Sengoku sized up the woman before him, who stood a full 2.6 meters tall. He deliberately ignored the unusually prominent horns on Yamato's head and focused his attention on her eyes.
Yamato's amber eyes were undeniably beautiful, but after a careful examination, Sengoku still shook his head, leaving Yamato utterly confused.
She subconsciously touched her face, confirming that nothing was out of place, then turned her gaze toward Chiga.
Being unfamiliar with the situation, she instinctively looked to Chiga for guidance.
However, Chiga paid her no attention. It was her own fault for presumptuously calling herself "Uchiha Yamato." She would have been better off just using "Uchiha Chiga." Changing it like that made it sound as if she had married him.
Seeing Chiga ignore her, Yamato puffed out her cheeks and buried her face like an ostrich.
Sengoku had no hidden agenda. He simply wanted to see if Yamato also possessed eyes like Chiga's. If she truly belonged to the Uchiha clan, then the Marines would have struck gold.
Although Chiga had claimed to be the last of his clan, Sengoku was still reluctant to accept it. It felt like such a powerful bloodline going extinct was too great a loss. What if there were survivors?
Regrettably, until now, no other Uchiha had emerged besides Chiga. Sengoku had to accept that cruel reality.
To be fair, Sengoku had seen the power of the Uchiha firsthand—and he'd become a bit greedy. Not many Uchiha were as easygoing as Chiga.
If they were displeased, they'd probably just glare at people with their Sharingan.
Chiga looked at Yamato, who was still acting like an ostrich, and let out a helpless sigh. After all, he was the one who brought her back. Now that she was staying silent, it fell to him to introduce her.
With that in mind, Chiga cleared his throat twice, imitating Sengoku's usual manner. He pointed to Yamato and said,
"Her name is Yamato. I brought her back from Kaido."
Brought her back from Onigashima? Sengoku was stunned. That was Kaido's stronghold. Could someone from there be anything other than a member of the Beasts Pirates?
His mind racing, Sengoku turned his gaze to Yamato again. This time, he finally noticed the crimson horns on her head.
Sengoku's intellect rivaled even Vice Admiral Tsuru's. The moment he saw those horns and recalled where she came from, an image appeared in his mind: Kaido of the Beasts.
He already had a rough answer in his heart. Just the thought caused a cold sweat to drip down his forehead.
Chiga noticed Sengoku's lingering gaze on Yamato's horns and knew he'd pieced it together. He didn't intend to hide it.
"She's Kaido's daughter. Her potential is undeniable," Chiga stated plainly.
The moment those words were spoken, aside from Ace—who already knew—both Sengoku and Garp turned toward Yamato, their expressions full of shock.
Yamato shrank back even more. She slowly moved behind Chiga, timidly grabbing his arm like a frightened child clinging to her guardian.
Chiga didn't pull away. Instead, he gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders. After all, Yamato was still young, and it was her first time venturing so far from home. This kind of reaction was only natural.
Yamato felt a warmth flood her chest from the simple gesture. She peeked up at Chiga's face and thought, He still likes me after all. He's just a little tsundere!
Meanwhile, Chiga looked at the others calmly. He had no fear about revealing Yamato's identity because he no longer feared the World Government.
His Rinnegan now had seven tomoe. His ocular powers alone were terrifying, and that wasn't even considering the powerful abilities he'd gained. The Devil Fruits in his possession were all of exceptionally high quality.
He had also comprehended Conqueror's Infusion from Kaido, and his physical strength had reached Yonko-tier. In terms of pure individual combat power, he stood at the peak.
As for the World Government, their stance toward him had always been ambiguous. Chiga speculated that the true ruler behind the scenes—Imu—must have other plans for him, which was why he had been allowed to act so freely.
And honestly, Chiga preferred it that way. It saved him a lot of trouble.
As for Imu's intentions, he wasn't too concerned. He firmly believed in one principle: all fear comes from a lack of firepower.
There were still five empty slots in his left eye, meaning his power had room to grow. Since Imu had given him this much time to develop, Chiga wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
Once he gathered all twelve tomoe, he would personally visit Mary Geoise and see if Imu really came from the same place he did.
If he did, then that would be quite the reunion. And when old friends meet… sometimes, bullets fly.
Chiga might not take the World Government seriously, but Sengoku certainly did. Right now, the Fleet Admiral was staring at Yamato and Ace with an expression of deep conflict.
He thought, Unbelievable. Not only did Chiga defeat Kaido, he brought back two recruits—each with a more outrageous background than the last.
One was Kaido's daughter. The other, the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. Sengoku was overwhelmed.
Taking in Ace had already felt like pushing the limits of what he could accept. And now Yamato too? He was at his breaking point.
But ask him to give up either of them, and he couldn't. For one, they were brought back by Chiga. That alone meant he'd protect them—even if it cost him his role as Fleet Admiral.
More importantly, their potential was overwhelming.
While bloodline theories might be a bit abstract, the idea of "a dragon birthing a dragon" certainly applied. Yamato already seemed quite strong.
Sengoku's eyes gleamed. He slapped his thigh and shouted, "To hell with the World Government! The Marines are taking these two, and no one can stop us!"
He straightened up, looked at Ace and Yamato, and declared with conviction,
"Very good! I trust Chiga's judgment. As long as you have justice in your heart, the Marines welcome you! You're ours now!"
At that moment, Sengoku radiated the full authority of a Fleet Admiral, and even Garp found himself glancing sideways in admiration. He had to admit, Sengoku looked unusually charismatic just now.
But of course, that was just in his head. No way was he going to say it out loud.
Garp still remembered the pain from Sengoku's last punch. There was no way he'd let him show off so easily.
His gaze drifted to Ace, who was smiling broadly at the thought of officially joining the Marines. Garp suddenly reached out and grabbed the back of Ace's red vest.
Before Ace could react, he was hoisted into the air by his "dear" grandfather.
Ace stared wide-eyed at Garp, unsure of what was coming.
Garp leaned in, his beard brushing against Ace's cheek, and grinned with exaggerated kindness.
"Ace, I'm so happy you're joining the Marines! Grandpa's decided—he's going to train you personally! How's that? Surprised? Happy?"
He eagerly awaited the excitement he expected to see on Ace's face.
But instead, Ace scowled even more. He pouted and snapped,
"You just like bullying kids! Who wants your training? I want to follow Big Brother Chiga! He's the best!"
"Nani!?"
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