"Alliance Leader!" Emotionless as ever, Ichiji remained calm. Unlike others, he would not get so excited that he nearly fainted. He merely greeted Hikaru politely.
Hikaru floated down from the sky, light flickering in his eyes. The massive Susanoo spread its wings and soared away, pouncing toward another area as Hikaru controlled its every movement.
"Impressive!" Kuzan still wore that lazy, punchable expression, though there was a trace of admiration in his eyes. "Facing the full strength of a Four Emperors crew and still gaining such an advantage—your command ability far surpasses those famed military strategists in this world."
Hikaru showed no reaction to Kuzan's praise. He glanced around and asked, "Where are Jinbe? And Marco and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates?"
"The Alliance Leader's three-pronged pincer tactic was excellent. Marco has already led his forces out of our formation and charged into Blackbeard's central fleet. He wants to kill Blackbeard himself and avenge his grievances," Ichiji said coldly.
"Hmph! I'm afraid he'll be disappointed." Hikaru said flatly, "But I'm even more disappointed. Is that man really some renowned great pirate of the New World? How can he act so impulsively? If Blackbeard tears open the encirclement and lets a huge number of pirates escape, just thinking about it is irritating."
Hikaru knew perfectly well that Marco held a grudge against Blackbeard. That was why, when he had first begun planning, he had secretly sent Jinbe to Wano Country to find Marco's group, explain his pincer strategy in full, and tell Marco that this was the perfect chance to take revenge.
Sure enough, driven by his desire for vengeance, Marco immediately led his remaining men to join forces with the Uchiha Alliance. With Jinbe acting as a guarantor between them, Marco finally lowered his guard.
But now, the moment