No one even had to ask. That long, super chuunibyou name had to be something Yuzukaji came up with. If it were Dr. Gero, it would probably be something simple like "Number 01" or "Number 02," just like the Androids 17 and 18 he created back in the day.
However, compared to the "Number 01" built from a standard Red Ribbon Army model, the "Number 02" had a massive change in appearance. I mean, it was night and day. First, the size was several times larger. The standard model was only about five or six meters tall, but this one was seventeen or eighteen meters, about the same height as a Second Stage Susanoo.
The design was also more sleek and angular. The thick armor wrapping the torso and the five pairs of massive, slightly raised wings on its back all gave off a deep, metallic luster and a powerful, mechanical aesthetic. Even without any paint, you could tell from its current "base model" state how magnificent this mech would look when finished.
"This... you designed this?" Uchiha Hikari turned to Yuzukaji.
He scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I've watched the entire Gundam series and I'm pretty familiar with the look of those mechs. I originally wanted to do a one-to-one replica of the 'Strike Freedom,' but I discussed it with the doctor during the design process and found a lot of the original designs weren't very practical. So, I made some minor changes and adjustments..." He trailed off, looking a little nervous. "You won't mind me taking the liberty, will you?"
"...You did well, I'm very impressed," Hikari said, giving Yuzukaji a pat on the shoulder as a sign of her approval. "I'll give you a few days off. Go ask Miwa Kasumi out on a date."
"Ahem..." Yuzukaji coughed, scratching his head again. He looked a bit flustered at the mention of Miwa Kasumi's name.
Honestly, Yuzukaji, the one who created "Ultimate Mechamaru," really understands a man's heart. He knows exactly what kind of mech design can make a guy go wild. His modified "Number 02" was even cooler than the original "Strike Freedom." If they made this thing into an action figure and sold it at a convention in the modern world, it would probably sell out in minutes. With a look like that, the performance almost didn't even matter.
But Dr. Gero still had a surprise for Uchiha Hikari.
"Lady Hikari, here are the design goals for 'Number 02.' Please take a look," he said, handing her a document. "Based on our design projections, the final form will be about two tons heavier than it is now, with most of that weight coming from the energy source and weapons. The inside of the body will have four nuclear batteries and backup solar panels, providing a maximum of 336 hours of continuous power. There are twelve missile launchers that can fire six different types of shells, including micro tactical missiles, miniature nukes, EMP rounds, and high-energy particle cannons, for hitting different targets. It can also switch between three different modes for land, sea, and air..."
"Although some parts still need to be completed, we expect 'Number 02' to be about 90% finished in another month. At that point, you can try piloting it."
"Wow!" Hikari's eyes lit up as she looked at the design charts filled with all sorts of stats. She had no idea what the difference was between the six types of shells Dr. Gero mentioned, but she could tell it was all seriously awesome. At this point, she was pretty much dying to see the final product.
---
### The Conversation in the Chat Group
During these past few days, as Uchiha Hikari traveled between worlds, the chat group was buzzing with a few messages every now and then. It was mainly Bulma giving her daily updates. Also, Brand had taken advantage of the time their ship was docked to explore the nearby towns with Akame and Leone. It seems he saw a few instances of tyranny and oppression, which put him in a bad mood, leading to him complaining a few times in the group chat.
This kind of thing is pretty common in the One Piece world. Besides a few kings with decent character, most of the leaders are no different from the arrogant Celestial Dragons, maybe even worse. The others couldn't really chime in on that topic. Only Minato Namikaze, having been a Hokage, had a lot of experience. He talked with Brand a few times and had a deep discussion about what kind of government would ensure long-term stability for its people.
Hikari wondered if she should go to the Dragon Clan world's China and buy some Dragon-Slaying Arts for them to read. It might give them some inspiration.
Then, today, a few messages suddenly popped up in the group chat. One was from Yamato:
@Unnamed_No_Name: Lady Hikari, this is bad! Something has happened!!
Unnamed_No_Name: Huh? Did your father, the leader of the Beast Pirates, come to capture you?
@Unnamed_No_Name: No, not that... It's about Ace. It looks like Ace has been captured by that guy named Teach!
Bulma: Ahem... Let me explain. A few days ago, didn't we tell Mr. Whitebeard about Ace's situation and ask them to try and contact him? Marco tried calling several times but couldn't get through. Today, he finally got in touch, but Ace said he had found Blackbeard's whereabouts and was going to capture him, and then he quickly hung up... I'm worried he might already be near Banaro Island.
Unnamed_No_Name: Oh?
In the Dragon Ball world, Uchiha Hikari, who was catching up with Master Korin on Korin Tower, narrowed her eyes as her mind started racing.
Well, it looked like things had indeed gone south. Banaro Island was exactly where Ace found Blackbeard and fought him in the original One Piece story. And what they called a "fight" was really Ace getting utterly demolished, barely putting up a fight before being easily defeated and captured by Blackbeard. He then became a bargaining chip for Blackbeard to get his Warlord of the Sea position.
However, Hikari was actually pretty happy to see this happen. Even if Ace was captured, he wouldn't die right away. In fact, the Marines would take good care of him to make sure he didn't die before the World Government's public execution plan. So there was no need to worry. On the other hand, if they rescued him early and prevented the "Summit War" from happening... well, that would be a shame. Her "Dimensional Pirate Crew" hadn't had a chance to make a big entrance in the One Piece world yet.
But she couldn't say those things out loud. Instead, Hikari soothed Yamato in the chat, and then she saw a message pop up from Brand:
Brand: Lady Hikari, Lady Bulma, have you ever heard of the "Heavenly Tribute"?