On the deck of the Blue Planet, the leaders of the Dimension Pirates and Whitebeard's crew sat across from each other, holding their first official meeting.
Uchiha Hikari's side was fully present, every member in attendance.
On Whitebeard's side, aside from the man himself, Marco, Vista, and "Diamond" Jozu stood behind him, having rushed over out of concern. They listened as Bulma explained their purpose.
"…So, this kid is the friend Ace met, Kaido's daughter?" Whitebeard said, glancing at Yamato seated in the back.
To be fair, Ace's encounter with Yamato happened before he joined Whitebeard's crew. But Whitebeard had heard the name "Yamato" from Ace.
As for her being "Kaido's daughter"? That was obvious.
Aside from her face and, well, chest, Yamato's resemblance to Kaido was striking—her oni horns, the spiked club, basically a scaled-down version of the man himself. Whitebeard, who'd known a younger Kaido, could easily spot the similarities.
So, with a hearty laugh, he boomed, "Gurararara! So you're a friend of Ace's kid? That makes you a friend of the whole Whitebeard crew! Meeting friends on these vast seas calls for a grand banquet to celebrate!"
Pausing, Whitebeard's gaze returned to Yamato as a thought struck him. "By the way, since you've cut ties with your father Kaido to leave Onigashima, how about becoming my son… er, daughter?"
"And the rest of you," he added, "if you're interested, you're welcome to join the Whitebeard Pirates. I've got some clout on these seas, and I can make things easier for you."
"…Huh? Me?" Yamato blinked, pointing at herself, looking a bit dazed.
Hikari couldn't help but chuckle.
Whitebeard's habit of "adopting" sons was well-known across the pirate world—and to anyone who'd read One Piece. If someone's age and temperament fit, he'd take them in, enemy or not. Ace, for instance, had first challenged Whitebeard, even trying to assassinate him over a hundred times.
But… a daughter?
Oh, right.
If memory served, Whitebeard did have a daughter once—the "Ice Witch" Whitey Bay, who later formed her own crew under his flag. And then there were Toki from Wano and Izo—though Izo's cross-dressing status might complicate things—who'd also been on the Moby Dick, though it wasn't clear if they were considered "family" in the same way.
For Yamato, recognizing Whitebeard as a foster father wasn't a bad deal.
It'd mean gaining a Four Emperors-level dad, a massive backing out of nowhere. Compared to Kaido, Whitebeard was a far more dutiful father figure.
The only issue?
The guy was on borrowed time.
"…Let's talk about the banquet and family stuff later," Hikari said, clearing her throat. "If Yamato's cool with calling you Dad, Bulma and I have no objections. But merging crews? Nah, we prefer our freedom."
She continued, "We're here for another important matter, too—one about Ace."
"Oh?" Whitebeard raised an eyebrow.
"According to our intel, the Five Elders have their eyes on Ace," Hikari said carefully.
This was a calculated way to phrase it.
She knew Ace would be defeated by Blackbeard, handed over to the Navy, and publicly executed at Marineford.
But she couldn't just say that outright.
First, she couldn't explain the source of that knowledge. Second, the Blackbeard incident tied to the death of Thatch, the former 4th Division Commander, making it unlikely Whitebeard's crew would abandon their pursuit. In the original story, even Shanks couldn't sway Whitebeard—Hikari didn't think she'd fare better with a few words. Third, she wasn't sure where Ace was in his journey.
Had Blackbeard already defeated and imprisoned him in Impel Down? Had they just met? Or was Ace still chasing him?
Without clarity, planning a response was tricky.
So, Hikari shifted the focus to the Five Elders, hoping to nudge Whitebeard's crew into checking on the situation.
"As far as I know, the World Government's aware that Ace is Roger's son—and your adopted son. Capturing and publicly executing him would crush pirate morale and boost their authority. What do you think the Five Elders will do? Or Blackbeard, for that matter?"
"…" Whitebeard's brow furrowed.
Marco, standing nearby, pondered for a moment before chiming in. "Are you saying Blackbeard might team up with the World Government against Ace? If that's the case… Ace could be in real danger."
"Pops, what should we do?" Marco asked.
"Hmph," Whitebeard snorted. "Ace has always been level-headed. If he's in that kind of mess, he won't just charge in recklessly. And a scheming rat like Teach? The Navy wouldn't fully trust him either."
Softening his tone, he added, "Still, Ace is out there alone, which could be trouble. Marco, get in touch with him and find out where he is."
"Got it," Marco nodded.
With that, Hikari's first goal was achieved.
As for her second…
"One more thing, just a personal idea," Hikari said. "Whitebeard-senpai, how about a deal?"
"A deal?" Whitebeard eyed her.
Hikari nodded. "Yeah. I can tell your health's not great. We happen to have an excellent doctor on board and a full set of advanced medical equipment. We can give you a thorough check-up. In exchange… I'd like to collect some tissue samples—blood, hair, that sort of thing. Nothing major, won't affect your health."
She gestured a "tiny bit" with her fingers, looking at the old man. "So, what do you say? Deal?"
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