Purchasing A Chart, Yamato Vs. Tierres

Marineford bustled with activity as Sengoku, the fleet admiral, cast a surprised gaze upon Arias and the others who had returned with Kuzan. He was at a loss for words, realizing that this individual seemed to consider the Naval Headquarters his home.

"What are you doing here again?" Sengoku inquired, his tone reflecting a mix of curiosity and disapproval. The memory of Rosinante's possible demise at the hands of Arias weighed heavily on Sengoku's mind, making it challenging for him to regard Arias favorably.

Arias, however, maintained his cheerful demeanor. "Come to conduct some small business with the Marines!"

Sengoku felt a surge of irritation. "Marines don't engage in business deals."

Undeterred, Arias flashed a bright smile. "Oh, don't be like that! My wife is among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and we share the same lineage as you Marines. Why the cold reception?"

Sengoku, growing increasingly displeased, made it clear that Arias was unwelcome. "I'm not in the mood for your antics. What do you want?"

Arias chuckled. "I need some sea charts and permanent pointers to various islands."

Sengoku frowned. "Explain your intentions."

Arias maintained his nonchalant attitude. "Just exploring the seas, you know? Plus, we're all part of the same big Marine family, aren't we?"

Sengoku, skeptical, pressed further, "Tell me precisely what you plan to do."

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Arias replied, "I want to ensure smooth sailing, with the right directions to each island."

Sengoku sighed, realizing that getting rid of Arias might not be as simple as he had hoped.

"What do you want this for?" Sengoku asked, his wariness evident.

Arias replied, "Don't you have the charts and pointers around Nine Snakes?"

Sengoku, still cautious, responded, "I have them, but why do you need the Grand Line and charts of the four seas? And don't follow me."

Undeterred, Arias hurriedly caught up with Sengoku, pleading, "Listen to me! My wife and I are only nineteen years old. We want to explore the world. It's boring to be stuck in Kuji. Besides, we don't rob merchant ships or countries; we only deal with pirates. Wouldn't that reduce the workload of your Marines?"

Sengoku stopped in his tracks, but before he could respond, Arias blurted out, "I'll pay you one hundred million beli!"

"Damn it! What's wrong with you?" Sengoku retorted.

Arias defended his proposition, "We're not as heartless as pirates. Think about it!"

Sengoku, finding the situation amusing, suggested, "Maybe I can exchange it for a Devil Fruit."

Arias scoffed, "You must be joking!"

"Then make it 100 million!" Sengoku persisted.

Arias chuckled, "You're an interesting one!"

As the two continued their spirited exchange, Marine generals in the headquarters observed the unusual scene with puzzled expressions.

"Is Arias familiar with Admiral Sengoku?"

"I'm not sure, but I heard he's here to collect a bounty, and Admiral Sengoku seems quite interested in him."

"By the way, Empress Nine Snakes is so beautiful. It would be no exaggeration to say she is the most beautiful woman in the world! That man is so lucky."

"Being number one in the world is a bit too much, but if you say you are number one among pirates, I still agree with you!"

"Speaking of which, those two little girls are also very beautiful. Although the younger one has not yet grown up, she looks like a beauty at first glance. When she grows up, she will surely have a face that will captivate the entire country."

"The other tallest one is Tianrou Yamato, who has become famous recently. I heard that she has the same move as Kaido, the Admiral of Beasts, Thunder Eight Trigrams! I don't know what her relationship is with Kaido."

A group of Marine generals chatted about them, and Hiyori stood nervously, pinching the hem of her skirt.

Yamato, on the other hand, was already accustomed to greeting these Marine generals.

After Arias argued hard, he finally secured the charts and permanent pointers at the steep price of 50 million beli, cursing as he walked away.

"Sengoku is nothing!"

Upon returning to Hancock and others, Arias noticed a commotion in the crowd.

"What's wrong?" he inquired, worried that something had happened to the girls. He pushed through the crowd to investigate.

Upon reaching the center, Arias found Yamato engaged in a heated battle with a Marine general.

Moreover, Yamato seemed to have the upper hand.

When he approached Hancock, he learned that while he was negotiating with Sengoku for the charts and permanent pointers, a Marine general named Stierres had challenged Yamato. Surprisingly, Yamato readily accepted, and the two had started fighting.

This general, Stierres, currently a Rear Admiral, displayed extraordinary strength. Hancock speculated that after Sakazuki and others were promoted to Admiral, Stierres would likely be promoted to Vice Admiral soon.

"You are very strong. I am no match for you. Finally, let me see the legendary Thundering Eight Trigrams!"

Stierres used his long knife to withstand the attack of the mace. A formidable swordsman, he was nonetheless out of breath.

"Good!" Yamato smiled heartily and jumped away with the mace in hand. "As you wish!"

The mace crackled with electricity-like energy as it crashed down with unstoppable power.

Stierres employed his strongest swordsmanship and shouted to meet the attack.

The sword and stick collided, but in an instant, Stierres vomited blood and staggered backward. There were already numerous cracks in the sword in his hand!

"Hiss!" The Marine generals watching gasped. "It's so terrifying!"

"Stierres's swordsmanship is already among the best in the Rear Admiral headquarters, and his strength has even reached the Vice Admiral selection standards. What he lacks now is just enough military exploits! Yet, he was beaten with a stick by this girl and even vomited blood. The sword is damaged too! Unbelievable!"

The generals in the headquarters were surprised by Yamato's strength, but the top experts like Buddha Sengoku were even more shocked.

They had heard about a girl who could use Thunder Eight Trigrams, but they dismissed it as mere rumor.

Thunder Eight Trigrams essentially was a manifestation of advanced Conqueror's Haki. It required not only a natural talent for Conqueror's Haki but also a deep understanding of its advanced applications.

Initially, they thought the moves were merely similar, but it turned out that Yamato truly possessed the power of Ba Tang!

The Nine Snakes Empress, Hancock, possessed Conqueror's Haki, and now there was a girl named Yamato who could wield it too. The question lingered: did Arias also possess the qualifications of a conqueror?

Little Nine Snakes, surrounded by numerous formidable experts, made for a formidable gathering of power.