"Something like that," Uchiha Hikari replied vaguely.
Though it hadn't been explicitly discussed, she knew Esdeath must have her suspicions about her origins.
In the Akame ga Kill world, there was something called the "World Codex," a record that gave the empire at least a basic understanding of other nations and regions. Yet, in over a thousand years, there had never been any mention of abilities like "ninjutsu," "Haki," or "Sky Walk."
If Hikari were the only exception, that'd be one thing.
But now, there was Yamato and the others…
No matter how you sliced it, a 2.63-meter-tall woman with horns sprouting from her head didn't exactly scream "normal human" in this world.
Of course, being "not normal" could just mean she was a biological Teigu. After all, Najenda's "Susanoo" also had horns. But… a Navy Admiral? Aokiji?
"That Aokiji guy—is he a general from another nation? His abilities sound similar to mine," Esdeath said casually, though her tone carried a hint of curiosity. "He must be pretty strong. I'd love to meet him."
"Don't worry, you'll get your chance," Hikari said with a slight smile.
Once Bulma's dream of a "pirate crew" took shape in the One Piece world, Hikari and Yamato would definitely be among the first crew members. Eri would probably join too. As for non-group members…
Esdeath would make a solid addition to the crew.
If they ran into Aokiji and he ended up clashing with them, Hikari could leave him to Esdeath. It'd be interesting to see which of these two powerhouses, with their similar abilities, would come out on top.
The day after her spar with Esdeath, Yamato went off to fight Brand.
Those two had been at odds since they first joined the group, all because of their differing views on Kozuki Oden.
Over time, hearing stories about people like Minato Namikaze and witnessing their feats had broadened Yamato's perspective. She no longer saw Oden as her sole life's idol, but twenty years of ingrained beliefs didn't just vanish overnight.
So, whenever Oden came up in conversation, it was like lighting a fuse between her and Brand.
This fight had a bit of an "IRL showdown" vibe to it.
"Huff… huff…"
"Didn't expect you to be this tough, airplane head. You actually tanked my Thunder Bagua!" Yamato panted.
"Hmph. I've taken down hundreds of foes. I've seen plenty stronger than you," Brand shot back, reverting from his "Demon-Possessed" state. After catching his breath, he added seriously, "But your strength is no joke. Without 'Demon-Possessed,' I'd have been down in no time… and you weren't even going all out, were you? If you'd used your Devil Fruit powers…"
"That's for enemies," Yamato said, slinging her club over her shoulder and throwing an arm around Brand's. "I'm calling you a comrade now. Wanna grab a drink? Hikari, you in?"
"Nah, you guys go find Leone," Hikari called from a nearby hill.
Once Yamato and Brand wandered off, Hikari stretched lazily, letting the three tomoe in her eyes fade. She replayed the fight in her mind.
Yamato's Haki was impressive—top-tier even in the One Piece world—but it was honed through years of getting pummeled by Kaido, not through teaching others. If Hikari wanted to learn Haki from her, she'd need to observe more real fights.
A moment later, Hikari snapped out of her thoughts, brushed the dirt off her clothes, and stood up. "Let's go, Little Es. Time for dinner."
"…"
Esdeath didn't bother correcting the "Little Es" nickname this time. Instead, she studied Hikari's back as they walked, her expression thoughtful. "You… haven't known that Yamato girl for long, have you?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You didn't know anything about 'Haki' until just a few days ago. If you were really from the same place, that wouldn't make sense. But the way she respects you… it's odd."
"Huh?" Hikari hadn't expected Esdeath's sharp observation skills to pick up on that.
After a brief pause, she chose her words carefully. "Little Es, do you know what a 'world' is?"
"A world?"
"Yeah." Hikari stopped, pointing to the sky and then the ground. "The world is the earth beneath our feet, the sky above, and everything in between—all of it together. But have you ever thought… what if there are other worlds beyond the empire's?"
"…So that's where you all really come from? That Navy Admiral, Aokiji—he's from another world too, isn't he?" Esdeath's eyes narrowed, a playful smirk crossing her face. "Sounds… intriguing."
"It is," Hikari said with a grin. "There are plenty of powerhouses like you and him out there in other worlds."
"?!"
Esdeath's eyes lit up at that.
Hikari's smile widened. "So, what do you say? Wanna come with me to check out another world?"
"…Is that even possible?" Esdeath's lips twitched, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Totally possible. It might take a few days, though. And if we go, I'd need to seal you up in a box for the trip. It could be risky. You cool with that?"
"…Fine."
Taking Esdeath to another world was tentatively settled.
Over the next two days, Hikari paid a visit to Dr. Stylish, briefed him on the East Sea situation, and used "Shangri-La" to send him, Dot Pixis, and Cosmia there.
As for Dr. Stylish's "Fashion Brigade" of modified soldiers and his lab equipment, Hikari sealed them up with a jutsu and made several trips to deliver them to the East Sea.
To make room for all that, she'd dug out dozens of crates of gold and jewels, buried them in the East Sea Cloud Dragon's territory, and left the beast to guard them.
After that, Hikari said her goodbyes to Brand, Bulma, and the others, temporarily leaving the Akame ga Kill world.
She returned to the Naruto world, a place she hadn't seen in a while.