291-295

Chapter 291: Clash with Kaido! 

“...Horns on the head?” 

Hearing those words, Yamato instinctively touched her forehead. 

She had horns too. 

But thanks to their long-standing friendship, Yamato didn’t misunderstand Esdeath’s comment. Instead, she gripped her spiked club tightly, her eyes scanning the crowd with eager anticipation, ready to jump in and help at any moment. 

—If it came to fighting Kaido or Jin, Yamato wasn’t too confident. Those two were undeniably stronger than her. 

But anyone else? 

Yamato felt she could take on ten of them. 

Meanwhile, on the other side... 

Esdeath and Jin lunged forward at the same time. Two figures—one large, one small—tore through the air with a piercing whistle, charging toward each other before throwing their fists in a head-on clash! 

BOOM!! 

Their fists collided! 

This wasn’t just a test strike. 

Jin unleashed his Armament Haki, while Esdeath tapped into the “Ki” she’d mastered in the Dragon Ball world. Two incredible forces erupted simultaneously, blasting the surrounding air and creating a milky-white shockwave that rippled outward. 

From a bystander’s perspective, it looked like a massive spherical dome formed in midair, enveloping both Esdeath and Jin. 

Then... 

WHOOSH!! 

A gust like a level seven or eight storm surged outward, stirring the chilly air and instantly condensing it into a flurry of snowflakes and ice crystals. 

Amid the swirling snow... 

A dark figure was sent flying backward, crashing through several candelabras and smashing half a rock wall, hurtling like a cannonball into the other side of the chamber. It vanished momentarily in a cloud of gray dust. 

Meanwhile, a slimmer figure staggered back a few steps, military boots digging into the ground, kicking up shattered stones before steadying herself. 

In the dust... 

Her ice-blue hair whipped up and then settled, cracks spiderwebbing from her heels, leaving two shallow craters in the ground. Yet the woman’s face remained calm, a playful smirk curling her lips. 

“...That’s it?” 

No surprise there. 

The one who spoke was clearly Esdeath, not Jin. 

Even without seeing her face, the silhouette made it obvious. Jin stood just over six meters tall, slightly shorter than Kaido, while Esdeath was a mere 1.7 meters. The size difference was like an adult versus a child—and the outcome of their clash was just as one-sided. 

The big guy was the child. 

The air fell silent for a few seconds. 

Then, all hell broke loose. 

“!!” 

“No way!” 

“Lord ‘Flame Calamity’... Who is this woman?!” 

“...” 

Compared to the shocked Beasts Pirates, Uchiha Hikari wasn’t surprised at all. 

After all, Esdeath’s strength was only slightly below her own. Though she’d never been to the One Piece world before, using Yamato as a benchmark, Hikari could roughly gauge Esdeath’s power level here. Unless Kaido himself stepped in, no one else in the room stood a chance against her, even if they all ganged up. 

Well, maybe even with Kaido, it wouldn’t make much difference—just drag the fight out a bit longer. 

That said... 

The physical resilience of the One Piece world’s powerhouses was something else, built like tanks with high defense and stamina. 

Especially Jin, a descendant of the Lunarian race who’d eaten an Animal-type Devil Fruit. 

Before the dust and debris fully settled, his towering six-meter figure reappeared at the far end of the hall. Emerging from the rubble, his gaze locked onto Esdeath. 

“Troublesome woman...” 

“But I won’t let you harm Lord Kaido!” 

At that moment, Jin had shifted into his half-man, half-beast form, the orange flames on his back flickering wildly. The wounds he’d just sustained healed rapidly in moments. 

—That was the Lunarian trait. Those flames granted them incredible defense and recovery, rivaling the dragons of the Dragon Ball world. 

After a brief moment to gather himself... 

Jin spread his massive black wings, launching forward like a ferocious pterodactyl, crossing dozens of meters in an instant to charge at Esdeath! 

Animal-type Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan: Pteranodon Form! 

In that moment, Jin’s speed and strength more than doubled. 

Esdeath dodged to the side, but their size difference was stark, and the indoor space was limited. Jin’s charge caught her, sending them both tumbling outward, snapping a pillar as thick as a tree trunk and crashing through the opposite rock wall! 

CRASH!! 

The sound of falling rocks echoed endlessly. 

In less than half a minute, an entire wall—tens of meters wide and over a dozen meters tall—collapsed completely. Sunlight poured in, casting dazzling patches of light across the hall. From the gaping hole, faint bursts of flame and ice crystals clashed, accompanied by sharp sonic booms. 

Uchiha Hikari glanced over briefly before looking away, unfazed. 

She wasn’t worried about Esdeath. 

The gap in their strength was clear—Jin’s transformation couldn’t close it. Even with his Lunarian abilities and Devil Fruit, he might cause Esdeath some trouble, but he couldn’t change the outcome. 

And honestly, this was probably what Esdeath wanted. Winning too easily would bore her. 

For now... 

Hikari rolled her shoulders and neck, turning her gaze back to Kaido. 

“Alright, the distractions are gone. Shall we get started, Mr. Kaido?” 

“...Hmph, cocky brat!” 

Though he said that, Kaido’s expression had turned deadly serious. 

He knew Jin’s strength better than anyone. 

As the top officer of the Beasts Pirates and leader of the “Three Calamities,” Jin’s power was among the best in the One Piece world. Only a handful of top-tier fighters could match him, and defeating him was no easy feat. Yet this random woman had that kind of strength... 

If Kaido hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. 

More importantly... 

Before the fight, that woman had said, “King against king, soldier against soldier.” 

If he understood her correctly... 

This petite, black-haired girl in front of him might be even stronger? 

That was... almost unthinkable. 

“Hey, Uchiha kid,” Kaido suddenly spoke up. “We may be enemies right now, but... how about joining the Beasts Pirates? With your strength and that blue-haired woman’s, if you teamed up with me, we could turn this world upside down.” 

“Hm?” 

Hikari raised an eyebrow, catching a hint of sincerity in the Yonko’s voice. 

This guy... was seriously trying to recruit her? 

To be fair, Kaido reminded her a bit of Esdeath back in the day. Both were war maniacs, bored with the world and seeking to prove their worth through violence and conquest. 

Unfortunately... 

“Your offer sounds interesting, but... sorry, I’ll pass. 

I’m already part of the ‘Dimension Pirates,’ and I’m the vice-captain, no less. Oh, and Yamato’s one of our crew too. For her sake, I could let you join us. What do you say? Our crew’s pretty strong, you know.” 

“...Guess there’s no deal then.” 

Kaido, of course, would never abandon his Beasts Pirates. 

Hikari knew his answer before she even asked, letting out a small sigh as she subtly adjusted her stance. 

Suddenly! 

An invisible aura erupted from Kaido, sweeping through the hall like a shockwave. Everyone, including Hikari, felt a jolt in their chest, an instinctive tremor rising within— 

Conqueror’s Haki!! 

Kaido’s Conqueror’s Haki was far stronger than Yamato’s. Weaker fighters like Runti collapsed on the spot, overwhelmed by the oppressive aura, unable to move. 

Kaido himself grabbed his spiked club, leaping forward as he swung it with a howling gust of wind! 

“If you won’t join... then die!” 

“Thunder Bagua!” 

Facing the roaring wind, Hikari formed a hand sign, her spiritual weapon “Fire Thunder God” materializing as a fiery veil that wrapped around her right hand, shaping into a short, palm-sized blade. It clashed with Kaido’s club! 

No... 

They didn’t quite collide, stopping about twenty centimeters apart. 

Kaido had infused his Conqueror’s Haki into the club—known as “Haki infusion”—allowing him to strike without direct contact. Blocking with her “Fire Thunder God”-clad hand, Hikari felt a tingling numbness as Kaido’s force shook her palm. 

Then... 

Kaido opened his massive jaws and roared, “Bad Wind!!” 

A barrage of wind blades shot from his mouth, like kamaitachi slashes, tearing through the air and aiming to rip apart the fiery veil around Hikari! 

Facing the wind blades, Hikari formed another hand sign, took a breath, and exhaled softly, “Fire Style... Majestic Flame Destroyer!” 

Her chakra surged. 

Amplified by “Fire Thunder God,” the fireball she unleashed was larger and hotter than ever before! 

BOOM!! 

Chapter 292: The Attempt to Awaken Conqueror’s Haki 

Amid the deafening roar of explosions, boundless fiery red currents erupted, transforming into raging fire dragons that swept across the hall in all directions.  

For an ordinary person, this would’ve been enough to burn them to a crisp in an instant. 

But Kaido, the “Strongest Creature” in the pirate world, let out a furious roar and charged forward through the flames. His spiked club swung wildly, unleashing waves of Conqueror’s Haki-infused energy blasts that shot out like a violent storm toward Uchiha Hikari. As she dodged with a flip, the attacks collided mid-air, releasing bursts of light and heat! 

“…Narukabura!!” 

At that moment, Hikari’s body moved as lightly as a leaf, weaving through the chaos. Her right hand opened slightly, and the Dragonbone Blade materialized in her grip. 

“I’m just saying…” she began, her voice calm but sharp, “have you had enough yet?” 

As she uttered the word “I,” Hikari was already suspended in mid-air, taking a deep breath. By the time she said “you,” a vibrant green chakra aura flared around her, and her spiky black hair rose as if caught in an invisible wind. 

Ten Days Breathing Technique, activate! 

Eight Gates, Fourth Gate of Pain, open! 

And then— 

BOOM!! 

In an instant, Hikari’s body shot forward like lightning. The Dragonbone Blade extended and swelled in her hands, morphing into a menacing four-meter-long form. With a ferocity surpassing even Kaido’s, she slashed repeatedly. 

“Starburst… Air Slash!!” 

Okay, so she came up with that move name in about a second, and no, it had nothing to do with Sword Art Online. But with her absolute power and speed, the name didn’t matter. 

In mere seconds, Hikari’s Dragonbone Blade clashed with Kaido’s spiked club hundreds of times. Razor-sharp blade energy radiated from their exchanges, carving deep and shallow gashes into the floor, walls, and ceiling. The hall’s pillars, already damaged by Ember and Esdeath’s earlier fight, were now teetering on the brink of collapse. 

Finally, with one last clash of blade and club, a conical wave of blade energy mixed with shattered metal fragments shot diagonally upward. It tore through the ceiling in an instant and kept going, slicing a cloud in the sky above Onigashima clean in half! 

Splitting the clouds, tearing the sky! 

“This place is too cramped. Let’s take it outside!” Hikari called out casually before launching into the air with her Sky Dance technique. 

Kaido, half a second behind, stomped the ground hard and soared after her. Chunks of rock and debris rained down into the hall below, causing chaos among the Beast Pirates. The stronger ones like Yamato and Black Maria scrambled to rescue Runti and Drake, who were immobilized, while the rest fled in a panic. 

“Yamato! You’ve really betrayed Lord Kaido, teaming up with outsiders to attack Onigashima!” Black Maria shouted, glaring at Yamato a few meters away. 

“…Miss Hikari was trying to reason with him! He’s the one who refused!” Yamato protested, trying to explain. 

“Still making excuses!”  

With Runti and her brother freed, Black Maria transformed into her wolf-spider form, lunging to subdue Yamato. Naturally, Yamato wasn’t one to back down. She pulled out her own spiked club, and the two clashed, plunging the scene into even greater chaos. 

Meanwhile, outside, Hikari took a moment to catch her breath and scanned her surroundings.  

“…So this is Onigashima?” 

Having been indoors when she arrived, this was her first real look at the island. It was smaller than she’d imagined but still impressive. At its center, where they’d just been fighting, stood a massive skull—dozens of meters tall and nearly a hundred meters long. The skull’s interior had been fashioned into a castle-like structure.  

She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of colossal creature could’ve left behind such a massive skeleton. 

“Brat!” Kaido’s voice boomed as he caught his breath. “I’ll admit, you’re strong. Strength like that—it’d be a waste not to use it to shake up the world. Sure you don’t want to team up with me?” 

Hikari sighed. “Well…” she replied, addressing his offer once again. “I do plan to shake up this world, but not in the way you’re thinking. Enough chit-chat. Show me what you’ve really got, and depending on how you perform, I’ll give you a proper send-off.” 

“…Heh.” Kaido grinned. 

In the span of a single breath, the Yonko’s body began to transform, taking on draconic features. Flames, wind blades, thunder, and lightning swirled around him. The increasingly intense presence of his tri-colored Haki formed an almost tangible pressure that bore down on Hikari. 

Her eyes narrowed slightly, the ruby-red glow of her Sharingan flickering faintly. She’d activated it long ago but hadn’t used any genjutsu on Kaido. Instead, she was carefully observing his every move. 

Not to copy his physical techniques—Kaido’s skills were impressive, sure, but they weren’t useful to her. Their size difference and fighting styles were just too incompatible for her to adapt his moves. 

No, Hikari was studying Kaido’s tri-colored Haki, especially his Conqueror’s Haki, trying to figure out how to awaken it herself. So far, though, she was coming up empty. 

“Surely I don’t have to let Teacher Kaido smack me with that club to awaken it…” she muttered to herself. 

In theory, she could try that. Her current physique was far from ordinary, and with her chakra and “Fire Thunder God” technique shielding her vital points, plus her recovery abilities as a fallback, even Kaido couldn’t one-shot her. But… 

She wasn’t exactly a masochist, and deliberately taking a hit just to try awakening Haki sounded pretty dumb. 

“Forget it,” she said, shaking her head and abandoning the idea for now. “Let’s just go with the flow.” 

Gripping her Dragonbone Blade tightly, she raised it slowly with a deep breath. 

Across from her, Kaido clutched his spiked club with both hands, swinging it with a rapid motion.  

“Gundari… Ryuseigun!!” 

A barrage of lightning-charged club energy blasted out, sealing off every direction around Hikari—above, below, left, and right. Kaido himself leaped into the fray, delivering a condensed, devastating strike:  

“Daibutsu… Thunderous Bagua!!!” 

Chapter 293: Thunder Bagua vs. Starfall! 

The clash of these two moves was nothing short of earth-shattering. 

Among them, “Gundari Dragon Surge” was an enhanced version of the Whistling Arrow. 

And “Great Might Thunder Bagua” was a powered-up version of Thunder Bagua. 

With Conqueror’s Haki condensed to its peak, even from dozens of meters away, Uchiha Hikari could faintly sense the terrifying energy coursing through Kaido’s club. It was a mix of searing light and heat, like a sun about to rise, making even a battle-hardened warrior like her feel a twinge of unease. 

“...Is this the power of the ‘Strongest Creature’?” 

“Not bad. A bit more impressive than I expected.” 

“In that case... I’ll give you the respect you deserve.” 

As her thoughts raced... 

Hikari gripped her blade with both hands, raised it high, and took a deep breath. 

As the dragonbone katana was lifted, an invisible ripple burst from her body, sweeping across most of Onigashima. 

With the spread of this ripple, everything began to slow down. Kaido’s movements, Esdeath and Jin in the distance, Yamato, even the birds flying high above and the leaves drifting far off—all seemed to hit 0.5x speed, then slowed further to a near-frozen 0.1x. Every detail, from the smallest feather to the tiniest speck, became crystal clear. 

—Word Spirit: Time Zero! 

At this moment... 

It was like a scene from the Hassaikai estate, replayed here. 

Ever since receiving that time fragment from Lu Mingze, Hikari had been consciously exploring and honing its power. 

She was still new to it, and her “Time Zero” wasn’t as refined as Ango or Lu Mingze’s, unable to fully stop time. But she could stretch it, creating a domain that covered the entire island, slowing time by a factor of about 30—equivalent to three to five seconds. 

That said... 

It was enough. 

In those stretched seconds granted by “Time Zero,” Hikari’s aura surged, her body’s power rallying as her joints cracked faintly. A silver spark ignited at the tip of her blade, gleaming like a newborn sun. 

Then... 

It surged like a tide, engulfing the entire katana!! 

In that moment, the dragonbone blade, forged from the remains of a dragon’s essence, glowed with blinding radiance. 

Even before she swung, the air around her grew chaotic. Countless turbulent currents swirled around the blade and Hikari, radiating a terrifying heat that isolated everything nearby. 

WHOOSH— 

Above the four-meter-long dragonbone katana... 

A phantom blade of pure silver light took shape, ballooning in an instant to a terrifying ten meters tall! 

It could’ve grown even larger. 

But... 

Time was running out. 

Under Hikari’s gaze, Kaido’s spiked club was already inches away, poised to crush her in the next second. 

So... 

At the final moment of “Time Zero’s” extended effect, Hikari exhaled sharply, swung her arm with all her might, and unleashed the long-charged strike!! 

“This move...” 

“Is the true ‘Starfall’!!!” 

The blade’s light was blinding. 

Like a meteor crashing to earth!! 

As Hikari swung her blade, the time-freezing effect ended. In her vision, Kaido’s speed surged, his club whistling with a sonic boom and trailing afterimages. The next second, her blade’s energy collided with the force erupting from Kaido! 

From Hikari’s perspective... 

She saw purple lightning intertwine with silvery moonlight, blending into a violet-brown hue. 

Then, the two energies formed a dazzling circular curtain, expanding outward like a rising sun, engulfing an area spanning several kilometers in an instant! A milky-white shockwave poured forth like a flood, pulverizing buildings into dust and tearing the earth apart with relentless cracks!! 

Along with this “sun” came a heat intense enough to melt steel instantly, permeating every inch of the air. Even Hikari, cloaked in her “Fire Thunder God” veil, felt an unbearable dryness, as if all the moisture in her body was being evaporated! 

In this chaos, vision was useless. 

Even the Sharingan couldn’t stare directly at a “sun” from such close range. 

With her eyes closed, Hikari still felt a stinging pain through her eyelids, accompanied by deafening explosions from all directions, ringing painfully in her ears. 

BOOM— 

The sound of countless cannons firing in unison arrived late, catching up to the shifting lights and shadows. 

Cones of fiery sound blasted outward, only to be swallowed by that “sun.” 

Finally, a massive mushroom cloud soared into the sky! The sea around the island churned with towering waves! 

The earth trembled, and mountains shook!! 

... 

It was impossible to say how much time passed. 

Maybe a second. 

Maybe half an hour. 

As the all-encompassing dust settled, Onigashima had transformed completely. 

No... 

Whether it could even still be called Onigashima was debatable. 

The massive skull that dominated the island was gone. 

Gone in the literal sense. 

The explosion in the sky had ground it to dust, leaving barely any stones larger than a pebble. Fortunately, the island’s armory, buried deep underground, was covered by debris before it could detonate, preventing an even greater catastrophe. 

The surrounding land was scarred with crisscrossing ravines, the largest and longest stretching from near the fortress to the island’s edge, nearly splitting Onigashima in two. 

As for Kaido, Yamato, and the others... 

They were nowhere to be seen. 

The only relatively intact “structure” left was a massive ice dome, dozens of meters tall and nearly solid inside, built from Esdeath’s ice. 

Even this dome was riddled with holes from the explosion, like a doll trampled by an elephant. 

Through the dozens of meters of ice, Esdeath’s silhouette was faintly visible, along with Jin, lying half-dead at her feet, one wing torn off. 

“...Is it over?” 

A flicker of light shimmered in the sky. 

Then, Uchiha Hikari’s figure reappeared in midair, arms crossed, floating effortlessly. 

Chapter 294: The Toughest Tank in the Pirate World 

Crash! 

The sound of collapsing ice echoed through the air. 

Esdeath shattered the iceberg she’d been using as a shield, then leaped forward, stepping onto floating ice chunks to join Uchiha Hikari in mid-air, standing side by side above the chaos. 

“Is that guy dead?” Esdeath asked, her tone sharp. 

“…Probably not,” Hikari replied after a moment, her eyes briefly closing as she focused. 

She was referring to Kaido, of course. With Onigashima reduced to a pile of rubble, spotting him with the naked eye was impossible. But Hikari, using a trick she’d picked up from the Cat Sage, sensed a faint trace of his “ki” from the direction he’d fallen. It was weak but far from flickering out like a candle in the wind. 

Kaido was heavily injured, no doubt, but dead? Not even close. With the miraculous recovery abilities of people in the pirate world, he’d probably be back on his feet, bouncing around, in no time. 

“…Man, that guy’s tough,” Hikari muttered under her breath. 

She wasn’t all that surprised, though. Kaido’s strength might not be the absolute top in the pirate world—after all, the other three Yonko were on par with him, and the World Government likely had some secret weapons up their sleeves. But when it came to defense and sheer endurance? Kaido was hands-down number one. Decades as a pirate, from the Rocks Pirates to the Beast Pirates, surviving countless battles, getting captured by the Marines, and enduring execution attempts dozens of times—yet the only marks on his body were two scars left by Kozuki Oden. 

That kind of durability was straight-up monstrous. Even in the Dragon Ball world, he’d be a force to reckon with. And if he were reborn in the Naruto world? He’d probably be like Might Guy, capable of opening all Eight Gates up to the Gate of Death. 

“Well, looks like he’s not crawling out of that mess anytime soon,” Hikari said, stretching her neck. “Let’s call it a day for now. Time to check on Yamato—she’s been awfully quiet. Hope she’s okay…” 

With that, Hikari used her Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, sending a dozen or so copies of herself to rummage through the ruins of the skull-shaped castle. After a bit of digging, they found Yamato buried under the debris. 

She was banged up but not too badly—mostly some damage to her back and shoulder blades from a fallen beam. After swallowing half a Senzu Bean Hikari tossed her, Yamato was back to full health in no time. 

“Thanks, Miss Hikari! You guys okay?” Yamato asked, brushing herself off. 

“We’re fine,” Hikari replied with a nod. 

“Good…” Yamato’s expression softened, but a faint worry creased her brow as she thought of her father. “What about my dad, Kaido…?” 

“Don’t worry, he’s still alive,” Hikari said with a small smile. “No matter how you slice it, he’s your dad. I held back a bit. With his toughness, he might already be climbing out of the rubble before we even leave this place.” 

Truth be told, Hikari had no intention of killing Kaido.  

For one, there was Yamato to consider. No matter how lousy Kaido was as a father, he did raise her, despite all the rocky moments. Beating him half to death was enough to blow off some steam—killing him outright would’ve been too much. 

The other reason was Esdeath. After watching Hikari’s fight with Kaido, Esdeath had given a nod of approval to his strength and expressed a desire to take him on herself. As her boss, Hikari figured she should let her subordinate have some fun. 

She even toyed with the idea of tossing Kaido a Senzu Bean to patch him up first. After all, the injuries he’d taken were heavy, and she didn’t want him missing an arm or leg when he recovered—it’d ruin his fighting potential. A sparring partner of his caliber was rare in the pirate world. 

Plus, there was Bulma’s plan for a long-term journey through this world. Hikari figured they’d likely end up clashing with the Celestial Dragons or the World Government eventually. Having Kaido out there stirring up trouble and drawing the Marines’ attention would save them some hassle. 

She didn’t voice all these thoughts, but it didn’t matter. Esdeath always followed her lead on big decisions, and Yamato wasn’t about to object either. 

Right now, though, Hikari was dealing with another issue. 

“Ugh…” she sighed. “It’s really busted, huh?” 

She raised her right hand, inspecting the half-broken Dragonbone Blade she was holding. Yup, just half.  

The blade, forged by Totosai himself, was incredibly durable, but the nuclear-explosion-level clash with Kaido’s club had pushed it past its limits, snapping it right in the middle. The upper half had shattered into countless bone fragments, now scattered across the ruins. The lower half, still attached to the hilt, remained in her hand. 

To be fair, Kaido’s spiked club had fared even worse—probably reduced to nothing but splinters by now. 

The Dragonbone Blade had some self-repairing properties, but broken this badly? Fixing it would be a tall order. 

“Guess I’ll have to swing by Kikyo’s place and ask Totosai to reforge it,” Hikari mused. “Good timing, actually. I’ve got some high-quality materials lately. If we mix in Bulma’s restored Orichalcum and some of those super-dangerous species materials from the Akame ga Kill world, this blade might come out even stronger…” 

She was lost in thought, planning her next steps. 

[Bulma: So, how’s it going, Hikari? Yamato? Everything sorted out over there? How’d the talk with Yamato’s dad go? Did it turn into a fight?] 

[Nameless: …It’s all settled.] 

[Nameless: Mr. Kaido was pretty reasonable, actually. He’s agreed to let Yamato sail with us. Plus, he lent me a map of the New World with all the major islands marked. We just need to follow it to navigate.] 

[Bulma: Oh, really?] 

[Bulma: From what Yamato said about her dad, I thought Kaido was some shady, hot-tempered guy… So it was just a misunderstanding? Guess he does care about his daughter after all. Not as cold as I thought!] 

[Nameless: Yup, just a misunderstanding.] 

[Demon Princess: …] 

Chapter 295: The "Blue Planet" of the One Piece World 

In the One Piece world... 

Uchiha Hikari sat on a rock at the edge of Onigashima, scrolling through chat messages in the group while flipping through a map in her hands. 

This map had been "borrowed" from the Beasts Pirates. 

The borrowing process was... a tad rough, to say the least. 

Nearby, Yamato was busy clearing rubble, searching through the debris for her friend, Nibuya. 

This monstrous-looking Tyrant was one of the few friends Yamato had on Onigashima—or in the entire One Piece world, for that matter. 

On the other side... 

Kaido and Jin were also digging through another pile of ruins, trying to rescue Black Maria and the others. 

That’s right. 

Just moments ago, Kaido had crawled out from under the rubble. 

When he emerged, he looked like he’d been through a meat grinder. His massive, muscular frame was covered in countless fine wounds, and his burly arms were scraped raw, with patches of flesh torn off and bones exposed in several places. 

In another world, injuries like that would either kill you or leave you out of commission. 

But as everyone knows, in the One Piece world, the severity of your injuries and your ability to keep fighting are often completely unrelated. 

Some people look tough, capable of smashing mountains with a single punch, but go down after one stab. Others can be riddled with illness, have their heart punched out, or lose half their face to molten lava—and still knock out opponents like it’s nothing. 

Kaido was the latter. 

So, the moment he freed himself, he wanted to charge at Hikari for another round. But Esdeath intercepted him first. 

Even though Kaido unleashed his Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon Form... 

He was still completely outmatched by Esdeath, who had activated her “Ice Demon” mode. After holding out for a short while, Kaido took a charged punch from her, sending him crashing back into the rubble. When he stood again, he was drenched in blood, half his dragon body encased in layers of ice, barely able to move. 

“...You’re in bad shape. Even if I beat you now, it wouldn’t feel fair,” Esdeath said, deactivating her “Ice Demon” mode and holding off on further attacks. 

Kaido, after getting pummeled repeatedly, finally faced reality. He looked at Hikari with a complicated expression and rasped, “Who... are you people?” 

“Hm?” Hikari blinked. “Didn’t I tell you my name when I got here?” 

Did that “Starfall” strike mess with his head and give him amnesia? Well... looking closely, Kaido did have several gashes on his head, and the right horn was sliced halfway off. A brain injury wasn’t out of the question... 

But that wasn’t what Kaido meant. 

“Are you... that person? The one from the prophecy—‘Joyboy’?” 

“?” 

Hikari finally caught on. 

Kaido knew about the legend of Joyboy and that he was destined to be defeated by him. 

From his perspective, today’s events made it easy to jump to that conclusion— 

First, the current timeline in the One Piece world was 20 years after Kozuki Oden’s death, the exact year Joyboy was supposed to appear. 

Second, a name like “Uchiha Hikari” didn’t fit the naming conventions of most regions in this world—except for Wano Country. 

And third, they’d appeared out of nowhere, with no reputation or warning, yet wielded power strong enough to defeat a Yonko. 

Put those together, and the answer seemed obvious— 

“I never would’ve thought the legendary ‘Joyboy’ would be a woman. You came here for Wano’s opening, didn’t you?” Kaido’s expression carried a mix of bitterness and reluctance. 

He’d stayed in Wano despite knowing the prophecy, partly for its weapons industry, but also because he wanted to defy his fate. Now, it seemed he’d failed spectacularly. 

“...” 

Hikari opened her mouth but decided against explaining. “If you think I’m someone, then I guess I am. As for Wano’s opening... that’s their business, not mine.” 

“Miss Hikari...” Yamato glanced over, hesitating. 

Her interdimensional travels had shifted her admiration from Kozuki Oden to people like Minato Namikaze, and her fixation on Oden had faded. But years of influence couldn’t be erased in just a few months. 

Still... 

“The fate of a nation or a person is something you have to fight for yourself. Only the weak pin their hopes on someone else’s promises or vague prophecies, don’t you think?” Hikari said pointedly. 

“Besides, the obstacles to Wano’s opening are just the people in front of us and a few Kurozumi lackeys. Kaido’s taken a beating, and the Beasts Pirates are in shambles. If Wano can’t seize this chance to win, they might as well go back to farming.” 

Hikari had no interest in cleaning up Wano’s mess. 

After all, this whole disaster stemmed from that “heroic” idiot who got himself killed. 

And his son, Momonosuke? A total deadweight. 

If Kozuki Hiyori, the current leader of the Kozuki clan, had any brains or resolve, she’d take this opportunity—while Kaido was injured—to deal with Kurozumi Orochi. 

If she could pull that off, Hikari might consider making a deal with Wano. If she remembered correctly, Wano’s forging techniques were top-notch, producing several Supreme Grade blades. While her dragonbone katana couldn’t be repaired here, getting some weapons or gear for Bulma, Tanjiro, and the others wouldn’t be a bad idea. 

“Alright,” Yamato said, convinced. 

With that, Hikari stopped talking to Kaido. After studying the map for a bit, she called over Yamato, Esdeath, and Nibuya the Tyrant, ready to leave Onigashima. 

Onigashima’s terrain was unique. Like Wano, it sat on a plateau far above sea level, surrounded by waters mostly formed from rainwater. This setup traced back 800 years to Wano’s decision to build high walls and isolate itself. So, getting in or out of Onigashima typically meant crossing a vertical waterfall. 

Hikari planned to head to a nearby uninhabited island first, then call Bulma and the others to prepare for the launch of the Blue Planet. 

Before leaving, Hikari glanced back at Kaido. 

He was still sitting there, motionless, seemingly not yet recovered from the shock of his defeat. 

“Let’s go, Yamato.” 

“...Right.” 

With a flash from the Shangri-La teleportation array, Hikari and the others vanished from Onigashima’s edge. When they reappeared, they were on another island. 

After a quick scan to confirm no one would disturb them, Hikari pinged Bulma in the group chat, letting her know it was safe to come. 

A few minutes later... 

Bulma, decked out in a sci-fi-style combat suit and lugging several bags, appeared in the One Piece world. 

“Hey, Hikari! Long time no see! Yamato, Miss Esdeath... and, uh, who’s this?” 

“Nibuya, Yamato’s friend. Now one of ours too,” Hikari introduced. 

“I see...” 

Though Nibuya didn’t look remotely human, Bulma, a native of the Dragon Ball world, was used to bizarre creatures and took it in stride. She greeted him warmly before moving aside to tinker with her Blue Planet. 

When the destroyer-sized ship suddenly expanded and settled in the shallow waters by the shore, Esdeath and Yamato’s jaws dropped. 

Nibuya’s mouth hung open, his face full of disbelief. 

“Come on, Hikari, everyone—let’s check it out!” Bulma called. 

They climbed the gangway onto the ship. 

Hikari gave Yamato and the others a tour of the vessel, while Bulma headed to the captain’s cabin to test the control panel’s functions. 

“Hm... should be all set.” 

After confirming everything was in order, they regrouped on the deck to welcome the others. 

[Little Monster requests to enter Oni Princess’s world] 

[Brand requests to enter...] 

[Iron Head...] 

[Kikyo...] 

Flashes of white light flickered. 

Tanjiro and the others appeared one by one on the Blue Planet. 

Since it was the weekend, Yoriko Yotsuya, who didn’t have school, joined them. 

Then... 

“Wow, what a huge ship!” 

“I’ve seen pictures in the group chat, but it’s way more impressive in person... it’s like a castle on the sea!” 

“Huh? There’s even a garden over there? Can you eat the fruit on those trees?” 

Faced with a modern naval vessel they’d never seen before, Tanjiro and the others gawked like kids in a candy store, exclaiming alongside Yamato. 

Even Yotsuya and Yuji Itadori, from modern worlds, were thrilled. As ordinary people in their respective worlds, they’d only seen ships like this in pictures or videos, never up close. 

Notably... 

Among the guests arriving in the One Piece world were a few non-group members— 

Like Akame and Leone. 

They’d previously accepted Bulma’s invitation to join the ship, and Akame had even visited the Dragon Ball world for the Tournament of Power. So, when they heard about the Dimension Pirates’ founding ceremony, they tagged along with Brand. 

Similarly, Nezuko came with Tanjiro. 

And the last one... 

“Sister Hikari, where are we?” Naruto stood beside her, nervously scanning the surroundings. 

(End of Chapter)