I, Uchiha Hikaru, have joined the chat group.

Chapter 330 Bartholomew Bear

Bulma was feeling uneasy about her sudden "throne".

Meanwhile, Esdeath was dissatisfied with the amount of her bounty:

"Only 25 billion?"

"Didn't they say that all three of us were rated 'Emperor' level? That guy called Whitebeard is also 'Emperor', right? Why is his bounty 50 billion, while ours is only half of his?"

"...Well, Whitebeard is a veteran in this business, with decades of experience, so a higher salary is reasonable, isn't it? Look at Shanks, he only has 40 billion, right?"

It was Uchiha Hikaru who spoke.

She was currently staring at her own photo in the newspaper, the one labeled 30 billion, contemplating something else—

Speaking of...

If you create a bunch of shadow clones, pack them up, and send them to the Navy Headquarters to surrender, could you give each person 30 billion based on their headcount?

Even if she can't... if she creates three shadow clones, each in the form of Bulma and Esdeath, could she exchange them for 100 billion at Marine Headquarters?

Uchiha Hikaru was seriously considering this issue.

After all, if this method works, it's a way to make money much faster than robbery...

"Cough cough..."

At this moment, Shakky, who was sitting behind a counter not far away, coughed and looked hesitant: "Um... are you sure you don't need to hide in the back? The Navy has started a full-scale search of the island. If you get found hiding here..."

That's right.

At this moment.

Uchiha Hikaru and his group did not leave the Sabaody Archipelago, but instead stayed at Shakky's "Knock on the Bamboo Bar" to observe the changing situation from a first-person perspective.

They even did a live broadcast announcement in the chat group.

[Eternal Sister: ...So, you mean, Ms. Hikari, you publicly destroyed a nation's political symbol in that place called Sabaody Archipelago, and now you've triggered a city-wide manhunt by thousands of navy personnel?]

[Anonymous: To be precise, it represents the political symbols of 19 countries.]

—This number represents the 19 ancient kingdoms that make up the Celestial Dragons.

As for the remaining 100-plus member states, since they don't reside in Mary Geoise, they're not really involved in this matter. There might even be some people gloating over the Celestial Dragons' deaths right now.

[Brand: This is incredible. We've only been apart for less than a week, and you two, Hikari and Bulma, have already accomplished something spectacular... It seems we need to step up our efforts too.]

[Anonymous: Oh?]

[Brand: We've discovered a location where the "Celestial Gold" is stored, heavily guarded by the Navy. If all goes well, they should set sail from here in about a week, heading towards the New World… Yamato, Akame, and I originally wanted to devise a more meticulous and secure plan to switch this batch of "Celestial Gold," but now it seems perhaps a more direct approach is possible.]

A more "direct" approach, of course, is...

grab!

[Oni-hime: Waaaaah, I really want to get a bounty of over 100 million to prove my abilities to Kaido... no, to Minato-san, Hikari-san, Kikyo-san, and Bulma-san! I'll do my best in this "Heist of the Celestial Treasure" plan!]

[Bulma: Um... there's really no need for you to prove anything to me, after all, I was just picked up from Hikari when I was a "royal-level" character.]

[Anonymous @Brand @OniPrincess: There's something I need to remind you all.]

[Nameless: When we were causing trouble in the Sabaody Archipelago, Akainu and Aokiji didn't show up. These two admirals are likely involved in the "Celestial Gold" transport plan, so be careful when you make your move. If needed, Aiolia and I can go over.]

Speaking of which, Yamato can be considered the fourth strongest member of the "Dimensional Pirates".

Hmm... if we don't count Bulma, the "Fifth Emperor," she's the third strongest.

As Kaido's daughter, her physique, Conqueror's Haki, and Devil Fruit abilities are all among the top tier in the pirate world. If she had been present during the Sabaody Archipelago incident, the World Government's evaluation of the "Dimensional Pirates" would likely have risen even higher.

However, if the other two admirals who are not currently in the Sabaody Archipelago have indeed gone to escort the "Heavenly Gold," then Yamato alone certainly cannot handle it.

—Yamato's current strength level can basically be seen as a low-end version of Kaido. Even Kaido at his peak might not be able to withstand the combined attack of Akainu and Aokiji at the same time.

That's why Uchiha Hikaru gave such a special instruction.

[Oni-hime: Yes, I will!]

Yamato readily agreed.

Finally, Uchiha Hikaru tagged Kikyo in the group chat again, and casually asked about Whitebeard's situation, receiving the answer that everything was going well for him.

After confirming all of this.

Uchiha Hikaru brought his attention back to reality, first stretching casually, then turning around from the square table to look at the other side of the bar.

Apart from her and Bulma and a few others.

Two other groups of people were also staying at Xiaqi's bar.

One group consisted of the entire Straw Hat crew.

The other group consisted of only one person, an uninvited guest—

Bartholomew Bear.

Not those pirated androids, but the original one, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

This person had already returned to the Sabaody Archipelago when the battle broke out yesterday. Originally, she intended to step in and protect Luffy and the others, just like in the original timeline. However, she unexpectedly witnessed the "Dimensional Pirates" wreaking havoc in the sky from afar, so she had to change her plans and find Shakky now that the incident has ended.

At first, the Straw Hat crew thought he was the person in charge of the "Marine Great Manhunt" operation, and that he had come specifically to arrest Uchiha Hikaru and the others. This led to a minor conflict.

However, once Uchiha Hikaru spoke, the two sides temporarily stopped fighting and the conflict subsided.

Then they sat on either side of each other in the bar, looking at each other.

The Straw Hat crew was still wary of Kuma because of their recent encounter on Thriller Bark. Kuma, however, showed no inclination to speak, so they remained frozen in place.

As for Rayleigh, he was also unaware of Xiong's identity at this moment. He simply stood by, drinking and watching with a cold eye.

"Cough cough..."

Uchiha Hikaru cleared his throat, his eyes fixed on the mountain-like bear, breaking the silence: "Nice to meet you. I am Uchiha Hikaru from the 'Dimensional Pirates,' and this is my captain, Bulma."

"How should I address you? As Shichibukai-san, or... Revolutionary Army officer Kuma?"

(End of this chapter)