"But what the heck is this 'Onihime'? It means Ghost Princess, right?" Yamato looked at the bold text on her bounty poster and raised a suspicious eyebrow.
She hadn't expected the nickname "Ghost Princess" to end up being her official moniker, and she certainly hadn't expected it to come from the Marines of all people.
"It's like they'd die if they just called me 'Princess.' They just had to add 'Ghost' to it. You Marines think you're so cultured, don't you?" Yamato muttered, quite speechless.
To her, the title of "Princess" sounded perfectly fine, but the World Government had insisted on changing it to something ominous. One look at that name and anyone would assume Yamato was a villain.
"Also, isn't this bounty a bit excessively high? Anyone who didn't know better would think I'd done something truly atrocious. Is this bounty based purely on my strength?" Yamato pondered.
If the bounty was based on her combat prowess, it still didn't quite add up, as she hadn't exposed her true power to the world yet. Aside from sinking a few pirate ships with a single blow and brawling with that Idiot Old Man Kaido for a few hours, she hadn't done much to catch the public eye.
"Could the Marines be guessing my true strength and conservatively giving me such a number? Maybe they wanted to set it even higher, but figured it wouldn't follow their internal rules, so they settled on 1,315,000,000 Berry," Yamato thought to herself.
She felt that must be the case; the Marines must have deduced something terrifying from their intelligence reports.
"A billion-plus bounty right at my debut; they really think highly of me." Yamato didn't care much about the danger it brought; a bounty like this was bound to happen sooner or later anyway. In the future, that number would only get higher. Yamato was very confident about her path.
Then, Yamato looked at Maria's and Haruko's posters. One was set at 344,000,000 Berry, and the other at 186,000,000 Berry. These felt appropriate. Maria was a Mythical Zoan ability user, which the Marines surely recognized, so they had given her a higher starting point.
"Anyway, the bounties are settled. It's probably quite lively in the outside world right now, but that has nothing to do with me. The Fire Festival is in half a month—a festival just like New Year's—I can't miss it." Yamato tossed the posters aside and headed back to her training.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Finally, the night of the Fire Festival arrived. The Flower Capital was decorated with glowing lanterns and colorful streamers, filled with a lively and festive atmosphere. On this day, the people of Wano were at their freest. Even Shogun Orochi wouldn't interfere with the festivities; everyone was allowed to eat and drink as they pleased.
On Onigashima, the excitement was just as high.
"Boys! Tonight is the Fire Festival! We can go see Komurasaki!" Queen called out loudly, his voice booming through the main hall.
"Oh! The day is finally here! Banzai!" All the subordinates cheered, their faces red with early celebration.
It wasn't just Queen; Kaido would also be attending. The top brass of the Beasts Pirates were all heading to the Flower Capital to hold a massive banquet with Shogun Orochi. Naturally, the Oiran Komurasaki would be there to perform.
"Third Uncle... all that fat, and he doesn't even think about losing weight. He even claims he keeps it that way on purpose so he doesn't become 'too popular.' It's a wonder he's popular at all," Yamato said, shaking her head.
She didn't understand how Queen could have such an obsession with the Oiran, acting like a star-struck fan reaching levels of extreme infatuation. King and Jack were the exact opposite; they weren't interested in the Oiran or beauty in general. They were indifferent to a fault.
However, her Idiot Old Man Kaido was the most balanced of the lot. He would watch the Oiran perform, but he did so normally—showing no obsession, yet no rejection either.
"Hey, Jack! Maria, Haruko, and I are going for a stroll on the streets. You coming?" Yamato shouted the moment she spotted Jack's hulking figure. This simpleton's bounty had also increased quite a bit after the recent expedition.
Hearing Yamato's voice, Jack reacted like it was a reflex, his face souring instantly. "Are you kidding me? How could a grown man like me go shopping with three women?"
"You're not giving me any face? Jack, do you know I don't just invite anyone? This is an honor, you get it?" Yamato knew he would try to argue.
"I don't get it. You'd better give this 'honor' to someone else; I can't take it," Jack said, rolling his eyes. Now that Yamato's bounty was officially higher than his, he felt outshone in every aspect. He felt annoyed just looking at her.
"Jack, you won't be able to find a wife if you stay this grumpy. Do you really want to be a bachelor for the rest of your life? Why don't you come shopping with us? I can teach you how to be popular with the ladies," Yamato continued, grinning.
"None of your business! If I'm a bachelor for life, then I'm a bachelor for life! I'm a bachelor and I'm proud! I'm proud of it!" Jack shouted, raising his chin defiantly.
"Pfft... Hahaha!" Yamato couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. Even Maria and Haruko, who had just walked over, couldn't keep a straight face. Jack really was a simpleton to say something like that with so much passion.
"Is Lord Jack that hardcore? That's just too... manly! He's a role model for all of us!"
"Lord Jack, we will follow you for the rest of our lives!"
Many of the low-level subordinates were actually moved by Jack's words, shouting out their loyalty one after another. Hearing the praise, Jack couldn't help but puff out his chest. He gestured for silence like a true leader. "Good! If you're a real man, follow me!"
"Lord Jack!" "Long live Lord Jack!"
Seeing this scene, Yamato and the others didn't know what to say. It was too bizarre to witness.
"Hmph. Yamato, see that? You just don't understand men!" Jack looked at Yamato triumphantly, his eyes full of provocation.
"Yes, yes, I don't understand men, but you clearly do," Yamato said, deciding it wasn't worth the energy to keep talking to him. This kind of simpleton was a rare species; you wouldn't find many like him in the whole world.
"Second Uncle, you're also responsible for Jack turning out like this," Yamato said, turning her attention to the tall, dark figure standing nearby.
King was minding his own business, watching the drama unfold, when he suddenly found himself being blamed. "Young Master, what does this have to do with me?"
"Second Uncle, Jack is proud of being a bachelor. Just think about whose influence that actually is?" Yamato gave him a sidelong glance.
Maria and Haruko couldn't help but look at King too. It was true—among the top brass of the Beasts Pirates, King was the only true bachelor. Kaido had Yamato, and Queen was always out partying with women. Only King didn't smoke, didn't drink, and stayed far away from women. He had no bad habits at all.
Looking at it this way, King was the ultimate diamond-tier bachelor of the crew. Being stared at by three women at once made King feel a sudden shiver. "What's with those looks?"
"Second Uncle, how about you quickly find me an Auntie and have a child or two? That way, that simpleton Jack might have a better example to follow. You have to set the standard," Yamato said with a mischievous smile.
"Yamato's suggestion is actually great. Lord King, I have many beautiful and capable girls under my command. You should come and take a look; there's bound to be someone who catches your eye," Maria chipped in, her eyes twinkling.
King looked like he was about to turn to stone. "I just remembered I have some urgent, unfinished business to handle," he blurted out. Before they could say another word, he transformed into his Pteranodon form and flew away at top speed, as if he were escaping a life-threatening disaster.
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