331-335

Chapter 331: Don't Underestimate My Information Network! 

"Huh?!" 

As Uchiha Hikari uttered those words, Rayleigh and the others' faces were filled with shock. 

The Revolutionary Army?! 

The name itself might not have been a big deal. After all, everyone present was basically somewhat connected to the Revolutionary Army, with Luffy being the son of their leader. 

But... 

Bartholomew Kuma's identity was that of a powerful Warlord, openly serving the World Government with unwavering dedication. The idea that a Marine dog like him was actually a Revolutionary Army spy?! That news was truly astonishing. 

Bartholomew Kuma himself was quite surprised. 

"...That's right," Kuma said with some hesitation. "I am indeed with the Revolutionary Army, and I joined them even before becoming a Warlord... My return from outside this time was also to use my Warlord status to help you escape from the Marines, not to attack you." 

To be precise, he was there to help the Straw Hat Pirates escape. In the original storyline, if he hadn't intervened, Luffy and his crew probably wouldn't have had a chance to escape Sabaody Archipelago; they would have been captured by Kizaru and the others and thrown into Impel Down. Hmm... in that case, it might have been a good thing for Luffy. He wouldn't have needed to find Hancock to help him infiltrate Impel Down, and he might even have met Ace in jail, then the two brothers could have gone to the execution platform together... 

Anyway, back to the main point. 

Kuma seemed to hesitate for a moment but finally couldn't resist asking, "May I ask, how did you know my identity?" 

"Well..." 

"Don't underestimate the intelligence network of our 'Dimensional Pirate Crew'!" Uchiha Hikari said with a mischievous smile. "In fact, besides your identity, I know something else. Those 'Pacifistas' that Kizaru and Sentomaru brought were a product of your deal with the World Government, right? So... when will you yourself undergo改造 (modification), lose your self-awareness, and become their humanoid weapon?" 

"?!" 

Rayleigh and the others' eyes widened once again. Luffy and his crew had all seen those "Pacifistas" firsthand and knew they looked just like Kuma, but they hadn't delved deeper into it. However, Rayleigh and Shakky, having lived in seclusion on Sabaody Archipelago for years, had some information about the research the World Government commissioned Vegapunk to do, so they vaguely guessed what was happening. 

"Could it be... that the World Government has already figured out Mr. Kuma's spy identity and wants to modify you into something that truly obeys their commands?" 

"No, if that were the case, Kuma would choose to escape..." 

"Perhaps this is part of a Revolutionary Army plan?" 

"..." 

While Rayleigh and Shakky exchanged glances, Kuma remained silent. For him, accepting "modification" as a condition to ask the World Government to cure Bonney was an unspeakable secret. Apart from Vegapunk and the Five Elders, who were involved in this matter, he hadn't even told this deal to other Revolutionary Army executives like Emporio Ivankov. So, facing this group of "strangers" present, it was even more impossible for him to reveal it. 

"Ah..." Uchiha Hikari sighed softly. 

How to put it? She actually felt a bit inclined to help this guy. After all, someone like him, kind-hearted, never doing anything truly evil from beginning to end, yet suffering a tragic fate throughout his life, was truly rare in the world of pirates—and, of course, a rare species in other worlds too. If she hadn't encountered him, it wouldn't have mattered. But since their paths crossed here, not helping him felt a bit... incomplete. 

"Never mind," Uchiha Hikari thought for a moment, then spoke again. "Since you don't want to say, let's change the topic. How about we make a deal? You must have been to Vegapunk's Egghead Island and know its coordinates, right? Conveniently, our captain is also a scientist, and she's very interested in Vegapunk's research. Give us the coordinates of Egghead Island, and in exchange, I will save Bonney once when she's in crisis in the future. How does that sound?" 

"!" Kuma looked up, clearly tempted. But he still had some reservations: "You won't do anything to Dr. Vegapunk, will you? He's a good person and my friend. If possible, I hope you won't harm him..." 

"No problem." 

After receiving Uchiha Hikari's promise, Kuma finally agreed to the deal. He borrowed paper and a pen from Shakky, wrote something down, handed it to Uchiha Hikari, who then passed it to Bulma. 

"Well then... this might be our last meeting. Farewell." Kuma said no more, stood up, and left. Out of courtesy, Uchiha Hikari, Bulma, and Rayleigh saw him off. 

As they were leaving the bar, they vaguely heard some voices from outside— 

"You two, search that shop over there and see if there are any clues about the 'Dimensional Pirate Crew'!" 

"Yes, sir!" 

"...Captain, those pirates couldn't possibly still be here, right? After causing such a big commotion, they must have run off already. What's the point of us searching the entire island?" 

"You're an idiot! If they were still here, would we dare search like this? That would be suicide..." 

Outside the "Rip-off Bar" on the street, a team of Marine soldiers was approaching, chatting idly, looking quite relaxed. Coincidentally, two Marines were heading towards the bar, seemingly intending to go inside. And then... they ran straight into Uchiha Hikari and the others who were coming out. 

Their eyes met. 

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. 

The next moment, the two Marine soldiers seemed to suffer from temporary blindness, completely ignoring Uchiha Hikari's group in front of them, turning around and walking away. "Ha, haha... I told you there couldn't be anyone in this bar. The Captain still insisted we come check..." 

Not far away, the Marine Captain, who had also witnessed this scene, let out a chuckle and waved his subordinates to retreat. "All searched, right? Then let's go back. We didn't see anything..." 

After walking dozens of meters, feigning composure, those Marines glanced back with their peripheral vision, then let out a shriek and scurried away. 

Leaving Uchiha Hikari and the others exchanging bewildered glances. 

"...Pfft." Bulma couldn't help but chuckle. 

After another farewell, Kuma left alone. Watching his retreating back, Bulma felt a bit wistful: "I feel like that gentleman is quite pitiful... Hikari, are we really going to Egghead Island next? I kind of feel like another place might be more fun." 

Uchiha Hikari looked at her: "Are you talking about..." 

"That 'Women's Island'!" 

--- 

Chapter 332: Bulma: Huh? I'm Fighting Akainu? 

Even though she was in the world of pirates for the first time, Bulma was familiar with the place names because she had read the manga. Her original dream destination was the Baratie sea restaurant, but after meeting Sanji and tasting his cooking, her interest shifted. Now she was set on exploring Amazon Lily. 

Uchiha Hikari didn't mind. The "women's kingdom" wasn't far from the Sabaody Archipelago; Rayleigh could swim there, so for them, it was just a quick trip on the Blue Planet. Plus, there was something she needed to do in the Calm Belt: capture Blackbeard! He was a born medical genius in the pirate world but was wasting his talent on useless things, gathering pathetic underlings and trying to become a Yonko with such a weak crew. In Hikari's eyes, it would be much more efficient to just grab him and put him to work in her lab. His job? To be studied. 

"If we're going to Amazon Lily, I should talk to Shakky first, since she's the former empress..." Uchiha Hikari thought. "Maybe she can use her influence to have the Kuja set up lookout points along the routes in the Calm Belt so we can find Blackbeard's trail right away..." 

The Marines' island-wide search lasted for about a week. Either the soldiers who came to the bar didn't report what they saw, or the higher-ups were holding back because they were short on top-tier fighters. In any case, no one came to arrest Uchiha Hikari and her crew. This was a relief for Shakky. If the Marines had decided to gather their forces and come for them, the "Dimensional Pirates" would probably have been fine, but her "Rip-Off Bar" would have been finished for sure. 

But even without going after the "Dimensional Pirates," the Marines did get an unexpected bit of news about the "Supernovas." 

Kid, Hawkins, Drake... a new generation of elite pirates had all gathered near the Sabaody Archipelago. Several of them had witnessed the fight between the Dimensional Pirates and the Marines firsthand, especially Hikari's incredible Ki blast that destroyed the gate to Marijoa. Perhaps feeling a surge of adrenaline and thinking "the Marines are nothing," they started jumping out and challenging the Marines on the island. This led to them either beating the Marines into submission or getting beaten themselves, causing chaos all over the archipelago. 

This continued until... another Marine Admiral returned. 

"Is that red-haired punk over there the captain of the 'Kid Pirates,' the one causing all the trouble recently?" 

At a port on the Sabaody Archipelago, a man with a stern, square-jawed face and a dark red suit looked through a pair of binoculars at the fight happening in the distance. 

"Yes," the Vice Admiral next to him said respectfully. "Because of Admiral Kizaru's defeat and the destruction of the Marijoa gate, these pirates have become unusually arrogant. Especially Eustass 'Captain' Kid, a magnetic man with the Magnet-Magnet Fruit. His bounty was 315,000,000, and just the other day, he even defeated a Vice Admiral..." 

"...Have the young Marines become this soft? It's bad enough they couldn't catch the 'Dimensional Pirates,' but now they're being pushed around by these clowns." The square-jawed man took the cigar out of his mouth and let out a long puff of smoke. "Looks like you all need a lesson." 

Before he even finished speaking, the man stomped the railing of the ship. His imposing body shot through the air in a fierce arc, his right fist already wreathed in a swirling vortex of magma. He aimed it at the Kid Pirates below. 

"Great Eruption!!" 

In that moment, Kid's eyes widened in shock. For the first time in his life, he felt the terrifying pressure of a Marine Admiral. 

So... this is the kind of opponent the 'Dimensional Pirates' faced that day? That was his last thought before he lost consciousness. 

The news of Akainu's return to the Sabaody Archipelago made it into the World Economic Journal a day or two later. The papers highlighted how he had defeated and captured five of the "Worst Generation Supernovas" in less than 24 hours and was sending them to Impel Down. The report also mentioned that Akainu had publicly vowed to personally capture the members of the "Dimensional Pirates," especially the fifth Empress of the Seas, Bulma. 

When Bulma saw the article, her jaw dropped. She pointed to herself in disbelief. "Huh? Me?" 

"Is the same Akainu who punched off half of Whitebeard's face and can use 'Meteor Volcano' saying he's going to arrest me?" 

"That's..." 

Seriously? 

Seeing Bulma's panicked expression, Uchiha Hikari couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, you know, you've gotta take out the leader first. You're the captain with the highest bounty in our crew, so of course they want to catch you to make an example." 

Bulma swallowed hard, picturing the scene Hikari described. "If I really get caught... they wouldn't give me a worldwide public execution, would they? Like they did with Roger?" 

"?" 

Hikari played along, thinking about it seriously. "You never know. After all, a lot of people think you're going to follow in Roger's footsteps and become the next Pirate King." 

"..." 

After a few lighthearted jokes, Uchiha Hikari looked up at her surroundings. They had left the Sabaody Archipelago, traveled through the Calm Belt, and arrived at the legendary "women's kingdom." With Shakky, the former empress, as their guide, the journey was smooth, unlike the twists and turns Luffy experienced in the original timeline. 

As they reached the center of the island, a large number of Kuja soldiers stood in formation, surrounding them. The black-haired woman at the front was none other than the island's current ruler, and a Shichibukai on par with Kuma and Moria—Boa Hancock, who had eaten the Love-Love Fruit. 

At that moment, Hancock was looking them over carefully, her gaze lingering on Bulma. "You must be Captain Bulma, the one who killed a Celestial Dragon and defeated Admiral Kizaru. A pleasure to meet you." 

Chapter 333: Aokiji's Movement 

"Cough, cough..." Bulma waved her hand, a bit embarrassed by Hancock's question. "I am Bulma, but you've got it wrong. Those two things weren't my doing... The one who killed the Celestial Dragon was Hikari, and the one who defeated Kizaru was Esdeath. I'm just a plain, ordinary pirate captain, moonlighting as a scientist, that's all." 

"Huh?" Hancock paused, a little confused. "Didn't they say it was a blue-haired female pirate who did these things...?" 

"Uh..." Uchiha Hikari and Eriyi, who were standing nearby, instinctively turned to look at Esdeath. 

Hmm, blue hair, female pirate. 

It's true. 

Without seeing their faces and just using vague descriptions, Bulma and Esdeath actually looked quite similar, even their heights were close... 

Considering that Amazon Lily is located in the Calm Belt, making it impossible for most ships and news coos to reach, information could only be transmitted via Den Den Mushi or similar means, without seeing the "Dimension Pirates'" wanted posters. In this situation, a misunderstanding and mistaking one person for another was quite reasonable. 

At that moment, Shakky stepped in and introduced Uchiha Hikari's group one by one, mainly focusing on Bulma, Uchiha Hikari, and Esdeath. 

As for Eriyi and young Naruto, they were just mentioned in passing. After all, they had been mostly onlookers during this time and hadn't done anything particularly noteworthy. 

Esdeath was a little displeased about inexplicably joining the "Dimension Pirates" and becoming the crew's "third-in-command," but for Uchiha Hikari's sake, she didn't say anything. 

Meanwhile, Hancock listened to Shakky's explanation, matching each face with a name, and a subtle change came over her expression. 

How to put it... 

Her gaze, which had been fixed on Bulma, now shifted to Uchiha Hikari. Along with surprise and curiosity, there seemed to be a hint of... 

Admiration? 

"?" Uchiha Hikari was momentarily stunned, doubting her own judgment. 

Hancock slowly averted her gaze, then explained her actions: "Forgive me, it's my first time hearing that someone dared to publicly kill a Celestial Dragon in the Sabaody Archipelago, so I hold great respect for you who achieved this feat. Please forgive any offense." 

Seeing her words, Esdeath and the others, along with the surrounding Kuja warriors, didn't think much of it. 

But Uchiha Hikari and Bulma, as well as Rayleigh and Shakky who knew some of the hidden truths, instantly understood— 

Hancock harbored more than just a normal dislike for the Celestial Dragons. 

This seemingly arrogant and cold Empress, in her childhood, was once captured by human traffickers along with her two sisters and became a slave to the Celestial Dragons, bearing the slave mark on her back. It wasn't until Fisher Tiger's rampage in Mary Geoise that she managed to escape and later returned to Amazon Lily to become its empress. 

Hancock had never told anyone about this experience, not even the female warriors on Amazon Lily. Her current arrogant and cold tyrant demeanor was actually a deliberate disguise to conceal her past as a slave. 

Because of this... 

That's why she showed such unusual expressions when facing Uchiha Hikari, who had killed a Celestial Dragon. 

"Please, come in." Hancock stepped aside and gestured. "This Empress has ordered a banquet to be prepared. Please, follow me." 

At the same time, thousands of miles away from the Sabaody Archipelago, in front of a port of a World Government affiliated nation. 

A seemingly unremarkable Marine fleet, consisting of six or seven warships, was docked there. 

"Admiral Aokiji, this is an urgent telegram from headquarters, please take a look!" 

At the bow of the ship, a man with a deep blue shirt and naturally curly black hair, wearing an eye mask and sleeping on a deck chair, stretched out a hand and took the paper handed to him by the Marine Vice Admiral beside him, but didn't get up. His faint snores briefly stopped, then resumed. 

After a while, the man yawned, lifted a corner of his eye mask, and began to read the contents of the telegram: 

"Saint Charlos, the Celestial Dragon, has been killed. A blue-haired female pirate with ice-type Devil Fruit abilities defeated Borsalino. The gates of Mary Geoise were blasted open by a power user suspected of having eaten the 'Light-Wave Fruit'... 

So much has happened while we were away from headquarters?" 

"Yes, sir," the Marine Vice Admiral nodded. "This is the most severe incident since the Fisher Tiger event, and the World Government is furious. They've given strict orders to headquarters. Fleet Admiral Sengoku is urging you to return as soon as possible and rendezvous with Admiral Akainu to discuss plans for a punitive expedition against the 'Dimension Pirates'..." 

"...Sounds like a troublesome task," Aokiji sighed, sitting up from his deck chair. 

Both he and Akainu had missions, which was why they hadn't been in Mary Geoise recently. 

Akainu's mission was to escort a certain Pirate King's son to Impel Down—which was "Fire Fist" Ace, who had recently been handed over to the World Government by Blackbeard. 

His own mission was to escort this year's "Heavenly Tribute" back to Mary Geoise. 

Both matters were extremely important and not meant to be leaked to outsiders. Therefore, both of their operation plans were conducted in secrecy, with only high-ranking Marine officials and the Five Elders knowing their exact whereabouts. 

For Aokiji, he had originally intended to use this opportunity to slack off and take a vacation. 

But... 

"Since it's Fleet Admiral Sengoku's order, there's no helping it." Aokiji looked at the Marine Vice Admiral beside him. "How's the 'Heavenly Tribute' transport coming along?" 

"It has been fully collected. All of it will be loaded onto the ship by tomorrow morning at the latest," the Marine Vice Admiral responded diligently. 

"Is that so..." Hearing his subordinate's report, Aokiji thought for a moment. "Then we'll set sail tomorrow afternoon. Remember to notify the Marine branches along the way to clear the navigation route, just in case some audacious fools try to do something irrational." 

"Yes, sir!" The Marine Vice Admiral nodded in acknowledgement, then turned and left to make arrangements. 

Aokiji once again looked at the information on the paper, then crossed his hands behind his head and gazed up at the sky. 

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, turning his head in a particular direction, his brow slightly furrowed. 

"...Was that just my imagination?" 

"..." 

At this very moment, Bulat, in his Incursio armor, having entered a stealth state, quietly retracted his gaze and tiptoed towards the ship's cabin... 

Chapter 334: The "Heavenly Tribute" Heist Begins! 

[Nameless: So... Aokiji is definitely transporting the "Heavenly Tribute" tomorrow afternoon?] 

[Brand: Yes, I overheard the Admiral himself say it when I snuck onto a Marine ship. It should be accurate. We're pretty much ready to go. We just need to wait for the Marine fleet to enter the Schoheli Strait, then we can make our move.] 

[Brand: This is our target location [Schoheli Strait.jpg]] 

[Nameless: Hmm... What do you think, Mr. Minato? @Yondaime] 

[Yondaime: Well... I'm not too familiar with naval warfare, but it seems okay overall. I'm just not sure about Admiral Aokiji's strength. If Miss Yamato can suppress him, this battle should be pretty easy.] 

[Ogre Princess: No problem at all!] 

[Ogre Princess: I've been training in the gravity chamber every day recently, and I even had General Esdeath spar with me a few times... There's no way this guy Aokiji is stronger than Esdeath! I'll do my best to show what the 'Dimensional Pirate Crew' is made of!] 

[Bulma: Cough cough, you don't have to say that. I think we're already pretty famous...] 

Even though Uchiha Hikari and her group were currently on Amazon Lily, thousands of miles away from Yamato and the others, communication flowed seamlessly thanks to the chat group. 

Initially, Yamato wanted to lead the "Heavenly Tribute" heist herself. After all, the massive news created by Uchiha Hikari's group at the Sabaody Archipelago had spurred her on, making her eager to prove her worth. 

However... after discussing it with Bulma, Hikari decided to offer some assistance: 

[Bulma: Speaking of which, I've recently developed a new type of optical material that can make coated objects optically invisible. I've already tested it on the 'Blue Planet.' Should I bring the ship over to give you some backup?] 

[Ogre Princess: Huh?] 

[Ogre Princess: That sounds great, but...] 

[Nameless: Don't worry, Esdeath and I won't interfere directly. At most, we'll just be spectators and help keep things under control.] 

While Esdeath had expressed a desire to fight Aokiji, the timing was flexible; it didn't have to be right now. Hearing Uchiha Hikari say this, Yamato finally let go of her concerns. 

Soon after, Uchiha Hikari and Bulma used a space on Amazon Lily to take out the "Blue Planet" from a Capsule Corp. capsule—a sight that left the Amazon Lily warriors, including Hancock, utterly flabbergasted. Then, they carefully applied Bulma's newly developed "Optical Cloaking Film" to the ship's hull, and rigged the remaining material like sails on the deck. The "Blue Planet" was massive, so covering every inch with the optical material wasn't really practical. Since this was just a trial run, perfection wasn't the goal. 

Once everything was ready, Uchiha Hikari received the precise coordinates for the "Schoheli Strait" from Yamato and the others, preparing to give Aokiji a big surprise. 

Time quickly passed to the next day. 

That afternoon, after the last batch of "Heavenly Tribute" was secretly loaded onto the ship, Aokiji finally gave the order for his subordinates to set sail towards the New World. Ever since the Doflamingo incident involving the "Heavenly Tribute" heist over a decade ago, the Marines had re-planned their transport routes and deployed forces along the way to rigorously clear out pirates from nearby waters. As a result, the subsequent dozen or so transports had been safe. Theoretically, an Admiral didn't even need to be personally present. 

Aokiji stood on the bow of the ship for a while, then started yawning and turned to go back to sleep, leaving only a few Vice-Admirals on deck to continue their duties. 

The fleet sailed smoothly through several sea regions, finally arriving at the slightly narrow Schoheli Strait. 

"...Onigumo, don't you think that strait looks a bit off?" 

"Hmm? No, not really. Did you see something just now?" Vice Admiral Yamakaji turned his head. 

Beside him, the stern-faced Vice Admiral Onigumo raised his binoculars and looked towards the distant mountains. "Is it my imagination? I feel like there might be people hidden in that direction..." 

"You're too tense," Yamakaji chuckled. "These days, no pirate would dare to attack the 'Heavenly Tribute,' would they? Even if they did, with so many Vice Admirals and soldiers on board, and Admiral Aokiji himself here, it'd be enough to launch a Buster Call. If anyone dares to show up, it'll just be a chance to boost our achievements." 

"..." 

Onigumo didn't reply, simply continued peering through his binoculars into the distance. 

The ships sailed deeper into the strait. Suddenly, the air in front of the strait rippled, like water disturbed by a thrown stone, sending out waves. Then, a massive destroyer, bearing the "Dimensional Pirate Crew" emblem, gradually materialized from thin air. Alongside it, a line of figures stood on its deck. 

"Huh?! Where did these people come from?!" 

Before Vice Admiral Onigumo could react, Yamato's Conqueror's Haki erupted with a roar! It swept over the Marine fleet like a shockwave! 

BOOM—!! 

At that moment, most of the crew members on several battleships felt an intense pressure hit them, causing them to stumble and fall. Several decks were quickly littered with fallen Marines. Even elite Vice Admirals like Onigumo and Yamakaji swayed, struggling to keep their footing. 

This was the result of her intensive training. The original Yamato, though she had awakened Conqueror's Haki early on, hadn't reached such a formidable level. But over the past few months, subjected to Esdeath's rigorous military training and countless hours in the gravity chamber, Yamato's Conqueror's Haki had been tempered to a strength approaching that of the old-generation Yonko! The gap between her and her father, Kaido, was now surprisingly small! 

The next moment, Yamato pushed off the deck of the "Blue Planet" with both feet, leaping into the air. Her body began to exhibit beast-like characteristics, and a kanabo was gripped tightly in both hands, raised high. The tip of the club shimmered with brilliant white lightning, then exploded outward, weaving into a massive net of electricity: 

"Conqueror's Haki Infusion: Thunder Bagua!" 

"Iron Body!" Yamakaji activated his Armament Haki and charged forward. 

Onigumo, a half-step behind, bellowed at the top of his lungs: "Enemy attack!!!" 

Chapter 335: Dust Settles 

Facing Yamato's powerful swing of her spiked club, Onigumo only managed to block for a single second before being instantly sent flying. He was propelled about twenty to thirty meters through the air before hitting the ground with a "thump," a pool of blood already spreading around him! 

"Onigumo..." Momonga's pupils constricted. 

With the Admirals being so few, Vice Admirals were truly the absolute elite of the Marines. Both he and Onigumo had honed their skills in this position for years, participating in Buster Calls multiple times. Normally, even against a pirate with a billion-Belly bounty, they should be able to hold their ground for a while. But... defeated in one strike? How was that possible?! What kind of monster was this opponent, one of the Four Emperors?! 

In just a moment of hesitation, Yamato's second strike was already delivered. Though it didn't have the awe-inspiring power of the previous "Thunder Bagua," it still sent Momonga flying far away. Yamato then charged into the remaining officers, like a tiger among sheep. 

Honestly... Yamato's desire for slaughter wasn't particularly strong, which differed greatly from Kaido and the All-Stars. Each of her attacks instinctively avoided vital points, and she never delivered a finishing blow to the injured. However, her attack power was ridiculously high for these Marines. Even a glancing blow could break bones and tendons, let alone a direct hit from that spiked club. 

At this moment, Aokiji finally arrived, albeit belatedly. Although he hadn't expected the Celestial Tribute to be raided here, and for the incident to erupt so suddenly, his composure as an Admiral allowed him to take the correct countermeasures immediately. In a single breath, he generated a massive amount of ice, sealing off the area where Yamato was, then shouted orders: "Immediately move the injured for treatment! This one is mine; you all deal with the others..." 

In just a few short sentences, a bone-chilling "crunch" sound was heard. Yamato, channeling her three types of Haki, smashed through the ice layers around her with a few powerful swings of her club, then strode swiftly towards the ship's cabin: "Is this the strength of a Marine Admiral? ...Much weaker than Lady Ai!" 

"...Lady Ai?" Who was that? 

Because of Yamato's strange way of addressing her, Aokiji didn't immediately connect "Lady Ai" to "Esdeath." However, the expression on his face quickly turned grave. He fully unleashed his Devil Fruit power, forming a mass of freezing cold air that adhered to his right arm, then swung it forward sharply: "Ice Age: Pheasant Beak!" 

Caw—! 

A giant ice bird shot out, carrying bone-chilling cold that could freeze anything, flying towards Yamato. Facing this oncoming impact, Yamato's reaction was still simple and direct: "Ryou... Thunder Bagua!" 

At this moment, the giant ice bird was shattered by a single club strike. Yamato's steps didn't falter at all; she shot straight towards Aokiji like an arrow, unleashing her strongest attack! 

"Great Mountain Great Thunder Bagua!" 

"...Ice Age!!" 

The battle between Yamato and Aokiji lasted for nearly a day. In terms of strength, they were basically on the same level; even if one had an advantage, it wasn't enough to quickly end the fight. In terms of stamina, both were also monstrous. Yamato's physique was inherited from Kaido, theoretically having the potential to become the second-greatest tank in the pirate world. As for Aokiji, he had fought Akainu for ten days and ten nights on Punk Hazard; even removing time for debate and truce, they fought for at least several consecutive days, so his stamina was undoubtedly immense. Such a battle was essentially a clash of equals. 

However... 

Compared to Aokiji, who was nearing fifty and whose strength was largely fixed, Yamato's growth potential was clearly superior. And because she had accumulated rich experience against ice users during her sparring sessions with Esdeath, many of Aokiji's techniques were quickly countered the moment they were used. Aokiji also didn't have a game-changing, "cheat" ability like "Maha Pattan." 

So, after barely forcing out Yamato's Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Okuchi no Makami form, Aokiji suffered a rare and crushing defeat in his life. He lay powerlessly on the ground, his entire body feeling as if it had fallen apart, without even the strength to move a finger. 

It was only then that he seemed to finally realize something, his gaze fixed on the two鬼角 (oni horns) on Yamato's head: "Those horns on your head... are you Kaido's daughter? Are you from the Beast Pirates?" 

"Half right," Uchiha Hikari said. As promised, she hadn't interfered in the battle between Yamato and Aokiji. She waited until a victor was determined before calmly walking out from behind Yamato, squatting in front of Aokiji, and using a small knife to draw blood from his arm: "Sorry, mind if I take a blood sample for research? Should be fine, right?" 

"Oh, and by the way, to answer your earlier confusion," she continued. "She is indeed Kaido's daughter, but... our pirate crew's name is the 'Dimensional Pirate Crew,' you see." 

"!!" Aokiji's eyes snapped open, and the lingering doubts in his mind were instantly resolved: "So it was you all... But even you shouldn't have laid hands on the 'Celestial Tribute.' Once the Celestial Dragons' wrath descends, you all will..." 

"Well, that's not something you need to worry about," Uchiha Hikari raised her right hand, her slender fingers pressed together like a blade. "Go to sleep peacefully now, and get some good rest to heal your injuries. I look forward to seeing you again at Marineford." 

Whoosh—! 

Her hand-blade struck. Aokiji's eyes rolled back, and he fell into a baby-like sleep. 

"Hmph—" Uchiha Hikari stood up, tapping the iron plate in front of her with her toe: "Let's start moving things. It'll probably take a while to transfer all this 'Celestial Tribute' to the Blue Planet." 

Although they had "Capsule Corp" technology (implied by "universal capsules"), Uchiha Hikari and her group still spent half a day transferring all the "Celestial Tribute" carried by this Marine fleet. Then, they casually used the ship's Den Den Mushi to call a nearby Marine base for assistance before leisurely departing. 

Another half-day later, the nearby Marines arrived and witnessed a scene they would never forget. 

"That injured person, could it be..." 

"Admiral Aokiji?!" 

"And Vice Admirals Onigumo and Momonga... How could this be? Who on earth could defeat all of them?!" 

"...Report to Headquarters. This is no longer a situation we can handle." 

The afternoon of the day after the incident, a call from Fleet Admiral Sengoku at Marine Headquarters reached the Five Elders' office at the World Government headquarters.