Esdeath didn't care in the slightest about casualties in the First Unit. Kizaru had already instructed that none of the pirates under that division needed to be kept alive. Even if they all died, she wouldn't blink.
Minato felt uncertain about her rather ruthless approach, but he still followed orders and went to relay her instructions to the Second Unit.
In Minato's understanding, Esdeath—commander of the First Unit—should be of equal standing to the terrifying BIG MOM. As front-line commander, giving orders to the rear seemed perfectly reasonable.
Unfortunately, Charlotte Linlin didn't see it that way.
The moment she heard that Esdeath had dared to issue commands to her, BIG MOM went into a full-blown rage.
"That filthy b*tch! Who does she think she is?! How dare she order me around!!!"
Charlotte Linlin, furious beyond belief, glared viciously at Minato. She was planning to vent her anger on this unfamiliar face—just to let that annoying woman Esdeath know she was not someone to be trifled with!
But what BIG MOM didn't expect was that even with her Conqueror's Haki already released, the blond young man before her showed not a trace of fear. He even seemed a little curious about her enormous size.
"Is there anything you'd like me to relay to Lady Esdeath?"
Minato wanted to ask Charlotte Linlin how she got so huge, but deciding that would be impolite, he forced the question down and silently noted it in his heart—something interesting to tell Kushina later about the strange things he encountered on this mission.
Of course, he would never reveal specific details. And if Kushina didn't complain so often about being bored because she wasn't allowed outside, Minato wouldn't even have thought of using this kind of story to lift her spirits.
"…Go back and tell that filthy bit— that woman… tell her I know!"
Charlotte Linlin was on the verge of exploding several times, but ultimately forced herself to suppress the fury.
Even if she killed this blond brat right now, the most that would happen is another evenly matched fight with Esdeath—and she might end up paying the price later for messing up Boros' plans.
To climb her way up from the fall of the Rocks Pirates and eventually become a Yonko, Charlotte Linlin relied on more than brute strength. When necessary, she knew how to think—and even how to scheme.
It was just that most of the time, she could bulldoze her way through with sheer power, leaving no real use for her brain.
"Yes."
Minato showed a faintly disappointed expression. He had actually wanted to see what it looked like when Charlotte Linlin went all out.
Not because he bore any hatred toward BIG MOM—he was simply curious and wanted to broaden his horizons.
After all, in the danger list Orochimaru had prepared for him, BIG MOM was placed in the second tier: monsters one should absolutely never face alone.
In terms of threat level, everyone in the second tier possessed power on par with the Nine-Tailed Fox.
And Minato, of all people, understood the Nine-Tails best—considering that in a sense, he "shared a bed" with it every day. The creature sealed inside Kushina was a being whose power, in Minato's view, could never be overestimated.
Yet in the span of just over an hour, even ignoring Boros and Tornado, Minato had already met three different individuals with power rivaling the Nine-Tails. This gave him a much clearer understanding of just how dangerous this other world truly was.
"Mom… are we going to battle too?"
Perospero wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, trying to divert his mother's attention.
When she had erupted earlier, his heart nearly stopped from fright.
After spending so long under the Dark Matter Pirate Group, BIG MOM's children had almost forgotten how terrifying their mother could be when enraged.
"…Didn't you hear what that blond boy said? Boros has already ordered us to march out. Or do you dare disobey?"
Charlotte Linlin growled through clenched teeth, her expression dark and furious. Ever since Rocks' defeat, she had never again served as anyone's subordinate—yet now she had been forced to join Boros' pirate crew. The humiliation was beyond anything words could express.
At first, Kaido and Charlotte Linlin had pretended to be obedient for a while. But once they realized that Boros was a total freak who didn't care about their loyalty at all, they stopped pretending entirely.
As the Second Division—also known as the Big Mom Pirates—prepared to land at Red Port, the Third Division, led by Kaido, received instructions from Minato. Kaido was told to be ready to follow the Big Mom Pirates into the attack on Mariejois.
"Hmph. That guy Boros… Kid, why haven't I ever seen you before? Did you eat a Zoan-type Devil Fruit?"
Unlike Charlotte Linlin, who was raging at the orders, Kaido didn't react with fury. Mostly because he had just finished crying his heart out earlier, and was currently in a cold, almost "post-cry clarity" state.
Just as Kaido was about to dismiss Minato, however, he caught sight—out of the corner of his eye—of a pair of furry ears unconsciously popping out of Minato's head.
"Uh… I am Namikaze Minato, a ninja from Konoha. I suppose you could say I'm new. I'm the user of the Cat-Cat Fruit, Manul Form."
Minato rubbed his head, slightly embarrassed. He had only eaten the Devil Fruit recently, and he still wasn't used to controlling its powers. Every now and then, an extra set of ears or even a tail would appear involuntarily.
"Just a regular Zoan, huh… What's your strength like?"
A trace of disappointment flashed across Kaido's face. Still, because the blond kid was a Zoan user, Kaido made an effort to ask patiently.
"I'd say… not weak?"
Minato answered naturally. He wasn't one to brag, but he also didn't see the point in being overly humble. Even after witnessing so many top-tier powerhouses firsthand, Minato had never once felt that he himself was weak.
"You're with that crazy woman Esdeath? Don't follow her—join the Beasts Pirates instead. I'll make you a real figh—mmm… If you can prove your strength, even a Tobi Roppo, maybe even a Lead Performer position isn't impossible!"
Kaido found himself inexplicably liking Namikaze Minato. It wasn't just the Zoan fruit—it was the strange natural affinity Minato radiated. Even Kaido subconsciously raised his initial opinion of him.
"Thank you for your offer, Lord Kaido, but I am a Konoha ninja. Becoming a rogue ninja is absolutely impossible… However, Lord Kaido may consider issuing missions to us. Konoha's mission completion rate has never disappointed a client!"
Minato politely rejected Kaido's attempt at recruitment, but he didn't forget to promote his village.
Of course, Kaido himself couldn't directly issue missions to the Hidden Leaf—but Kaido's boss, Boros, and his boss, Kizaru, happened to be Konoha's biggest financial supporters at the moment.
After the war, Konoha recovered quickly not only because Orochimaru was a competent Hokage—but mainly because Kizaru had provided massive financial assistance to the village.
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