rose from the island, carrying her, and raised its arm toward Big Mom and her crew. Its palm was open in a "grasping" motion. 

BOOM!!! 

At that moment, a massive amount of ice and snow appeared out of thin air, forming countless weapons. Each of them was over twenty meters long, a size rarely seen. After a brief buildup, all of these weapons shot toward Big Mom and her crew like a torrential storm! 

Then, several giant ice meteors condensed in the sky and plummeted toward Whole Cake Island! 

"Great Ice Funeral!" 

Big Mom's strength was indeed similar to Kaido's—she was a "tank" type fighter with thick skin. As an Emperor of the Sea, her pride wouldn't allow her to give up easily. 

But... against a full-power Esdeath, the Emperor quickly found herself on the back foot. First, Katakuri and the others were heavily injured and taken out of the fight. Then, Big Mom herself, after barely holding on with her three special homies, was overwhelmed by a non-stop barrage of ice attacks. Her expression, which had been full of rage, defiance, and madness, gradually became clear. 

"Can we... come to an agreement?" 

CRACK—!! 

The response to Big Mom was a powerful, charged punch from the ice giant! 

Even then, Big Mom tried to use her Soul-Soul Fruit ability, the Soul Pocus, to control Esdeath. This was an almost rule-based ability that could judge a person's life by asking them a question. If the person felt even a sliver of fear, their soul and lifespan would be instantly drained. 

But for Esdeath, "fear" was not an emotion that existed. Her mind was filled only with a burning desire for battle! 

"Mahapadma!" 

As she spoke, a fierce wave of frost burst forth, a filter of ice-blue that swept over hundreds of kilometers. In this vast space, the entire world seemed to slow down. Images, sounds, even the air itself... everything was frozen in a state of absolute stillness. 

In the dead silence, Esdeath drew her sword and looked back at Hikaru. Their eyes met. 

Esdeath smiled playfully, then turned and raised her right hand, shouting the name of another technique: "Ice Storm - Prison!" 

RUMBLE—! 

At that moment, the most powerful icy aura yet burst from Esdeath, sweeping across the entire area once more! 

And this time... the freezing effect of "Mahapadma" was made permanent. The entire Whole Cake Island, the surrounding seas, and the scattered islands for hundreds of miles were completely frozen solid. Even after the "Mahapadma" filter wore off, there was no sign of anything melting! 

"...Is that another new technique you developed?" Hikaru asked, frowning slightly. When she saw Esdeath prepare to use "Mahapadma," she had already activated her "Fire Lightning God" spirit tool, turning it into a thin veil on her skin. But even that veil couldn't completely block the external cold. It was clear that the "Ice Storm - Prison" was far stronger than "Mahapadma." 

If she had used this during the Marineford War, only Imu would have had a chance of being unaffected. 

"You could say that," Esdeath said, her form flickering as the ice giant returned to its place. She floated down from the air. "I was planning to surprise you with it during our next match, but... oh well, it doesn't matter." 

"Space frozen by 'Ice Storm - Prison' won't melt for decades. Unless someone has a freezing power far superior to mine, they can't save the person inside without harming them, but that kind of person probably doesn't exist in this world." 

Esdeath paused. "So, I guess the fight's over? And it was within a quarter of an hour." 

"..." Hikaru was silent for a moment before sighing with a touch of resignation. "Alright, I'll count it as your win. So, what's your command?" 

"Well then..." Esdeath's lips curled into a smile. "Go on a date with me. A formal one." 

"...Eh??" 

Chapter 360: Why Are You So Skilled?! 

"So..." 

"What does cat ears have to do with a date?" 

The setting was a dessert shop on Whole Cake Island. Uchiha Hikari sat at a table, watching Esdeath place a freshly made strawberry shaved ice in front of her. The cat ears on the sides of her head twitched, and her expression was a little unnatural. 

Well, abiding by the principle of accepting a challenge, she agreed to Esdeath's date proposal and chose Whole Cake Island as the nearby location. This place was one of the most prosperous in the One Piece world, with all kinds of desserts, cold drinks, and clothing stores. You could see the ocean view in the distance just by walking down the street. And since the entire Totto Land sea had been frozen by Esdeath, no one would bother them, making it genuinely suitable for a romantic time together... 

However... Esdeath seemed to have a certain obsession with cat ears, insisting that Uchiha Hikari appear in a cat-girl form, which left her a bit helpless. 

"Well, because you look cutest like this, of course," Esdeath said matter-of-factly. 

She also sat down at the table with a cup of shaved ice, casually snapping her fingers. The air above the two shaved ice cups suddenly dropped in temperature, making the whipped cream even firmer. Using the power of "Demon's Extract" in such a way was certainly creative. 

"Try it," Esdeath gestured with her chin. "I learned a bit about dessert making when I was in the Empire. It's been a long time since I used it, so I'm not sure if I'm still good at it... Speaking of which, this place called 'Whole Cake' is quite interesting. Even the house walls are made of various pastries, which makes preparation quite convenient." 

"Indeed." 

When comparing horizontally within the One Piece world, Big Mom's Totto Land actually had a relatively high standard of living. Although people's lifespans were regularly extracted, at least they were alive... However, living here long-term would have one obvious drawback: you'd probably get diabetes easily. 

Uchiha Hikari scooped a bit of shaved ice into her mouth. The moment her tongue touched the crushed ice, her eyes widened slightly. This taste... was surprisingly delicious? 

"How is it?" Esdeath sat opposite her, propping her chin on one hand, looking over with interest, seemingly eager for her feedback. 

"Mmm... it's quite good. Aren't you going to try some yourself?" Uchiha Hikari scooped two more mouthfuls. After eating them, she looked up and found Esdeath staring intently at her. Then, Esdeath suddenly reached out, extended a fingertip to Hikari's mouth, and scraped off a tiny bit of cream stuck there, then very naturally brought it to her own mouth. 

"Wait, that's..." Uchiha Hikari's mouth hung open, watching the scene in disbelief, not even having time to stop her. 

Esdeath, on the other hand, had already swallowed the cream, then lightly licked her rosy lips with her tongue, before smiling with pursed lips: "Mmm, it is indeed very sweet." 

"..." 

No... 

Why are you so skilled?! 

Uchiha Hikari admitted that she didn't have much experience in romantic relationships, but she had lived in an information-explosion modern era in her previous life, so her knowledge was quite extensive. Yet, she never dreamed that one day, she would become the target of someone else's flirting. This sudden, intimate gesture genuinely made her heart pound unconsciously. 

But, it was also a little strange... 

—When did Esdeath learn these moves? 

Could it be that after getting a phone in the Jujutsu world, she found some learning materials online and secretly practiced? 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Esdeath was slightly taken aback by Uchiha Hikari's suspicious gaze, but then she smiled again: "Didn't we agree? I'm in charge of arranging everything for this date. You're not going to go back on your word, are you? Anyway, eat quickly, it won't taste as good if it melts." Saying this, Esdeath pushed her own cup of shaved ice over as well. 

Uchiha Hikari accepted it readily. As she held the shaved ice in her mouth, waiting for it to melt, she mumbled, "What's the plan for later?" 

"Hmm... there seem to be a few clothing stores over there. After we finish the shaved ice, let's go check them out and pick out some clothes. You, in your current form, would suit cuter outfits," Esdeath said with a smile, looking at the cat ears on the sides of Uchiha Hikari's head. 

"...Alright." By now, Uchiha Hikari couldn't be bothered to think too much. Since Esdeath initiated this date, and she had already made plans, there was no need for Hikari to ask further questions; she would just follow along. After all the running around recently for Yamato, Ace, Whitebeard, and others, it was indeed time to slack off and properly relax. 

After leisurely finishing the shaved ice, the two stood up and left the dessert shop. They walked a short distance hand-in-hand to a clothing store and began trying on clothes. 

The clothing styles in the One Piece world were quite diverse, and many combinations were very trendy, fitting in perfectly even in the Dragon and Jujutsu worlds next door. 

The only thing was... the clothing sizes were generally quite large. It seemed more than half of them were for people over two meters tall, leaving not many for normal body types. 

Esdeath chose a gorgeous dress. It was... pink. Even with prior mental preparation, Uchiha Hikari couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth slightly upon seeing the outfit: "Are you sure you want to try this one? I don't mind, but that color... you don't like it, do you?" 

"That's not necessarily true. If it's you wearing it, Hikari-chan, I'd want to see it no matter what color it is." 

"..." Uchiha Hikari glanced at Esdeath, then, under Esdeath's enthusiastic gaze, turned and entered the fitting room. 

Two minutes later, Uchiha Hikari pulled open the fitting room door and waved outward: "Es-chan, come help me." 

"Hmm?" 

"This dress... it's a bit hard to put on." 

The fitting room wasn't very spacious. It was roomy enough when Uchiha Hikari was inside alone, but it immediately felt cramped when Esdeath squeezed in. After a brief explanation, Uchiha Hikari stood in front of the fitting mirror, holding the half-worn dress. She felt a few cool fingers on her back, and her body involuntarily stiffened. A few beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose. 

"Are you hot?" Esdeath asked softly. 

"...A little." 

"Then I'll be a bit faster. Bear with it for now." 

Despite saying that, Esdeath clearly wasn't very familiar with this type of dress—as an Imperial General, the clothes she wore most often were military uniforms, completely different from this cute-style dress. So, after fumbling around for a while, she finally figured out how to put on the outfit. She then zipped it up from the back and smoothed out the fabric beside it. 

"All done." 

As Esdeath spoke, Uchiha Hikari let out a sigh of relief, ready to push the door open, but Esdeath called out to her again. Then, she saw Esdeath bend down, her hands naturally reaching to Uchiha Hikari's shoulders, pulling open and flattening the creases around the neckline. 

Compared to before, this action seemed much softer, subtly reminiscent of a wife tidying her husband's attire. 

Soon, the creases on the collar were neatly smoothed. But Esdeath didn't immediately stand up. Instead, she maintained her hands on Hikari's shoulders, raised her eyebrows, and gazed intently at Uchiha Hikari with her ice-blue eyes. Uchiha Hikari also looked at her. 

Their eyes met. 

The surrounding air seemed to grow quiet. In the small space, only their breathing and heartbeats were clearly audible. 

It was unclear who made the first move. Their faces gradually drew closer, close enough to see each other's eyelashes, to smell the faint fragrance in the air. 

"Speaking of which..." Esdeath let out a soft breath: "This kind of thing is also part of a date, isn't it?" 

Uchiha Hikari's heart stirred: "You mean..." 

No response. 

Just a cool, soft touch suddenly landed on her lips, making Uchiha Hikari's eyes instantly widen, then gently close. 

A gentle breeze wafted by. A delicate atmosphere permeated the small space. 

After a long time, the two separated again. Esdeath stepped back half a pace, looked at Uchiha Hikari's radiant face and attire, and nodded slightly: "Looks pretty good. Shall we take some photos for memory and try some others?" 

"...Okay." 

That afternoon, Uchiha Hikari and Esdeath explored almost all the shops, big and small, on Whole Cake Island. As evening approached, they went to the beach nearby. There, they caught a few sea fish, which Esdeath scaled and prepared, setting them over a bonfire. The two then cozied up by the sea, eating grilled fish while watching the sun set and the moon rise. 

"It's already been a whole day, time really flies," Uchiha Hikari looked up at the full moon for a while, then turned to Esdeath and said softly, "Is this date over?" 

"Something like this shouldn't be measured by time, should it?" Esdeath raised an eyebrow, then smiled: "But it is quite late now. If you're tired, go to sleep... I had a really good time today. You did too, right?" 

"...Yeah." Uchiha Hikari stretched, then quickly washed up. She returned to their spot, sitting back-to-back with Esdeath, resting her head on Esdeath's shoulder: "Then... goodnight, Es-chan." 

Esdeath's shoulder stiffened slightly, then softened. She relaxed her body and let out a soft breath: 

"Goodnight, Hikari."