Chapter 501: The Water Capital (Part 2)

"A world of ninjas, huh? Sounds intriguing. Why didn't you invite us sooner to check it out?" Aida teased Daniel the morning after a particularly refreshing night, her tone half-serious, half-mocking as she learned about the Shinobi World.

Both Aida and Robin were familiar with the concept of ninjas, but not the kind Daniel described. Aida knew Marvel's take on ninjas, while Robin's perspective came from Wano Country, where samurai and ninjas were indeed famous, even if they weren't nearly as extraordinary as the ninjas of the Shinobi World, who wielded chakra.

"Alright, let's not dwell on it. First things first—learning to control chakra." Chakra techniques, like walking on water and walls, not to mention a wide variety of jutsu, could be invaluable for explorers like Aida and Robin. Especially when combined with their Devil Fruit abilities, chakra might offer interesting synergies—such as enhancing Robin's Hana Hana no Mi powers with Wood Release.

"Why not wait until we're all together to start training? Besides, you owe us a few days," Aida countered, playful as always.

Daniel didn't mind at all. With no pressing tasks, he happily escorted Aida and Robin to some of the finest establishments in the Hunter World, drawing jealous stares from men everywhere they went.

"This is Chelsea. So, where are the others now?" Daniel asked as he introduced Chelsea to Aida and Robin at the Rain Spider Café in the One Piece world.

"Nice to meet you," Chelsea said, smiling warmly in her maid's uniform.

Under Chelsea's management, the Spider Café had adopted a maid café style, becoming a distinctive attraction in the rain-soaked city of Yuba. The staff all dressed as maids, adding a charming touch to the area.

"They're on Jaya Island and seem to have run into some trouble with Doflamingo. He's been trying to contact you," Chelsea replied, filling Daniel in on recent events.

When Daniel left, he'd handed over the operations of Baroque Works to Chelsea, who quickly proved her expertise. A former maid in a governor's mansion, Chelsea's skills in intelligence gathering and organization were top-notch, making her a perfect candidate for managing such a network. Esdeath wasn't interested in the role, and while Akame and Kurome were talented assassins, they couldn't match Chelsea's grasp of logistics and strategy.

"So, a minor conflict turned into quite the ordeal, I see." Daniel smiled wryly. He knew Esdeath's personality, along with Akame's and Kurome's. If they engaged, there wouldn't be any survivors.

Upon arrival at Jaya Island, their striking appearances had inevitably attracted the attention of pirates, sparking a confrontation with Bellamy's crew. The result was inevitable—Esdeath, Akame, and Kurome wiped them out completely. Bellamy, a bounty holder of 55 million berries and a Devil Fruit user, was slain by Akame in a single strike, along with his entire crew.

As for the Straw Hats, they hadn't even stopped on Jaya. Since Daniel had already confirmed the existence of Skypiea, Luffy was determined to head straight there, and with Nami's exceptional navigation skills and the Saruyama Alliance's help, they made it to the sky island.

Ordinarily, Bellamy's crew wouldn't attract much attention, but Bellamy had ties to Doflamingo. After the slaughter, Doflamingo tried to contact Daniel, his fellow Warlord of the Sea. If it had been anyone else, Doflamingo might not have bothered, but Daniel had once dueled Mihawk. Even though Chelsea couldn't get back to him, Doflamingo sent some of his top subordinates—Diamante, Gladius, Baby 5, and Machvise—to Jaya.

Doflamingo assumed that Daniel's lack of response was a show of disrespect, and while Daniel's strength was likely formidable, Doflamingo felt secure in the backing of Kaido, one of the Four Emperors.

As expected, a fierce battle erupted on Jaya, solidifying Esdeath's reputation as the "Ice Queen." Her beauty rivaled that of Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress, and it wasn't long before people began to refer to her as the Ice Queen of the seas.

Esdeath would likely have killed Diamante and the others if not for an unexpected interruption from Admiral Aokiji, who put an end to the clash. Naturally, Esdeath seized the chance to challenge Aokiji directly, though she was ultimately defeated, as there remained a significant gap between her power and that of an admiral.

Thanks to Aokiji's intervention, and Doflamingo's quick decision to withdraw his forces, none of his subordinates were killed.

If not for their affiliation with Daniel, Esdeath and her group would have been designated as supernovas, but Warlord crews weren't subject to bounties.

"Esdeath certainly knows how to make a name for herself," Daniel mused, not surprised by her feats. The title "Ice Queen" was only the beginning for her, destined to be followed by greater accomplishments.

But while Esdeath's fame grew, Akame's skill with the sword went largely unnoticed. As a prodigy trained by the legendary swordsman Ryuma, Akame would undoubtedly become a top swordswoman one day.

"Doflamingo, I hear you've been looking for me." After some thought, Daniel instructed Chelsea to contact Doflamingo via Den Den Mushi.

"So, you've finally come out of hiding," Doflamingo replied, clearly displeased. Understandably so, given that his subordinates had been killed and injured, leaving him in no mood to be friendly.

"Is that really why you called?"

"Let's get to the point. My subordinate, Bellamy, was killed by your people. Care to explain?"

Unlike the Straw Hats' Luffy, serious pirate factions didn't go charging into conflict without doing some research. Bellamy's role was akin to Arlong's position in East Blue, a minor player under a bigger boss, strategically placed on Jaya by Doflamingo.

"Just a minor pirate. He provoked my people, so they killed him. Surely you didn't contact me over something so trivial?"

Doflamingo almost cursed, but he forced himself to hold back. He'd always shown remarkable restraint with those stronger than himself.

"Of course, it's not just about that." Since Daniel had dismissed Bellamy's death as insignificant, Doflamingo couldn't afford to dwell on it, lest he appear petty.

"Looks like you're making a move for the New World," Doflamingo remarked, smoothly shifting the conversation.

Of the Warlords, only Doflamingo held territory in the New World, while the rest primarily operated in the first half of the Grand Line. Jinbe's Fish-Man Island marked the boundary, while Boa Hancock's Amazon Lily lay in the Calm Belt, but geographically was still on the Grand Line's first half.

The New World wasn't closed off to the Warlords, but securing territory there required strength, and only the strongest, like Mihawk, could roam freely without establishing dominion.

Both Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Tsuru, the Marine Chief of Staff, had also speculated about Daniel's ambitions for the New World, given Esdeath's recent movements in that direction.

"Is that your only point?"

"If you're planning on entering the New World, perhaps we could work together."

Just as Daniel was about to end the call, Doflamingo hurriedly revealed his true purpose.

"Collaboration? How would we do that? Last I checked, your SMILE production can barely meet Kaido's demands. What could you possibly offer me?"

Although Daniel wasn't interested in the artificial SMILE fruits, he used it as a pretext to probe Doflamingo's intentions.

"True, SMILEs are reserved for Kaido. But there are other ways we could benefit one another." Though Doflamingo feared Kaido's wrath, he didn't believe Daniel posed a greater threat than the "Strongest Creature."

"Other ways to collaborate?" Daniel pretended to consider, knowing he had no intention of aiding Doflamingo's human trafficking operations.

"I despise slavers." Daniel's sudden statement hung in the air, and through the Den Den Mushi, he could see Doflamingo's expression darken.

"How unfortunate," Doflamingo replied coldly, hanging up.

"Yes, quite unfortunate indeed."

After ending the call, Daniel opened the Gate of Secrets, connecting to Jaya Island, and brought Esdeath, Akame, and Kurome back to his base.

"The reason I called you all here is to teach you something important." Sensing a spark of tension between Aida and Esdeath, Daniel explained the Shinobi World and chakra techniques.

"The Shinobi World… and you didn't invite me to join in the battles?" Esdeath's complaint echoed Aida's earlier reaction, though her interest lay more in combat than exploration.

"A true battle enthusiast," Daniel thought, bemused.

"These techniques are ideal for stealth," Chelsea remarked, immediately envisioning how Transformation Jutsu could complement her Gaia foundation cream for disguise.

Akame and Kurome nodded in agreement, also recognizing the potential uses in their line of work.

"For now, I want you all to pause your sea voyages and focus on chakra training. Afterward, I'll help each of you incorporate Hashirama cells, which will amplify your abilities."

"Understood." Esdeath's eagerness was palpable—anything that could increase her strength was a welcome challenge.

Thanks to Daniel's guidance, each of them quickly learned how to harness chakra

.

"Honestly, I can't believe you didn't make a move with such beautiful women around," Aida teased later that evening, joining Daniel in his quarters.

"Don't make it sound like that. I told you before—I want to nurture their talents."

"So, you only gather women?" Aida's playful smirk left him momentarily speechless.

"Conversation over," Daniel muttered, unable to come up with a witty reply.

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