Jack's arrival didn't go unnoticed by Uchiha Hikari and the others.
To be precise, it didn't slip past the radar system installed on the Blue Planet.
The detection system, transplanted by Bulma from the Kami's spaceship, was originally designed to spot unidentified objects in space, making it far more sensitive than your average radar. When Jack's ship was still dozens of kilometers away, Bulma had already picked up the signal and relayed the info to the group chat.
[Bulma: [Photo][Photo]]
[Bulma: We've been out at sea for a while, and this is the first time I've seen a ship native to this world! Looks like it belongs to some other pirates. It's moving pretty slowly, and the materials don't seem all that great.]
[Bulma: Huh, it's heading our way. Are they targeting us? Kinda feels like they're up to no good…]
[Nameless: …This ship looks kinda familiar. Yamato, any ideas?]
[Demon Princess: It's Jack!]
[Demon Princess: I know that ship—it's Jack's Mammoth!]
"Hm?"
On the deck, Hikari, who had been lazily fishing with a sea rod by the ship's railing, looked up, her mind stirring.
Others might not know Jack, but she sure did. He was the fourth-in-command of the Beast Pirates, the infamous "Ship-Sinking King" of the One Piece world. The guy had the guts to challenge heavyweights like Fujitora, Sengoku, and Tsuru all by himself and even managed to injure Zunesha, the giant elephant. That kind of track record was so wild, even Kaido would probably call him "big bro."
And now…
"No wonder we didn't see him back on Onigashima. He was out here," Hikari mused. "Looks like he's spotted us."
Meanwhile, Yamato jumped into the group chat, filling Bulma and the others in on Jack's identity. When Bulma learned he was one of Kaido's men, she let out a sigh of relief.
[Bulma: Oh, so it's someone we know! I thought it was an enemy. If Yamato steps in to explain, it should be fine… right?]
[Demon Princess: Uh…]
[Demon Princess: Actually, Jack and I aren't exactly on great terms…]
[Bulma: Wait, not on great terms? Like, you had a falling out or something?]
Seeing Yamato fumble for words, Hikari sighed and chimed in.
[Nameless: Ahem, even though Kaido technically allowed Yamato to leave the Beast Pirates, to others, it might look like betrayal. They're not likely to be understanding about it. Plus, Jack's got a hot temper—he probably won't even listen to us.]
At that point, Bulma started to catch on. She'd assumed Kaido had sent Yamato off with a friendly wave, but clearly, things weren't that simple.
[Bulma: Hmm… Should I activate the ship's missile defense system to scare Jack off? Their ship isn't moving that fast. I'm confident I can just nick the edges without sinking them.]
[Bulma: Since he's Yamato's acquaintance, going all-out feels a bit much. Plus, Devil Fruit users drown if they fall into the sea, right?]
[Brand: Um, if it's tricky for you or Miss Hikari, how about leaving it to me, Akame, and the others? We've gotten a bit stronger lately. If Jack's weaker than Yamato, we should be able to take him down.]
[Nameless: Sounds good.]
Hikari had initially planned to let Esdeath handle it—one massive ice meteor from the sky would've sent Jack packing. The guy had Fishman blood, so he wouldn't drown even if he fell into the sea. But since Brand was eager to step up, that made things easier.
Hikari handed her fishing rod to Naruto, who was standing nearby, and walked to the bow of the ship.
By now, the silhouette of the Mammoth was faintly visible on the horizon, a few kilometers away.
Though it wasn't crystal clear, Jack's massive eight-meter-tall frame stood out like a sore thumb. Esdeath and the others tensed, their expressions wary.
In theory, size didn't always equal strength—plenty of big guys in the Akame ga Kill world were all show and no substance. But those guys topped out at maybe two meters. Jack? He was a walking mountain, nearly four times that height, exuding an intimidating presence from afar.
"Enemy?" Esdeath asked, glancing at Hikari.
"Sort of," Hikari replied. "But you don't need to step in. Let Brand and the others handle it." She paused, then added, "Though, before the fight starts, we might need a little help from you."
"?"
Esdeath, despite having been an enemy to Brand and the others back in their world, had set aside old grudges. Still, there was a bit of lingering tension. Since Hikari was calling the shots, though, she didn't object. She stepped to the bow, clasped her hands together, and unleashed her power.
"Ice Purgatory!"
The power of the Demon's Extract surged.
In an instant, a frigid gust of air erupted from the Blue Planet's deck, sweeping across the sea and sky for kilometers around. Amid the howling wind, snowflakes swirled, and the churning waves began to freeze. White ice spread across the water's surface, rapidly forming jagged cliffs that extended both above and below the sea. Schools of fish were frozen solid, their scales glinting with a dark silver sheen in the fading evening light.
In just over ten seconds, a massive iceberg—hundreds of meters tall and stretching several kilometers—had formed. The Blue Planet sat at its starting point, while the Mammoth was trapped at the far end, encased in towering walls of ice and snow, completely immobilized.
"…Done," Esdeath said, releasing her hand seal and glancing back at Brand.
Brand let out a complicated sigh. "General Esdeath's power… it's gotten even stronger."
"But…" He grinned. "Haunted by the Demon!!"
With a low shout, Brand activated his armor fusion state. In theory, the Incursio's upper limit wasn't far behind Esdeath's Demon's Extract. Hikari could also sense that Brand's aura was noticeably stronger than it had been during the martial arts tournament. His claim of getting stronger wasn't just talk. With a bit of guidance from the Cat Sage or Kami, he might improve even further.
Leone, meanwhile, shifted into her Lionelle beastman form. As for Akame, she didn't draw Murasame this time, opting instead for another long sword before charging out alongside her comrades.
On the other side, Jack, after a moment of shock, let out a furious roar and leaped onto the iceberg. He sprinted to its peak, clashing with Brand and the others in a chaotic brawl.
The rest of the Mammoth's crew, meanwhile, stood frozen in uncertainty, staring at the massive iceberg before them.
"That ice-making power… Could it be Aokiji on that ship?!"
---
"Alright, place your bets, place your bets!"
Back on the Blue Planet, Hikari dragged a table over and set up an impromptu betting pool. "How long will it take Brand and the others to win?"
Unfortunately, most of the group—Kikyo and the others—were too wholesome to get into gambling, so the response was lukewarm. Only Esdeath and Naruto stepped up. Esdeath tossed two gold ingots onto the table, while Naruto dug through his frog wallet and laid out nine crumpled bills to join in.
Later, Yuji Itadori and Yotsuya Miko wandered over, tossing a few thousand-yen notes onto the pile.
—Yes, Japanese yen.
The betting pool was a chaotic mix of currencies, hardly official, but Hikari was just doing it for fun, not to make a profit. She collected everyone's bets with mock seriousness, tallying their predicted times and setting the odds.
"…Hikari-nee, is this, like, illegal gambling?" Naruto asked, a bit nervous. "That white-haired old guy said gambling's bad and can make you lose everything…"
"Huh?" Hikari blinked. "You mean Jiraiya?"
The idea of that peeping-tom pervert preaching about the evils of gambling was almost laughable.
"Nah, a little betting's fine for fun," she said, ruffling Naruto's blonde hair. "Just don't get hooked, and you're good."
Then she remembered something. "Oh, by the way, where's my fishing rod?"
"Over there," Naruto said, pointing sheepishly. "Nezuko wanted to try it, so I let her use it… Sorry, I didn't ask you first."
Sure enough, Hikari glanced over to see Nezuko grinning at her, clutching the rod tightly. It looked like she'd hooked something big and was locked in a tug-of-war with it. Esdeath's ice had only frozen the sea in front of the ship, leaving the water at the stern untouched, teeming with fish. Nezuko had snagged a rare big one, but even with her demon strength, she was struggling to reel it in.
No need to worry, though—Tanjiro was right beside her, keeping an eye on his sister while occasionally glancing at the battle unfolding on the iceberg. He was multitasking like a pro.
The stalemate didn't last long.
A few minutes later, Nezuko gave a mighty tug, hauling a massive, bluish-gray fish—several meters long—onto the deck. It flopped around, its tail slapping the metal with loud thunks.
Not long after, the battle on the iceberg started to wrap up, with Brand and the others gaining the upper hand.