"I just guessed. Honestly, it's not that hard to figure out," Yamato said, her voice calm and matter-of-fact. "When people get bored to a certain degree, they start developing a world-weary mindset. They start shouting about wanting to die and acting out for attention. In reality, it's all just big talk."
"Uh... really?" King wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Then it seems Big Brother is definitely in that state. Young Master, you really are sharp to understand the inner workings of his mind so well."
"Second Uncle, are you being serious? This isn't exactly a rare psychological phenomenon," Yamato continued, leaning back. "Anyway, just ignore him. This symptom is pretty much like being a total psycho; there isn't really a cure for it."
King broke into a cold sweat as he listened to her blunt assessment. "A psycho... surely that's a bit of an exaggeration, isn't it?"
"If you don't treat this behavior for what it is—madness—then watch out, or you'll end up becoming one yourself. That's all I'll say about it, Second Uncle. It's best if you keep it in mind. Alright, I'm off," Yamato said, waving her hand dismissively as she walked away.
Looking at Yamato's departing figure, King muttered to himself, "No way... could she be right? After spending enough time with him, will I end up losing my mind too?"
In the wake of the destroyed Marine fleet, the World Government took immediate action. Yamato's bounty finally saw a massive update.
Her previous bounty of 1,315,000,000 was officially increased to 1,869,000,000—a staggering jump of over 500,000,000 in a single update.
In the New World, a bounty of 1.8 billion was considered a massive lead, placing her as arguably the most dangerous pirate second only to the Four Emperors themselves. However, the current Yonko each held bounties that were in a league of their own, all exceeding 4,000,000,000. Compared to those numbers, Yamato's bounty still showed a significant gap, even though her actual combat strength had already reached the level of an Emperor.
On the Moby Dick, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates were in a state of shock as they crowded around Yamato's latest poster.
"Her bounty is already 1.8 billion so soon?! This woman is truly terrifying!"
"Yeah, she surpassed Marco's bounty in no time. This puts her right at the threshold of being a Yonko."
"That bounty doesn't match that woman's strength at all," Marshall D. Teach—better known as Blackbeard—observed accurately. "This time she only destroyed a fleet; in the eyes of the Marines, that's just a standard provocation. They haven't realized what she's truly capable of yet."
Back on Ebit Island, Blackbeard had been deeply impressed by Yamato. She was powerful, overbearing, and possessed a level of arrogant confidence that was rare to see in any pirate, let alone a woman. Even Teach, who was carefully hiding his true ambitions, could not ignore her presence.
"Teach, are you saying she's already as big of a threat as the Four Emperors? That's impossible, right?" His crewmates shook their heads, unwilling to believe his underlying point. They couldn't wrap their heads around the idea that a woman in her early twenties could be qualified to stand as an equal to their "Pops" or Kaido. Even if she was a "Natural-Born Monster," it seemed too far-fetched.
"Zehahaha! I didn't say that," Teach replied, his eyes gleaming with hidden knowledge. "I just said the number on that paper doesn't do justice to her power, that's all."
"Teach, you haven't gone and fallen for her, have you? Though I have to admit, she is a rare beauty," Marco teased, leaning against the railing.
"Yeah, Teach, defending her like that... you wouldn't happen to have a crush, would you?" the others chimed in, laughing.
Blackbeard rolled his eyes. "A woman that forceful isn't my type."
"No way, Teach! You don't like powerful women? You're a strange one," his brothers joked. Despite their grudge against the Beasts Pirates over the Kozuki Oden incident, they had to admit that Yamato was a uniquely powerful and beautiful figure on the high seas.
"Say whatever you want," Teach muttered, looking indifferent.
"My idiot sons, there should be a limit to your joking," Whitebeard scolded, though a small smile played on his lips.
The crew looked at their captain, not at all intimidated. "Pops, it's just a joke! No need to get serious."
"Alright, even if it's a joke, don't say such spineless things," Whitebeard snorted. "If you want to show some real spirit, try to surpass that brat from Kaido's family for me."
"Pops, you're asking for the impossible! She's a monster; how can we even compare?" The group laughed and shook their heads.
"Spineless," Whitebeard repeated with a faint smile. In truth, raw power wasn't what he pursued for his family. He didn't have such harsh requirements for his sons. As long as he was around, the Whitebeard Pirates would remain a sanctuary, and no one would dare lay a finger on his children. As for the future, he could only take it one day at a time.
Meanwhile, at the Beasts Pirates' headquarters, the atmosphere was electric.
"Look! The Young Master's bounty has skyrocketed! 1,869,000,000! Incredible! Only the Four Emperors are ranked higher than her now!"
"As expected of our Young Master! Sooner or later, she will become an invincible legend just like Governor Kaido!"
Jack "The Drought" was actually quite approving when he heard the news. "That girl Yamato has finally done something a real pirate should do," he grunted. In his view, sinking Marine fleets was the job description.
"However," Jack thought, a hint of envy creeping in, "her bounty increased by way too much just for one fleet. If I had been the one to sink those ships, I doubt my bounty would have jumped half a billion. It must be because of Big Brother's name that her price is rising so quickly."
A few days later, Yamato's Transponder Snail began to ring.
"Second Uncle? What's up?" Yamato answered. "Don't tell me my Idiot Old Man is having another one of his episodes."
"Ahem... not exactly," King's voice came through the snail. "It's like this: Big Brother wants to launch a third expedition, and he's taking the main fleet. If that happens, Onigashima will be left without a significant defensive force."
"I figured since you definitely won't want to join us this time, Young Master, you could stay behind and guard the home front. If anything happens, you'll be more than capable of handling it," King explained.
"A third expedition? Is he out of his mind?" Yamato rolled her eyes. "It's only been a year since the last one! Doesn't he need time to actually manage the territory he already took?"
Over the past few years, the Beasts Pirates had been expanding at a breakneck pace, moving from one conquest to the next like a spinning top that couldn't stop.
"Well, we've mostly finished integrating the gains from the last trip. Since Big Brother wants to expand further, I don't see the harm," King said, playing the mediator as usual.
Yamato let out a dry laugh. "Second Uncle, you really are like his loyal little wife, always taking his side. Fine, fine—it's not like I have the final say in this crew anyway. Do what you want."
"I don't mind guarding Onigashima, but what about Black Maria and Haruko? Are they being dragged along on this expedition too?"
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