The banquet was taking place on the sea that Esdeath had frozen solid.
The ice was so thick that it hadn't melted yet.
Even though they had just fought a battle half a day ago and almost killed each other, for the big-hearted people of the pirate world, it wasn't a problem at all. It didn't affect them sitting together to drink, eat, and just chat.
Uchiha Hikari's group only had a little more than a dozen people, but Whitebeard's side had several hundred. They were spread out across the ice, with bonfires lit everywhere, creating a spectacular sight.
After a few rounds of drinks, Uchiha Hikari, sipping her juice, glanced over at Yamato next to her.
"Hey, Yamato, have you thought about that thing I mentioned? Are you going to be Whitebeard's daughter?"
"Uh..." Yamato scratched her head, her expression a little conflicted. "What do you think, Miss Hikari?"
"Me?" Uchiha Hikari thought for a moment before answering casually, "If it were me, I'd probably say yes."
"After all, Whitebeard is a powerhouse on the same level as your father, with great power and influence. Plus, he's a decent guy and wouldn't stab you in the back. Besides, isn't Ace Whitebeard's 'son'? If you accept Whitebeard as your 'father,' you two would be like siblings from different fathers and mothers."
"Huh?" Yamato's eyes lit up, clearly moved by the idea. "Being siblings with Ace... that sounds pretty cool."
But then, Yamato hesitated again. "But what about Mr. Minato..."
"Huh?" How did Minato Namikaze get involved in this?
"I told everyone in the chat group that I was going to make Mr. Minato my father, and he agreed..."
"...Alright." Uchiha Hikari's mouth twitched, speechless for a moment.
Something like that had indeed happened in the chat group.
But... did she really take it that seriously?
If you included Minato, along with her biological father Kaido and her soon-to-be adopted father Whitebeard, wouldn't Yamato be... well, a "Yamato with three surnames"?
Uchiha Hikari pushed the thought aside and patted Yamato's shoulder—or rather, her thigh, since she couldn't reach her shoulder. "It's fine. You can only have one biological father, but you can have many adopted fathers. Just mention it in the chat group, and Mr. Minato will support you."
"Later, once we revive Minato, you can have another father-daughter ceremony, and Bulma and I will be your witnesses."
---
Yamato actually did tell Minato Namikaze about it in the chat group.
Minato, of course, didn't mind.
And so, Whitebeard was overjoyed to learn he had a new "daughter." He immediately chugged half a barrel of sake.
Marco, "Diamond" Jozu, and the others gathered around also welcomed their new "sister."
Well... maybe "sister" or "older sister."
Because based on age, Yamato was actually a few years older than Ace and wasn't exactly young herself.
In contrast, the rest of Uchiha Hikari's group looked younger and younger. The average age was in the teens, and Naruto was only seven and a half. With his small body—barely bigger than Whitebeard's hand—he was full of boundless energy, making him the perfect Whitebeard magnet.
As they drank, Whitebeard's gaze kept drifting to Uchiha Hikari's group, and he specifically asked about Naruto's background.
"...So this boy, Naruto Uzumaki, is an orphan whose parents died when he was young, and you raised him, Miss Hikari?"
"Something like that," Uchiha Hikari replied noncommittally.
The phrase "raised him" was a bit of an exaggeration, but she was technically Naruto's temporary guardian.
Whitebeard took a few more gulps of sake. "You know, the last time I saw a kid that small on the seas was on Roger's ship. That little guy was also an orphan who Roger took in by chance. He's a lot like Naruto."
"Oh? You're talking about Red-Haired Shanks?" Uchiha Hikari looked up.
"You know that name, too?" Whitebeard was a little surprised but didn't think much of it. He nodded, his face full of nostalgia. "Yeah, that was over twenty years ago, before Roger found the final island... In a blink of an eye, the kid from back then is now a famous Emperor, and Roger's son has also become a prominent figure on the seas. It feels like a lifetime ago."
"So... have you seen him recently?"
"Ah, yes." Whitebeard set down his sake barrel, answering Uchiha Hikari's question. "Just a few days before I ran into you, that kid sent someone to my ship to try and stop Ace from chasing Teach. I kicked him right out... But thinking about it now, he meant well. My reaction was probably a bit too strong."
"Oh?"
A seemingly casual remark from Whitebeard was a significant piece of information for Uchiha Hikari. She quickly put the pieces together.
So, the scene where Shanks sent Rockstar to deliver the message to Whitebeard had just happened?
If so...
It was likely that Shanks himself would arrive with his ship before long. Then, he and Whitebeard would clash swords and part ways on bad terms.
For Uchiha Hikari's group, however, this was great news.
One of their main goals in coming to the pirate world was to see the various powerhouses. They had already met Kaido and Whitebeard and had a good idea of their strength. As another Emperor, Shanks was naturally one of their targets.
If they could meet him here, it would save them the trouble of looking for him later.
She was sure Esdeath would be very happy about that.
---
A few days after the banquet ended, the Blue Planet and the Moby Dick sailed into a nearby town's port.
The Whitebeard Pirates split up and began using their pirate network to find volunteers for the clinical trials of the "New Oni-fication Serum," as they had agreed.
Meanwhile, Tamayo and Kikyo started working on Whitebeard, performing a small operation to remove the diseased tissue, as part of the standard treatment.
Uchiha Hikari and Bulma's group were finally able to relax.
Bulma took this opportunity to begin researching Whitebeard's blood samples, hoping to figure out the internal mechanisms of how Devil Fruits modify a person's body.
Uchiha Hikari, on the other hand, took a quick trip to the world of Inuyasha. She handed the broken Dragon-Bone Blade, along with a pile of forging materials she had collected, to Totosai, asking him to reforge the sword for her.
After that, she made stops in both Konoha and at Doctor Gero's lab.