Then Kaos gently hooked his finger, and in the next moment, Rika Minami floated into the air.
She drifted directly into Kaos's arms.
Seeing this, Esdeath willingly gave up her seat and looked extremely pleased—the battleship she had been waiting for had finally arrived.
"Your Highness Kaos, since you're staying here, I'll head out to check on my battleship."
Esdeath was so excited that she could hardly stay still. Her heart had already flown out to the sea—she had no interest in staying in the room any longer.
Kaos simply nodded in response and agreed.
With that, Esdeath exited the room tactfully and locked the door behind her.
By the time she stepped onto the deck of the cruise ship, she saw it—positioned on the port side—a massive destroyer.
Yes, a destroyer!
Esdeath stared wide-eyed at the steel monster before her.
She could sense its terrifying power.
Although her world had never built warships like this, it didn't mean she was unaware of them.
She had studied battleships before, and now, seeing one up close, she was completely mesmerized. This was no wooden vessel—it was forged entirely from reinforced steel.
Its defensive capabilities were incredible, allowing it to withstand a variety of harsh environments. In her eyes, it was a nearly flawless design.
Enchanted by the ship, Esdeath leapt into the air and landed cleanly on the deck. At that moment, Sengoku happened to be standing there. When he saw her approach, he frowned slightly.
Still, since she was known to be Kaos's woman, he made no move to stop her.
But Esdeath recognized Sengoku right away. She walked straight up to him and declared,
"Assign an all-female crew to operate this ship."
"And make sure the cooks are women too. I want only women in all the lower ranks."
Her request was direct and without a hint of courtesy.
Sengoku frowned deeply. Her demands were ridiculous.
"I can't agree to that. The crew I brought isn't yours to command, and this ship doesn't belong to you."
Sengoku was a man of principle. Though he knew Esdeath was close to Kaos, he didn't show her any special treatment.
He followed Kaos's orders—no one else's.
And this ship was Kaos's property, not the woman's in front of him.
Esdeath narrowed her eyes in irritation. This old man dared defy her?
In her empire, all men were her toys—no more than obedient dogs at her feet.
Yet this man had the nerve to speak to her in such a tone. Even though he was strong, she had no intention of letting it slide.
Without a word, she stepped forward and delivered a powerful kick.
The moment her foot moved, Sengoku reacted. His arm darkened with Armament Haki as he raised it just in time to block the attack.
Boom!
Esdeath's kick slammed into his arm, releasing a tremendous shockwave. The surrounding Marines on the destroyer were thrown back by the blast.
"Damn it! What's your problem, woman!?"
Vice Admiral Onigumo, who was among the Marines present, immediately drew his sword at the sight of her sudden aggression.
But before he could even attack, Esdeath turned to him—her gaze as cold as ice.
In the blink of an eye, Onigumo was frozen solid.
"Ice-type Devil Fruit?!"
Sengoku stared in disbelief.
He had seen Esdeath beside Kaos before, but had paid her little mind. Kaos had many women, and she was just one more—until now.
That single kick had revealed the truth: the woman was unbelievably strong.
Now, seeing Onigumo, a Vice Admiral, frozen in an instant only confirmed her terrifying power.
She wasn't just one of Kaos's women—she was a powerhouse in her own right.
Esdeath stared down the old man coldly. She knew she couldn't kill him—he was one of Kaos's people. But teaching him a lesson? That was fair game.
"I said—assign me a female crew. Now."
Her voice was sharp, her aura murderous.
But Sengoku had reached his limit. He snapped:
"You wish!"
To him, her demand was nothing more than an excuse to turn the ship into a floating harem for Kaos.
Even though Sengoku respected Kaos, he didn't approve of his obsession with women.
And now, this woman wanted to staff the entire ship with females, just so Kaos could indulge himself?
It was unacceptable.
These were Marines, not playthings for Kaos or his lovers.
Even for Kaos, he wouldn't compromise on this.
But Esdeath wasn't finished. The old man's defiance only infuriated her more. Without hesitation, she launched another ferocious kick.
This time, her strike was laced with intense Armament Haki. Her combat experience—especially her battles against Kaido and Bullet—had sharpened her skills. Her mastery of Haki had grown tremendously, and her current control over it was on another level entirely.