Hikaru nodded. Fortunately, Garp had reminded him about his nickname.
Otherwise, if a bounty hunter suddenly appeared in the middle of the road shouting, "Electric Boy, I found you!" he might not be able to resist heading straight to Marine Headquarters for a fight.
With everything ready, Hikaru crackled with lightning, preparing to leave.
"Wait!" Garp's helpless voice rang out, making Hikaru glance back at him.
"Take good care of Makino! Or else, I'll come after you—even if it costs me my life!"
"Ha~"
Hikaru let out a light sneer before vanishing in a flash of lightning.
At Yasuie, floating ten thousand meters above the sky, Makino's tavern had been seamlessly embedded outside the estate.
Hikaru appeared quietly above the women and saw Makino looking lost as his consorts fussed over her.
Makino was kind and gentle, soft-spoken yet cheerful. Her delicate features gave her a submissive, almost vulnerable look, as if she were easy to bully. But with Robin and the others by her side, she would surely adapt to life here quickly.
There was only one loser in this trip to Foosha Village—Red-Haired Shanks.
The next day, Hikaru admired Makino, now dressed in a dark blue, form-fitting dress, and felt quite satisfied.
Shanks, I'm sorry. A virtuous beauty like Makino is beyond your grasp, so I'll be taking her instead.
"Ah-choo!"
Shanks, who was about to enter the Grand Line, rubbed his nose, feeling like something important had slipped away forever.
"What's wrong, boss?" Lucky Roux, ever cheerful and thoughtful, reached over to wipe Shanks' face with his sleeve.
"I don't know… Maybe the weather's bad," Shanks said, quickly dodging out of the way.
Lucky Roux glanced up at the clear sky and nodded in agreement.
A few days later, in the New World—aboard the Moby Dick, flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Dad! The newspaper's here! There's some interesting news today!"
Thatch, the 4th Division Commander, strode onto the deck, waving the paper.
"Thatch! Stop keeping us in suspense and just read it already!"
"Yeah, we're pirates, not scholars! How many of us can even read?"
"Gurarara! Go on, Thatch, read it out loud."
Whitebeard, with only a shawl covering his upper body, looked somewhat aged. IV drips and oxygen tubes were connected to him, while doctors and nurses tended to his condition.
At Whitebeard's command, Thatch unfolded the newspaper and bounty poster, frowning slightly as he read aloud:
"An existence beyond the Four Emperors! The Divine Emperor! Hikaru, wielder of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit!"
"His first bounty is already set at 300 million berries, yet the Marines have only listed three crimes…"
"He kidnapped a Marine colonel, attacked the hometown of Marine Hero Garp, and is suspected of killing Warlord Crocodile! But does he truly deserve the title of 'Divine Emperor'? The world waits to find out!"
"Thunder-Thunder Fruit? Gurarara~ What a fearsome ability," Whitebeard chuckled, lifting a massive barrel of sake and drinking deeply. The young nurses beside him scowled in disapproval.
Whitebeard didn't care, but his crew was far from pleased.
"Crocodile? Didn't he challenge Dad twenty years ago? I remember that guy—full of himself before the fight, but after losing, he was as pathetic as a clown."
"The real issue here is Hikaru. The Navy actually gave him the title 'Divine Emperor.' They must really want him dead."
"Dad, we can't let this slide. Let me head to Paradise and take his head!"
"Let me do it! He dared to attack my hometown—I won't let him off! Besides, my speedboat's way more maneuverable. I'll be there in a few days—it'll be like a quick joyride!"
Ace rubbed his hands, eager for action.
"A duel between fire and lightning? Now that, I'd like to see," Marco mused, lazily ruffling his pineapple-shaped hair.
"Gurarara~ 'Divine Emperor,' huh? Go on, Ace. We've got your back."
Whitebeard agreed without hesitation. Though he was old, he could still swing a blade. And even if Ace lost, who would dare to kill him?
Whole Cake Island – Big Mom Pirates
"Mom, a Thunder-Thunder Fruit user? Why don't we recruit him into our crew? He could greatly strengthen our top fighters!"
Charlotte Perospero licked his candy-coated lips, eagerly awaiting Big Mom's response.
"Mamamama…"
Charlotte Linlin stared at the bounty poster in her hands, her massive eyes gleaming like two copper bells.
[God Hikaru—Life or death, irrelevant! The 'Divine Emperor' Hikaru, wielder of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit…]
"I don't think he's just an ordinary human. Could he be a rare species?"
As someone obsessed with making all races part of her "family," Linlin didn't care much for the title Divine Emperor. What caught her attention was something else—Hikaru seemed… different.
It was the same feeling of excitement she got every time she discovered a new race.
Hearing this, Perospero frowned as he examined Hikaru's picture.
Why can't I see anything unusual about him?
"Mama, how about we arrange a marriage? We can send Pekoms with pictures of our girls and let him choose one. Then, we'll throw a grand wedding at the next tea party!"
"Yes! That sounds perfect!"
Wano Country – Onigashima
"The Thunder-Thunder Fruit, huh?"
Kaido's half-lidded eyes gleamed with interest as he downed another jug of sake, his massive body slumped on his throne in a drunken daze.
"I wonder… Can the strongest Logia attack actually kill me?"
Grand Line – A Certain Spring Island
"Only 300 million? They're underestimating that man."
Shanks smirked as he clinked glasses with the man beside him—the world's strongest swordsman, wielding a black blade.
"Oh? God Hikaru… Is he the one you met in the East Blue?"
Dracule Mihawk's sharp golden eyes flickered with mild interest before he glanced back at his drink, looking a little bored.
"It's a pity he's not a swordsman~"
"Who knows?" Shanks chuckled. "Maybe he can wield a blade. I'm looking forward to meeting him in the New World…"
East Blue – Cocoyasi Village
As Yasuie floated above Nami's home, she couldn't wait any longer.
Turning into a cloud, she drifted down swiftly.
"Nojiko!"
Nami's voice rang through the village, filled with excitement.
Inside the house, Nojiko was caught off guard. Her hands slipped, and the dishes and chopsticks clattered onto the table.
Startled, she rushed outside and looked up—only to see Nami hovering in midair.
Her upper body was human, but her lower half had transformed into swirling clouds.
For a moment, Nojiko stood frozen in shock. Then, a bright smile spread across her face.
"Nami, welcome back."
"Nojiko…"
Tears welled in Nami's eyes as she flew straight into Nojiko's arms, embracing her tightly.
Neither of them spoke. No words were needed—they simply held onto each other, sharing the pain of the past in silent companionship.
No one knew how long they stood there.
Finally, Nami composed herself and looked up, spotting Hikaru and the other women waiting for her in the distance.
Her heart swelled with warmth. With him, she felt truly at home.
"It's over now, Nami. A brighter future is waiting for us."
Nojiko gently wiped away the tears that had unknowingly fallen from Nami's face. Her words were meant for Nami—but also for herself.
Nami sniffled, then suddenly grinned.
"Hmm! Nojiko, you're looking a bit fairer than last time~"
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