"To be precise, her threat level is comparable to Whitebeard's, but in terms of destructive power, she's still inferior to him. The strongest Paramecia Type is not just for show," Sakazuki shook his head. Whitebeard and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit achieved greatness together; neither could have done it without the other. But Onihime is different. Her personal potential is clearly stronger than her Devil Fruit ability, especially that terrifying Conqueror's Haki. Imagine Red Hair's Haki combined with Kaido's bloodline and Devil Fruit ability, all gathered in one person. How terrifying would that be? Thinking about it this way, it was inevitable that Aramaki would be caught by her. Even if it were Sakazuki himself, the outcome might not have been any different.
"Perhaps. In any case, this Onihime is definitely already the strongest existence in the Beasts Pirates, even more powerful than her old man Kaido," Aramaki nodded. In any case, he never wanted to deal with her again. It was too dangerous.
"Regarding this matter, I will have the information erased. In the future, take it easy and don't do anything stupid again," Sakazuki said to Aramaki after a long silence.
"Alright, I'll be more careful in the future," Aramaki had learned his lesson. Even if he hated pirates, he had to understand that there were some pirates he really couldn't afford to provoke.
Next, Yamato's bounty also underwent a massive change.
3,888,000,000
Berry!
This was Yamato's current bounty, nearly 2 billion more than her previous one, more than doubling it. Since Yamato's bounty was first issued, it had only changed twice, and this was the second time. Other pirates' bounties generally went through many changes before reaching a very high amount. Even for figures like Pirate King Roger and Whitebeard, their bounties climbed up gradually. This was the first time someone like Yamato had appeared, whose bounty was very high from the start and, after only two changes, was already about to catch up to the Yonko.
However, this massive change in Yamato's bounty did not cause a huge stir. Because since the Seven Warlords of the Sea system was abolished, the bounties of those Seven Warlords had all skyrocketed, with Hawkeye, the World's Greatest Swordsman, soaring directly to
3,590,000,000
Berry. Therefore, although Yamato's bounty skyrocketed to
3,888,000,000
Berry, it was not surprising. Like those Seven Warlords of the Sea whose bounties had stopped growing, she had long possessed such strength.
The New World, Islande Island.
"Young Miss, your bounty has been updated. It is now 3,888,000,000, an increase of 2 billion," Haruko told Yamato, holding her latest bounty poster.
"Oh, my bounty went up? How much? 3,888,000,000? For real? Let me see," Yamato became interested upon hearing this strange number. Taking the bounty poster, Yamato looked at it and saw it really was that number, instantly becoming amused. "The Marines are setting a bride price for me! 3,888, and the unit is millions," Yamato laughed outright.
"Young Miss, what is a bride price?" Haruko was very curious, as it was the first time she had heard this word.
So, Yamato directly explained it to her. "You see, doesn't a woman have a dowry when she gets married? In some places, when a man marries a woman, he also has to give a bride price, either to the woman or to her parents. The bride price represents how much the man values the woman. So, if the bride price is too low, it makes people feel the man looks down on the woman. Thus, the more the bride price, the better. Oh, and there's another saying: it's not easy for parents to raise a daughter."
Hearing Yamato's explanation, Haruko had a look on her face as if she had discovered a new world. "Is this some kind of new human trafficking?"
"Pfft—hahaha, Haruko, look at what you're saying," Yamato burst out laughing, not expecting Haruko to say that.
"To me, it seems no different from a transaction, and I've never seen it in Wano Country either. Young Miss, where did you read about this?" Haruko asked.
"Uh, well, I read it in a storybook. Because the term 'bride price' was quite novel, I remembered it," Yamato made up an explanation on the spot.
Haruko looked at her Young Miss. "I suggest you read less of these harmful things, Young Miss, lest you be led astray."
"Don't worry, don't worry, I was just making a casual analogy, just talking," Yamato waved her hand.
"That would be for the best. Besides, if there really were a bride price of 3,888,000,000, even if you were as beautiful as a heavenly fairy, Young Miss, you definitely wouldn't be able to get married," Haruko teased.
Yamato rolled her eyes at her. "Am I that kind of person? Besides, who says I have to marry off? Couldn't I just take a wife instead? You and Maria would be quite nice, Haruko." Saying this, Yamato put her arm around Haruko, looking at her with a grin.
"Young Miss, you had better say such things less often. It doesn't sound like a normal person," Haruko said calmly.
"Uh, alright, it really isn't normal. Let's drop this topic then, it's boring to talk about anyway. Let's go, back to supervising the work. Let's try to move into the new house before winter arrives," Yamato let go of her and strode forward. Haruko looked at her back, shook her head with a smile, and followed.
Just as the Beasts Pirates were rebuilding their headquarters, a piece of news shook the seas.
Beast Kaido, defeated!
In addition to Kaido, Big Mom was also defeated. The alliance of the two Yonko, which had just been formed a few days ago, was declared shattered.
"It's truly unimaginable that the alliance of two Yonko could be broken, and both of them were actually defeated?!"
"I heard Kaido was defeated by Straw Hat, and Big Mom was defeated by Law and Kid working together. Has the Worst Generation grown to this extent?"
"Are new Yonko about to rise?"
"But if Kaido was defeated by Straw Hat, what about the other one, Onihime? Why is there no news at all?"
"Who says there's no news? Although it's unconfirmed, I heard that Onihime captured an Admiral."
"Which Admiral?"
"Aramaki. But the news is unconfirmed, because Admiral Aramaki is currently doing fine in Mary Geoise and even had a conflict with the Revolutionary Army, so no one knows if that news is true or false."
"Could it be a groundless rumor after all..."
When the Yonko alliance of Kaido and Big Mom was defeated by the rookie pirate alliance, many information brokers were digging for news, investigating the situations of the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates. As it turned out, the situation left everyone extremely astonished. Although Kaido was defeated and led the Beasts Pirates to withdraw from Wano Country, they did not suffer a heavy blow. Their strength was still immense, and with Onihime backing them up, they remained terrifying. Big Mom had also returned to Totto Land safe and sound, without any issues at all.
"It seems Kaido being defeated by Straw Hat is true, otherwise the Beasts Pirates wouldn't have withdrawn from Wano Country."
"Yeah, it's said that the Beasts Pirates are currently building a new headquarters. With two Emperors presiding over it, their strength is still extremely terrifying."
"Straw Hat defeated Kaido. Doesn't this mean he is already a great pirate of the Yonko level?"
"Isn't that obvious? That's Beast Kaido, the Strongest Creature! Since he could defeat Kaido, of course Straw Hat has already joined the ranks of the Yonko. What is there to doubt?"
"The youngest of the Yonko in history has appeared!"
Soon, the new bounty posters were released. The bounties of Straw Hat, Law, and Kid all soared directly to
3,000,000,000
Berry.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three months had gone by. Islande Island, which was originally an uninhabited island, had now completely transformed, with many buildings constructed along the mountains. Furthermore, these buildings were constructed according to a garden-style layout, which was practical while not lacking in aesthetic appeal. Looking down from a high point, the entire island could be divided into three layers from the inside out: the inner ring, the middle ring, and the outer ring.
The buildings in the inner ring were taller and less dense, while the buildings in the middle ring were slightly shorter and more densely packed, resembling modern buildings with three or four stories. There were quite a few of these buildings, totaling more than a dozen in all. As for the outer ring, which was at the edge of the island, several defensive watchtowers had been built. From the outer ring to the middle ring, most of the ground consisted of forests and mountains, which had been cleared and developed with many paths.
If a war were to break out on the island in the future, the area from the outer ring to the middle ring would serve as a buffer zone and could be used directly as a battlefield. About five or six li off the island, watchtowers had also been built on some reefs, specifically for warning purposes. At the very center of the island, a small castle rose from the ground, serving as the center of the Beasts Pirates.
Inside the main hall, all the high-ranking members of the Beasts Pirates were gathered.
"Everyone, after more than three months of hard work, the construction of our Beasts Pirates' headquarters has finally been completed," King said with a smile. Pausing, he continued, "I believe everyone has seen it with their own eyes. Who is the biggest contributor to the completion of our new headquarters? That's right, it is our Young Miss."
At this point, everyone looked toward Yamato. This time, even Kaido did not say anything to object.
"It's only right, it's only right. After all, this will be our Beasts Pirates' permanent base of operations from now on. Just like a home, of course we have to make it a bit nicer. We'll have to rely on everyone to protect it in the future," Yamato said with a smile.
"Young Miss, you are truly amazing. Say no more, let me propose a toast to you," Sasaki said with a face full of admiration.
"Sure, let's have a drink," Yamato did not refuse.
After the celebration, the crowd dispersed, everyone heading off to see their own new houses. As high-ranking members of the Beasts Pirates, they all had their own separate residences in the inner ring. These were large houses, and they even had subordinates to order around.
"Idiot Father, you'll be living here all by yourself from now on. If you're afraid of being lonely, why not let Second Uncle and Third Uncle stay here to keep you company?" Yamato looked at Kaido with a grin.
Kaido glared at her. "You brat, all you know is how to talk nonsense."
"This is still the center of our Beasts Pirates, after all. We will definitely arrange for some people to stay here, and we will also conduct our official business and discussions here," King smiled.
"That's right. Now that the entire island is our headquarters, it's also convenient to move around and get things done," Queen chimed in.
Back in Wano Country, he was mainly in charge of affairs over in Udon, so he was often not on Onigashima. Now it was different. Unless they went out, they basically spent their usual time on the island.
"Let's go, let's go, we should go check out our new houses too," Yamato called out to Maria and Haruko, and then they left together.
After Yamato and the others left, King looked at Kaido. "Big Brother, next, our Beasts Pirates should also start dispatching people. Whether it's fighting other pirates or searching for treasure, we must do something."
"Just arrange these things as you see fit. No need to ask me. My ways are already outdated, so asking me is useless anyway," Kaido waved his hand. He was now too lazy to even think about those matters.
"Alright, I'll arrange it," King nodded.
On the other side, Yamato and the others had already arrived at a large house.
"Not bad, not bad, as expected of me. This house is built beautifully," Yamato looked at her masterpiece, highly satisfied. Compared to their previous conditions on Onigashima, this was like night and day.
"Yamato, you didn't read about all of this in a book again, did you?" Maria asked with a smile.
"You really know me best, Maria," Yamato winked. Maria rolled her eyes at her. This excuse was truly all-purpose; even a prodigy wouldn't be this exaggerated.
"Young Miss, Lady Maria, Lady Haruko," inside the house, besides Yamato and the others, there were also many dancers who had followed them out, who were also living here.
"How is it, sisters? Do you like your current residence?" Yamato asked.
"We love it! Young Miss, you are truly amazing to be able to build such a beautiful house," everyone liked the place immensely, feeling as if they had moved into a palace.
"Haha, as long as you like it," Yamato nodded.
Stepping onto the balcony, Yamato looked down, and the lake came into view, its water crystal clear. They had already tested it; the water in the lake was freshwater, but if they wanted to drink it, it still needed to be processed. Therefore, Yamato had Queen set up some machinery specifically to convert the lake water into drinkable freshwater. In addition, protective fences had been built around the lake to keep people and animals away.
"The scenery is nice. You can see almost half the island from here. Too bad it's still too far from the shore, so we couldn't make it a true ocean-view home," Yamato felt a bit of regret. Initially, she wanted to build some ocean-view homes, but after careful consideration, she found it to be impractical. In the end, the ocean-view homes were not built.
However, even without an ocean view, the current residence was dozens of times better than the one on Onigashima. It was well-lit, no longer gloomy and dark all day long. There was also some preserved greenery around, so it was no longer a barren expanse where one's gaze met nothing but rocks.
"It's already very good this way. If you really want an ocean-view home, couldn't you just pick a spot by the shore and build one?" Maria smiled.
"Forget it, it's not suitable. But it's fine, it's still very convenient to see the ocean view. Just going out for a walk is enough," Yamato shook her head. Pausing, Yamato remembered something. "Maria, Haruko, now that our Beasts Pirates have more or less settled down, I'm planning to go out to sea to have some fun. Why don't you guys come along? What do you say?"
Hearing Yamato say this, Maria and Haruko were stunned for a moment. This matter seemed to have been mentioned before, hadn't it? Although they couldn't remember how long ago it had been said, they both still had an impression of it.